Detonator – the band came from the ealrly Ukrainian Thrash metal scene, they were split-up back in early of ’90s, and was resurrected couple of years ago! eleased awesome album and continue to compose new stuff, know more about them right now!
Hello Eugen! How are you these days?
Hi. Everything is ok, thanks!
Please introduce yourself and tell a brief Detonator’s history for the readers who couldn’t find it in the internet.
I`m Eugen Ivanov – guitarist and founder of “Detonator”. Our project began in early 1991, we have actively played our own thrash stuff for two years. Then there was a huge break, and only last year the band declared itself by releasing debut full-length album.
Ok, originally Detonator was active for two years just, i.e. 1991-1993… And get hiatus having just two demos (with poorest sound quality as I know), what’s happened back then and why you were forced to stop with the band?
It was too difficult to make a quality recording because of lack of proper equipment. In Zhytomyr city there was no recording studio. Recording in Kyiv was too expensive for students. We recorded our songs over regular cassettes without any processing so the sound quality of our demos was poor.
There was many reasons for band “vacation” – family, lack of normal earnings and many more. Besides at that time a new genres of heavy music evolved. Such bands as “Nirvana, Pearl Jam…” seized the hearts and ears of metal-heads. An interest in thrash metal began to fade. Most of the fans switched to grunge or death metal, and the musicians of our band began to try themselves in other projects.
And, wasn’t you played with some other bands/projects during the years? Or you was busy by common things like job, family etc?
In late 1993, after retiring from Detonator, I got into another interesting thrash band – «Medium». But music was more like hobby that days – family and work was on first place, moreover the time was not easy. I had to work a lot and there was no enough time for music.
And, I remember you told me you have visited some studio there in Kyiv, get guitar in the hands and start playing, then you have get an idea to resurrect band, something like that, so, can you please tell more specially for the readers?
Guitar always was with me. I created some new riffs, new interesting melodies were added to old songs. So with time a thought to resurrect the band has appeared – to record old and new material within a full-length album.
Detonator started with old-school thrash metal, gone into hiatus with old-school thrash metal, and twenty years after was resurrected with the same old-school thrash metal! That’s more than awesome these days! Can you tell now that all those rhythms etc, which you have played on the new album were inside you all these years?
I always take prefer to oldschool-thrash-metal all other music genres. And it`s still my favorite style although I`m listening to a lot of different music. As for musical direction of our LP there was no doubt – it`s classic thrash. However there is some influences of new recording technologies and a small flavor of another heavy styles.
What was the reaction of your relatives when they get know you will continues with the Metal?:)
I`m lucky with that – my family always supports me and we have pretty similar musical taste. Me and my wife will never miss new albums or live performances of Slayer, Annihilator or Mekong Delta:)
You have got the deal with enough good label from Russia – Metal Race, who have released your album on CD format. Did you sent many promos to the labels and did you received any other propositions to make a release? Did you sent some into the abroad, EU/USA etc?
We had no task to make commercially-successful album. It rather was the material realizing of our ideas. That`s why we chose not the biggest but interesting and right label. We didn`t expect any proposal so there was no distribution with our material. We were quite satisfied with ”METAL RACE”.
And how could you evaluate your cooperation with Metal Race? Are you satisfied with the work they did/doing?
Satisfied at 100%. Label did a great work.
What were the main feedbacks you have received so far? Did you saw some negative or ridiculous ones?
I did not see negative reviews, people are well appreciated with our record. There is many pleasant reviews, both from our country and from abroad.
Ok, tell now about Detonator’s lyrics, what about your songs are, and do you have some special ideology, maybe message to the listeners etc?
Lyrics has basically anti-war orientation, there are also songs about human fears, freedom, fight. The urgency of these issues has not changed since the 90s of the last century.
As I know – your favorite band of all times is Voivod, can you tell us WHY do you like them most of all and from your point of view – are their latest works are some kind of evolution or…?
Yes, Voivod for me personally is the most-favorite band. I believe that it’s not just music, it’s exciting and a fantastic story, transmitted through sounds. The new album is very good and does not violate the harmony of the world invented by Voivod.
Well, looking into the nowadays metal scene, do you see it better or worse than was while your start with metal life?
Back in days metal music took by its novelty. The value of any record at the time was very high, any information about a metal band had the same value. Now the opposite – a huge amount of new bands, a lot of information, copy of all, it become much easy to record, so the album is not as unique as it was before. However, even now there is so many cool bands!
Do you planning to play live some day? I’m sure it’d be more than great!
It would be great. But for now we have no plans about live performances. May be year or two later.
Any updates about the new stuff? Can you unveil a secret when you’ll have new massacre?
I continue to create new stuff. How much time will pass until they turn into a new album, it’s hard to imagine, but when it happens – I am sure that «Detonator» will not disappoint you.
That’s all for now, I hope to hear from you soon and stay METAL!\m/
Thrash to all!
Read review HERE.
Aleksandr
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