ZANDELLE INTERVIEW

I have followed Zandelle since "Twilight On Humanity" from 2002. Their way of approaching power metal is what makes this New York based band special. I was quite excited about their latest album "Vengeance Rising", and therefore wrote an email to vocalist George Tsalikis, asking him about how everything is going in the Zandelle dungeon.

Interview by Mads Jeppsen

I think Zandelle is a pretty bizarre name, so I have been wondering how you came up with the name and what it means?

The name "Zandelle" was a creation of mine. I had originally come up with that name for a character I had developed for the role-playing game 'Dungeons & Dragons'. When I formed the band, I used the same name because I like the way it sounded and felt it would eliminate any trademark complications since no in the world would be using it.

You are not that big a name here in Europe yet, but how is it going over at your side of the pond?

Unfortunately, we're probably doing better in Europe than we are here…haha. But hopefully things will get better on both sides with the release of "Vengeance Rising". The Metal genre is still not doing as well in America as it is in Europe but it's definitely getting better over the years.

Under which sub-genre would you guys place yourself? A lot of bands hate sub-genres, because they do not like being categorized with other bands they don't think they sound like at all. How are your sentiments towards this issue?

I personally like sub-genre's because they help people get a clearer picture of what a band sounds like. Saying we are a Metal band is not as descriptive nowadays as it was twenty years ago. Now there are so many different types of Metal so you need the sub-genre's to make it more precise. I generally say we are a Power / Speed / Progressive Metal band, but if you had to pick just one, I would go with Power Metal.

I personally think your latest effort "Vengeance Rising" was a very solid piece of work. Has there been an overall positive feedback on your latest album so far or am I the only one, hehe?

Haha. Thankfully you're not the only one who feels that way. We have received many great responses regarding "Vengeance Rising" and look forward to receiving many more. It feels good to know that with each album we are improving.

I believe that "Vengeance Rising" is Zandelles best effort to date, but how strong do you guys feel about the product that you have created this time?

I would have to agree with you. "Vengeance Rising" is definitely the best so far. We learn a lot with each recording we do and we put that knowledge into the next recording. Not only has the line-up on "Vengeance Rising" been the best one so far, but the performances both individually and collectively have never been better. In addition the song-writing has matured greatly as well. We are producing more dynamic songs while still keeping the catchy hooks.

How is the songwriting process in Zandelle? Is there one who is "boss" and comes up with the basic ideas, or are you all contributing?

It used to be that way but now we do things more collectively. Generally, a band member would bring in an idea and the rest of the band would then add their input. We feel the it makes for better writing when you have more people involved because it broadens the creative scope.

If you have to point out a weak link in the band, then what would that be?

Ah ha. Good question. I would have to say timing. Being that we're all in our 30's it is now far more difficult to balance the band along with our day jobs and personal lives. Anthony, for example has a wife, a daughter and they are expecting their second child this summer. Jofu (Joe Cardillo) is engaged and is planning on getting married in the next year or two. With all that going on, it's sometimes difficult to find time to dedicate to the band but our passion for the music gives us the drive to make the time we need. I can assure you however that we are in the process of addressing that issue and it will be one that will not last much longer.

Tell us about the next 5 years for Zandelle? Do you have any goals or dreams for the near future? Far future perhaps?

We definitely have hopes and dreams and are doing all we can to make them come true. Our first hope for the next 5 years is to play the major festivals in Europe and the United States. We have already played quite a few in the United States but there are many more we would like to be a part of. We are also toying with the idea of re-recording some of our older (pre-LMP) material. And ultimately we would love to go on a tour of Europe and the United States. In addition, we would like to produce a new album that will surpass "Vengeance Rising".

Any touring planned in support of "Vengeance Rising"?

Not yet. We currently don't have the resources to take on such an endeavour, however we will be playing shows here and there and hopefully get into some of the more prestigious festivals both here and overseas.

The last word is yours, what would you like to say to the readers?

We would like to thank you and everyone for their support over the years. We truly hope our fans and the Metal community likes our latest release and we hope to one day be performing live in front of all our fans around the world. TRUE METAL FOREVER!!!