Neuronspoiler - the interview...
So seeing as we checked out the album, Emergence, from Neuronspoiler, we thought it only right to follow things up with an interview so we could have a chat with the lads about life in general, and how things are looking from their point of view right now - check out what they had to say!
1). So thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us guys, first off, introduce yourselves.
Hey, this is Tim Barclay, the drummer from Neuronspoiler. Thanks a lot for asking us!
2). When did you all get together?
David del Cid (guitar) and Erick Tekilla (bass) met a few years ago and played together in a couple of bands. Then in 2009 they decided to start a new band playing music influenced by classic heavy metal and started looking for other members in London.
3). How did you all meet?
If I remember right, David and Erick met at an Exodus gig in London in 2003. Weirdly I was actually at the same gig, but I didn’t meet them until 2009 when they were advertising for members to join Neuronspoiler. We found JR (vocals) through another ad in mid-2010. At that time we had Stanley Long on guitar. He left in 2012 and Dave Shirman, who I had played with in a band a few years earlier, joined later that year.
4). How would you describe your music?
We’re all big fans of heavy metal from the 70s and 80s, so our music has a lot of that kind of sound. But we don’t want to limit ourselves by trying to just sound like Maiden or anything like that. So I think we sound like classic metal but with a sort of up to date feel.
5). Who are your major influences?
Dio, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Sabbath are all big ones for us. Between the five of us, there’s a good mix of stuff from the heavier to the lighter.
6). We checked out the album a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it, what’s the general reception been like to it?
The reaction from press has been incredible. It really has been much better than we ever imagined while we were making it. What’s been really gratifying is the number of reviewers that have really picked up on exactly what we were aiming to do with the songs. It’s mindblowing that people have written that Emergence has reminded them what got them into rock and metal in the first place and why they love is so much.
The reaction from our fans has been amazing as well. And that’s especially important because we funded the album through a crowdfunding campaign on Pledgemusic, so it means a lot to us that they like the finished album that they helped us make. We wanted to try and make an album that would make them proud that they were involved.
7). Do you think the time is right for hard rock orientated metal to make a come back?
I think so. There has been a movement back towards things like guitar solos and more classic riffs in the last few years and there’s a small army of bands reinventing traditional metal. A few of those bands are breaking out and I definitely think there’s enough passion and enough new, exciting ideas flying around that this movement of traditional metal-inspired bands can make a real impact.
8). What is the future for Neuronspoiler music wise? Same style or do you think you’re evolving as you progress?
We’re already playing around with a few ideas that will probably be on the next album and they sound very much like Neuronspoiler! We’re not planning to change, but we also hate to restrict ourselves, so it’s difficult to say exactly what our future music will sound like. But it’s very important to us not to ever disappoint our fans, so it will always sound like Neuronspoiler.
9). What tour plans are there at the moment so we can get out to see you?
We’re playing at the Hard Rock Hell Road Trip in Ibiza in mid-May, and then after that we’ve got a handful of dates around the south of England. We’re working on putting together a tour of the UK later in the year, and hopefully some more trips to Europe.
10). Finally – say something profound that will make everyone think:
I’ve got a tattoo of the lyrics from No Remorse by Metallica on my arm that remind me that whatever goes wrong, you can always just breathe and keep going: “Another day, another death, another sorrow, another breath”.
Big thanks to the guys for taking some time out to answer some questions for us, check out the links below!
New Single, Through Hell We March, available HERE
Merch Store HERE
Facebook HERE
The lyric video to Through Hell We March below.
And our review of the album below!
1). So thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us guys, first off, introduce yourselves.
Hey, this is Tim Barclay, the drummer from Neuronspoiler. Thanks a lot for asking us!
2). When did you all get together?
David del Cid (guitar) and Erick Tekilla (bass) met a few years ago and played together in a couple of bands. Then in 2009 they decided to start a new band playing music influenced by classic heavy metal and started looking for other members in London.
3). How did you all meet?
If I remember right, David and Erick met at an Exodus gig in London in 2003. Weirdly I was actually at the same gig, but I didn’t meet them until 2009 when they were advertising for members to join Neuronspoiler. We found JR (vocals) through another ad in mid-2010. At that time we had Stanley Long on guitar. He left in 2012 and Dave Shirman, who I had played with in a band a few years earlier, joined later that year.
4). How would you describe your music?
We’re all big fans of heavy metal from the 70s and 80s, so our music has a lot of that kind of sound. But we don’t want to limit ourselves by trying to just sound like Maiden or anything like that. So I think we sound like classic metal but with a sort of up to date feel.
5). Who are your major influences?
Dio, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Sabbath are all big ones for us. Between the five of us, there’s a good mix of stuff from the heavier to the lighter.
6). We checked out the album a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it, what’s the general reception been like to it?
The reaction from press has been incredible. It really has been much better than we ever imagined while we were making it. What’s been really gratifying is the number of reviewers that have really picked up on exactly what we were aiming to do with the songs. It’s mindblowing that people have written that Emergence has reminded them what got them into rock and metal in the first place and why they love is so much.
The reaction from our fans has been amazing as well. And that’s especially important because we funded the album through a crowdfunding campaign on Pledgemusic, so it means a lot to us that they like the finished album that they helped us make. We wanted to try and make an album that would make them proud that they were involved.
7). Do you think the time is right for hard rock orientated metal to make a come back?
I think so. There has been a movement back towards things like guitar solos and more classic riffs in the last few years and there’s a small army of bands reinventing traditional metal. A few of those bands are breaking out and I definitely think there’s enough passion and enough new, exciting ideas flying around that this movement of traditional metal-inspired bands can make a real impact.
8). What is the future for Neuronspoiler music wise? Same style or do you think you’re evolving as you progress?
We’re already playing around with a few ideas that will probably be on the next album and they sound very much like Neuronspoiler! We’re not planning to change, but we also hate to restrict ourselves, so it’s difficult to say exactly what our future music will sound like. But it’s very important to us not to ever disappoint our fans, so it will always sound like Neuronspoiler.
9). What tour plans are there at the moment so we can get out to see you?
We’re playing at the Hard Rock Hell Road Trip in Ibiza in mid-May, and then after that we’ve got a handful of dates around the south of England. We’re working on putting together a tour of the UK later in the year, and hopefully some more trips to Europe.
10). Finally – say something profound that will make everyone think:
I’ve got a tattoo of the lyrics from No Remorse by Metallica on my arm that remind me that whatever goes wrong, you can always just breathe and keep going: “Another day, another death, another sorrow, another breath”.
Big thanks to the guys for taking some time out to answer some questions for us, check out the links below!
New Single, Through Hell We March, available HERE
Merch Store HERE
Facebook HERE
The lyric video to Through Hell We March below.
And our review of the album below!
Neuronspoiler
When a band comes onto our radar with the statement that the ‘classic metal resurgence is in safe hands’, we tend to sit up and take notice, it’s quite a statement to make after all. That’s exactly what we got though with the new album, Emergence, courtesy of UK based Neuronspoiler. Having already been hotly tipped by critics as a band to look out for, gained recognition for their album such as ‘riff laden, hard & heavy music, with decent melodies, great performances and lots of attitude’, and having had Guillermo ‘Will’ Maya (The Answer, Breed 77, Panic Cell, Adrian Smith) produce their record – I’m thinking we should probably be checking things out for ourselves, so I settle back and hit play to see what was going on!
Kicking into being with the intro of Digital Resistance, the album is brought into being with soaring lead guitar lines, deep bass undertones and an overwhelming sense of power about to be unleashed. This power is fully revealed as Through Hell We March (check out the video below) comes into take the lead, all of a sudden revealing the classic metal undertones and backing up the initial statements about it being in safe hands. Imagine Iron Maiden crossed with some Judas Priest but with an updated and fresh feel, and you’re getting somewhere close to what’s on offer here! Powerful guitars work with pounding drum lines, deep rumbling bass rhythms and soaring vocal lines to form a sound that’s unmistakeably classic, yet fresh and new sounding at the same time. Fast paced, in your face and full of hooks which will grab your attention from the word go, this opening track sets the tone for the album, and a damned good tone it is too!
Take The Stage continues this approach further, once again launching us into a guitar based melee designed to get crowds moving, people chanting, and everyone loving what they’re hearing. There’s a more raw quality about this track, something in the way it’s been mixed which sets it apart from the previous track and gives us an insight into the live sound of the band. Once again throwing in hooks to ensure you’re well and truly on board with the band, this track has live classic written all over it, the sort of thing which, on a festival stage, is going to go down a storm and be embraced by all who hear it. Irreverent is much the same, once again using the guitars for the main force of the track but adding in a galloping sense of movement through the rolling drumline that the band unleash. Once again using intricate work from start to finish to elevate the track to a new place, this is one which fans of proper ‘old school’ metal are going to love, it’s one of those tracks that’s impossible to resist. Definitely one of my personal favourites from the album, this is a moment to make sure you check out.
Continuing to push the boundaries of classic metal with an updated feel through Invincible Man, intermission style track Act Of Defiance, Exempt From Privilege and Dying Worlds, the album continues to offer up moment after moment of sheer power, all captured in musical form. The latter track in particular is a moment which is going to simply sit you back and make you listen, toning down the guitar work to open things before gradually building up over the course of the track, standing out as a potential single release for sure.
Returning to the in your face and up beat approach for (Just A Fool) On Your Way Up, once again we’re reminded why this album hit home as quickly as it did, it’s quality music! Using the guitars to fully accentuate the power on offer, this track takes on an almost southern rock style in some ways, but in others still manages to harness that ‘old school’ approach that got so many of us into metal in the first place. Catchy, powerful and another track which seems to have been perfectly crafted for the live scene, this is another serious high point on the record, and another track to make a point of checking out when you get a chance.
Closing the record with Never Back Down we’re left on one final hurrah, closing the record with a track straight out of the NWOBHM handbook. It’s always cool when bands leave a quality track to the end of the record as it leaves you ready for the follow up, but what I particularly like here is that the final moments fit in with the overall outlook of the record as a whole – closing as it should, sounding damned good.
Classic metal is one of those genres that over time, has become warped and nothing like it once was, yet listening to the record from Neuronspoiler here, I’m transported back to the times when I first heard metal as music, when I first discovered those bands that are now considered the heroes of the genre, and the bands we all want to see on the live scene. Neuronspoiler have managed to capture the essence of that time and that style on a record which is going to make you sit up and take note, make you get out to a show, and make you relive all of those moments that still stand out in your memories.
Highly recommended for sure.
To find out more about Neuronspoiler, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out the video to Through Hell We March below!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Kicking into being with the intro of Digital Resistance, the album is brought into being with soaring lead guitar lines, deep bass undertones and an overwhelming sense of power about to be unleashed. This power is fully revealed as Through Hell We March (check out the video below) comes into take the lead, all of a sudden revealing the classic metal undertones and backing up the initial statements about it being in safe hands. Imagine Iron Maiden crossed with some Judas Priest but with an updated and fresh feel, and you’re getting somewhere close to what’s on offer here! Powerful guitars work with pounding drum lines, deep rumbling bass rhythms and soaring vocal lines to form a sound that’s unmistakeably classic, yet fresh and new sounding at the same time. Fast paced, in your face and full of hooks which will grab your attention from the word go, this opening track sets the tone for the album, and a damned good tone it is too!
Take The Stage continues this approach further, once again launching us into a guitar based melee designed to get crowds moving, people chanting, and everyone loving what they’re hearing. There’s a more raw quality about this track, something in the way it’s been mixed which sets it apart from the previous track and gives us an insight into the live sound of the band. Once again throwing in hooks to ensure you’re well and truly on board with the band, this track has live classic written all over it, the sort of thing which, on a festival stage, is going to go down a storm and be embraced by all who hear it. Irreverent is much the same, once again using the guitars for the main force of the track but adding in a galloping sense of movement through the rolling drumline that the band unleash. Once again using intricate work from start to finish to elevate the track to a new place, this is one which fans of proper ‘old school’ metal are going to love, it’s one of those tracks that’s impossible to resist. Definitely one of my personal favourites from the album, this is a moment to make sure you check out.
Continuing to push the boundaries of classic metal with an updated feel through Invincible Man, intermission style track Act Of Defiance, Exempt From Privilege and Dying Worlds, the album continues to offer up moment after moment of sheer power, all captured in musical form. The latter track in particular is a moment which is going to simply sit you back and make you listen, toning down the guitar work to open things before gradually building up over the course of the track, standing out as a potential single release for sure.
Returning to the in your face and up beat approach for (Just A Fool) On Your Way Up, once again we’re reminded why this album hit home as quickly as it did, it’s quality music! Using the guitars to fully accentuate the power on offer, this track takes on an almost southern rock style in some ways, but in others still manages to harness that ‘old school’ approach that got so many of us into metal in the first place. Catchy, powerful and another track which seems to have been perfectly crafted for the live scene, this is another serious high point on the record, and another track to make a point of checking out when you get a chance.
Closing the record with Never Back Down we’re left on one final hurrah, closing the record with a track straight out of the NWOBHM handbook. It’s always cool when bands leave a quality track to the end of the record as it leaves you ready for the follow up, but what I particularly like here is that the final moments fit in with the overall outlook of the record as a whole – closing as it should, sounding damned good.
Classic metal is one of those genres that over time, has become warped and nothing like it once was, yet listening to the record from Neuronspoiler here, I’m transported back to the times when I first heard metal as music, when I first discovered those bands that are now considered the heroes of the genre, and the bands we all want to see on the live scene. Neuronspoiler have managed to capture the essence of that time and that style on a record which is going to make you sit up and take note, make you get out to a show, and make you relive all of those moments that still stand out in your memories.
Highly recommended for sure.
To find out more about Neuronspoiler, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out the video to Through Hell We March below!
Words: Dave Nicholls