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

My interest for hardrock started late 1970´s through my cousin who played albums with Rainbow & The Sweet and I think the big interest for metal started in 1981/1982 when I really fell in love with The new wave of British Heavy Metal with bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Judas Priest and German metallers Accept.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

If I talk about my music career that started with my first band Seven Seas in 1986 it was bands like Stryper, Europe, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Sweet & Rainbow. I still love these band to this day.

*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 yo still follow some lessons?

I am a vocalist and I started to sing in an early age like 5-6 years old. I did take singing lessons when I was 14-15 years old and learned good singing technique when I was singing in a gospel choir. My father was singing in a choir but I decided when I was 11 years old to become a good vocalist so I have been foused since then so nearly 40 years. I play some little keyboards but not in public and I have a lot to learn. I still check out some vocal technique on Youtube from time to time Still I have a huge passion to sing.

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

I listen a lot to symphonic rock, musicals, melodic rock, AOR and also to classical music.

*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 succesful with music, would you quit your other job?

Music was more of a fulltime job between 1997-2014 but since 2014 my daily income is working as job coach /management helping people to get the right job and education but still music has a big part of my life. I like both things: it’s a good mix.

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

You always have favourite musicians and I think the music will be classic hardrock from the 1970´s & 1980´s so with me as vocalist I would love to have following members in the band: Gary Moore – guitars, Mick Tucker (The Sweet) – drums, Jon Lord – Keyboards, Trevor Bolder – bass.

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

Stryper – ‘Soldiers Under command’, Yngwie Malmsteen´s Rising Force – ‘Odyssey’, Rainbow – ‘Long Live Rock´n´roll’, The Sweet – ‘Give Us A Wink’, Edward Reekers – ‘The Last Forest’.

My musical journey started with The Sweet & Rainbow still vocalists Brian Connolly & Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P) have a huge vocal influence on me. I am huge fan of Neoclassical hardrock / metal and Malmsteen´s album ‘Odyssey’ has a special part in my musical heart. Stryper was the band who light the spark in my life to bring a heavenly hope in my lyrics as I am a Christian and Edward Reekers dutch vocalist from the band Kayak and his solo album from 1981 always make me feel good so these five album will be a good mix of my musical life and passion.

*Every new album (or ep) of a band or an artist is the best one (we do know it’s the first album), 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?

Both me and Jani have a goal to develop our music still with the melody in focus. With The Waymaker we take the listener into melodic metal for the 2020´s where you get a good mix with energy, passion, dynamics with driving force in the guitars and vocals with neoclassical elements and three different voices. Listen to opener ‘The Waymaker’ with tons of energy and different voices: melodic metal at it´s best. ‘Rain Of Your Love’ a very beautiful ballad with Katja´s amazing voice in perfection and ‘I Am Sustained’ where the listener will get to neoclassical heaven with melody in focus. This album is killer with no filler every single track on cd & lp are there for a reason and I am very proud of this album and a perfect gift to any music fan.

– See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new The Waymaker album ‘Kingdom Of Heaven’ (Black Lodge) –

*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 The Waymaker in Belgium?

Of course we want to bring The Waymaker on tour but I think bigger stages and festivals would be the best option as we have a vey big sound. We will focus now to write and record material for a 2nd album now when Covid-19 have changed many things and before we go on touring as we want to have little more songs to choose from and we really want to meet our Belgian fans.

Thanks for your support!

Blessings/ Christian for The Waymaker.