HELLYEAH Interview
With a slot at the Download Festival coming up, and a gig in London on the 16th of June, HELLYEAH are riding high right now, and for good reason! With an unrelenting approach to offering up groove infused, heavy assed slabs of metal, HELLYEAH is without a doubt, a band that if you've not heard, you need to. You need only look at the history of the members in the group to see how much history, understanding and ability there is here - so when we got the chance to ask Mr Vinnie Paul some questions, we jumped at the chance! Dave emailed some questions over and luckily enough for us, we got the following responses, so read on to find out how the world of HELLYEAH is looking from their perspective!
1). Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us guys, how’s the world of HELLYEAH looking right now from your perspective?
IT'S REALLY BEEN BUILDING !! I LOVE WHERE 'BAND OF BROTHERS' HAS TAKEN US AS A LIVE BAND ...IM SOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR TOUR OF EUROPE IN JUNE AND THEN RIPPING THE STATES AND CANADA A NEW ASS THIS SUMMER ON GIGANATOUR!!!
2). How’s the response been to Band Of Brothers since the release?
IT'S THE RECORD PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR FROM HELLYEAH FROM THE BEGINNING!! IT'S A REAL METAL ALBUM AND THAT'S WHAT THE FANS WANTED!!! IT'S BEEN GREAT!!! THEY REALLY HAVE SHOWN US THEIR APPRECIATION SINCE ITS BEEN OUT!!!
3). You say on the website that back in 2006, you wouldn’t have been able to put out a record like this – why did you choose to wait until now?
WE WANTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH THINGS THAT WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE DID IN OUR PREVIOUS BANDS AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID!!! WE TOOK IT EVEN FURTHER ON STAMPEDE...WE GOT THAT OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS AND GOT BACK TO OUR METAL ROOTS ON BAND OF BROTHERS!!
4). Given the calibre of bands that each of you have been a part of, there’s bound to be influences coming through in the music – do you think that’s a good thing or something which causes people to judge you against what you’ve done in the past?
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS PART OF EACH ONE OF OUR HISTORY...WE ARE PROUD OF THAT AND WE DECIDED TO LET THOSE ELEMENTS COME INTO PLAY WHEN THEY SURFACE AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE BANDS SOUND NOW AND I LIKE IT!!!
5). So along with the album, you guys seem to be on a hell of a tour – how’s it all going so far?
IT'S BEEN KILLER!!! WE CAN REALLY FEEL OUR MOMENTUM BUILDING WITH EACH TOUR AND I EXPECT MORE OF THIS WITH THE STRONG BILLS WE ARE PART OF!!!
6). You’re returning to play Download again this year – do the British crowd respond well when you play over here?
THEY TREATED US GREAT THE LAST 2 TIMES WE WERE THERE AND I BELIEVE WITH THE STRENGTH OF BAND OF BROTHERS THEY WILL REALLY GET A DOSE OF HELLYEAH!! I'M REALLY LOOKIN FORWARD TO IT!!
7). Given that you’re on your third album, is it hard to pick out a live set when you tour or are there favourites that you generally try to include?
NO... IT MEANS WE PICK THE ONES THAT HIT HOME WITH THE FANS !!!
8). A busy tour schedule and a new single coming out on June 10th – other than that have you had the chance to write any new material at all?
YES WE'VE BEEN TOSSING IDEAS AROUND AND COLLECTING OUR IDEAS FOR OUR NEXT RECORD AND THE FOCUS IS HEAVY!!
9). You’re playing The Electric Ballroom after your Download Festival slot, have you got any other plans to be on UK shores in the coming year at all?
THATS ALL PENDING...BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO TOUR ALL OF ENGLAND ...THE LAST TIME WAS WITH AVENGED SEVEN FOLD AND STONE SOUR AND IT WAS A TRUE HONOR AND I REALLY THOUGHT THE BRITISH FANS GOT IT AND WERE IN TOUCH WITH HELLYEAH!!
10). Finally – what message would HELLYEAH like to share with the world as a parting statement?
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT OF HELLYEAH AND ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS BANDS!!! WE ARE SUPER PUMPED ABOUT DOWNLOAD AND THE LONDON SHOW AS WELL AS PLAYIN' FOR THE REST OF EUROPE!!! COME ON OUT AND HAVE A HELL OF A TIME!!! WE WILL KICK YOUR ASS I PROMISE!!
A massive thanks to Vinnie Paul for answering some questions for us, we'll be catching up with them again when they play London and will be checking out the live show for ourselves. In the meantime, make sure you check out HELLYEAH on Facebook HERE, and their Website HERE.
Questions: Dave Nicholls
1). Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us guys, how’s the world of HELLYEAH looking right now from your perspective?
IT'S REALLY BEEN BUILDING !! I LOVE WHERE 'BAND OF BROTHERS' HAS TAKEN US AS A LIVE BAND ...IM SOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR TOUR OF EUROPE IN JUNE AND THEN RIPPING THE STATES AND CANADA A NEW ASS THIS SUMMER ON GIGANATOUR!!!
2). How’s the response been to Band Of Brothers since the release?
IT'S THE RECORD PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR FROM HELLYEAH FROM THE BEGINNING!! IT'S A REAL METAL ALBUM AND THAT'S WHAT THE FANS WANTED!!! IT'S BEEN GREAT!!! THEY REALLY HAVE SHOWN US THEIR APPRECIATION SINCE ITS BEEN OUT!!!
3). You say on the website that back in 2006, you wouldn’t have been able to put out a record like this – why did you choose to wait until now?
WE WANTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH THINGS THAT WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE DID IN OUR PREVIOUS BANDS AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID!!! WE TOOK IT EVEN FURTHER ON STAMPEDE...WE GOT THAT OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS AND GOT BACK TO OUR METAL ROOTS ON BAND OF BROTHERS!!
4). Given the calibre of bands that each of you have been a part of, there’s bound to be influences coming through in the music – do you think that’s a good thing or something which causes people to judge you against what you’ve done in the past?
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS PART OF EACH ONE OF OUR HISTORY...WE ARE PROUD OF THAT AND WE DECIDED TO LET THOSE ELEMENTS COME INTO PLAY WHEN THEY SURFACE AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE BANDS SOUND NOW AND I LIKE IT!!!
5). So along with the album, you guys seem to be on a hell of a tour – how’s it all going so far?
IT'S BEEN KILLER!!! WE CAN REALLY FEEL OUR MOMENTUM BUILDING WITH EACH TOUR AND I EXPECT MORE OF THIS WITH THE STRONG BILLS WE ARE PART OF!!!
6). You’re returning to play Download again this year – do the British crowd respond well when you play over here?
THEY TREATED US GREAT THE LAST 2 TIMES WE WERE THERE AND I BELIEVE WITH THE STRENGTH OF BAND OF BROTHERS THEY WILL REALLY GET A DOSE OF HELLYEAH!! I'M REALLY LOOKIN FORWARD TO IT!!
7). Given that you’re on your third album, is it hard to pick out a live set when you tour or are there favourites that you generally try to include?
NO... IT MEANS WE PICK THE ONES THAT HIT HOME WITH THE FANS !!!
8). A busy tour schedule and a new single coming out on June 10th – other than that have you had the chance to write any new material at all?
YES WE'VE BEEN TOSSING IDEAS AROUND AND COLLECTING OUR IDEAS FOR OUR NEXT RECORD AND THE FOCUS IS HEAVY!!
9). You’re playing The Electric Ballroom after your Download Festival slot, have you got any other plans to be on UK shores in the coming year at all?
THATS ALL PENDING...BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO TOUR ALL OF ENGLAND ...THE LAST TIME WAS WITH AVENGED SEVEN FOLD AND STONE SOUR AND IT WAS A TRUE HONOR AND I REALLY THOUGHT THE BRITISH FANS GOT IT AND WERE IN TOUCH WITH HELLYEAH!!
10). Finally – what message would HELLYEAH like to share with the world as a parting statement?
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT OF HELLYEAH AND ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS BANDS!!! WE ARE SUPER PUMPED ABOUT DOWNLOAD AND THE LONDON SHOW AS WELL AS PLAYIN' FOR THE REST OF EUROPE!!! COME ON OUT AND HAVE A HELL OF A TIME!!! WE WILL KICK YOUR ASS I PROMISE!!
A massive thanks to Vinnie Paul for answering some questions for us, we'll be catching up with them again when they play London and will be checking out the live show for ourselves. In the meantime, make sure you check out HELLYEAH on Facebook HERE, and their Website HERE.
Questions: Dave Nicholls