All right!
First question is pretty predictable, since you are a new name can you tell us something about the how and why of the formation of Gorilla Monsoon?
Yes! When we started, we wanted to do something heavy, groovy shit, but there was no concrete masterplan. Nobody knew how it would gonna be sound like. The first rehearsal was on may the 10th in 2001. We just put the speakers on ten. And this fucking magic suddenly appeared in the room. Everybody said: "Hell yeah, man, that´s it!" The music is a result of our influences and also of our personality. If we would be fucking happy sunshine people like for example this fucking Edguy-fuckers our music would be sure another. We just play what we are.
May I take a guess? Is the name of the band inspired by the late WWF-wrestler? It fits perfectly with your music, it's as big, mean and heavy as he was...
You are right! But did you know, that the real original Gorilla Monsoon was a terrifying giant from Manchuria in China. Supposedly born on an isolated farm, "Monsoon" traveled across the countryside with a gypsy caravan wrestling bears, ate raw meat, and drank his victims' blood. That was where Robert Marella has got the name from. We like wrestling very much, and in the 70s, the mainaction-time of the wrestler Gorilla Monsoon, this sport was more bloody with less show like today. But each of this words with its own meaning is strong also. A real silverback is a very mighty and beautiful majestatic animal, but it could kill you in one strike. And a monsoon, mostly unwelcome and in a sudden apearing could be aslo our intention, he, he ,he... I love this name, it´s perfect!
When reviewing your album, I referred to inspiration from Black Sabbath, Kyuss, CoC and Crowbar. Am I close or do I see thing not in the right perspective?
Yes, that´s right. Sure, everybody of us has got his own taste of music. From surfrock to grindcore everything has got a representativ. But the bands you named plus Down, Vitus, Entombed and some more are bands everyone of us like. But when we are writing songs, we don´t care about how it sound like. If it is god we will take it, if not we don´t.
"Damage king" is your first official album. You must have had some expectations. What were they and are the reactions somewhat meeting up to them?
We don´t
achieve anything special. We never achieve anything special. Yes, there are
dreams in our minds. But we make a difference between dreams and reality.
We just drink some beer, smoke some shit and go out and play. So we can´t
get disappointed, you know!?
The reactions are quite good, that´s fucking great. And of course it
feels good. A few days ago I talked with Jack about our reviews and how good
they are. And he said, it would be better if we wouldn´t know them and
he is right. But I am too curious.
There quite a dose of sarcasm in your songs, I hope we don't have to take titles as "War to the wimps" and the (correctly chosen) "Heavier than Europe" not too serious? Are the lyrics to you somewhat meant to strenghten the power in the music instead of a tool to send out a message to listeners?
Jack would be smiling, if he would be here right now. I don´t want to talk for him, but I can say: it´s to strengthen, yes, but there is also a little message is in every song, sometimes obvious sometimes hidden between the lines.
The same goes for your names, Drumster or Jack Sabbath. Is Gorilla Monsoon all about a humour, a sort of heavy entertainment?
No, only entertainment would be too cheap, too less, if you know what I mean. A little bit humor never is wrong, especially black humor and sarcasm. But about these names: I don´t really remember how they came to us.
You won the Metal Battle final at Wacken Open Air in 2005 and there you got the record deal with Armageddon. How was it to win that final? And why is Armaggedon the right label to release Gorilla Monsoon?
We didn´t expect to win, so we first did not know what to do know. We don´t wanted to be on a label with Metalium. We thought, now the big, huge, evil music business will tell us what we have to do and finaly kills us. Nobody has got to tell us what we have to do!!! So from the beginning we played with open cards, we would say in german. And we discovered, that there are some real cool guys, that listen to you and work together with you. They do it, because they like our music. So, now I can say, yes they are the right label.
Great and very appealing artwork as well on "Damage king". Where did the idea come from (and who did it)?
The artwork made a friend of us. His name is Markus. He did it already, before we started to record our album. Anytime he showed it to me, I showed it to the other guys and everybody liked it very much. It was all Markus´ idea. He just got it. I have seen also other pictures of him, really great!You can send him an e-mail (deathhammer@gmx.net). If he likes your music he will do an artwork for you!!
You've played in the past with The Hidden Hand, Place Of Skulls, Electric Wizard and Warhorse (among others). Those bands are legendary (certainly with personalities such as Wino and Victor Griffin in their ranks)! What have those gigs done with, and meant to, you?
Oh, especially
playing with Wino means very, very, much for us. Fortunately, all of these
bands were also cool behind the curtain, you know. I hate it to be disappointed
by musicians of bands I like. (That happened in early times with the band
I played in before Gorilla Monsoon. It was a kind of Power Metal stuff…
for example Chris Boltendal (Grave Digger) is a real asshole). But it was
great to smoke with Electric Wizard and Warhorse, to talk with Dennis Cornelius
about Revelation. Of course Wino had got some cool stories. After we played,
he came on stage and clapped with his hands. That was only a short, but a
real great moment.
And these gigs also showed us that we are on the right way on the right side.
Within a few weeks you go on tour with Metal Church (and Victory), quite a different style of bands. How did you guys get on that bill and what do you expect from it?
Yeah!!! We will
see. We don´t really have any idea, and you know, no expections. Our
Label did it. The first ideas didn´t work. So maybe they booked it,
because it was the last possibility for a good tour to promote our record.
I don´t know. We have got much respect for the history of Metal Church.
But we know, that there could be some people looking on stage while we´re
playing and don´t understand…
But we don´t care, we drink some beer, smoke some… you know!
I don't know if there a strategic plan behind Gorilla Monsoon, but have you set some goals for the band you definitely want to achieve or are you taking things day by day?
We are definitely
taking things day by day. But my dream, I don´t talk for the other guys,
my dream is to be a constant band, that make records you also can listen to
30 years in the future!
And, that´s the opinion of every bandmember: we play everywhere we can
play! Because this band was born to play live as much as we can.
That it for now. The last lines are completely for your own promotional, emotional or existentional use...
Watch out for a Gorilla Monsoon show near you. (www.gorilla-monsoon.de) . Nobody fucks the fucker!