Heaven's Metal Exclusive: Lance King Interview
We're all familiar with Lance King from his days as the excellent vocalist and leader of the band Balance of Power. Though many of us were saddened when he left the band, Lance has moved on to bigger and better things. Singer, writer, producer and record label owner, Lance took some time from his busy schedule to discuss the past, present and future of his music career.
[Interview by Chris Beck]
Chris Beck: You recently sang on a couple albums, From the Depths of Time by Avian and Enter Eternity by Shining Star. Tell us a little about each album and how you ended up as the lead vocalist on each one.
Lance King: Well, sort of a long story on each, but I'll summarize as best I can. With SHINING STAR, this was a band that was signed to the same label that BALANCE OF POWER was signed to in Brazil...FRONTLINE ROCK (now their doors are closed). This label contacted me shortly after my leaving BOP had hit the streets in early 2003; they asked me if I would like to check out this other band that they had signed, SHINING STAR. I had heard of the group, having their debut album, FABIO ROCHA's SHINING STAR, in stock at Nightmare. I asked them to send me some stuff to check out, and I loved the album! We worked out a deal, SHINING STAR was to be my new main band. After I was finished singing on the album, the label asked me to produce it as well. I went into the studio with long-time friend Todd Fitzgerald who had mixed the last four BALANCE OF POWER albums. I had Todd do the mix and I wore the producer's hat. When we finished it sounded excellent. I was excited to get the stuff off and started for the new release. I was told by FRONTLINE that they had sent up the money for the studio fees but it never seemed to arrive...month in and month out I would write and hear new and creative excuses why the money hadn't arrived. After about six months I needed to pay these fees out of my own pocket, believing in the project. The label apparently had some financial issues, so I held on to the masters and discussed this with the band. We all very much wanted to move ahead on this but at that time our hands were somewhat tied. The band was worried because they had a contract with the label. (We're talking about Brazil here, where people go missing when they mess around with the wrong people.) So I understood their position. So we decided to sit on the album for a while and see what happened. During that time I was invited to sing on the first PYRAMAZE album; nothing happened with FRONTLINE, and PYRAMAZE became my main priority. AVIAN came up when David Ellefson (Ex-MEGADETH bassist) called me about doing a project together. We'd been talking about doing something together for a while, and one day he says, "I've been working on some songs with this guy Yan and it's starting to turn into something, do you want to check it out?" I of course said sure...send it on over...and that was the beginning of AVIAN. Yan and David would go into the studio and record the rough rhythm tracks and send them to me and I would add my parts to them and send them back with a rough mix. They both seemed to like my rough mixes, and when we had all the tunes done, David asked me to mix and produce the album. This one I did myself in my pro-tools studio at home, but it needed some more players to make it a rounded sound and production, so I invited my long-time guitar friend Roger Moore from my very first album ever (GEMINI - self titled) to do some shredding and Jonah the keyboardist of PYRAMAZE to give it some depth. Both of these guys are just amazing players, so it was fun to cut them loose and let them do what they do best!
Your singing style on each of these albums is considerably different. Is this something you chose to do in an attempt to "match" the music, or was it perhaps something that was suggested by the other musicians involved?
I believe with each band or project you need to have it be it's own thing, if I were to do the exact same thing I do in another album it wouldn't bring anything new to the album I'm working on at the time. I try to fit what I'm doing to what the song is asking for...it's really all about what sounds right in the tune! I'm probably a much more diverse a singer than anyone really would guess. I love all kinds of music with the exception of rap and country (these make me gag heavily!) I used to sing in cover bands for many years before I began recording, so I've emulated literally thousands of singers over the years; the ones I really liked, I've borrowed something from. On a few of the AVIAN songs Yan had some ideas he wanted me to try. I thought, that's great, this album needs to sound different!
Between Avian and Shining Star, which singing style do you prefer and why?
I would say that SHINING STAR is closest to my natural singing style. With AVIAN, I experimented with new voicings. I don't have a personal preference between the two. I get so close to albums--when you work that much on them--that I need to step away from them for a while and come back to them to hear them again with fresh ears. I've had time away from both albums now, and I like the way each came out very much.
One of the other bands you're part of, Pyramaze, has a new album coming out soon entitled Legend of the Bone Carver. What is this album about? What can listeners expect to hear when compared to Pyramaze's first album, Melancholy Beast?
This is a concept album by it's very nature...it's an epic tale from start to finish. It's darker, heavier, more melodic and more dynamic than our debut album, Melancholy Beast. We've added another guitarist to the band, his name is Toke. He's another Danish guy who has brought a new dimension to the band. He played as our second guitarist for a bunch of shows to support the first album. He was such a good guy and such a great player, we asked him to join.
You spent several years of your career with Balance of Power, with whom you released three albums. Though moving on from the band has certainly allowed you to become involved with other projects and start your own music label, Nightmare Records, do you ever look back and have any regrets about leaving the band?
Absolutely no regrets...I look at my tenure with BOP endearingly. I will always have fond memories of our time together and the great music we made. Change is inevitable sometimes and unfortunately we couldn't work together anymore--some business, and some of it personal. It was time to move on...life is too short to dwell on the past or negative experiences so I chose to move on and work with other people. I wish them all the best!
You left Balance of Power after the release of Perfect Balance, which many people (including myself) consider to be a superior album in almost every way. Perfect Balance had excellent singing, musicianship and production and had classic songs such as "Shelter Me." Why, when Balance of Power seemingly had finally reached that pinnacle, creating an album where it all comes together, did you decide to leave the band then?
Perfect Balance came out in the middle of 2001; I left in early 2003 so some time had obviously lapsed between this album and my departure. It's a long story why I left...and one that isn't worth reliving every time someone asks me or I'd be doomed to the negativity it brings to my mind and it would inevitably affect my direction and career, so I choose not too dwell on that. I did one interview on this a couple of months after I left. If anyone wants to read the details of this from "my perspective", it's available online at www.strutter.8m.com.
Speaking of the album Perfect Balance...what is the meaning of the song "The Pleasure Room"?
Tony Ritchie wrote this lyric so you should ask him for his thoughts on this, however, my interpretation of the lyrics and what I remember of what he told me was this...'The Pleasure Room' is from a convict's perspective, living out his sentence in prison for his crimes against society. He's found God, and he prays, but he hasn't given up sinful thinking. His "pleasure room" is his mind...he can go anywhere and do anything there. "No one needs to know" what he does there, but he doesn't seem to realize that God knows and that thoughts are things.
What is your current relationship with the other guys from Balance of Power?
I consider all but one my friends, though there hasn't been much communication with any of them since I left the band. This is more due to a lot of ocean between us and busy schedules.
We mentioned your label, Nightmare Records. What were your reasons for starting the label and have things gone as planned?
This label was started in the beginning as a faux label, it was just something to put on the album art of my first release in 1990 with Gemini's first self titled independent release. The name Nightmare is actually taken from a song title on that album, a song that at the time I was particularly proud of. The label has exceeded what I had originally planned when I was making my business plan back in 1995. At that time I decided to help my friends and other local bands get their indie releases distributed and licensed around the world. Now, 11 years later, it could be a 24 hour a day job!
What are your future plans for Nightmare Records? Are you going to continue to focus on melodic and progressive metal bands?
Absolutely, it's the type of music that I know and love!
You have produced or helped produce several albums, including Perfect Balance and Enter Eternity, both of which have excellent production. Is this something you enjoy and how did you begin producing albums?
Yes, absolutely I enjoy this process, it's much like painting for the ears! I would have to say for me it started back when I was performing in clubs about 275 shows a year. When we would do sound checks, I'd be the guy with the sound man tweaking and/or asking for certain things, it carried over into the studio the first time and has ever since.
Are you able to make a living through your work in the music industry?
I've been very blessed, yes, I'm making a good living with the business of music. I'm sort of a renaissance man, in that I don't just sing, or write, or produce, or engineer, or own a record company, or do CD art layouts and graphics. I wear all of these hats and enjoy each one. I love the variety and when you're a musician it helps to have a lot of irons in the fire.
Is it more difficult to be "successful" in the heavy metal industry today than it was 10 years ago? What do you think of the current music trends?
I believe in some ways it is easier now and in others it's not, but I would probably say that 15-20 years ago were the big money days for musicians in metal. Today since it's a smaller market, it may be easier to get people's attention because it's a smaller market, and with the word of mouth factor and the internet and the introduction of mp3 technology your music can go far and wide quickly. That can be good, on the other hand there are so many new albums coming out all the time from labels and independent bands, that it creates somewhat of a cluster of music for fans to weed through. Each month there is inevitably a lot of things to split a fan's attention, and if they don't get it that month, it may just fall off their radar.
You have a great voice for singing heavy metal that has gotten better over the years. What do you do to keep your voice/self in shape? Any special training?
Thank you! I am a self taught vocalist, I learn by doing...in the beginning I was always concerned about my voice, so I did as much babying as possible. The more I sang, the more I realized the more you worry about your voice, the more problems you'll have with it. The voice is an amazingly regenerative unit. If you don't abuse it by smoking and drinking, you're not going to have nearly as many problems as those that do. Water, rest, exercise and a good diet of healthy food all on a consistent basis are all key things that are huge for your energy and voice health!
Who are some of your favorite singers?
I could literally list over 100 people. These are in no particular order!!! Geoff Tate, Steve Walsh, Ronnie James Dio, Lou Gramm, James LaBrie, Jorn Lande, Bruce Dickenson, Tony Harnell, Oni Logan, Sting, Ann Wilson, Lane Staley, Chris Cornell...and so many more.
Over the years, you've sung on several albums, some of which we haven't even mentioned yet: The Kings Machine, Defyance, Mattsson, Empire, etc. Of all of the albums you have appeared on, what are your three favorites and why?
As time goes on technology has brought the world better production and continues to set the mark higher and higher for musicians to break the sound barriers of our past creations. This is in part why I've chosen three of my newer albums. Legend of the Bone Carver, the new album coming from PYRAMAZE, is my favorite album that I've done, ever...I'm very happy and proud of it! SHINING STAR- Enter Eternity is just a very well rounded album. The songs are so memorable, I believe it is one of those albums that will find its way into some people's favorites in the years to come. Perfect Balance I feel was the best BOP album that I was a part of, I feel it was the pinnacle of our music together.
What does the term "Christian heavy metal" mean to you?
Well it's become a broader term as of late than it once was. To me, it means that a band of Christians are making music and writing positive lyrics that will help inspire people rather than focus them in a negative or self destructive direction. I sell "Christian metal" and also positive metal through Nightmare; this would be music where the themes and lyrics are clearly positive and uplifting but not necessarily a "Christian band." I have a "White Metal" section on the Nightmare site where I put both the Christian and positive metal. I also sell mainstream metal, but in that you won't find albums at Nightmare that promote any satanic or negative influence in their lyrics. I've just never been into that!
Rumor has it that Pyramaze is already scheduled to play at Prog-Power VI. Is this true? Do you have any other tour plans in 2006 for Pyramaze or any of the other bands you are involved with?
PYRAMAZE is scheduled for Prog-Power VI, and other cool festivals this summer. At present, we are confirmed for Headbangers Open Air in Germany, Kl ften Festival in Denmark and Prog-Power here in the USA. (There is one more large fest that we are just about to confirm as well but for now this is a secret.) I may do a few shows with AVIAN in the States and with SHINING STAR in Brazil, but those have not yet been confirmed.
Are there any other projects that you are currently working on? What does the future have in store for Lance King?
I've got two full album side projects that I'm scheduled to do early this year, and a few albums I'll be lending my voice to for a song or two, that will remain under wraps for now! And I'll be working on the new AVIAN album as well!
Any last words for the readers of Heaven's Metal?
I thank you for taking the time to read this entire interview. I hope you found it interesting and I hope that you have a fantastic week! Stay tuned to this young magazine because it's one of the coolest in existence !
©2006 HM Magazine - All Rights Reserved
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Comments
Brazil wants to listen That shining star CD!!! Brazil loves Lance King!!!
I Love Heavy Metal. I'm makin that sign they make with their fingers right now just thinkin about it.
I think everywhere loves Lance King. And why shouldn't they? He's the hottest and the best.
