Ramesses

Interview - Adam Richardson

2/11/05

Sam goes over to the dark side with Ramesses

Home | Interviews | Live Pictures | Reviews | News | Tourdates | Message Boardz | Links | Search | CD Store | Trade Index | Mailing List | Sam: How was it working with Billy Anderson? Adam: "It was amazing, certainly, he's a crazy man which is lucky for us you know, we're all mad as hell. Everyone, when we met personally, we'd been talking for awhile over e-mail...so when we met it was very..we got along very well." Sam: Did he push you guys really hard? Adam: "Yeah, he did, and we were really grateful for it as well. Alot of it was just reminding you to do something, not so much cracking the whip and stuff, but yeah, he is a workoholic and same with us, but you know...a very funny man. It was a real experience for me, I absolutely loved working with him. " Sam: Did you feel that you captured what you wanted on this first album, the sound you wanted to present? Adam: "Yeah, definitely, yeah. We're all really happy with it. I think it's a true representation of the band. We are happy with it and it does capture that sort of...it's very hard to find the words to describe it, but there's certain vibes that seem to be prevalent in all Ramesses tracks, from the first thing we've ever done to what we're doing right now." Sam: What was the inspiration for the lyrics on the album? Adam: (laughs) "It's tough, I mean, Witchampton is a place, it's just outside of Wimborne which is where we're sort of from, and it takes it's name from...basically, it's got a history of witch trials and witch burnings in mid-evil times, and more recently than that actually, that's quite a long story. And really it's a place that's, you know, it's a creepy place, it's out in the wilderness sort of thing. It's quite barren, it's a very foreboding place. And basically that is...it's the sort of soundtrack to the place. Now, the lyrics, I just donno, the thing with the lyrics, I don't know how to explain it. It's like these streams of consciousness really, which just sort of come and go. It's just like capturing them in time, and then getting them down...and then I donno, it's like a free-forming way of communication, so I'm not in control of them really. Of course I'm writing them, but they're all done in sort of a half-trance state really. I donno, they keep changing in their meaning, even though they're already written, they still evolve in their meaning to me." Sam: When are you guys touring? Adam: "We've got a tour booked in the last couple of weeks in May with Unearthly Trance who come over. I think we've got 4 or 5 dates here in the U.K., and then we're off to Belgium, and then Holland. But basically it's Unearthly Trance and Ramesses just creating malevolent hell." Sam: How did the band form, I know a couple of the guys left Electric Wizard? Adam: "Um, yeah, basically. They walked and left Electric Wizard. And then, basically wanted to do something...Tim was sick of playing the bass so he could be the guitarist. He's been playing the bass for 10 years, you know?, who wouldn't be? Not like he's not one of the best bass players ever in my life, but he's so much more expressive on the guitar. He can really pluck that out of it, on 'We Will Lead You To Glorious Times' you can really hear some of that sinister playing. It's fucking inspirational really. Just like with Mark's drumming, he's like a fuckin' lunitic, an animal. Every single show we play his hand is pouring with blood, within a song basically. He scrapes the skin off all his knuckles straight away, and you can imagine how the implications of that...like a 2 week tour, in the freezing winter here in December. It's just like...unbelievable, you know his whole drumkit is covered in blood. Some people think it's like some sort of like, gimick or something, or we've got bloodpacks or something." Sam: Are you guys working on new material? Adam: "Yeah, we are, we've actually recorded an EP, as well as a full length album". Sam: When are those coming out? Adam: "Last night we just to hear the first mixes for the EP tracks. It's 3 brand new tracks, the EP is going to be called "The Tune", it's coming out on Invader Records which is a British label owned by Jeff Burrows who is one of the main men behind the sound, the production of Portishead. He's in the band, and it's actually his studio where we actually recorded the stuff, which is absolutely insane because we're like massive fans of Portishead. It's definately coming out, it's gonna be...hopefully out in April, and it's going to be available as a 12" picture disk, limited to 666 copies, and cd format. Both have got completely different artwork, and I think they're going to put some extra stuff of the vinyl, I donno, that remains to be seen. But the title track will be on there called "The Tune", and another song called "Cult Cyclops". Then basically we're looking to find a record label that we can get into a deal with and sign to, to release the full length album. If all goes well that will be next year, sometime, but that remains to be seen, We need to find a label that we can work with, and commit to." AbsolutMetal �2005