- Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
We are a 4 piece classic metal band from Northern Ireland and have been playing originals since summer 2011.
- How would you describe your musical sound?
People often compare us to Helloween/Gamma Ray or Metallica/Megadeth, which isn't too far from the mark; its fair to say that its mostly a fusion of thrash with NWOBHM/power metal influences. Its always melodic, but very lively too:- lots of double kicks, twin guitar harmonies, time changes and key changes, just like all my favourite bands! :-)
- What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The lyrics are important to me and usually are quite political. Darkest Day is about the acceptance that humans are destroying our habitat and perhaps a worldwide catastrophe might be a good thing from the planet's point of view; Mystic Mogul is about a doctor I encountered working for the NHS and despite the fact we live in a democratic society, there are lots of “little Hitlers” in all walks of life; The Cursed is about the finality of death and about those worst off in society; Sasquatch is a cynical take on the journey involved when you follow your dreams; Back To The Future is a nostalgia tribute to 80s rock and a statement of intent for the musical direction of our band; Get Back To Your Feet is inspired by the Rocky films and is about the strength of human spirit when the chips are down; Fortress Of Evil is about organised religion; Voyage Of Aodh is a story about the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side”. Its about a guy who spends most of his days dreaming of leaving home then has a nightmare adventure trying to get back home when things go horribly wrong.
- What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The band name has no meaning to be honest! We wanted something that just sounded right so we just made it up. I think someone wanted “Kracken” and someone else wanted “Bakkus” so we joined the two and ended up with Bakken :-)
- What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
We played the Siege Of Limerick (a metal festival) recently and we all decided it was our best gig. There was crowd surfing, a wall of death and some people were singing along, great experience. I'd describe our live show as frantic mayhem!!
- Do you have any touring plans for the future?
We certainly hope to do one European tour this summer and at least one UK tour. Our new bassist Adrian has to undergo an operation, but after that is done we will finalise the dates
- Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?
The one that pays us the most money!! [laughs] Most of my favourite bands are signed to the likes of Nuclear Blast, Metal Blade etc. but its very hard for a band to get signed these days,I guess because of the illegal downloading thing and the fact that record companies struggle to make money off bands at the moment. We'd obviously love to get signed to a label and help us increase our exposure and help us get touring etc., but I like to think we've done well so far on our own.
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
Absolutely unbelievable. We never ever thought in a million years that people from all over the world would be buying our record and sending us messages of support, its really humbling. We get a lot of comments from fans saying how they are really pleased to see “proper” metal bands like us making a come back, there are obviously a lot of guys (and ladies) like myself who are not fans of the kind of heavy music being pedalled in the mainstream media these days and are crying out for some good old fashioned metal with decent songs and melodies.
- What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
Well, thats a good question! I think the last album was very diverse with influences coming from all over the place. I think the next record will probably be more technical, faster and more thrashy and with a more cohesive overall sound. But the main elements will still be there, fast drums, twin guitars and long complex songs.
- What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I grew up listening to rock and metal through my teens. I used to love bands like Therapy? And The Smashing Pumpkins, but my life definitely changed after hearing Maiden for the first time! I also remember being absolutely blown away the first time I heard the Keeper albums by Helloween, their first 3 albums are still untouchable IMHO. Queen have always been a great favourite of mine, I think they are probably the greatest talent in rock. Nowadays I still listen to a lot of the stuff I did when I was younger, the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest etc, but my favourite bands at the minute would probably be Gamma Ray, Children Of Bodom and In Flames. I think all those bands Ive mentioned probably influence our music, but I like trying to incorporate aspects of as many diverse styles as possible. I've kind of been studying classical music a lot recently (like Mozart and Bach) from a song writing approach and I love the way the instruments all play different things but intertwine to create chords. That's something Ive been experimenting a lot with recently.
- Outside of music what are some of your interests?
I know its not very metal, but I'm a scientist and a birdwatcher! :-) I also really like sports like surfing and running...
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Just to say a big word of thanks to anyone who has supported our band so far, we really appreciate it and hope to meet you all in person soon!
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