WILL 'O' WISP
The following interview was done with my Italian friend Paolo of Italian Rising Force Will 'o' Wisp. If you want to know more about this astonishing band read the following lines, if you 're not go and smoke a dry cabbage leaf, ha!!!
First thing, welcome to you Paolo, to the pages of Omegazine. Introduce yourself and the rest of your great band to our readers. Give us also a brief band bio?
Well the band was formed in 1992. I was not very satisfied about it. We played psycho-Dark music but I wanted to do it on a Heavy way. So after 1 year we decided to break up with the old singer and keyboard player and composed the songs of the demo. I am 25 years old, the 'oldie' of the band. Folmaco and Giancarlo are 23 years old, Guido and Loredana; 19 years.
Your lyrics deal mainly with death. But in a different way other bands do. For example in "Dead World", everything is already lost and in "Dance of the Gargoyle" its almost ever. Do you really we're near the end?
Unfortunately yes my friend. If you look around you, you only see wars, hate... We' re killing our planet and then nature will kill us.
Why the name Will "o" Wisp? I think you chose it. What inspired this name?
It was an idea of the old guitar player. We liked it because we thought that this name could inspire a gloomy-dark atmosphere.
What are you exactly talking about in "Cathedrals of Doom"?
Well this song speaks about the Temple order, there are lot of legends about temples. I speak about Gothic cathedrals and the mathematical proportions that are enclosed in their whole structure. There are also lot of symbols and magic. Someone believe that temples had great knowledge about lost civilities like Atlantis and so I was inspired by this.
The style portrayed in "Nocturnal Whispers" is a mixture of diverse styles. Where do you find your influences. I spotted some Randy Rhoads influences in some spaces. Am I right? and now that we have mentioned him, what do you think about the legendary Randy Rhoads ?
My main influences is Voivod. This will be more clear in our new stuff. For the solos I like Malmsteen but I like Randy too. I think he was a great musician. His solos were full of melody and technical skill. He rules!!
"Nocturnal Whispers" is produced and mixed by none-less than Tommaso Talamanca, the great guitarist- keyboarder of Italian band Sadist. Now we see him as a producer, what can you tell us about Tommy the producer and did you know each other before?
Its a good one isn't it. He is a great guitar player I think that if this man was born in USA now he would have been a true guitar hero. Unfortunately he comes from Italy and so its not easy to become famous. Anyway he is great and I hope they'll become the most important European band.
Can you tell us how does Will "o" Wisp concert look like? I think you're good enough to transmit the feel of the demo, from the stage to the audience, and how is the audience in Italy? Name the gigs where you enjoyed yourselves most?
Well we' ve played very few concerts. Its not easy to find places where to play. No one gives you money- someone in my band has a real work, I am studying so often we cant 't loose a lot of time in travelling round Italy. You can do this if you decide to try to live with music, but for us music is only a love not a job. We' re great feeling!
If you were offered the chance to played outside of Italy. Where would you like to play? and which bands you like to play with?
I would like to play everywhere! May favourite bands are Death, Cynic, Slayer, Voivod, Sadist,......... I like extreme bands too. I listen to Cannibal Corpse and Magus. Well I like a French, one man band called Akhenaton and the new cd will be out soon!
Has any record company approached you for a serious deal? If not, are you interested in some particular label?
We're in touch with on Italian label, but we do not know anything of sure, certainly we would like to do a CD or mini CD. We've very low and modest claims, so contact us!
What do you think about those bands who treat the underground scene like shit, those people who have forgot where they came from?
I think that these are fucking. No band will exist without underground scene.
It is clear in my mind, that you are working on new material. What can you tell us about this material? Will it be much more different from "Nocturnal Whispers" demo? And if yes, how?
We've 5 new songs and intros. Yes the new work will be newly different. We've done something that I think no one did before. We combined psychedelic dark, progressive epic and death music and techno. There tons of riffs in the new songs and not short. We have a six minute song now.
What inspires you most to pen your music and lyrics? Is there a particular mood that makes you write or it is something you do, let 's say instinctively?
Its instinct! I let flow my emotions. well when I find the right feelings then I study how to combine my colours, the arrangements and so on. 60% instinct 40% theory.
Earlier in 1993, you had Daniele {vox} and Davide {keys} at your service. Now you have Andrea {vox} and Loredana {keys}. Did Andrea and Loredana play in any other band before? and what happened to Daniele and Davide, do you still see each other?
Loredana has never played in another band before. She studies piano. We're friends with Davide and Daniele but they did not want to dedicate all their time in the band.
Its almost over. Can you tell us something funny to make our readers move their facial muscles and smile? Maybe a joke or a funny episode in your musical and everyday life?
Well, we were playing and suddenly there was a block-out, no one was able to continue in playing! We looked in our faces and began to smile!!
What do you think about the following :
I World War III II Italian Cuisine III Fantozzi
Shit I like to eat, I'm enough fat Great, I saw all the movies.
Your final message to us and the readers?
Write us. Your questions were intelligent and interesting. I hope that everyone who will read this interview will contact us. We're Italian but we make real music!!