FOREVER STORM
HEAVY POWER METAL
FROM
SERBIA
Band Questions
answer by
Stefan KOVAČEVIĆ
Please introduce yourself and the band members briefly?
My name is Stefan and I am a frontman of a metal band called Forever
Storm. My brothers in arms are Milos (rhythm / lead guitar), Vladimir (bass /
backing vox) and Vuk (drums).
What does the band name mean and how do you get it?
The name has a symbolic to it – it represents metal music which comes as a
storm and it will last forever hence the name Forever Storm.
Where and how was the band founded?
The band was founded in our hometown of Kragujevac at the end of 2006.
Have you played in other bands before?
Yeah of course. My previous bands which made their own music are IronicA
and Alek, there were also a few cover bands. My first band IronicA was
founded in 2002. We were a bunch of elementary school kids who wanted to
play metal but didn’t know how (laughter)!
Was it hard to find suitable band members who fit musically and humanely
with the band?
Basically Milos and I were high school friends and we were crazy about Iron
Maiden, so were hanging out all the time. The two of us started to plan the
band creation after which Vladimir came along as he was friends with Milos.
The three of us were a perfect match because basically we all liked to listen
to classical heavy. Then came Vuk. He had a different style because at the
time he was listening to Slipknot, Mudvayne etc. but since he was younger
than us he had to follow. After few years of practice and making our own
music we were all a perfect fit.
What are the lyrics about and who of you is writing them?
The lyrics on the first two albums were basically about the life’s injustices,
the anti-utopian view of the world. The third album will be the first
conceptual album and it will cover the theme of the Great War (World War I)
and Serbian ancestry that took part in it.
Which bands inspired you and how would you describe your music to
someone who has never heard a sound from you?
First of all there is Iron Maiden, we were crazy about their music back at the
time (now also). We listened those great solos and melodies on repeat all
the time. Then there were some other bands like Metallica, Savatage,
Dream Theater, Hellowen, Gamma Ray etc. Our sound would be a specific
mixture of Maiden’s melodies and Metallica’s heaviness and Gamma Ray’s
power.
Why should people listen to our music?
We have something true to offer. We do not compromise or sound to the
requirements of modern times and metal production. We play from the heart
and mean it.
Tragedy your last album is now almost five years old again. Are you already
working on new songs and when can you expect a new album?
We are working on the third album for about five years now. We are
planning to rehearse the songs till February. Hopefully we will be officially in
the studio at the beginning of April and will finish the recording and
production by the end July/August.
Tragedy your last album was released by mexican label ebm. How did you
get in contact with the label since then and how satisfied have you been with
your work
We got in touch with them via our manager for Europe Dejan Ilic Ilke
(longtime supporter of Serbian metal scene) and we were pretty happy with
the teams they given us. The album was released at the end of 2013. after
which we promoted the album across the region.
How do you like the old album Soul Revolution today and would you like to
change it?
We like it still, because it was the album which put us on the map of the
metal world. Hey, there is always some things that could have been better,
but that was our stamp at the time and we are proud of it.
What was your first concert as a fan? and what memory do you have of it?
My first bigger concert experience was Metallica in Belgrade in 2004. this
was a totally new experience for me since all I saw till then were some small
shows of local bands and some Serbian rock bands which played on smaller
festivals etc. I remember that they promoted Saint Anger on this tour so I
was not glad to hear those songs, but after Battery, Master Of Puppets and
Creeping Death I felt like I was In heaven even though I couldn’t see most of
the show because the crowd was wild all the time.
What were your live highlights and with which bands did you play?
One of our biggest and most successful shows was on Wacken’s Metal
Battle in 2010. We won the third place among 28. bands from all over the
world so that was something to remember. Also one of our favorite shows
was the Soul Revolution album promotion in 2010. in a packed Le Cinema
club in our hometown. We played a lot of festivals like Zajecarska gitarijada
in 2007. - this was also one of our bigger shows. We also played on Exit fest
(one of the biggest festivals in Europe held in Serbia). The bigger bands we
played with are Alogia (local metal heroes), Kerber (local rock legends) and
Blaze Bayley (former singer of Iron Maiden). We played with a lot of local
rock and metal bands, but to name a few: Trigger, Nightfall, Magma, LUR,
Violet, Burning Circle, Antologija, Alister, Atlantida, Deadly Mosh, Rain
Delay etc.
Have already resulted in friendship?
Of course, with a lot of bands we are friends till this day.
If you'd like to play live and if you would like to?
Don’t exactly get the question but I will answer as I understood it. Yeah we
like to play live, it is the essence of being a metal band and we would like to
play a Europe tour so much but this is something which needs a lot of
finances and logistics.
With what do you earn your money except with the music?
Basically we do not earn a lot of money with our music, all of the money
which we earned till now we invested in the band so you could not say it is
enough for living. We all have some everyday jobs which pay the bills, for
example I work in a car transport company.
How important are social media for you as a band?
They are but we haven’t invested a lot of time promoting our music when it
comes to paid promotion. Most of the times we are writing post on our social
media pages and promote our work to the people we already have on our
page. One of our main popularity peaks was the live show called Rat
Bendova (Battle of the bands) which was aired on OBN television in Bosnia
and Herzegovina in 2010. After this show we got a lot of fans from the
region. There was also a champagne by our record label EBM after the
release of Tragedy – they sent the album to a lot of webzines and websites
which did a review which got us some new fans also.
What would you (her) want to achieve with the band?
I would like to continue making music which I love and to share it with the
world. It would also be great if we could organize a European tour after the
release of our third album.
What do you think about the Serbia metal scene in general?
The scene in regards to the bands is great, we have a lot of variety when it
comes to metal and rock styles. But much of the problem is that metal music
is the unpopular music genre in our country so it does not get the
recognition it deserves resulting in small audience, especially on local
shows. Festivals are a bit better but there is still a lot of space for
improvement. But this is unfortunately something which is up to the media to
change or we should make some kind of working union in order to push
metal higher.
Maybe you can recommend some bands from your area?
Of course: Trigger, Dot The Eye, Magma, Alogia, Rain Delay, Alitor,
Quasarborn, Chaousim, Alister, Deadly Mosh, Larska etc. Visit this great
site - https://www.serbian-metal.org for more bands and music.
PERSONAL QUESTIONS!
Where did you grow up and how was your childhood?
I grew up in my hometown Kragujevac. My childhood as I remember it was
pretty good, even though I was growing up in a war torn country
(Yugoslavia) at the time. But I never felt I was missing something. My family
always had enough for some modest living and my father and mother were
always teaching my sister and me to be grateful on what we have.
How was your school time you were rather the good student or the break
clown?
The school was good, high school especially – made a lot of great friends
there. I was a fair student, had good grades most of the time but I also liked
to have fun so sometimes I was not in class. Not particularly a clown but a
bit of the clown so to say. My friends liked me because I knew how to draw
and I was drawing their art class projects all the time. I draw a lot of Eddies
on school property (tables, chairs) because I was a big fan of Maiden at the
time.
How did your parents react when you started making metal music? Did they
support you and how do you feel about your music today?
They were pretty supportive because they saw that I was really in to it. I was
practicing my guitar for half of a day, playing till me fingers bleed like in the
song Summer of ’69 (laughter)! I feel that I could done more with my music,
but I cannot be unhappy. It is good to be able to be more than just someone
who will live their live till the end and leave nothing behind, I am happy
because I know that our music will last, hopefully long after we are gone
from the face of the Earth.
Would you be successful in making music as a musician?
I already am so to say, because I have my own music studio which is called
Blacksmith studio. I am recording music of other bands and playing couple
of instruments (guitars, keyboards) for some local pop and rock artist.
Are you someone who loves the hustle and bustle of the big city? or rather
looking for peace and relaxation in nature?
I don’t like big cities, a lot of tension in the air (as well as the pollution), this
is why I returned to Kragujevac after finishing the studies in Belgrade
(Serbia’s capitol). I like to visit my grandpa’s house in the mountains from
time to time and I like to visit nature sites and cultural sites around Serbia
and the region for relaxation.
Do you actively practice sports or are you more of a passive spectator?
I am passive as they come when it comes to sports. I can easily say that I
am not a fan of sports of any kind, but I sometimes enjoy a football or
basketball match when the national team is playing.
When it comes to your physical well you can cook or let you cook for you?
Don’t get this question (laughter!).
What does your environment tell you about your passion for metal (friends /
family / colleagues)?
My family and friends are supportive most of the time.
How do you see the problem with the haters on the internet who have to
announce their mental garbage in anonymity always and everywhere?
I don’t like haters at all. If you don’t know to give a constructive critic, than
don’t bother writing anything at all. It is one thing to criticize and a totally
different thing to hate something/someone, it tells you a lot about the
person.
What do you think about the internet in general? a blessing or a curse?
Depends how you use it. Problem is that there are a lot of things out there
and it is hard to differentiate the quality content from the noise of everything
else if you do not know where to look. Of course it is a blessing when it
comes to free and paid promotion for bands.
What would you personally like to do in your life?
Besides making and listening to music I like to spend time with my family
and friends, to get to know and learn different things. I am especially
interested in learning about my country’s history in these last couple of
years, mostly because I need material for the lyrics of the third album.
Which question would you like to have answered and why?
Why is humanity so desperately running towards its demise, and when I say
humanity I mean the people who are running the show (oligarchs, masons
and corporations)?
Serbia
My county and pride!
Austria
Been to Vienna a couple of times, great city!
Iron Maiden or Metallica
Iron Maiden
Gamma Ray or Savatage
Gamma Ray
Women
Can’t live with them and can’t live without them (laughter)!
Jelen Pivo
One of the best advertised domestic beers and at the same time one of the
worst beers when it comest to quality! I prefer Zaječarsko!
Beer or Juice
Beer of course!
Serbian bean soup
One of the best meals ever invented!
Holiday
Yes, thank you (laughter)!
Family
The most imporant thing in the world!
Drugs
Weed ocassionaly, but nothing else! If you need drugs to produce art, just
stop pretending, you are not that talented.
Soccer
Not into sports
Movie or Series
Series. At least in the newer age they bacame a better medium than the
movies.
Your top 10 all time faves
The order will be random
Iron Maiden – Seventh son of a seventh son
Gamma Ray – Heading for tomorrow
Savatage – Edge of thorns
Threshold – Subsurface
Evergrey – The inner circle
Metallica – Master of puppets
Megadeth – United abominations
Mercenary – The hours that remain
Bon Jovi – Slippery when wet
Europe – Out of this world
top 5 in time !
Testament – Dark roots of the earth
Europe – Start from the dark
Evergerey – Hymns for the broken
Alter Bridge – Blackbird
Firewind – The premonition
The closing word is yours?
Live life like you mean it, don’t let it pass you by while you’re making plans.
Learn, love, lose it is all a part of it. And of course drink your beer! Cheers
and my metal save us all!
© 2019 by Haschi`s Metal Corner
