EMQ’s With Phenomy
EMQ’s With Phenomy
Hi everyone. Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Lebanese Thrash Metal band, Phenomy. Huge thanks to their Lead Guitarist and Lyricist, Loïc EL Haddad, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Hello, my name is Loïc EL Haddad, I am the lead guitarist and lyricist of the Metal band Phenomy. Rudy and I started the band in October 2014 after years of jamming in our childhood basement. The band passed through different line-up changes until Sam became the official vocalist of the band and Peter became the bassist.
We are proud of what we have achieved within the past 7 years, including playing abroad for the first time just 3 months after our formation, touring all Eastern Europe, playing huge festivals like Metalheads Meeting festival and Wacken Open Air 2018. Our 3 albums are 3 completely different pieces of works with different ideologies, themes and styles of music.
How did you come up with your band name?
I think we went through many fights to choose a name and in the end we all agreed that Phenomy was versatile and sounded good to us. It obviously comes from the word phenomenal.
What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
We are from Lebanon, a country where the Metal is not the most appreciated style of music. We still have a small and passionate Rock and Metal scene. Events are tough to be made there since we don’t have enough venues that support this type of music but we still manage to organise gigs there where the Metal scene gathers every once in a while.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
“Syndicate Of Pain” is our latest album. It’s a concept album about an asylum run by a mad scientist.
Who have been your greatest influences?
As a band Metallica got to be my greatest influence but I get influenced by different kind of stuff like movies, TV shows and life experiences that inspire me.
What first got you into music?
Watching Headbanger’s Ball and seeing Metallica perform ‘Seek And Destroy’.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Again, Metallica! But I’d say collaborating with someone like Danny Elfmann would be very interesting to me
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
We already played Wacken Open Air so I’d say Rock am Ring. Hellfest would be huge as well.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
A bottle of water. It was a Japanese guy who saw us at Wacken Open Air. He recognized us at the airport in Hamburg and wanted to give us a gift, so he gave us his bottle of water.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Enjoy life and do what you want to do. Trust In your guts.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Tough one, but I’d say Cliff Burton. I’d want to get back Dimebag equally as well.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Playing live definitely and bringing people together definitely. I hate the social media part of it, you know, staying active and posting and stuff.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Wow. Lots of things. But mainly record labels and promoters stealing from bands.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Metallica – “…And Justice For All”
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Vinyls of course. CD’s are cool too.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The biggest is definitely Wacken Open Air 2018. My favourite is the last one we did in Lebanon, it was a great comeback on stage with family and friends in our home country.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Most probably dead right now.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
My band mates and crew.
What’s next for the band?
Few shows including Rock Castle Festival in Czech Republic in August.
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Mainly YouTube, Spotify and Anghami.
Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?
I don’t do small cakes so I will call them biscuits.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Check out our socials for upcoming new releases we got lots of cool stuff coming. Burp!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.