Four score and a bunch of years ago there was a band called Iron Maiden that showed the metal community how to kick some serious ass. Today there is a new wave of power metal (NWOPM) coming into fruition. Not many stand out, and not many are worth the $12.99 you would spend on the CD. Well, Dream Child's Reaching The Golden Gates is worth every penny, and a few more to boot. Dream Child may be the band for 90's power metal than Maiden was for the 80's. Maybe not, only time will tell, but if they do become HUGE, I want to be the guy that predicted it.Screaming guitars, high vocals, catchy riffs, powerful drumming, and talented song writing all go into making Reaching The Golden Gates a must for any metalhead. We got the chance for a little chitchat with Dream Child and were able to slice them open from neck to nuts, and pick at their brains about various metal related topics.
Interviewed by Al Kikuras and Piston Rod. Intro by Piston. Pics are of the lovely PJ Sparxxx.
UtU: Before we begin, you must answer one question: Who are the undisputed King Of Metal?Dominique - Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, for all their 80's albums. Queensryche, Vicious Rumors with Carl Albert, Accept from "Breaker" to "Russian Roulette." Black Sabbath as well. There could be others to mention as well, Dream Theater, SavatageŠ, but with all these kings it could cause wars.
UTU: Give us a brief history of Dream Child.
Dream Child in Cats.D: We formed the band in June 90, and recorded our 1st official demo in 92 ("First Visions"). We got great reviews all over the world and it permitted us to attract the attention of NSR PRODUCTIONS, a French label, with a 24 tracks recording studio based in the south of France that offered us a deal in 93. We signed in 94 and recorded a 2nd demo ("Create A New World") that brought us rave reviews again (see SENTINEL STEEL in USA)!, that was followed by the recording of our first album in the end of the same year. Because of various reasons the album was only released in Sept 96. The CD ("Torn Between Two Worlds") was critically acclaimed in all the places it was distributed and sold well in France besides a poor distribution and promotion. We had good results too in Italy and Japan where it entered the charts! We were also voted the best new hopes in various polls. It gave us strength to continue and in July 97 we recorded a new album. We did some vocals, guitars and keyboards overdubs in November. We presented 5 songs at the MIDEM (a business meeting event in France like the CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS FORUM in the USA). There we met Brian Slagel and Tracy Vera who showed great enthusiasm toward our music and offered a license to NSR. The contract was signed in the spring of 98, but "ReachingŠ" was only released in Jan 99 because NSR didn't respect a deadline for the layout! Anyway, we are proud to be on Metal Blade and its the 1st time a melodic French metal band achieved that. In Europe the album has excellent reviews and Metal Blade is achieving a fine promo job, so we're happy!!!
UTU: How has your music changed from the first album, "Torn Between Two Worlds," and this new one, "Reaching The Golden Gates?"
Gerard: On this new album you can hear that we're better musicians. The music is maybe a bit more progressive now whereas the 1st was maybe more direct. But we don't plan to much our music, we let our instincts talk. No matter if it's more progressive or melodic, we only don't try to limit ourselves.
UTU: Very cool. It seems to be hard to find a metal band today who's lead singer still goes for the really high notes. Gerard goes for the high notes with the gusto that was prevalent in the 80's. Do you see that style of singing as a throwback to the 80's, or the future of melodic metal?
G: It's sure that my vocal influences are (mostly) based in the 80's (G. Tate, R. Halford, B. Dickinson, B. BaileyŠ, it's a joke!, Carl AlbertŠ), but anyway, I don't do this because I'm a nostalgic person, but because I feel the vocals I use are what works best in our style. This is the way I feel it. But I don't only sing in a high pitched way, I also use a lot of low notes and raspy sounds. The future, according to me, is to combine the best of both worlds. Russel Allen (Symphony X) is a great example of that vocal "philosophy." James Labrie did great with "Images & Words" too.
UTU: Do you feel high vocals are a signature of true metal?
G: Not necessarily, I mean look at Dio, but it fits well to the style; but you have to put a lot of personality, power, and big range to sound interesting. If not, it's just ridiculous to use that kind of singing without that. A good vibrato is really important. Some use high vocals with tremolo that sounds horrible to me!
UTU: Even though you have obvious roots in old school metal, you do not have the feel of a band that is "stuck in the 80's". Your style I feel takes the "old school" and updates it. Is that the feel you were going for?
G: Even if we like the old school, we don't try to do a revival of that era in our music. We NEVER try to copy anyone, that's the key of our musical "success." We listen also to other kinds of music and include, fuse those influences in Dream Child, so we don't sound dated. But we always do that with Heavy Metal in mind. If we update it, it's purely coincidental, cause we write and play that music that sounds best to our ears, no matter if it's new or old metal sounding.
UTU: Is "Reaching The Golden Gates" a concept album?
G: No, it's not. The lyrics of that album deals mostly with personal experiences, feelings we had the 2 last years, besides "The Search," "Bells Of Nemesis," "Crystal Lady," and "Fly Again." Reaching The Golden Gates means that we have reached a turning point, and hopefully that behind these doors, we'll reach a certain success.
UTU: You are still a relatively young band and hopefully have time to truly evolve your craft. If you look back in history, most great metal bands didn't put out their best album until their third or four one. Do you feel that Metal Blade will allow you the freedom to explore your craft and improve along the same route?
G: Yes, they are really confident, and they took options for 4 other albums. They surely want to build a real career for the band.
UTU: What bands influenced you the most growing up?
G: The Beatles, Deep Purple, Rainbow (with Dio), AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions, and all the other bands of question 1. Even artists like Seal and Tori Amos can maybe influence me now cause I like their music a lot!!!
D: AC/DC, Kiss, Deep Purple, Trust (a French band), Black Sabbath, and of course, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest too!
UTU: What do you feel about current state of Iron Maiden?
G: Difficult to understand how uninspired they can be in comparison to the 80's albums. Gers and Bailey are the worst choices Steve Harris could ever do. I'm sorry to tell that cause they're cool people.
UTU: What about Bruce Dickinson's solo work?
G: Better and surely more inspired than today's Maiden music. Still a great voice.
UTU: Are you on tour or will you be touring soon?
G: Not yet, but hopefully this spring.
UTU: Do the French people really hate Americans?
G: I personally don't! American people I met (mostly musicians) were cool. But I've never been to the USA.
D: What a weird question. I even didn't know we had this reputation!! For my part, I don't think French people hate Americans. Back in 84, I went on vacation in the USA (Illinois) for 2 months, and it was great! I'd like to go back as soon as possible, people were so cool. Last year, in June, I was at the restaurant with my girlfriend, right here in Annecy (near Geneva) and there was a couple of Americans tourists sitting besides us and we began talking together. They told us they were looking for a good restaurant where you can eat the "tartiflette" (a great cheese specialty from here), I told them I enjoy cooking this kind of meal, why don't you come home? They came and we spent a lovely evening with them, I hope next time they come in France, I'll cook them another meal. Anyway, since last summer, we correspond by mail with them, great, no?
Why wasn't I invited to this fucking party? Or, to put it another way, why wasn't I invited to this Fucking Party?UTU: Have you seen the movie "National Lampoon's European Vacation?"
D: Sorry, but I didn't see that movie.
UTU: Oh. Well, there is a scene in the movie where the Griswalds go to a café in Paris and the waiter is speaking to them, obviously, in French. He is telling Clark Griswald how nice his wife's tits are and what a nice little ass his daughter has just to fuck with him because he is American. Clark and the rest of the family think he is talking about food. Have you ever heard a funny story about a Frenchman actually doing that to a stupid American tourist?
D: I don't think this kind of situation relates the reality. Maybe it can happen sometimes, like it did for me when I was in the USA, but we mustn't do a generality, for my part, I really appreciate American people.
UTU: Do French people eat small meals at home or do they just serve them to naïve tourists in cafes?
G: Don't worry, French people don't only serve small meals to naive tourists in cafes, they also eat at home.
UTU: Do you consider metal to be a form of music or a way of life?
G: Well, more a form of music, but it's a way of life in the sense that for us it's not a trendy music. We really believe in that music and respect it a lot.
D: I don't know if we can consider a music like a way of life, but I think it's a part of life, like everything done with passion.
Dream Child's Metal Blade page.
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