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In Words: Eldritch



- Terence Holler - Dec. 2007 - Claudia Ehrhardt -


www.eldritchweb.com







Eldritch: Terence Holler
© Eldritch

Terence Holler - Dec. 2007 (by email)




The Italian band Eldritch is around for almost 15 years and their 7th album was called Blackenday. A good chance to talk to the guys! Many thanks to singer Terence Holler for answering my questions by email - and to guitarist PEK to arrange it. ;)


The album is called Blackenday. Why this title?

Well, it's an idea I got thinking about my life and all the things that happened. Some days look bright and sunny, but in a sudden everything could become black! It's a game-word... Like Headquake, Neighbourhell... Black-End-Day.

Any guests on the album? If yes, how do you got them involved?

Oh yeah! We got Ray Alder from Fates Warning and Redemption, and also Nick van Dyk, the guitarist of Redemption! We got in touch through the MySpace pages... It was easy, these guys were so kind and anti-rock stars! We also had guest backing vocals from the talented, female Italian vocalist from In Memory - Laura Scappini. Ray is my favorite singer and has always been!

Anybody you would like to have as a guest on a future release?

Wow! I'd like to have Jeff Waters and James Hetfield!!! But maybe only Jeff is reachable...

Which song is most important for you on this album? And why?

To be honest, I love all 'my children'! I love each song I wrote in these 15 years... I know it might sound weird, but there's a piece of me in every fragment of career...

The cover artwork is pretty dark. What's the meaning behind it?

Well, it's related with the dark, sad and negative oriented lyrics!!! A young little girl lying in the bed dying... What could be more sad? Well, this is the mood of the album...

And what song presents Eldritch best these days?

I think songs like Silent Flame or The Child That Never Smiles... represent Eldritch nowadays. Powerful, slow, fast, aggressive, sad... everything!

As far as I know there is a video clip... Please tell us a bit about the video and the making off!

The video has been shot for the title track Blackenday. It was done in Torino, in the far North of Italy. Mirco Andreis was the director. Well, it has been 2 days of hard work, really cold weather that we are not used to in our sunny Tuscany! But it was fun! This is our 5th video from the last 4 albums. We are actors now!

How was playing at Gods Of Metal? And what did you expect from playing at Sweden Rock Festival? And what about ProgPower Scandinavia? Have your expectations been fulfilled?

The Gods Of Metal was amazing!!! Playing with Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Thin Lizzy and others and also having food and drinks with our icons was fantastic! It was our 3rd time at Gods Of Metal since 1997 and 2001 festivals and we got familiar with it. SwedenRock was also fun as well as ProgPower. We feel great at these big festivals, because we are a live dimensional band! We feel perfect even in small clubs... Anything is okay for us as long as we can play in front of our fans!!!

Are more club shows be played in winter?

Yes, we played 14 shows from June til now and we'll play some more til the end of the year.

During the years you changed a lot musically. How does your new sound affect old songs when you play live? Have you rearranged them? Or do you play them as they been initially done?

We totally rearranged them! They sound better now without keyboards... But for the DVD show we'll play in March we'll call back our former band members to play some old tracks with us! Oleg, Martin and Adriano will be part of this special DVD show.

You are around since 1991. How much did things change for Eldritch? Have you ever thought that you will stay around that long?

To be honest, I never thought that I will play so many shows all around the world, that I will record 7 albums, do 5 videos and re-release 3 albums. And having our photos in magazines around the globe!!! And that we would meet our heroes... Wow, hope it'll last forever!!! I love it!!!

These days many bands release a DVD after a few years and albums. Can we expect something from Eldritch? Or do we have to wait til your 20th anniversary? I read something about starting to work in March 2008...

Yes, as I said before, we'll do our first official DVD in March 2008 - exactly 15 years after signing our first contract! We'll play old and new stuff. The old stuff with our former members!

Just recently El Niño was re-released; a year ago the first 2 albums been re-released. You added some bonus tracks... Demo tracks from the time you did the album mainly. Are these songs which didn't made it onto the album? Or did they just don't fit to the 'concept' / sound of the album?

Well, at those days these songs were quite not into the concept of the moment... We had better stuff that was catchier... But we are happy Limb Schnoor and his staff at Diversity Media gave us the chance to release them now.

I guess you already work on new songs... Or do you work best under pressure and start writing when the studio is booked?

You got it! We always work at the last moment! Spending many, many, many nights awake before entering the studio. But some ideas are already in our wicked minds...

Do you already know when you will enter the studio? And if you have already wrote some songs, can you give us a brief impression what to expect?

I can only say this, and you're the first to know! We'll do a sort of 'back to the roots' album! A mixture of our early days with some of our new, fresh ideas. I guess it'll be out early 2009, because we'll work on the concept really carefully.

It seems that the different shades of prog metal get more attention now... What about a tour in 2008? And if would be your choice, who you would like to tour with?

Yeah, Prog Metal is returning!! We hope to play with any kind of band of any kind of metal! This is because our music has so many different shades of metal... We fit them all!!!

Please tell us what's on your schedule for near future?

Well, now some club shows in Italy, the Italian Gods Of Metal on March 2nd and then the DVD show on March 15th... Then song writing and some festivals... And of course... sex'n'drinks and Rock'n'Roll! Thanks for your attention! Rock on, Terence Holler


I hope that the guys can tour more outside Italy and perhaps they will make it to the other ProgPower festivals... Meanwhile we can look forward to get a DVD they make for their 15th anniversary.


Claudia Ehrhardt

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