Interview Chain Reaction

METAL CHOC





Can you remain to us the story of Chain Reaction ?

It's rather typical - the band was formed in the end of 2002 by four friends who wanted to play some music. After playing together for three years our style as a band matured and we gained a new vocalist, Barton. With him on board we recorded the "id" promo in 2006 which proved to be a groundbreaking achievement. Although we remained unsigned, "id" received great feedback in reviews and the tracks were played in radio and tv. A year later we recorded "Vicious Circle" and after long negotiations with labels we decided to sign a contract with Kolony Records. The album will be out in March '09 in most European countries.



Can you tell us more about your album called « Vicious Circle » ?

After recording "id" we actually never stopped working on new songs and booked a studio to record "Vicious Circle" while we were still waiting for the mastered version of "id". This time we wanted to record an LP ("id " contained only 6 songs) and immediately got to writing. The music was ready 3 months before recording but the texts and vocals were being changed and adjusted even during recording. From that period I remember best choosing the cover... It is a compromise reached after 6 months of fighting, shouting and almost-band-breaking quarreling and what one can say about it is that it's, hmm... original? Lets just stop right here:)



Can you speak to us about the recording sessions ?

They were actually super-fast. We recorded the drums in less than 3 days, guitars and bass took abut a week and the vocals were laid down in 4 days. It was a very intense session, but you may not notice it while watching our video "recording diary"(please visit chainreactionpl channel at youtube.com) because of our producer, Tomasz "Zed" Zalewski who, though he forces a high speed tempo during recording, creates an aura of absolute peace around himself and has the ability to make the session go silky smooth.



How did you proceed for the composition ?

As a band we have a rule that we write the music together during rehersals, it worked great for "id" so there wasn't any need for changing that. So when we were not playing gigs we would jam for hours until we came up with something really good. Another rule we took up during writing the music was that no riff is "not in our style". If it was good, we would include it in some song. This is our recipe for a diverse album.



What are the lyrics talking about ? Where do you find inspiration ?

The lyrics depict problems of an individual, trapped in urban system, not fitting to the society, sometimes unable to confront the reality. Two of us are working on the lyrics, Barton writes in Polish, his inspiration is usually vodka or beer [or anything containing alcohol;)]. I'm translating his texts, finding inspiration usually in a glass (or five) of Martini



Who created the artwork ?

The cover was created by my brother who is a photographer. The rest of the artwork was done by our guitarist, Dani.



What’s your favourite track on « Vicious Circle » and why ?

I love something about each of the songs but if I have to chose one it would probably be "Inner Struggle" because the last verse is sang [or roared;)] by me.



Did you film a promotional video ?

Yes, we shot a video for "Stark Reality", you can watch it on our YouTube channel, chainreactionpl and on our website www.chainreaction.pl



What are your favourite bands and all times albums ?

There is too much of it, but my 'best of the best' list would be Metallica (The black album), Evergrey (Inner Circle) an End of Green (Last Night on Earth)


What are your touring plans ?

This year we are planning to play more foreign gigs, we are already booking some dates in Sweden, but we will probably visit France, Holland and Italy.



Do you have funny or strange stories about the band you can share with us ?

There's too many. We're having fun all the time:)
A couple of months ago we organised a gig called Chainfest and invited Evergrey to be the headliner. They arrived in Poland a day before the show so, having a free evening on our hands, we organised a football match between "team Chain Reaction" and "team Evergrey" and then went to have a drink. The match was great, and though "team Chain Reaction" lost 2 to 6, we have a video that lasts only to the moment when we were winning 2 to 0 because the battery in the videocamera went dead;)
It was great to spend some time with our idols though:)



What are your projects for the future ?

Right now we are booking as many gigs as possible and of course writing the songs for the new album.



And as a conclusion, can you say some words for my radio show called Metal Choc ?

Hello metal fans! Thank you for listening to the interview, if you haven't heard our music don't hesitate to visit our website or myspace profile and let Chain Reaction rock your fuckin' socks off!