GALLHAMMER (Eng.)
– Hi and thanks for your time. What’s GALLHAMMER currently up to?
Hi. Gallhammer released an album called “the end” this spring.
– What does «Gallhammer» mean? Did HELLHAMMER had something to do with your choice?
Yes, of course. I wanted to play Hellhammer songs when I started Gallhammer. That’s why I named my band Gallhammer. We covered Hellhammer song but not so much because it was a bit difficult for us in that time.
– Your new «The End» was released some time ago. How’s going its feedback? Is it fulfilling your expectations?
I hope some people enjoy our album. I don’t have so much expectations about feedback but we are very satisfy with this album when we finish it.
– Why did you choose such name for the album? Is this actually «the end»?
I am actually not sure. We live a bit far away each other now, so it’s a bit hard to be really active. We talked that we will make music together in a relaxing way.
– I think the cover artwork fits totally your style and this whole record. What could you tell us about it? How did you work on it, the artist, etc.
The artwork by Kim Solve. He also made Ill Innocence artwork and we live in same city now, so I visited him and tell him about what kind of image we have for this album.
This album was not “White, Shiny, Midday” image which like Ill Inocence has for me, more like image of “after sun goes down”.
– I believe in this «The End» we can find the biggest mix of styles you have ever done. How did you come up with the ideas during the songwriting process?
In this time, I had to write a song without guitar. I recorded some base tracks, some of them sounds like a guitar sound but I cannot play guitar like mika played. That was main point of difference.
Another point is vocals. Risa took vocal parts more than before. I think it brought really good effects to songs. There are some songs I wrote before Mika left. I had to remake those songs more simple and heavy and hypnotic for drums and bass.
– Last year Mika left the band. How has this affected GALLHAMMER?
Like I told, it was big affects for song writing. Also maybe our activity is changed tho.
– I could say this album sounds more Doom/Drone/Sludge than the previous ones. Has the fact of not having Mika had something to do with this?
Yes, I think so very much. Songs has more uplifting feeling with her guitar sound.
So this time we focus on cooped-up feeling.
– So is this the actual GALLHAMMER sound for 2011? Is this just a natural evolution for you?
I think so. It’s very true sound really effected by my mental condition. Those few years I have been kind of depression states. So I really think it is very natural.
– This is your second full-length album released via Peaceville. How’s your relationship with this label? Does the fact of cooperating with such a big company benefits you or has opened new doors for the band?
I was confused with them before but now everything is ok.
– It seems the Japanese Metal scene is getting stronger day by day, specially into extreme Metal, do you follow that scene? What bands could you suggest us?
Actually not so much, I am not in Japan now so I cannot go to club anymore, it’s hard to follow the scene. But I believe there is a lot of good bands in underground scene.
– From Queens of Steel we have always brought special support to women into this world so, are there any female Metal artists worth mentioning in Japan?
There are bands as FLITD that should actually got some more recognition.
