Metal Shock was a metal magazine from Italy, written in Italian. Here is an interview translated to English.
ASTAROTH (ITA)
By Klaus Byron
When Roman band Astaroth released the mini-album The Long Loud Silence in 1985, released by Dutch independent label Rave-On Records, many believed that Italian heavy metal had finally found the right path to greatness. The five Roman warriors had many positive factors in their favor: great professionalism, excellent technical ability, a decidedly original image, and above all, a reputable label that firmly believed in them. Despite all this, today, almost three years later, that remains the only vinyl track from the Roman combo. Intrigued by this inexplicable and prolonged silence, we tracked down Shining, the band's bassist, and learned some very important news from him, just on the eve of a new adventure that will bring Astaroth to the United States.
So, can you tell us what really happened in these last few years of relative silence?
"The dark period began when the boss of Rave-On decided to stop producing heavy metal bands. From that moment on, we worked hard to find a new contract that could offer us more, first contacting major labels like EMI, CBS, and Virgin, until we landed in Paris with Black Dragon, then in Holland with Roadrunner, and in Germany with Steamhammer. Unfortunately, at the moment, Astaroth plays a musical genre that is neither Glam nor Thrash, and so we were unable to secure any kind of contract, ending up wasting two years in this stubborn search. For this reason, we came to a so-called "supreme" decision: to abandon Italy and move to Los Angeles. We already have a flight booked for October 20th, which is right as you are reading this interview. I would like to point out that this is not a betrayal, but given that after two years of intense searching, we have not been able to find someone who will give us Trust, we decided not to give up and try the California card.”
There must have been something positive in these last two years...
"Of course, we had the opportunity to play with Motorhead and receive compliments from them, which is always gratifying. The experience of meeting Deep Purple and receiving useful advice from them was also very positive. Apart from a few concerts and a few Rai appearances, there is nothing else worth remembering.”
Which lineup will you be leaving for the United States with?
"With the one from recent times: singer Bob Cattani, guitarist Max Cipicchia, drummer Jan D'Amore, who is the only new member compared to the "The Long Loun Silence" lineup, and myself, Shining, bassist. We decided not to bring a second guitarist after the release of Simone Triscari, since we got along very well with the four-piece lineup.”
Will you also be bringing all your gear, i.e., the ancient Roman costumes, to America?
"Certainly! We firmly believe in the image we've created; it's original and we like it, so we'll bring everything Los Angeles has to offer, confident that it will also resonate with American audiences.”
Do you think this overseas adventure will impact Astaroth's musical style?
"I think it's very difficult, because we've had our experiences in Italy and we certainly won't be able to improvise as poseurs. We'll probably continue on our own path, and if changes occur, I think they'll be dictated by direct experience and not by adapting to a certain music market.”
Is leaving Italy temporary or permanent?
"For now, we're not considering this issue, since we already left Italy a few years ago to go to Holland for a while, and last January we spent a long time in Germany, so we're not very impressed with this American adventure. It could be a trip, an experience that will prove useful in any case, or, if things turn out in our favor, a necessary abandonment of our homeland. On the other hand, the phrase "nemo profe in patria" seems appropriate for us too, given our recent experiences, and that's why we're trying the American card.”
Is this a sign of not wanting to give up, then?
"Of course, before throwing in the towel, we want to try everything, and after the States there's always Japan, don't you think?"