The Three Tremors

Hey guys, first of all welcome in T-Town, Tillywood, Killburg, Tilburg Metal City NO 1 in The Netherlands. Welcome at the Little Devil, our proud, our pride, hometown Metal bar! So you’re on the right spot, still because of a lack of time, I have just a limited amount of questions. Still hope you think they are worth to answer.

Of course let’s go for it!

- ) Please start to tell us a little background story of the band! What made you to start this band/project and can you please tell us why Harry Conklin, also Titan Force and Jag Panzer is not here in Europe with you?

Harry had a family medical thing. Whenever something like that come up you don’t really want to release the details you know. So you put on a general say /term to cover the whole thing so we need to get into details but he couldn’t come. But he couldn’t come and so luckily Steve Grimmet jumped in at the last minute been doing a great job. But the whole Three Tremors started with you know, it supposed to be Halford, Dickinson and Geoff Tate and they never did it you know. So I was sitting there going you know there never gonna do it. It’s never gonna happen. So why don’t I make the 2019 version of it. The 2019 American version of it and now we’ve got this Brit and they are fucking up my whole American version. But the lyrics in the song say “the urban legend from golden age the fans demand indebted must be made.” Is one of the lines of the song. And so we did it because a lot of them, the lore behind us, oh it be to hard to do we couldn’t this, we couldn’t that, and so we said fuck it we can! And we did it! I’m really proud of it.

(Marco) You should be.

I’m proud of it and I like the music and I think it’s really.. it’s the kind of Metal I love and if I was a fan I came to this and fucking blowing away I mean.

(Marco) Yeah man especially when I see you guys at such a level stage and you are like some people say it must be … but it was fucking amazing because we are such a little spot where you are with all these musicians and burning the stage with a fucking amazing show. I love it!

You got it. That’s what it is all about you know. Those guys paid for us to be here. So you gotta give it back to every fucking time. Without a shadow of a doubt.

It was yeah. In more ways than one. Inside joke anyway what was

-) You took Steve Grimmett, see also ex-Onslaught, Grim Reaper and others as his replace position. How are you actually doing Steve? I know you had a lot to suffer with, last years.

Yes I did because I lost my leg. I’m won’t go in to much detail about that. That changed a whole lot. It has changed my life which ever way you look at it. It’s much more difficult to tour now. Whatever. That was my plan though. When I was laid up in bed 7 weeks in Ecuador, all I could think of was getting back up on stage again. And 6 months after that I was there and I haven’t looked back.

(Marco) And us the fans enjoyed every minute.

Thank you. I enjoyed it as well too. I love being with these guys. (You are a bit of a wanker) I wanted to do something with these guys, because I think they’re special. I think the idea of The Three Tremors is a really cool idea. I wanted to be a part of that. All it was to start  of with, was me joining these guys in London. I was going to go up to do one song and that was it. Without asking you did it, you just did it. If we wanted or not you will do it. Before Harry, we knew Harry couldn’t go, we where already talking about And it was just like I had a phone call about 10 days later “Can you do the Tour”? You could like do that one song. You do like 15 songs. I was like “oh what in 10 days”!

(Marco) But you were already a fan then you can make it. Anyway this is what I really like about this band, because it’s totally my style and the three different ways of singing. You (Sean) have your way of singing like the more high pitch screaming you always do. Then you have the more aggressive style of Ripper, he is more aggressive in his vocalranges. And then you have Steve, with a more melodic touch in his style of this singing… and this contrast is fucking amazing. Really cool you know.  It the perfect mixture I love it. Thank you

-) Please tell us about your latest Cage album? How is the feedback on it?

The Ancient Evil album we did in 2015. But this album is making us. The Tremors album was well written like Cage. It’s kind of a Cage album but with two other singers. We decided these songs to be sung by three people. So the idea we had. Believe me when we do a rehearsal with just me and I tried to sing the song it is a nightmare. We definitely changed our style a little bit. But you can hear the Cage in the Tremors albums. The new Cage album will be out soon and we are going to tour in the US in 2021 and after that we come to Europe.

(Marco) Which period? Because I go to the US in February.

NO, in 2021. Maybe you can come down and come to band practice... You gotta come to Cage show we are playing in March 2021 at the swordbrothers fest and Full Metal as well. On this tour we are playing 5 gigs including the Blast From The past Fest.

(Marco) My friend from Breda he also asked me to come to his show. Because I go in February I go the USA. So I will come if you play around this visit then I will come for sure. You there too?

No I’m not doing the States. I .. Cage and .. in Belgium .. in December. Maybe we go to Breda for December or Regency . Maybe we go.

(Marco) we normally never come to Breda. But once you organise a show we’ll come.

-) What about the writing and compose process with The Three Tremors, how are you guys working, is there already enough material for a follow up?

The follow up album is probably half way done. The first one we did we wrote it and gave them the songs to sing with there own interpretation just to get it done, make it easier. But now on this album we collaborating more Tim and Harry and like they are putting more ideas in to the second one. The first one we just have to had it done and like hey here’s the songs these are the lyrics, these are the melody locking’s. That made it easier you know uncharted territory. That’s why you see the solo version because they sang all 15 euhh 12 songs each guy. So we have a version of each guy with the whole album sung by each individual guy. We said why don’t we put that out. That’s a cool part of possessing all these tracks you can put together a really cool product for the fans. We already had to do a second pressing!

(Marco) That’s so unique.

Really cool product. We are all about innovating. Heavy metal you can’t innovate in the music department very much because you loose the essence of what heavy metal is. You tell them like oh that’s totally different. Well that usually means that sucks.  But you can innovate in the idea department and that’s where I have had lots of success. When we did the Cage album, Ancient Evil, it is a concept album like a King Diamond horror story.  The difference with this one is there is a full complete book. A 150 page book that goes with it that tells the story in detail.  So I always think of cool packaging of cool and delivering ideas. That connects with the fans that like to buy special cool product.  That is where I shine. I’m a idea man.

(Marco) I’ll do that also with a magazine and with a bundle like a book. It’s very expensive. Even when I make this magazine. I have a label I release Vinyl’s,  cd’s tapes and … But making a vinyl is more cheap than making a magazine. I’ll pay more for 400 magazines then I pay 500 Vinyl’s. Because people can’t imagine how much it costs to make it. But I do this because I love to print this magazine and show the people like everybody this fucking cool magazine.

It is! That’s exactly what I was talking about I love how your magazine is. I read 3 of them all tour long in the front seat of the van.   I like your interview style too!

(Marco) You can put it on a table and if there’s beers on the table and you spill some it won’t get wet you know. I also publish nearly all interviews online, this one too probably, if they want it. I do for Crossfire Metal website in Germany and Lords Of Metal and Metal experience webzines, both located in The Netherlands. This because I think there is no match between printed and digital. You have people who wants to read online and people who wants to read print. It’s a different market and this way I reach much more people. Good for you, good for us.

They’re advertising heavy in print, it’s a lot of money. I think with the Heavy Metal fans the reason why Vinyl is on the up now because they put it up start listen to it and then look through all the shit that you get with it. Read the lyrics and see the photographs and everything. Yes you can do that with a CD but it is much better to have a piece of vinyl in front of you and everything is so big and the whole thing of spinning a vinyl is more like a ritual.

(Marco) I’m loving every fucking word.

Me too. Exactly that way. What else you’ve got.

(Marco) About this magazine stuff because if I read online, I never read the interviews online because I get fucking. When I read behind the screen I have to read the interviews like fucking tired from it. And the magazine you can read on the toilet or a car and is fucking cool.

This question is for Ripper but he is not here. But this question is fucking cool.

I’ll will answer for him.

-) To you Tim Ripper Owens, how was it to replace legendary singers and frontman’s (Matt Barlow and Rob Halford) in successful super groups like Iced Earth and Judas Priest, you felt appreciated by the fans or was it kinda hard to replace such popular and highly appreciated vocalists from top bands all Metal heads know and prefer to see them with their original frontman. I can imagine this was a fucking hard job to do for you!

It definitely was, but I think the fans liked it. It was a though time. We gave it a kick in the ass. And KK downing, Judas Priest. I just played with KK. And KK was the heart and soul of Judas Priest. I was really tight with the rest of the guys too. And I’m proud of those 2 albums that I did. I think that the fans embraced him and will stand the test of time and the same my work with Ice Earth. The albums where great. We had a good time jamming. Who knows I will replace next time. Maybe I replace Sean with the Tremors.

(Marco) Can I note this in the interview for sure. Can I do that.

What he just said is exactly what he has said on the bus. I replace Sean back in Cage ha!! He told me that once. Big press interview in LA Ripper said that in front of everybody.

So I can note that. Okay. A new one for Ripper. Because I’m a fucking Ripper fan. I made this for him.

-) Anything new coming up with Beyond Fear? We love this band, especially this guy next to me is a really big fan of him. He always annoys me with the imitation of his vocal skills of Ripper. Because he definitely cannot do it. He always destroys my ears with the Ripper songs he is always singing in my home. It’s like AHHH Marc shut your mouth.

Haha. Well listen. We were supposed to play Scream Machine tonight but I didn’t feel like doing it. The rest of the band really wants to play Scream Machine. I haven’t play it yet on a solo tour. But the chance is that I’ve gotta play it somewhere, sometime. I’ve keep telling Sean well you sing it. And Sean’s like I’m not going up and sing Scream Machine by myself.

Listen, we are making a new solo record. We are writing it right now. I don’t know when it comes out but I’m working on it. I’ve got a lot of good material I’m doing a lot of guest work right now. I’m just recording a bunch of different songs before I came out here. Listen, we’re gonna be doing the new 3 Tremors record in the next few months too. I’m real busy but the solo record is definitely coming up.

(Marco) Thank you very much Mr. Owens.

I didn’t want to play Scream Machine.

(Marco) We are coming to an end otherwise we are talking for 3 hours.

-) What are the future plans for you fucking Metal Gods with your battle with each other because you have a fucking battle together?

I’m touring next year basically. Europe, South America and the States, that’s really the only plans I’ve got. And then I do something on my own as well. Supporting the new album that we just put out.

(Marc Blaakenburg) Grimm Reaper. That’s a cool album I have it on my phone. I listened to it today on my bike. Cool album. It’s a different sound. It’s a cool one.

It’s still Grimm Reaper still but it has more a modern edge. We have a big American tour coming up as well as South America and we are doing that. And who knows I might be appearing just a little bit on a next Tremors album. Talking about how being as the guest or be on one of the songs? Yes I may guest on their second album.

Sean- We are working on the second Tremors record, a new Cage record and we have the new Death Dealer coming out it’s already done. It’s coming out in late September 2021. We are touring off the stuff in that time period w in Europe. In January, February, March and April we are doing a lot of United States Tremor shows. The US is doing really good. We draw more bigger crowds in the US it seems right now.

(Marco) Belgium, I loved the, Ragnarock Club in Bree I love Gianni, the promotor and all the people in that club are fucking nice. Gianni is a fucking amazing promoter. And you have this guy called Koen. He is a sounds guy. The food is homemade I love it.

I had the chicken it was stunning.

(Marco) Tuesday I organised and I booked a show with 2 bands there. This Tuesday but I heard the sound was fucked up. From somebody who was there, he said the sound was not good. I don’t know . because I think the sound is always very good in this club.

I don’t get to hear that because I use in ears. It is always good.

Sean- So moving forward we are working on the second Tremors record, a new Cage record and we have the new Death Dealer coming out it’s already done. It’s coming out in late September 2021. We are touring off the stuff in that time period w in Europe. In January, February, March and April we are doing a lot of United States Tremors shows and headlining the UK HRH Fest with Rhapsody so we are looking forward to that. We are going to keep pushing this band so support it with all you will and strength people!  Give us your blood!!The US is doing really good. We draw more bigger crowds in the US it seems right now.

 (Marco) Thanks for this chat. I will hope you will put my magazine on the fucking toilet.

-Marc Blaakenburg and Patchman Marco-