Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot! Oooops! Wrong Band Reference! Those chaps also have an asshole manager and I seriously doubt, if Newcastle’s Satan, even have one to start with! Steve Ramsey the ultra-cool, British guitarist that forged a name for him in the early days as half part of the equation that made up the sound of such legendary bands like Satan (later renamed to Pariah) and later Skyclad (along with the use of violins for which he’d often score the melodic lines previous to the arrival of Georgina Biddle in the band) puts down the bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale and gives us all a cheer as he quite cheerfully, gives us an update on all things “Satan-ic” 30 years after the release of “Court in the Act”. Apparently, not all that much seems to have changed... ey? Well find out in this pretty cool interview!
How come you decided to put Satan back after the odd thirty years off?
S: We originally got back together in 2004 when we were asked to do a reunion show at Wacken Open Air in Germany. Unfortunately at the time Sean our drummer had suffered leg injuries in a car crash which made it too difficult to play the demanding material of the “Court in the Act” album. We hired Phil Brewis, Blitzkrieg’s drummer at the time, to stand in and do the show. We had no intention of doing anything else without Sean until, after some years, he had fully recovered and suggested we got together for a rehearsal. It felt as good as it did back in the eighties, and we finally agreed to play Keep It True festival in Germany 2011 after a few years of persuasion from Oliver the organiser!
Life Sentence appears to just pick up things, exactly where “Court” left things off, all those years off, so convincingly, that one has to double check about the date of the recordings, how did you manage to pull this feat off? The songs – really sound as if they were done – back then, both the synthesis and the execution!
S: We were overwhelmed by the support and reaction at the festival, and the fact that there were so many young fans into the first album, that we decided to play a few more shows and inevitably the idea for a new song popped up in rehearsal. We decided there and then that if we were going to make a new album it had to sound like the follow up to “CITA” or we wouldn’t offer it for release. We had to make a few little rules because we are better and more experienced musicians now and had to kind of transport ourselves back to where we would have been back then. I was only eighteen when we recorded the first album!
Looking back – how do you think, the times have changed, musically? Socially? Generally?
S: Musically I think production techniques along with drop tuning of guitars have been the biggest influence. Socially it seems for us that it is far more acceptable for the band to be called Satan. This might have something to do with religion being in decline in certain parts of the world. Economically we were in a kind of a recession or just coming out of one in the UK when we made the first album, so no change there! The internet has really changed the music scene and how fans access music. I think, in general, this has been good for bands like us.
Does this putting back of Satan, mean that we might see, some more activity from Pariah? (even as re-releases) or is that project dead in the water?
S: There are no plans to put that line-up back together but there are rumours of re-releases due to the very favourable reviews and reaction of “Life Sentence”.
How hard was it to find all the original members, with Sean, living in America? (still?) and to get them interested in joining this project ? Does this pose a problem for touring?!
S: Sean is back in Newcastle and has been for a few tears now and we all live relatively near each other so rehearsing and then recording hasn’t been a problem.
Is this just a one off project or do you intend to keep Satan as a long term affair? How do you think this might influence your “normal” bands Blitzkrieg, Skyclad etc... ? (I guess none of them has been super busy at this time....)
S: At the moment we are playing it all by ear. The shows we have booked are those that have been offered. We will have to see once the album is released and gauge the reaction to it. We’ll keep going if there’s enough interest in what we’re doing. We’re managing to keep it all going no problem so far. We’ve written most of a new Skyclad album to maybe record next year and Brian has a new Blitzkrieg album almost completed and recorded. We’re all busy beavers!
What was R. Tippins had been up to for all these years? There were some bizarrely named projects that his named had been associated with (A trio and a band called Wheel Barrow from Hell if memory serves correctly – but I might be wrong.) Anything else?
S: He’s been playing in various cover bands to make a living and The Wheel Barrows from Hell were a fun cover band he put together a few years ago. He also loves his blues music and has his second solo album just out now. Again, we’re all very active in making music.
What are your fondest memories as well as your worst ones from the NWOBHM era? How do you feel in retrospect, when you hear the acronym, nowadays? What’s Satan’s place in music in 2013?
S: It was great to be a part of such a big movement in rock music back then but we feel that we’re just getting the recognition for what we had achieved on “Court in The Act” that we deserved now 30 years later. I think we were a little too different to all of the other NWOBHM bands around at the time and that has been realised now. As far as our place in 2013 goes, we’re doing it because the fans want it, young and old.
S: We originally got back together in 2004 when we were asked to do a reunion show at Wacken Open Air in Germany. Unfortunately at the time Sean our drummer had suffered leg injuries in a car crash which made it too difficult to play the demanding material of the “Court in the Act” album. We hired Phil Brewis, Blitzkrieg’s drummer at the time, to stand in and do the show. We had no intention of doing anything else without Sean until, after some years, he had fully recovered and suggested we got together for a rehearsal. It felt as good as it did back in the eighties, and we finally agreed to play Keep It True festival in Germany 2011 after a few years of persuasion from Oliver the organiser!
Life Sentence appears to just pick up things, exactly where “Court” left things off, all those years off, so convincingly, that one has to double check about the date of the recordings, how did you manage to pull this feat off? The songs – really sound as if they were done – back then, both the synthesis and the execution!
S: We were overwhelmed by the support and reaction at the festival, and the fact that there were so many young fans into the first album, that we decided to play a few more shows and inevitably the idea for a new song popped up in rehearsal. We decided there and then that if we were going to make a new album it had to sound like the follow up to “CITA” or we wouldn’t offer it for release. We had to make a few little rules because we are better and more experienced musicians now and had to kind of transport ourselves back to where we would have been back then. I was only eighteen when we recorded the first album!
Looking back – how do you think, the times have changed, musically? Socially? Generally?
S: Musically I think production techniques along with drop tuning of guitars have been the biggest influence. Socially it seems for us that it is far more acceptable for the band to be called Satan. This might have something to do with religion being in decline in certain parts of the world. Economically we were in a kind of a recession or just coming out of one in the UK when we made the first album, so no change there! The internet has really changed the music scene and how fans access music. I think, in general, this has been good for bands like us.
Does this putting back of Satan, mean that we might see, some more activity from Pariah? (even as re-releases) or is that project dead in the water?
S: There are no plans to put that line-up back together but there are rumours of re-releases due to the very favourable reviews and reaction of “Life Sentence”.
How hard was it to find all the original members, with Sean, living in America? (still?) and to get them interested in joining this project ? Does this pose a problem for touring?!
S: Sean is back in Newcastle and has been for a few tears now and we all live relatively near each other so rehearsing and then recording hasn’t been a problem.
Is this just a one off project or do you intend to keep Satan as a long term affair? How do you think this might influence your “normal” bands Blitzkrieg, Skyclad etc... ? (I guess none of them has been super busy at this time....)
S: At the moment we are playing it all by ear. The shows we have booked are those that have been offered. We will have to see once the album is released and gauge the reaction to it. We’ll keep going if there’s enough interest in what we’re doing. We’re managing to keep it all going no problem so far. We’ve written most of a new Skyclad album to maybe record next year and Brian has a new Blitzkrieg album almost completed and recorded. We’re all busy beavers!
What was R. Tippins had been up to for all these years? There were some bizarrely named projects that his named had been associated with (A trio and a band called Wheel Barrow from Hell if memory serves correctly – but I might be wrong.) Anything else?
S: He’s been playing in various cover bands to make a living and The Wheel Barrows from Hell were a fun cover band he put together a few years ago. He also loves his blues music and has his second solo album just out now. Again, we’re all very active in making music.
What are your fondest memories as well as your worst ones from the NWOBHM era? How do you feel in retrospect, when you hear the acronym, nowadays? What’s Satan’s place in music in 2013?
S: It was great to be a part of such a big movement in rock music back then but we feel that we’re just getting the recognition for what we had achieved on “Court in The Act” that we deserved now 30 years later. I think we were a little too different to all of the other NWOBHM bands around at the time and that has been realised now. As far as our place in 2013 goes, we’re doing it because the fans want it, young and old.
How come you signed with Listenable?! Fine label, but a little better known for its extreme metal releases!! How come – it’s a little weird! I suppose they gave you the best offer?! Was no one else interested enough? (hard to believe?!)
S: None of the bigger labels came in for us. We had a few small Independent Labels interested but once we had met Laurent, the label’s owner and manager, after a show in Belgium last year we knew who we wanted to handle the release. It was almost like gaining a sixth member and everything has worked out perfect so far. The label believes in us and is doing a great job.
Can you tell us your favourite cuts from the new album and give us a bit of a lyrical breakdown of any cuts that you think might have some deeper underlying “theme”?
S: We try not to get too deep about the lyrical content on the album. We like the listeners to work it out for themselves. Then if they need to know more they can ask us about them. There are no messages trying to be delivered. We kept with the theme of injustice in the world like on the first album, hence the devil as the judge. Themes among others are Biblical Retribution, Atonement and third world Politics. These themes suit the musical style of the band. We all have different favourite tracks on the album which is a good thing. “Siege Mentality” and “Personal Demons” are a couple of my favourites. The former is what I think is our “Break Free” on the album complex and up-tempo, and I love the blues based riff of the latter. Not that you would recognise it as a blues song of course!
What are your expectations from “Life Sentence”?
S: We never planned to do this, it was all led by the fans wanting it. So far the press and reviews of the album have been more and better than we could have hoped for. It is already exceeding our expectations and it’s not out yet at the time I’m doing this interview! Long may it continue.
How do you think has piracy influenced the metal scene? Are metal fans buying the CDs or are they downloading just the same?! Are they just skint the same just like everybody else?! And where the hell do you think we’re heading?!
S: It’s a double edged sword. Having access to the internet means that fans can search out and find and listen to exactly what they want to hear. In the past they have been led by magazines that push bands on major labels as they rely on the advertising revenue from those labels to survive. That’s not the case now which is better for bands like us who don’t follow trends. Of course the downside is that it is very difficult to make a living from your music now because of downloading. We always did it for the love of the music anyway.
Are there touring Plans? Will we see you in Greece?
S: We have a few festival shows booked for this year so far and we’ll see what happens after the release and what we get offered. We’d love to come and play in Greece and surely will. We are already booked to play in other countries like Sweden and Canada that we never got the chance to do in the old days.
Send a message to the Greek fans!
Hope you all enjoy the album and hope to see you in Greece soon.
S: None of the bigger labels came in for us. We had a few small Independent Labels interested but once we had met Laurent, the label’s owner and manager, after a show in Belgium last year we knew who we wanted to handle the release. It was almost like gaining a sixth member and everything has worked out perfect so far. The label believes in us and is doing a great job.
Can you tell us your favourite cuts from the new album and give us a bit of a lyrical breakdown of any cuts that you think might have some deeper underlying “theme”?
S: We try not to get too deep about the lyrical content on the album. We like the listeners to work it out for themselves. Then if they need to know more they can ask us about them. There are no messages trying to be delivered. We kept with the theme of injustice in the world like on the first album, hence the devil as the judge. Themes among others are Biblical Retribution, Atonement and third world Politics. These themes suit the musical style of the band. We all have different favourite tracks on the album which is a good thing. “Siege Mentality” and “Personal Demons” are a couple of my favourites. The former is what I think is our “Break Free” on the album complex and up-tempo, and I love the blues based riff of the latter. Not that you would recognise it as a blues song of course!
What are your expectations from “Life Sentence”?
S: We never planned to do this, it was all led by the fans wanting it. So far the press and reviews of the album have been more and better than we could have hoped for. It is already exceeding our expectations and it’s not out yet at the time I’m doing this interview! Long may it continue.
How do you think has piracy influenced the metal scene? Are metal fans buying the CDs or are they downloading just the same?! Are they just skint the same just like everybody else?! And where the hell do you think we’re heading?!
S: It’s a double edged sword. Having access to the internet means that fans can search out and find and listen to exactly what they want to hear. In the past they have been led by magazines that push bands on major labels as they rely on the advertising revenue from those labels to survive. That’s not the case now which is better for bands like us who don’t follow trends. Of course the downside is that it is very difficult to make a living from your music now because of downloading. We always did it for the love of the music anyway.
Are there touring Plans? Will we see you in Greece?
S: We have a few festival shows booked for this year so far and we’ll see what happens after the release and what we get offered. We’d love to come and play in Greece and surely will. We are already booked to play in other countries like Sweden and Canada that we never got the chance to do in the old days.
Send a message to the Greek fans!
Hope you all enjoy the album and hope to see you in Greece soon.