Interview with Terrence Holler from Eldritch conducted February 6, 2006:

PHOTOMISTRESS:  In ONE word, describe each band member, including yourself.

TERENCE HOLLER:  Well, in one word we could say we are all heavyspagetti!

 PM:  Tell us a little bit about each of the band members.

TH:  Well, let's start... the mind of the band is Eugene Simone, the solo guitarist and main music writer since 1991, he's the riff-maker for Eldritch since always! He's a quiet person, with a calm life. Then there's Peck, the rhythm guitarist, he's the drinker of the band, but also a good partner for Eugene. He writes music as well and he's growing fine (even his stomach!). Then we got Dave, the drummer. He's the wild man, always full of energy and new ideas. He knows about everything that regards [to] music, instruments and trends. Let's talk about the new entry John Crystal, the bass player. He's the younger member and he brought a new breeze in the band.  A great musician and also a nice guy to drink a beer with. Then there's me, well I'm the man who created Eldritch with Eugene. So this means I’m guilty!!!

PM:  How did you and Eugene originally start working together?  Is the musical bond between you what inspired you to continue making quality music despite the recent lineup changes?

TH:  Me and Eugene have some kind of chemistry. We started to write songs together in the late 80's in a band called Zeus. We were just kids but it was kind of easy for me to create melodies on his riffs. It's something natural and we don't know why this happens!  We are totally different in our life behavior, but musicwise, we're like twins... we don't care what the people say about line up changes, Eldritch music has always been created by Eugene and me.  The old members have done their work well, but Eldritch has always been him and I. I can't stand people that say that Eldritch aren't the same without Oleg Smirnoff (keys) and that he was the mastermind of the first three albums... bullshit!!!!!!! Eugene and I wrote the 95% of everything!

PM:  Was Oleg (keyboardist) leaving the band due to the heavier nature of your most recent music or did his leaving come before that happened?

TH:  Oleg didn't leave the band at all.....he was kicked out hard!!!! This is the damn truth, babe. He's a great musician but a difficult man to handle. I mean, he's a nice man to go out for a beer [with] or girl-hunting, but absolutely impossible for music life. Too many things I don't wanna mention, because i don't want any problems, but trust me when I tell you that there are no regrets for kicking him out! We'll do it again if we [could] go back in time.

PM:  Being that you've incorporated another guitarist in place of the keyboards now, do you find it more difficult to adapt the other material for your live show?

TH:  Well, we had to re-arrange the old material, but to our ears it's even better! Songs slip away smooth and the sound with two guitars is more "in your face". Keyboards were nice and important, but we did six albums and three of them are without keys ("Reverse" had only effects on it) and trust me that these last three are the best selling and the best reviewed [of them].

PM:  What was your initial reaction to getting the invitation to play Chicago Powerfest?

TH:  SHIT! It was like a dream come true!  [The] U.S.A. is the place where every musician would like to play. And believe me, we almost cried when we read the email!  We're proud and honored to be there and we'll work our ass off for making a great show! We're too proud also because we're headliners... what else could we wish for??? 

PM:  Since this is your debut performance in the US, will you be featuring songs from your whole catalog or will your focus be more on the material on Neighbourhell?

TH: We'll play like for a couple of hours, so we'll play 50% of the gig doing Neighbourhell songs, and three or four songs from all the previous works. Of course we'll try to give a taste of all our career in a couple of hours!

PM:  In a hundred years, when you're dead, would you rather be hatefully remembered or totally forgotten and why?

TH:  Nobody will forget about us.  We'll always be remembered like the band that deserved a worldwide success, as much as Metallica, but that remained a cult band just for the few.

PM:  Tell me about one interesting, old place or building in your area of Italy that is relatively unknown to outsiders and why did you pick it?

TH: Oh, there's a place here in our hometown which is quite unique. It's a beach here in Vada, it has white sand that looks like snow, and this because there's a baking soda factory called Solvay, that throws all the leftovers from the manufacturing in the water!!! The water itself washes the sand so it turns white!!!!! This is going on since 1940.  Anyway, this doesn't mean there's pollution, it's just that baking soda whitened everything.  It's nice watching the white river floating into the sea....

PM:  Are Italian metal fans as fanatical as we all think they seem?

TH: Shit babe, the Italian audience is the wildest on earth!  Italians are warm and always screaming. They are always ready to encourage their idols and are as loud as hell. Yep, Italians do it better!

PM:  What are some of the band's interests outside of music?

TH:  Well, as Italians, we're all into soccer (except Dave, he doesn't give a damn). Me and John play in a team in a minor [league] championship.  Eugene has a family with two children.  Peck has his drinking mates and Dave is always into music things as a technician. The main thing Eldritch members have in common though are girls!  You should see our posters in the rehearsal room or check our parties!  Yep, Italians are attracted by girls, soccer and good food!!!

PM:  What could we expect to hear the band listening to on the CD player on any given day?

TH:  We all listen to things out[side] of metal. Of course we do also listen to heavy metal, but we are also into pop, rock, jazz and many other [types of] music. We like to clean our ears once a while, because when you practice metal ever day, sometimes you need Britney Spears!

PM:  The MP3 on your website of "Save Me", which is off your upcoming album, Neighbourhell, sounds very promising.  Since it will be released in Europe on February 24th and in the States on March 14th, can you give us a little insight on what to expect from it?  Will the limited edition (which includes the bonus songs The Perfect Place and a cover of Faith No More's From Out of Nowhere as well as the video for Save Me) be available outside of Europe as well?

TH:  Um...  I think in U.S.A.  you'll only get the normal jewel box CD without the two bonus tracks and the video.  We'll bring some with us and sell them out at the show. Believe me, this new album is really the best we could ever write. Hope the world discovers us and gives us what we honestly deserve..............money!!!!!!!!

PM:  What are your tour plans for the new album?  Are there any specific bands you'd like to tour with in the future?

TH:  We'll play some festivals around Europe and we're working on a big tour for after [the] summer. We'd like to play with bands that have influenced us in these years such as Metallica, Queensryche, Annihilator, Fates Warning, Testament and many others. We play various kinds of metal, so we could change and fix our setlist and play with everybody.  Of course we'd like to tour [the] U.S.A. and I wish we could leave a good impression at the Chicago Powerfest.