Voodoo Hill Guitarist Dario Moll
Interview by Anders Sandvall
Thanks to Frontiers Records for the promo
pictures. Thanks to Stefan at Atenzia records for the help with
the interview.
Here comes an interview with the bandleader/guitarist in the
band/project Voodoo Hill. Dario Moll was also is involved in the
band/project The Cage. Voodoo Hill has currently released their
second album WILD SEED OF MOTHER EARTH and here have asked him
some questions about the album. I also asked him about Voodoo
Hill, himself, and The Cage as well.
Would you please like to tell the readers a bit about your
musical background and career?
I started my career in a very typical way. A guitarist friend
of mine, during the high school period, played me the “Smoke on
the Water” riff and I was so impressed that I decided
immediately to form a band and play this kind of music. Now I
own a professional recording studio, I’m an artistic
producer/guitarist, I produce other bands, and of course my
albums too.
When was the debut with Voodoo Hill released?
The first “Voodoo Hill” album was released in September 2000.
Is the line-up the same as on the debut?
Only the bass player changed.
How did the fans/press respond to it?
Very positively, the first album has had great reviews form
fans and from journalist too.
Did you do any live gigs on the debut? If so when and
where?
After the release of the debut album I did a couple of tours
in the UK with the Graham Bonnet/Don Airey band and I’ve never
performed my material live since two month ago with my new band
“Elektric
Zoo” with Graham bonnet on vocals and Roberto Gualdi on
drums. We did a tour in Spain, UK, Scotland and Austria. We
performed songs from my past projects “The Cage” and “Voodoo
Hill” and songs from Rainbow, Down to Earth album.
Where was the album recorded?
All my albums are entirely recorded in my studio “Damage
Inc.”
How long did it take to write and record the debut?
I cannot tell it exactly because generally I work in my spare
time between productions.
Does Mr. Hughes sing on the debut as well?
Yes, Glenn sings in the debut album too.
How is it to work with Glenn “the voice of rock” Hughes?
It’s very easy, Glenn can sing an entire album in a couple of
days, including all the backing vocals.
Is Voodoo Hill a band or a project?
Voodoo Hill is my personal project.
How do you think that the co-operation with you label
works? Both Voodoo Hill and The Cage are on the same label.
The cooperation with my label is perfect, they trust me at
the point that I give them the finished work without playing
them some demo first; I have the complete artistic freedom over
my albums.
How long did it take to write “WILD SEED OF MOTHER EARTH”?
The info note says that it took you the whole 2003!
I’m quite picky about my albums and I want everything as
perfect as possible and this takes time.
When was the new album recorded? Was it also recorded
during 2003?
Yes, it was recorded during 2003.
In which studio is it recorded?
In my personal studio, “Damage Inc.” here in Italy.
Who has written the music and lyrics on the album and who
has produced it?
I wrote the music and Glenn wrote the lyrics and I’ve
produced, engineered, and mastered the album.
Are the lyrics about anything special?
They are about Glenn’s personal experiences.
According to the info note it says that this is the
heaviest thing Mr. Hughes ever sung on, what do you think?
I think that this is true, but even in the heaviest song you
can find very strong and catchy melodies.
Who
has done the cover? Do you think it reflects the music ‘because
I think it really does?
The cover is been made by an Hungarian artist and it reflects
the meaning of the title track.
Does “WILD SEED OF MOTHER EARTH” mean anything special? In
that case what?
The song tells the story about a guy that after his sad life
returns on Earth under a form of a flower.
What do you think of the other guy’s efforts on the album?
What do you think of Glenn’s achievement on it?
I think that everybody who performed in this album did a
great job.
Are you satisfied with you effort?
I am very satisfied but I will try to improve for the next
album.
Are you content with the album or would you have done
anything different if you look back on it?
I’m realistically happy with the final result.
Have you read any reviews of the album?
A lot of great reviews on internet, I periodically check them
with Google and quite a lot in the specialized magazines.
Are there any plans on going out on tour? If so when and
where?
I have 2 tours coming in the next future and I will post them
on my site
www.dariomollo.com.
The music is described as hard rock in the info note, how
would you describe your music?
I can define my music as rock ’n roll contaminated by
hard/heavy/modern music.
Why did you choose the name Voodoo Hill? Does it mean
anything special to you?
Because my home and my studio are situated in a top of a hill
and strange things happens here……
How did the recording go? I mean you all are Italian
except for Glenn...did he come over to Italy to record his part?
Yes he come over from L.A. to record the vocal parts.
Do you think that Voodoo Hill has developed music-wise
from the debut to this album?
In this new Voodoo Hill album there are a lot of
improvements, but I still like the debut album.
Where in Italy do you live?
I live in a very nice place “Ventimiglia” very close to the
French border, 15 kilometers from Monte Carlo.
Where is your studio located? Are there any other bands
that have used it as well?
My studio is located in Ventimiglia and I’ve produced quite a
lot of bands here.
Are there any plans on doing another album under the name
The Cage?
I’ve not decided it yet, but it’s possible in the future.
Is The Cage a band or a project?
It’s always my personal project but a different singer, Tony
Martin.
Why have you chosen to work with two old Black Sabbath
vocalists, or was it just a coincidence that it became those
two?
I consider Glenn more like a Deep Purple singer and to work
with Tony and Glenn it’s been a pure coincidence, regardless of
their past bands.
How does it feel to be described as a guitar virtuouso?
I prefer to be a songwriter but I like to be a “musical”
virtuoso too.
Have The Cage done any live shows so far?
Not Yet.
How big do you think you are today in the music industry?
Today I’m bigger compared to yesterday but I hope to be
smaller comparing to tomorrow ;-)
How big is your fan base? Do you receive a lot of mail
from fans?
I receive quite a lot of great emails from fans and I
personally reply to everyone of them.
What are your plans for the rest of '04?
Another album and some tours.
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans out
there?
I thank everybody for reading this interview and I wish you
all the best.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
You’re welcome!
