Please, tell us about the history of your band and its members.
In a middle-class socialist family (you know exactly what I mean) the parents decided that their first born child must play on violin by any means. And he began to play! Aside from this fact, another child of secret rockers locked himself in the basement amongst some old-fashioned antiques…When these two children met they were grown enough. The first one replaced the violin with a guitar. The second one changed the antiques with drums. The basement and the love toward heavy metal are the constant elements of this story. Lots of worthy musicians have passed through this basement but till now the history silently keeps their names. In 2006 a female voice broke the male hegemony and remains permanently in the basement. The trio recorded their first album. Afterwards the band line up is completed by a precise competition. The names of the band members following the above mentioned story are: Yavor Kamenov, Bobby Glavev, Maria D. S., Victor Georgiev and Alexander Spiridonov. As Rampart means fortification the band has the mission to be a bastion of heavy metal in our latitudes.

How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
Our style is classic heavy metal. After Mozart, Vivaldi, and Bah and Wagner, there was no way for Yavor not to become mad about Running Wild. In the darkness of the basement Bobby is amazed from everything from hard rock to death metal, just not to get out and face the sun. Maria believes that Kai Hansen is the best vocalist of Helloween. Victor thinks that the air is invented by Iron Maiden. Alexander considers that the true bass must sound as if Journey are in a bus with cracked pot. Everyone from Rampart could mention a hundred favorite bands as an inspiration but no one wish to go to extremes…

Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
First of all, the metalheads should buy our album to see the difference between the full and the empty channels of the CD in front of the light of the energy-saving lamps. And second – they should buy it to listen to recordings with the same quality as is the music in it. We intend to sell our first album after our fourth one is released, because we are fans of Black Sabbath.

What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
We released our first demo "Warriors” in 2008. Our debut album "Voice of the Wilderness” was released by the French label Inferno Records in November, 2009. This year we have participation in two American compilations: "Kill City Vol. 22” and "DJ Metal Daddy Favorite Cuts”. In October will come out the tribute album to Helloween and Gamma Ray "HelloRay” where we have a cover song of Helloween’s "Just a Little Sign”. The tribute CD will be out via the Norwegian label Epicus Records. At the moment we are the best selling band of our label. The public accepts us in strange ways. And the media still use energy-saving lamps…

Do you play live as well? How’s your live activity so far?
After four years of active concert life in the frames of Bulgaria now we are silent because we are preparing our second album. We hope to play in Romania next year. We are not earning from the music that we are making and this is obstructive to our shows abroad.

What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
Our music speaks for itself. We are not blindly making quotations from the classic heavy metal bands. Our composer has his own style. We are trying to achieve higher level in speed and composing, in riffs and solos, and in expression at all. If this is not enough we would not try to sell something from us, just to reach the audience of the prime time news.

What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
In recent future we will record our second album. We expect the number of our engagements to be on the increase. We believe that our songs are touching the hearts of the metal fans and we hope your readers to hear our music and to judge it on its merits.

Where can we listen to your band and where we can buy your stuff? 
You can listen to our music at MySpace - www.myspace.com/rampartbg. And you can buy our first album from Inferno Records: www.inferno-records.net
Wait for us and till then stay metal! 


September 2010

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