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The interview with Mark Boals for Ring Of Fire new album
The Burrn! August issue 2004
Ring Of Fire, which is led by Mark Boals, completed their third album “Lapse Of Reality” and will release this new album on July 22nd after an interval of a half and one year.
Right after making the last album “Dreamtower”, Steve Weigert replaced Vitalij Kuprij as their keyboardist. With this new keyboardist, you’ll hear the same classic, technical dynamic progressive
metal as you heard on the last two albums, but having more jazz rock style tension than clear, lyrical melodies, the new album is close to the line of the last album….this new album was developed from the
last album and goes further.
And I would say that is the result from the drummer Virgil Donati who is also active in the fusion field became the main song writer as well as Tony MacAlpine.
As far as the skills of the new keyboardist, he isn’t a flashy keyboard player, but it sounds that he has well enough technics and senses to play for this band.
Well, let’s start to talk with Mark.
Did you have any chance to play as Ring Of Fire after the last album “Dreamtower” was released?
It was only a short time we could play live. It was hard to make out the schedule with Mr. Kuprij. We had to change many things and we couldn’t tour as we’d expected after all. The other members also had
their own schedules…
You released the CD and the DVD “Burning Live In Japan 2002” in Japan in the summer of 2002 and in Europe in 2003. Because of that, Didn’t you have a chance to play in Europe?
We decided to go to a different road from Mr. Kuprij. That was because he was too busy doing so many other things. At the time we had a chance to do the European tour, we didn’t have a new
keyboardist yet. But I know that that DVD sold well in Europe.
So, it’s only the Japan tour in February of 2002 for Ring Of Fire to play live so far?
That’s right. As for the band Ring Of Fire, that’s all. But we are thinking of doing a big tour this year, so it’s really exciting.
How and when did Steve Weingart join the band in place of Vitalij kuprij?
We talked with many people who were interested in Ring Of Fire. But we found out that Steve Weingart was living on the same street as Virgil and I have studios on. And not only is it convenient
geographically, but also is he a very talented keyboardist. When we talked with him, he got interested soon. So, it was a reasonable choice to have him as our new keyboardist.
Had you known him before?
I knew about him a little while ago, but Virgil and Tony have know him for a while. Steve was playing in a jazz group called CAB with them…. also with Bunny Brunel, you know.
When did you officially decided that he is the new keyboardist?
It was after we had him record a few songs. That’s because he was generally known for a jazz keyboardist. He has played with Dave Weckl and other jazz artists in the world in the past. So, we
asked him to records a few songs and there were great.
Because Vitalij was a player with high technique, did you regard technique as important when you looked for a new keyboardist?
We looked for someone who could played anything. Someone who could play any crazy passage we come up with! And someone who really give creative energy to the band…. Of course it had to be
someone who can get along well with all of us and work well on our schedule.
Including Steve, did you have any definite candidates?
Yes, we had. We talked with many players and many demos all over the world were sent to us. But with a keyboard player who lives in Europe, South America or Asia, it wasn’t reasonable when we have
to work together. In fact, it would cost a lot for rehearsals or recordings.
Is he a known person in the jazz field?
Yes, he is. But I think he hasn’t played rock much before. Still, He is a trained classic pianist and he can play anything. He can play everything technically.
Do you know who he was influenced by?
He often plays songs of Chic Corea. It seems that he practiced a lot playing Chic Corea’s music. Above that, I don’t know.
Do you think he has any favourite rock musician?
Yes, of course he likes rock, otherwise he didn’t think of joining our band! (laugh) I don’t know who he likes well, though.
Does he have any materials released?
Yes he has a lot. He recently released his solo album. He often works with Dave Weckl as I mentioned before and go on tour with him. He also has a trio band with a guy like Marco Mendoza and they are
playing music like Cuban jazz.
When did you write the songs?
There had been some music written before I had to have a break due to my personal reason last year. It was two months ago I wrote the lyrics and melodies, and after I did we started to make a demo.
For the last album, the three members, Tony, Virgil and Vitalij wrote music. Who wrote music this time?
Tony and Virgil. Except “Perfect World”. I wrote it all by myself.
What kind of thing which you weren’t happy about on the last album did you improve this time?
The sound production is much better than the last one. We had to do everything in a haste last time…..it
was going to have a much better sound, but it wasn’t…We also could polish songs a little more. Anyway, I think that album was still a great album. The new album is much better, especially the sound.
Can you comment on each song on the new album?
We haven’t finalized the track listing yet, but let’s talk in order.
I think “Saint Fire” is a neo-classic hard rock and commercial song. Lyrically it’s about an fictitious
character….it’s hard to talk about the lyrics. After I wrote, I forget about what idea I had. (laugh)
Basically, lots of fictional characters appear. “The Key” is about the world situation. They are having a
meaningless war only to make people who makes weapons rich. It’s the song saying everybody is the same when you look inside. Musically, it’s a classic song which we played in the past. The fast bass
drum, classic piano, heavy guitars and high tone vocal are all unified.
If you like songs like our old songs or the songs I did with Yngwie, you’ll like it.
On “The Key”, Steve’s talents are displayed.
He’s really great. He would be much better once he gets to play more often. He is perfect in the jazz
field. Although he is a trained classic pianist, it’s new for him to work in the rock field. He will be one of the best in this field in the future.
The lyrics of “Machine” is about if we had a time machine, we could make things we did wrong right.
Musically, it’s modern for our music and it’s very heavy hard rock. “Faithfully” is about someone who is
in unwanted term and sent to jail and feel like always being watched. The music on this song is a classic type of tempo hard rock. “Darkfall” is the song about people who are worried about themselves and
worried about what they really are. I think the music is a ordinary hard rock song. “One Little Mystery” is about a person who keeps worried if the things happened in the past really happened or not.
Someone who kept being caught in a little mystery. This is also mid tempo hard rock. What it’s said in
“Perfect World” is that what they look for depends on people, but for other people, they think it’s really
selfish and it’s wrong straight way. The music is also neo classic and there are fast bass drum and big choruses.
In “Change” I wrote about changes in my life, changes in others’ lives and changes in people’s
relationships. It’s a mid tempo commercial song. “That Kind Of Man” is about many famous people
who appear in news or newspapers. It’s about people whose appearances might be different from what
they really are. I won’t say certain names, but I wonder the respect they are getting is really proper or not….Virgil wrote the music. It has a feel of modern rock.
“You Were There” is a ballad about how people will realize how important an encounter with an important person, how a support from a dearest person enriches life after you lost your best friend.
“I Don’t Know (What You’re Talking About)” is about the recent world. Whatever and however the
American leaders try to explain, it seems that different things are happening. (laugh) This is also Virgil’s music and it’s modern hard rock.
“Lapse Of Reality” is saying that sometimes you can’t tell if it’s real through your consciousness and that always happens when you are feeling down or at a loss. It’s a modern song too.
I felt this when I listened to some songs from the ending of the last CD, As for the new album,
“ I don’t know” and “”Lapse Of Reality” for example, it sounds that those songs are more
jazz rock, and therefore it sounds it’s not for vocal music. It feels that the vocal melodies are inserted unnaturally. Do you feel incongruous about them?
No, I don’t. I consider those songs as more modern songs, experimental songs. “I Don’t Know” and
“Lapse Of Reality” are a bit out of our usual music style, but I don’t think they are doing something
impossible. I think it is, rather, challenging. Virgil is a very musical person and he always experiments. He always be on a boundary line and always tries to be modern. Working with Virgil always makes me
feel like trying something new, so I don’t think I don’t feel doing something awkward. I just feel like being tested.
The impact of “Circle Of Time” on the first album was strong. I think fans still love that song.
I like that song a lot, too. I think it’s a great song.
But there aren’t songs like that speedy tune neither on the last album nor on the latest album. Have you lost interest in that kind of song?
No, but I think it’s not good to repeat the same thing. Fans would be get bored. We have to move forward, and always expand your style. But I love that song. It’s a really great song, you know.
This new album will be released at the same time in Japan when Artension’s album….
I didn’t know (laugh)
Does it bother you?
No. it doesn’t. We are “fellows” rather than competitors. We are fellows doing the same type of music.
Well, will you tell me what’s your plan after this?
We’re planning for a tour right now. We are hoping to start to tour in Europe and South America in August, and go to Japan and Asia in September.
All the members of ROF are doing their own things or other projects.
Yes, they are, except me. (laugh) No, I’m doing solo work. (laugh) Certainly, all of us are doing other projects, but it’s normal for musicians to do these days. Working with very famous musicians.
Are you doing any project other than your solo work?
I’m going to sing two songs for a Japanese artist called Ohmura (Takayoshi). He is a Japanese guitarist and it sounds like mixture of fusion and neo- classic. I received his songs the other day. He is a great
guitarist.
The songs were written by him?
Yes, I’m going to sing only two songs. Doogie White also sings two songs and Richie Kotzen sings one
song. I think it’s going to be a mini album. He is still a young artist, so I want to support him to get recognized, so I decided to work for him.
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