Interviews

Achilla Interview

• 16th Mar 2011

After creating quite a buzz through various media such as TotalRock Radio, Classic Rock and The Guardian newspaper, I sat down with lead vocalist, Martamaria, from Achilla, prior to their upcoming tour – including their headlining London date at Hoxton Underbelly on Sunday 27th March.

SM: You formed in England, however, you are comprised of one Hungarian, two Italians and a Greek, so how did you actually meet?

MM: London is a fantastic city and it’s easy to meet musicians from different nations.

When I decided to settle in London my plan was to form a heavy rock band where I will be one of the hardest working members, taking part in all areas involved (song writing, managing, etc.). Being a Hungarian, with a name like Martamaria (that actually is my real name), and having a Guinness vocal range world record has helped me to get noticed quickly so people have helped me, especially when they have found out how hard I am working on this band.

Forming a band usually starts with recommendations and discovering each other by chance, and then you jam, get to know each other and if it all works out you stick together. That’s how it has happened with us. I started to play with our two Italians in 2008. Vincenzo, our drummer, was with us from the beginning of live playing (April 2008). After our old song writing team decided to play live, I started to search Gumtree and have found Vincenzo. Vince fascinated me live even more than on the impressive online video so we took him. I remember being in heaven after that first rehearsal wanting never to forget the joy.

Daniele Panza, guitarist, joined us in summer 2008, not long after Vince did. Dani has originally just ‘helped out’ for the Stockton-On-Tees International Fringe Festival headline gig as a temporary replacement, but the band has never let Daniele go… Gus was the last in line who found our MySpace announcement, auditioned for us 1,5 years ago and was taken on board straight away.

SM: Is 2006 when you officially formed Achilla?

MM: Well, in 2006 it was very much a project without a name… but only until summer 2007, when it was time to give a name to something that has became more than a song writing team. When I found the name Achilla everybody liked it and from then on Achilla was our band.
In autumn 2006 I wanted to apply to Nightwish as the lead singer. My first demo went through, and I had the opportunity to meet Nightwish at Abbey Road Studios. Though I finally wasn’t taken on as a Nightwish singer, our song writing team back than has created ‘Wild Flower’ and the song has ended up on the Fireworks Magazine’s cover mount CD… Not a bad start with the very first song, we thought through, and we’ve ended up writing more songs also as a band.

SM: Your sound is described as 'symphonic/gothic metal' often – do you feel that is accurate?

MM: To be correct we are not to be classified in any particular genre (probably that is why Malcolm Dome half-jokingly classified us as ’Achilla rock’).
According to our guitarist, Daniele Panza, we have many progressive, gothic, and symphonic elements to our music but they are related the song arrangements and embellishments, and not to the song writing itself. If you take any of our songs and skim it down to acoustic guitars and vocals, the result will still work.

SM: You have a 'Guinness World Record' for your vocal range?

MM: Yes, I do. It means I have a range expanding from the top of the man bass voice far over the highest known so called ‘coloratura soprano’. I don't tend to 'misuse' that talent with overemphasising the extreme voices in Achilla. I have a different project running soon as ‘Martamaria’ to put my ‘extra skills’ more in use.

SM: Being a female vocalist in a metal band, you obviously get stereotyped/comparisons, does it annoy you?

MM: Stereotyped can be positive and we hear loads of positive things. Just as an example here is what Bob Katsionis from the Greek Firewind thinks of us: “I really liked your work, its female fronted but with balls and inspiration”. (Bob plays in Firewind with Gus G. Ozzy Osbourne’s new guitarist. Bob is a guest keyboardist on our to-be-licenced full debut album ‘Timeless’).

SM: Is there anyone you do get compared to?

MM: I usually don’t get compared to anyone as such, but when I am, it usually sounds like this: ‘I believe you are close to what Kate Bush would sound like if she worked with a band who were a mixture of Lacuna Coil, Jefferson Airplane and Panic Room.’ (Malcolm Dome, Metal Hammer/Classic Rock Magazine/TotalRock Radio). My performance (or look??) sometimes gets compared to Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) – that I find absolutely great.

SM: Tell me about your single 'Arashi'. Any reason for the Japanese name?

MM: Arashi is Japanese for storm and Japan fascinates our whole band. Also, as an international band we don’t mind bringing in some foreign influence into the music or lyrics every now and again.

Achilla start their UK tour on 20th March. More details at link and the band’s website is link. Their song, 'Mirrors' is recently been featured on Metal Hammer Magazine’s ‘Razor’ cover mount.