Metal Hails
Here is a new interview with Hard Tension from Portugal playing a good mix of death,metal and folkish influences. Their second E.P Is out so definitely check this band out if you enjoy metal/folk hybrid.
More interviews,reviews coming soon
Patrick
fiendformetal@live.com
interview with Paulo Santos Guitarist for Hard Tension done by Patrick
1.Hello Paulo please introduce yourself to the readers. When did you first get into metal?
Hello. My name is Paulo Santos, I'm the guitar player from Hard Tension. I live in the south of Portugal, in a seaside city called Portimão.
I started to play acoustic guitar when I was 8 years old. Later, when I was about 13 years old I heard Randy Rhodes playing Mr. Crawley solo on a dvd and I became fascinated with that kind of sound. So I knew right then and there that was the sound I wanted my guitar to produce. That was my first experience with metal.
2.Who were the first bands you listened to? Who are some of your current favorite bands?
The first bands I listened to were Ozzy Osbourne, Stratovarius, Quiet Riot and Rising Force. In the present I still love these bands, but I now listen to mostly progressive metal bands like Symphony X and I very much enjoy listening to Gamma Ray.
3.Paulo when did you first meet the other members of Hard Tension? How did you all come up with the name for the band?
I met Migas at a bar four years ago and he invited me to play in one of his bands, and a few months later I invited him to play in one of mine. Tião, the drummer, and Carlos, the bass player, met at a concert. We later found out we had the same influences and started playing together.
The term "Hard Tension" was first used to describe a type of strings that are very resistant and have a very good sound projection. I always like that name and I decided to use it.
4.Hard Tension is getting ready to release it's second EP. "Fear And Guilt" how long did it take to write the music for the E.P?
It took about four months to write the songs and two weeks to record the tracks.
5.Who usually writes the lyrics for the band? Where do you all draw inspiration for the lyrics?
Migas is the lyrics magician. He is very smart and can think about things that really matter and that we want to express with our songs.
He thinks about what background the stories in the song might have and makes up really interesting lyrics.
6.How has the response been from the fans? What about the press?
The response to this EP was better than the last, people seem to enjoy this EP much more than the last. We have had mostly positive reviews, so we are quite pleased with it.
7.Has the band begun writing the next E.P or full-length? Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
We are currently working on the last track of our first full length album! We will record in the next few months. Usually someone has an idea and then we work on it until it turns into a song and everyone gives their input.
8.Paulo you and the band live in the Portugal metal scene. What is your opinion of Portugal's metal/rock scene?
Well, there aren't a lot of bars to play in because in our country metal is an underground style of music. The good news is that our fans give us positive feedback and support us.
9.Who are some of your all-time favorite bands from Portugal's scene? Are there any new bands you feel the readers should check out?
There are some really good portuguese metal bands like Prayers of Sanity and Tarantula.
10.Paulo you handle the guitars for Hard Tension. When did you first become interested in playing the guitars?
Well, I started to play acoustic guitar at 8 years old, but when I heard Randy Rhodes playing guitar on the Blizzard of Ozz album, it changed my life right then and there.
11.Who are your influences/favorite guitarist? Are you self taught or did you take lessons when starting out?
My favorite guitar players are Yngwie Malmsteen, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I am mostly self taught, I spent many, many afternoons watching my favorite bands play and trying to keep up with them.
12.Paulo are you or any of the members of Hard Tension currently playing in other bands or solo-projects?
Yes, we all have other bands and we have other jobs aside from Hard Tension.
13.What are some things you enjoy doing in your spare time?
We love going to the beach in the summer. We have great weather and some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever find!
14.Well Paulo, thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out. Do you have any final comments for the readers?
We want to thank you for taking an interest in us. If you want to hear out tunes you can find us on youtube or soundcloud.
You can also follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/hardtension.
