Eric Adams - MANOWAR
Interview and live pictures By Marko
Well finally I was able to have an interview of one of my all time
vocal heroes - Eric Adams from Manowar. Unfortunately my computer
crashed just one day before this interview so I had to try remember all
the questions just from my head! This one turned out to be really funny
one with some KISS related questions also (of course) :-).
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!
How has this new Warriors
Of The World tour been so far? If I have understood correctly,
this is you biggest tour so far?
Yes
it is the biggest production we've ever had in our whole career. When
you look out there, it's very funny to see there is just four guys on
the stage and there are 45 guys backstage to make this thing happen.
There are four trailers, four tour busses - it's a big production this
time. It's a two hour show including motorcycles and everything else we
bring with us. It's been a pretty exiting tour and the crowd is really
diggin' it everywhere. Gothenburg was a little slow for us because of
equipment failure which was because we had to change a stage setup just
before the show and everything. So it was a little slow for us and the
crowd wasn't like it so much. That's the fuckin' way it goes sometimes.
But overall everything has been brilliant so far for us.
With motorcycles and all this stuff it sounds that you're going to
bring us a true traditional '80's heavy metal show this time!!
Yes definitely!
There hasn't been too many during a last couple of years…...
Yes that's what I've heard. But you'll get one tonight brother!!
(laughter)
But at least I've seen both Halford and Judas Priest during past
last years so...
And you liked them? Then I'm sure you'll like this one also! It's
well made. It's a good show.
I think so. Then back to the interview: What is the main reason
that it took 6 years for you to release another studio album after the
brilliant Louder Than Hell
which was released back in 1996?
Well I get this question often, but all I can I say is people have to
understand that this was the busiest six years of Manowar's career ever.
I mean if you think about it. In that six years time we toured the world
twice. After we released the album we came out and toured the world. We
recorded a double live album. Then we released a double live album,
first double album in a long time. Then we toured the world again
because some people were pissed at us because we didn't put any old
songs on that album. So we toured the world again. We did strictly three
hour show every night we added all the old songs. Then we recorded
another double live album so there are four albums. Think about it,
there is four albums that had to be mixed out, artwork had to be done
for them. Next we came out with the DVD "Warriors Of The
World"...no it was called "Hell On Earth Pt. 1". It came
out and "Hell On Earth Pt. 2" is also already recorded. It's
been done in DVD format it is finished. It will come out in next month I
think, or at least in January!?
But not before Christmas?
No I don't think so. "Hell On Earth Pt. 3" is also already
done. It's ready to come out. "Hell On Earth Pt 4" is been
recorded as we speak tonight. We have a film crew with us tonight we are
recording stuff tonight and some of this material will be used for
"Hell On Earth Pt 4". We have "Blood In Brazil"
which is going to released with "Hell On Earth Pt 2." It's
going to be a double DVD. It's all really cool because on "Hell On
Earth 2/Blood In Brazil" is a full show from beginning to the end.
The complete show?
Yes. It's a whole show from Brazil with twelve cameras twelve camera
angles. It is very cool, it's extremely cool with some backstage footage
and everything and I'm sure it's something that every Manowar fan will
like that one. Plus all those things we then get back to studio together
and release this new album. We had to write music for that new album,
plan the cover art and. Then we released that album. So during a last
six years...that's a lot of things. There has been something like eleven
different projects going on. And we've done them in can. They are ready
to be released now. So now it's balls to walls brother. Now we're
rolling downhill and we are not stopping. Now it's like BANG, BANG
getting another album out BANG, BANG, BNAG release that DVD it's done,
BANG, BANG, BANG release the next DVD. You know we're ready to go now.
We've lined up and we are ready to go now. It's ready it's cool. Our armor
is in gear, we are ready and we are attacking right now. This is it.
This is just the first leg of this new tour. We haven't done any in a
while… it's been almost three years. Way to go brother!!
Yes definitely it's time. Your popularity has grown a lot during a
couple of last years. For example, in Germany you are topping main
charts these days …
Yes we really are.
And your new album was number #2 in German charts?
Well it was number two only because it was going to be number one but
EMINEM decided to release something a week before because some people
bootlegged his stuff. We released our albums in the same week and he
smacked us out. (laughing)
Is that your highest chart position ever yet?
Yes it's the highest placement coming in a chart. The album sales for
this Warriors Of The World
have been the best we've ever had worldwide. Which is really great. It
is saying something?? People really dig it. Germany almost sold out the
whole country. Almost every show was packed.
And there have been many praising reviews of this new album
everywhere …
That's true and it's cool.
You
also did many TV performances in Germany this time?
Yes, we did a few. There was "Top Of The Pops" and that
ELVIS track we did live for some TV-show and then there was some
festival live footage...what was that name ..?
Something like Popcorn festival maybe?
Yes that one we did...or what was the name? Anyway on that festival
we played in front of 27,000 fans. And we played also on "On The
Ring" fest and some more. I can't remember now. It has been
very great so far for us.
Well then something a little bit more personal. When you are not
on tour or in a studio with Manowar, what are you up to then ?
Bow hunting my brother. I take my bow and my arrows and I go in the
woods and I look for a deer. That's what I do every minute of every day
when I'm home. I'm a big time bow hunter and I'm a New York State
instructor for bow hunting. If you want a license to hunt deer in New
York, you have to take my course.
Really, this was a news for me?
Or then you can ask some other instructors from N.Y. You can't hunt
without this course. So I teach kids how to hunt and how to be safe to
be in the woods.
So you are a kind of person like Ted Nugent is ..?
Yeah!! I think that Ted is an instructor in Michigan. Hmm .. yes
actually he is.
Well I'm a hunter by myself also and when I met Ted last summer I
was going to ask him to come in Lappland someday to hunt reindeers,
because he haven't shot any yet. How about you?? :-)
Well I haven't either (laughter). That would be cool! I've shot a
deer, turkey a lot different small animals and…
How about moose? Have you ever shot any of them?
No, never. Moose is not around where I go. It's an excursion for me
to have to go out and do that and I just haven't found enough time. July
of...sorry 17'th of April I was asked to, in America they have
television programs, hunting shows and they ask celebrities to come and
hunt, they film the hunting and I've been asked to do that on April
17'th. Turkey's you know? They run, you know they are like chickens but
they ran very fast. That will be a lot of fun. Super cool (laughter).
That's what I'm planning to do man. Manowar is working our schedule
around map which takes most of out time always. But it's cool !!
Which bands/artists have been your biggest influences when you
started your career?
When I was growing up I listened a lot to Ian Gillan, Deep Purple. I
mean A LOT. I used to go see them every time they played where ever they
played. And when I heard the screaming of Ian WOW that was so cool for
me. Then I knew I had to learn some kind of screaming of my own which is
going to be a signature of mine and I was really big fan of theirs.
How about today. Is there any new/newer bands you're listening or
are you still playing just "IN ROCK" and "Fireball"
albums all the time?
Now I listen a lot of different things. I listen to classical music,
I listen to a lot of vocal stuff now. People who look at me say "He
likes this and he likes that" but really to be honest with you... I
also listen to Disturbed, I listen to... I'm sort of a closet drummer
and I really love drums. I really love rhythms and beats and that stuff
and you know I a kind of closet drummer. If you ask from Scott he will
tell you that I'm the extra drummer in the band when we are recording ..
heh!
So you like different rhythms?
I like rhythm and I really like a Disturbed a lot. Well there is a
list of bands I really like but I can't just pick up one that I really
listen all the time. Deep Purple, Ian Gillan was the guy who got me
going on this business. He is the guy who got me clear in the head to on
one direction and that was it.
How about OZZY or Robert Plant? Usually when I'm interviewing a
rock singer everyone has mentioned at least one out of these three who
has been his biggest influence!
Well they are good but they are all different. But for me it's
definitely Ian Gillan.
Then one question you've heard hundreds of times but here it comes
.. 9/11! Where were you then and how did that affected you??
Well 9/11. I wasn't in New York City then. I was in upstate of New
York when this happened and I was in my car cruising down the road and I
had a radio on and I heard that WTC was hit and I was thinking
"Christ, what the hell is happening" and you know I thought
that it just a small plane and it was a accident... and then ten minutes
later the next one hit and I knew that it was big time. I turned
immediately and drove home. Got family together and let them know what
had happened. What kind of planes those were and etc. Nobody knew what
really was going on because rumors started to fly around. Some said that
Philadelphia crash happened and that Washington crash happened and there
were all kind of rumors like that places in Seattle and L.A were
attacked, Miami was attacked and so on. It was like "What a fuck is
going on here?"
It was a tough time BUT it didn't stop Manowar. At that time we were
already process of recording the new album. Lots of songs were already
done and written so let's say that they failed with us!
Have you ever been thinking of releasing a solo album?
Well, I got to be honest with you. Right now there is a possibility
because we are running our own record label Magic Circle Music now and
we are looking for new artists that don't want to take any of that
bullshit that many big record labels are doing these days. And let them
record if they're good let them record for our label and let them get
released and see what happens.
You can shake that tree and see what it falls out if you know what I
mean? That's our thing and already we've got Rhino (ex-Manowar drummer)
he has a album coming out from Magic Circle and we've David Schencke
(ex-Maowar) his album is coming out within next year and there's much
more.
There are at least seven different acts we've signed recently but for
legal reasons I can't give you the names but now you heard about it.
It's still on the building process but you'll hear some more of these
things in the future. About a solo project...who knows? The opportunity
is there certainly. We have gear, recording studio and everything is
ready so who knows what will happen?
You guys have been in Finland many times. Do you have any special
memories from Finland?
Yes there are some...
For example do you remember back in '84 when you played in a place
called Himanka in the middle of ….. ?
Yes!! I really remember that place. To me, I loved it because it
reminded of the place where I hunt. Evergreens everywhere and lot's of
snow and ice. You know that was like where I live. I live in the woods.
It must have been one of the strangest places where Manowar has
ever played?
Yes. In a matter of fact, this is true story coming up now... Two
days ago I was talking to a promoter about that. He remembered Himanka,
because he put me there .(laughter) I mentioned that in the dinner. I
said "We played in that place, way up north, in the middle in the
back of the backwoods in a place called Himanka" I was wondering if
anybody is going to show up. But they did. They rushed through the snow
and ice in a last minute and place was packed. And I really remember
that. There was no ground in the building and everything was freezing. I
was thinking "holy fuck" but yeah it was cool. It would be
cool to hunt there .. (laughs)
I've
heard that Joey is really a big fan of the Finnish band Nightwish. How
about you then?
Nightwish. He really likes them.
How about you??
Well we do know a lot of bands. We are friends of many bands. I don't
know Nightwish guys personally as Joey does. He went to see them playing
in Germany. I like some of their stuff. I think they are talented, it's
a very talented band all around and they are doing well so they do
something right?? They play from the heart not for the wallet and that's
good...so I have nothing bad so say about them.
How about another Finnish band called Hanoi Rocks? If I remember
right, you guys had some "war of words" in the magazines back
in the 80's..?
Hanoi Rocks... Well those guys are a bunch of party guys. They are
mostly "good time" guys and they know how to work with press
in this business. I haven't followed their career too much.
Have you heard about their "re-union"?
Yes I knew about that.
They are just releasing new album and everything...
I knew that also. I knew somebody was going to see them. All the best
luck for them.!
Then back to the more Manowar oriented stuff. That creature
warrior you've used in your covert art since Kings Of Metal…
Since Kings Of Metal yeah.
There is already Eddie by Iron Maiden, Vic Rattlehead by Megadeth.
Who is that guy in your album cover? Do you have any name for him?
No because he is you, he is her, he is this person he is that person
and so on. He has no face and that was in purpose because everyone needs
a heroes in their life and our music is all about heroes and you know
being the leader not the follower. It's picture of hero and you being
that hero is that what it is all about. So there is no real name for it.
It's a fantasy world man. Put your face there are you are the hero!
Ok I believe that...and the last question is - The cover art of
album "Fighting The World" was made by Ken Kelly who also did
the cover art for classic KISS albums "Love Gun" and
"Destroyer". So is there some KISS fans in the band or did you
just like the artist?
No. It was the artist. We have some crewmembers who are KISS
fans. Personally I have never been a KISS fan. Never liked them but it's a very personal thing for me. KISS, I just don't dig it, but it's
just me. I know a lot of people who really like them.
Well I'm a huge KISS fan by myself. I have been a fan since
1979…
Then I'm talking to the wrong person (laughing). But I've been
a honest with you brother. Anything I say is not bullshit….
Well you have to go now. Thank you very much for your time and
have a good show.
Well thank you for a good interview !!
Official website: www.manowar.com