TONY LAUREANO – Gene is still The Man

For en gammel Nile fan er Tony Laureano en gammel kjenning. Mannen har mer eller mindre flyttet hit til Norge og har hatt en fot innenfor Dimmu Borgir, 1349 og System:Obscure. Mannen er det nærmeste vi kommer ei trommehore og da er han mer enn kvalifisert til vår lille Blast Beast serie.
 

ET – When did you start to play the drums?
TONY – I first played a friend's drum kit when I was 16 years old, but I really started playing when I was 18.

ET – Why did you start playing drums?
TONY – Duh! Because I liked them. Seriously, it was something about music I was always drawn to. Even before the thought of playing entered my mind, I was appreciative of drummers.

ET – How old were you when you got your first drums/drum set?
TONY – 18 years old.

ET – How often do you practice?
TONY – It depends. Sometimes a lot, sometimes not at all. It really depends how I'm feeling.

ET – Which drummer did you look up to when you were young and is there anyone today that you admire more than the rest?
TONY – Gene Hoglan, Dave Lombardo, Pete Sandoval, and Sean Reinert. And, no, I can't pick one above others, but I will say that Gene is still The Man.

ET – What kind of equipment do you use? Which equipment is in your ears the best?
TONY – I proudly use Vic Firth sticks, Sabian cymbals, and Trick pedals.

ET – Which qualities do you think is most important to succeed as a drummer today?
TONY – Having the drive to acomplish what you want is very important. Also, a good pair of combat pants helps.

ET – Have you ever played a solo during a gig?
TONY – No. I think drum solos in death/black metal concerts are kind of homosexual. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

ET – If you haven’t become a drummer, what would you most likely been doing?
TONY – Probably working in porn. Or in the pharmaceutical industry.

ET – Do you workout a lot?
TONY – I have been riding my bicycle a lot lately. Sometimes over 20 miles (32 kilometers) a day.

ET – Do you have any special rituals you have to go through before you enter the stage?
TONY – Yeah, I call on my homey Lucifer and tell him to light a fire under my ass. Then I play a round of poker with some cigar smoking individuals until the tour manager tells me it's time to get on stage.

ET – Which releases have you been a part of so far? (Band name, title, release year)
TONY – Sigh. A lot. Check out the discography section on my website, and then add Dimmu Borgir's Stormblast re-recording 2005 (only on the included DVD), and Aurora Borealis' Relinquish 2006.

• Naphobia – Of Hell(1995)
• Aurora Borealis – Mansions Of Eternity (1996)
• Acheron – Those Who Have Risen (1998)
• Angelcorpse – The Inexorable (1999)
• God Dethroned – Ravenous (2001)
• Internecine – Book Of Lambs (2002)
• Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)
• Malevolent Creation – Conquering South America (2004)
• Aurora Borealis – Relinquish (2005)

 

ET – Before we end this, you now have the opportunity to challenge another drummer to take part in this series. Pick a drummer and explain why?
TONY – Already been done. Hellhammer and I had a challenge on who could first eat 666 grams meat. We sat down and each had two 333 gram Norwegian cheeseburgers. The competition was photographically documented by Dimmu Borgir's Silenoz, and I must say that Hellhammer won. He was long done and wondering if he should have another, while I attempted to finish the second burger without vomiting.

*Raises glass in cheers to Hellhammer*