FATAL SMILE (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What’s currently going on with FATAL SMILE?
Blade: Hey! Yeah whats going on? Right now we´re hung over as fuck in a bus somewhere in Germany. Just came from London, Copenhagen and Ibiza where we totally went wild. Played a festival somewhere in that mist. I guess we´re on what would be called a tour. We call it mayhem ha ha ha…
– You are about to release your fourth album, anyway I guess there still may be some people who aren’t familiar with you yet so, first off, could you please share some history of the band?
Blade: We´re a bunch of easygoing party animals who got together to do our best to kick ass and find pussy on every corner of the world. We think we´re doing a good job at reaching our goals but we´re far from done. Specially with the later so to speak, he he…
MR. Y started the band back in -96 and we´ve released the following albums:
“Beyond Reality” (2002), “Neo Natural Freaks” (2006), “World Domination” (2008) and we just released our our new album “21ST CENTURY FREAKS” in Europe on May 14.
We´ve been touring all over the world with bands like W.A.S.P. – Dio – Queensryche – Doro – Lordi – Winger just to name a few….
– What are your expectations with this new record?
Philty: Like the second coming of Christ!
– To start getting into this upcoming effort; what does its title make reference to?
Blade: If you rewind to way before TV and movies the prime entertainment of choice was watching bizarre people touring with freaks how side shows. We are most definitely these touring freaks of the 21st century. Check out any of our shows. People watching the freaks going crazy on the stage somewhere in the world. Its even more obvious on our signing sessions where people are lining up to take their pictures with the freaks of the modern times.
Philty: Yeah, exactly what it says. 21st CENTURY FREAKS! When we gather our troops and hit the road there’s always fuckin’ mayhem. We’re a 21st century touring sideshow.
– Musically I think is less dark and heavy than your previous “World Domination”. Was this how you envisioned the album since the very beginning?
Blade: I don’t think we give a fuck before we start recording. We write songs over a long period in different hotel rooms and busses in different parts of the world and different state of minds. We demo them and the ones we like we record for the album! This album is a more evolved FATAL SMILE and a product of the mayhem we experience on tours. Personally I think it´s as dark and heavy as WD. At a minimum.
Philty: I think “World Domination” is a straight up in your face live record that was intended to sound like our live show. “21st century freaks” is a much more evolved FATAL SMILE album. We recorded 15 songs and then picked out 11 tracks for the album. They were all kick ass songs but we wanted to give you guys the ultimate FS album. Mission complete!
– In fact it seems like you have gone to the sound on your earlier recordings, with catchier compositions and a more “traditional” sound, that’s why I wonder if you wanted to give a nod to your sophomore opus, “Neo Natural Freaks”? Is this new album a mix of your past and your current sound? Is what we find here the actual FATAL SMILE’s sound?
Philty: What you hear on this album is 100% FATAL SMILE. Yeah, I usually say: If you take our three previous records and put them in a 21st century blender you get this album. So basically, this album is «the best of the beast»…
– This being said; how could you describe “21st Century Freaks” in just 3 words?
Blade: Kick Ass Mayhem.
– For “World Domination” you toured a lot for several time so, how and when did you start writing this new “21st Century Freaks”? How was the overall songwriting process? I guess you started with some ideas when you were still on tour so, don’t you need a special environment to create new material?
Philty: It was a mess! We wrote the album in bars, hotel rooms, tour busses, backstage etc. Whenever we had a chance to sit down and get some ideas going. We always do everything very different than other bands. I guess that’s why FATAL SMILE is the way it is… I wouldn’t change a thing!
– For this offering the band itself has done everything, from recording to engineering and production or mixing. How was this like? I mean, I guess no one like you know how FATAL SMILE is supposed to sound but, does this make you work under more pressure in certain way?
Blade: It was great not to be pressured out of the tour bus to get the studio work done but we´ve realized four years has passed since World Domination which is way too much. But achieving world domination isn´t done in a whiplash!
Recording and producing without interference is awesome though! This makes it 100% Fatal and stamps the guarantee of Swedish fuck-ups de luxe!!!
– You have shot a video for “Welcome to the Freakshow”, which I must admit looks simply great. How was the shooting like? And do you plan filming any other videos? Tunes like “Nailed to the Wall” or “Scarecrow” sound like absolute hits.
Blade: A few days locked away with models, fire and a free flow of alcohol can never be wrong!
My hair cought fire so I had to cut it for the first time since the diaper shitting years, and MR. Y´s pants and shirt burned up giving him scars for life, but the video kicks ass and show better than anything what this Fatal circus is all about!
The next flick is gonna be even crazier. I wanna be a killer and torture models so I guess it will be Judgement Day. That song is pure evil!
– Your debut album, “Beyond Reality”, came out via GMR Music but then moved, and you have comeback to FS/GMR for this new album. What prompted this? Has anything changed within the label throughout this decade?
Philty: The whole industry changes itself on a daily basis but GMR has always been very good to us so it felt very right to go “back home”.
– Finally, what are the near-future plans for FATAL SMILE? Will you be touring in support of your new release?
Blade: Of course! That’s the candy of the process! The orgasm of a long epic fuck! Making an album sucks horse dick compared to playing the songs live & touring…! We´ve just spent our last few weeks on planes, airports, hotels and busses and I guess that’s were 21st century freaks belong! And we just got the news that our new single «Welcome To The Freakshow» just sold GOLD in Sweden so that´s really awesome so we´ll celebrate that with a huge party….
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Okey a few words to those kind enough to read this fine publication; Buy our fucking album! Fuck, Rock and do it LOUD! And stay in touch with us thru our website or facebook.
If you we´re passing by even near wherever the hell you are, get your ass, your friends, your mama and your dog over there and party with us! Deal?
For more info about this crazy fucked up circus, please visit: www.fatalsmile.com
Over´n out – The Mighty Blade…
