INTERVIEW: SLANDER

 

Genre: Heavy metal

Country: United Kingdom

Questions by: Nick Parastatidis

Answers by: Andy Saxon-Lamb (Guitars) – ASL & Andy Gregson - AG (Guitars)

Site: Homepage

1. There's an eight-year gap between Resolution Defiance (2017) and your upcoming album, Take It to the Grave (2025). Can you talk about what led to this significant period between releases? Was it a conscious decision, or did life and other commitments get in the way? What does this new album represent for the band after such a long time?

ASL - At the time of the album release, several members of the band left to pursue other musical interests. This put the band into a hiatus for a couple of years. I went to play with Chemikill for 18 months and then the Pandemic struck, During, that period Greg (AG) and I were back in touch, and we agreed to start Slander again.  We played KIT in 2023 as what was going to be a one-off gig. After that we decided, we would like to continue, and we started writing for the new album. The album represents a new beginning and opportunity for both Greg and I to write together again, hence the invigorated sound. Also, the band has now got the best line up it has ever had with a new set of very focused musicians.

 

AG - Lost Realm Records rereleased Carless Talk Costs Lives again in 2020 and as Greg was a co songwriter we started talking again and it was decided that we would reform.  Our sole focus was to play the KIT festival in 2021; however, this was delayed until 2023 and, in the meantime, we were rehearsing and playing live with the new line up we put together in the meantime.  It was only after KIT when we continued to tour and play live that we felt it was time for some new material, hence TITTG album being created.

 

2. How does it feel to be back in the studio and performing after such a long time away from the album cycle? What has been the most challenging, and most rewarding, part of returning to the scene?

ASL -We found it much more enjoyable as we took our time to record this album, whereas the other albums were very time limited in the studio due to financial constraints.  We didn’t really feel that we were in a recording cycle because the band had been on hiatus for some time before it.  We are aware that we are now in that cycle and will no doubt be looking to follow it up within the next 2 years.  As for live performances all of us had been playing with other acts and playing live with Slander again was an easy transition back into it again. 

3. Given the eight-year gap between Resolution Defiance and Take It to the Grave, can you tell us about the age of the material on the new album? Are these songs that have been sitting in the vault for a few years, or were they all composed more recently, specifically for this release?

AG – The main opening riffs for ‘Take it to the Grave’ and ‘Rust in my Bones’ were riffs that were older and had been hanging around for a few years.  The final songs were fully written in 2024 and recorded as a single to promote some touring and generate interest in the band again. The rest of the tracks were written and recorded in late 2024 &2025. Some elements of Grave & Rust were re-recorded in 2025 with the new tracks for the album to make them consistent with the rest of the album’s overall sound and production. 

4. “Take It to the Grave” is a momentous release not only because it's your first in eight years, but also because it marks the reunion of you two original guitarists, Andy Saxon-Lamb and Andy Gregson. After all this time, what was the catalyst that brought you back together?

ASL – Reuniting with Greg (AG) has been a great inspiration. After Greg (AG) left in 1991 during the recording of ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’ the band continued on as a 4 piece and lost the power of two guitarists.  There was no other reason for Greg (AG) to leave the band other than personal commitments so there was never any animosity at all. As mentioned earlier, I was 15 years old when I met Greg and he taught me a lot about playing metal guitar when I was a kid.  After playing guitar together for many years and jamming together at home we have a subliminal connection. I know what he is going to play, and he does me. It just makes for a real synchronicity and having us back together I feel has completed the band again.  We did have other guitarists and they were really good musicians, but we never captured the raw excitement Greg (AG) and I have together.

5. What has it been like to play together again after so many years apart? Has the chemistry been immediate, or have you noticed a new dynamic emerging in your collaborative process?

ASL - Greg and I have rehearsed together on occasion online during the Pandemic.  We have played guitars together for an exceptionally long time, in fact we started jamming in 1984. So, we had no problem picking up again where we left off. The only difference now is we have a bit more maturity and we believe this has improved the dynamics and energy of our sound.

6. Your new album, Take It to the Grave, has been described as more than just a new release—it is a celebration of your influences and the British heavy metal scene. Would you agree with that assessment? And was it a goal for the band to create a record that pays homage to the legacy of NWOBHM while simultaneously contributing something new?

AG - We didn’t set out to play NWOBHM originally in 1990, but we were labelled in this genre due to being heavily influenced by it when growing up. This came through in the early incarnation of the band and the songs on ‘Carless Talk Cost Loves’ coupled with the analogue recording of it at the time made it sound very early 1980’s. We have written this album as just a reflection of the music we love and grew up with but have added a few nods to the other genres we also love such as thrash etc.….

ASL - Greg and I listen to varied genres of metal and when writing the influences get absorbed into the mix really. We like to think that this album reflects many of the genres that makes metal great to listen to and we one that it really gets people tapping their feet and banging their heads to it.

7. Deguello" for me has a clear nod to Iron Maiden and "Take It to the Grave," as the album's peak, with influences from Running Wild and Judas Priest's Painkiller era. Could you walk us through the creation of these specific songs? What was the inspiration behind them, and what makes them a perfect representation of the new album's sound?

ASL – It is hard to describe how these two songs came about really.  When we start a new sound, it begins with a single riff and after agreeing that it works we then jam and look for another to tag on and so on and so on until a full song is created.  I think that because we love many types of metal the feel and sound produced always comes back to our roots. What we tried to do with this album was increase the pace a little.  Whilst we have been playing with younger bands, you can see the new generation of metal fans getting more out of the heavier and pacier sounds of modern metal.  I was always more influenced by the mid 80’s thrash sound and I also like the down tuned riffs of the Nu Metal era as well.  Greg (AG) has always been more into the 80’s Traditional sound, so I think the writing for this album took all these elements.  We have not recreated the wheel as such and I think whatever we do will always be compared to earlier influential bands such as Maiden, Priest, Saxon & others as you have stated. But that is nota bad thing as they are all just awesome!!

8. Regarding specific tracks, the influence of Iron Maiden is clear on 'Deguello,' and the title track feels like the album's peak, with a nod to Running Wild and Judas Priest's Painkiller era. What was the inspiration behind these songs, and how do they represent the overall sound of the album?

AG – As described by ASL above there is no doubt influence from Priest & Maiden in there.  It is the era of Metal that we listen to and what we love.  We did not set out to particularly pay homage but to create an album that stayed faithful to those roots. With ASL’s trash and like of heavier genre’s the songs just took a new move towards a more modern sounding tradition metal sound that was a little pacier and heavier than our other albums.  It is a new direction for us, and we realized the risks to alienation our more purist fans expecting the earlier sound, but we are hoping they appreciate and enjoy the evolution. We think we have produced an album that gives them the old Slander and some new.

9. Given the long time since your last album, what can you tell us about the lyrical themes on Take It to the Grave? Did the eight-year gap allow you to explore any new topics or perspectives, or do the lyrics stay true to the classic heavy metal themes you’ve addressed in the past?

AG – The lyrics are darker than our previous records. ‘Carless Talk Costs Lives’ was mainly leaning towards relationships and where we lived when we were younger. ‘Resolution Defiance’ had a more political element with elements around life in modern times, the control of the state and a revolutionary angle about standing up for yourself as an individual.  ‘Take It to The Grave’ is more around the tribulations of life.  None of our albums are in anyway concept albums, but when the theme gets locked in most of the songs follow it.  We tend to look at world events and the lyrics come from there, but we try to also remain positive!!  ‘In The Twilight’ and ‘Take It To the Grave’ are a nod backwards as they talk about Love, Death & Secrets and the synergies between them all. We felt the heavier riffs warranted darker lyrics as they sit better than with the music.  We never set out to write a song with a subject matter in mind. The lyrics usually follow the music and it what feels right once the musical structure is completed.

10. Is the lyrical content a collaborative effort within the band, or does one person take the lead in writing the words?

ASL – In the main I write the lyrics and Steve ‘Whitty’ Whittington our singer tweaks them depending on the pronunciation or inflection when he sings them to the music. These tweaks are usually done at the point of recording as this when we usually find the odd word or length of a line does not fit the beat or doesn’t sound right in the context of the song. 

11. Many bands have a long and planned-out formation, but a little-known detail about Slander is that you originally came together with only 24 hours' notice to play a local Rock Battle. Can you take us back to that frantic time? What was it like to form a band and rehearse a full set under such extreme pressure, and how do you feel that raw, immediate energy has carried through your career?

ASL – Well that takes me back!!  There was a cancellation in a local Rock Battle organized by the local paper in our hometown.  The organizer asked our original sing Steve Slater if we would do it and Steve said yes!! The only problem was we did not have a drummer or a bassist.  We had a couple of original songs from a band Greg (AG) and I had played in during the mid eighties and the resto of the performance was made up of covers, such as the version of ‘Diamonds & Rust’ by Judas Priest as an example.  We only did 6 songs in total.  We knew a lot of local musicians in other bands at the time and a bassist and drummer kindly agreed to play with us. We rehearsed all night the day before until the early morning to perfect the songs and performed them the following evening and went down well, but of course never progressed any further in the competition lol!!  That experience set the ethos for the band really.  We have always been pretty tenacious and have faced a lot of adversity and disappointments during our tenure as a band.  The main reason there has been such long gaps between albums is the fact that members of the band have come and go without much notice over the years.  We just get a stable line up and a new batch of songs and then someone or a few people leave the band for various reasons.  It has always been 3 steps forward and two steps backwards for Slander as a band.  I understand that life changes and driving round in a van to play venues for little money takes special and committed people to want to do that. Slander has never had any financial support (apart from my parents 30 years ago) and has always had to scrape the money together to play and record. The difference now is that the members in this line up all understand the trials and tribulations of playing in a band as they are all experienced veterans of the metal scene.

12. Given the authentic NWOBHM sound of Slander, it is natural for fans to wonder about your musical past. Were any of you involved in other bands within the NWOBHM scene before forming Slander? How did that prior experience, or lack thereof, influence the way you approached writing and performing with Slander?

AG – ASL and I played in a local band called ‘Meanstreak’ and I played in a band called ‘Nazgul’ back in the 80’s.  Meanstreak was an originals band, and ‘Cry of the Wolf’ was one of the songs written and played in that era by the former members of that band.  Both bands were very immersed in that classic late 70’s & 80’s sound, so I would say that is where the NWOBHM sound of the first album came from as the songs were really an extension of the music, we played with Meanstreak.

13. After such a significant gap between albums, the release of Take It to the Grave signals a major new chapter for the band. What are the plans for live performances to support it? Will you be touring?

ASL – We very much hope to be touring in 2026 to promote the album.  We are currently doing a handful of gigs and playing the full album to get the tracks gig ready and also playing a couple of old favorites such as ‘Fighting Talk’ & ‘Lonely Nights’ too.  We have a couple of festivals booked and are awaiting confirmation of other dates, so all being well we will be smashing out the new tracks and some of the older ones throughout next year. We are looking at dates in both the UK and Europe.

14. Before we finish, I'd like to give you a moment to talk about anything we haven't covered today. The floor is yours.

ASL & AG - We would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the many years we have been together. Words cannot express our gratitude to everyone who has come to see us live and bought our music. It is an absolute honor. We would also like to thank you Nick for interviewing us and the recent review of the new album. We really appreciate it. And lastly that everyone keeps supporting metal as it is the greatest music on earth and has the best fans ever. Keep rocking our friends!!