WARREL DANE

A brief affair

There’s no doubt that after recent success of NEVERMORE Warrel Dane is perceived as the top-quality star of metal scene. Right now he has his solo debut released. A coincidence? Not really, and the content of „Praises To The War Machine” leaves no doubts. A masterpiece! No wonder that the author, answering questions that touch mainly his new album’s matters, is in swinging mood!

- It’s good that we talk through the phone cause in face to face contact I could misrecognize you and commit some unforgivable faux pas. You not only dyed your hair but also shortened it much! Your female-fans will be very unhappy…
Therefore, I’d like to say – girls, love Warrel Dane as he is, despite the changes he’s still really cute!! (laugh) Coming back to the matter, I’ve had long hair for very long time and, as they say, there came time for changes. However, I must admit that cutting my hair was a trauma for me. I couldn’t get used to it for a long time; all in all I had it long for so many years. Good point is that now I don’t need to use half the bottle of shampoo at once and all of that cosmetic stuff takes less time. I get up, 2 minutes and that’s it. I was already tired of taking care of my hair, daily combing, conditioning and all that crap (laugh). Apart from this, I’m getting older and I started to lose my hair. It’s just better now.

- Now to the point, I won’t lie if I say that you solo album „Praises To The War Machine” razed me to the ground. I expected excellent music but I didn’t suppose that the whole stuff would be so damn good! I can’t leave it alone indeed!
Always nice to hear such things (laugh). I got stuck in Century Media office in Dortmund when I give interviews, the weather sucks… You cheered me up, thanks! (laugh)

-I get the impression that I’m not the only one who cheered you up.
Ok, you’re the second person who did it today (laugh) But to be serious, I like this stuff too. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever made. Really, we couldn’t make anything better! (laugh) We gave this album as much as we could. I don’t think it’s perfect but simply there are things which don’t need perfection. I had chance to work with excellent musicians and thanks to them the album is what it is. I’m really proud of it but…. Give me some time to get to the details and it won’t be that good (laugh).

- When actually did you get ready to record your first solo album?
You know, at first it wasn’t to be my solo album but just another project. I think in some way it is, cause I don’t feel the most important person here despite my name promoting the band. It all started with my acquaintance with Peter Wichers. As far as I remember we met during one of those NEVERMORE tours promoting „Dead Heart In A Dead World”. We made friends and keep in touch since then. In the meantime we’ve come up with an idea to record something together. Of course it wasn’t that easy, considering our personal matters, but I’ve always believed that we’d get back to this. When NEVERMORE finished the works on „This Godless Endeavor” I was still full of energy to write music. I didn’t want to stop; it was the time when I almost got burst with new ideas. So I called Peter and said –“Dude, do you remember our plans of doing something together? I know we were young and blind-drunk then but, damn it, let’s try!” Peter easily got convinced and soon we were sitting writing stuff on „Praises To The War Machine”.

- Did you want to prove something with this album or more important was to write a few kicking asses tracks in a good company?
Definitely the latter. It was more like chemistry which many artists tell about in their interviews. Good relations, atmosphere, a few fine ideas – that’s why this album came into being. First of all I didn’t want to record another Nevermore-like stuff. It ought to be something different, that’s why I decided to go more into rock’n’roll sound. It’s still metal of course, I’m just gabbing (laugh) I wanted to go beyond all those expectations, to make a surprise. On the other hand it had to be the music I like myself. To record stuff sounding exactly like NEVERMORE was pretty easy. In no way it would be challenging and that’s actually what I wanted to do! I also think that it would be a great mistake. However, I didn’t need to kill myself to achieve it, in such a good company the music runs on its own. And that’s the way it was…

- Peter lives in Nashville for some time now which surely made your work easier. How did Dirk Verbeuren and Matt Wicklund join the crew?
Very easy (laugh). Matt is my old fellow and, by the way, a great guitarist. Dirk was recommended by Peter, they knew each other from SOILWORK and Peter introduced him as extremely gifted drummer. Now I absolutely agree with it, Dirk is a total drum-beast. To tell the truth, at first I intended to record this album with my old friend Dave Budbill (SANCTUARY) but finally it’s Dirk who did the drums. I still have plans to do something together with Dave and it’s possible that he’ll play on my second album, of course if it’ll come into being. For the time being he’s busy with ZEROCREEP, very interesting group playing some kind of modern metal. Dave is a really excellent drummer and my best friend for a long time now. To work with him would be something exceptional for me. All in all the stuff played by Dirk is awesome!

- You, Jeff, Jim and Dave makes almost full lineup of SANCTUARY. Something is going on?
Oh man...(laugh) We’ve had so many offers to reactivate SANCTUARY. You know what, generally I don’t mind but I always say that it’d be possible only in original lineup. We’re close but there’s one guy who’d never agree on that. Any talks with him would end more or less in this way: “Never ever do ask me about it again cause I don’t give a shit about your clever idea.” (laugh) You know, nowadays reactivating a band is something common. Reasons for doing it are also typical. Money, nothing else, pal. Of course I don’t want to give it up but I’d also want to feel good about it. So, if we’d reactivate SANCTUARY – then only in original team. Furthermore it’s possible that during the gigs promoting my new album I’ll take back a bit and present something from old material of this band.