King's-Evil  - INTERVIEW

When we put the debut album of this band to play we are envoled by a intense and nostalgic 80’s metal aura…this is a perfect abortion of the new thrash metal old conceptions mixed with some brutal death touches, a incredible mix of old KREATOR with new SLAYER albums, yes KING`S-EVIL is it and much more!!! These thrash attack borned in Japan and the album “ Deletion of Humanoise” (released by the legendary label WORLDCHAOS Productions) are a proof of the japanese metal powerful. Krepuskulum interviewed Wataru Yamada (Guitars/Vocals).

KREPUSKULUM - KING´S-EVIL had a long way in japanese unnderground, talk to us about the band history.

WATARU YAMADA - I came to Tokyo in 1989 when I was 16 years old. King's-Evil was a band formed when I was in high school. When I came to Tokyo from Sapporo I left the bassist and drummer behind, so my younger brother and I had to start looking for new members. We waited for a long time for the bassist and drummer to come from Sapporo, but it ended up that they were just lying to us and making us wait.  We gave up waiting and had to start looking, I was kind-of angry. The main members of the band were my younger brother and I , we had others come and go , but , nobody stayed. It was an unstable time for us. In 1989 we put an add in a magazine to finally find others who would join. During the years from 1990-1998 we were the same band still at work. We were writing our own music , performing on stage and at the ''HOKOTEN''. We were also practicing at the rehearsal studio. ''HOKOTEN'' is a place where a busy down town road is closed briefly so that bands or other performances can perform there. Every Sunday we went there at  specified time, we only were able to perform from about noon until 6:00p.m. , when the road would re-open to traffic. The ''HOKOTEN'' was a place where people could come and go as they pleased. ''HOKOTEN'' located in Harajuku a busy central area in Tokyo. Nowadays, the ''HOKOTEN'' no longer exists in Japan. In June of 1999, the band MARDUK was on tour in Japan. When MARDUK was in Tokyo we opened for them. Wataru started on vocals for us, when we were doing our live gigs. The gig with MARDUK was the first real start we had us a band. ''King's-Evil'' consisted of 4 members now. Masamichi Yamada on guitar  Wataru Yamada on guitar and vocals  Takachika Nakajima on bass and chorus  Eiji Murakami on drums  About line-up history......King's-Evil always had the same main members. My younger brother and myself, the drummer, and the bassist. Others would come and go, assisting us with our music, but they would never stay. This would make it really difficult for the various things we wanted to do to go smoothly. We put an add in a magazine for a vocalist, bassist, and drummer, and many people tried out. We just couldn't seem to find anyone on our level to join us. We have difficulty in looking for members. In June of 1998, our band consisted of 5 members at this time, but until then we only had the four of us. We only performed live 8 times as the 5 of us, and then had fire the drummer and the vocalist. We had to stop our activities and start over. In June of 1999, Wataru started on vocals. Both the drummer Eiji and the bassist Takachika responded to an ad in the Japanese music magazine ''Player''. It was in March of 1999 that the drummer joined us . It was in February of 2001 that the bassist joined the band. It took a long time for us to get our line-up just right. We had no idea it would take so long to get this far, a full 12 years. The last, I'm sorry, I must say a word to you. About band's name indication.....(Right) King's-Evil   (False) King's Evil Band's name is necessary for the ''hyphen''.


The music of KING’S-EVIL is very influenced by the 80´s thrash bands, what are your prefered bands of the 80’s and what are the best 10 albums of thrash metal history in your opinion?

There are too many bands to mention that have had on influence on us. As for my younger brother and I, "SLAYER", "METALLICA" and "KREATOR" have had influence on us.We especially like the early days of "SLAYER", but we love everything after and including their album "Reign in blood",we like METALLICA's first album "Kill 'em all", but it was their 2nd and 3rd album's "Ride the Lightning" and Master of puppets" that have had a special influence on us.We like KREATOR's first album "Endless Pain", but it was their 2nd,4th,and5th album's "Pleasure to kill" "Extreme aggression" and "Coma of souls" that have had a special influence on us. About the best 10 albums of thrash metal history.... This question is too difficult for me. The thrash metal album is too much for me to select.
1,ANTHRAX / Spreading The Disease
2,SLAYER / Reign In Blood
3,METALLICA / Master of Puppets
4,TESTAMENT / Practice What You Preach
5,SEPULTURA / Beneath The Remains
6,SEPULTURA / Arise
7,KREATOR / Extreme Aggression
8,KREATOR / Coma Of Souls
9,EXODUS / Impact Is Imminent
10,OVERKILL / Under The Influence

“Deletion of Humanoise” is in our opinion one of the best thrash metal albums of the new millenium!!! When we listen it we remember great classic albums like KREATOR´s “ Pleasure to Kill” and SLAYER’s “ Reign in Blood”, what is the reception of the album by the metal music media worldwide??

Thanks to us efforts,This is my 1st album "Deletion Of Humanoise" very popular with the metallic scene in Japan and oversea. Japanese magazine "BURRN"and "Young Guitar" has introduced.This album is marvelous. And interview (from oversea),my band's songs were sent on the air. (radio program)  I get the great result. We were glad at the news. As a result,1st album is released from SPINE/SPIKE FARM. And King's-Evil is undercontract to PAVEMENT. If we can,we get a chance to live perfomance on oversea.

The japanese metallic scene is very big now, what are the great names of japanese metal now in yor opinion?

I don't care the Japanese metallic scene.So far as I know....There are too many bands to mention. I'm sorry.

Congratulations for yor extreme balance of power and agressivity, tracks like “False Pride” and “Core Dead” are hyms to thrash lovers!! Where come from the inspiration to compose these classics??

We did noting special . Everything was done in a natural order . It took us so long to get things together in the way we wanted it . Over the past 12 years,we developed these aggressive and powerful tunes through the trials we went through . Nothing was ever smooth.

Your vocals are very intense and it remember very much the voice of Petrozza (from KREATOR) and the voice of OBITUARY, Are this vocalists the best thrash vocals in your opinion?

I like all the first-line vocalists . Especially like TOM ARAYA(SLAYER) and Mille Petrozza(KREATOR). About Mille's good points... special voice, the atomosphere of mille. About Tom's good points...Staging , facial expression of singing .

The cover artwork of the CD is very interesting. What is the mastermind behind this artwork? What is the meaning of these extreme
illustration??

About mastermind behind this artwork.... It is needless to say that this artwork is Wes Benscoter's cover painting . It feels great to present our 1st album to the world using the art of Wes Benscoter . All the other bands that have cover's that I love by Benscoter, too many to count actually. But,from the time that we started looking for someone to paint an album cover,and until the time Benscoter finished it,we were really worried . We had difficulty contacting Wes in America,and to find out wheather or not he had enough time to get the painting done before we wanted to release the album . Putting the album together was difficult,we were so busy with everything but relieved when Wes had the painting finished on time . We didn't tell Wes to paint anything specifically,We didn't have time . We just let him do his artwork in a manner that he liked,using our album's name as guideline . We were,of couse,enjoyed when we saw the finished product, it was exactly what we wanted for our title . About meaning of these extream illustration.....I interpret "Human noise" that foolish people say words around me . Younger brother makes the word . He mixed the words "Human" and
"Noise". People swallow the "Humanoise" that it bring ruin to the world. Without them knowledge,Jesus Christ change the Devil . Album's cover means devastated the world .

Were come from the hate to play thrash metal with these fury? Do you believe in a kind of God or another superior conscience?

I'm sorry, I don't think such a thing . I don't know it .

In the lyric of “Fanatical Devotion” you talk about fanatical religious of the world, what you think about the World Trade
attack? And the Israel X Arafat war?

About the World Trade attack and Israel ×Arafat war......I don't hope to talk such thing . I hate to think futile terrorism and war. NO Coment !!!



Do you plan a tour to the debut album?

I regret to say that I don't have the major tour in Japan . We had our live performances . My activities....until now,about or 2 times month after month . We want to have the long tour, if possible . From my 1st Album "Deletion Of Humanoise" was sold,We only went to the live show in Osaka, Nagoya,Tokyo . We want to go the other area . We've never played outside of Japan . My 1st Album "Deletion Of Humanoise" is sold from SPINE/SPIKE Farm in April,we want to go the live show in the various country .

In the last 3 decades the japanese culture are attacked by the american way of life style, what is the consequences of this cultural invasion?

This question is too difficult for me. I don't know about the conseqences of this cultural invasion . I can't remember .

Talk with us about the next plans of KING´S-EVIL.

About next plans....When the goal that I organized the band,the album realse in overseas,has come true . Next we want to go abroad and have the major tours . And King's-Evil of renown more spread . Overseas and domestic....About goal in paticular that I have set out to achieve...There's nothing decided . Still a concrete fact...I'm just thinking on what to do in future . I have had good occasion . Thank you !!!

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Contacts:

WORLDCHAOS production
#406 New Light Bld. 2-25-6 Hongo
Bunkyo-ku Tokyo JAPAN 113-0033

Fax: +81-3-5803-7661
worldkdm@syd.odn.ne.jp
wcp@syd.odn.ne.jp