2007 - Exclusive interview with John Greely (click here for portuguese version)
www.icedearth.com.br
Webmaster: Johnny Z.

01- How did you join Iced Earth?.

JOHN GREELY: Tom Morris.

02- What was the reason behind you leaving Iced Earth?.

JOHN GREELY: Money and the lack thereof.

02- How was the writing and recording process for "Night Of The Stormrider"?.

JOHN GREELY: The band pretty much had the songs written.

04- Iced Earth did only a few gigs while you were in the band. Why is that?.

JOHN GREELY: Jon Shaffer didn't like to play local gigs. Our focus was on the Stormrider album and European tour while I was in the band. We played 42 shows in Europe and one in the United States. At the Ritz Theater in Tampa on Halloween of 1992.

05- What are your worse and best memories about your time in Iced Earth?.

JOHN GREELY: My best memory is playing for sold-out shows and the enthusiastic audiences and hanging out with Blind Guardian. Bad memories were that is was a very financialy stressful time for me. I had a wife and two kids and no money and was always with the band. There was no relief on the horizon as far as money goes.

06- Why didn't they make more promotional videos for songs off "Night Of The Stormrider"?.

JOHN GREELY: I don't think they had the budget.

07- How do you feel knowing that many fans still consider "Night Of The Stormrider" one of the band's best albums,and that many fans also prefer your singing style than other singers who have been in the band?.

JOHN GREELY: Feels good and I tend to agree, but they are finally good again now that they have The Ripper.

08- Which songs from the first album and from "Night Of The Stormrider" did you perform live with the band?.

JOHN GREELY: All of them except for 'Reaching the End'.

09- Do you have any contacts with ex/current members nowadays?.

JOHN GREELY: Dave Abell, Randy Shawver, and Richie Secchiari are all good friends still.

10- Is there any material or demos of your days in the band that still hasn't seen the light of day?.

JOHN GREELY: Haha... uhhh... maybe! Yeah of course there are. I've got the live soundboard recording of our show at The Ritz in Tampa. I also have the pre-production demo of 'Night of the Stormrider' that I made before we went to the studio! But shhh... it's a secret.

11- What do you think of Iced Earth now that you've left the band? What's your opnion about Gene Adam,Matthew Barlow and Tim Owens? Who do you feel has been the best vocalist for the band and why?.

JOHN GREELY: I like Ripper Owens. I'm not familliar enough with Matt Barlow's work to judge. Gene Adam is just Gene Adam.

12- To close this part,what is your opinion about Jon Schaffer?.

JOHN GREELY: He's an excellent musician. He's done everything he has said he would do. He has helped my career a lot.

13- How did you form Seventh Seal? Do you have any plans on touring with the band?.

JOHN GREELY: My friend Adam came over and moved his drums into my basement! I decided to write some music with him. Then it occured to me that throughout history that all of the bands that I like the most have written songs having to do with the book of Revelation. So I set about doing a musical project with the entire book, word for word. No small task!

14- How's the writing process of Seventh Seal's debut? Do you have any label to put it out yet?.

JOHN GREELY: I haven't really inquired as to a label as of yet. I'm still working on the music. I have included a really good bassist that plays with a band called Blacksmith from the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. We are collaborating on the music for the Revelation project right now.

15- Who's in the band's current lineup? Has it gone through many changes?.

JOHN GREELY: So far it is Adam Yoder, my drummer who has inspired me to play again. The bassist from epic war metal band, Blacksmith, Richard Conner. Also Dave Abell from Unearthed has been working with me. I have always been working with my long-time best friend and guitarist Joe Diaz, who currently plays with Tampa death metallers, End Unseen.

16- Listening to the Seventh Seal song, Revelation, on your official MySpace (www.myspace.com/seventhsealofficial),we can hear that you didn't go astray from the style you're known for. Is that sound the final sound that Seventh Seal is going to have, or was that a rough demo, with a higher quality production coming on the final mix of the album?.

JOHN GREELY: That definitely is a rough demo! I recorded it in my friend, Joe Diaz' studio in St. Petersburgh, Florida.

17- You told us that you've been in many bands such as Razor's Edge,Synn,QuaZmodo,Brutus and Chroni.Could you tell us what were the styles of each band,and if you ever recorded something with them (if possible,cite the song titles or album names),and the main thing,we'd like to know a little more about each of them.

JOHN GREELY: Yeah I recorded with QuaZmodo at Morissound Recording. That's how Tom Morris and I got to become friends in the first place. The band Synn is what I played in from the time I was fourteen to nineteen. We played mostly heavy metal covers such as Priest and Kiss. We did have some originals and made a few recordings, but nothing ever came of it. Chronic was kind of a rock and roll cover band I did. Party music, basically.

18- Many fans ask us why you're not in Unearthed (ex Iced Earth and ex-Purgatory members Bill Owen and Dave Abell's band). Is there a chance we will see you front Unearthed as vocalist Gene Adam recently left them?.

JOHN GREELY: No, they have a new singer now. But, you know, I am good friends with all those guys. Who knows, anything can happen. But right now I've got the Revelation to worry about!

19-  What are your biggest influences when it comes to singers and bands?.

JOHN GREELY: Pretty much the usual: Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, Steven Tyler, King Diamond, Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Dan McCafferty, David Byron.

20- What did you do before you became a Metal vocalist,and what did you do after leaving Iced Earth?.

JOHN GREELY: I started singing quite early at the age of fourteen. That was when I played my first gig. I played guitar before that. After I left Iced Earth, I really wanted to do my best to be a dad. On the non-musical side of things, I opened some businesses, paint contracting, pizza shop, and things of that nature. Musically I've been working on the same project for about ten years!

21- Why did you came back in the Metal scene after so many years?.

JOHN GREELY: I never left metal. I love metal. There is no rap or hip hop in my CD collection! I didn't turn into some country musician or some shit. Hell no, I've been metal all my life! That's why I'm broke!.

22- What's your point of view about the current Metal scene?.

JOHN GREELY: Too many death metal bands doing the same thing. It was great when it first started, but now they are beating a dead horse. Fucking twenty people at each show, and most of them came with the band! You can see ten bands in one night, and it cost them each $200 to play! They all sound the same. But there are a few quality bands that care about their products like King Diamond, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, for instance.

23- What are your favorite bands and vocalist nowadays?.

JOHN GREELY: I'm still old school when it comes to this. They don't make Pink Floyds anymore. But I've always had a thing for Sepultura. I think Dimmu Borgir is killer! I like Otep, too.