September 2015

EUROPE - Interview with John Norum

eclipsed: A few months ago an album called "War Of Kings" was released, which was met with excellent to euphoric reviews and enthusiastic fans. Isn't that every musician's dream?

John Norum: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I don't typically have to explain why and why "War Of Kings" is our best album. The press and our fans are already doing that for us. With so much praise, sometimes you have to pinch yourself.

eclipsed: Is it really your best album, as not only eclipsed magazine wrote? How do you watch War Of Kings a few months apart?

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LUCIFER'S FRIEND - The Heavy Rock Experiment

They were never mega stars. But Lucifer's Friend have been recognized in insider circles since their foundation in 1970 as national co-founders of progressive hard rock. Especially their first five albums, released between 1970 and 1976, were appreciated by the heavy faction for their variety. After the fifth record, "Mind Exploding", charismatic singer John Lawton then moved to Uriah Heep to free up space for frontman Mike Starrs. In 1981, however, Lawton returned to his "devilish friends" for one last work, "Mean Machine". Then it was over.

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U2 - The ultimate live band

THE WAR TOUR (1.12.1981 - 30.11.1983)

Saturday, 20 August 1983: WDR broadcasts the "Rockpalast" open air from the Loreley - with a singer in a black T-shirt, black jeans and a storm hairstyle, as if Elvis had been caught in the engine of a jumbo. A guy with insane charisma who sings hymnal songs about bloody workers' uprisings, gets a girl from the audience to dance on stage and marches through the rows of spectators with a white flag. In addition there is a guitarist who fires one staccatoriff after the other and an incredibly tight rhythm section.

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QUEENSRŸCHE - Again in the feel-good zone

Drummer Scott Rockenfield answered our questions at the end of July before the performance at the Turock in Essen, while guitarist Michael Wilton a few weeks later swaggered at the Dortmund headquarters of his record company Century Media about his regained musical freedom. Wilton was very focused and always steered the conversation towards the new album, but when asked about Geoff Tate he seemed a bit dogged, whereas Rockenfield wished his ex-bandleader all the best.

eclipsed: What do you like most at the moment as a member of Queensrÿche?

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GEOFF TATE'S OPERATION: MINDCRIME - The Concept Artist

Geoff Tate almost seems tame during the conversation. He avoids controversies, he does not follow his ex-colleagues with vehemence any more. All his energy seems to be flowing into his new album and band project. This is conceptually even more ambitious than what he tackled with Queensrÿche. That's bitterly necessary, because his last album "Frequency Unknown", which was released almost simultaneously with the work of his ex-colleagues "Queensrÿche" in 2013 under the band name Queensrÿche, failed most critics and fans, while Wilton, Rockenfield and Co. were praised with hymns of praise.

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IRON MAIDEN - Full thrust

Master Bruce receives eclipsed as befits a rock millionaire: in a spacious hotel suite at Potsdamer Platz. The 56 year old is anything but a typical representative of the hard'n'heavy genre: he wears his hair short, a polo shirt and jeans, is well-trained, humorous, has several university diplomas, talks like a waterfall and doesn't limit himself to promoting his current musical product.

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SPOCK'S BEARD - End of the conversion work

Spock's Beard are a band in flux. Without a doubt, singer/guitarist Ted Leonard, known as a member of Enchant, has also played a big part in the new Beardsound. Since joining the band in 2011, he has integrated himself perfectly. In an interview with eclipsed, the family father, who sang in several church choirs as a child and, like Neal Morse, is deeply religious, talks about his role within the group, the creation of the new album and possible anniversary activities.

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RIVERSIDE - Back from the Midlife Crisis

Loreley, "Night Of The Prog" 2015. As the first magazine worldwide we get the new album "Love, Fear And The Time Machine" played by Riverside singer/bass player Mariusz Duda himself in the band manager's car. Duda, who celebrates his 40th birthday on 25 September, initially seems surprisingly nervous and agitated when he reports on the genesis of the sixth studio work. Above all, one statement makes you sit up and take notice: "I don't know whether this is the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning".

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SEVEN STEPS TO THE GREEN DOOR - Fetishists on their own account

In its original meaning, a fetish is an object to which magical powers are ascribed. Today, however, this refers to certain preferences, especially of a sexual nature. Marek Arnold, keyboarder and saxophonist of Seven Steps To The Green Door, also sees the album title "Fetish" as a suitable generic term for a gripping collection of songs about addiction, consumption and questionable media coverage.

eclipsed: "Fetish" deals primarily with media consumption and all its positive and negative effects. What made you decide to make this concept work?

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ROBERT CRAY - The Persuader

With "Showdown!", a test of strength between Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland, the American suddenly arrived in the blues rock mainstream in 1985. The Grammy for the work was a year later. 1986 also marked the second great hour of the 62-year-old's career. There he released "Strong Persuader", his most successful album so far.

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