Member of one of the first bands that gave the scene of the Heavy Metal of Hamburg (Germany) "Rampage", became known for being part of Helloween for 12.5 years, giving an important push to the gang of pumpkins with his companions Uli Kusch and Andi Deris in the worst of his moments after the departure of Kai Hansen. Expelled unfairly after great works like "Master of The Rings" and "The Dark Ride", since 2001 leader of the band Masterplan, group that count on authentic masterpieces like his homonymous debut "Masterplan" (2003) and Aeronautics (2005). Today Masterplan continue to give us incredible albums like "Novum Initium" (2013) and "Pumpkings" (2017). He has participated in a number of projects such as Serious Black and Level 10. He also has two solo albums The Four Seasons of Life (1997), Kaleidoscope (1999) and runs his own studios "Grapow Studios" in Slovakia where he has produced to important bands of our country and internationally.
Thank you very much Roland, for your time and kindness, it's an
incredible honour!
1) Roland, right now if I'm not wrong you're working in the studios with
an important band from my country, Avalanch. A few months ago you also worked
with other Spanish bands, Kilmara and Lords of Black. How has work been with
these bands?
R: I am
really happy and proud to get more known as a producer and mixing engineer, I
am working many years already with Kilmara and also with Tony Hernando who gave
me the chance to mix also albums like Saratoga and his own band Lords Of Black.
Recently I mixed Avalanch, which is amazing, because also 2 old friends of mine
are band members as well, Mike Terrana and Dirk Schlächter.
I was really happy to work with
Alberto and the guys on the new album!
2) How is it for you to be a producer? To combine your extensive
experience as a musician with that of producer should be something very positive...
R: It is not
always easy, the best result I get mostly when the band members are open for my
ideas and trust me in some decisions, but every musician is different, my job
is to get the best result as possible from each musician and each band, it
doesn’t matter which style of music it is, i like every metal direction, of
course my experience helps a lot.
3) The studios are located in Slovakia, tell us: How is the Metal scene
right now in this country?
R: The metal
scene is still pretty strong here in Slovakia and in Czech Republic
I worked
with many young bands here and also some more classic bands from the past. Also
Masters Of Rock and many other festivals are pretty big here.
4) It is very curious the beginning and later development of Heavy Metal
in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Although there are many examples,
in the former USSR-Current Russia have Aria, in Hungary: Ossian (both very
successful groups and two countries in turn, with a lot of quality and variety
in the Heavy scene).
Where would Kreyson have that honour perhaps?
R: Kreyson
is a very classic band from the 80ties, which is still filling big venues, the
same as Citron (same singer by the way Ladislav Křížek).
I worked with both of them. Citron could
fill easy 3-5000 people at the gigs. Also they played long time ago in Russia
and other countries.
5) In 2017 you joined you and an omnipresent Mike Terrana ...
R: Yes it
was a nice experience, I played with Kreyson many festivals and a small tour, we
recorded also one song together and my old friend Chris Tsangarides mixed it
before he died.
But I decided not to play in a
second band anymore, because I am too busy with my studio and Masterplan ;) But
it was nice to play with Mike Terrana again! Last January I left the Band
already.
6) Let's go to Masterplan: The last two works that you have released
have been Novum Initium (2013) and Pumpkings (2017) if we do not take into
account the live CD-DVD Keep Your Dream Alive (2015).
Since the release of the Novum Initium the band has once again a stable
line-up, with the only exception of the addition of Kevin Kott to the drums in
2016 after the departure of Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka. Both, Rick
Altzi and Jari Kainulainen (who are great musicians and well-known in the Metal
scene) we think they have adapted very well to Masterplan. What can you say
about it?
R: It is is
a nice feeling to have finally a stable line up again, I know our last studio
album is quite a long time ago, but we wanted to play many shows as possible,
right now we are booking some shows for 2019, some in Czech Republic some in
Slovakia, Teneriffa and Norway are also confirmed already.
I hope that we also will start
recording around April or May for the next Masterplan studio album. This year
we should release for sure a new album ;)
7) With "Pumpkings", released in 2017, you have done something
that you wanted to do for a long time and that I think it was about historical
justice to recover some themes that are so good and that Helloween have
completely forgotten...
R: Yes
Helloween forgot about my songs or don’t want to play them anymore, which has
some political reasons. For me it was just normal to re release it again with
our current line up and to play some of the songs also live again. Also I
wanted to close the chapter (Helloween) and to continue with my future work,
like Masterplan or maybe some solo work again in a different style maybe!?
8) And now, Germany: It's amazing what this country has given to Heavy
Metal. From its origins with Scorpions, Accept, Warlock-Doro Pesch through
Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, Running Wild, Blind Guardian ... But specifying:
If Thrash Metal owes so much to the Bay Area of San Francisco, Power Metal
owes it to the scene of your city of origin, Hamburg: Gamma Ray, Masterplan
Helloween, Iron Savior ...
How does it feel to be part of such a scene and of a country that has
given so much to the Heavy Metal community?
R: Hamburg
is a beautiful city and I was very happy to grew up there with my family, for
me the Scorpions (The were one of my main influence, I saw them many times live
and I really loved the guitar players very much also as a big influence,
Michael Schenker and Uli Roth are still my heroes, also Matthias Jabs is
amazing, but when I grew up in the 70ties the scene was not so big, only when I
joined Helloween at Christmas 88, I saw a big scene of bands you mentioned
before, I even didn’t know Helloween before they asked me to join the band ;) I
was more into melodic rock at that time ;) I Knew only Accept and Scorpions and
many other not so famous german bands ;)
9) Do you have contact with any band that I mentioned? And with former
partners like Uli Kusch or Jan- Sören Eckert?
R: I met Jan
last year at the Masters of Rock Festival in Czech Republik and we are always
the same when we meet, same with Jorn Lande, we have still lovely feelings and
are still friends, I met Jorn in Israel 2 years ago and we had a lot of fun
again, even played 2 songs together from Deep Purple. With Uli I don’t have
much contact, he writes me every 6 month a nice message that he is missing the
good times when we played together, but it seems he is not much into music
anymore, I tried to motivate him but I guess he is happy with his normal day job
now.
About Bands: I have a little
friendship with Wolf Hoffman, Rudolf Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, I know many guys
and many from seeing them time to time on festivals. (too many to mention).
This has been all, thank you again Roland for your kindness, your time, your
disposition and your example as a musician and as a person.
R:
Thanx a lot Rafael ;)
Happy New Year!
Cheers, Roland
Rafael Valentín
“The chance you got comes never twice,
Do your best, (and) do it right”
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