Answered drummer Bob Baghus, thank you!
Translated by Petra, thank you.
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - SIEGE OF POWER - Warning Blast (2018):
Ave SIEGE OF POWER! Hello Bob, after long time I went to work the first time today you know it, I did not feel very good. But under the pressure I put to my ears your last year's album "Warning Blast" and immediately I felt better. It gave me the great energy which I needed. How did the album originate? Because each of you is from different place, have you met for recording or you solved everything via the internet?
Bob - Ave! Well, that is really great to hear. Thanx for the compliment. The album came to life when Paul and me recorded the basics for the music in some studio’s overhere. We just jammed and recorded at the same time too so that was a bit different of what we are used to do, of course. Then Paul re-recorded his guitars in his own studio and Theo did the bass there as well. In Oakland,USA, Chris did his vocals in the Earhammer Studio. We did not met for this recording but we did met several times in real life, of course and had enough beers.
I discover SIEGE OF POWER last year. But if I remember it well, you were between the years 2013 - 2014 under the name FIRST CLASS ELITE? Why change the name and why did you record the first album in 2018?
Bob - That is correct. The basics were found in 2013 when we were called First Class Elite. We did a split cd with Violation Wound and Mike and the Boys on Horror Gore Pain Productions which was really cool.
We changed the name since our original vocalist had to step out due to personal problems at the time and since he came up with the name,FCE, we thought it was better to come up with a new name. Due to lack of time we had to record the album in 3 sessions spread over several years. The last session was in Fall 2017.
You are a band composed from famous personages of the scene. Each of you has a great deal of work in extreme metal, you are experienced musicians. Did not you have trouble to negotiating? Have you had a clear vision from the beginning how the album should sound? Who is the "main composer"?
Bob - We had no troubles at all. We all knew eachother very well and Paul and me spend many years in Asphyx just as Theo and Paul spend many years in Hail Of Bullets too. Also Chris is the most easy going guy so all was cool already. We did not have a plan at all but just playing stuff we like and see how it would turn out. The main composer is Paul, he writes all the music and Chris is doing all the lyrics.
I wonder how SIEGE OF POWER originated? Except for Chris, you all are from Holland, I can imagine you having met somewhere in the pub, chatting, etc. But how did you get along with Chris?
Bob - I know Chris already since the Autopsy demo days in 1987. We used to write pretty much and traded stuff too, met several times as well and hung out together. Also Chris and me phoned with eachother as well. It all works excellent. When we finished the music we just asked Chris if he was interested to join us and he loved too. We are not here to prove anything or whatever, we just do what we like to do and came up with a pretty cool record, at least we think so, haha!
There's one other thing about Chris in my mind. He is vocalist and also signed under the drums at AUTOPSY. In SIEGE OF POWER he just sings. Did he have some comments about drum recording during the process?
Bob - Chris is a brilliant drummer but he did not commented on my drumrecordings, he loved all of it. I know we have some sloppy parts here and there but the record was pretty much a large spreaded jamsession anyway but it turned out cool. For us it was just fun,nothing more. Next time we do will practise more,though,and get more prepared into the studio. On the other hand,maybe this is the power of our debut album too. No preparation,just go into the studio and record.
At SIEGE OF POWER I like the fact that they go to the very foundation of extreme metal, the influences of punk and grind appear. Personally, I also grew up on this kind music, and I know very well how much is sound important. Dennis "Derclint" Israel is signed under the mastering and mix, but under the drums it's more people. I do not understand it, can you please tell me a bit about it? How and where did you record?
Bob - That is true for sure. We have alot punk influences indeed. We love that no nonsense approach and don’t give a fuck anyway. Yes,the drums were recorded in 3 different studio’s. We had several sessions spread over some years. Whenever we had time we went into some cheap ass studio and recorded my drums and Paul’s guide guitar there. The 3rd session was done in a good and professional studio,though. But also cheap pricewise since we did not had a label and Paul and me paid the studio’s ourselves. Dennis did a great job to get pretty much the same drumsound on the album. He took the sound from the last recordingsession(which sounded the best) and managed to let the other tracks sound the same as good as possible. Next time we will record in only 1 studio,though.But like said before, we had no label or whatever and we just wanted to record some cool music we like,that’s all.
The influences are possible to feel from the SIEGE OF POWER. As well I will not ask for about your beginnings, but I wonder if you have any current favorite bands. Somewhere I read that you are also a big fan of black metal, is it true? And by your opinion can you tell us some good new death metal band?
Bob - Well, I am a huge Black Metal fan indeed,always was. As a kid my fave bands were Venom,Hellhammer/Celtic Frost,Bathory,Possessed,Necrovore,Sodom(I consider In the Sign Of Evil being Black Metal) and I also love the second wave of Black Metal like old Mayhem,Darkthrone,Burzum,Emperor,Marduk,Beherit,Sarcofago(INRI),Samael(til’ 1990),Blasphemy,Abruptum.
Good new Death Metal bands? I would say Graceless from Holland. The coolest osdm band at the moment,in my opinion. Also Doodswens and Laster are truly great new bands but they are Black Metal.
As is well known, such a good album cannot be without good cover. The "Warning Blast" was created by Roberto Toderico. The cover is beautiful, cool and gloomy at the same time. How did you get together with Robert and why did you choose him?
Bob - Oh, Robert and me go back some years already and he is a great artist. I love his work and we told him we wanted to have a cover with a total endtime atmosphere and he came up with this and it is just fantastic. Total downfall of the civilization,which might not be a bad idea anyway…
To the song "The Cold Room" you made a video. It reminds me of the old death metal music movies of the nineties. It could be easily played at Headgangers Ball show! Who is the author of that concept? Was director Carl Assault? Or someone from the band?
Bob - That is a doomy song,very heavy and very lowtuned. The author of that concept? That was Chris. It does sound very horrorish and Chris is a master in those kind of things. Carl Assault did the filming, in our rehearsalroom. And he instructed us too. He is a great guy to work with and he does it with passion too,which is important for us.
"Warning Blast" is exactly the type of album that sounds best on vinyl. Are you a vinyl collector? What kind of relationship do you have to vinyl? Do you have some interesting pieces in your collection?
Bob - It does! It really does! CD is just…cd. Vinyl has a so much better and deeper sound,more dynamics etc. I am a true vinyllover. I have a vinylcollection indeed. About 500 lp’s (which might not be that much but 80% of my lp’s I also actually love and I do not “collect just to collect”…).
I have great original pressings and also actually bought them when they got released such as:
Venom- Welcome to Hell/Black Metal (on NEAT Records), Hellhammer – Apocalyptic Raids, all th e old Frost stuff, Mayhem-Deathcrush (my fave), all the old Sodom stuff, Blasphemy, original Slaughter- Strappado, all the old Bathory lp’s, old Destruction lp’s, first 2 Deathrow albums, the Mercyful Fate EP(which I got from Ross Dolan as a present), the first original Sadus-Illusions, the old Kreator stuff of course, Sacrifice-Torment in Fire, Possessed-Seven Churches (not that special but still one of my faves), Necrophagia-Season of the Dead, Protector-Misanthropy,Messiah-Hymn to Abramelin and Extreme Cold Weather on Chainsaw Murder Records etc etc. All are special to me.
Are SIEGE OF POWER performing life? I know you have a lot of other activities as your work, your family, but can we hope for it? I do not think I'm the only one fan who wish it.
Bob - Well, that is difficult due to the distance so we have no plans for that but you might never know what happens in the future. We talked about it and we did got some great offers from very cool festivals but we will see what the future brings.
Are SIEGE OF POWER just an occasional project or a regular band? Do you already have new material? What are the plans for the future?
Bob - We are a band for sure, but maybe more a studio band. We do have some new songs and we will record new tunes in some months for a possible split album with the Dutch crossover band Disabuse.
Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you a good sales of your records and all good in your personal life as well.
Bob - Thanx a lot for this interview and also thanx a lot for support!
Recenze/review - SIEGE OF POWER - Warning Blast (2018):
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