Saturday, July 4, 2009

SALUTE interview




It's been long since i wanted to make an interview with the SALUTE. The incredible and peculiar band from UK, playing not your predictable black thrash metal or any predictable metal at all, with the album "Above the Law" they just smashed everyone on the both sides of atlantic in 2007 and this year they're back with awesome and VERY powerful long play "The Underground". The questions were sent in the end of 2008 and Tom "Swine" answered it in february 2009. ONLY now i present this interview to english-language readers, it's been different delays and still russian version of the interview not available anywhere, but will be printed as soon as russian language zine number 2 will be out. Don't forget to buy their albums! If you are true metal fan and looking for something literaly SPECIAL, you got to check these guys! Also, interview is available at SALUTE's page at myspace:



-Hi SALUTE great to talk with you how r you doin guys?


-SWINE - Pretty sharp brother, pretty nice. Late, alone in the Salute bunker drinking cold ones and listeng to Caramel Dad's back catalogue. Its snowing quite heavily outside... First time in yeeeeaaaarrrsss. Pretty rite!


-G- The first question is about your upcoming album. I've been waiting for this release for so long and some demos i've heard on your myspace page are just killer! So how longhave you been working on this album and what music influenced you the most during recording of the songs?..


-S - We started recording the album October 20th 2007, and we finished around Jan 08 (spread over a few sessions.) Some tracks were written at the time of recording and some a year or so previous. We mixed/mastered it throughout the first part of 2008 whilst waiting to find a label. Influence on this one - heavy sounds and dragon stout. Plenty of of Soul on the album... Much more nasty than Above the law.


-G- What label is gonna release this new LP and will it be available on vinyl or only CD again?


-S - WITCHES BREW GERMANY is releasing the slab on cd at first, then maybe vinyl in the future by someone. Above the Law will come out on vinly im sure. We didnt realise enough people would want it on vinyl, so we didnt even really think about it. We just pushed on. STRUGGLE!!!!Dont get me wrong though vinyl is the truth. Listen to hell awaits or south of heaven on vinyl compared the cd versions. Makes you want to melt your disk collection....


-G- What studio do you use for your recordings and do you produce your work yourself?..


-S - We have our own self-built studio - MUSCLE STUDIOS UGH!!!. i'ts an old barn we use for jamming/recording. Its been THE compound for the past 7/8 years. Many parties here. Marked by the Baron was done here too along with Hateful Abandons new one (ROPE-AAHHH). I control the dials in the studio along with help and much input from Kaptain, although the equipment gets damp and solied from cider spillage and cig dust. Lots of old drum around courtesy of the Axelad! JIMMY!


-G- The new songs seems to be a little bit doomish maybe heavier.. i mean "Six Deep", but on the other hand "Dr. Faust" is a very motor song, fast and punkish. Who composes all music in the band and do you make all arrangements together?.. Or do you and Kaptain just write different songs and then work with these songs in the studio?..


-S- HAHA Motor grind! Heavier for sure!!! The work ethic is - know you music, keep buying music, and write riffs that are horrid/sharp/nasty. We'll never change or stop. SALUTE is an old Tanker!. Kaptain and I both write songs. I write alot separately and he brings shit to the table for us to jam out together with myself on the beaters. In the futue we will be writing songs in our room as a full band along with our drummer Jimmy Axe. Hes a rusher/shredder on the kit...sounds very punkish to me. Aggressive. Hes been laying down stuff for a while now. JUST YOU WAIT! GAS TANKS!


-G- If you can name some songs from the new LP and describe them, please tell about it. Especially interesting to know about your influences because some riffs are just fantastic (like main "Shredding Belt" riff for example!).


-S- That riffs a fucking nasty backward riff. Horrid. All riffs are influenced by mood/feel/groove/time. Its gotta sound alive as shit! That is SALUTE. Real and true!!! Always. We're all buggers, but we stay true to the way of Humongous.
I dont wanna describe my mornings or the songs though, you'll know whats going on by the sounds. Most of the lyrics will be in the sleeve so look and sip! Its all just influence pushed through and out how we want it to sound. FEEL! No harbouring of guilt and unhappyness here. LET IT OUT! PUSH!


-G- The last album was very heavy metal like, maybe with an influence of some sleaze/glam metal (i think so at least). You are the only band i know that mixes Motorhead, Celtic Frost and maybe old hard rock and heavy metal into very original and outstanding type of metal, so do you consider yourself a heavy metal band or something else?.. I personally think your first influence is Hellhammer/Celtic Frost am i right?


-S- You are correct about the first album to a point yeah. Kaptain was pumping the sleaze alot at the time. We have probaly talked about what genre type we would be about twice in the last 5 years. Its doesnt matter AT ALL! I mean Voivod used to be classed as power metal sometimes. Whats power metal now?????Ive never wanted to be in a one genre band playing just thrash or just heavy metal etc. We listen to a HELL of alot of music and as long as we create songs that we can pour to and live by then thats all that matters. That goes for alot of bands too i think..good bands. To us its boring writing just thrash songs because you're supposed to be a thrash band etc. You're gonna get tired pretty quick.


-G- OK what was your influence from the start when you formed the band? I know that Salute was kinda black metal oriented band (or cover band) is it right?


-S- We were a Marillon cover band to start with, mixing our sets with some Mcartney hits too. HA! Fuck Paul!!! Dickhead... Our first demo/album was mostly black metal with some groove and thrash. Some good songs from that time but the style was done with for us so we swiftly sorted things out.


-G- Also tell please about the "Swine" project.. great straight Von worship band! Is this project alive or it is buried?..


-S- That was a one-off idea back in 2004 after quitting controlled education. Written and recorded in a week and released by ourselves. It turned out pretty good. Maybe a little polished but there wasn't much thought to it. Again, just mood. I'd like to do more sometime but Salute is priority at the moment. Im waiting for the sign... V FOR VEADTUCK


-G- 'Marked By The Baron' has been re-released but maybe other records of SWINE are possible?


-S- Hopefully. Itll be fucking real next time around though.


-G- You are a completely underground band. What do you think about signing to a big label?.. In the 80s many great bands had struck deals with big labels but now all good underground bands are doing everything themselves or use DIY type labels.. Do you think the situation on that field has changed for the worse in last 10-15 years? Big labels are no more a target, you know.


-S- BACKLASH/BACKWASH/BACKBREAK
With the Internet and cheaper recording equipment made available, bands have the opportunity to do alot more work themselves. This has problems with quality control though. Alot more shit gets further than it should (check out free cd's you get with alot of metal mags for instance.. Crap.) I dont know about big labels, there must be good points and bad points. Alot of ripping off happens. You hear about it everyday. MONEY! Real people will find the music that counts wherever it is, the rest doesnt count for shit.


-G- What influences your lyrics? Who writes them in your band?


-S- We usually write lyrics for our own songs, sometimes together, mostly not. Influences vary from rotten moods to certain riffs/songs/bands we like. The mood a good riff puts you in can be more productive than anything.


-G- What were the first metal bands you've started to listen to and when did you discover heavy music? (the question for all members!)


-S- Kaptain says he's been listening to Hellhammer since '83!!!! Maybe son! He did go to school with Nico Mcbrain's son though, and they were good friends for a time, so thats pretty hardcore. He was always a big Maiden fan when we were growing up. I prefer the Dianno albums now but when he showed me Rhyme of the ancient mariner back in the day I couldnt believe it!!!! Jimmy has been exclusively listening to Repulsion all his life, and I got into Sepultura's Morbid visions when I was about bloody 8! I didn't realise back then that it'd become a fuckin destert island number. AAAGHGHGHH. OHG!


-G- What was the last CD/LP you've bought (also a question for all members).


-S- My last few were some Killing joke rarities, Budgie, Nazareth's Best of (a present), Kaptain - Noir's HADES RIIISEE. Jimmy Axe - Kode 9 and the spaceape - Memories of the future, some new wave dub-step.
The new VIRUS too!! Shitting hell!


-G- What do you think about punk and metal music mixing into the poly-stylistic thing? Can you name the best punk-metal band in your opinion?


-S- The style is about a natural as spending all your spare time ploughing music. Salute is the best band that mixes punk/metal. Yes that's correct now...


-G- Please name you favourite modern bands and also maybe some british unknown bands which in your opinion are best in UK scene.


-S- Modern bands as in bands still going/past 10/20 years i'd say Inepsy, Darkthrone, Electric Wizard, Ramesses, Aura Noir, Portishead (for 3). This aint a good question for me, the beers have kicked in and Ive been spending all my time STILL searching the vaults of old (oh this is SO understandable, no time for the new bands when you still have TONS of old ones.. -ed.). Check out Gayspace, follow links, hit the zines. It's all there, fucking tonnes! British bands - Old Mayor - some old lads weve known for years. HEAVY STREET DOOM RIFFS! Thats about it for the british unknown scene. Dry...


-G- How big was the people's response to 'Above The Law'? Are you satisfied with it?


-S- The response was all positive. Even if its a bad review its good anyway, as it means the reviewer hasn't got a fucking clue!!!! We didnt know what the response would be like at all and we're satisfied with the album as a first proper release. Again, it was true to us at the time. There is not fake striding on there!!!


-G- Tell us about your interests and views if its possible.


-S- All of us live for music.... nerd overlords! Then comes film, beer, literacy PILES, hanging out, working hard and the struggle/push. Kaptain is a Poker lad, Jimmy hits Chess. I do youtube music research ha! V/M stlye!


-G- Are you plannin to do lots of big tours?.. Maybe a european tour in near future? (that would've been great!!)


-S- We wanna start hitting Europe more for sure. We need to be invited first though ha! Were hitting Portugal in March so cant wait for that little baby. Gonna explode. We wanna start putting our own shows on in the UK though. We're fed of paying like 200 quid to travel and play a fucking show with bands you wouldn't even believe!! ROT


-G- The next question is just for fun: 'Above the Law' was also a name for one Stieven Seagal movie :)Maybe you took that name for the album from the movie? :)


-S- HAHA the only Seagal/Seagul movie thats any cop is an old one, maybe his first. Man I forgot it. The ending scene is him busting down a drug den. Going nuts. Bar that i'd maybe only watch Under seige for the millionth time on a sunday in cacks and Blue rays. Hard times, but the 12 cold will rise to the occasion!!!
But no we didn't take our name from that. The name represents passion for SOUND!


OFF!