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Imperial Vengeance - Interview with David Bryan
Has the concept grown organically or did you sit down and, for want of a better word, design it ? It's a bit of both. We have very clear ideas where this is steering towards, but it isn't "contrived" as such. It does grow organically, and sometimes there are very interesting tangents and b-roads from the main path. That said, there are some clearly defined borders to the concept, so don't be expecting dance mixes of the songs or collaborations with Dizzy Rascal in the very near future. There is a real quality in what you do, down to the CD artwork and the band merchandise. A sign of high standards and keeping control of all aspects of Imperial Vengeance ? Good. Thank you. We like to think so. There is no point otherwise. Everything is done by us- and we do have very high standards with the product. People demand quality. These days people have to put bread on the table before spending their hard-earned on fripperies and trinkets from the entertainment industry. So with that in mind, you have to put out good product, with quality wrappings. I know that when I used to buy records, I was always bowled over by the levels that artists such as say, Iron Maiden would put into the package of a release- the things became precious - and of course, you would go back and buy the next release, and the release after that. With the advent of illegal downloading you have to give your potential buyer both the incentive to go out and buy your product and if possible, a little more- you are selling a dream- a dsitraction, if only for an hour or so, ultimately it's in the bands interest to put out items of quality. So yes, everything has to be controlled.
How did the two of you first get together ? Having known each other for time out of mind- and as we share so many awful traits as each other- it was only natural that we should sire something like this. How much of a challenge was it finding musicians with the style and ability to fit the vision the two of you had for IV ? Well initially we had some very interesting candidates for the roles, that's for sure, and several other "names", but ultimately we wanted people who were absolutely 100% dedicated, and top of their games and without to many other commitments. I am delighted with the musicians that we have in the live line-up. Firstly, they are dammed fine at what they do, and the unit is very, very tight. Secondly, they are good people to have around. I like passion and especially when it is matched with such formidable talent. I can't imagine anyone else in those roles now. Nor do I want to.
You describe yourselves as Extreme Metal, but to my ear it's much more than that. How would you describe the IV sound, and do you think the 'Extreme Metal' label may be doing the band a dis service ? Unfortunately, there is a need to categorize, pigeon-hole and taxonomise that is perpetuated by journalists, but I think it's been like this for a while. No longer being bothered to actually critique an artists' work, many just feel that to merely compare A to B to C and tick a few boxes in a media friendly sound bite = job done and off to the pub. "Labels" don't really sit well with me. True, we have used the term "Dark Aristocratic Metal" before, really to illustrate some of these ludicrous tags that bands and their critics apply. However it IS a metal band - extreme or otherwise, and it's roots are embedded in many of the genres that exist, but an actual nail-on-the-head category or description is beyond me. I first became aware of the band after you guys were mentioned on Twitter, do you think Twitter / Facebook / MySpace is a game changer for new bands ? Ultimately if you can market something effectively, it will reach a large number of people, quality does not enter into the equation, which is why we have a large pool of low-brow dumbed down nonsense dominating the fashionable media - though at the same time entertainers will always shine through too. As a game-changer, who knows? I think that the Myspace entity is a good tool for marketing- as is, to a lesser degree, Facebook. Twitter is an odd one, and it's a bit vain really. I mean does anyone really care? The traditional methods of flyers and word of mouth still prevail It's an odd time for the music industry. People don't buy music like they did, and now the emphasis is much more on bands playing live shows and selling what are essentially accessories and novelties at them to make their money. To some extent the internet has destroyed the mystique that once surrounded bands, as everything is there at the click of a mouse: we don't have to wait for our monthly fill of printed media to give us an update, but then everything changes I guess. Any clues as to what's happening (or being announced) on 12/07 ? As to what's happening on that date ? I am attaching a clue.See if you can work it out Oh, and we did manage to work out the clue. It was sent in (believe it or not) Morse Code....But we're not telling you lot what it was :p We hugely grateful to our good friend Amanda for arranging this interview for us. We now owe her beer.
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