VENDETTA Guitarist Edward Box Speaks about his new band!
Date: Saturday, October 13 @ 12:02:50 EDT
Topic: Interviews
Edward Box:
Burning the Axe with a new Vendetta
by Tommy “Hashman” Hash
An established guitarist in his own right, guitarist Edward Box is one six-string slinger that on his last solo effort, Moonfudge, blended the stylistic approach of both Satriani and Lynch; but now he has formed a traditional metal outfit known as Vendetta, where not only does he depart from the musical approach of his solo material in favor of a much more heavier sound, he also shares the lead guitar duties with axeman Pete Thompson that hearkens the dueling lead attack that Tipton/Dowling & Murray/Smith created, where the debut, Tyranny of Minority is a collaborative/band effort.
The record is a no bullshit approach to metal; straightforward & balls-to-the-wall, with no overzealous production, letting the riffage and songs speak for themselves. This has been a long time coming for the guitarist, who after a couple solo albums and several years with XLR8R, has decided to make Vendetta a reality. “(Putting Vendetta together) was fairly easy,” begins Box about how this was put together, “because I’ve known Gary and Pete a long time and I knew they would make perfect band mates. Mick Robson who played on the album decided to step aside once the recording was done so now we have Lee Lamb on drums. I asked Pete and Gary if they fancied playing on some material I had written but it soon became apparent that we all wanted it to be a proper band and not just some project. We started practicing all the songs about six months prior to recording and just took our time getting things right.”
“(I should also state that drummer) Chris Higgins is no longer a member of the band,” explains Box about some recent lineup changes, “Chris replaced Mick and was in the band for around 6 months but it didn’t work out and now we have Lee Lamb as our drummer, who is superb. Pete is one of the best guitarists I have ever met and his rhythm playing is so tight that we lock in together really well. Gary and I have played in two other bands so it seemed logical to ask him. Mick had played on both my solo albums so again it was fairly easy to ask him.”
It was a life long dream for Box to put a band like this together as he enthusiastically says, “This is my dream band but I would gladly replace myself as the singer with Ronnie James Dio or Rob Halford! I’ve always loved metal and the style of Vendetta really reflects my roots and influences.” He spent eight years in a similar band known as XLR8R, which released an album titled Inner Oceans back in 1995, for which he explains was “heavy music which was similar at times to Vendetta but perhaps more varied and progressive.”
Having been going solo for two records the transition wasn’t hard at all for him to share the lead duties with another guitarist saying, “We worked everything out to the last detail and I made sure that we both got plenty of space. I really wanted the classic sound of a dual guitar band with two soloists. Pete and I know each others playing really well and we love 80’s guitar!”
The lyrics on Tyranny of Minority deal with down-to-earth issues, which is a perfect match for the tunes when you consider the musical atmosphere. “(The Lyrics deal with) all sorts of things, but generally the state of my country, the state of the world and personal issues,” elaborates Box, “The fact that I live in a city is also a big influence on how I perceive things but I don’t like to get preachy. Lyrics are a good way to express yourself but at the end of the day they are there to glue a melody to and it is this that the listener will remember. However, I do think it’s more interesting when you have something to say rather than going on about demons or how your girlfriend has just blown you out!”
There aren’t really any big tour plans at this point for Vendetta, as personal issues have to take precedent over hitting the road at this time, “We would love to, but work/financial commitments mean that we are limited to what we can do. We do play live though and we are always on the look out for good opportunities. Some summer festivals would be great or some a few dates abroad.”
Box also says that Vendetta will remain his main musical focus at this time, forgoing any solo projects indefinitely stating, “I’m fully focused on Vendetta so I don’t really see myself doing solo instrumental albums anymore but you never know.”
There are other plans in the works for the band at this point, the new album on the horizon in a couple of years, so it looks like Vendetta will be around to spread the gospel of metal for years to come. “We will hope fully record another album in 2009,” concludes Box, “we also hope to get our music across to as many people as we can. There is talk of doing a video and other things but we will have to wait and see. The main thing is that the album is out and we are off and running and we fully intend to be around for a long time!”
Copyright: 2007 Tommy Hash for Ytsejam.com
CLICK HERE to read a review of Tyranny of Minority
CLICK HERE to read a review of Edward Box’s Moonfudge
Please Also Visit:
The Official Vendetta Website
Vendetta at MySpace
The Official Edward Box Website
Lion Music
Lion Music at MySpace
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