TORNADO (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for taking the time. What are you guys currently up to?
THANK YOU for taking the time to check out our band. We absolutely appreciate it. Right now we are currently trying to find a tour since the album is finished and out there. In the meantime, I am also getting the next batch of songs ready for the next TORNADO album which will be a lot more killer than this first one!
– First off, could you make some history of the band?
The band was a concept that I had in my head for a long time and it took me a long time in The Netherlands to find the RIGHT people. The first one was Big
Maaaaan. I met him through a mutual friend that we had and soon enough we became good friends. His musical taste and mine were pretty close so I invited him to jam with me. In the case of the Finnish guys, they have their main band called AMORAL and some years ago when i was tour manager for Finntroll, they were one of the support bands (along with Naglfar) and I became friends with those guys and always knew that when i was seriously going to be looking for members,I would want Daddy B and Starvin Marvin to be in it. A few years later Amoral were supporting Amorphis and I asked the guys if I could joinn them sine I wasnt doing anything at home. We did a few weeks with 7 of us in a van and it was the most fun I’ve had on tour so ever sinec then, I told the guys, once BM and I do this new demo and we get signed, I would want them to be in our band…….
– What are your expectations for «Amsterdamn, Hellsinki»?
Well, we are expecting people to like it as we think that for any fan of metal music, the SONGS are there. And there is a little something for everyone. We also hope that those who do like i twill go out and buy it. I’m sure that I dont need to tell you how the internet and downloading has KILLED music.
– I guess the album’s name refers to a couple of cities some of the band members you are hailing from but, why did you end up with «Amsterdamn» and «Hellsinki»?
Yeah ! The spelling is just a play on words but at the same time representing where we come from
– Do you have a concrete place to work or, as you are from different parts of the world, is hard for you being together?
Most of us have ‘day jobs’ with the exception of Starvin Marvin who is still a student. The rock n roll lifestyle is not cheap and none of us make money as of yet on the band itself so we do what we have to do in order to survive in this world ;p
– Please, tell us a bit about the cover artwork; how did you work on it, the artist, its meaning…
The artwork was done by a friend of mine named Alyssa Ryshchunk who comes from the Ukraine. I just gave her the convept of what we wanted and she created it exact. For me, the meaning is that this is a place for all the outcase of society can go and be thenmselves without fear of persecution
– How is the songwriting process like in TORNADO?
Usually I have a song completely written or I have the basic idea already there but in both instances, Big Maaan will come over and help structure and organize everything and then we send that over the Finnish
– I see you use a lot humour in your music so, what are your inspirations when it comes to write lyrics?
In regards to lyrics, I would have to say that my daddy John Connelly (Nuclear Assault) would be my main influence. I love the fact that their lyrics always said something to me so in that regard i try and write lyrics that EVERYONE can relate to
– With all those different elements from different styles in your sound, does it bother you the fact you can’t be tagged as a 100% Thrash Metal band or nowadays, with all those clone bands, is much more a benefit?
Personally, I consider TORNADO to be 100% thrash, however I can see where someone else might not call us that and I can only conclude that it is because we do not sound like a carbon copy of our influences like a lot of the other modern thrash bands do
– Peter Tägtgren took the production duties; how did everything start? Are you pleased with the final result?
I’ve known Peter for a long time since i have done several tours as Tour Manager for Hypocrisy in the past so when it came time to do the album, he
was our ONLY choice. It was a bit strange because I didnt know what to expect since I only knew the wild and drunk hooligan side of him but once we got into the studio he was very professional and very helpful in helping us get our job done.
– Due to the mix of all those different music styles I mentioned before, I would like to know what are your main musical influences…
The most obvious ones would be Slayer, Nuclear Assault, Overkill, Death Angel, Metallica and Megadeth but under the surface there are a lot of hardcore influences as well.Growing up where I did in the US (Providence,Rhode Island) it was almost impossible for a metal band not to be influenced by the hardcore movement and it also shows in the bands from the same area that came before us like Anthrax and Nuclear Assault
– Finally, what are your near-future plans? Is possible for you touring?
Yes, we would love to tour as TORNADO is a band that needs to be seen on stage. Considering that our first album just came out, were waiting for a tour support slot right now but to be honest, over the years, the touring business has become a shitty one filled with politics and bullshit so we will see…..
– That’s all, thank you once again. Now feel free to add some final words.
On behalf of the rest of the TORNADO crew, i want to say THANK YOU to your publication for taking the time to check out our band. For anyone reading this interview and like our stuff, PLEASE ago out and buy it. ILLEGAL downloading IS killing music, and metal in particular.
