Updated: 02/01/03

And now heavy metal from Haifa, Israel. With such a strong scene and, it was only a matter of time before bands like Eternal Gray became known here in the States. Their album Kindless has been released here through The End Records. Combining thrash and death to a compelling effect, it won’t be long until all metal fans will want to find out about Eternal Grey.

Introduce yourself; tell me what you do in Eternal Gray, and how long the band has been together.

Thank you and hello all the readers! I'm Dory, guitarist of EG. Actually we formed Eternal Gray two years ago, after playing in Betrayer. Due to some differences of opinion about which way the music should take, we split and each one of us (Yishai of Raven Music and the founder of Betrayer) and me, have formed a new band. I continued with Eyal (guitarist) and Eran (drummer) both played in Kindless recordings. As for the time being, Eran left to Broadway to play some jazz and we found a new drummer (16 years old) that can literally kick some asses, and a new bass player, which is really amazing. That's all, a little history...

What is the metal scene like in Haifa, Israel and do many people go out to the shows?

The metal scene in Haifa is pretty strong and varied. There's many active bands up here which some are touring worldwide once in a while. (Useless ID - a Punk rock band). The scene in Israel is growing fast. There are a lot of bands in Israel, like Nail Within, Salem, Vultures and many more. I can strongly recommend every band to pass over for a gig or two, when in the area. Every band that came here (I personally was involved at three productions) was amazed from the quantity of the crowd. I'm not saying that 800-1000 people is something we haven't seen before, but it should be respected as I know many bands (some of the big names) that each gig counts 100-300 people. So I guess Einstein had to say something about that.

How much influence does the politics and violence in Israel influence the music and lyrics you write?

Not at all.

What made you decide to call your album Kindless - any deep, philosophical meaning behind the title?

Kindless has a double meaning: one is that it's one of a kind, no kind like it, the second is as not kind at all, a lack of kindness. The main reason we've decided to call it that way is what we feel about the world around us and us as individuals in that world.

What was the experience like recording your album at the Abyss in Sweden and what did Tommy Tagtgren contribute to the overall sound?

It was a great and very yielding experience for us to record Kindless at the Abyss. We learned a lot even though we came well prepared. Tommy is a professional in his job; he's comfortable to work with, as he's listening and open-minded. I also think that's the main reason why our sound is not "Abyss like". Without Tommy and his attitude it would never be like it.

You thanked Schmier from Destruction on your web site. How did you meet him and what was his contribution to the album? Also, did Peter from Hypocrisy make an appearance on your album?

We met Schmier there while Destruction recorded their last album at Peter's studio. Peter was there as well (of course he was?!) and while we recorded Absent Mourn Mike, Destruction's guitarist came in and he liked it. That leads to a nice two weeks of fun, beers and music together with Destruction. Schmier helped us with the vocals, also Peter. They showed us different ways to do things and even demonstrated some.

How did you wind up having your album released through The End Records?

Our main label Raven Music fixed that, I wouldn't know. What I do know is the fact that it is complicated to find a record deal, one that respects your music and band.

If you had to describe your music to a very old person, what would you say?

I would say it's extreme, hard, strange and interesting. Also I would suggest him to turn on the pacemaker, just in case.

What was it like performing a show with Rotting Christ? Were they afraid to come to Israel because of all the violence?

Rotting Christ is the last band you can say that feared coming to Israel because of the situation. They've been here three times and I'm sure more to come. Performing with them was great, they are really supportive. By the way it's not that violent here at all. You always get the highlights of it, but people live here, developing careers, going to the supermarket and stuff. Israel is one of the leading countries in the hi-tech field and responsible for a lot of good things in many ways. All of you should come when you can; the weather here is great and the chicks….

Any plans on Eternal Gray coming over to the States and playing some shows?

That of course depends our label as well as on us. We really want to make it happen and are willing to do everything we can, under our capability, to do it. We are ready to do it and I can promise that when we'll hit the roads, it'll be great for the crowd and us. Anyone who's interested can refer to Raven Music, or The End Records.

Do you have any messages for metal fans that might be interested in checking your music out?

Enjoy as you can, we are currently preparing the next episode of "Gray is a way of living." Check out our website at www.eternalgray.com every comment and thought you can post to me: dory@eternalgray.com. Thank you and keep it Gray.