Interview with AGE OF STEEL
!!!HEAVY/SPEED METAL FROM SPAIN!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about AGE OF STEEL (Members, Starting Year, etc.)
Age of Steel started in 2018, but it wasn't until 2023 when we started playing live and recording our first EP. It all started with guitarist Pablo Sáez and bassist Sergi Cots. Shortly after another guitarist joined, Cristian LM, which gave shape to the definitive formation of the strings in the band, and together they composed the first 4 songs that would give beginning to the most primitive essence of Age of steel speed metal. After a few years, our vocalist, André Speedfrëak joined the band in April 2022. Finally, we found a singer with the right voice register for the kind of speed metal we play, it is important to have a certain ability and range to reach the tone and speed of our songs. Finally, after a lot of battling with the drums of the band, we found the one who would put an end to the search, Sixto, who managed to consolidate the rhythms and tempos as we had been looking for since the beginning. He joined us right in the middle of the recording of our debut EP and without his help we wouldn't have achieved this result.
You have recently released your EP ''Age of Steel''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We released our Debut EP the past month (December the second), and soon after we we’re giving a gig of presentation of it on a charity concert called “METALL PELS XUKLIS”, the reception was good, there were people that sung some our songs with us, and that has blown our minds. We are very critical with our material and all the composition of it, and after finishing recording, the voices in our heads tormented us a little bit (I guess all artists suffer this) In the end, the reception of the EP was much better than expected, with good reviews online and in person.
Label or DIY and why?
Now, we prefer to be independent as we have other things aside from the band and we still can't afford to meet the demands of contracts with other people. And, because we think, that a band can work it out if they are all in the same boat. And that’s how we are. But then again, let’s see what happens in the future.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Hahaha, very good question. Our first concert (Age of Steel, Thalassa and Night (Swe) in February 2023), ended with fun, our previous drummer, at the end of the Show, threw the drumsticks to the audience, and apparently one of them, ended up hitting someone's head. We only found out days after that gig, so we figured there was no injury to the person involved, and it was etched in our memory forever. The recording of the EP took longer than it should have, affecting the personal lives of some members. It was the hot summer days in Barcelona, and as you can imagine, playing in a studio, with the heat, we all ended up a bit tired. For example, we have a picture of the bass player asleep in the studio chair while we were listening to some details, but well, he's our pretty boy and we forgive him hahaha.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Vinyl for better quality listening. CD because heavy metal is working-class and there's nothing more working-class than listening to a CD in the car on the way to work. Digital format we like also, not in the same way as the physical formats, because it is the most accessible tool to presenting new bands from all the world and has become globally dominant. All formats have their utility, and we need to adapt to all their fans.
Your music style is Speed/Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favorite Artists / Bands etc.)
Indeed. Our style in Age of Steel, is speed metal with some progressive tunes. Our main influences are Helloween, Judas Priest, Crimson Glory, Riot, Muro, Tarantula (Portugal), Skull fist, Midnight Priest, Metal church, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
We don't believe so much in sacrifices. If you organize your schedule well to be able to practice at home and attend rehearsals, you don't need to sacrifice anything. Unless you have other things in your life that require more time than you have. But all members of Age of Steel have other activities outside the band and have been able to adapt well. If you do this, everything will follow, this is our belief.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Well, this is a very difficult question, because everyone has different tastes. For me (André Speedfrëak), my ideal of a live show is the live show of Judas priest in Dallas 1986. That stage was insane, and everything was just too well worked to give the best performance. In Age of Steel, we hope someday we can make a gig like that.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have to gain identity and be unique?
We think that’s very important to create some personality. In the Metal scene, everything is created, and that’s a fact. However, we believe that many bands just try to copycat their gods in some way, and then some bands can walk away from that (example: Skullfist, Toxikull) and evolved their sound without losing their main style. It’s like you want to make a new wine or a beer, you need to do the same procedure but having something unique that will call the attention of the people.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Digital platforms have helped a lot of bands nowadays AS we said before, it really helps for new and not so new bands, getting more recognition a new fan for their music. Believe it or not, we have been heard in Greece without leaving Barcelona yet, and that-s the magic of Digital platforms. It also gives us a possibility to interact more actively with fans, promoters and other bands from around the world.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Spain (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Here in Spain, is emerging a lot of good bands, for example, Redshark, Rave in Fire, Raptore, Crimson Storm, Löanshark, Savaged, Ramblin’ Train, Inverted Cross, etc. is great to see that a lot of old friends and new folks coming to the scene. And not only as a fan, but they also want to be musicians and playing to the people, which it’s wonderful. I think that in Spain, there’s a lot of supporting scene with associations like Metalcova, Mediterranean Metal Maniacs, Hellions, Metalbats, etc.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
About the Hellenic metal scene, I know some great bands, such as Spitfire, Suicidal Angels, Septicflesh, Macedonian Harriers, Rotting Christ, White Tower etc...
The last 3 years, worldwide in the world, we have faced many dark, strange & new situations in our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
It was 3 years in which, as a band, we were stuck. Before the pandemic, we had agreed on two concerts, one for Metalcova (ProspeHell) and one in the Basque Country. Both gigs were cancelled due to the pandemic. In addition, the drummer we had at the time, left due to problems derived from the pandemic. It took us months to start again, curfew, limitations of all kinds etc., it was really the darkest time. In spite of that, we knew how to face it and we started working at home, and we think that the progress of that "lock down" playing daily in our houses affected positively to our music. As we were saying at the beginning of this interview, this band was formed in 2018 and 2020 we all had to stop everything... only in 2022 we started rehearsing as it was before. In 2023 we finally started playing and finally recording the songs we had before the pandemic. That was the immense impact that Age of Steel had!
What are your future plans?
Our plans with Age of Steel are to release our EP in physical formats * CD and Vinyl record our very first full length later this year, and with that, being able to perform outside of Spain, and sharing our music with the world. For now, we are working on new material and that-s our focus.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
From Age of Steel, we want to thank Filthy Dogs of Metal Webzine for this interview, for your interest in us and your support. We want to tell everyone who reads this that, if you want to know us, listen to our EP, follow us on all digital platforms and social networks, and thank you very much for all your support to new bands. With much love, Age of Steel.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
AGE OF STEEL CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/ageofsteel.heavymetal/
https://www.instagram.com/ageofsteelband_official/
https://ageofsteel.bandcamp.com/album/age-of-steel
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2W2TM3RuXayjSdhNhVVHHY