Vocalist Mario of Katanga

Interviewed by Anders Sandvall

Thanks to Tom Hack at Massacre Records for making the interview possible.
Thanks to Massacre Records for the promo pictures of the band

Katanga is a German goth metal band with both female and male lead vocals. I had the pleasure to talk to male vocalist Mario a while ago. We talked about the bands newly released second album MOONCHILD as well as the line-up changes the band have gone through, why the band sings in both German and English and how he looks upon the bands future amongst other things. If you like Goth metal I suggest you take a closer look at the music of Katanga.

Singer/bass player Martin Hellgren and guitar player Mårten Sandberg - Clonecircle

Interviewed by: Anders Sandvall

Promo pictures of the band taken by: Peter Nielsen
Thanks to the band for providing the promo pictures

CLONECIRCLE is a Danish act that recently released their second studio album BEHIND THE WIRE. The album is amazing and I love their Gothic Industrial Metal and therefore I thought it was time for the rest of the readers of metal-rules.com to check out the band. Martin Hellgren who plays bass and sings and Mårten Sandberg who takes care of the guitar had a sit-down together.

The Haunted – headline
Unseen European Tour – 2011

Zombie Krig – support act
Night Fever – support act
The Rock
Copenhagen
Denmark
7/4 – 2011

Reviewed and live pictures by: Anders Sandvall

ERIC BELL

INTERVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJALA

Northern Irish rock musician and guitarist Eric Bell is best known as a founding member and the original guitarist of the rock group Thin Lizzy. The band was originally formed in Dublin in 1969 by Bell, bassist/vocalist Philip Lynott, and drummer Brian Downey. Bell performed in the bands first three critically acclaimed albums: THIN LIZZY (1972), SHADES OF A BLUE ORPHANAGE (1972) and VAGABONDS IN A WESTERN WORLD (1973). Bell suddenly left the band on New Year's Eve 1973 after a gig at Queen's University in his hometown Belfast. After the split Bell first fronted his short lived Eric Bell Band and later on he has performed and recorded with such artists and groups including Noel Redding Band, Bo Diddley and Mainsqueeze. Although Bell hasn’t been too often in the headlines anymore, he has continued to perform and record with a new version of the Eric Bell Band throughout the 1990s and 2000s, releasing several albums including IRISH BOY (1998) and LONELY NIGHTS IN LONDON (2010). In April 2011, Bell and his band were a part of the  "A Tribute Gig to Gary Moore" event in Dublin. After the show we had a chance to sit down with Eric and discuss about his career, future plans, Gary Moore and of course about Thin Lizzy… Read on!

Remembering the Man on the Silver Mountain, Ronnie James Dio
(Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010)

In the many years that I've run Metal-Rules.com, I consider myself lucky to have interviewed Ronnie James Dio just once. It was a phone interview and as these things usually go, a label/PR type will call and put you on hold until the artist is ready. Therefore, when I answered my home phone expecting as much, I get a “Hello Geoff, this is Ronnie James Dio”. Being taken so aback, my reaction was not as professional as usual as I admit to doing a little fawning over him. For me, this seemingly simple, yet personal touch left an impression on me. He was very polite and professional and while this was “business as usual” for him, it was anything but for me.

Since the early 80's when I first got into heavy metal, Ronnie James Dio was there and a part of my musical landscape. The first time I heard him was the song “Holy Diver” with the video airing on Canada's Much Music's Power Hour. It is to that album (Holy Diver) that my mind always goes to when I think of Dio. The song has been in my mind and played both on my stereo and on my guitar for many years. After discovering Dio, I also got heavily into his Rainbow material and of course his albums with Black Sabbath. When he rejoined Sabbath in the band “Heaven and Hell”, I was hoping for a few more albums and tours. But sadly, as we all know, this reunion with the Sabs was cut short in May 2010.

Shortly after Ronnie's passing, the staff members of Metal-Rules.com put their heads together and proposed that in one year we should pay tribute to Ronnie by presenting comments and quotes from artists that worked with him, those that knew him, and those that were influenced by his powerful, huge, and unforgettable voice. Of course I gave my blessing as no metal icon is as deserving of such a tribute.

So here are the interviews clips (video/text) from everyone that we could get in contact with over the past year. Long live heavy metal and long live Ronnie James Dio!

- EvilG - Owner/Editor-in-Chief - Metal-Rules.com