INTERVIEW

Date: 12 Nov 2000

Interviewed By: Noz of Skratch The Surface

Area 54, a few months back, this London based 4 piece released their debut album 'No Visible Scars', and, although having a contemporary vibe, looked set to bring more traditional, melodic metal complete with guitar solo's back to the scene. Despite receiving a mixed bag of reviews, their unique blend of trad metal influences (Megadeth, G&R) mixed with a heavier, darker side (At The Gates-esque ) helped them storm up various categories in magazines readers poll’s, including 2nd place in the ‘Best new band’ section in the last ‘Metal Hammer’ poll.

But, shortly after ‘No Visible Scars’ was released, and after only a few gigs, the band seemed to disappear for a while and not really ‘blow up’ or improve much on their profile.

However, they are now recording album no2 and feel that THIS time around things will go right for them. I caught up with guitarist/vocalist Lakis Kyriacou to talk about album no2, the recent departure of guitarist Adrian Longley, and their upcoming plans….

You guys are currently working on album number 2, hows it going so far?Any song titles?What sort of direction is the new stuff taking?

The writing is going well, it's all still very melodic like 'No Visible Scars'.  I'll give you one title - 'Father' . Which is about my relationship with my father, which I guess talks about why we don't speak anymore.

That is the plan, we want to work with him and he seems keen to hear our new stuff so it's looking promising.

If you don't mind me asking...what caused the split with Adrian Longley?

I don't mind you asking at all.  When we started out together, we were a team, and because of the style we are doing, it seemed like us against the world (metal world included).  I spoke about trust & respect & I also made it clear that I wanted to hear anything they had to say, and like every band, we have had disagreements, but Adrian would never say what he wanted to say and got stressed about it 2 months down the line.  As time went on, we realised that we didn't want to work with him anymore and in the end he felt the same.  He dropped hints that he didn't want me to play lead guitar anymore so that he could be the lead guitarist alone, and how could that work when I write harmony parts which obviously need two guitars.  I'm not trying to slag him off but we are both good at guitar, so I wanted to make the most of it.

It was only after he left the band that he E-mailed me and told me what he wanted to say for the last year or so.

Would you mind telling us a bit about your new guitarist?

He fits in with us really well.  He knows all the material and makes an effort to work on stuff.  His name is Steve and he is 21.  Check out his biography on our web-site (www.area54.co.uk) for more dirt on him.

In comparison to a lot of bands, you didn't do much gigging off the back of your debut 'No Visible Scars', before you went straight back to record your second record. Was there any particular reason for this, - did you just want to get the new stuff down a.s.a.p?

We are recording the new album early next year.  The reason we haven't toured much is because after our last gig (July 6th), we had to look for a new guitarist who could play all the stuff well and I also had to make sure he wasn't a wanker which is so important.  Also, we had to figure out what to do with the songs with piano parts in, as Adrian played the piano, but we didn't want to get a full time keyboard player in 'cos most of our stuff has no piano.  We've had a hard time, but the band is going well and I know that the next album is gonna ROCK!!!!!!!  We are ready to play again now to promote the debut but we will be throwing in at least one new song at every gig.

I believe you have a tour coming up with GF93?

Yeah, it's meant to start December 1st.  We will start in the U.K. and then go to Italy with them, which will be great.

Since I last interviewed you (for ‘Skratch the Surface’), has the way you feel about the metal scene changed at all? Any new bands you've been impressed by?

Fister, Sanctum etc.,  I'm also into The Haunted in a big way and I’ve been to a lot of their gigs, I was at one last night and they rule. Their new album 'The Haunted Made Me Do It' is amazing and it's very At The Gates in places.

Are you happy with what you achieved off the back of 'No Visible Scars'?

No, it didn't get promoted enough and I think we win the award for most shitty album cover ever!!!  I'm not about to give up on it though, because I love the songs.

Has anything you've experienced since actually recording/releasing/promoting an album affected the way you're going about album no2? 

Yep.

Lyrically, what sort of things have influenced the new songs/what sort of stuff are you writing about?

The same negative shit that I go through.  Some of the lyrics are a bit darker and the subjects have changed.

Since your last record, you're pretty much still the only band playing the style of metal you do, would you feel this affects Area 54 much? - e.g. you have a certain identity and are proud of it, which motivates/encourages you..or would you not consider it a factor?

It does cause us a lot of hassle because we can never be on with the right bands because nobody else is doing this.  Some people think we are not original enough but I don't hear any other bands mixing black metal riffs in balls-out rock songs. It's just what I write.  I miss bands like Megadeth and G N'R doing it, so I'm making the album that I want to hear, not that they mix styles, but I like to mix Rust In Peace style with Slaugher Of The Soul and I like to mix Fear Of The Dark with Appetite For Destruction and that makes us original.

Anything I've not mentioned that you'd like to?

Yeah, Listen to 'Midian' from Cradle of Filth - IT RULES!!!!!!

Noz: thanx, best wishes.

Lakis Cheers.

Interviewed By: Noz of Skratch The Surface