SINISTER - SAVAGE OR GRACE - NUCLEAR BLAST
Savage Or Grace, there is no two ways about it, this album rules supreme! After a brief swerve under the Hammerheart, Sinister has re-signed with Nuclear Blast and, oh boy, delivered a pure album of full-bodied psychopathic, sick and sinister metal. A foreboding intro later, the listener is being pummeled by the title track where it immediately becomes clear that the Dutch heroes have opted for a back-to-the-future style of savagery reminiscent of the band's own 1992 album Cross The Styx and 1993's Diabolical Summoning. Barbaric Order, Collapse Rewind and other short and to-the-point songs tell a story of a killer death metal band rekindling the early passion for brutality. Succinct tunes, ripping solos, bulldozer rhythm and a singer who growls her male counterparts to shame are the order of the day. Some folk have deemed it necessary to chide Rachel for using vocal-effects. These, presumably, are the same wimps who will never question 1,000 studio trickery and samples were it to come from Cradle Of Filth or Emperor.
Regardless, Savage Or Grace can be considered the death metal litmus test. Like it and you pass, dislike it and you either write for or are influenced by the glossy comics stocking the shelves of your local chain store. Get this now! - Ali "The Metallian"

It is not often that the knights at Metallian Towers gather to praise an album unanimously, but such an occasion came recently when the royal courier delivered the latest Sinister album to the inner sanctum. Savage Or Grace is one of those uncommon albums though. It is one of those rare moments when the time is right and the vocals, theme and music have all come together to brandish a potent weapon most would recognize as top-notch death metal. The Dutch heroes - singer Rachel Heyzer, guitarists Ron and Pascal, bassist Alex and long-time drummer Aad - have forged a hell of an album. To applaud the occasion, Ali "The Metallian" received a call from bassist Alex and the two tackled the album, a change of line-up and labels, as well as the band's perseverance in a lengthy discussion. Read on! - 15.06.2003

METALLIAN: Alex, it is gratifying to be speaking with you. Not only is Sinister's latest album, Savage Or Grace, a current favourite here with the knights of Metallian Towers, but also the fact is that Sinister's profile has not been...
ALEX: We are a bit forgotten! I think that's the right answer!

METALLIAN: It is! Can we firstly rewind a few years before discussing the current album? Many fans are still wondering whatever happened to Sinister's long-time front man Mike, whom many saw as the main man within the fold. Many were surprised when noticing his absence from 1998's Aggressive Measures.
ALEX: It's funny that you ask because I saw him yesterday playing with his new band (Death Squad). Mike left the band in '97. It was basically because... not because we didn't get along, but because he didn't have a real devotion to the band anymore. He wouldn't practice or go one-hundred percent for it. He just wanted the nice things of being in band and not the bad things like rehearsing and taking the shit for granted. At that time we were a little fed up by his work within the band. So we decided to kick him out at the time.

METALLIAN: How was the relationship thereafter? Did the band stay friendly with Mike?
ALEX: Well we did not stay real friends. I think, well I saw him yesterday, but I hadn't seen him prior to that for four years! There were no hard feelings. He understood that we don't want to go on with him anymore. Of course, it was not his decision. Were it his he would still be in Sinister. He was a little disappointed.

METALLIAN: Do you understand how many fans saw him as the main person in Sinister?
ALEX: Yeah, I know. It was always about Mike. That was really strange because he had no influence, at all, you know? Of course, he was a great performer on stage. Many people liked that a lot because he was a very good front man and a very good singer. I can understand that many thought Mike was an important factor in the band.

METALLIAN: He was then replaced by Eric.
ALEX: Eric did a very good job on 1998's Aggressive Measures album. We couldn't get along with him. After only a year we knew that we can't work with him. He definitely was not our kind of a guy. I think he also proved it later on by joining other bands who then kicked him out. He had come to Sinister from Severe Torture which was not a known band at the time. Later on, he played drums in Destroyer 666 and joined a couple of local bands here in The Netherlands.

METALLIAN: He, in turn, was replaced by Rachel who concurrently sang in Occult at the time. How much of a risk were you taking by recruiting a female vocalist?
ALEX: Yes, it was really a big risk. We talked about it for a long time. It is simpler for a band that is starting out to have a girl on vocals, but for a band like Sinister it was difficult for we had had a known singer like Mike and then were fronted by Eric. We talked about it a lot. Vocal-wise though, Rachel was the right girl for the position. We had already tried out some guys for the position and they hadn't worked out. We eventually took the decision. It was a risk, but we came through it very well.

METALLIAN: At which point did you enter the band?
ALEX: I joined Sinister in '97 - a year before Aggressive Measures.

METALLIAN: You are also in Houwitser which is signed to Osmose Productions. The band also featured Mike.
ALEX: We just recorded a new album which will be released in November. When I joined Houwitser Mike was already out of that band. I can see how it can get confusing with the comings and goings between the two bands. At the very beginning I was in Houwitser and in another band. Then when I joined Sinister I thought that two bands should suffice for me. So I left Houwitser. I later returned to Houwitser. So, in the beginning, I was in Houwitser with Mike. We must have only played together twice or something in the rehearsal room.

METALLIAN: Let us examine Savage Or Grace. The album has a definite 1991-93 feeling. Was this deliberate or was it unintentional? For only drummer Aad is still in Sinister from those sessions.
ALEX: No, not really. We used a studio guitar player on this album. The guy listed on the CD, Pascal, did not actually play the guitar on the album! He will be playing for us live and from here on. One can hear on the album. He is Ron our former guitar player who also wrote (most of) the Cross The Styx album! He is a studio session guitar player for us now.

METALLIAN: Was Ron originally asked to leave the band following the release of Cross The Styx?
ALEX: He was not kicked out. He is a family man and at the time of Cross The Styx decided to quit the band because of time constraints. He always kept in touch though. When, after the release of Creative Killings, guitarist Bart left the band we asked Ron to come back to rehearse and write songs. This is why I think Savage Or Grace is as you said in your review a "back to the future album." It is because Ron is back in the band!

METALLIAN: Has Ron been keeping up with the scene or has he emerged from retirement?
ALEX: He has not done anything for ten years. He has always remained interested in playing, but he has not been interested in live shows or touring - just playing guitar and writing songs. Yeah, he hasn't been doing a lot - maybe just playing a little bit in his own room, you know? That's why he was really eager to put something on a record again.

METALLIAN: Since Ron will be replaced by Pascal on the road, can you compare the two guitarists' playing styles?
ALEX: Well, Pascal actually played the solos on this album, so he influenced this release. You know, we never had so many solos on a record. So that should tell you what his playing is like.

METALLIAN: Speaking of going back to Sinister's original sound, the bass work on the song Conception Of Sin is strongly reminiscent of the first two albums.
ALEX: The bass stuff was actually something that Ron created. The sound on the bass is a little distorted, but not too much. That is the sound I always have - it's really my own sound be it live or on record.

METALLIAN: Bart Van Wallenberg had been with Sinister for ten years. Why has he now departed?
ALEX: He joined the band for Diabolical Summoning. He too had a family life. He got married and did not want to play that much anymore. He decided to quit the band for the same reason (as Ron had).

METALLIAN: You are making it obvious to ask, are you married?
ALEX: (laughs) yeah, I am now! I married two months ago! No, I am not leaving. I will still have the time for Sinister. I know, I can hardly keep track of the comings and goings within the band myself (laughs)!

METALLIAN: Let us talk about the label situation. After releasing one album on Hammerheart Records, Sinister is back on Nuclear Blast Records. Is this in keeping with your 'back to the future' theme?
ALEX: No, the problem was that Hammerheart's distribution in the US and Canada is not good. In Europe it's OK, but in North America, Japan, Australia and those sorts of countries there was not a release of the Creative Killings album. Also, they made many promises to us (which they didn't keep). We didn't have to leave Nuclear Blast at the time. We could have signed with them again, but chose Hammerheart because they showed much ambition. They were very confident about it, but when we joined their roster it was clear that the label was too small and they were not good enough. Also they kept the payments of royalties very vague. They don't give statements and tell you how many we sold. We were fed up with it and decided to remain there for one album.
There was also a problem with touring. I think they arranged three tours in Europe and they were cancelled each time. So people were saying 'Sinister has again cancelled!' We, later on, took things under control and organized our own tour, but that took up too much time.

METALLIAN: Was Nuclear Blast Records receptive to Sinister's return?
ALEX: Yes. I wrote them a letter and said we would like to come back if you want us because we don't like Hammerheart anymore. I got an email back saying they would consider it. The deal was done in three days! It was really simple. They wanted to release a new album by us. We have signed for five albums, but every album is an option. Both band and label can cancel the deal at any time. We had a similar arrangement with Hammerheart, so we weren't that stupid at the time we signed with them either! It would be really shitty if we were stuck with Hammerheart for three albums or something.

METALLIAN: Given Nuclear Blast's size, how much attention can they give you? They obviously invest heavily in bands like Manowar and Hammerfall.
ALEX: Well, of course, they are a company and they have to make money. Manowar sells more albums than Sinister. That was one of the reasons why we thought it would be more suitable for us to go to a smaller label. We have to say now that the change was a bad decision. It is better to be number 26 on Nuclear Blast's priority list than number two or one for Hammerheart. It is really simple. Promotion and distribution-wise things are much better now. We also have seen them do a lot already for this album with advertising and even a listening session. I think we have no cause for complaints at the moment.

METALLIAN: Incidentally, the band entered the studio as recently as in January and we already have a release.
ALEX: Nuclear Blast wanted the finished recording, along with the cover and artwork, by February tenth. They had planned a May release. They work very fast.
I know what you mean though. Look at Osmose Productions. We have recorded a Houwitser album in March and they are planning a November release. I hate that. When the album gets released it is already an old one for us. I think that's bad.

METALLIAN: What is not bad is Sinister's speed, heaviness and steady course. Many bands say that playing fast and heavy all the time is boring. One often reads how bands feel the need to move on and try different, usually slower, tempos. This pattern is termed 'progression' by the commercial media. That arrangement obviously does not pertain to Sinister.
ALEX: Well, I think bands that talk like that are always talking bullshit. You know, when they wimp out they then call it 'development.' It is so stupid. It is also strange because the reaction from magazine, when bands go slower and incorporate more melody, is that these bands are 'developing.' Everyone says that to the bands. Of course, you already know, that we think that's totally bullshit. We think you can develop in your own style. You don't have to play another style. For us it's really simple. This is a style we like to play and we want to play. If we have the intention to make more melodic metal or something else we will not do it under the name Sinister. I think Sinister stands for what we are playing at the moment. When you get a Sinister album you get death metal. I think it is totally bullshit when bands do that.

METALLIAN: Are you affirming your intention to always remain a fast band?
ALEX: No, no, we will never do something that changes our music. I mean, we also play in Houwitser too and we could do something different there, but that band is also fast and brutal. So, it's obvious that we are big fans of this kind of music. We do it for people who want to listen to fast and heavy music. We make music for ourselves and people who like this kind of music. Others don't have to buy the album, you know?

METALLIAN: One thing for which Sinister gets criticized for is the vocals. Many believe that Rachel must be using effects to achieve her deep growls.
ALEX: If she were faking, she would have never made it into the band. It would be stupid for us to get somebody into the band who can't do it. Europeans are convinced now because we have toured here there times with her and they know it is not fake. I can't change people's opinions if they want to believe something.

METALLIAN: Does Rachel use effects?
ALEX: No, she does not use any effects. Perhaps if we come to Canada people can sing through the microphone and give it back to her to see for themselves. She has been singing for twelve years - she used to be in Occult - and if she were faking people would have noticed by now!

METALLIAN: Another point which is noticeable on the album is its shortness. The whole album barely hits the thirty-minute mark. Was this intentional as early as the song-writing process?
ALEX: We never watch the clock when we write a song. Having said that, the songs were originally slower than how they turned out on the album. It's usually like that. You concentrate more when you create a song, but when you record things speed up. We noticed when we were recording that the songs are going faster than what we originally had in mind. That's why a song that was originally four minutes is now three minutes and forty seconds. Apocalypse In Time, for example, is really faster. Only when we finished the recording did we notice that the songs is faster than it was!

METALLIAN: Given how the album borders the thirty-minute mark, did the band consider adding another song?
ALEX: There was no time; otherwise we would have done it. I have to agree that the album is short. Then again, many albums are short nowadays. It is not a problem. For example, when I buy an album I am not watching the clock to see how long it is. I lose track when an album is over an hour anyway. I can listen to one band for forty minutes and then I am finished with it, do you know what I mean?
Nuclear Blast said the album is a little too short. I don't know about the Canadian version, but the European version has a limited edition second CD featuring an old, promo tape from 1991. This is not material anybody has heard. It is also a different version than the old 7" EP on Witchhunt Records. So it is two CDs for a regular price.

METALLIAN: Let us talk about the title Savage Or Grace. Is there a theme to this album?
ALEX: The title was chosen by Aad. I think he might have been inspired by the US band Savage Grace. He gave the title to me because I usually write the lyrics. So I wrote lyrics about the theme. Then follows the cover which makes for a concept of sorts.
The lyrics are about having power. The lyrics are about morality and abuse or use of power which respectively relate to the words 'savage' and 'grace.'

METALLIAN: What is the correlation to the Catholic church? The cover depicts two nuns, right?
ALEX: Only one song is related to religion. That is Conception Of Sin. The album is not religious though. It is not always about God or Satan. It's more about relationships and people. It's about how there is always someone who is in control in a relationship. That person has power and can use it rightly or wrongly. One song is about war.
The cover shows this. One nun is good and the other has fangs and a dagger.

METALLIAN: Are you saying that there can be a good side to religion?
ALEX: I never took it that far, but if you look at it then there could be good things in a religion. Many people put their hopes into religions. I think that religion has to be a private matter. That's why you have a separation between church and state. Religion can be good if you use it in a private manner. It should not be entangled with politics like the Middle East.
Religion also has a lot of influence in politics in America. They do have a separation between church and state so the influence of religious groups, is perhaps, not that big. I could be wrong because I am not an American.

METALLIAN: Are there any plans to tour outside Europe in support of the current album?
ALEX: We last played in 1999 in North America with Rotting Christ. We would love to come back. It would be simpler if it were summer time because we can get time off. We just came back from Mexico and Colombia. It was great, unbelievable. Then again if we had played for another week it would have cost me ten weeks of my life. We had to play and then run to the airport to catch a plane every time! There will not be a tour until early next year. We don't want to tour again so soon because we have played so much. We are playing Wacken this year though. We all have jobs too and we can't get time off!

Death metal fanatics have every reason to storm the local metal outlet and grab a copy of Sinister's Savage Or Grace. Sinister has not slowed down and the music is everything the fans expect.