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November 2000
Even though California's San Francisco area was a breeding ground for thrash metal in the 80s, the mainstream metal scene in the United States has essentially died since then, shifting into a more of an underground scene. But there are plenty of young bands fighting to bring back the glory of true U.S. metal, and one the brightest hopes is Total Eclipse. The band remembers the way metal is supposed to be played—with melody, passion and power. The successful demo CD Guardians of Metal showed the first signs of greatness, and now band is preparing to release its first CD, and they are poised to show the world that melodic U.S. metal is still alive! Guitarist Erik Cameron talked with HMF about Total Eclipse's unique brand of epic metal and about their quest to bring back true metal to the U.S. and to the world...
 When did you and your brother Chris start playing guitar? Was your family supportive of your musical efforts? What inspired you to play heavy metal?
We both started listening to heavy metal at the same time, even though Chris is older. I was about 12 and he was about 14. We had always loved music, but the first real heavy metal album we heard was Live After Death by Iron Maiden. That changed everything, and then when I turned 13 I started playing guitar. My brother originally wanted to play the drums, but after about a month of listening to me play the guitar and messing around on it himself, he switched instruments. My family has always been supportive of us—they think it's great. Maybe they wouldn't think the same if we weren't as serious as we are about it.
What guitarists and bands influenced your playing style and your musical development?
Originally it was Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate...you know, the standards. Now my brother and I listen to quite a variety of stuff, everything from Dream Theater to Queen to Cradle of Filth. Yngwie was our first guitar hero, but there have been so many guitarists that have influenced us in the last few years, namely Steve Vai, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, John Petrucci, Tony Macalpine, Paul Gilbert, Carlos Santana. Mostly shredders, but there's others too. You'll hear a lot more of these guitar influences on this new CD, and even more so on the next.
How did you and Chris meet the other members of Total Eclipse? Introduce us to the rest of the band. In particular, how did you hook up with Italian vocalist Andi "Dracon" Giardina?
It was all through ads in local papers. Andy is actually living in the U.S. as an international student. He answered our ad that said something like, "Metal band looking for singer. Influences: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Queensrÿche." We figured Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, and Geoff Tate, three of the greatest metal singers of all time. Any singer who answered this ad would have to be good. We still got calls from idiots, and we never tried any of them out. We could just tell over the phone. But when Andy called he was so enthusiastic and he loved all the same bands, so we gave him a shot. These are the only three guys my brother and I tried out. That's pretty rare these days to find three real metal musicians in the United States living within 25 miles of each other. We came to the conclusion that it was destiny.
Were you or anybody else in other bands before Total Eclipse was formed?
This is the first and only band my brother and I have been in. The other guys were in various bands, but nothing anyone would have heard of.
How did you choose the name Total Eclipse? I love that Iron Maiden song of the same name...
So do I, that's where I got the name. I chose the name back when I was about 14. That's when my brother and I started writing songs. We had no drummer or singer or bass player, but we called ourselves Total Eclipse. We actually play a cover of the Iron Maiden song, and we might record it one day for a B-side or something.
 Guardians of Metal is a great demo EP. What were your expectations for the demo? Were you pleased with the way the demo turned out?
Thanks. We just wanted to get something together so people could get an idea of our style. I never thought it would be as well received as it was. Of course, you're never completely satisfied with any thing you do. Overall, I think it's a good representation of the band at the time.
Did any of the band members have any recording or producing experience before going into the studio to record the demo? I think you basically produced the EP by yourselves?
Yeah, you're right, we did the whole demo ourselves. Our drummer had recorded before in a professional studio, but that's it. We just went in blind and kind of felt our way through it. Everyone has to record their first CD sometime. We definitely learned a lot from the experience. We brought that experience into the new CD, so that's one of the reasons it sounds much better. We learned 10 times as much doing our new disc, and we'll take that knowledge with us when we do the next one, so I'm sure every CD will get progressively better. Music is a constant progression, though.
 Was the demo financed completely by the band? How long did it take to record the four tracks?
Well, actually my brother and I financed the demo. We recorded it in two days and mixed it in one day. That's one of the reasons we're not completely satisfied with it; it was so rushed. Everything was done in one or two takes. Andy wasn't even in the band when we recorded the music. Andy joined the band about a month after we did the music. He went back in and did the vocals separately. He'd only been in the band for two months. He recorded all the vocals in 6 hours. Wait until you hear him on the new CD—you won't even be able to tell it's the same guy. He sounds so awesome. Andy and I were talking about it just the other day; one day we're going to go back in to record the whole demo again and re-release it. We all love those songs, and we really want to do them justice with a killer production. We're gonna call the CD something like And the Guardians Return...
How many copies of Guardians of Metal were pressed? Do you know how many demos you've sold?
We pressed 1,000 copies of the demo. We did 500 first, but we ran out of them so quickly that we had to do 500 more a few months later. I only have about a dozen left. Granted, we gave a lot away as promo copies to magazines and such, but I'll bet we sold around 800 or so. Not bad for a demo.
Did you shop the demo to any record labels? Was there any interest?
We did shop the demo around some. There was no interest from any bigger labels, but we did get a few offers from independent labels. None of them were good enough for me to sign, though. That's one of the benefits of not being a "starving" musician. We don't have to take the first deal someone throws at us. That's how most bands get screwed.
What is your favorite track from Guardians of Metal? Which tracks have gotten the best response from fans? I love the title track....
Yeah, I'd have to say either the title track or "Storm Warning" personally. I've had people tell me their favorite track and I've heard every song mentioned. One guy from Steel Conjuring magazine in Greece said "Nevermore" was one of the greatest metal songs ever written, ha ha! Actually, "Storm Warning" and "Nevermore" have always gotten the best response live. "Guardians" has started to get a great response lately. Andy always has the crowd sing the line "Metal forevermore," and they actually sing it. It's quite a feeling to have people singing your lyrics to you loud enough so you can actually hear it over the music. It gives me goose bumps.
What kind of reaction have you received from metal fans in the United States? Have most of your responses come from overseas? Have you received any mail from Japan?
We actually get a good response from local Bay Area Metal fans. Even the younger kids who listen to the newer style of metal seem to like our music. It's probably because we're all young as well. Of course the majority of our response comes from Europe, mainly Germany and Greece. We've been featured in about 20 of the biggest magazines and fanzines in Europe. One guy said Guardians of Metal was the best release of 1999! I don't know about that, but it's good to know that people like it. We've received some mail from Japan, but not as much though. With this new CD we'll probably make more of an impression, since it's very "shred" oriented.
The current U.S. metal scene is weak, but the Bay Area in California was thrash metal heaven back in the `80s. How is the metal scene there now? Are there other bands in your area that play true metal?
The U.S. scene is definitely weak, but it's not as bad as people think. There are still quite a few metalheads left here, and there's been a good scene developing over the last couple of years. They actually play our CD on some of the radio stations up here! There's one other band named Slough Feg that plays "true" metal, but other than that it's pretty mixed. We definitely stick out like a sore thumb.
 Describe a Total Eclipse gig for those of us who haven't been lucky enough to see the band live. What are your favorite tunes to perform live? Do you play many cover tunes?
It's usually pretty standard; we play on bills with a few other bands. We usually headline, so we play about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There have been a lot of times that we've played about 2 and a half hours. Lately our favorite stuff to play has been the new material. We're well known for our covers around here. We play a lot of covers, since we just have so much fun doing it.
Are you able to play live very often? Are there any plans for gigs outside the Bay Area? A small club tour, maybe?
We usually play a couple times a month. We haven't played very much the last couple months because of the recording and everything. I think we're gonna take a break from gigs for the rest of the year, so we can focus on shopping our CD. We'd love to play outside the Bay Area, but there are no plans right now. We'll see what happens when the new album comes out.
So you've finished recording your first full-length CD? Tell us about the new disc....title, songs, styles, lyrical themes, and so on. Will any tracks from Guardians of Metal appear on the debut disc?
The new CD is called Spellcaster. Here's the track listing...
- The March
- Final Evolution
- Hell on Earth
- Storm Warning
- Spellcaster
- Seven Trials
- Flames of Eternity
- Above and Below
The new CD is much more "over the top" than the demo. There are lots of vocal harmonies and lots of guitar harmonies, with more neoclassical influences throughout. I think fans of the demo will still like it though. It's actually a concept album of sorts, but it's not like your standard concept album. It doesn't begin at the beginning or end at the ending. It's not like, "This happened, then that happened, the end." It's more of a spiritual journey than a physical one. We re-recorded "Storm Warning" for the new disc. It's pretty much the same arrangement, but there are a few embellishments here and there that we added.
How did the band's style change or progress from the demo to the new CD? How has Total Eclipse grown musically?
There's been a huge progression from the demo to the CD. Some people think it's a different band altogether. I wouldn't go that far, but we've definitely improved as musicians and as songwriters. The songs are much more technical, and each song has more changes and melodies.
 How did you hook up with Uwe Lulis (guitarist from Grave Digger) for recording the new CD? You did some production and mastering of the CD in Germany?
Our friends from the band Imagika hooked us up. They're also a metal band from the Bay Area (San Francisco, California). Chris Boltendahl, the singer of Grave Digger, does promotion for Imagika over in Germany. Anyways, they had Uwe do their last CD, and when we mentioned that we were looking for a producer to do our CD, Steve (Imagika's guitarist) told me to call Uwe. I guess they had already told Uwe about Total Eclipse, because when I called him he was up for it. So we flew Uwe out here, and we did all the tracking here in San Francisco. Then we flew back and did all the mixing in Germany. It was definitely fun hanging out with Uwe for a month—he's one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet. We did the mastering here in San Francisco, though.
Have you designed a cover concept for the new CD? Will you use artist Shawn Lux again to provide cover artwork for the new disc?
No, we're going a different route on this CD. I have some things I'm looking into, but nothing definite.
Will the new CD be financed by the band and released independently? How will the disc be distributed?
All the recording was financed by my brother and me, but we're looking for a label to print the new CD and distribute it. That's why we're shopping it around right now. It'll be a little easier when you bring a completed product to a label. The only problem is that European labels are usually hesitant to sign U.S. bands because it's so expensive.
I guess that the Internet and the Total Eclipse web site have been your main way to promote the band? Would you ever consider putting your music on MP3.com or someplace like that?
Yeah, the Internet has been the best thing for this band. That's probably how about 80% of people have heard of us. I'm considering putting some stuff up on one of those music web sites, I'm just lazy though, ha ha!
You wrote most of the music on the Guardians of Metal demo, and you penned all of the lyrics. Are you still the main songwriter for the band? How is a Total Eclipse song created and refined?
I'm still the main music writer, but Andy wrote most of the lyrics on the new CD. He's one of the best lyricists I've ever met. His lyrics remind me of old Ronnie James Dio lyrics. You know, fantasy-based but not cheesy. I wrote the music for the CD first, and then Andy wrote the lyrics around my music. Except for the title track, where Andy had the lyrics written first and then I wrote the music around his lyrics. We'll probably do that more on the next CD, since that song is my favorite. Usually I hear the music in my head, and I'll just write most of it in my head. I'll walk around for as long as two weeks before I even pick up a guitar. I always end up changing a song once I start to record a rough version of it. Some things never sound as good on tape as they did in my head.
Total Eclipse's overall sound is reminiscent of classic European metal bands like Iron Maiden, but there seem to be a wide range of other styles and influences too. What are your main sources of musical and lyrical inspiration?
Well, on the demo it was mostly of classic metal influences. But on the new stuff you'll hear a lot more of the other influences. We listen to a lot of 80s thrash: Slayer, Metallica, Forbidden, stuff like that. We also listen to a lot of 80s neoclassical guitarists, and you'll even hear some newer power metal influences in there, like Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, and Stratovarius, among others.
 Do you and your brother Chris share guitar duties equally? Is there ever any "sibling rivalry" about responsibilities in the band?
Oh yeah, they aren't any songs where we both don't take at least one solo each; we wouldn't allow it, ha ha! There's plenty of sibling rivalry, but it's never about the band. We both have the same ideas on where we want this band to go.
What do you do when you're not playing music? Any hobbies or other interests? I suppose everybody has a "day job"?
Yeah, we all have real jobs. We all pretty much just practice in our spare time. Well, I guess Andy doesn't have a real job. He's a full-time student. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but that's what he's doing in the U.S. He's an international student. He already has his masters degree in political science, but believe me he's a metal singer if I've ever met one. That's probably why he writes the best lyrics though, because he's so damn smart.
What CDs/LPs have you been listening to lately? Do you have any favorite new bands? What do you think of the international metal scene these days? Andy's homeland Italy has become hotspot for epic, symphonic metal....
I've been listening to a lot of Queen and a lot of the 80s Shrapnel stuff. Quite a combination, huh? I also love listening to musicals and soundtracks and things like that. I think the new metal scene is cool. I also think that in the last year or so a lot of the bands that have come out are trying too hard to sound like someone else. But you're obviously going to get that when you have an oversaturation of one particular music in one market. I like Rhapsody; they're cool. I like Blind Guardian and Grave Digger and stuff like that, but they're not really new, are they? My favorites are still the classics, though.
What are your five favorite albums of all time, from any genre?
This list changes all the time, but I'll give it a shot.
- Queen — Queen II
- Judas Priest — Sad Wings of Destiny
- Iron Maiden — Powerslave
- Cacophony — Speed Metal Symphonye
- Dio — Holy Diver
There's so much more, but that's a good idea of some of my favorites. If I had more room, I would have included Yngwie's first CD, Dream Theater's Images and Words, Megadeth's Rust in Peace and a bunch of other ones.
That's all from me, Erik. Thanks very much for the interview. End with any comments you'd like, and be sure to send a message out to Japanese metal maniacs...
All right, any time. All you metalheads over there better look out, because we're setting our sights on Japan next! Metal forevermore!
— Interview by Chris Kells, November 2000
To learn more about Total Eclipse, visit the band's official web site. You can also send an e-mail to Erik and the guys, or maybe even a good old-fashoined letter to the following address.
Total Eclipse
P.O. Box 2449
Dublin, CA 94568
USA
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