INTERVIEW with JOEY DEMAIO

This interview conducted Eduardo Magnani.

What can I say about Manowar? Just that they are incredible and the most loyal metal band in the world. Well, they are releasing the video Hell on Earth Part 1 and when you read this interview you will be certain that this video probably will be one of the best metal videos of all times. This interview was done with Joey DeMaio, the man that conduct Manowar, and when you see his answers you will see that Manowar preach the eternal passion and fight in name of Heavy Metal. Only one advice before you read it: "Whimps and Posers, Leave the Hall"!

EM: Are you currently working in the album?
Joey: We are writing songs now for the new record. But... I'm not here to talk about the new Manowar album now, I'm here to talk about the video.
EM: The video is called Hell on earth, right?
Joey: Hell on Earth Part 1. It's crazy.
EM: I've heard that there are some backstage images on it. Is it true?
Joey: All kinds of footage, this is something very different for Manowar.
EM: What can you say about the tracks that are on the video?
Joey: Well, there are a lot of songs on the video. I think about the video is interesting.
EM: What do you think about release this video just now, after so many years on the road?
Joey: It's great! There's a lot of footage of Brazil as well. I think the footage from Brazil is the most crazy!
EM: Did you record the songs in different countries?
Joey: Yes, all different countries!
EM: So, it's like what happened on "Hell on Wheels" and "Hell on Stage" albuns? Different countries, different songs...?
Joey: Exactly! It's the same concept of "Hell on Stage" and "Hell on Wheels". The band recorded video tape in every country to all the fans could see the different fans and how crazy it is.
EM: Are you planing a tour to divulgate video?
Joey: No, there will no tour until the new Manowar record is finished. I'm just writing songs and that's it, we are gonna release the video and start working on part 2 of the video.
EM: How did the idea for the video come up?
Joey: The fans wanted to see the band in different situations, on the road, off the road, things like that, what the fans want, we do!
EM: Did you include any videoclips of the band on the video?
Joey: Of course! There's a couple of videoclips, there's "Courage", "Return of the Warlord", definetely.
EM: Is "Blow your Speakers" on the video?
Joey: No no no! That's gonna be on a separate video. We are gonna have for sale on the website.
EM: Tell me a thing, are there any surprises on the video?
Joey: When you see the section in the video that shows the Manowar's first tour in South America, it shows all of the cities. There's a lot of things that are just for the fans on the video, many things...
EM: The song "Battle Hymn" is considered by many fans as "the best Manowar song". Why did you decide to not play it on the Hell on Stage Tour?
Joey: Well, we want to do some of the songs that the fans wanted for a long time and we only had two/two and a half hours at concerts on the Hell on Stage Tour. It's hard, we'd have to play all night to play everybody's favorite songs.
EM: But is "Battle Hymn" on the "Hell on Earth" Part 1 Video?
Joey: No.
EM: And will it be on the Part 2?
Joey: I'm not sure, because Part 2 is not finished yet.
EM: Talking about the past. How did you get in touch with Orson Welles?
Joey: We have written "Dark Avenger", and we needed someone who could speak and Orson Welles had the greatest voice, so we mailed him the text and he really liked it and he thought it's brilliant and he wanted to help us.
EM: "Fighting the World" was a polemic album, some people say that it sounds like a glam metal album...
Joey: I think that anybody who thinks that is completly fucked up and they're talking through their asses.
EM: About new bands. Are there some new bands that you like and can mention?
Joey: Some new bands that I like and can mention...I hear a lot of good news, but it's hard to just mention, you know, one band, you know, but for me somebody who is playing heavy metal is all that is important.
EM: What can you say about the Monsters of the Millennium Tour?
Joey: It was great! It was really fantastic! Nice, because we had not played in Sweden, in Finland and Denmark for a while and for Manowar, Motorhead and Dio was a lot of fun!
EM: What's the feeling to play together with Motorhead and Dio?
Joey: Well, we played with Motorhead many times in the past, they are very good band and good people! And of course Dio has been as friend of Manowar for many years. So, it was like a family reunion.
EM: What are the bands that have influenced and still influence you?
Joey: The bands that influenced Manowar? That's a hard question...
EM: I've heard that you're a big Black Sabbath fan. Is it true?
Joey: Yeah, for sure. I've always been a Black Sabbath admirer. Black Sabbath is a great band!
EM: What can you say about the rumors saying that Ross the Boss would join Manowar again?
Joey: Just rumors.
EM: I read it on the internet.
Joey: Yes, you know, that's one of the problems with the internet, it's full of shit.
EM: What's your opinion about the Internet?
Joey: I like the Internet very much, I think it's great and I think you have a very good home page!
EM: I saw that in the Manowar's site there is a section where you try to put the fans in contact. Do you think that this contact between the fans around the world is important for Manowar?
Joey: Yes I do, it's very important. For my page we are going to link all the Manowar fans all over the world.
EM: What's your opinion about MTV? Do you think it's good for the heavy/hard bands?
Joey: MTV? It's shit, in United States it's shit, in Europe it's shit and in Brazil it's good.
EM: I think "Sign of the Hammer" is one of the best Manowar albums and I've heard that the songs that are on it are songs that were putted out of Hail to England album. Is that true?
Joey: No, they were done at the same time, but they were not from the "Hail to England" album.
EM: Many bands from the extreme metal scene say that Manowar is one of their biggest influences. What's your opinion about the extreme metal scene?
Joey: It's very good, I like it. I like Black Metal, Death Metal, Speed Metal. I like all of it, I think it's good, as long as it's heavy, that's good.
EM: I've heard that you are a big fan of the german composer Wagner. Please, say something about it.
Joey: I just think this music was the first kind of heavy metal, you know, this classical music, it's very powerful very strong, that's very good.
EM: After all these years, how do you analise Manowar's career?
Joey: I think that we have the greatest fans, the reason why Manowar is the number one.
EM: In my opinion, Manowar fans are the most loyalt fans of the world. Tell me what's the feeling of have a crowd so loyal and how is your relationship to them.
Joey: It's the greatest thing in the world. It?s really tremendous, yes. We always try to sign autographs, whatever is possible... we always try to play the songs the fans want to hear, we try to do everything so that our fans are happy, because we?re proud to have the greatest fans. We respect our fans very much!
EM: There are lots of Tribute Albums around the world. What's your opinion about them?
Joey: They're ok if it's done well... some are good, some are bad.
EM: Do you think Manowar deserves a tribute?
Joey: Oh! I don't know, that's for other people to decide, it's not for me to decide.
EM: Do you still have contact with the members that played in Manowar?
Joey: Oh sure! Constantly! Absolutely!
EM: "Heart of Steel", "Master of the Wind" and "Courage" are ballads and generally some metal fans do not like ballads, do you agree?
Joey: Well, no, if it's a metal ballad, it's good. Ballad songs, they can give somebody a special feeling as a special power, a different kind of power.
EM: Please, tell me what are the real feeling behind these songs?
Joey: I think they all talk about the feeling that a person has to believe in themselves. Many people have a hard life, so these songs, I think, help all of us. They have a certain special feeling.
EM: What do you think about the metal scene nowadays around the world?
Joey: It's getting better, it's getting a lot better, thanks to the internet.
EM: Do you agree that the 90's were horrible to the metal scene?
Joey: It wasn't so good for so many bands, but it was good for Manowar.
EM: Why?
Joey: Because we have the greatest fans of the world.
EM: In the covers of "Kings of Metal", "The triumph of Steel" and "Louder than Hell" appears the picture of a Warrior without face. Any special reason for that?
Joey: Because this warrior represents the spirit of the people in heavy metal. The band and the fans together.
EM: I've heard that you have some problems about the song "Pleasure Slave". Is it true?
Joey: I don't have any problems with it (laughs).
EM: I've heard and read that the censorship was against it. Is that true?
Joey: People say things all the time about Manowar, but "no es importante". You know, people will always talk about Manowar, but that's life.
EM: Talking again about internet. Do you like to go to the internet and to be in chats with the fans?
Joey: Ah, I really don't have time because I'm very very busy, but we are going to be setting up a chat on the Manowar site for the fans in the future, it's a good thing.
EM: What can you say about the changes that happened to some bands that leave heavy metal behind?
Joey: "Bastardos", "bastardos", they're idiot, "estupidos", "idiotos".
EM: Talking about the Monsters of Rock 98 in Brazil*. What do you do to get so much energy on the stage, after so many years?
Joey: Again, it's the energy of the fans, it's knowing that our fans have suffered for many years, and they have had to fight for the music of Manowar, a lot of people tried to stop Manowar, and the Manowar fans and we promised we would come to Brazil on the Monsters of Rock, to kick everybody's ass and to show the world that Manowar is the number one in heavy metal and the fans are the number one and on this day the fans showed everybody! There were 30.000 people there and 15.000 came that day wearing the Manowar t-shirt. It was the day of Manowar!
EM: What did you think about the cast that played on this Monsters of Rock 98 in Brazil? Do you have any opinion about it?
Joey: No, I have no opinion because it didn't matter, there was only one band there that day and one group of fans, it was day of the Manowar fans! It was like religion on that day, it was the day that the whole world saw the power of the Manowar fans.
EM: There are a lot of bands that play Manowar songs. What do you think about it?
Joey: Any band that plays Manowar songs, it's fine with me, I enjoy it, all of them. It's very nice.
EM: Can you leave a message to readers of Renegade2k?
Joey: I wanna say thank you very much for your time, I really like your page. Internet is a great place for Heavy Metal and I want everybody to now come together in the internet for Heavy Metal!

2000

This interview is taken from Renegade2k

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