Steel Notes Magazine
January 2017
Yes . The last one we did everything in a studio altogether . We used a couple of different studios we did the drums in Belgium and then everybody did their stuff in their home studios . Like I have my own set-up here so I did guitar and bass with Petros and Henning he went with the producer studio in Germany and they did the vocals thereI like the album . It sounds really good . It ’ s got your DNA all over it . I can hear your playing from miles away . It ’ s a Firewind album . I associate you with Firewood . Whenever you ’ re doing a solo record , Firewind is you Yes , Yes ! Thanks , man , thanks !!
No problem . Do you have plans of touring Europe ?
Yes , it starts in February in the UK and Europe and then I do a little bit of a solo thing in Asia . I have three shows in Japan and Korea and then we would get back with the guy ’ s and we would do a bunch of festivals in the summer
OK . Any plans on bringing Firewind to the states ?
I don ’ t know . I think a lot depends on how the album is doing over there . We have not discussed any packages or anything like that or touring plans for the states . We ’ ll see ! We ’ re not negative about it , we ’ d like to come back . Hopefully , if we have the right feedback from fans and the right support and it ’ s the right package , yes we would definitely like to come back
That would be fantastic to see you guy ’ s back here . You ’ re with Jackson Guitar now , that is kind of surprising Yes ! I went with them I think it was in May or June
I know the other company you do not really discuss much of it . But the other company I think you were with for 12 years
I was with them for 12 years . Sometimes you ’ ve just got to change it up . I ’ ve been playing Japanese guitars for a long time and then I fancy playing American guitars and then trying it out . Jackson was very enthusiastic and they have a good theme . Not only enthusiastic about the marketing scheme and all that , their team on how they build guitars have good ideas and are not afraid to try them out so to speak and I like that attitude .
So do you feel more at home now with Jackson versus your predecessor ?
You know I ’ ve had a really good run with ESP I can ’ t complain . They gave me my first signature guitars and stuff and we did well . Now with Jackson , it feels like the right team to be a part of . Those guy ’ s are fans of what I do . They ’ ve actually been bugging me for a few years now . It ’ s like hey man if you ever feel like trying something else out , we ’ re here . I met up with them and I went to their factory . You know they are owned by Fender so I went to the Fender factory which is pretty amazing . The whole vibe there was very cool and everybody was really on it . You know the guy who builds my guitar is Mike Shannon who built Randy Rhoads Jackson guitars and it ’ s very cool .
It ’ s quite an honor isn ’ t it ? Absolutely ! Yes Jackson is part of Fender . They make a good product there . Are you still touring around with your 200-watt cabs ?
Yes ! That is my set-up live . That is what I had in Orlando It was freaking loud !
Yes ! It ’ s a 200-watt head . The cabs that I use , those Blackstar cabs they are bigger than the normal Marshall cabs . They are kind of I don ’ t know , they ’ re are designed to be played loud I guess . It ’ s cool
62
Steel Notes Magazine www . steelnotesmagazine . com