UN: Ithyphallic marks the bands debut for Nuclear Blast after being on Relapse for pretty much the entire career of the band aside from the first few albums that were released by smaller labels. What prompted the shift from Relapse to Nuclear Blast, did it seem like Relapse possibly wasnt pushing the band as hard as they once were?
George: We never had any problems with Relapse and I believe they were doing a great job for us. When our contract with them was over we had just more offers from other labels that Relapse couldnt compete with so we thought about what was the best for the band and we decided to go with Nuclear Blast, they showed the best interest for our future and now after over a year working with them we are very happy about our decision. Nuclear Blast is pushing Nile more cause its a huge label, especially in markets that Relapse couldnt do much in like Europe for example, our last tour there was probably the most successful one and that's because of Nuclear Blast.
UN: Ithyphallic to my ears seems like classic Nile but streamlined and at the most energetic the band has ever been. Was their any conscious thought put into making this a straight forward ass kicking metal record that still kept all of the signature Nile qualities?
George: Well, our music will always have the Nile signature, thats for sure. On Ithyphallic we wanted to raise the bar as far as musicianship goes, we wanted to go a step further but still stay on the track of writing good songs. So there are some new elements in there we tried for the first time in our music but its definitely a Nile album which we also believe its our best so far. We tried to go for the best like always but this time we did a pre production for the whole album and we were more ready than any other time, I think it's obvious when you listen to the album. Another thing that really helped on Ithyphallic is the same line up and many tours we did together so the writing process became really easy this time.
UN: This marks your second album with the band. Were you more comfortable with this album than you were with Annihilation of the Wicked being that you have been with the band for a longer time now?
George: Yes, it was a lot easier for each one of us this time cause we had a good amount of tours together and we knew exactly what we wanted plus of course a bigger budget than usual so we could spend more time in the studio. We worked a lot faster on the writing process for Ithyphallic comparing on Annihilation of the Wicked but we didnt rush things to get into the studio, we took our time plus we did a pre-production of the album, so basically we were recording every day our rehearsals and then we were listening to the songs again and again to get into the new material a little more than usual. That's also the plan for the next album which well start very soon.
UN: Neil Kernon is a producer who has basically brought more polish and clarity to death metal than has ever been heard before. With his work with Cannibal Corpse and now Nile he allows the nuances of death metal to ring through clearly. Would you say that Neil is pretty much the ideal producer for Nile?
George: Well, so far we are more than happy with his work, he definitely helped us a lot to get the sound we wanted. Annihilation and Ithyphallic are for sure the best sounding albums we have so far and Neil has take a big part on this, but I don't know what we are going to do in the future. Personally I would like to work with Neil again, his work so far has proven to us what Neil can do plus he is a very nice guy and we have a great time in the studio.
UN: Was this recording session smoother being that it is the second time you have worked with Neil? I'm sure the first time you guys were getting to know each other and this time you could get right down to business as he would have already had an idea as to how the band works in the studio.
George: I don't think it made a big difference; maybe it did for the final results since he knew exactly the sound we wanted this time and he took part on the pre-production session but as far as our work in the studio was easy like it was on Annihilation also. I believe we are a very easy going band, we never ask for crazy things. Working with him for another album helped us get a better production than Annihilation which already had a great production. But we worked on some details, like for example the drum level in the mix, some people were complaining about this so on Ithyphallic we made sure the drums will sound better, and also having a brand new drum set and loads of expensive gear helped a little more.
UN: Stealing something from the last question, how does the band work in the studio? Do you guys keep distractions to a minimum and do whatever it takes to get the album done and done right? Does it take a long time to get the drum tracks perfect?
George: Well, on Annihilation I spent 3 days of recording drums, which is pretty fast for a Nile album but for Ithyphallic I wanted to take a little more time, just enough to make everything the best I could. Basically I would start a song and not take any kind of break till we finish it, of course there are moments of pressure every time and a lot of stress too but we always going for the 100% of us. Playing for a band like Nile sometimes it's very stressful and painful at the same time; it's not easy in any way. Most times I would do a song again and again just to get the best take until my body hurts and can go any more, I am one of the musicians that likes to play whatever they can without using technology to make them sound great, I would prefer to stop playing music than go in the studio and make an album that I haven't played on I like to work hard and give the best I can.
UN: I'm sure many death metal fans were surprised to see that Nile was on the Ozzfest tour. I'm sure there were a lot of people who hated the idea of Nile on such a mainstream tour, but it shows that death metal is reaching a new level and is being more openly accepted. Do you think this tour more than any other tour has opened the band up to new ears?
George: There were some negative comments when we first announced we were gonna be on Ozzfest but we couldnt do anything about it, we did it because we believed will be a great thing for us and I think we were right, I remember hundreds of kids walking to me and saying that they never heard us before but they loved our performance so now they are our fans, that what matters to me and I was watching this happening every single day. As far as Death Metal reaching a new level, I think this started years ago and some die hard fans have to accept it, I mean, what's great about being underground and play in front of 70-100 people in a stinky club and the worlds worst sound system? I don't get this. No matter where WE play, we are always going to be 100% metal, we proved this on Ozzfest and I know for sure that every kid who saw Nile on Ozzfest got it!
UN: What time slot did you guys have on the tour? I'm assuming it was fairly early. It must have been odd to play outside in the sun when you are used to playing dark clubs where sunlight is pretty much non-existent.
George: We were on a rotating slot like most of the bands on the small stage so yes, sometimes it
was early. Every band had hard time with the heat for sure, and being a drummer makes it a lot worst you know? Ha ha But we made it. I was well prepared for Ozzfest to avoid any kind of problems, like in Italy for example when we did a festival and I was one step before a heat stroke only cause the Stage Manager never thought I may needed a fan
UN: This spring you are heading out on the road with a very diverse line-up. Do you guys prefer to go out with a package tour that isnt all brutal death metal bands? Even the most devout follower of death metal might be beaten to submission after 4 or 5 hours of only death metal bands.
George: I don't really care about the style of their music; I only care if they are good or bad. This tour I have to tell you is one of the best we ever done so far, the shows are going great and most of the bands are killer. The 2 bands that totally blew me away is the Unexpect from Canada and The Faceless from California, both amazing bands and great guys, we have a great time on tour. I think it's better to have a diverse line-up so people can get into different styles of music, plus like you mentioned they will get tired from a 5-band death metal show.
UN: Does being in Nile stop you from contributing to any of the other projects you have been involved with? Can we expect any more albums from Sickening Horror? Will you continue playing with Nightfall?
George: No, I was never told to stop doing anything aside Nile, it was only my choice and I dont regret it. I had a million problems with these bands so I decided to leave them and I also told them they can do whatever they want with what I created in there too. I don't have much time to spend on projects any more, Nile are getting more and more busy plus I am doing many other things on a personal level like drum clinics, my DVD and so on. If I am going to do a project or any kind of guest recordings it will only be with people that can actually play music and have fun with it, that's why I play music in first place.
You will never see me again playing for Sickening Horror or Nightfall, I am totally sick of all these past years of work for nothing and I decided to spend my free time on my personal projects, I keep writing music and I am more happy than ever.
UN: What do you find the most rewarding aspect of all of the drum clinics you take part in? Does it get hectic when you are on tour and you are doing the clinics as well?
George: First the appreciation from all these young drummers that support my clinics and want to learn more about my drumming, this is the main reason I do it. Then of course it is for me, I am having fun doing drum clinics; drumming is my life and the more I do the more positive things I get in my playing. That was one of my dreams actually, I always wanted to be a full active drummer and share knowledge with everybody. I also believe that this way I help my band and all my endorsements to get some more exposure.
UN: What advice would you give drummers starting out that want to play extreme music? Are there any tips they can use right from the start that will help with their technique once they have built up speed?
George: Well, I always say love what you do, if you really like drumming then you can definitely do great one day, hard work always pays off. Also, open your mind to different styles of music, try to listen and play everything; don't stuck on a specific style cause that will negative for your playing. There is great music everywhere!
As for tips, I would suggest to everybody to check my first Instructional DVD Intense Metal Drumming which comes out on May 10th. I just finished it and its an over 3 hours DVD including many exercises, workouts and tips from my 8 year teaching experience plus off course performance on Nile songs, some of my songs and solos. I think everybody would like this DVD, I am focusing a lot on hand and foot technique, coordination, speed, drum phrasing and off course double bass drumming and all types of blast beat. The DVD will be available on my website www.georgekollias.com.
UN: One aspect of your drumming style that I really enjoy is the fact that you can play with blazing speed yet you aren't afraid to slow down and give the music a chance to breathe at times. Do you think it is an important thing for metal drummers to realize that they can still be aggressive but can have dynamics in the drum department?
George: Thanks, I think this comes from the fact I listen to many bands outside Death Metal, for me what we are trying to do is a lot more than just play super fast and aggressive, the songs need break downs, that's a rule in the language of music, we dont wan't boring songs that sound all the same. There are many bands out there that can play fast, and thats the problem in many Death Metal bands today, they pay attention more on the aggression than the actual song. As for drummers, I think what is missing right now and gets lost more year by year is the energy, people are trying hard to discover new techniques that you can blast super fast with no sweat, probably because they want faster results or maybe they are too lazy to work on their drumming. I mean, its Death Metal, its got to be music with loads of energy, just GO for it. And on top of that, there are no colors in there, no dynamics at all. I really have no interest for bands and drummers that want to succeed within a year or so; we need more good metal bands and better musicians.
http://www.georgekollias.com
http://www.nile-catacombs.net
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