Eyes Of Fire Interview
With an outstanding sophomore Century Media record, 'Prisons', having just landed in record stores nationwide, the name Eyes Of Fire is upon the lips of many a headbanger in-the-know. As the band's frontman, vocalist/guitarist Dan Kaufman adds more than his own share of emotive aggression into his group's tough-as-nails sound. In the following exclusive interview, the Orange County native speaks about the band's latest recorded achievement and reveals a hunger to put the music of Eyes Of Fire directly in front of metal fans on concert stages across the nation in 2006...
The Gauntlet: "Prisons" is now available and a great deal of anticipation has surrounded the release of this new record. What was the most difficult challenge for the band in creating the album?
Dan: The most difficult part for sure was just getting the damn thing recorded. About the time we booked all the studio time to record 'Prisons' we were offered a tour with Danzig. And when Danzig asks you to tour with him you just say yes. About a week after we got everything recorded and mixed we were off on tour, which made things stressful as hell because we didn't practice any of the 'Ashes To Embers' songs during the recording process. We took about two days to practice and throw together a couple of sets and off we went. But all in all it was a great experience. I think it helped with the overall sound of the finish product. To have some of that stress adds to the character of the finished product.
The Gauntlet: Do you deliberately go out of your way to make your music intricate or is this an aspect of your songwriting that just comes naturally for the band?
Dan: Our songs just happen. The riffs come from nowhere for the most part. We definately don't try and write complex stuff or attempt to push any sort of barriers we just try to write the music we would like to hear.
The Gauntlet: Tell us about working with Matt Bayles on "Prisons"...
Dan: Matt is the master of hearing shit. I love how he keeps everything sounding raw but still really procuded. To me, PRISONS has a very live feel. This is the first record that I've done where I'm truly happy with the outcome. Sure there are things I would probably have added if we had the time, but with all the time constraints this CD came out amazingly. And we have Matt to thank for it. He's a true professional and a goddamned work horse. I hope I can some day work with him again.
The Gauntlet: What do you think is the one thing that makes the music of the band stand out the most?
Dan: Our passion. What you hear is who we are. We don't pose we're not part of any scene. What you hear is 100% us.
The Gauntlet: How was making "Prisons" a different experience in contrast to recording "Ashes To Embers" Did you learn anything this time around that you feel helps the new record to be stronger?
Dan: Well, we did most of the recording ourselves, which is a really rewarding experience. Also talking to Matt Bayless we learned some new recording tricks we hope to try on our next release, when ever that is. The next record we are definately going to take more time to sit in the studio and record. Add more guitar parts and work with the flow of the album more. Hopefully make the most complete EYES OF FIRE record we can.
The Gauntlet: To what do you attribute the manic nature of tracks like "Dead To The World"? What inspires such musical mayhem? How do the band members' personalities impact the group's songwriting?
Dan: We write about our lives. They lyrics are what we live and feel almost every single day. When it comes to the band the personalities are left to the side. It's all about the music and what EYES OF FIRE means. This is a release for us. We vent through our music. It's therapy.
The Gauntlet: Tell us about some of your favorite moments on this new record�
Dan: 'All Said and Done'. When i was recording my vocal parts for the song i would lose myself in the music. I would forget I was supposed to sing. That song is one of my most favorite songs we've put together as a band.
The Gauntlet: You filmed a video for the track 'It All Dies Today'. After doing a lot of shooting, are you happy with the way it turned out? What can you tell us about what the video treatment means to you personally?
Dan: I can't believe that it's actually us in the video. It's amazing. The way it looks and feels is something that truly fit this band. We've tried to videos in the past and they've turned into complete jokes. They just didn't show the band in the right light. Gary Smithson got it right and came through ten fold. The video has this David Lynch, The Shining, and The Grudge fill to it. After watching it a couple of times I'm not sure if i completely understand it yet, but i'm getting closer. It's a trip. But it takes place when a girl moves into an apartment building and all the spirits of the buildings past come back to haunt her. needless to say that the spirits are not your friendly type. I can tell you that we as a band are happier than ever to have this video done. I can't wait for the rest of the world to see it.
The Gauntlet: The band just hit the road with LOSA. Are you excited about touring in support of "Prisons"? Tell us exactly what type of a live performance we can expect...
Dan: We belong on the road. And hitting the road with a band like LOSA is more than fitting. Not only are we fans of their music but we get along with them so good. Both of us have talked about how we've played with bands that we don't really fit in with and this is a breath of fresh air. You can expect some loud ass EYES OF FIRE music coming at you when you see us. There's a lot of energy and a lot of emotion pour out of us live. Come out and witness it for yourself. We're sure you won't be upset. Plus LOSA are fucking amazing live. I'm more of a fan now than just listening to the CD.
The Gauntlet: What are you most looking forward to in 2006?
Dan: Rocking the entire world...