Shocker emerged from shared passions, blending diverse influences into their unique heavy metal sound. Horror aficionados, their music offers unexpected twists.
1. Can
you share more about the origin story of Shocker and how the band came
together?
Around 2008
Danny Copperire (which I met a few years earlier in a metalclub called ‘The
Stage’ in Tielt) and I decided to start a band. Due to not finding the right
musicians this so called project did not happen. In 2016 I went to see a
coverband called ‘Back to Back’ near the area of Kortrijk. Danny was the
bass player of that band and David the guitar player.
After a few
beers the conversation about starting a band came up again. Also David was
very interested so he joined our ranks. It still took us 2 years before the
band ‘Shocker’ was brought to life.
As we were
in search for a 2nd guitar player we came in touch with Chris (ex- Phoenix
Rebellion). He really blew our minds when auditioned with us. He could play
keyboard too so that was a plus! Louis (Eyes Of Stone) joined our band after we
saw him play live with the band ‘Enchantress’. Once again we were blown away.
He really liked our music so the next logical thing was for him to join our
ranks. With them on our side we created the unique ‘Shocker’ sound
which I am very proud of.
2. What
inspired the name "Shocker" for your band?
Some of us
including myself are big horror fans, especially the 80’s ones. That’s how we
came up with the bandname Shocker. A movie from Wes Craven. It’s not our most
favourite movie but a descent one. We very much like the name haha. A few all
time favourites of mine are ‘Slaughter high’, ‘Toxic avenger’, ‘Nightbreed’,
‘The Mouth Of Madness’, ‘Neon Maniacs’, ‘From Beyond’, ‘The Keep’, ‘Evil Dead’,
….
3. How
would you describe the musical style and influences of Shocker?
Our basic
sound is Heavy Metal. Because it’s a genre we all love. Especially David, Danny
and myself. But also Louis and Chris like it too. I personally love US metal
bands like ‘Sanctuary’, ‘Lizzy Borden’, ‘Leatherwolf’, ‘Vicious Rumours’,
‘Fates Warning’,…to name a few as Danny also loves the more heavier and darker
bands like the old ‘Amorphis’ or ‘Holy Terror’,… David is a huge fan of
‘Nevermore’ and ‘Opeth’, Chris loves old school psychedelic progressive bands
as wel as other genres and Louis likes modern as wel as old school bands. This
combination is wat makes the ‘Shocker’ sound unique and these previously
mentioned bands definitely influenced us.
4. Could
you talk about the creative process within the band when writing and composing
music?
We want to
make music and combine the different styles we all love. The way we work
is that David, Chris or Danny come up with a riff or a bass line, then Louis
fits in with a pounding drumpiece and I finish with a fitting melodic vocal
line. That’s the way Shocker works.We don’t want to make commercial music, we
just want to make music that feels good to us without imposing any
limits. We like to think outside the box but don’t have any prescribed way
to work. Each member of the band has a different background and loves different
kinds of music so that’s where the magic comes from and how a new song is born.
If you listen very carefully, like, if you take your time to really explore our
songs you will hear those differences.
5. What
challenges did you face in finding the right lineup for the band, and how did
you overcome them?
The hardest
challenge was finding our own sound with a perfect blend of different
styles in each song. We want a song to be a journey, interesting and perfectly
balanced so that the listeners can dive deeper into the sound of ‘Shocker’.
With the current line-up we have found our own sound wich I am very proud of.
When we rehearse there is a special vibe hanging and when in the making of a
new song we complement each other like i have never experienced in any other
band.
It’s true
we had a couple of line-up changes in the past. Some ex-members played in other
bands too so it was not easy to combine those bands so evidentially they quit.
For other members their heart was at home so they also stopped. But each member
that played with us has a place in our hearts and we want to thank them for
helping create the basic sound of Shocker and for all the good times!
6. What
sets Shocker apart from other bands in the music scene?
We play
heavy metal with a twist. Expect the unexpected and that is where our strength
lies I think. So give us a try.
7. Can
you tell us about your experience recording your first EP and the reception it
received?
The first
ep was recorded in 2021 by Kristof at the closed session studio in Roeselare
during covid. We didn’t get the chance to promote it at its full potential
because of corona. But we are very proud of what we recorded at that time. It
went very smooth actually. Now with the new album ‘FVOTM’ we are making up for
the losses in the past with a lot of gigs heading our way.
8. How
has the addition of Louis Genovese as the drummer impacted the band's sound and
dynamics?
Louis is an
awesome young drummer. He really fits the band and has become a good friend.
He’s a quick learner and the overall sound has definitely changed with him
joining the band. He has a lot of idea’s when it comes to making new songs. I
couldn’t imagine the band without him. Every single member has its own
contribution when making new songs and this combination is what makes a Shocker
song complete.
9. What
themes or messages can listeners expect from your upcoming full album?
My lyrics
can be dark and personal but also fictional. I try to set a positive undertone
when writing the lyrics, creating some kind of a silver lining in between. When
writing the lyrics I try to create a song which can be interpreted in different
ways. My lyrics are not black&white or as easy as they come but more deep
and thought of without being to difficult to read or understand. I occasionally
like to write about a horror movie too but I guess you already knew that,
hahaha.
10. What
was the most memorable moment during the recording or production of your
upcoming album?
The
satisfaction of hearing the result of our hard work! The album was
recorded by Pieter Nyckees @ Shellshock studios in Brugge. To be
honest the recordings went smooth and we want to thank Pieter for guiding us
throughout this process. He did an amazing job! The mastering was once again
done by Jerboa Mastering. He did a great job with the EP so it was obvious to
us that we would ask him again for the full album.
11. How
do you see Shocker evolving musically in the future?
We will
just keep on doing what we do and we all have a lot of new ideas up our sleeves
when it comes to making new songs. In fact we are now in the making of new
Shocker Classics!
12. Are
there any upcoming gigs or tours that fans can look forward to?
The 16th of
June we play with the mighty Vicious Rumours in The Verlichte Geest
and on the 14th of october we play at the legendary ‘Mario’s
Metal Meeting in Tilburg. And there’s more coming up in the future! Check our
social media for more info. And in the meantime we are making new songs for the
upcoming album so we are very excited.
Last
words:
First of
all thank you Redouane/Lelahel for taking time putting together this interview!
You Rock!
I also want
to say thank you to all of our fans and everyone who took the time reading
this interview. You make all of this possible!!
If you
haven’t heard our new album ‘Fractured Visions Of The Mind’ yet, be sure to
check it out. We have it on cd and limited vinyl only 100 pieces! Available
through us. You can find us on facebook, Instagram, youtube and spotify. I
surely hope to see you all at a gig somewhere in the future. You all
Shock!
Sammy
You can
find us on Facebook:
https://facebook.com/shockertheband
Post a Comment