- Well, I think it's great man! It was great to work with Erik. Known Erik for a long time and you know he's experienced not only as a musician, great musician, but as producer. Just really an awesome friend! So we really think altogether really helped in the process of the recording and making this record and it coming out the way he did. So we owe a lot Erik Rutan, because he's a really hard guy and really work shit to definitely, worked us to definitely, we drown him crazy too, but end of the day he's gonna get you the best results and Mana Recording Studio in my opinion is the new Morrisound, but the difference is with a guy like Erik, who cares about the albums, he puts everything his got into these records and projects. So no one is gotta go to be disappointed, I really think he's gonna work wherever goes into this place to the maximum, which is the best for the fans and for the album, for the band. So I have nothing, but good things to say. I don't think we could done this record anywhere else. Had to be there under both conditions - extreme, hard work. We greatful to him for the hard work he did, captured the sound, I think his sound is so much better from the "Dechristianize" drums, guitars, everything.

- It's more natural sounding, more opened and what we did is was because Erik. I mean Erik really wanted to mic everything up, not just triggered, like "Dechristianize". So we mic'd it and we took time to make sure we got the toms, the drum sounding nice in the ballance and everything in the guitars and we took a couple of days just along drums, a couple of days on guitar. And that's what happened. I mean, we just took up time with a guy like Erik who knew what this album needed. He didn't like "Dechristianize" drums, even he told us some things "Hey, this should be better". We agree, you know. It could be better, everything can be better, you know. So we listened to him, he listened to us, we tried to work hard. And I agree, I think it's like 19 days almost, you know. I think a lot of fans will gonna realize it when they hear "Icons": "Wow, what a difference to the drums and the overall production of the hits a lot better!". And that's what we wanted. Obviously we wanted to write the best music as well and we tried to do our best. (You did it! - Ed.) Thank you! Believe me, we didn't think we could, because me and Dave sat many days talking to each other saying, shaking the heads' cone, it's not possible to do, make a better record than "Dechristianize". But we started telling maybe we can match it, maybe we can come close. And we started writing and decided to push each other to write better and next, you know, we will like: "Wow, I think we have something, we're out to something good". Another ride, another song than just is brutal whatever. And we settled down a couple of friends here and next we got: "Oh, man, I think you guys have a chance to even beat it!". We are like: "No, never gonna happen". We just try to matching, do our best, you know, that's all you can do. You write and you try your best and then you have to let it go and you just hope the fans appreciate and understand what level, you are on the same pages, when they listen to it. But we have, we did it and it took a year to write the music for me. I wrote all the music again and together with Dave orchestrated everything, and Dave wrote the leads. To me it's like part 2, but with a better production and more into the music, has a lot more for me old school hooks in there and elements of some different stuff. But it definitely... it's great, the feedback we getting from the fans. You can't ask for anything better than that. That to me is the reward, you know. When we work hard and we have people appreciate what we try to do. And we get it back and we love it and I say great man, that's all we ever wanted anyway! But, you know, we write always for us first and remember hope the fans like what we try to do.

- That's a good question. Right now it's all about this record. I never like to go so far into the future, but I certainly wouldn't roll it out. It's possible that we will record next album, 'cause we really like work with Erik. So there is a possibility definitely, but it is too soon to tell right now. I mean, the new album is just coming out, you know, touring. I don't even think about a new album right now. My mind's only about performing, touring and things like this. Maybe a year from now, 2 years from now when it comes time to start writing some ideas, when I start thinking about this, but it's possibility for sure to work with him. We'll see what happens.

- Yeah, it definitely 'cause of real shitstorm controversy. Basically what happened is we had some artwork and it's the artwork that's inside the booklet. This was supposed to be the cover. And what happened is I come up with another idea, I told the artist, you know, Kris. I said: "Hey Krisy I got this idea, if you could make it or something". And he said: "OK, send me your ideas". I sent my ideas and he started working and he sent me the "Icons of Evil" cover and I said: "Wow, that's gonna be the cover", you know. And he said "I agree", he agreed with me, he thought this was evil and this was the cover and what ended appear inside the booklet with us on horses. That was supposed to be like a..., the artwork for that was supposed to be based on like the Golgotha scene, it was supposed to be after the crucifixion of Christ, like part 2 "Dechristianize" and we: me and Dave and Glen like part of the Roman (and who is the fourth one? - Ed.), yeah, and the fourth one was supposed to be like just death, just death, you know riding with us and that was the whole concept of Golgotha scene with the soldiers and we were supposed to call: "OK, we will take Christ off the cross and we will just split him in half, you know, quarter. So this was the concept and we will gonna use this for the album cover. And the artwork is great, like I said we just got this other piece of work and we like: "Aaaa, this has to be the artwork!". And from near it became this big controversial thing, because a lot of the distributors didn't wanna put in the shops or carry it and this is when the whole fight came with the artwork and it was banned. They told us to immediately put a slipcase. Well, you know, I'm not too happy, but I told Century Media that I definitely want the artwork inside even if they had to put it in a bag, a brown bag, I don't care. But I said without the artwork I don't wanna release the record! I had to fight! And they were cool, they were like: "Hey we're supportive of you, this is what you want, we'll put the slipcase, but the artwork will be inside and make everyone happy...". This is the way it worked out. So I could believe, because when I think of the "Dechristianize" cover, I think it's evil, it's pretty sick as well and in Europe - no problems. It was distributed fine, the shops carried it, only in America I thought this kind of censorship happens so much, but now I'm realizing it's all the way around the world, it's everywhere, you know. Anytime you have anything anti-religious or that makes people say "What is this?". Well, I always thought: "Oh, if you don't like it, don't buy it!". That what is my philosophy, you know. I don't like censorship, because I think if we allow censorship, we start to limit our rights of self-expression, our rights of freedom of speech. And then what? And then we have no say. So I think everyone should have freedom of speech, freedom of artistic expression, because the more you let the government and people supress us, less we have and at some point we appear totally controlled, we'll be like robots, you know. So I think it's a point always fight for your believing!

- No! "Hammer Down the Nails" was actually just supposed to be a single. It was just a single. I said: "A single? VITAL REMAINS on a single?". And just became the one song that we said OK, this song represents the album in some ways, lets use this to let everyone have a chance to hear a little bit. So we put of a little bit of the sample on Century Media's page and on the VITAL REMAINS' page and people were crazy, you know. They wanted to hear it! So this is why ended up putting a video of Dave playing the track in the studio, because this is him playing one take and I am going to put the whole, I've put a clip of it, but I am gonna put the whole thing, so people can see Dave playing the whole take for the time the album, one take, that's the drum tracks. It proves to a lot of people, because some people don't think Dave plays drums, they think: "Aaaa, Dave... Aaaa, he plays guitar, he doesn't play drums, we never see him". But he plays drums really well! And you know, that's why I wanted to prove to some of the people that think: "Aaaa, maybe they use a drummachine". Aaaa, OK! Well, here's the video, this is him playing, we doesn't lie. And that's why we wanted to put the video for the fans and for some of the critics that might think: "Wow, can this guy playing?". Here we go, here's the video! "Hammer Down the Nails" just a song that we thought was brutal and it wasn't be good on cover. Title was always gonna be "Icons of Evil" from the very beginning. I like "Hammer Down the Nails", it's a cool title, but I like the "Icons of Evil". That's a title I came up with the night I wanted to use it.

- It was great! I mean, Glen's an old sprout, you know. He's an icon of Death Metal. He's been around for a long time and he is a total professional. He comes into the studio, he's very professional, he wants every line to be perfect and we do too. But he also brings sometimes a sense of humour, he makes us laugh and the stress kinda it's not like "Oh, shit" like, but it's not this. You know, we had some days where we were very stressed out, some days we were laughing, but it's tough, it was a tough album. It's hard work. So when Glen comes in, he say "Heeey yaaaaayo, oh...", we always joking around and having a good time and he came in and he made us laugh. And he had a good time at the vocals. Yeah, working with Glen is easy, very professional! He comes and he knows exactly he's gonna have to work hard and he knows the VITAL REMAINS. It's gonna be technical at the vocals, at the patterns, but he does this. This is the kind of thing he does and this is what he does for many years. He knows this business, he knows he's a professional and he came in and it was just 4-5 days, I think it was, do vocals. And the funniest, I tell you a story was when we did the cover of Yngwie, because he didn't wanna do the cover of Yngwie. He was like: "Not! Why have we do an Yngwie Malmsteen dude?". And I like: "Oh well, we thought, it's quite a song, you know, cover song, like Dave can do some great shredding and we just thought Yngwie would be a cool, an old Yngwie song and fun for Dave". Dave recorded all the tracks and all the instruments. And he is like: "No, I don't wanna singing like Malmsteen!". It was so funny, but then we like: "Come on just try it man". And he came in and everyone laughing so hard man, because he had to sing this. You know, he's having a good time. We laugh so hard, I have in my camera on myself, filming him laughing and us laughing, but it come out great. You know, the song come out really good, really heavy and kinda fits with the music.

- Yeah, it's a little bit different, but then it works.

- Right! Especially Glen singing. No way, he don't gonna sing that. And I think sometimes it's a good try something very very different, from other field, like unexpected. Because it gives something like unexpected and something very special, you like: "Wow!". You know, I wouldn't expect that. But you listen to it a couple of times and you enjoying like: "Wow, that's cool!", you know, refreshing. Instead of trying something that's already been done a million times, BLACK SABBATH... You know, we thought about this, 'cause Glen loves BLACK SABBATH too. You know, we thought it's been done too many times. The Yngwie track not been done so many times and not by one person. And have Glen singing was just great and his vocals are nice and roar, the sound is heavy. I think it sounds a way better than the original. I think if Yngwie hears it, he'll be shocked, because only one guy did all the music, you know, Dave. And it's a funny story, because Dave met Yngwie Malmsteen when he was ten, 10 years old. And Yngwie signed autograph formula: "Hey, go kid, get out of here", you know. And the funny thing is Dave could play Yngwie "Rising Force" when he was ten. So Yngwie didn't know that this guy was gonna be what he is, a great musician. He was just a little boy going one day invade - "I will play your shit better than you" -, you know, whatever. (Hammer down Yngwie - Ed.) You know, what I mean. So it's cool and that's kind of another reason why, 'cause Dave told me that story, I've said: "Hey I think that's even cool that we cover this song". And it is worked out. I mean, it was a lot of fun and lot of laughs. It is funny, 'cause we were drinking on the song and having fun and Dave was drinking, busting out the solos, we ended up taking a break and went into the bar across the street from the studio, Erik, everybody were all drinking. Eh, let me wanna do and Dave just killed. It was a party, it really was. Everything else on other stuff no party, serious, hard, stressful, but on Yngwie we were like: "Aahhh, it's the last song, it's a cover, have fun, you know, drink or have fun, make the best.

- Glen right now is involved in a divorce. So you know, with this situation it's very difficult, you know, you have to be good at court. So this very technical thing's going on. He couldn't come with DEICIDE, he couldn't come do this tour with VITAL, because he still has to go to court. You know, I mean, because the divorce things and other stuff. It's a really personal thing for him. He told me even not to tell them people. You know, he wishes, he could OK, but I mean, he has a son with this wife and they have a lot to work out with the details of done divorce proceedings. So, you know, I am sure once he gets everything worked out we may try to talk to him to see if he can come and do listed European tour. Like I told we never done a European tour with him in VITAL REMAINS, only in US, gigs and festivals. So, you know, I want the European people to see Glen with us, because we have a great time, we really do, we come out, it's great to him, what you hear on the record with him, you know. We wish the best of him to worked that out first. So we hoping that maybe in October or something, he will have everything done and we can come back to Europe with him, will be great, but that's really the reason, you know. Some people say different things, but that's the truth. That is the truth! I know Glen for many years and I would never bullshit anybody when people ask me. I tell 'em straight how things are, because you never believe the rumours. Always ask the people directly and they tell ya, you know. So I think he'll have everything worked out by then, hopefully he'll be back to Europe and maybe we will be together hopefully doing tour with him. I'd love to do a DEICIDE/VITAL REMAINS, how we did in the US. In Europe will be great, you know. Two sets hitting this in US was really great, we had some sold out shows, people really liked it. So we'll see! We just wish him the best.

- We take it to another level I think. We definitely took it to another level and it was like musically, everything, just technical stuff. We really just worked hard and got it, because I mean some people say: "Oh, maybe it's because of Glen". And I always say: "Yeah, Glen brought the attention to VITAL REMAINS!". A lot more attention. But if you was in for the music, the critics would of kinda throats, they would say: "Ah, this is shit!". But the reason I think the critics like it, because at the end of the day they listen to the music, the vocals and everything and say: "Wow, this is really good!". And that's what brought us to the level, not just one person. He brought the attention, but if it wanna be a shitty record, it wanna be a shitty record. So I definitely believe that "Dechristianize" really brought us to another level. And now with "Icons", people wanted a part 2 of "Dechristianize". And like I told Glen and Glen realizes I think a lot of fans like the way when he sings with us, because we know style of DEICIDE, we have our own style and he has to sing Dave's lyrics and phrase it differently too. So now you getting Glen in some ways I think amazing. Amazing phrasings, amazing singing, a lot of vocals and it's its own instrument. So now I believe that he sees it like: "Wow! People like me singing with VITAL too". And that's what he tells me: "Wow, I have new fans" and DEICIDE fans like us and it's all good for both of us. When he helped us, we helped him in a way too, together we work really well. And I think that's very important in the formula between me and Dave and now Glen, together in the studio we work very well and produce great, I think, really good records, like 2 were. People enjoy and they wanna hear 'em all of this. Like I told him even if he never did another record after "Dechristianize", I told him you will always be part of VITAL REMAINS, because you did this concrete album and for me we honour to have you do this record. So now to have 2 we are just even more like and people liking and it's another rush, we are just me and Dave are like high on the thing and "Wow, this is great!". Another great feeling, another great album, people liking. So it's another ride. Another great crazy holocaust of ride of emotions. Wow, people like it. Meet the fans and signing again, like "Dechristianize". It's very cool, it's overwhelming. We are so greatful man, because we work so hard and to have this kind of responses just so overwhelming, it's great, very very greatful to the fans for all their support.

- The thing is with that that sometimes you work with people and they can do, they can work with you for a little while and then thing changing their lives and that's what expend of VITAL REMAINS. A set like me and Dave, two hard guys to work with, we only expect for people is the best, to give 100% and commit to the band, and work hard. Last time we were here our singer, Anthony, he was doing a great job and we were happy with him and Marco, you know, he was doing good, but then things happened on the road with Marco, his attitude changed and we had to let him go. We had to give him the Death Metal awakening, which is basically reality. That this is about the music and not about money and I think he had a different perception, he thought that this business he can make lots of money and we will like: "No! We play Death Metal, because we love the music! If you wanna make money you go get another job, because it's very hard to make a living playing Death Metal". And so we had to tell him this and he lived in California, so I think his way of thinking was different and with Anthony, he just quit, you know. Last October we did the US tour with GRAVE and DISMEMBER and he said: "OK guys, I'll do this tour, but after this I don't wanna do this". And we will like: "Come on, you doing a good job, you don't wanna tour anymore?". And he said: "No, I don't wanna live like this, another life, I just wanna work in a bar as a bouncer guy and make a little money". And his girlfriend, I think they maybe getting married, I don't know, but I think he was taken a move into California with his girlfriend. So he just quit, I mean again, you know, somebody quits on you, what can you do. I know I'm not giving up, I love the music, it's my band, it's my life, I love this. Dave loves the music, he's worked hard with me for 11 years, since '96. He is not gonna quit, he loves the music and the fans. So we are in this position we were like OK, we've been through this before, we like the fans now, we're not gonna give up on the fans. So, if we have to have new people every tour whatever the main thing is the fans know that me and Dave will give the best for the album and live and we will find the best people who gonna give a 100%. This is the most important thing! So whether or not it's new faces to I wish that I would have the same guys, of course, I wish we had original members that, you know, were like 100%, always dedicated, but unfortunately 10 years ago original singer quit, original guitar player quit and left me and Dave: "Now you guys are on your own". Now I could to say: "Hey, you know what, this is tough I can put the band down, no more VITAL REMAINS", but I said: "Wait a minute! I worked many years, making the music since the beginning, writing all the music and working hard, I am not a quitter, I am not gonna give up to get married and have children. I love the music, so I didn't give up". Me and Dave we try to find people and here we are 10 years later. You know, new success, continue. (It's like the strongest will survive - Ed.) Exactly! And that's the most important thing that we didn't give up, we just continue to work hard and not let anyone down, not let ourselves down, not give up on ourselves and the hard work over the years, but the music and the band we kept it alive and I think for that the fans respect us for that. And that's something... you earn respect in the underground, you can't buy respect. You earn it the hard way! Working hard, playing as much as you can, playing hard and writing the best music you can and that's what we've done and the fans know this. And they know, hey, you know, these guys are the core of VITAL REMAINS, these guys will not let us down, they always give a 150%! And we do! In a way, like I said I wish we could and found the right guys, but I like this line-up now. You know, Brian's really dedicated guy, you know, I mean from CATASTROPHIC and now he's working with us. This line-up seems good, these guys wanna work. Damien wants to work hard. I am enjoying working with these guys. They young and hungry. It's fresh blood and it's good sometimes. Believe it or not, it's actually good sometimes to have fresh blood, new ideas, very helping in the hard work. "Hey man, I got some ideas". Oh cool! It's good you have ideas, you know. And playing together, and enjoying, and after the show we are like brothers, like: "Hey, great show!". Very supportive of each other and this is good. It's a brotherhood too, it's not just business and music. You have to have friendship and the brotherhood kind of way of thinking to each other, connection, you know. So I think this is important and we have that now! So, I like working with these guys and with Antonio, the drummer, just great guy, always wants to practice, always wants to work hard. Man, he's like a machine! Always practicing, I am like, wow, this guy never says: "Hey, I don't wanna practice". Always practice 5-6-7-8 hours and then after 8 hours: "Hey Tony, I am a little tired". OK. It's OK. After you do "Icons of Evil" twice, "Dechristianize" twice it's OK to be tired, I understand. Good guys! I mean, we practice very hard together and Antonio stayed in my house, we practiced for month together, he knew the whole album before we recorded it. So we'll see. Right now, I have to say out of all the line-ups it's far just a comradely between us, the friendship, getting along with each other, no selfish guys: "Hey me, me me me...". It's really everyone together. (You mean Tim Yeung? - Ed.) Yeah, I am not saying any names. What's up Timy? I like Timy, I like Timy a lot! Tim is a great drummer, he's just looking for his big dream. In meantime, he couldn't been play with VITAL REMAINS, but instead, he chose to go work in California with Dino and I wish him the best. There's always a thought in spite of me, reminds him like a little brother, and I just wanna getting him a headlocked and punch him in the head, you know. He's a funny guy, great drummer, you know. It's just like, you know, that Timy, he has all the projects and he can't come in 100% for VITAL, that's the only reason why we don't work with him. Because with Timy, I always call: "Hey Timy, we gonna tour!". "OK, when?". OK, well, 3 months. "Oh, I don't know Tony, I must talk to Dino". Why do you always have to talk to Dino, is he your daddy? You know, I joke around. "Oh, I don't know, because we might be doing this". Well, I can't wait, I need an answer. So that's why I started to work with Antonio, because Antonio, I can trust him. OK, Antonio we have a tour, he is committed to us, to work with us, whatever we want. He will be there he says, whenever you need me to tour, I am there. And he has like 5 bands in Italy! You know, he's a great drummer, but he is like: "VITAL REMAINS is first!". And I like that dedication, because he's not fear that if I have a call: "Hey, we wanna do this tour". "Oh, wait a minute, I must talk to Timy, Timy must talk to big daddy, big daddy must talk to...". (He's straight! - Ed.) Yeah, I need to know, I could just say: "Yes, we will do the tour. Hey fellows, guys, I have this tour. Everybody knows, this is the dates, I see you then!". That's it! The way it should be! So, this is why I like it, the way it is now. I like working with Antonio and these guys. They all know, they learning like a... Damien first time works with us and Brian, but they started to see how it works and realize it's just commitment and work hard, it's all good, you know.

- Yeah, Ron was with us for a long time as you know. Always tour with us and then he shocked us. We practiced with him a couple of times and he shocked us and we thought OK. You know he's going to come to European tour, he was all committed and then at a last minute he just decided to quit. It was real shocking, you know. So yes, we were really surprised by Ron doing that to us, we felt like we treated him really good and we just couldn't believe that he left us like, say: "OK, I am gonna go to Europe with you guys". He started learning the new songs, come in to practice and then maybe two weeks before we will coming he calls "I don't wanna do it" and I thought that's pretty fucked up that he did this to us. We always helped him out, always brought him on tour. But you know, this is what I mean about humans and people. Sometimes people are selfish, they only think about themselves and don't think about: "Oh, this person helped me, my career, helped me for many years". So what would you do. We found Brian, a better guy! A more committed bass player, loves to play bass and more of a cool guy. You can ask this guy: "Hey Brian, can you help me out?". With Ron, never help you out. Never pick up any gear, never. Hey need a hand for this, never, never. Brian? Hey Brian, can you help with this: "OK", he's right there. And this is the difference between I think a professional or a guy that's just a little bit selfish, ego maybe or something, I don't know. Not a team player. Ron wasn't really a team player. Never liked to practice. I don't wanna talk bad about people, but you know, I think it's for the better. Because, I think he was 10 steps back, we just with Brian 10 steps forward, ahead. So I rather work with people like this that are grateful and everyday thank you for the opportunity. Always speaking: "Hey, thanks! Great! It's great to be here!". You know, this is what I always wanted people, to wanna be here, wanna work with the band and are grateful for the opportunity and play for the fans and the underground people. You know, all the underground metalheads and that's the most important thing, you know. If you don't wanna do it, then don't do it! Simple like that. But if you love it then that's the kind of attitude I want from people.

- This was an idea I had, because over the years I've got a lot of e-mails and letters from fans. Always asking: "Hey, do you have the 7 inch?". Sorry, I sold mine many years ago. "Do you have the demos?" I have only one, because I sold everything else many years ago. And they never had a chance to have these recordings in original format. So I said myself would be nice to put all this on one CD, but very limited, only for like the younger generation of fans. Who say: "Hey, this is a special thing I put in my collection". Boom! They have a chance to have it, that's it. So I come up with this thing and Century Media said OK, limited 5000 copies. I don't want exploit all the old stuff and sell thousands and millions. I just wanna have enough that everyone should have a chance if you wanna this, the younger fans, to buy it. And put in the collection and OK: "Wow, this is where VITAL REMAINS came from!". All the way from here, from the foundation, all the way to here, at the show how far we progressed, which I think we've come from the ground to the sky. You know, I mean really we've come a long distance I think my friend. Very, very far we've travelled. And in a natural progression of the band progressing and trying to get better. And I think if you listen each thing we've done, each record, we just get better and better. You know, some bands give you the best in the beginning and then they give you less and less and less. I think we are the opposite. I think with time we get better and I think we keep giving better and better records, because we keep trying to put so much music, so much into the music and everything, and that's the point. It's like wine, you know. A good bottle of wine, you put it away and with time, with age, it's better. This is VITAL REMAINS, we are like an old bottle of a tied wine, it's been sitting in the wine-cell for many years, we're like 67. Look, nice bottle is like 67 (Yeah, 68! - says the sound-engineer). Sitting in the wine-cellar, you pop that out and taste great! So this is the reason why I did "Horrors of Hell" for the fans and they love it, you know. They've kept in the original, not the re-mastered. We done just original format, raw, roars can be. And I did some liner notes and all original pictures of the band and that's the way we made it some unique for the fans. It's another prompt thing, another cool thing for the fans, some of the younger fans. Because it's funny some of these younger fans I've said before, they young, they don't know, some of they think this is Glen Benton's side band. We like: "No, we are not Glen Benton's side band". We are also a band that's been around for 18 years and then they discover all these albums: "Wow, it's like a treasure!". And they e-mail me: "Wow, all these different records". OK, now you must go try to find them. "I've just got "Forever Underground"! Oh man I waited one year to find this!". OK, this funny, you got it, great! It's like treasure, you know. They try to look for these things, they have to travel: "OK, I found it on eBay!". It's funny, you know. But this is the way it is. The generation, but I'm glad we did that. It was good to do.

- Right now, actually our contract is up for a negotiation and Century Media is very happy with us and we are actually very happy with them. So our negotiations are gonna be after this tour to the negotiate for another, I don't know, deal. I don't know what includes, you know, we have to talk about a negotiation discussions, but Century is been really cool to us I have to say very supportive. They let us to what we do, we let them do the job and we have a good relationship together. One reason why I wanna to sign with a company like Century Media is because we always had European labels Osmose and Peaceville and it was always hard for our fans in America to find 'cause of the bad distribution. So I wanted to find a label that had distribution everywhere that was easier for the fans. So they didn't have to pay in America 38 dollars or 28 dollars for import, you know, it's from Europe. I think that was just crazy. And then the people in Europe would know our records more than in our country, in America, United States. So I wanted, you know, some company like Century Media and some people, we were like: "Oh, you know Century Media. I don't know office of the right label like they thought me they would influence us to change, but not once!". I think they know that kind of a band we are and we are not to temper guys: "Hey, I think you should soften up the music". It would never happen, I will go back to sell 'em demos, out of the back of the van, I don't care, you know, to the fans. I don't think they would ever try with us, we not that kind of band anyway, but they always been really cool. Never ever influencing us and our way of thinking, writing, we doing what we present here and they always been like cool. And that's cool man. You know, let the band's do what the band's do. Let them do the music and the company should do their job to get the album to the fans and advertise the promotion. But, you know, we have a good relationship right now and are looking for to resigning with them and for how many, I don't know. I don't know how many more I have in it, but we joke about it, you know, some bands sign for 6 albums and I think: "Wow, 6 albums for me is eternity!". You know, it's the rest of my life, I don't know, if I have the 6 albums, but that would be 20 years or something for us. The thing what I can say is I will continue to do this as long as I have it in me and continue to give my best and whatever we just do, we negotiate, we resign with Century, you know, whatever a deal maybe, we try to make it the best deal and everything is well, but we'll see, you know. Like I said they wanna resign us. I think the fans show that they wanna hear more VITAL REMAINS obviously and we will see how things go with them, you know.

- Oh, no question my friend! No question! Not to slug the other labels, but I have to say Century Media been the most fair as company that I ever worked for my life and with the other compaines a lot of unfairs I'll say that, a lot of bad things definitely handle very wrong and let's say I never seen my fee share of anything, until I signed with Century Media. So you can think about all the years of working, albums with the fans will buying and then me not receiving anything to this day I received nothing. And I think this that's pretty unfair on somebody's labels that I work with that when I try to question: "Hey, I don't receive nothing, when you're selling these records to the fans". Who, I think, they're of supporting us, but we receiving nothing, and I get no answers. So I really regret making records for these companies, you know. I don't regret the albums, I love them, the music that we made, but I really wish it wasn't given to these companies, who never did nothing for us, besides take all the money for himselves. It's unfair, because as an artist, you write music, and you try to give your best and the fans buy it taking you're gonna receive something and lot of times to their surprise many they don't receive anything. So I'm happy that with Century Media very fair, they pay us, we due see, royalties. And they're very fair with just everything in general. You have a question, you can call them and say: "Hey, I have a question about this". "OK, we talk to you about it". With Osmose, Hervé: "Aaa, not the office. Click!". Back in a day with Peaceville, Hammy. "Hey, Hammy we wanna go to Europe". "Oh fellows that will cost a lot of money, bla, bla, bla, bla... Click!". A lot of things like this, you know, that I'm not happy about, but you know, you living, learning this business. You learn from the mistakes, you say: "OK, maybe this wasn't good, but I will try to make this better and took years to learn all this, I am still learning. There's all kinds of shady, crooked things in this business, but as a band you have to learn, we have to learn from the mistakes. So I am definitely not happy with the old labels, besides maybe put the record out and some fans getting it. I'm proud of the music and everything like this. But I really wish I could work the deal with Century a long time ago. I would been a lot happier now. But like I said we live and learn. It's taking years, but now we are better. Better label, totally professional and very fair and honest and not fuck with us so this is the way I wish a label always been, but it wasn't so. So I'm happy now, I was unhappy about the past, but you know, we live and learn.

- It's touring that's the future is a lot of tourings, support the record, try to play as many tours as many people as we can and promote the new album and that's the main thing, you know. Try to get 'em hopefully love the new album, the responses are great. That's the VITAL REMAINS' future. Just play as many shows and tours as much as possible. And then we hopefully in a couple years start writing and do the whole thing and hopefully have a good record again to give to the fans. So that's the future definitely.

- Well, I wanna say thank you to the Ukraine fans, to the VITAL legions of Ukraine for all the support and thanks to you for the interview. I hope you love the new album "Icons of Evil" and I hope to maybe come to Ukraine and play. That would be a great honour for us, you know to come play and hope you like it and hope to see you soon on tour. Thanks for support! Cheers!

- Thanks brother.