Interview to Snowy Shaw

Interview by Luis Landeo
Hails Snowy, is a real pleasure for me have an interview with you, you are practicly a live legend of Metal, You was member of many important bands like: Dimmu Borgir, Dream Evil, Therion, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, so my question to start this interview is how was play with all this bands?
Not forget mentioning about the other half of the bands I was, but anyways. It's been quite an eventful journey I can tell you, with both extreme ups and downs in this crazy rock n´rollercoaster of mine.

Actually you have a Glitter Rock project called: "XXX", how goes this project?
There hasn't been much activity since 2009. And that's because the guitarist Xhris has disappeared from the face of the earth. He might be dead for all I know.

Well I have to say, I like your participation in the last album of my greek friends Sorrows Path, in the track: "Everything Can Change", how was work with them? 
I haven't heard any of other songs yet. Working and recording "Everything Can Change" went very smooth. Kostas and the other doom brothers seems to be all nice guys and I wish them all the best in the future.

I remember in 2012 you released a live album entitled: "Snowy Shaw Is Alive", playing cover songs of some of your ex bands, how born this idea of record an album with songs your ex bands and playing it in live? how was the answer of your public and the bands you played their songs?
Well, it seem you got it all a bit wrong here so let me try to explain and clear the fog. On the two shows I've recorded and filmed for the upcoming live DVD/CD I have written about 60% of the material single handedly and the rest are with former bands that I have either recorded or toured with, or both. Therefore I think it's legitimate and in my book that's not what I'd call covers. The idea of putting together these super shows with "All my favorite songs by all my former bands" originally came from the fact that everywhere I went in the world I would constanly meet fans who'd say things like "I love Notre Dame why don't you reunite this band, or as much as I love what you're doing with Therion I'd love to see you play drums again, why don't you go back to King Diamond, or a third person would say how they'd love to see me back together with Memento Mori.. and so on it went. I've been with so many bands in my life and although it's rewarding and flattering that people like your stuff, normally I wouldn't pay too much attention to those type of requests. I mean, even if I would have wanted to there is simply not enough time please them all at the same time. But lately there'd been a big increase in that department and somehow I just couldn't shake it off. So while on tour in December 2010 late one night on a ferry between Estonia and Finland the idea came to me that I could put together the kind of shows that I would have loved to see myself, summing up my entire career by playing songs from all my former bands. Not only would I play classic songs but more obscure treasures that had never ever been played live before, like Whether with or without, Singh Hai by illwill or Heathendom by Memento Mori, all of which I wrote by the way but they were never performed live up until now. I would also invite members from all these bands to join me on stage as a special guest artist appearance and put on one helluva bombastic show with big production and lots of cool shit happening on stage while I'd be fronting my band and swapping between instruments. Wow! that would really be something that I personally would love to see and this oughta satisfy my fans getting a lot of bang for the buck.

I was checking a new album like Snowy Shaw, entitled: "Live Showreel in wunderwurld", how was record this dvd? why release this dvd like live album too?
The showreel you're talking about is just a short visual pre-taste, preview or whatever you wanna call it, that I put together after the first of the two shows now included on the kick ass live DVD/ CD and triple vinyl. Coincidently I'm celebrating my 25th anniversary and what could be better than to sum it all up with this release, marking my past and launching me into the next 25 years.

Like a metal veteran, how do you see the progress of Metal in all this years? and what things dont you like about the new age of Metal?
Generally speaking I think the climate for metal around the world is probably better than ever, although due to the downloading and industry it's becoming increasingly harder to earn any money and make a living from it. There certainly are things I like and others I don't, regardless of genre. But to be completely honest I stopped caring or keeping updated on what others do or don't about 2 decades ago, at least.

Well you was musician of the heavy metal legend: King Diamond, how was work with him? and how is your relationship with him?
My relationship with King has always been very good. Like I said in the summer of 2014 there is now 25 years since I joined King at the height of his career, and I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity.

You are a multi instrumentalist, how was for you learn to play many music instruments? at the same time how was learn to play all the metal genres you play? and what style do you feel more confortable to play? 
Initially it was more out of necessity than anything else. My only ambition when I picked up the guitar or bass, or vocals for that matter was so that I could write my own music as drums aren't optimal for this purpose and because my band mates weren't always so creative and inventive in the bands I formed early on as a teenager and also later on. Gradually I got a little better at it and you'd be suprised to find out how often it's me playing all the guitars and bass on albums where I was the main songwriter and creative force, even though I may only be credited as drummer to avoid any confusion with the fans.

Well Snowy, was a real pleasure have this interview with you, and to finish this interview have you a message to Arsenal Del Metalero readers and your fans? 
Thanks for having me. I want you all to look out for my brand new upcoming live DVD/CD and vinyl released this summer. There is shitloads of other really cool stuff coming up in the near future. So join me on my official Snowy Shaw page on Facebook to stay posted and in the loop - Muchas Gracias - Stay True!

To know more about Snowy Shaw:
http://www.snowyshaw.net/Snowy_Shaw/Splash.html