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Interview
H.A.T.E.
A Talk With GREG 'WAGS' WAGNER (guitar / throat)
METAL TO INFINITY
A few weeks ago, i received the debut album of a band called H.A.T.E. Four American brothers of Metal, those giving the True Metal scene some more colour and punch. The emphasis these guys especially breeding out are their strongful brotherhood and of course their musical skills, build up through the years. Lead singer / guitarist Greg Wagner had been prepared to answer some questions.
Q: Hi there Greg, first of all thx very much for your time sharing with me to answer the following questionnaire! How are you brother, how daily life goes on ther in Ohio at this moment?
A: Hello Stefan, thank you for your time metal brother. Right now things are looking great man! We are playing some kick ass shows. One of them is a show brought on by Bill Peters of Auburn Records supporting Eternal Legacy with Winters Baneon the bill.
Currently we are thinning out new material for our sophomore release which will be recorded at Smiley Sound Studios in Akron, Oh. Curran Murphy (Shatter Messiah, Annihilator, Nevermore) will be engineering and producing this album as well. I am also fronting Shatter Messiah and Curran and I have become good friends over the last couple years and the rest of the band likes what Curran does for H.A.T.E.'s sound, so we are sticking with him on the next release.
The album is yet to be titled, but I can tell you, and all the H.A.T.E. mongers everywhere, that the upcoming release will kick your ass! True, classic, U.S. metal the way it should be... Loud & proud!!!!
CURRAN MURPPHY
Q: To start for real, i'd like to dig into your past as musician...from where your interest in Metal music? Your fisrt contact with this form of music, how old were you?
A: My first introduction of heavy metal was Kiss "Hotter Than Hell" when I was 10 years old. I was listening to BTO and other rock bands, but Kiss came along and changed my life forever. Then a good friend of mine turned me on to Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, and that my metal brother is what started my upward spiral into heavy metal. I was just rivetted by the sounds that those groups were producing. In your face, classic heavy metal.
Q: Bitten by the virus of 'Metal', you made up your mind at young age...actually your goal was to set up a Metal band, right? Please, tell us a bit more how that has gone.
A: Well Stefan, I was about 11 when I received my first guitar and I was clueless on how to play it. But Kiss looked unreal with those axes strapped on and that's all that matter to me at the time. So I started watching a friend of mine play his guitar and studied where his fingers were moving on the neck to pick up chord structures and self taught myself how to play. My goal early on was to be a songwriter as well as a singer and to create a true metal band with catchy riffs and melodic, memorable choruses. That has came to fruition with H.A.T.E.
Q: Back then, you were active in a great US Metal band Breaker. How and when have you been involved with this legandary outfit?
A: Actually I took over vocal duties in 2001 for Jim Hamar who stepped down to pursue other interests. Breaker co-headlined Headbangers Openair in 2004 and we were supposed to start work on a new album and tour Germany. But things fell apart. At the same time I was in the process of resurecting H.A.T.E. with Charlie and Hazard and I also got a chance to audition to sing in Curran Murphy's new project Shatter Messiah, and landed that gig as well.
I could not sit back and wait to see what the Breaker camps next move was going to be. I have nothing but respect for the guys in breaker and Bill Peters from Auburn. If they would ever want to record a new album in the future with me on vocals, that wouldn't be out of the question for me.
Q: Between the lines...is Breaker still active these days? (i hope so!)
A: I don't know the status of Breaker right now. That would be a better question for Bill at Auburn.
Q: You stepped out from the core, why man?
A: Because I saw so much potential with that group, but the hunger was non-existent.
Q: I guess shortly after, you started with your own band named H.A.T.E. I'm i correct?
A: Yeah, but H.A.T.E. dates back to the late 80's. I just reorganized it and put new life into it.
Q: Where comes the name H.A.T.E. from? What's the story behind?
A: It stands for Hell At The End. That is what the band thought the world was coming to in 1988. And if you look around, we weren't far off!
Q: Where did you found the right musicians...who were these guys formed the complete H.A.T.E. line-up?
A: I must honestly say that I knew deep down that a few of the first musicians I started bands with weren't going to play a major role in my future because they didn't eat, sleep, and bleed heavy metal. H.A.T.E. demands loyalty, and in Chuck and Hazard I feel that I have found the right chemistry to make great heavy metal for a lifetime.
Q: The period we're talking about now have dated of more than17 years, right. That's a long ago brother but it should be good to know... what was the biggest different in contrast to the nowadays Metal scene.
A: Back then we just played and naturally became what we were and are now. Todays bands have too many people influencing their sounds to turn a quick buck and thats not being true to what you stand for. H.A.T.E. will always stay true to our sound and not follow tomarrows flavor of the month.
H.A.T.E. 2007
Q: Hey, during first periode of existence...what have you reached with H.A.T.E.? You guys shared many stages with several icons of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, right?
A: Yeah, we did alot of great shows with national talent like Death Angel, Forbidden, Annihilator, Love/Hate, Testament, Overkill, Nazareth, Saxon, and more than I can remember.
Q: After a while, a deadly silence descended. Everything seemed that the band no longer existed. What happened?
A: A few of the members lost focus on the vision of what H.A.T.E. should be, egos errupted, and the usual stuff that splits bands up. They wanted to do what I said 2 questions ago, follow the flavor of the month. That might work for some bands, but then your just another face in the crowd in an oversaturated market. Where do you go from there? Some might roll with it and keep changing their sound, look, etc., but most just fade away. H.A.T.E. refuses to fall victim to that trend. This is us, and this is how we sound. Like it or walk away!
Q: That was 17 years ago. What kept you busy during all these years. One thing i know for sure is that you teamed up with a fantastic US Metal band named Archetype. A few line more please.
A: I kept busy writing orginals and teamed up with up and coming band Archatype and started a project called Digital Nerve which is the first time I worked with Hazard. That was short lived, but we got a full length out of it and we plan on releasing in the future.
Q: can you explane why you left the Archetype camp Greg?
A: Too much down time and musical differences on certain issues. Once again, I have nothing but respect for the guys in Archatype but I didn't click with them. I felt too constrained and caged. We put out a cd (Dawning) that rivals some of the heavy weight prog bands.
Q: What many people contemplated complete unexpectedlly, nevertheless happened...the resurrection of H.A.T.E.
A: I knew I was going to get H.A.T.E. up and running again someday. The next step was to secure Chucks commitment and nail down Hazard as my drummer. Both of those guys I consider my best friends and they are top notch musicians who share the same passion as me for 80's metal. This is what keeps the machine rolling. I had alot of positive feedback when I announced the realignment of H.A.T.E.
Q: Two founding members, Greg and Chuck back into Metal as one...ready for a second round, stronger than ever before? What brought the idea, pumping some new life in the band H.A.T.E.?
A: After all those years of performing with other bands and their music and not really getting out of it what I was putting in, I decided to get back to my writing and back to my roots. I won't lie down and play dead for too long. The world needs a band like H.A.T.E. because we deliver top shelf metal with melody and hooks.
Q: Some more details about the rest of the reformed line-up please.
A: Currently we are using fill-in guitarist for some shows until we find the right one for a permanent position. We will be using guest guitarist on the new album. Chuck played in a few bands with me including the first run of H.A.T.E. and Concussion. Hazard was in U.S. metal band Reel Steel and later worked with me in Dgital Nerve and another side project called Buzzkiller.
CHUCK RUSZIN
MICHAEL 'HAZARD' HARRIS
Q: Back as one, loaded with deadly forces of Heavy Metal music, H.A.T.E. released their debut album ''Metal Forever'' a few weeks ago under very impressive circimstances. An album that means so much to me, it barely kills me. US Classic Heavy Metal the way it should be!! An independent album where many other bands only can dream of. How has ''Metal Forever'' arisen Greg?
A: We wanted our debut to be powerful and heavy without losing melody and we feel we have done just that with "Metal Forever". The title is what is...metal forever till death do us part. H.A.T.E. self-released this album without any label behind them. Just think what we could accomplish with label support? But if that doesn't happen it will not stop us this time either. We want, and will get our music out to as many as possible anyway we can.
Q: You're a natural born Metal maniac, so the title of the album speaks for itself i guess! Metal Till We Die, isn't it?
A: You got it Stefan! I will play metal until my last breath. They're going to have to pry my guitar from my cold, dead hands brother. Metal is the oxygen that keeps me alive.!
Q: Do you want to spread some kind of a message with the release of this CD? Where are the songs inspired on, textual aimed?
A: Yes the message is, Don't turn your back on classic metal people. There are many bands putting out this kind of great music and everyone should support it and help keep it alive. So buy cd's, merchandise, and whatever you can to keep those bands rolling.
Q: The songs are both old and new, right? Name of few of you absolutely faves...why these?
A: Assassin, Metal Forever, Mankiller, Top Of The Chain, hell, the whole album man. They all are a part, or segment in my life that I have captured in time through my music.
Q: Also the presence of a few guest musicians coming from bands like Shatter Messiah, Wretch, Breaker, Wintersbane is awesome. You guys are one big, happy Metal brotherhood together. How strongfully are you guys Bonded by Metal?
A: We are all friends and we were all cutting our teeth to old school metal growing up. Curran Murphy and Lou St. Paul are both shredders, and Nick Giannokos is quite the shreddmeister himself. Ohio does crank out some of the best music and musicians around.
Q: I wrote the review and gave a personal rating of 98 / 100...comparisons with bands like early Savatage / Metal Church, Meliah Rage, Sacred Oath,...A meaning, as true as can be that comes straight from my heart. What about other reviewers' ratings Greg.
A: You are the first with a review and we are waiting on others. There has been great, individual song reviews, but Metal To Infinity has been the first album review to come in and we were blown away by the rating. It means alot when you pour your life into something like we do our music and to have someone take notice and appreciate it that way.
Q: Any plans confirmed to release ''Metal Forever'' via a particular record company? At least, if you were approached so far.
A: We would love to have a label behind the album and the band. But we have not had any bites from labels. We have received a few "not interested at this time" letters, but we will be patient. Good things come to those who wait. And the Metal Gods know we've waited. If the band gets picked up, great. If we don't, we will still be grinding it up and delivering the goods anyway we can. The old fans, and new fans deserve that. Even if your not a fan of H.A.T.E., you deserve it too.
Q: All those interested in H.A.T.E.'s impressive, Heavy Metal to the core, debut CD...an address where to order should be good to know!
A: www.cdbaby.com/cd/hatemetal or www.wehateu2.com, the official H.A.T.E. website. Merchandise is available at www.cafepress.com/wehateu2
Q: What are the ultimate ambitions for the future? Maybe a trip to Europe?
A: Yes. Europe is where we want to wind up. Europe has never turned its back on true metal, or any metal for that matter.
Q: THE ambition of all ambitions sounds as...
A: Keep producing real metal and carve out a place for H.A.T.E. on the metal map.
Q: I hope that you can prove them all by the grace of US Heavy Metal music. Wish you and the entire band all the vey best...look already forward to the upcoming, new H.A.T.E. works...bands like yours keeps METAL alive, interested and strong. Before leaving, any words to our readers? Thanx again!!
A: I would like to thank you Stefan, Metal To Infinity and its readers. Without the fans the music would stop. Keep supporting all the great music out there and let the bands know that you appreciate what they pour out in sweat and blood. Metal has always been, and always will be here to stay. Keep it loud & heavy! Metal Forever