Interview with STEEL RAZOR
!!!FRENCH HEAVY METAL!!!
We had a conversation with Julien (Guitars). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about STEEL RAZOR (Members, Starting Year etc).
Hello, the band started 2, years ago, with Aurore/lead vocal, Julien (me)/Guitar, Mathieu/Bass and Denis/Drum and we are from Rouen (France)
You have recently released your album ''Final Defiance''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We have a very good feedback, it is very encouraging because even if you make good music, most of the time it is not enough, specially in 2025 because there is a lot of very good band on the web ! But luckily in France, it seems like there is not so much heavy metal band with a female singer, so there is a place to take maybe ?
Label or DIY and why?
We didn't have to look for a label because quickly the French label 'Steel Shark records' get in touch with us for a distribution contract in France & Europe and help us for the release of our album, so things fell into place easily
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
One days, few years ago, I had a very big Peavey 5150 amp combo, we were driving to a show and in a violent turn on the road, my peavey amp fall right on my guitar! I had the fear of my life, I thought like "OMG my guitar is gonna be flat like a Pankake!" but luckily my guitar have nothing at all !
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Personally I prefer CD and Vinyl, but I listen to demat. music too, most of the time in metal you have beautiful artwork and physical format allows you to enjoy it. For me I prefer buying music because I have a belief : possessing the CD permit me to create a connexion with the band and to learn more easily from their work, from their music and lyrics, the concept of the band... Online, you can't focus on this, you don't care because there are too much thing, you can't listen really carefully. When I was young, I happend to goes from France to England (London) to find rare vinyls :)
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Hard to answers because personally I listen to so much band and all kind of metal (death, Shredding instrumental, Glam, Neo, prog, Thrash...) But I must admit I like very much 80's bands like Black & Blue, Fisc, Dokken, etc, I think there is a particular atmosphere in these records. In the 80' I was a child and everybody that was young in this period is now a big nostalgic, see Steel panther for example, and so much other band like Nestor. I am sure that something very strange happen in the 80' ! :D (add Xfiles music on this :) )
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
For me, the most difficult in a band is the human relationship, and if you want to go ahead, you must make compromise, all the time ! You must relitivise also all the time.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
A good sound check and a lot of people ! :) Most of the time, people come to see you after the show and tell you that it was great, but if we make mistake I don't feel good, sometime I can feel bad for several days after a bad show ! For me, the most difficult audience is me, and I am not very sensitive to compliments, I read in Rob Halford Biography that performers are like that. I think live show is a challenge against yourself.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
In heavy metal, the lead singer have a big responsability in the identity of a band, but also the song writing and the global concept, In each artistic style, the most difficult is to have personality, it is also true for Death metal band for example. One thing very important is to have a big musical culture. As a guitarist, you can also sound different from the other with your guitar playing, the tone you chose and your solos, the technics you use (see Yngwie Malmsteen for example, he have a unique style). All those little things make the difference in the end. But sometime, it is nothing more than a little bit of luck, you can't control every things :)
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Yes, specially for the young metal fans, they only listen to demat music on their smartphone and we must deal with this, and on the other and, for the older metal fans (like me :D), we must make CD. We must make both.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in France (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
In my town Rouen, there is a lot a metal band, and the underground scene is very active. On Saturday, you can have 2 or 3 metal show at the same time ! But most of the band are death metal, original band are very hard to find. Something positive : The technical level is getting high in the globallity in Rouen there is 6 pub/scenes where you can play, it is not bad, when I was younger, there were only 2 or 3, so things are getting better :)
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Yes, I saw Septic Flesh in my town and the show was amazing, Firewind is very cool too.
What are your future plans?
We are now working on the second album, 6 song are already written so it can come before 2027 maybe?
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Keep on making and listening to good music \m/ \m/
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
STEEL RAZOR CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550878770216
https://steelrazor1.bandcamp.com/album/final-defiance-10-tracks-album