PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Crying Steel are the Italian winners of this year’s Wacken Metal Battle. They play at Wacken along with all the other Metal Battle winners from all over the world to compete for the Over All Metal Battle Champion!
Can you give the readers a quick introduction to the band?
To make a long story short the band started crying in 1982 and appears with “Thundergods” in the first Italian Heavy Metal Compilation : Heavy Metal Eruption in 1984; this song is strong as a rock ‘cause it has always been and it’s now the last song of any Steel show. January 1985 and the second effort sees the light : mini LP Crying Steel. In 1987 the first full length album : On the Prowl and in 1990 we got our first out-of-border mini tour in March,1990 in Russia. For a twist of fate we split up on 1992 and on 2007 we were back with “ The steel is back” . After 6 years we delivered “Time stands steel”.
The current line up is : Luca Ferri (Drums), Angelo Franchini (Bass), JJ (Guitar), Franco Nipoti (Guitar), Ramon Sonato (Voice)
How would you describe your sound?
It’s Fast as a Shark, It cracks like a Heavy Metal Thunder, it goes Straight through the Heart and it’s greatly inspired by Metal Gods
How would you describe the metal music scene in your country. What has changed over the last few years?
Well , Italy as all the other countries, I believe, is experiencing the improvement of the recording technology and the fact that internet changed everything. Now is much easier to do a low budget record and get a good quality sound and the other side of the coin is that the market is invaded from millions of songs ( luckily some dozens are even ours ). Now not so many people are used to pay for listening music and there is less money around and this is a problem for all music business worldwide; metal is a music business too, so it get hurts.
Italy is a lucky country for metal music scene as …… it has Crying Steel :)
Why did you enter the WOA Metal Battle Competition.
To win the chance to play @ WOA, what else ? Set jokes a part, we liked the fact of playing in South Italy where we have always had a good audience and to get in touch with new bands. Last but not least we adore to play live and every new live show it’s always a great experience.
What was your initial reaction when you found out that you have won & you were playing at Wacken.
I can tell you mine. After hearing the name of the band at second place I screamed out “…… Yeah fucking yeah !!!….” and ran in the middle of the dancefloor like Rooney does after a goal. Normally I’m the most quiet, when far away from my drums, Steeler and my reaction stood all the other Crying who realized what a chance we have just had.
What was the best and worst part of the competition for you?
For the best I’ve just told you and the worst was getting a relatively small audience. The location, the contest and the big effort done by Vivo Management deserved a huge audience. Last but not least every competition has a winner only and all the bands whom played with were really good ones.
Would you recommend the competition to other bands. Any hints/tips for bands that are looking to enter?
Sure as hell we would. Vivo Management is a really serious agency and the chance is worthy. Tips ? Just one “be yourself” do not try and wonder what should be more impressive to the jury, which songs could get out better or something like that. Play as fuck as you know, blow up the audience and have fun.
What can the audience expect from you at the festival.
The best Crying Steel 20′ stage show of ever ! We are still wondering whether this is real and we are proud to represent our great country @ WOA. We are waiting such a metal audience since 1987…..can you imagine how much energy we shall deliver on Headbanger’s stage ?
What has been the bands biggest achievement so far.
Uahoo ! It takes some hours can we have a cup of tea ? ::)) After 32 years of metal is hard to catch the milestones in one hand. Anyway let me open our backpack and I can find : the first Italian HM Cd with On the Prowl in 1987 and the year before we opened to Motorhead and Twisted Sister… …and in the very end getting a record label who propose you a blind-contract for a any new CD we a re going to deliver without listening to any preview, it’s a huge satisfaction and perhaps the main one. By the way thank you very much indeed to My Graveyard.
Have you ever been to Wacken before? If so when and what did you enjoy most about it.
Yes we, not together, attended different editions but none of us had an experience like this one is going to be. We did get the whole WOA experience as we lived the event as a normal live show, really big for sure, but always a festival. Playing, attending all the shows and camping in VIP area for all the lasting it’s a dream come true, believe me, and it comes to be a larger than life metal experience. If you like we’ll keep you posted.
What is your opinion of the Wacken line-up?
For classix metal lovers as we are getting the chance of seeing Avantasia, Saxon, Motorhead, Accept, Skid Row, Steel Panther …. and likes is the top. On the other hand these bands are a little percentage of the whole bill. But WOA is the temple of Metal, of any kind, so it’s a good bill, definitely
Can you sum up Wacken in one sentence!
As we sing in our TSS tune its … Heaven Of Rock !
Any message you wish to pass on to the PM readers.
Time is the most precious gift we have we do not know how much we have and we do not know when it will end, so thank you very much indeed for their time in reading of us and all metal stuff on your gre8 webzine.
Links :
https://www.facebook.com/CryingSteel
Skype-id : bethbraddock
Management : m.m.management12@gmail.com
