Distance makes the rock get harder


Kill Star releases debut album
by Shane Gibson


The fact that all three of the band's song-writing core hail from three seperate Canadian cities has not held metal band Kill Star back in the least bit, in fact the hard rockers have just began selling their freshly pressed debut album.
Two members of the band- lead and rhythm guitarist Brent Andres of Selkirk and lead singer Purple- sat down with The Record in Purple's Winnipeg home last week to discuss their new disc 'Threshold' and how it came together.
The band's bass player Derek Dufresne couldn't make it on short notice- he lives in Vancouver, BC.
"None of us lives in the same city so we actually email the tracks to eachother," explains Andres, adding the process isn't too difficult because the three band mates have known each other for the past 20 years and used to play together in different bands when they all lived in winnipeg.
"We were all really good friends and we've really clicked as a band."
Kill Star, which is rounded off by drummer Josh Gray and guitarist Jay Coates, formed about a year and a half ago when the three old friends met on Facebook.  The trio quickly began sending audio files back and forth and before he knew it, Purple says the band had been formed and booked for their first live show.
"We wrote three songs right off the cuff, like boom, boom, boom, and then all of a sudden it was like "we booked a show," he laughs.  "We wrote six more songs in the next week or two and for that first show we were actually practicing together for the first time in the hotel room right before we went on."
At that first show- a Battle of the Bands in Winnipeg- Kill Star walked away with first place, and since then the band has played together three more times live.
Last February, after they had written and recorded more than an album's worth of material, Dufresne flew in from Vancouver and the band recorded "Threshold" live together at Winnipeg' Platinum/Gold Studios.
It took four days for the band to record the album's 12 tracks and Andres says he was so moved by the experience of playing all together he decided to compose three of his solos right on the spot in the studio.
"When I was in the studio I wanted to give to the audience, through the cd, the emotion of us being there and all connecting," he says. "I wanted to bring that intensity to the listening audience."
After finishing the recording process, the band was thrilled to have the final product mixed and mastered by Eric Mosher who has worked with huge names in the industry like Metallica, Nine Inch Nails and Tool.
"There are a certain criteria you have to meet to be able to work with him because his name's on that too... and after he heard our stuff he really liked it," says Andres of working with Mosher.  "It was really cool to have him first of all like our stuff, and then decide to work on it with us."
Kill Star hopes to hold a concert to officially release their new album and thank all those that helped make it happen sometime in December.
The album is currently available at Blaine's Records and Tapes and Shoppers Home Furniture in Selkirk and can be downloaded at iTunes etc..  Find out more about the band online at their website killstar.org or check out their Facebook Page.

Google translator German to English....

What does the average middle European metalhead connects Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba province in Canada? The majority of respondents will likely keep the classic Canadian stereotypes - a friendly folk, that there hanging out comfortably in log cabins in the deepest forest, so in between is a bit of logging and hunting, anything edible mercilessly dippt in maple syrup and as compensation in the winter the frozen lakes and their national sport Hockey indulges. More educated our species then think rather of a modern North American city that has only recently appeared in our media landscape, as a few months ago, the NHL team out of Atlanta has moved to Winnipeg to henceforth "our" Thomas Vanek regularly a few goals poured out to get. But for what Winnipeg is famous not sure that is a vibrant rock scene ...

... Wipe out and about this saddle their hometown, have three gentlemen of the region under the name Kill Star teamed up on their own and their debut album "Threshold" was added to place even this piece of land on the metal map prominently.

And already the first bars of opener "Until I Die" to make one thing very clear. Kill Star try definitely not any trends to follow, as do many other North American troops happy, but stand for earth, honest manual labor and raw, powerful metal fare in an intersection of Alice in Chains and Motorhead, with the three maple leaves on the rather focus on minor-sounding sentiment of the old Seattle stalwarts try and embed these vibes quite evident in the rather simple song structures of the world-famous warts man from the Rainbow in Los Angeles.

This project can certainly be described as successful, the 12 tracks groove on "Threshold" but some of them quite pleasant. Technically absolutely driving songs in the green region of the brand "Baby Rat Trap", or "Off You And Me" added melodious ear lining. With the ballad, with acoustic guitars bearing 'Supposed To Be " Kill Star a pleasant songwriting counterpoint are at half-time on the album that this needed at this time even bitter. Even with the previously expressed praise for my part, is perhaps the only great weakness of the band also revealed very soon ... namely the rather one-dimensional songwriting that just after a period with very good songs because of the lack of dynamism of the album not sound quite as strong be deserved. Should bring in at this point a bit more variety definitely be the biggest priority in the Kill Star Camp for further career.

The production fits perfectly with the sound offered, but failed so bone dry without any frills, but that a direct comparison of the step might seem even a 100 year old well-lubricated.

"Threshold" can collectively be described, without doubt, as a successful debut album, although I am convinced that Kill Star go off live certainly more than on record. For bikers, tattoo conventions and meeting the band was predestined.

Available is "Threshold" on all major download sites, but can also be purchased directly from the band. For details, can be found on www.killstar.org!

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