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Artist: Rival Date Added: 21/03/06 More Info: Rival Official Website Interview by: Lou One fateful day in 2004 I found a copy of Rival's "State Of Mind" for a rather decent price in a record shop. I found the music on that CD to be straightforward metal. No "Black", no "Death", no "Core". Just metal - pure and simple... and it was a very welcome addition to my CD collection. Shortly after setting up the ARSE website I decided that Rival would be a fantastic band to interview, so I contacted them and they were kind enough to agree to my questioning. The only problem was that (apart having listened to "State Of Mind") I knew absolutely nothing about the band! I searched around on the net to find out a little bit more about them, so that I didn't seem like a complete fool when I interviewed them... but there wasn't a hell of a lot there... So, before I begin I'd like to apologize to the guys if I ask them questions that they've been asked a thousand times before! Lou: Rival, thanks for agreeing to this interview. For the benefit of those who have yet to hear what you do, could you please describe your style of music? Neven: I personally would describe our style as Power Metal. The music is punchy, driving, and raw at times. Our singer/bassist John isn’t a screamer or growler, but he’s got power to him. So we write in a style that has an old school thrash metal feel with a singer that you can understand. Lou: Where does the name Rival come from? Neven: When we started, we were trying to select a name that would describe us and our music. It was getting frustrating because we couldn’t decide on anything. So, after one of our rehearsals, a friend of ours suggested “Rival” and it was perfect. It described how pissed off we were, and it also reflects the type of music that we write. Lou: I understand that you originally started out as a cover band. Were you still called Rival back then? Which covers did you play? Neven: This is a bit of a confusing story. All four of us started out playing cover tunes of our favorite bands. Gary and Chuck were in a band, John and I were in another. We all knew of each other through school and mutual friends. After a while, both bands fell apart. John went on to jam with an original band and Chuck joined a completely different original band too. I wound up taking Chuck’s place in the cover band with Gary, and we played around Chicago for a few years. Gary and I felt that it was time to make a move and start doing our own songs. We kept the rehearsal space from the previous cover band. So one day, he called me and said Chuck was coming over to jam because his thing didn’t work out too well. It was just the three of us working on ideas. We had a party one evening at our jam spot. John stopped by one night and said “Do you guys need a bass player?” Without hesitation, Gary said “You’re in, bring your stuff over.” Since we all knew each other from before, it was a really good combination. We tried to find a singer for a long time too, but we couldn’t find anyone that was as good or better than John. So we forced him to be the bass and vocals. And that’s how it was and still is, all the same guys after all this time, 100% original members. We played songs like “Transylvania” and “Gangis Khan” from Iron Maiden, some AC/DC, Blitzkrieg by Metallica, etc. Just tunes that we would mess around with you know? We actually did them pretty good in my opinion.
Neven: Well, yes. We were influenced by a lot of bands that we didn’t cover too. I personally feel that you should cover a song that is within the means of your singer. Unless, you do it in a way that brings a cover some justice. Metallica’s version of “Stone Cold Crazy” by Queen is a perfect example. Lou: Which bands first got you into metal? Neven: I was a big KISS fan as a kid. I went to see them in ’79 and Judas Priest opened for them. When I saw them, I was blown away. They were on the “Unleashed In The East” tour. When I heard that crunching E chord in “Green Manalishi” and Halford hitting those crazy high notes effortlessly, I was changed forever. The next day I bought that record and relive that moment every time I hear it. Then came Maiden, Sabbath, Accept, Scorpions etc. Lou: What was the first album you bought? Neven: Probably KISS "Destroyer". Lou: What equipment do you use? Neven: Right now for guitars, I’ve got a USA Rhodes, 2 early Charvel Strats, and an early Ibanez Strat RG760. I’ve got 2 amp set ups but mostly now, I play through an ENGL Powerball head and ENGL cabs which are very cool products. I use an ENGL Z-11 to change channels on the head and my Rocktron effects processor at the same time. I use an old Sampson SR-22 Wireless system, and on the floor is a Dunlop wah, a Boss tuner, and a midi control pedal by ADA. Nothing really fancy, but I need to have different effect settings ready to go at any time. I don’t like to have a lot of wires and cables in front, so it works for me. Lou: What are your views on the current metal scene? Are there any bands that have caught your eye recently? Neven: I think the metal scene could use a jump start here in the states. It’s not as powerful here as it is in Europe. But when a metal show comes to town, it’s usually packed. So, it’s strange. People will go see a major metal band, but a local band still struggles. I haven’t bought anything new in a while. I see a lot of new bands out and read about them in magazines, but I haven’t heard a lot of their music. I should pick some up and check it out. Lou: You guys are from Chicago, how on did you end up on a German record label (Metal Blade)? I will say that you do have a sort of 'German sound' - if that makes sense! Neven: One of our songs ended up on a compilation CD from the magazine Rock Hard/Heavy O’Der Was? We were invited to go to Germany and play for a great festival called “Bang Your Head.” We had a good buzz going on about us due to our previous EP and “Modern World” CD’s. Right after we played, a rep from Metal Blade Germany said he liked our set and would send some paperwork for us to read. Soon after the legal stuff was worked out, we were recording “State Of Mind.” Lou: After the release of "State Of Mind" in 2004, things seemed to go a bit quiet in the Rival camp. What have you been up to? Are there any plans for another album? Perhaps even a world tour? Neven: I was a bit disappointed by a few things. We had a few offers come to us from labels. In the end, we went with Metal Blade because of their roster of bands, and because more people have heard of them. We released the CD in May, so we expected to be doing shows in Europe over the summer to promote. I thought that the label would set up some dates for us with other bands that they had to go out and push the release. They said that they don’t set up tours, but gave me contacts of people that might. I didn’t get that; I thought tours were part of what a label did. So after I sent out emails and made some calls, no one seemed to want to help us out, or it was too late to get something going. That really was a let down, and we were pissed off about that. We took it upon ourselves to play out as much as possible and set some things up on our own for next summer, which we did. So that, along with some other things, led to us parting ways with Metal Blade. Don’t get me wrong, they did what they said they would do, which was to pay for and put out our CD. But we were expecting at least a tour or some dates in support of the new release, which never happened. I feel like it’s our fault for not asking the right questions before the decision was made to go with them. You learn shit as you go along I guess. So now, we’re writing some new material for another CD, and hoping that we can get another label to help us out. It’s a tough process because there’s so much interference going on with daily life that eats up a lot of free time. I can assure our fans that the wait will be worth it. We won’t put out a CD unless the material is all killer and no filler. As far as a world tour, we’re ready to go. We would like to hear from promoters and agents to set it up. Lou: I read on your website that there were plans to make a video for "State Of Mind"'s closing track, "Hell Train". Has this been completed? Would you mind telling us a little bit about it? Neven: Yes, we’re making a video to “Hell Train.” It’s just about ready to get started. We had to get some permission to do certain things, and of course, the money thing needed to be settled. We’re cashing in a few favors, and paying for the whole thing ourselves to get it done. We want to use an old steam locomotive engine and a few passenger cars from back in the day because the songs starts out like one…chug, chug, chug. Finding one of those isn’t easy let me tell you. We finally did, so we’ll be jamming on this old thing as it takes on a hell ride.
Lou: What is your favorite track from "State Of Mind"? Neven: There’s a few, “Reach” is jamming, “Brink” is too, “Remember You” is slower but it’s still good. It’s hard to pick one when you like each one for different reasons. Lou: Which tracks are the most popular at gigs? Neven: That’s hard to say. Some nights, the really hard and heavy ones get a lot of feedback. But, a mix up is needed to appeal to other people. So, after starting with a bang, you ease up a little and people like the variation. Then we pick things up and end it with a ripper to close out the set. I would rather have our fans vote on something like that. Lou: What has been the best gig that you've played so far? Neven: There have been a few memorable ones. The “Bang Your Head” and “Headbanger’s Open Air” was special because it was our first time as a band overseas. The people were really cool and so devoted to metal music. Everything from the organizers to the fans, it was such a great, great time for us. I love to play in Europe, anywhere. Lou: ...And what was the worst? Neven: Well for me, it was years ago when we jammed on a boat. We had done it a few times without a problem. But there was this one time a guy we knew rented a large boat, and had all these bands play on it. It was a good time so far. When it was our time, I was using parts of someone else’s equipment. I couldn’t get any sound out of the cabinet. I had signal showing that there was activity, but no sound at all. We were running out of time for our set, the guys were forced to play without me. The crowd was chanting my name and wanted to hear us at full force, but I had no sound at all. No matter what my tech or I did. So, I didn’t get a chance to jam. That really sucked for me and I got pissed off and wasted the rest of the ride. Lou: Are any of involved in any other bands? If so, what are they called and what are they like? Neven: No, we really only do Rival. There’s been a time when we sit in with some friends and we jam for a while at a gig, but no other bands as a permanent member. I tried it with a cover band for a while, but it was a pain the ass. Thanks for the interview questions. I hope I didn’t sound dull. We really appreciate your interest in the band and the comments about our material. You can reach us and check out free songs by going to rivalmusic.net or look us up on MySpace We hope to see the UK in the near future….Thanks!!! - Neven, Gary, John, Chuck |
