Metal-Rules.com Interview
with Ronny Milianowicz of Dionysus and
ex-Sinergy
Interviewed by Rick
Ronny Milianowicz was the original drummer for Sinergy and is
now part of a great new up and coming metal quartet which features Olaf
Hayer from Luca Turilli's band. I recently had the opportunity to chat
with Ronny about his past with Sinergy, his present with Dionysus
and his future.
Dionysus - Band Photo
First let me start by asking you how you came about being a member
of Sinergy?
It was Joacim in Hammerfall who met Kimberly in Gothenburg and she
was searching for a drummer and since Joacim and me were working on a
musical called "Conspiracy", he recommended me. I have known
him for some years now so he knew that I'm quite a proper drummer and
a nice guy to work with.
That’s cool, I will get back to your work with Joacim a little
later. What was it like being a member of the band? Was it a true band
or did it seem like a project and you were just a hired member?
To be honest I think it felt like a true band in the beginning. I'm
not saying it is not that nowadays but for my taste the band changed
line ups a little to much from studio, live and so on. I'm very honored
to play with Jesper (who since that time has become an
extremely close friend and we always hang out together) Alexi, and
Sharlee but to me it wasn’t the right thing after the tour in Japan.
The constant line up changes were taking a toll and making it feel
like less of a band effort?
I also felt that some parts of my expression was missing and
therefore I needed to start something of my own which absolutely
isn’t MY band. I learned one thing ...you are dumb as hell if you do
not let all these extremely talented musicians be as creative as they
possibly can. So I am honored to play with Johnny, Nobby, and
Olaf and just do one quarter of input to the band to get the best
music.
How much input did you have into the recording of the first
Sinergy CD? Were you given free hand in creating your drum parts or
were they already set out for you?
I can say those rehearsal weeks in Gothenburg was very good for all
of us cause we learned from each other and both Jesper and Alexi are
really easy to work with so it was pretty much like brainstorm we had
really fun together and I think everyone were better musicians after
the recordings.
Why did you quit Sinergy?
Well its not my table anymore but to me it wasn’t what I wanted.
I will definitely write/record more music with Jesper and also the
live guitarist of the Sinergy’s European lineup Peter Huss, who
asked me if we could do something together so as you see I don’t
regret the time in Sinergy and what comes with it afterwards.
What (if anything) do you think of their second CD "To Hell
and Back"?
Great musicians, not so great composing as on the first. I just
heard it once but it ok I guess.
How soon after Sinergy did you start to put together your new band
Dionysus? Did you feel the need to have a band right away?
Yes, everything was already arranged except a vocalist at that
time. Another thing was that now I could rehearse every second weekend
in Stockholm and a flight for Olaf doesn’t take much more than some
hours from Hamburg.
You first brought Johnny Ohlin and Magnus Norberg into the band. I
believe they are from the band Nation? How did you get these 2 guys to
join your new outfit?
A friend of mine who also is a drummer and studied at the same
music university as me, played me the Nation album "No
Remorse" and I was blown away. I think those 2 guys are the most
tight players of hard rock music in Sweden. They even played with some
famous artists of Sweden.
You then had to find a vocalist. You eventually chose Olaf Hayer of
Lord Byron and most well known from Luca Turilli's solo band. How did
you find him?
Hmm.....I think it started when I talked to Sasha Paeth when I met
him in Sweden and I was speaking on the phone with him when he
recorded Luca’s solo album so I heard Olaf directly from the studio
first time so then I called him up. The great thing with Olaf is that
he fits into the band also when it comes to philosophy of life. I was
a little worried the first time he came to Sweden cause I knew that he
was an extremely good singer but I didn’t knew if he was a dickhead
ha ha!! He turned out to be very down to earth and was easy to work
with. We pushed him very hard when we recorded "Paradise
Land", "Key Into The Past" and "Pouring Rain"
but at the same time we really had to see if he was as focused as we
are and he DEFINITELY was and we knew afterwards that we just
couldn’t picked a better guy for the job. We're extremely honored to have him as our front guy.
Does he consider Dionysus as his full time band?
Yes it’s a band. We have all been busy sending promos, recording,
composing as all real bands work. We all are signing the contract so I
guess that is proof in some way. Luca is a session and Lord
Byron is his friends from his hometown.
Does the band find it hard having a singer who also has another
project?
We don’t see a problem. We all are into different projects and it
just good that we can play as much music as we can. It is also a very
good thing to play with different musicians.
What is the status of Dionysus? Do you have a CD recorded to shop
to the labels or are you waiting till you get a deal before recording
a full CD?
We have songs for a full album and are right now in the process to
recording some more songs for 2 labels that we picked out as capable
of taking care of Dionysus. Then we sign and then I guess the ball
starts rolling.
What else have you been doing to help get the Dionysus name out to
the metal fans and to the labels?
We actually just promote ourselves to the labels at this time. The
reason is that we want the real buzz when people can buy the record.
We don’t wanna blow everything now!
You have a pretty good website at www.dionysus.power-metal.com/
Who does the work on the site and has it generated much interest in
the band?
Yes it has. It’s the same guy who did the old Official Sinergy
homepage and he also does the worldwide known Hammerfall page.
His name is Sven Fuchs and as you can see in the guest book the future
of Dionysus looks bright.
Well let me congratulate you on a great site... I'm sure it will
get Dionysus lots of attention. Since Olaf is the vocalist for Luca
Turilli, I was wondering what your thoughts on Luca's solo work, his
main band Rhapsody and Symphonic Power Metal in general?
Oh..this is a hard one..... He’s an idol of mine you can say. I
could name 100 things about his music that I love. I can recognize
myself in his music, one foot in metal and one foot in classical
music. I think the quality bands will always survive all hip shit but
to be honest some bands out there can hardly play. I think most people
call us power metal which is fine and also true but there so much more
kind of music into Dionysus. Metal, classical, pop, and westcoast. I'm
doing a musical with Joacim Cans as well and that’s the absolutely
greatest thing with metal. You can melt it all together.
You have mentioned a few times that you have collaborated with
Joacim Cans on a musical called "Conspiracy". Can you fill
us in on what that’s all about?
Yes this is something I'm very proud of. For the first time I can
call myself a composer instead of a songwriter. It’s a massive
production for symphony orchestra, choir and solo vocalists.
What other instruments do you play other than drums?
I play some piano but cant keep up with Johnny’s chops, but when
I compose I do it the absolutely best way, at the drawing board. I
think I'm the one of the only one who doesn’t sit with a guitar.
Its also good since I travel a lot so I can work even when I’m on a
train or something.
Also I see that you plan on some future collaborations with Jesper
Stromblad (In Flames) who was a member of Sinergy along with you. Have
you done any work with him recently?
There is no time for it now but I will be at his place over New
Years. In Flames take up all his time but when time is there...sure we
will work together again!!!!
In North America, Mallcore (Nu-metal) or whatever you want to call
it, has become very popular with bands such as Limp Bizkit, Slipknot
and Korn. Do these bands have any popularity in Europe and what are
your thoughts on these rap core bands and their type of music?
Oh god!!! I don’t even dare to comment on this cause its way out
of my field. I hardly recognize the names ha ha! Limp basket??? Well I
heard some of these bands but if they're big here I don’t really
know. Time is not my friend nowadays I don’t have so much time to be
a music consumer but I don’t think they're selling half as much as
Hammerfall or Helloween.
That’s great! Glad to hear that real metal is still popular over
there unlike here. This Month Metal-Rules.com did an editorial on the
importance or non importance of lyrics in heavy metal songs. What is
your opinion? Are they important or not?
I think it up to the listener how interested he /she is in what’s
going on around us. For me I cant play old jazz tunes from another
decade with a happy smile when the world around us is falling apart. I
want to write about important things that effect our daily lives.
What are some of your influences and who have you been listening to
lately?
I was brought up with Abba and BoneyM cause they were my father’s favorites. But I got hooked on metal after hearing "Fast as a
Shark" by Accept. Then Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius,
Rhapsody, and Bach, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Swedish folk music even some
jazz. I try to my as open minded as I can to get new influences.
Any final words for the readers of Metal-Rules.com?
So this is where I should come up with something really smart to
say ha ha !! Well I would say that Metal is here for us all!!! White,
black, male, female, believer or not, long hair, short hair, young,
old. For me that’s the meaning of "true" metal.
Thanks Ronny for your time!!!!
Metal Rules!!
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