Interview with Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT)

BANDS : Kamelot

Metalfan: This is your first time in Romania. What are the things you want to know when you are about to play for the first time in a new place? What were your curiosities, if you had any, related to, before arriving here?
Oliver: Well, in my case I am very interested in history, especially because I am half Hungarian and Romanians and Hungarians were always linked. I am interested in historical events, the long war against the Turks, for example, I am really interested in this country and it is weird it took so long that I came here so I would like to stay longer because this is one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever seen. Not much was destroyed during the Second World War. It is really beautiful and I really love it , I was calling my girlfriend and I told her we have to come here again to visit the town.

Metalfan: You will share the stage with Finnish doomsters Swallow the Sun and English goth legends the sisters of mercy. Are you familiar with their music? What do you think of the line-up of the evening? Having three bands playing three slightly different styles of rock'n'roll.
Oliver: That’s fine, especially this summer and last summer we played in festivals with different styles with so mixed like never before, you have a solid death metal combo and the next you have a progressive metal band, and then a symphonic metal, female fronted metal, it seems that it is not so split up anymore. Metalfans are so open minded anyway , like no other audience, and I like the fact that they can accept all of this.

Metalfan:The lineup of your band consists of 3 american born members, one Norwegian and one German. Writing and recording in Europe, touring in North America. To what scene do you feel closer? Europe? America? Is Kamelot a European band or an American one?
Oliver: Well, the style is more European because the American metal is very different nowadays, for me is Europe of course, ‘cause I am deeply European but I love to go to America. So it is a really nice and fascinating mix, we bring our background and different cultures together and mix it in the music.

Metalfan: In September you will go to America, but before the actual tour starts, some members of the band will be attending a special music clinic in Florida. Please, tell us more about this event: what happens at these kind of events and what's their importance for the band?
Oliver: Ah, it is not so much related to Kamelot, the point is that Casey, Sean and me we’ll play, we all are active in many bands and projects, not just Kamelot. Of course, we all play in Kamelot and the people are interested in that, but it is more a musician kind of thing, it has not much to do with Kamelot.

Metalfan: You have recently formed your own recording label, Kamelot Media Group. Why did you choose this option instead of continuing to work with an already established label and how much is the band involved in the management of this new label?
Oliver: Well, you know, today it is difficult for a band to survive because of all that illegal downloading, basically one half of the income is taken away and we have to find ways to somehow balance this loss. The traditional labels don’t have money anymore, the whole music business is broken down and this makes increasingly difficult for us to survive and this new label is just a way to put the management back in our hands and try to find ways how to get around this crisis, so we’ll see, maybe it works, maybe not.

Metalfan: You have a new album ready, scheduled to be released next month. Poetry for the Poisoned. Apparently it isn't a conceptual album, but the title song consists of 4 parts. What is the topic of this song, what are the topics of the album?
Oliver: It is not a conceptual one, but honestly I am not writing the lyrics so you have to ask Roy about that.

You have been cited to say that this record explores new sounds for the band. Could you be a little more specific, are we to expect any significant changes in your trademark sound?
Oliver: I think that after Black Hole, Ghost Opera was kind of a taking a different turn, the whole music changed a little bit. I would say a little bit far from traditional metal and we tried to explore new grounds and it was quite successful. We were not so sure that Ghost Opera will be accepted by the fans, but it was and the band even got bigger, so we go now consequently into a new direction. I see Poetry for the Poisoned as a successor of the Ghost Opera, it is a little bit darker, wait until you will see the new video, it is really dark and black, and I think the whole album has a little bit of these characteristics.

Metalfan: The new video is for the track The Great Pandemonium, when will we be able to see it?
Oliver: I think with the start of the US tour.

Metalfan: The new album has been written in Norway and Germany, in remote locations, were you trying to capture a certain atmosphere in the songs, a feeling of isolation? Why did you choose these locations and how did they influence the songwritting?
Oliver: Actually everybody is writing at his home, Thomas is writing in America, Roy is writing in Norway, I am writing in Germany and sometimes we come together, we talk about the ideas and take out the best ones. But it is not about going into a certain place, because the music happens in our heads.

You have parted ways with Glenn Barry last year and Sean Tibbetts, the band's original bass player came back. How was having him back as a full time member?
Oliver: You see, it is very hard to split with a band member and Glenn was for many years in the band, we are all friends. Sean is playing with us for more than two years and he just recently became a permanent member. It is very hard, it is not ok, he left, let’s change the bass player. We waited, maybe Glenn comes back but he didn’t. Sean is a great person, he has a great stage performance and I love his bass playing.

Metalfan:Glenn Barry left the band in order to spend more time with his family, it seems that Kamelot's schedule demands a lot of time from the band members, being successful keeps you away from your family, how do you cope with this, how do you keep the balance between band and family?
Oliver: It is always difficult and the divorce rate in the music scene is really high, believe me. In my case I am happy, because my girlfriend, Simone Simons, singer of Epica is touring like crazy and sometimes I come home, I see Simone and I say “hey, how are you doing?” and then she is leaving for the next four months or so, right now Epica is touring a lot. It is difficult, but she understands how the business is and we don’t have an alternative to that. Let’s say that the rock and roll lifestyle is not my thing, you know with a girl in every town. But for the others, they are married and of course sometimes it is not easy and you need a very understanding wife to make it through.

Metalfan:Is Simone Simons singing on the new Kamelot records?
Oliver: Yeah, she is singing again, she is also on the second record of my new band Sons of Season. I mean, we know each other so well and of course we change ideas.

Metalfan: Are there any other guest musicians on the Poetry for the Poisoned.?
Oliver: Yes, Jon Oliva, Gus G and Björn "Speed" Strid

Foto: Max

Autor: Klawz, Dragos P.

Vezi galeriile trupelor: Kamelot

August 25, 2010 | 0 Comments | 9411 Views « BACK