Interview: Storm Force + Album Review: “Age of Fear”

Shannon Wilk – How did each of you get your start in music?

Patrick Gagliardi: My love for music started when I was maybe 10 yrs old. Two of my brothers were playing acoustic guitars and My older brother Tom got a drum set for Christmas and after he lost interest in it, I picked it up. I actually didn’t start singing until I was 18. Once I got out front on that stage, I was hooked.

Greg Fraser: I started playing guitar I think when I was around 10 years old & by the time I was 15 I was starting to play in bars with older guys. I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life & when I was 16 I quit high school to tour full time with a band called Pharaoh & never looked back. Those early years was my version of going to college. I learned so much each year playing with different bands that it all came together when Brighton Rock formed in my early 20’s. Now with Storm Force I know what & what not to do in this business being that I’ve been at it for more than 40 years.

Shannon – Did you have an ideal sound you wanted for Storm Force from the beginning or did it develop once your began writing?

Greg: We never really set out with a certain sound in mind. We just write what feels good to us & gets us pumped & excited. I find when you try chasing a sound you’re basically chasing your tail around. We just write what comes natural instead trying to reinvent the wheel. So far it’s worked out extremely well.

Shannon – Have you achieved the sound you wanted?

Greg: Absolutely! We could not be more happy with the final results. Brian Hamilton loaded up the bases with his recording skills & our producer Darius Szczepaniak hit a massive grand slam out of the park with his mixes of this record. It is extremely gratifying.

Shannon – What was each of your favorite moments in the process of making this album?

Patrick: For me it was taking a title and creating the story through lyrics. I love writing lyrics. It’s a great way to get what I’m thinking out, what I’m passionate about, and with what’s going on in the world, there is always tons of subject matter. I also dig that rock music can be about just fun energy and excitement. It’s great to write something that moves you lyrically and sometimes it’s great to just write a kick ass rocker that you can bang your head too.

Greg: The building of the songs was very exciting. To have an idea that I might come up & then watch the guys in the band bring it to life is so cool. They always take it up several notches & it sometimes seems magical how things would all fall into place. Also all the laughs we had in the studio just constantly busting each other’s balls is such a blast. This was a very fun record to make.

Shannon – What song off the album do you feel was the heaviest in terms of emotions for each of you?

Patrick: Age of Fear is something I feel strongly about. I pride myself as an eternal optimist, but it’s unfortunate that the news and social media can be so negative. It seems like everyone has some type of agenda and with the comfort of being somewhat anonymous, they can have a negative effect on the world. We need more positive vibes. That’s what I love about music. It always brings people together, not apart.

Greg: I can’t pinpoint one song in particular. They all bring up so many different emotions for me whether from the lyrics or just the vibe of each song. If I have to pick one I guess it might be Ember Rain because it seems to put me in a good mood after I listen to it, but tomorrow I could have a different answer all together!

Shannon – After this album release, are you guys planning to tour to promote the album?

Patrick: “We’re definitely looking forward to getting out there and playing the album live. Studio is great, but feeding off a great rock crowd is what really gets us up in the morning.”

Shannon – What is the one thing you want people to know about this band, if they could know anything?

Patrick: “Most of all that we just love what we do. There’s nothing we would rather do than write a heavy record and then perform it live.”

Shannon – Anything else you want to include?

Greg: “We just want to thank you for letting us promote our record & to maybe check out our website for all your Storm Force news. YOU ROCK!! www.stormforce.ca”