EMQ’s With Walk With Titans
EMQ’s With Walk With Titans
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Power Metal band, Walk With Titans. Huge thanks to their guitarist, Louis, 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?
My name is Louis, I play guitar! The story of the band dates back to 2019. Me, Nick(guitar), and Dave(ex-bass) wanted to keep on playing music after having been the hired guns for another band called Jericho (now Nights of Jericho) which Nikko, our drummer, was also in. We had songs of our own, decided to write some more and we quickly had the music of a whole album written. We went about seeking a singer and we found Jo, we worked the themes, worked the vocal lines and he did the orchestrations. At one point, Dave left the band and we were only three so, motivation wasn’t super high, it was also amidst the pandemic so it didn’t help. We kept pushing and recorded the tracks, then started to get show offers that we had to decline. Jo then brought in Lyd to replace Dave then we went on a very long quest to find a drummer. Our first choice was always Nikko but when we all left Jericho, he wanted a break and we thought he was mad at us so we waited to ask him, we would have been so much more ahead if we had him from the start but we are glad he wasn’t mad at us at all and we are glad to be doing music with him again!
How did you come up with your band name?
Our former bass player Dave did. He was very into the anime ‘Attack on Titan’ I think. At first we just wanted to talk about the dynamics between the Gods and Titans of mythology but when we brought in Jo, we took it pretty quickly to full-blown Greek myths and we all became geeks about it.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
Montréal, Québec, Canada ! Where Maple syrup and Technical Death Metal bands are our two main exports! There aren’t that many Power metal bands here, I know like 2 other bands in the province playing our style. There are a couple more but there isn’t a power metal scene per se, or maybe there is one and they haven’t told us the cause they think we’re dorks (we are by the way)!
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Seven Against Thebes! Our very first single!
Who have been your greatest influences?
As a band, there are some bands we all listen to such as Stratovarius, Angra, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire!
What first got you into music?
The Beatles! Paul McCartney is my hero, he is unmatched in songwriting and his hooks are incredible.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
My guitar idol Andy LaRocque of King Diamond, gosh I dream of a guest solo! I went to see them in 2014 and when he played ‘Sleepless Nights’ solo, I shed a tear. He is my main guitar influence (Roland Grapow, I love you too!) and LaRocque’s solos on Death’s “Individual Thought Patterns” are so damn good.
We’d also be VERY alright with guest vocals from Roberto Messina (Secret Sphere), Fabio Lione or Alessandro Conti(Lione/Conti). We have a long list of Italian singers we love!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Loudpark Japan.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Are we supposed to receive gifts? Do people receive gifts? Daaamn, we are clearly not cool enough, we haven’t received anything!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Have fun, and make/listen to music you like. It isn’t about the end result but about the process, you forget about the traumas of this strange thing called life and it uplifts you! We hope you guys will have the same feeling listening to the record, we hope to take you back with us to ancient Greece. Athena will guide us but, make sure not to upset Zeus, he has a temper.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Chuck Schuldiner. He went away too fast and unjustly. He is another one of my heroes. I’ll also give Nick(guitar)’s choice; Alexi Laiho. Also went away too quick. On a personal note, I’d like to take David Andersson (Soilwork) back from the dead. Dr. Dave was very nice and funny when l toured with Soilwork in 2013 with my former band Blackguard. I was sick and in the US, didn’t know what to take, and went so he read my medication just to be sure it is okay.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love that it is so meditating, you enter in a trance. What I hate? The constant need to buy gear which is expensive.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Clear it out of the ‘Harvey Weinsteins’ this scene unfortunately has.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Angra – Temple of Shadows.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?
Cassettes, of fuckin’ course.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
We haven’t played any as a band yet. My own personal one is opening for Kamelot and Symphony X in México in 2012 with my former band Blackguard.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
A dental floss tycoon.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Andy LaRocque, Rob Halford, Tobias Sammet, Piet Sielk and Markus Grosskopf.
What’s next for the band?
Play shows!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Bandcamp – https://walkwithtitans.bandcamp.com/track/seven-against-thebes-3
Instagram – https://instagram.com/walk_with_titans?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
Rockshots – https://shop.rockshots.eu/en/home/6489-walk-with-titans-olympian-dystopia.html
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
What? I understood none of this. I love your beer though.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Hug your friends and share your new musical discoveries!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
