Inteview with Silvio Laiz from Stone Dözer
So, I'm curious and I just had to scratch that itch. The information I could find on Stone Dözer online just wasn't enough and I dropped Silvio Laiz a mail asking for an interview, and I got it. Then I panicked for a while since I haven't done an interview since the 80's. Well, I got over it and here's the interview:
The band line up:
Silvio Laiz - Guitar
Juan "Scorpion" Shaw - Vocals
"Sherman" "Cobra" Curcio - Bass
Alejandro Gugliotti - Drums
(1) What does the metal scene in Argentina look like?
Small bars. Expensive beer (not necessarily meaning good beer). Really bad bands and just a few metalheads headbanging. That`s pretty much it.
(2) What are the biggest obstacles for Metal bands in Argentina?
Money. Instruments are almost imposible to buy, amps are the same, we have to pay A LOT of money just to play in a common bar and if you don`t have the support from a label (which is almost impossible) you probably won`t be able to pay the thousands of dollars that recording and editing an album cost.
(3) How old were you when you decided to make music your profession?
I have interest in music since I can remember but, I guess at the age of 13 or 14 I decided to try to make it my profession.
(4) Who are your musical influences?
There are many. In popular music clearly Pantera and Zakk Wylde but, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Wagner gave me many cool ideas haha
(5) What was the first album you bought?
Black Album - Metallica
(6) Have you ever been fed up with music and thought about working 9 to 5 instead?
Tired of music? NO. NEVER. I`d rather cut my dick off
(7) What guitars do you use and do you have a favourite guitar?
I use SX Les Paul. I only have one guitar. They are too expensive here to buy more than one in most people cases. My favourites are Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Flying V and Gibson Explorer.
(8) How did you and Juan Shaw come to form the band?
I had a singer who didn`t commit himself to the project and besides I wanted a lead singer with balls. I kicked him out of the band and called Scorpion on the phone. At the time we were only class mates in high school. I remembered he had a really low voice and I thought it might work on my riffs.
(9) Have your lyrics always been in English or has that changed over time?
Yes, always in English. In fact, the night I called Scorpion Shaw on the phone and told him about joining the project, he showed interest and told me he had a fat book with lyrics he wrote for himself. They were all in English. I always wanted English lyrics because I love English language. I remember telling the previous singer to write in English and he didn`t like the idea so much. He only wrote a few REALLY BAD lyrics. When Scorpion read me his lyrics I was like "whoooahhh duuuude!! You`re so hired"
(10) When and why did you change the band name from Hellswrath to Stone Dözer? (With the röck döts.)
Well that was like two years ago. The band was called "Hellswrath" but we always thought that it wasn`t the coolest name on earth. Besides people here in Argentina found it impossible to pronounce, to write and to remember. I came up with "Stone Dözer" mixing other band names that I really liked: "Stone Henge" and "Bulldozer". This Ö thing comes from Mjölnir. Thor`s Hammer.
(11) Does the band have any crazed fan stories to tell?
Hahaha yes. With Scorpion Shaw you always have a few.
Once, I called Scorpion on the phone and told him to go to the park and enjoy the day, play guitar, watch some chicks... have a few beers...
It all ended up with Scorpion and I completely drunk throwing beer bottles at the Wal-Mart next to the park. Police came and I was so drunk that I thought it was "Wal-Mart Security". They made us sweep the glasses off the floor and it all ended up with Scorpion and I having a nice drunk chat with the police officers. In fact, the policewoman invited us to play a gig at her wedding. I swear it`s true hahahaha (we didn`t go) hahaha
(12) What kind of experience will fans get at a Stone Dözer live concert?
Well, we don`t want to play every song just like it sounds on the album. We`ve been always interested in the kind of shows that Led Zeppelin or Jimmy Hendrix did. We want the audience to ignore what will happen next. We even play slow blues live.
(13) Who writes the songs? What’s the main inspiration?
I`m the composer and Scorpion writes all the lyrics but, sometimes we step into each other’s territory and make a few suggestions. It always goes around him and me. The biggest inspiration for the album was our ex girlfriends. We had a fucking rough time with splitting up with them at the same time and our music and lyrics constantly speaks about that. "No way, no way, no way... you won`t step on my way bitch", "Revenge is mine, I`m gonna take what you took from me"...
The guitar solo for "In The Lair Of The Queen" speaks about me really missing her you know? I remember I was alone at home one night, and I was drinking Jack Daniel`s and just missing her. I was really depressed and I came up with the idea to make a guitar solo that when someone hears it, he or she would know exactly how bad I felt. The best thing someone told me about that solo was "I was listening to it and I had to pause it, because it was too painful." hahah "Mission Accomplished" I thought.
(14) Do you have a favourite song? Why?
I think Reborn and The Path Of Mourning. Don`t know why... I guess I just love play them.
(15) I’ve found the lyrics for “Home Sweet Hell” and “Reborn”. Will you be posting more lyrics in the future? (“In the Lair of the Queen” is on my wish list.)
((Laiz sent me all lyrics and I'll post them in other posts later on to save space.))
(16) You’re an underground band that’s spreading your music through YouTube. In that case the internet is a helpful tool, but what do you think about people who download music (illegally)?
We just don`t give a fuck. I mean, of course we should sell the album because by doing that we would be getting paid for our hard work. But if someone sometime don`t have the money and really wants to listen to our music, go for it man... It is a great honour to us when someone shows us respect and interest for our music and that it`s more important to us than the money we would get by selling the album. We want to make a living out of this and in the future we will be charging for everything as every band on the world does. But if someone doesn't buy our album and downloads it for free, no problem. Enjoy dude.
For the album we would get what.... 20 dollars? 30 dollars?. What we get when someone tells us "Dude, I can`t stop listening to your music." it`s priceless. I think getting that response and ALSO the 20 or 30 dollars would be best.... hahahahahah
(17) In your mail you tell me how overwhelmed you are because of the great response you are getting on YouTube. I know I’m not the only one who is eagerly waiting for more. What are the plans for the future?
Well, we are thinking of making a home video so people can at least see our faces and see us play. We`re also thinking about creating a website and upload band info, lots of photos, videos and band stuff. Lots of people are asking for that and that’s what we want to give them.
(18) Where will you post information about where we can buy your music? (I’m anti-FaceBook but I’ll get an account if you announce it there.)
Well for the moment there is Facebook page but, as I said before, there will be a website. We don`t have much on the internet because we never cared about that.
But it`s clearly important because nowadays it`s the best way to promote your music. As Niccolò Machiavelli said in "The Prince", "the wise prince is the one who knows how to take advantage of the tools of his time"
Thank you for the interview. I know the last years had has had “ups and downs” for the band and I wish you all “ups” from now on.
Thank you so much for this interview.
Silvio Laiz
The band line up:
Silvio Laiz - Guitar
Juan "Scorpion" Shaw - Vocals
"Sherman" "Cobra" Curcio - Bass
Alejandro Gugliotti - Drums
 |
| Silvio Laiz |
Small bars. Expensive beer (not necessarily meaning good beer). Really bad bands and just a few metalheads headbanging. That`s pretty much it.
(2) What are the biggest obstacles for Metal bands in Argentina?
Money. Instruments are almost imposible to buy, amps are the same, we have to pay A LOT of money just to play in a common bar and if you don`t have the support from a label (which is almost impossible) you probably won`t be able to pay the thousands of dollars that recording and editing an album cost.
(3) How old were you when you decided to make music your profession?
I have interest in music since I can remember but, I guess at the age of 13 or 14 I decided to try to make it my profession.
(4) Who are your musical influences?
There are many. In popular music clearly Pantera and Zakk Wylde but, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Wagner gave me many cool ideas haha
(5) What was the first album you bought?
Black Album - Metallica
(6) Have you ever been fed up with music and thought about working 9 to 5 instead?
Tired of music? NO. NEVER. I`d rather cut my dick off
(7) What guitars do you use and do you have a favourite guitar?
I use SX Les Paul. I only have one guitar. They are too expensive here to buy more than one in most people cases. My favourites are Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Flying V and Gibson Explorer.
 |
| Juan "Scorpion" Shaw |
I had a singer who didn`t commit himself to the project and besides I wanted a lead singer with balls. I kicked him out of the band and called Scorpion on the phone. At the time we were only class mates in high school. I remembered he had a really low voice and I thought it might work on my riffs.
(9) Have your lyrics always been in English or has that changed over time?
Yes, always in English. In fact, the night I called Scorpion Shaw on the phone and told him about joining the project, he showed interest and told me he had a fat book with lyrics he wrote for himself. They were all in English. I always wanted English lyrics because I love English language. I remember telling the previous singer to write in English and he didn`t like the idea so much. He only wrote a few REALLY BAD lyrics. When Scorpion read me his lyrics I was like "whoooahhh duuuude!! You`re so hired"
(10) When and why did you change the band name from Hellswrath to Stone Dözer? (With the röck döts.)
Well that was like two years ago. The band was called "Hellswrath" but we always thought that it wasn`t the coolest name on earth. Besides people here in Argentina found it impossible to pronounce, to write and to remember. I came up with "Stone Dözer" mixing other band names that I really liked: "Stone Henge" and "Bulldozer". This Ö thing comes from Mjölnir. Thor`s Hammer.
(11) Does the band have any crazed fan stories to tell?
Hahaha yes. With Scorpion Shaw you always have a few.
Once, I called Scorpion on the phone and told him to go to the park and enjoy the day, play guitar, watch some chicks... have a few beers...
It all ended up with Scorpion and I completely drunk throwing beer bottles at the Wal-Mart next to the park. Police came and I was so drunk that I thought it was "Wal-Mart Security". They made us sweep the glasses off the floor and it all ended up with Scorpion and I having a nice drunk chat with the police officers. In fact, the policewoman invited us to play a gig at her wedding. I swear it`s true hahahaha (we didn`t go) hahaha
(12) What kind of experience will fans get at a Stone Dözer live concert?
Well, we don`t want to play every song just like it sounds on the album. We`ve been always interested in the kind of shows that Led Zeppelin or Jimmy Hendrix did. We want the audience to ignore what will happen next. We even play slow blues live.
(13) Who writes the songs? What’s the main inspiration?
I`m the composer and Scorpion writes all the lyrics but, sometimes we step into each other’s territory and make a few suggestions. It always goes around him and me. The biggest inspiration for the album was our ex girlfriends. We had a fucking rough time with splitting up with them at the same time and our music and lyrics constantly speaks about that. "No way, no way, no way... you won`t step on my way bitch", "Revenge is mine, I`m gonna take what you took from me"...
The guitar solo for "In The Lair Of The Queen" speaks about me really missing her you know? I remember I was alone at home one night, and I was drinking Jack Daniel`s and just missing her. I was really depressed and I came up with the idea to make a guitar solo that when someone hears it, he or she would know exactly how bad I felt. The best thing someone told me about that solo was "I was listening to it and I had to pause it, because it was too painful." hahah "Mission Accomplished" I thought.
(14) Do you have a favourite song? Why?
I think Reborn and The Path Of Mourning. Don`t know why... I guess I just love play them.
 |
| Sherman "Cobra" Curcio |
((Laiz sent me all lyrics and I'll post them in other posts later on to save space.))
(16) You’re an underground band that’s spreading your music through YouTube. In that case the internet is a helpful tool, but what do you think about people who download music (illegally)?
We just don`t give a fuck. I mean, of course we should sell the album because by doing that we would be getting paid for our hard work. But if someone sometime don`t have the money and really wants to listen to our music, go for it man... It is a great honour to us when someone shows us respect and interest for our music and that it`s more important to us than the money we would get by selling the album. We want to make a living out of this and in the future we will be charging for everything as every band on the world does. But if someone doesn't buy our album and downloads it for free, no problem. Enjoy dude.
For the album we would get what.... 20 dollars? 30 dollars?. What we get when someone tells us "Dude, I can`t stop listening to your music." it`s priceless. I think getting that response and ALSO the 20 or 30 dollars would be best.... hahahahahah
(17) In your mail you tell me how overwhelmed you are because of the great response you are getting on YouTube. I know I’m not the only one who is eagerly waiting for more. What are the plans for the future?
Well, we are thinking of making a home video so people can at least see our faces and see us play. We`re also thinking about creating a website and upload band info, lots of photos, videos and band stuff. Lots of people are asking for that and that’s what we want to give them.
(18) Where will you post information about where we can buy your music? (I’m anti-FaceBook but I’ll get an account if you announce it there.)
Well for the moment there is Facebook page but, as I said before, there will be a website. We don`t have much on the internet because we never cared about that.
But it`s clearly important because nowadays it`s the best way to promote your music. As Niccolò Machiavelli said in "The Prince", "the wise prince is the one who knows how to take advantage of the tools of his time"
Thank you for the interview. I know the last years had has had “ups and downs” for the band and I wish you all “ups” from now on.
Thank you so much for this interview.
Silvio Laiz
L O N G L I V E T H E K I N G ! ! !
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