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 Has Broken Hope found a permanent drummer yet?
No we haven't. We plan to hire a drummer for the next record and have a few guys that are interested in the job long term as well. We haven't had any tour plans lately so we decided to just write new
material and find a drummer to record with. There aren't many options in our area so we have to look elsewhere.
I've read that Swamped in Gore was is one of the first albums in death metal to be recorded in digital from start to finish. Is that true?
That could very well be true. It was done back when digital multi-track recording was in its infancy. Way before ADATS. I remember back then when ADATS and Tascam
DA88 was just coming out and that was after our record was in the stores. We recorded on AKAI ADAM's. They are now extinct.
So, Grotesque Blessings has been out for a good long while now, while when we last spoke, the album was
still in the works. Now that you've had ample time to mull it over, are you completely happy with the end product?
As with any project there are things that I wish were better. The mix was kind of rushed and tends to be a bit thin. There are a few songs I would have like to have done some
fine tuning with as far as structure goes but all in all it is an updated Broken Hope and we are happy with the response we have gotten thus far.
What happened on the US tour?
Everyone got fucked financially. The promotion was horrible and the booking was amateur. We worked with a booking agent that was new and things were not smooth at all. We
dropped alot of money because we finance everything ourselves in this band. We went out to find alot of things were done wrong. Many shows ended up being cancelled
after we were on the road already. It was very rough keeping things going. In the end we ran out of money and couldn't afford to finish the last week in Canada.
Have you been working on any new material? Any song titles you can provide and what is the new stuff like?
 No new titles. That is
usually the last thing that happens. haha. We play the number game or the nickname game for our new stuff. We do have new material that I have been working out. Hopefully soon we will get
together and put drums to it.
Any concrete plans to hit the studio and get to work on a new album?
We would be going in this winter but it seems we may have a European tour planned for January. If that happens then we will have to wait until we get back. We may start it
before we leave and finish when we get back.
Does Qualitone still have your head spinning?
Not really. I have learned how to space my time between the bands and the studio. I do every now and then run into a hectic schedule but I am getting used to it. Things will be
very busy this winter I am sure. It hasn't been too bad lately because I have been in there with my own band and that is always fun and laid back.
From here on in, do you envision Broken Hope ever using an outside producer or will you always do it yourself?
Most likely we will always produce ourselves. We can't really afford the kinds of producers we respect so we feel it is best to keep it this way instead of experimenting. I would
like to work with Colin Richardson or Neil Kernon but we just can't afford it.
Big news is the Hammerheart/Martyr deal. That should open a lot of doors for Broken Hope (and Em Sinfonia) overseas. How did Martyr land that one?
Broken Hope live at the Ann Arbor Oktoberfest, 1999
I don't really know the specifics on how it got started or worked out but Maria has alot of connections. I guess when she had the Broken Hope to shop around in Europe it wasn't
too hard to find someone interested.
Speaking of Em Sinfonia, what is the latest there? I think I read you are working on a new album?
We just finished the album. It is called Intimate Portrait and has 12 songs on it. It's just under an hour and much improved over our EP we did a few years ago. We really
tried to scale the songs down and not make them so long. The style has definitely changed but doesn't stray from metal. I guess you could say it doesn't drag as much
anymore. We have a new female singer named Bunny and she is amazing! I took on the vocals on the new album as well so that was a first for me. Also the band is now a six
piece instead of the eight we had. The album should be released in February and
we hope to bring this band out live as soon as possible.
It seems classic metal is definitely going through a legitimate resurgence, with Iron Maiden reforming and Halford coming back from the dark side of the force. What do you think of the classic bands that have made
"comebacks," so to speak? Especially the latest albums from the two aforementioned acts.
I have been a Maiden fan for along time and it is great to hear they are still going strong. We covered a Maiden song on the new EmSinfonia album. I will have to admit that I like
the early stuff better from all of the "comeback" bands because it was rebellous for the time. I don't know if it is possible to bring that spirit back although they are great
songwriters. Metal has come along way since the late 70's and early 80's when those bands were huge. It has gotten more polished. They will always be the groundbreakers
though no matter what they do.
 I got the new Hammerfall and was so completely not into it - it sounded stale to
me, but then I haven't liked anything they've done since the first album. I know you are a fan of the band - how do you feel about the new one?
I am friends with the band but I can't say that I have listened to the new material yet. I respect what they do. Their style is very straightforward and I believe is aimed to be and best
appreciated live.
If you could punch any one historic figure (or someone who is alive and well) full-on in the face with no repercussions, who would it be?
Ho Chi Minh.
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