 Interviews - End Of Level Boss
09-03-2005, 08:46 PM
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by Chris Barnes
August 28, 2005
 Having been a fan of Harry “Hangnail” Armstrong for many years, it was bittersweet to hear of the demise of Hangnail and the subsequent rise of End Of Level Boss from the ashes. That is, until I heard 'em. Sonically dense, darkly epic with a progressive flourish, EOLB is gonna be hard to categorize but it most certainly is one thing... "HEAVY". No doubt the uniqueness of the sounds emanating from their debut Prologue will be hitting many a top ten list this year. Hellride tracks down Harry for a chat about End Of Level Boss and what's in store for the future
Hellride Music: Greeting's from across the pond! First and foremost, I'm a EOLB fanboy, utterly blown away by Prologue... it's dark, hypnotic and unquestionably heavy with a touch of prog. Why don't we start off with the usual band bio... give us the story on how EOLB came to be and who plays what.
Harry Armstrong: Glad to hear you like our noises man! I guess we must be doing something right!
EOLB began life after myself and Jimm (Ogawa – guitar) returned from the last Hangnail tour. A couple of the other guys wanted to take some time off, but I’m not into that. I’m too addicted to this shit! I had a bunch of riffs that I’d been working on that didn’t really fit in the Hangnail vibe, so I started work on a new project. I had already been Jamming with our bass player Elenajane (guitar) for a while, just making a noise and getting drunk, so we decided to look for a drummer. We found Gareth (Millsted) through the local scene and started putting the plan into action. It didn’t take much to convince Jimm to bring his guitars and join in the fun. Once he heard “Freak Waves” he was chomping at the bit! A bunch of gigs followed and the disease kept on spreading, bringing us up to the release of our first album – Prologue.
Hellride Music: It goes without saying that Hangnail was one of my favorite bands and was sorry to hear of the demise. Can you go into the demise of the band a little further? Was it a need to shift direction musically? Hangnail music was a walk in the park on a sunny day compared to the overall darkness of EOLB.
Harry.: It just kinda drifted off. I was trying to bring in a more twisted sound, but it didn’t really appeal to the other guys, and once they talked about taking time off I kinda figured the spark had gone for them. You can’t force someone to do this. There is a lot of shit to deal with and it takes a certain type of idiot to bounce back every time! I dunno though. We never actually called it a day. It just became too difficult to get hold of everyone at the same time. And there’s not much point in doing this if you’re heart isn’t in it. I still haven’t completely ruled out another Hangnail album, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon. I’m happier with EOLB anyway. I feel it’s more my kind of thing. It’s more like the noises in my head than Hangnail ever was! I guess I like the dark shit!
Hellride Music: Whose the video game nut who came up with the band moniker? It certainly is one of the most original names that I've come across. The band mascot is also of note.... who came up with it and why?
Harry:  We’re all fans of video games. End of Level Boss just seemed like the perfect name for the music. He’s the last guy standing at the end of all the madness. The one that must be destroyed in order to complete the game. Think about that after a few beers and the philosophy starts to really suit the music! Once we settled on the name, we knew we had to bring the character to life. A simple old style computer graphic was exactly what we wanted. Things really just fell into place before the band line up was even completed. I think that direct vision has really helped us get things going so quickly.
Hellride Music: Now that Prologue is complete and you've had a chance to breath it in, what do you think? Anything you would change?
Harry: No. The recording process for us is not about creating a polished, perfect record. It’s about capturing a moment in time. The album is a snapshot of where we are and a hint at what the future holds. We’re very happy with it. Now we’re concentrating on making sure the next one surpasses it. The ideas are already flowing…
Hellride Music: Well good luck on the surpassing front, because it’s a damn good recording. Speaking of which, how'd the recording sessions go? Any good stories? I love to hear stuff about band members fighting or busting each other’s balls. Please indulge me.
Harry: heh heh….. The most difficult things were the ancient recording equipment dying around us as we played! Not much fighting really. We all pretty much agreed on every step. And when we didn’t I just put on my dictator hat! Seriously though, we all get on really well. All the funny stuff happened each night in a local pub called the Oval where we went to de-sweat. There was a guy in there who was constantly drunk and was always ranting at us. We managed to record one of his rant’s where he thought Elenajane was a member of Girlschool! He kept telling her how he met Lemmy… we almost put the recording on the album, but the quality is kinda shit. It was recorded onto a mobile phone. We’ll find a use for it one day. It’s classic.
Hellride Music: How did you guys hook up with Exile on Mainstream? Andreas is a good dude, I think you've made a wise choice.
Harry:  We’ve been aware of Exile and the killer stuff they’ve released in the past, so we got to know Andreas through our shared love of metal. He got us a couple of shows with The Hidden Hand. Not long after that he heard of our plans to record a full-length album and offered us a release through Exile. We know how hard that man works, so we knew our music couldn’t be in better hands.
Hellride Music: Harry, you’re blessed with a voice from the angels.... what do you think of the Chris Cornell and Lane Staley comparisons? Furthermore, do you do anything in particular to take care of your pipes?
Harry: heh heh… Thanks man. I have no problem with those comparisons. Those guys have made some fantastic music. It was never intentional for me to sound that way though. I just open my lungs and let it all out. It’s an honour to be considered in the same league as those singers, but it doesn’t effect what I do or the way I do it. I just regularly soak my throat in Guinness, indulge in the occasional jazz cigarette, and so far it’s given me no trouble at all! Maybe those guys use the same techniques!
Hellride Music: Your gearing up for a full UK tour in Oct/Nov '05... where will it take you and who will you play with? What motivates you to get into a small, often smelly van and get out there and play?
HARRY: We’re putting the tour together at the moment. So far it’s gonna be UK and Ireland with Sloth from the UK and hopefully Jakob from New Zealand. Then we’re off to Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Switzerland and anywhere else we stumble across on the way. It’s gonna be a blast. We all love touring, and this one is gonna keep us locked in that smelly van for a while. The damn thing is gonna stink! We’ll probably get fined for breaking some kind of environmental stench law somewhere! The best times of my life have been from travelling around the planet meeting cool people who share a common appreciation of metal! They couldn’t drag me away!
Hellride Music: Thanks for the interview fellas. Anything you'd like to add?
HARRY: Just wanna say thanks to you and Hellride, and everyone else who has helped in spreading to word of the End of Level Boss. Be prepared…. The game has just begun!
 Purchase Prologue at Hellride Music Superstore
Download an MP3 of Step The Mind Gap
Read the Hellride Music review of Prologue
Visit the End Of Level Boss website at website at www.eolb.com
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09-05-2005, 04:52 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Borkheide Rock City, Germany
Posts: 617
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Yeah! Killer interview for a killer band! Spread the word, hellriders!
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09-28-2005, 06:02 AM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 24
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End Of Level Boss Killz
i saw these guys live on this years edition of the StonedFromTheUnderground and I must say that EOLB killz live...they´re a f**ing wall...I really dig the Voivod elements in their songs...damn...i wanna see them again
ralf
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09-28-2005, 06:05 AM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Borkheide Rock City, Germany
Posts: 617
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They're heading for anaother tour in November. Confirmed dates are:
05.11. Zomergem (BEL), Toud Liefken (+DAREDIABLO)
06.11. Den Helder - De Engel (+DAREDIABLO)
08.11. Münster, Metro Club (+DAREDIABLO)
09.11. Jena, Rosenkeller (+DAREDIABLO)
10.11. Schwerin - Dr. K (+DAREDIABLO)
11.11. Bielefeld, Eingang 7 (+DAREDIABLO)
12.11. Magdeburg, Knast
15.15. Wien(AUT), Arena
16.11. Linz(AUT), Kapu
18.11. Leipzig, Conne Island (+DOZER+SHIT & SHINE+VOLT)
19.11. Köln, Sonic Ballroom ((+SHIT & SHINE)
20.11. Berlin, Bastard (+SHIT & SHINE+ 2LANE BLKTP+VOLT)
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09-28-2005, 06:58 AM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 10,903
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Whooohoooooooo! Will you be on the road with them?
I will be there for sure. need a local support band for Münster???
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09-28-2005, 07:16 AM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Borkheide Rock City, Germany
Posts: 617
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I wont be on this show. But I will be in Bielefeld.
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09-28-2005, 07:49 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 10,903
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maybe I can make it to both shows!
Who books the shows??
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09-28-2005, 07:56 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Borkheide Rock City, Germany
Posts: 617
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Booking: My own self
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09-28-2005, 08:02 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 10,903
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Reverend Odd
Whooohoooooooo! Will you be on the road with them?
I will be there for sure. need a local support band for Münster???
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Oh Good! 
We do not need no money and no free drinks. Just 30 minutes of time! |
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