Reckless Tide

Reckless Tide has emerged as one of the most promising of the new crop of German thrash metal acts, carrying on the proud tradition of German thrash metal that has given the world such great acts as Kreator and Destruction. Reckless Tide features two lead vocalists which serve to enhance the originality of the group, but make no mistake - this band can deliver some classic thrashing that will satisfy the listening tastes of devotees of the genre. Vocalist Andrew Troth discusses the group's current status with The Gauntlet's own Erin Fox.

The Gauntlet: What was it like to win the Metal Battle at W:O:A in 2004?

Andrew Troth: It was a great experience!! The win was naturally a bonus, it was just a special feeling to be able to play at Europe's biggest metal festival and it's a gig I don't think any of us will forget.

The Gauntlet: When were the songs for "Repent Or Seal Your Fate" written? Are these songs that the group has had for a while?

Andrew Troth: Some are a little older, for example, "Reckless Tide" appeared on our EP in 2002. The songs have all been written over a period of 2 years and two of the songs; "Damned For Now And Nevermore" and "To Die For Creativity" actually found their true form in the studio. The songs had been written and composed but we changed them around and strengthened them a little.

The Gauntlet: Why does the group use two vocalists instead of a single frontperson?

Andrew Troth: We started off with me solely having the vocal role but as it came time to record the first EP we had the idea of adding a more melodic feel to the songs to give some variation. Olli invited an old friend Kjell to add some melodic backing vocals and the result was so impressive that we asked him to join full time. Since then we've worked together to meld ourselves into a working unit and we write the songs for two sets of vocals. We believe this gives us an edge in variation and gives the listener something extra to listen to.

The Gauntlet: How did Jeff Waters come to be involved with the record? Is he a fan of the group?

Andrew Troth: Olli has been in contact with Jeff for a couple of years now and last year we offered the guys from Annihilator the use of our rehearsal room whilst touring Europe with Judas Priest. Naturally we got to know them and went drinking a lot. We helped them out with a few admin tasks and as a sign of their appreciation Jeff, Curran and Dave agreed to play a guest role on the album. We do like to think that Jeff is a friend of Reckless Tide and who knows, maybe a secret fan!

The Gauntlet: What is it that the members find appealing about playing the thrash metal style?

Andrew Troth: Thrash metal is technical, fast, and aggressive. We love this style and have a lot of fun on stage performing. We all grew up listening to metal and thrash played a major role in our musical development. It's all about energy and we've got lots of it!

The Gauntlet: Why do you choose to work with the Hamburg Absurd Studio? Do you feel that this studio is best suited to record your type of material? Did you choose it because it is a comfortable environment?

Andrew Troth: We met Schrodey at the start of our short recording career and even with our inexperience he showed a lot of patience and pulled off a great production. After the EP we returned and once again with the 2 - tracker we were pleased with the results. It was then an easy choice to where we were going to record the album. He's just so relaxed that he's practically horizontal and this makes the work a lot easier and stress free.

The Gauntlet: Please tell us about the digipack version of the record that contains the DVD. What types of features can fans expect to find on the DVD?

Andrew Troth: The DVD is self produced. Here you can see the whole Wacken gig, a metal quiz which Olli took part in (also in Wacken), a short tour report from our time last year in Holland and a sort of day to day report in the lives of Reckless Tide including bits out of the studio and our experiences with the guys from Annihilator. There is also a picture gallery. All in all everyone can get to know us better and as I said before, it is produced by myself, Henning and Kai, whether editing, authoring, sound, animation or graphic, so we're pretty proud of the result and have all found new talents.

The Gauntlet: Do you feel that the response to the record has been good so far? What kinds of things does the band have planned to promote the CD?

Andrew Troth: The response has been unbelievable!! As a newcomer band it's expected to have reviews which are very critical but this has not been the case which is not only pleasing but also a weight off our shoulders!! We now feel that our hard work has paid off although this doesn't mean we'll be sitting on our laurels. No be damned. This has just motivated us more to work harder, improve and then deliver an even better album next time round!!! As for promotion, Armageddon have done a hell of a lot and we've been busy with our own ideas, for example we have our mascot Arti (R:T) the Piranha and to promote this we've taken on sponsorship of a Piranha tank and 5 fish in local natural history museum. This made the papers and the radio so naturally our name has been heard by the more day to day population. We are also at this time on a tour of Germany with the guys from Wacken playing the gigs for this year's metal battle and therefore showing our faces all over the place.

The Gauntlet: Are you excited to have secured a record deal with Armageddon?

Andrew Troth: Yes, naturally. It's difficult nowadays to get a deal due to the fact that sales are down and the labels don't want to take a risk with newcomers. What Armageddon is doing is great and can only be described as keeping the metal scene alive. I've seen quite a few talented bands over the years that haven't been given this chance and have split for this reason. We're going to try and use this chance for all those hard working bands out there and who knows, if the interest in us rises then other labels may take the chance and reward the many other talents who week for week give there all playing the music they worship!

The Gauntlet: What are top 3 bands for German thrash in your opinion (besides RT)?

Andrew Troth: Thrash- Kreator, Holy Moses and Destruction or Sodom would be the normal answer and as a band we can all say that we possess at least one album from each band. Kreator are definitely the gods of the German thrash scene and for me personally, Holy Moses and Sodom. At the same time we can't forget Dew Scented and loads of other underground bands but the list would be too long!!

The Gauntlet: Who do you look up to as a source of musical inspiration?

Andrew Troth: We all look to different people for our inspiration and I myself have been influenced by many shouters and warblers. Naturally with my style being the way it is I have to be influenced by Chuck Billy, James Hetfield, Lemmy, but these aren't the only ones and I wouldn't like to compare myself with any of these great performers.

The Gauntlet: Tell us about the record's lyrics. What is the main motivation behind these words?

Andrew Troth: I write my lyrics based on the mood I'm in at the time. Sometimes I can be pissed off at a situation and I'll write about it. Other times I take my ideas from books or films. A topic will come into my head and I just start writing. I don't try to be political or even pessimistic but when you write lyrics you are in the end writing about how you feel about a subject. I don't want to preach and I don't want to offend and there is also just a bit of artistic exagerration but that's what it's all about.

The Gauntlet: Is "7 Minutes Of Thrash" still available?

Andrew Troth: If it is get me a copy!

The Gauntlet: Outside of W:O:A, what has been your most exciting concert experience?

Andrew Troth: I think all of our concerts are special in some way or other. Whether it's the location or the people we meet. Naturally we've played with a couple of big names and that's always exciting but I think the whole experience of the weekend in Holland was amazing, the fellowship between the musicians from 3 different nations. The whole weekend was just one big party!

The Gauntlet: What are the immediate touring plans of the group?

Andrew Troth: As I said before, we are at the moment on tour. As for the future, who knows? There are things going on but we can't at this time confim anything. As soon as we have news we'll let it be known!

The Gauntlet: If you had to compare Reckless Tide to another group, which group would that be?

Andrew Troth: No one, we're Reckless Tide. Don't get me wrong, we're not being arrogant. It's just that we know our limits and wouldn't dare to compare ourselves to any of our peers. The only people we should compare ourselves to, is any group of people who spend as much time and put in as much energy into their work or hobby as we do. It may sound corny but it's that simple!!

The Gauntlet: How often does the band get together and play when you are not out on the road?

Andrew Troth: Normally we get together twice a week to rehearse and work on new material. We are also in contact almost daily by phone or E-Mail swapping ideas or generally doing work for the band.

The Gauntlet: What are your favorite venues to play at in The Deutschland?

Andrew Troth: WACKEN!!!! No seriously there are a load of great venues and we still haven't played all of them. The venue is not really all that counts, more the people who then come along!! Naturally we want to have good sound conditions and if the organisor has got his/her shit together it does make life easier. At the end of the day, if the people who've turned up go mad in front of the stage, then we're happy and we have our fun.

The Gauntlet: What has been the most memorable experience that the group has ever had together that let you know that you are meant to be together?

Andrew Troth: I think it definitely has to be the physical bonding drinking pickled ghurkin juice from Henning's belly button in Hanau!!! No, seriously, sometimes the production of an album and a lengthy time in a studio can break a band; with us it's been totally the opposite and found that we can also work in a stressfull environment together without too much fighting.