Courtney, you began your singing career as vocalist for New Zealand’s first Power Metal band “Horde Lorde.” What is it about this style of music that inspired you to get involved in performing it?
-That was a while ago now! As far as I remember, Horde Lorde actually started as a death/grind type band to begin with but quickly changed to be a power metal project. I guess it was a mix of wanting to play that style of metal and the fact that there were no other heavy/power metal bands in Auckland (NZ in general) at the time. I met Raj, Rhys and Steven at a 'House of Noizz' gathering and actually joined as a guitarist with Jonowar on vocals.
How is the recording process going for Stormforge? And when will your fans get to hear it?
-Recording is great! Cam Sinclair (Temple of Sol Studio) is the man behind the mixing desk and he's extremely passionate. It's a pretty cool process as you get to hear it back as the songs were intended to be heard and assess it from the listener's point of view. We're aiming to have the EP out before the end of the year to keep an eye on the Stormforge Facebook page!
You’ve already had some lineup changes… the new member is Miro, who is referred to on the band’s Facebook page as “the taiwanese shredding maestro” - how is he working out?
-Miro is indeed the shredding maestro they speak of! It's working out fucking great from the get go. He brings another aspect to the Stormforge sound an his playing speaks for itself
For the people who haven’t heard a lot of Power Metal, or have dismissed it without giving it a chance, what albums should people be listening to as education while they are waiting for the Stormforge release?
-That's a hard one. Sometimes I get a 'Demons and Wizards' feel from our songs, other times there's a hint of Lost Horizon coming through in some of the melodies. I think our sound is a product of all or influences as we write/jam together... so there'll be a whole range of metal coming through. If you're a metal fan, give us a listen!
Is there an ultimate goal in mind for the band? There is talk of taking your music to audiences across the world - how serious is this vision?
-Definitely. At the moment we're focusing on recording this EP and giving it our best, but I can see an Australian/NZ tour on the cards in the next couple of years. Ideally we'd love to take Stormforge to Europe, but, one step at a time.
In NZ it is practically impossible to make a living off solely being a musician. So most musicians have to work a full time job as well. Have any of you managed to find a way around this, or is that simply just the way it is?
-We definitely need to work regular jobs. NZ is a small place, and playing in a metal band is not going to pay the bills. But, we don't play metal for the money, haha.
Where is the place to visit for the most up to date information on Stormforge?
-Check out at our Facebook page for our up to date Stormforge ratbaggery.
Finally, what is Stormforge’s message to readers of Slaughterama?
-Bring yourself and your fellow metal head mates along to a show and enjoy a night of metal and beer!
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