An interview with Paul from Satan’s Empire.
An interview with Paul from Satan’s Empire.
SALUTATION
What was the inspiration for Hail To The Empire?
I always keep a guitar next to me at the kitchen table to practice and to record ideas on my phone when I get moments of inspiration. The band had adopted signing off our messages to each other with “Hail”, the salutation had become a bit trendy in heavy metal circles, so I had the idea to write a song called “Hail The Empire”. When we’re talking about Satan’s Empire between band members, we often refer to the band as “The Empire”, so it seemed an appropriate title. I came up with the original intro and verse whilst sitting at the aforementioned table. I had rough lyrics for a chorus, which Derek then developed further. I took the ideas to band rehearsal and the song developed from there.
Did you approach songwriting for the new album differently to the first album?
Yes. Most of the songs on “Rising” had already existed in their original format with the first Satan’s Empire lineup. When the band re-formed, we streamlined the songs and gave them more of a metal edge to suit the present without forgetting the NWOBHM spirit of the songs.
Hail The Empire was written entirely by the current lineup of the band. Any one of us would bring ideas to the rehearsal room, we’d then jam through the ideas and develop them into songs. It’s a very creative environment when we’re all working together, bouncing ideas of each other. I personally find this very inspirational and I sometimes come out with my best ideas on the spur of the moment.
CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT
CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT
Did you approach songwriting for the new album differently to the first album?
Yes. Most of the songs on “Rising” had already existed in their original format with the first Satan’s Empire lineup. When the band re-formed, we streamlined the songs and gave them more of a metal edge to suit the present without forgetting the NWOBHM spirit of the songs.
Hail The Empire was written entirely by the current lineup of the band. Any one of us would bring ideas to the rehearsal room, we’d then jam through the ideas and develop them into songs. It’s a very creative environment when we’re all working together, bouncing ideas of each other. I personally find this very inspirational and I sometimes come out with my best ideas on the spur of the moment.
WARRIORS
Do you have a favourite song from the album?
‘Hail The Empire’ is a very important song to me, apart from being the inspiration for the album title, I had a lot of personal input to the songwriting.
I like all the songs on the album, I particularly enjoy playing “Warriors” for it’s faster tempo and ‘anthemic’ chorus.