Interview with CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE (Members, Starting Year etc).
We just formed the band early this year, like late February, 2023. Some of us have known each other for years, some played together, some met at local metal shows. We all grew up in China and work/study in the US now, so we still define ourselves as a Chinese metal band. Our original line-up lasted roughly four months until our drummer, who played for our debut demo, moved back home. Now we are with our second line-up.
You have recently released your demo ''When the Wheels Start''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
So far we have shared the demo with a bunch of friends who are absolutely interested in heavy metal, and got positive feedback from the majority of them. We also contacted Anderson to upload our demo on his famous Youtube Channel - NWOTHM Full Album, we truly appreciate it. Talking about featuring in the press, this interview with Filthy Dogs of Metal marks Chariots Overdrive's debut, and we're honored to know you enjoyed our demo.
Label or DIY and why?
DIY, because we don’t know any labels that plan to sign us. (haha)
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
There was one live show in April, we had a short keyboard solo in a song. The synthesizer was oddly out of tune, somewhere between a semitone and a whole-note off-key. We had no idea why that happened, it sounded extremely strange. The funny part was, some audiences thought we were doing something experimental.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
We all agree that digital format is the best for distribution and general audience. Streaming is definitely the most convenient way for the audience to enjoy music. But tapes and vinyls, as analog format, will retain their collection value in the visible future. For us, we only did cassettes for now, since the metal community is still into this, and it’s a relatively easy way for a new band to DIY. If we get more audience in the future, we will consider all the formats, why not?
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
In general, our influences are mostly from Heavy Metal (especially USPM and NWOBHM) bands and Traditional Doom bands. There are many great bands we admire, only to name a few here: Iron Maiden (especially the Di'anno era), Manilla Road, Running Wild, Jonah Quizz, Metalucifer, and Reverend Bizarre. For guitar works in particular, we have to mention S.R.V and Guthrie Govan, legends.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
Time, putting in enough hours for the band might mean sacrificing time elsewhere. Regular practice to keep the performance skills, composition, recording, handling merches. All take time.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Playing at one of the true heavy metal fests would be ideal, because the audiences know metal, and they are here for METAL! Keep It True, Hell’s Heroes, Stormbringer, Defenders of the Old (hope it returns), Up the Hammer, etc, etc. Additionally, a friend has an idea of organizing the True Chinese Metal Fest (True CNM Fest in short), and CNM stands for a common curse word in Chinese. This pun joke is a bit silly, but we find it absolutely hilarious. We are eager to play at True CNM fest, 100%.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
On the one hand, listening to the genre’s classics and also lesser-known works, as much as you can, figuring out what is the “authentic” way to write heavy metal music. On the other hand, a broader listening to all types of music is also crucial, not just the genre that the band goes into. Identity and uniqueness in music come from the cognition of song-writers. Access to more tools and elements can help shape a unique sound. And knowing what other musicians are doing also helps.
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?
It’s definitely true. Though lots have negative comments on digital platforms, like the sale sharing, the direct connection to the audience. But whatever, digital platforms make music distribution much easier to be delivered to people. In the golden years of metal, there were lots of underrated bands, who only publish one or two demo/EPs, then disappear without recognition from the local market. The internet helps us to discover these lost gems (a big shout-out to the “Rare & Obscure Metal Archives” youtube channel). Nowadays, there are so many more bands, and bands do not have to get into labels and radio stations to get promoted, which makes DIY a real possibility in today’s music industry. That’s a huge step from the years before the internet.
Do you see any differences between the US Metal Market & the EU Metal Market (Labels, Bands, Fans etc)?
Yes, each region has its particular taste. You can easily spot the unique sounds between EU and US bands, even in the same subgenres like doom metal. However, both sides have well-established markets for bands and fans.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Atlanta, Georgia (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Atlanta is the hometown for some killer projects like Briton Rites and Cauldron Born. We've caught many awesome local bands in recent years too: Malformity, Black Candle, Cloak, Crossed Hearts, Cemetery Filth, Sadistic Ritual, and many more. Venues like Boggs & Social and Masquerade are the go-tos for metal shows. Don’t forget the Mass Destruction Fest, we saw our heroes Pagan Altar and Autopsy there this year, and had a short conversation with Alan Jones, an amazing person.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Totally, the Hellenic metal scene has some legendary representatives, Rotting Chris, Necromantia, Agatus, etc etc. Of course, we must mention the Up the Hammers Festival, we will be there one day, too, at least as audiences.
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 definitely a sad and dark period for everyone in the world. Spent a lot of time practicing instruments though, it was perhaps the only positive aspect of that time.
What are your future plans?
We plan to release an EP next year. We might cover a song from 80s and 90s Chinese heavy metal bands. It is time to discover some gems from our own “backyard”.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you sincerely for this amazing opportunity. The links to our music and contact information will be listed below. At the end, we'd like to extend our gratitude to everyone who supports us, and in general, to everyone who keeps the Flaming Metal Systems active.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
CHARIOTS OVERDRIVE CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/chariotsoverdrive
https://www.instagram.com/chariotsoverdrivemetal/
https://chariotsoverdrive.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-wheels-start