HYAENA Interview

Genre: Heavy Metal

Country: Italy

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: HYAENA

Site: https://www.facebook.com/Hyaena-forever-156325511060584/

1.Hello. How are you? How are things in the HYAENA camp at the moment?

We're living a wonderful period in HYAENA Camp! In those months we managed to find a great sound and an incredible atmosphere in the band. On the stage we deliver the first work of HYAENA “Metamorphosis” (1987), played with an actual lineup. Now we are going to prepare new songs and it will be a surprise for everyone.

2. The band started in 1985. What motivated you to form the band back then? What did you want to achieve?

The first idea for HYAENA's reunion came from Claudio Pino, our old friend and fan, who asked us to play for his birthday party in November 2015.Unfortunately we had to change line-up, including Giacomo Jac Salani on voice and Mirko Serra on bass guitar. We couldn't believe the captivating enthusiasm of the public, so we decided to restart with more ardor than thirty years ago.

3. Who were the members back then? When you had recorded your first demo, how easy or difficult was it for you to find them?

The first line-up, in addition to the two founding members Gabriele and Ross, was composed of Mario Candido on voice and Marco Frau on bass guitar. It was curious that after the first announcement issued, the two components are found together and immediately. They were already friends and they had already played together. It's rare considering the level of musicians.

4. How did you choose the name HYAENA for the band? Does it have a specific meaning for you?

Gabriele suggested the name. We needed something original and also powerful and aggressive. It had to give a strong impression. 

5. How would you describe your style in the demo “Metamorphosis”? Which were your influences back then?

Definitely a good mix of styles, ranging from classical to heavy power metal with slight nuances of progressive, going from speed and techno thrash, all mixed up with certain amount of personality we have always tried to put into the project. We had variety of backgrounds, so we had lots of influences: from '70ies to post punk and the first metal/trash/power wave, then SAVATAGE albums, SWORD, METALLICA, ANTHRAX, ACCEPT, RJ DIO, DOKKEN and QUEENSRYCHE. Surely indelible years and with great sources of inspiration!!!

6. I read that after the demo the band changed the line-up and the style. How and why did this happen?

This change was caused by the exhaustion of musical inspiration that struck us in those years, of the cohesion and the intentions of the band. There was a different research for new forms of expression and composition between the members. This is the cause that led us to the change and after to the break.

7. Which were the reasons that led you to re-release the demo “Metamorphosis”? Have you remastered it or have you kept the original sound?

At the beginning we re-released the demo “Metamorphosis” with a new master by the great Giacomo Jac Salani. It was like dusting and re-offering the sound that marked us in 80's. 

8. By the way what happened to the first original line-up? Have you kept any contact with them? 

Well... we continued with our life, some with a full-immersion in music, some not. Gabriele, over several other projects including band and soloists, has pursued the cause HYAENA until 1995, with the new line-up, very experimental oriented, like new rock / progressive metal, with always excellent results. Ross, embarked for a few years the great adventure with DEATH SS and later with SHINING FURY and other collaborations. Recently (2014) there was only a single episode of the collaboration between Gabriele and Mario Candido for the creation of the EP “GBMC”. This great job has definitely contributed in part to rekindling the flame of HYAENA even if Mario actually is not the voice of the band.

9. You have recently decided to rerecord the demo “Metamorphosis”. What led you to that decision?

When we stabilized the line-up of the band the need to record again was born, in live form, the old songs reinterpreted by the new band members, who have accepted this job with great enthusiasm. Then Metamorphosis Revisited has arrived!

10. Can you introduce to us the new line – up?

The new line-up keeps Gabriele Bellini and Ross Lukather on guitar and drums, as core members of the band. New additions are Isabella Ferrari on bass and Claire Briant Nesti on vocals. Isabella had worked with Ross in SHINING FURY and after a short initial break-in period, she proves to be a musician capable of giving new oomph to the rhythm part of the HYAENA. Claire was proposed by Gabriele, with whom he continues the JAM MOVIE PROJECT project. Surely it is a radical departure from the vocal style of the other singers of the HYAENA, but she has proven to know how to melt different vocal techniques in a different genre of music, also far from her.

11.Which are the changes that you bring in the re-recording of your demo?

We recorded exactly the same demo with the inclusion of a particular cover. The lyrics were revised and corrected, keeping the original rhythm.

12. How did you decide to cover the song “Phenomena” by GOBLIN which by the way sounds great?

We decided to cover “Phenomena” in a spontaneous way. It 'a song that allows to better represent the possibility of mixing genres even so far apart. It is a kind of equilibrium even for our new features.

13. I am always interested in lyrics. So can you tell me which the lyrical theme of each song that you have included to your album is? 

HYAENA’s lyrics are characterized by strong feelings of rebellion that we had in the 80's. We would like to change a system full of corruption, so WRATHCHILD arrived, the warrior ready to fight and NO MAN'S LAND, the refuge from ambition that squeeze people without rights. BEHIND THE WALL is our rock soul, the pride of our lifestyle, METAMORPHOSIS is the fear of nightmares and reality. KILL WITHOUT MERCY is a song dedicated to the “Monster of Florence” fact. SCREAM FOR SAVANNAH describes the vengeance of this jungle life. Even if time passes, those topics are very actual.

14. Do you have any new songs? Do you plan to release a new album? How will it sound?

Actually we are writing new songs and we plan to make a new album. The songs will have a new and fresh flavor. The atmosphere is very addictive and thrilling and all the band members will write the new pieces. It will be a very interesting job open to the experience of the ones who has experienced a long musical journey and to the new sounds that will be given from this line-up.

15. Thanks for your time answering my questions. I wish you all the best. Please close the interview in any way you like…

Thank you for this interview. Everything can reborn and we are the proof. Our music will be beautiful and fierce as a HYAENA!