ANAKA
1. Antonis: First of all, tell us the history of “AnAkA”?
AnAkA is a heavy metal/ hard rock band from Brooklyn, New York with its musical influences ranging from Metallica, to Alice In Chains, and Black Sabbath. AnAkA was originally formed in 2000 but has quickly established a fan base in the NY underground heavy metal, and hard rock seen as well as the rest of the U.S.A.. AnAkA, “Down Devil’s Road” is the bands first album, and it contains 7 kick ass heavy and heart felt tracks. AnAkA’s music is rage, heartbreak, self realization, love, honor and wisdom … powerful music for the outlaw-thinker that is found in all of us.
2. Antonis: Tell us some details for the CD “Down Devil’s Road”
Pete: Devil’s Road is our first studio album. It took us about four months to record and mix down the material on Devil’s Road. The music from the album is very personal to me as a song writer. My thoughts, my beliefs, and my life experiences fuel my writing. The songs are like windows into my heart and mind.
3. Antonis: Is there any feedback from the audience about the CD till now?
Pete: We have a great deal of fans here all over the USA. Everyone has really shown a lot of support. We’ve sold a great deal of CDs on www.AnAkA.NET. We’ve have very loyal fans, and everyday more and more people join our AnAkA Army. It is something that we are very proud of. There’s nothing like connecting with people through music that you feel and make. You can even view what some of our fans have to say about AnAkA on the comment section of one of our unofficial websites www.AnAkA.iuma.com.
4. Antonis: Which is the procedure when you write the songs?
Pete: Well there are a couple procedures we go through. On Devil’s Road I had written the songs (guitar and lyrics) and just showed them to the rest of the guys in the band. They listened to them and added there own parts to them (drums, bass, and vocal range and technique wise). Since then we also just jam, all together and just go with what happens in the jams. I’ll have a guitar idea, or Karl will come up with a cool bass riff, and we all just build on the those ideas. We use both these methods although I mostly decide what the songs are about lyrically.
5. Antonis: Have you already played any gigs?
Jimmy: Yes we’ve played a lot of gigs. We are a live band, we love playing live, its the best part of being a band. We feel that the most important thing as a band is the performance. The live performance is where, as artists, we can express the feelings projected in our music and the stage gives us the perfect opportunity to floor our audience not only sonically but also visually. We have played and headlined a number of shows in well known and well respected venues here in New York City, such as, The Continental, CBGB’s, L’Amour, Castle Heights, etc.
6. Antonis: Your influences from the metal scene?
Pete:MMetallica, Black Label Society, Black Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice In Chains.
Jimmy: Metallica, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath, and Black Label Society
Karl: Metallica, Alice In Chains, God Smack.
Tony: Rush, Testament, Queensryche, Alice in Chains, and Metallica.
7.Antonis: Pete tell me your influences as a guitar player
Pete: James Hetfield, Zakk Wlyde are my two biggest influences as a guitarist.
8. Antonis: Jimmy tell me your favorite vocalist
Jimmy: As a vocalist I would say my favorite singers would definitely be Layne Staley, Pepper Keenan, Zakk Wylde, Dave Mustaine, Chuck Billy, and James Hetfield.
9. Antonis: You live in USA, how do you see the metal scene there?
Pete: This place needs a new kick ass metal band to breath some life into the metal scene once again, and we feel AnAkA is just the band to give the US metal scene a swift kick in the ass. There is so much music out there that doesn’t say anything. AnAkA is about feeling, AnAkA is about Power, AnAkA is about being real. Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal here in the USA is ready for a rebirth, it just needs a band to come along, pick up the metal flag and run with it. We believe we are that band.
10. Antonis: Do you know anything from the metal scene in Greece?
Pete: Only that you guys must have great taste in music if your playing AnAkA on “Crete FM.” haha…
11. Antonis: Tell me you favorite album and your favorite band?
Pete: WOW that’s a difficult question to answer…Well my favorite band is Metallica, and I love all their albums but my favorite one would have to be Master of Puppets. Some of my other favorite albums are, Black Label Society “Sonic Brew,” Megadeth Rust in Piece,” Down “Nola,”
12. Antonis: What are your plans in the future for “AnAkA”?
Pete: There is no limits for AnAkA, we want to take our music to the people, we want to connect we people through our music. The world must hear AnAkA.
13.Antonis: Is metal a way of life for you?
Pete: We in AnAkA define our lives in the way we see fit. As for me, metal is the music I listen to, and it is a large part of the music I play and write. As for it being a part of my life, in a way it is, but I am not a follower of trends, I am what I am and I live my life my way. You don’t have to wear certain clothing, or have long hair, You just have to be yourself, and when you play people can tell how truly METAL you are.
14. Antonis: I found you through the Internet, do you think that the net can replace the old underground days?
Jimmy: I think the Internet can provide bands, such as ourselves, which are trying to get noticed, with another means of getting their music out there. I feel that the underground days cant be replaced because it still exists, it hasn’t gone anywhere. For a band to truly be worthy of being given respect, it must pay its dues as an underground band, play gigs and kicking ass. The underground rock scene is where a true kick ass band gets it’s name, not the Internet, though the net may help.
15. Antonis: Tell me what dreams you have for “AnAkA”
Pete: AnAkA is my dream come true. Playing this great music with my best friends, who could ask for anything more? I don’t know what we are destined for, that is for time to decide. But I do know this, AnAkA is real, powerful, heartfelt music and soon everyone will know what we are all about.
16. Antonis: Thanks for your interview, and close the interview as you like.
Pete: I just wanted to thank you for helping us spread the word of AnAkA. This is only the beginning so strap yourself in tight, ain’t gonna be no turning, ain’t gonna be no stopping, only straight ahead at one hundred plus mph. Enjoy the AnAkA ride. Thanxxx again, Stay Wild Always, from AnAkA.
