Interview: Liquid Steel

Originally, interview with Liquid Steel was scheduled in Novi Sad, Serbia during Eastern European Tour with Diamond Falcon (April 15th, 2017). Due personal reasons, we had to postpone it. Few months later, you can finally read interview with Fabio Steel Carta.

Hi, Fabio! First of all, thank you for your time.

Fabio Steel: Hey guys, thank you for having us. It’s a pleasure!

I know that you are probably tired of this question, but I will take a risk… Can you introduce the band to our readers?

Fabio Steel: No problem mate. We are Liquid Steel a Heavy Metal Band from Austria. We’ve been active since 2009 and we’ve released two albums so far: Fire In The Sky (2014) and Midnight Chaser (2016). We just enjoy what we do and we love playing live, so we’ve played quite a bit around here and we just came back from our first Eastern European Tour with our buddies Diamond Falcon, which was a total blast.

You are originally from Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol, well known as winter sports centre. How did you choose music instead of skiing?

Fabio Steel: Haha, that’s a good question…. I don’t know, some of us do ski actually, but I guess we just love playing music and have good time more. I used to play a bit of hockey myself, but I’ll have to admit, I’m not the best skier.

Your debut album “Fire in the Sky” was released in 2014. How was the feedback?

Fabio Steel: It was a shock really. We were absolutely knocked sideways by the reaction we got. The fact that we were able to find our own record at festivals and to spot it in record stores is just indescribable We were really pleased with the outcome and we are still very proud of that record.

The first video I saw was “Riding High”. I just love the band energy and it seems you are having a lot of fun together. Which “part” of job you enjoy the most: writing, recording, touring?

Fabio Steel: As you can imagine the shooting for Riding High was great fun. We invited some buddies, got hammered, and “drove around“ in our self-made car all day. I still like the video, although it’s just pure nonsense. But that’s who we are. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we like to have a good laugh. As far as I’m concerned I enjoy playing live the most, but I also really enjoy the creative process of writing.

Your second album “Midnight Chaser” is self released. What is the reason?

Fabio Steel: We just thought that it was a good idea. No, honestly, the thing is that there isn’t much money in the music business anymore. Our first album was released on a label and we were quite pleased with it. For our second album, we had all the contacts you need and so we decided to take chances and release it on our own. Also, now we have full control over our music and all the money goes 100%  to us.

What do you expect from labels to offer you for signing any contract?

Fabio Steel: Honestly, we have a couple of labels in mind, where we would love to be on but the most important thing for us is to have full control over our music and that we get 150% support from the label. It’s not about how big a label is and it’s not about the money, it’s about integrity. And who knows, we might release something on a label again next time.. Never say never.

We all know process of making album is not cheap? How do you manage that?

Fabio Steel: Well, since we are not the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, the costs remain quite affordable. Jokes apart, we all work and we put a lot of money into the band but eventually hard work pays off, who knows… Haha.

The band is more than just hobby. It’s our baby, but unfortunately we don’t make enough money out of it.

In “Midnight Chaser” you say: “Riding out into the night with fire in our hearts, we chase our dreams”… Which dreams you had when you began working with the band, what did you achieve and what do you expect in the future?

Fabio Steel: That’s right. Because that’s exactly what we love doing. Everytime we drive to a gig I think of it, and it may sound pathetic, but it makes me a little proud. We are all very passionate about our music and we always put our heart and soul into it. When we started out we always had a certain vision of what we would like to be as a band. Basically, we are five buddies that still share that same vision. It doesn’t matter how big the gig is, it doesn’t matter if we make much money, what matters is that we enjoy what we do and that other people enjoy it too. It is very humbling to drive 900km to a gig and hear people say that they are very excited to hear/see you. We would like to continue playing our music, writing exciting songs and sharing our vision, that’s all.

Listening your albums, people will very easily understand that you are perfectly balancing between cheerful and very serious lyrics. “Fire in the Sky” includes “Samurai” and “Midnight Chaser” “Hiroshima”. Can you tell us more about those songs? Why Japan?

Fabio Steel: That’s an interesting question. I try not to focus on certain topics too much. I just write what comes spontaneously to my mind. The lyrics have to fit with the song first. Imagine a song like “Hiroshima” with some fun lyrics, that just doesn’t go. Second, I’d be bored to death, if I had to write only serious or only fun lyrics. Actually, “Hiroshima” has one the lyrics I’m probably most proud of. I tried to write it from different perspectives. The first verse “Sleep city sleep, at break of dawn“ is before they dropped the bomb, the second verse “Weep mothers, weep, tears you cry“ during and instantly after they explosion, and the third verse “Seek fathers, seek, carry the dead“ deals with the aftermath of the attack. Without a doubt that was one of the most terrible events in the history of mankind and when I wrote it it was the 70th anniversary and there were just lots of documentaries on TV that were simply touching.

“Samurai”, on the other hand, is just an epic song, that I love to sing live. What I tried to do is to create a certain image using a vivid language (“When the sun will rise in ancient Tokyo“). Speaking of Tokyo, I don’t know why Japan. I guess because it’s just got that exotic bonus to it and also, I love Sushi.

At the other hand you have “King of Avalon” (“Fire in the Sky”) and “Kubla Khan” (“Midnight Chaser”). First one is adapted text by Alfred Lord Tennyson and other one Samuel Taylor Coleridge if I am not wrong. Who loves English poetry?

Fabio Steel: That is entirely correct my friend. I just love the metaphorical language and the imagery that peotry creates in your head.

You have been playing as support to Blaze Bayley, Powerwolf, Skull Fist, Raven, U.D.O. What have you learnt on the road?

Fabio Steel: You learn so much from every band you play with. Actually, the most important thing for a young band is to play live, because that’s when it shows if a band is good or not. Before you play live, you have to learn how to play your instrument of course, then by the time you’ll learn how to perform. Because that’s two completely different things. Playing live without mistakes is good for you, but you don’t only play for yourself, you play for the audience too, and that’s one thing that we’ve learnt by playing with all of the above mentioned bands. Actually, we saw Raven the other day and I think they are still one the best live bands out there.

Liquid Steel, High Heeler, Wild Hunt, Küenring, Roadwolf, Grim Justice  and Diamond Falcon are forming the “Austrian Heavy Metal Alliance”. What is the mission of AHMA?

Fabio Steel: The AHMA was formed in 2014 and the goal was to make a Vinyl Sampler of new Austrian Heavy Metal Bands and to connect with the all the bands, and that’s exactly what we did. The idea was born when we played Vienna for the first time and met all the wonderful people from these bands. After a couple of beers we decided that it was about time to create a Vinyl Sampler of pure Austrian Steel. So, that was that.

In April 2017, you had 7 concerts in Serbia, Bulgaria and Croatia on East European Tour with Diamond Falcon. Originally, this interview was supposed to be led in Novi Sad, Serbia, but due personal reasons, I had to cancel it. So, tell me something more about your Eastern European experience?

Fabio Steel: First off, I have to say that unfortunately I couldn’t take part in that tour, because I’ve become a daddy during that time and so I can’t tell you too much about it, really. What I can tell you is that the boys had a fantastic time on the road and that they’ve met tons of people. Our great buddy Phil did a fantastic job on the vocals and we can’t thank him enough for everything that he’s done for us. It was a terrific experience for us to travel these countries and to play there for the first time, with our partners in crime Diamond Falcon. We had the time of our life with them! Actually, do yourself a favour and check them out, they’re awesome people and a great great band.

At the end, would you like to say something to our readers?

Fabio Steel: Thank you so much for the interview. We really appreciate your support! We’d love to come to the Ukraine one day and to play for you wonderful people. Keep supporting metal and real music. IN STEEL WE TRUST!

Vielen Dank für das Interview.

Fabio Steel: Laskavo prosymo. Take care.