Interview with guitarist John TsantakisInterview with guitarist John Tsantakis
New York's Gothic Knights have been playing metal together for fourteen years now. Through it all guitarist John Tsantakis has kept the band on track and they have overcome health problems and many struggles as they continue to thrive. They signed with L.M.P. for the release of their third and most accomplished album, Up from the Ashes. The album was just released in the States this spring but Gothic Knights is already hard at work on new material in effort to have its follow up out around the same time next year. Here is the always pleasant and informative John for more information.
I hear you're writing new songs, how is that going?
It is going very well. The past several months we have been in the studio arranging and preproducing songs for our next c.d. Right now we are working with a new drummer, well not so new as he began working with us since last September.
Why have you been so creative lately?
Well as musicians one finds themselves at times in very creative modes. I always seem to be working on something new. But at the beginning of the year, I talked with the guys on making this a year where we would concentrate and focus a lot more on writing than playing shows. I felt that we came into a situation where this would be the best agenda for the band. So for the past several months, Mario, Rick and I have been bringing in a lot of new ideas for
songs. I must say it is very exciting time as we work really well together on crafting the songs. On a personal note, I want to say over the past few years I had some pretty serious health problems that really turned around for the better. I had major back surgery a few years ago which was very successful. Basically, to sum up
how serious my situation was when I went under the knife to fix a herniated disk they also found broken bones in my back which for three years X-rays did not find. Now that I am fine and look back at this I realize that the pain I went through was unimaginable. A couple years later I diagnosed with sleep apnea which I also have successfully treated. It is funny, because I have had sleep problems for years but never realized it could be something like this. The
epitome of this last album is that I really feel like I have come Up from the Ashes. I feel very lucky that I was able overcome these health problems, and on top of that, release the last album while all of this was happening. And now, not only am I pain free but I am wide awake.
How do you feel about singing with Limb, did it add a sense of stability having this record label behind you?
LMP put out a great package for us. Not only did they release our c.d. worldwide but they created a digipack version of our c.d. LMP is known for their great c.d. packages. Limb Schnoor, president of LMP also has worked with two bands that became great successes, Helloween and Rhapsody. His musical vision has help establish and strengthen the reputation of his label.
When will you be entering the studio to record the new album?
Our goal is to get our next c.d. out sometime next year. So I am hoping that sometime very early in the spring of next year we can lay down our first drum tracks. Our goal is to always keep recording with a great production in mind. Our last c.d. was definitely our best sounding as we went to Trax East Studios in New Jersey. LMP was stunned at the quality of the sound we got as Limb told me that it is unusual for American bands to have such a good production.
How well did Up from the Ashes sell? I'm sure it did well in Europe.
Well I know that in the last couple of months of 2003 the c.d. sold well as the digipack helped boost initial sales. The album was then released in America in the spring of this year and very soon I should be seeing the official numbers.
How did Rick come back to rejoin the band? What led to Bryan's departure?
We parted ways with Bryan back in 2000. There were personal and professional reasons for this. Things sometimes work out, and sometimes they don't. I felt it came to a point where we all needed a fresh start. Soon after Bryan's departure, Rick came back into the fold. Rick and I always kept in touch as we remained friends through the years. I also new that he missed working with the band as when he left back in 1996 it was under unfortunate circumstances. So
before we started to look for a new singer, Mario and I got together with Rick to talk about him rejoining the Knights. Well, the stars were in alignment and the rest is history.
You and Mario have been the two constants in Gothic Knights all these years, at this point how do you keep dealing with the line up changes?
Well, I think that fact that we enjoy and have fun making music is one of the main reasons we don't ever let it affect us. Because we have been successful in finding musicians over the years, it has also given us patience to find the right type of people to work with.
Have you ever considered packing it in or does it all eventually make you stronger?
Packing it in? That is like saying I should throw away my guitars. Never! Music to me is not something I want to do, it is something I need to do as it is my biggest passion. I think the years have made me even stronger as I must say I value and enjoy working with the band time more than ever.
With the harsh reality of terrorism and hurricanes happening these days, does it make a fantasy based band like Gothic Knights even more important?
Well, some of our lyrical content has fantasy elements and has been a trademark of the band since the beginning. But the one thing I can say is that when we write fantasy lyrics we tend to write with a personal situation or experience in mind. With this, the meaning to the lyrics have a deeper meaning and makes the escape more fulfilling than by just simply writing to glorify dragons and wizards. We tend to write lyrics these days that cover a lot of topics which include both fantasy and horror elements, as well as lyrics that talk about
every day life. In fact the first song titled "Power and the Glory" off of Up from the Ashes is about terrorism and 9/11. Being that we are all from New York City, it had an affect on us.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics? Do you do a lot of
reading?
I think waking up every day and walking out the door can give someone a lot of inspiration to write songs. There is a lot of madness going on out there in the world. But I know that we enjoy writing about movies or the books that we read. I am a huge fantasy/ horror buff and love reading about history as well. I watch the Hitler... I mean the History Channel all the time.
How have you changed and evolved as a guitarist and songwriter through the years?
Well for one, I think as I matured as a person my playing and songwriting followed as well. I think that I was fortunate that I was the type of guitarist in my youth that practiced anywhere from ten to twelve hours a day. Practicing scales and perfecting one's techniques in their youth prepares a musician for the writing that they cultivate in their later years. Playing what's in my head is pretty much second nature as I don't have to sit and try to figure out what scale I need to use. It just happens. I also studied opera
for a few years which opened up a new avenue to how I approach music. Rick and I do some pretty cool harmonies live.
Metal is getting strong again in many places, but how are things from your observation in New York?
Well, I think I can say that metal is back as I had a great time at Ozzfest. But I think the underground scene here in New York though took a turn for the worse as we lost the legendary rock/ metal club L'amour. They just simply closed their doors one day and that was it. Shocking, as the club was bringing in some great bands that were packing the place.
What other musical endeavors keep you busy?
I sing and play guitar in Iron Priest, an Iron Maiden/ Judas Priest
tribute band. I am also working at home on some guitar instrumental
compositions that I am hoping to one day record. But Gothic Knights is and always will be my number one priority. I have been fighting the good fight with Gothic Knights for over fourteen years and plan on doing it for at least another twenty eight.
Final comments?
Thanks for your time Brett. Well, I just want to say that we have some potentially huge news coming down the pipeline. There are reasons why we are feverishly working on our new album to get it out sooner than later. So if all goes as planned, I am hoping to make a really big announcement in the upcoming months. Other than that, Stay Metal and Stay Healthy.
Discography:
2003... Up From The Ashes (Limb)
1999... Kingdom Of The Knights (Sentinel Steel)
1996... Gothic Knights
Current line-up:
Rick Sanchez... Vocals
Dan Castro... Rhythm Guitars
John Tsantakis... Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars
Mario Consentino... Bass
Kevin Dedario... Drums
| TTM reviews of albums by Gothic Knights: | |
 | 2004 - 'Up from the Ashes' |
