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I NEED THE NEW SLIPKNOT ALBUM: .5: The Grey Chapter. Why on earth did Slipknot decide to release in on a messed up date like the 21st? NO! It is all Corey Taylor’s idea I tell you, him with his sick sense of humour knowing there would be people like me DYING to get the album but then has to sit and wait until pay day to get the fucking thing. So for days, days I say, I have to wait. Knowing it is out there on the shelves, calling at me, playing its awesome riffs at me, screaming “STEP INSIDE!” at me. But alas I cannot get to it, I cannot buy it, hold it, smell the new CD smell. I, my dear friends, must wait, patiently, and I have no patients at all!! Believe me when I say, as soon as I my salary, I am in my car and I will not stop on the way to get that album, it will be mine!!

Speaking of .5: The Grey Chapter, I truly respect that Slipknot has dedicated this album to Paul Grey. He was one of the founding members of Slipknot and he was their brother. Slipknot has not released an album since the death of Paul in 2010 and I respect Slipknot immensely for the fact that it took 4 years and that they made it out to Paul. This album according to me has so much feeling and drive and I believe they put every inch of themselves into this album. It is also sad that Joey (drummer) has left Slipknot, for circumstances not openly talked about by the band. I am also super excited to welcome 2 new members, replacing Paul and Joey. Slipknot have not released the identities yet as they are not official members of the band yet. For the haters, I have only a few things to day to you. Firstly, these are also just humans even if you think they are freaks, they do this all for the show, the men behind Slipknot are true and amazing people, they hide nothing. I have been honoured to have read the 2 books Corey Taylor (lead singer) wrote and have the chance to get into his mind, the man is a genius. If you ever have the time, YouTube Corey Taylor and watch some of the videos, you will be surprised. Also YouTube the videos from slipknot after Paul’s death and you will see what true friendship, brotherhood and love really is.

Louise Pretorius

23/10/14

I finally got to sit down with Michael C. Svensson A.K.A Mike and Andreas Lundberg from Grand Rezerva and ask a few questions.

As most Grand Rezerva fans know, the band was started in 2009 when five Swedish musicians whom all had prior industry experience, both locally and internationally, came together to create a new sound. As they were all well travelled and familiar with the industry, it didn’t take long for the talented young individuals to realise that they were onto something good.

The band has since then released a self titled EP and in 2010 their first single called “Badlands” which was downloaded over 5000 times in the US alone. This gave the band some rotation on radio in both the U.S and Europe. In 2012 the band released their new single “She Runaway” from the upcoming album “48 Laws” Some more radio picked up the new tune and this made for a good warm-up to the album that was released in February 2013.

If you are fans of bands like Saxon, Think Lizzy, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and AC/DC, this genre will be right down your alley.

I was quite nervous as this was my first ever interview done and I really like these guy’s band and did not want to sound like I haven’t done this before, so my approach was to ask things I actually wanted to know about the bands I listen to…

So, what to you guys do in your spare time? Away from Grand Rezerva.

Mike:“Oh, we actually have day jobs! But my hobbies are soccer, or how we call it in Sweden, Football. I am also a Vinyl collector of old school rock n’ roll and I also enjoy Blues.”

Andreas:” I work in the music distribution industry, but my hobbies are motorbikes, I really love motorbikes”

What is the craziest thing that has happened while you were on stage performing?

“One of our shows, the guy that booked us, we actually got this guy onstage to sing the chorus of one of our songs for the band, live, they guys was so excited and know all the words to our songs”

Who is your biggest inspiration? And it does not have to be an artist.

Mike:”Well it’s always been about music for me so I will have to say KISS. I love KISS and always wanted to know everything about them”

Andreas:”I would have to say Hendrix”

What is the hardest thing about being in a band?

Andreas:” I’m not sure if you’re married, but being in a band is like being married to all four people in the band. We all have the normal family arguments. It is a lovely pain.

What are your fondest musical memories while growing up, in your house or neighbourhood?

Mike:”I was about 9 years old, my one neighbour was a huge kiss fan and played in rock band, he had this very long black hair , always wore black clothes and was always wearing black converse shoes, he rode a skateboard and always blasted rock music from his boom box. I wanted to be like him.”

Andreas:” My one friend introduced me to Hendrix and I just became a big Hendrix fan.”

What do you think about the current rock n’ roll scene?

Andreas:”There is such a duality about it, there is so many sides to the rock scene these days, you have the commercial rock scene and others like it that is for ‘kids’, and then there is the underground movement with the idea of not caring about the ‘polished’ sound, you just want the feeling we get from rock ‘n roll”

Mike:” I do follow some new music but I prefer old school hard rock”

Who writes the lyrics for the band and what do the lyric usually deal with?

Mike:” I write the lyrics. The lyrics usually deals with current events, stuff I deal with in everyday life, like meeting people and life in general”

What should fans look forward to for 2014 and beyond?

Mike:”Well you are the first one we have told, but we will be releasing a new single before this fall”

Andreas:”We are working with a great record company and as we recently release a full length album, we wanted to only release a new single for now”

Mike:”Yes, Keep Rocking Radio is the first to find out about the single, so now only you and my mother know about it.”

What was it like working on your full length album ’48 laws’?

Andreas:”I just told Mike that walking in to the studio now reminded me that last time we were here we were recording our album. We were in a rush to make the album as we had to get it done in a certain timeframe. A lot of the album was recorded live and I think it brings out the magic of the music so the album was also straight up our sound”

What was the first live rock show you ever saw?

Mike:"I’ll give you one guess. KISS”

Andreas:”The first live show I saw was actually The Smashing Pumpkins”

How does it feel like knowing your music reaches all the way to South Africa?

Mike:”It blows our minds!”

Andreas:”We feel very privileged to know our music reaches beautiful places like South Africa”

Mike:”We are so proud and honoured”

These guys are really an awesome bunch and they are funny as hell. I have so much fun speaking to these and getting to know Grand Rezerva. I have learned that Mike absolutely hates cold weather and fully believes he was born in the wrong country, he is the ultimate KISS fan and his life revolves around music. Andreas is a blast, has a peace about him, so cool and collected, but in his own goofy way and yet I can totally see this guy as a pirate century ago.

Grand Rezerva truly rocks and Keep Rocking Radio are big fans!

Interview done and written by: Louise Pretorius