:: INTERVIEW TO JEFF
DUNN FROM MANTAS - versione italiana
We just met Jeff Dunn, alias Mantas, ex legendary Venom's guitarist, now
that he's going to introduce for the first time his band with the album
"Zero Tolerance", an album on which Mantas can count on!
How
was the project Mantas born?
Really it all happened while Venom were not doing anything due to the fact
that Cronos had had some kind of accident. As people may already know, the
members of Venom were never great friends so really the only thing that
held us together was Venom and when Venom was not doing anything then we
just drifted apart and did not contact each other, this is essentially what
happened and during this time I was given the opportunity to record a solo
album. It took nearly a year for me to agree to do it as I really did not
have any plans to do anything like this however once I agree to do something
I do it with 100% commitment and so began writing the songs and creating
the images for "Zero Tolerance" Everything you see and hear was specifically
created for "Zero Tolerance", I wanted this to have no limits, no boundaries,
no compromise. It would have been easy for me to write another Venom album
and release it as Mantas but why do that, if I am going to make a change
I make it a drastic one. I feel that I have written songs without restriction,
musically or lyrically and that I have taken my music far in excess of what
I could have done in Venom and this is only the beginning, it will get more
extreme.
We
have to say that your first solo album is "Wind of Changes", released in
1988; how do you judge this album?
That album was just me rebelling against everything that I was supposed
to be. I left Venom because I really felt that the band had lost direction
and no longer had anything to offer at that point in time and as I've already
said if I make a change I make a drastic one. That album was me letting
off steam and just having a good time no more no less, it also gave me more
scope to perform as a guitarist and prove that I could actually play more
than I did in Venom. Venom did not require any fancy solos or melodies so
in that way the playing could be quite restricted, that is why I recorded
3 instrumental tracks while I was still in Venom, these tracks ended up
on "Winds of Change".
Could you introduce us the members of the band?
Bry - vocals, Marsy - guitar , Tony D. - bass, Cherisse - drums and some
guy called Mantas on guitar.
Are you proud to have an eighteen year old girl playing in your band,
just because you play that extreme kind of music?
It certainly opens peoples eyes when they see her play !
Do you think that your great musical experience, (together with Tony
Dolan, of course), and the great enthusiasm of the other young members of
the band could be a winning mix for Mantas?
I certainly hope so. Everyone is so fired up about this project we are ready
to explode. Bry and Marsys enthusiasm for this band and the music we create
is incredible and I feel privileged to have them as part of my band. They
have both played in bands before but not on this level.
Give a
vote from one to ten to Tony Dolan in "Master and Commander".
Obviously 10, I was so pleased and proud for Tony when I heard the news
that he was to be in the film as at that time I had not seen Tony for around
2 years. If anyone deserves that success its Tony, he worked very hard for
that.
Could you tell us something about the songs conteined in "Zero Tolerance"?
Firstly I would have to say that they are definitely the heaviest songs
that I have ever written both musically and lyrically, they have real aggression
in them and songs like "Rise" and "Drill" I have been told, by those who
have heard them, are particularly menacing. I am so proud of all the songs,
I can't wait for people to hear them. "Rage" is mid paced brutality with
a surprisingly melodic ending and a nice sick twist to the final lyric.
"Kill it" is out and out, no excuses thrash. Songs like "Stone Cold", "Insanity"
and "Bring it on" are just full on, in your face, no holds barred HEAVY
FUCKING METAL!!! Tracks like "Look who died" and "Original Sin" speak for
themselves; I still do not like religion.
Lyrically, I like people to take their own meanings from the songs, whatever
it means to you may not be what it means to someone else and that is fine
because after all we are all individuals with our own minds, thoughts and
ideas, so everyone should relate to the songs in their own way.
Could we consider your kind of music closer to new metal?
If you mean nu-metal as in Limp Bizkit and all that stuff then NO, NO, NO,
NO, and NO again, not a fucking chance, I hate that shit. I would say much
closer to Fear Factory, Slipknot, Damage Plan, Machine Head or even my all
time heroes Judas Priest. There is old school, new school but definitely
NO nu-metal. I hope that just as when I created Venom I have even now created
something with some originality. I would never copy something just because
it is fashionable.
However did you decided to make Dario Mollo mix and produce your album
in Italy?
Dario was suggested to me after he did some work on another of Demolitions
bands. I sent him the song "Rage" to see what he could do with it and what
he sent me back impressed me so much that I had to have him do the rest
of the album. I can honestly say that this is the best sounding album I
have ever had. It was recorded really well and Dario has just worked that
extra magic on it. It is brutal to the extreme but has a vicious clarity
to it so that nothing is lost. It is definitely a guitar driven album and
Dario is well known for his guitar playing so I think it made sense to have
someone who understood the needs of a guitarist to produce this album. All
I can say is thank you Dario.
How many garantees did you obteined from the new label Demolition Rec.
(about budjet, musical choises...)?
Obviously Demolition are an independent label and as such are going to do
their absolute best for this album, they believe in it just as much as I
do, however if anyone does have any problem finding the album they can contact
the Mantas website at
www.mantas666.co.uk
and order it direct. As for musical choices I had total control over what
songs were included on the album and even how the video was to look.
What are the reasons that drove you to leave Venom?
As I said, the only thing that the members of Venom had in common was Venom
and when that stopped we just went our separate ways, there was no reason
to see each other. We also found it quite difficult to work with each other
for any length of time given our different personalities. Musically I must
admit that I thought that I had gone as far as I could with Venom and the
album "Resurrection" which I still consider to be one of the best Venom
albums, in fact for me there are only 4 Venom albums I would truly stand
by and they are - "Welcome to Hell", "Black Metal", "Prime Evil" and "Resurrection".
Those albums in that order to me represent a natural progression. With my
own band now I can take things far more extreme than if I remained in Venom
where we would be expected to sound a certain way. I don't want to have
that restriction placed upon me as a musician. I feel that I am far more
extreme now than I have ever been and because of that can take my music
to new and higher levels of brutality. This is "Zero Tolerance", no compromise,
no holds barred, anything goes, so be prepared.
Cronos, Abaddon and Mantas. But who's the crazier fucking head?
For that I think you would have to ask someone who really knows us because
we would all have different opinions on each other and not all good!
Do you still have any friendly relationship with Cronos?
We have spoke once in maybe two years.
And with Abaddon?
Not at all.
Have you listened to Abaddon's solo album, "I Am Legion"?
Unfortunately, yes.
Will Mantas play songs from Venom? Which one?
At the Earthshaker Fest we played "Black Metal", "Witching Hour", "Welcome
to Hell", "Warhead" and "In League with Satan" but I do not see myself playing
Venom songs forever, however we may do one or two every now and again.
How your live shows are going to be? Maybe they will look like your bloody
promo video?
We have so many ideas for the live shows but it will have to grow with us
and the size of the venues that we play will determine what we can do. I
still love the idea of a huge stage show but I am also looking forward to
getting into the clubs and just tearing it up with the fans. Like I say,
there are no restrictions with this band, we want to play everywhere with
or without a stage show, we just don't care, we want to play, full stop!!
Are you satisfied about your performances at London Underworld and to
Earth Shaker Fest in Germany?
Yes, definitely. As you may know the Underworld show in London was our very
first show and we actually ended up headlining as Malevolent Creation did
not show up. We got excellent reviews for that show which I am very pleased
about and if anyone wants to see photos from either of those shows then
go to
www.mantas666.co.uk
Is there a chance to see you in Italy?
I really hope so. I remember the Italian fans being so crazy, it would be
great to play there again and of course good Italian food!!!
So, tell your audience why they should buy "Zero Tolerance".
If you are into real heavy metal then you are going to love "Zero Tolerance",
it has speed, power, brutality and surgical precision, I cant wait for people
to hear it.
NO LIMITS, NO COMPROMISE, NO HOLDS BARRED............ ZERO FUCKING TOLERANCE
!!!!!
Thank you for a great interview,
See you soon,
Mantas.
R
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