Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

WARCRUX are a Thrash/Sleaze band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Even though the members of Warcrux are in their early 20’s, they are heavily influenced by the eighties thrash and sleaze scene of California. They combine both sub-genres in order to put their own original stamp on the metal world.

1. Hello Warcrux members, I’m Kostya. welcome to MSF!

Thank you, great to be here.

2. First of all I’d like you to update us on what’s happening in the Warcrux camp at the moment?

We’ve got a few things going on at the moment: we’re currently gigging the new EP, which is available online from iTunes, YouTube, Reverbnation, and other online outlets, plus we’re working towards releasing a new single (which may have an unexpected surprise on it) – and we are writing new material.

3. Tell our readers a little bit about the creation of Warcrux.

In August 2009, when founding members James Boyd and Neil Ward, through a mutual love of the metal genre, formed Warcrux.  There have been various line-up changed since then, with current drummer Gordy Gray joining the band in summer 2010, and bassist Richie Wilson being recruited at the end of 2011.

4. Please point out the most important moments and experiences you’ve had with the band so far, in good or bad?

Here is a short list of the biggest moments we have had as a band:

• playing The Limelight (a famous, historic venue and the heart of metal in the Belfast scene – everyone from Dragonforce to Soulfly and Black Stone Cherry has played there) for the first time – and then going on to headline it for our EP launch;

• supporting Sinocence – in our eyes, and those of many others, Northern Ireland’s most popular and highly respected metal band;

• releasing and recording our very first EP;

• winning a competition by the name of ‘EPic Belfast’, in which an LA label chose our song “Ties That Bind” to be featured on a five-track EP, in celebration of Belfast Music Week late last year:  the EP got released worldwide on March 20 and was also presented to every A&R department of every major record label in America.

• when we got offered a 12 month deal with Paradise City Belfast, an independent press, PR and promotions agency based in Belfast devoted to the NI metal scene, which is run by our good friend Mark Ashby.

5. Now let’s talk about your new EP. Can you present “Warcrux” to our readers in a few words? Give us reasons why to check your work out?

Emotional. Aggressive. Melodic. A genre in which thrash and sleaze metal have been combined, to create or own unique sound. That is Warcrux.

6. Why did you title the EP “Warcrux”?

Our EP is self-titled ‘Warcrux’:  we wanted to give our audience an example of Warcrux, and a small taste of what is yet to come.

7. Which are your sources of inspiration when it comes to the lyrics ? Which are the main topics you deal with?

Human emotion, real-life situations – the challenges and feelings which we as a species have to deal with and overcome in everyday life.  As a lyricist, I like to write my lyrics so that our listeners can understand and relate to them.

8. Do you have plans for live shows ? How easy it is for you to play your songs live? Do you have to be in a certain state of mind in order to create the right atmosphere and feeling on stage?

We are playing an average of three shows a month.  And, to be honest, we find it easy to play our songs live as we religiously have band practice often, so we stay as tight as possible as a live band.  When we are onstage, we are all on a high simply because we are doing what we love doing the most.  As a band, we are all friends and get along really well with each other:  the ‘Crux family’ we like to call it.  That helps to keep a positive atmosphere amongst us at all times.

9. What kind of feedback have you received so far? Can you mention a comment, be it positive or negative, serious or funny, that impressed you ?

Basically, without sounding too egotistic, the majority of the feedback we get is positive.  However, any negative feedback we do get, we will listen to it, respect it, and use it to develop and improve us as a band:   Mark, our PR manager, has been really helpful in that regard – he’s our greatest critic but also one our biggest allies, teaching us to take the rough with the smooth, and to respond to criticism in a positive manner.  At a gig we did recently, a highly well-known and respected member of the metal community in Belfast said to us “you’re ridiculously good for a band of your age” (collectively, we’re just 20) and told us that we are just as good as any other professional band in operation, and we could comfortably open for a worldwide established band:  the example he gave was Machine Head.   It was a huge compliment, but one we’re taking in the right way, as we’ve still got a long way to go…

10. What kind of feelings and thoughts do you think your music creates in your listeners?

We would like to think that our listeners can relate in some way, and feel the same emotions that we put into our music.

11. Thank you for the interview! Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?

Hope you all enjoyed the interview:  check out our music, we’d really appreciate it. This will not be the last time you will hear of Warcrux 🙂 \m/

Interview by Kostya Aronberg

For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/warcrux