*When did you really get involved into music in general and into metal specific? Who was responsible for your interest in (metal) music?

Myself I guess? No one in my family or friends growing up was particularly into heavy metal, a few kids at school were into rock music in a more general sense. This got me started, and I scoured around a lot in early file-sharing days of the internet since one thing I did know was how to use a PC. So it was sort of a passing interest that I delved into myself, and I got into a lot of stuff all out of order ( I had heard a lot of the second and third tier thrash stuff before a mainstay like Slayer, due to not really having anyone to compare notes with.)

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

Classic metal, classic thrash, early period black/death metal. You guys who are into that know what that means- Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, Dio, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Death, Bathory, Kreator, Exodus, Pestilence, Possessed, Demolition Hammer, Sacrifice, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, Immortal, Dissection, Obituary etc etc etc- basically, goddamn metal.

*Which instrument do you play and how and when did you learn to play? Did you had lessons in school or private lessons? If so, was that because your parents expected that from you? Or did you learn to play the instruments by yourself? Do you still follow some lessons?

I’m the band’s vocalist, and I had no background in music whatsoever before starting this band. I did records 1-4 with no training at all, and you can see my progression there. Between 4-5 I took a vocal class and a music theory class, which helped me grow and progress further.

*Do you follow other or are you interested in other styles of music beside metal? If so, what is the music you prefer to listen to?

Anything, no specific genre restrictions. Old rock and prog stuff, atmospheric chinese music, random dance songs, old pop hits, assorted foreign music, you name it. Lots of metal too though.

*Is music a full time job for you now or do you have a job beside music? If so, what kind of job are you doing? If you would be really successful with music, would you quit your other job?

I am studying to become a history professor, and I got my bachelor’s degree around the time we went in to record ‘Weapons of Tomorrow’. Music is very often a full time job, when touring, we can be out for months on end. I hope to be able to pursue both ends (as these are different aspects of myself) at the same time, and have my two careers feed into each other.

*If you could start a band with other musicians on other instruments, which artist would you pick for which instrument and why? (Something Like an “All Stars Band”.) Would you still go for a thrash metal band? Or would you do something completely different?

I mean, at this point, I feel like I am in my all star band. The lineup has developed so much that I can look anyone right in the eye and tell them that we’ve got some of the best metal players in the world in every slot in Warbringer right now. I’m right where I need to be.

*If you had been banned to an uninhabited island and you may pick 5 albums to listen to, which albums would you choose and why?

Oh man, ok, these kind of questions are kind of arbitrary. There are way more than 5 albums I really love, so this is basically a random ass list of some records I like.

Bathory ‘Twilight Of The Gods’, Glorious and spiritual and tragic all at once.

Demolition Hammer: ‘Epidemic Of Violence’, Most Brutal Album Ever.

Iron Maiden: ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son’, My favorite Maiden flip flops between this and Powerslave.

Thin Lizzy: ‘Live And Dangerous’, If you don’t like Thin Lizzy, I don’t want to know you.

Stellaris: OST- This Andreas Waldetoft guy is pretty brilliant I think, and did some really soulful atmospheric space instrumental music. I’d have something atmospheric like this on my island to contrast all the shredding, for chilling.

*Every new album of a band or an artist is the best one, that’s what they always say. So here is a chance to promote the album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

Well, I do believe our recent work is our strongest- but it isn’t just me who thinks that! Fan response for ‘Weapons Of Tomorrow’ has been fantastic, and that of course makes me very happy.

Any music lover should check this one out if they want a metal record that goes all-out on intensity and aggression, but doesn’t sacrifice diverse and coherent songwriting. We try to be as vicious and brutal as possible while maintaining lyrical content and musicality at the highest possible level. The whole goddamn album is a standout, I think, and I’ve seen people saying that each individual song on there is their favorite. These are the kind of albums we aim to write.

– New album, ‘Weapons Of Tomorrow’ (NPR 894), out on Napalm Records. –

*I suppose you will promote this album through live concerts (when of course everyting is getting back to “normal” after the Covid 19 disaster). If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? And is there a chance we can see WARBRINGER in Belgium?

Yes, Nov 28 in fact. We prefer to play metal where the fans are, no matter the stage. Can’t wait to get back out there and play some of this new material live.