Congratulations for the new album, it's fantastic! What can you say about "The Headless Horseman" comparing it with the previous albums "Breaking The Chains" and "Wings Of Destiny"? In what section you think that you changed or improved?

The new album "The Headless Horseman" definitely sounds much heavier and faster than our previous albums. It has much more of a raw passionate feel and a bit more of a meaner metal edge to it. You can really hear the band playing it's heart out here. That’s the general feeling the rest of media and fans are really picking up on this new album. The production itself has also been a real positive this time too, as it truly has captured the band's very live essence and raw sound indeed. I think the band has also really matured and evolved from album to album and this is definitely a big positive step forward. In the addition to having a great new vocalist and frontman like Rob Thompson also, this has probably been a great influence too with the current songwriting to a certain point. The band still strongly maintains it's true roots of melodic classic Heavy Metal but with a bit more of a fresh vibe and feel...it's definitely a real extension of maturity and growth from album to album for us!

Is it hard to not repeat what you did previously?

I don't really think so. When I am personally writing a song or guitar riff, I've always tried to create something as totally new and fresh sounding than any of our previously written songs. Sometimes though, you might actually come across a slight sound or idea from a previous song on a previous album but that is not necessarily really repeating yourself...it's most likely a part of your very own self playing and writing style that is already strongly influenced within yourself! Our albums show that I think, always having a pretty good variety of songs, not always playing the same style of riff, drum beat, vocal melody or tempo and this can definitely make a big difference!

Tell us in a few words some things regarding your new album: where was it recorded, who was the producer...

Well, the new album was recorded in the same studio as our previous 3 albums before and that is right here in our hometown of Melbourne, Australia at St. Andrew Studios. The album was this time produced by myself personally and our great engineer Mark McCormack. We definitely feel very comfortable in this studios surroundings and the atmosphere in there is very good for us. We are very familiar with the equipment and the engineer Mark McCormack really knows the band and our sound only too well. We always seem to work so well in there!

How long did it take you to finish it and what's the main inspiration behind it?

Well we spent about 2 to 2 ½ months recording, not to mention the many months of writing and preproduction, but generally recording the album took about 2 months. And the main inspiration behind it was to create the best possible Pegazus and metal album that we could. The fact that we have a new vocalist in the band was a big challenge for us to do that, but this band always loves a bit of a challenge, to really try and do so much better than anything we’ve done in the past. We purposely spent alot more time writing for this album (6 to 9 months) and the recording studio time was also extended so we would be able to get better results with our songs, ideas and production. I personally know that we all put in 100% of blood, sweat and pain into this album and I think the passionate playing of everyone really shows on the finished album...'The Headless Horseman' is also very proudly by far the bands best and heaviest album to date...I think the fans agree!

You named your new album "The Headless Horseman". How did you come up with this title? Does the title deal with the legend of Sleepy Hollow? (you know, the story of the headless horseman, that guy that lost his head in the war, got on his horse and killed a lot of people for revenge...)

Yes it does, I’m a really big fan of the movie and I must have seen it quite a few times now :o) I’ve always personally been interested in movies and when it comes to being inspired to write songs from films, "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" was one of them for sure. The album title and main song "The Headless Horseman" was created and very much inspired from the movie theme which very much suited the Pegazus style and format of writing fantasy type of songs from time to time.

I would like to ask you your opinion about Thin Lizzy 'cause you wrote a song about Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott ("Ballad Of A Thin Man") for the new album and you also recorded two Thin Lizzy covers. Was this band a big influence to you?

Personally, Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy were a very big inspiration to me and Robbie, not just as musicians, but Phil Lynott was such a fantastic and very accomplished songwriter. He was very talented and the diversity in Thin Lizzy’s songs shows that. I really liked the attitude he displayed in his craft. Thin Lizzy could always keep their songs and music sounding new and fresh album after album all the time. That is certainly a special and rare quality in a band and I think Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy did that only too well...so what is there not to admire about such an awesome band? Anyway, it was about 2 years ago and Philip's 15th anniversay of his passing was looming. I remember everyone at our record label was getting onto the buzz of recording some Thin Lizzy covers for an anniversary tribute album and as a fan I had an idea that it would be really great to actually write and record a special original tribute song as a true mark of respect to an artist and true inspiration to me and the band personally. This song is actually sung by me and was never actually intended to be on the album, but the record label and everybody else basically loved it so much that they strongly insisted that it must be on the new Pegazus album, so here it is, twin guitar harmonies and all :o) The main guitar riffs and harmony licks were intentionally written and created to sound as close as possible to the signature Thin Lizzy style and sound. The lyrics were also an idea I originally had about cleverly creating a story from Thin Lizzy song titles which took awhile to do but seemed to come off quite well in the end. We also sent a demo of the song to Ms Philomena Lynott who heard the song and she absolutely loved it, totally endorsing it with so much praise to even say that "Philip would love it!" and she has now also become our number one Pegazus fan from Ireland...hehehe :o)

A great work by R. Bennett is covering the album. Which ideas did you give him for the cover? Why did you go for a different cover painter this time? Why not Andreas Marshall?

Yes, the great new artist Russell Bennett is a new guy on this album. He's an Australian painter/tattooist who contacted the band a couple of years ago and he's also a big fan of the band and Heavy Metal!!! He actually heard one of our songs on a national metal program here in Australia a few years ago and went out and bought the album the next day not knowing that we were actually an Australian band. When he saw the album and booklet layout, he realized we were from Melbourne, Australia and that's when he then contacted us and he told me that he was a painter and tattooist. He showed me some of his artwork and I was really impressed with it. He's definitely got some great and very cool ideas. It's also how we as the band came up with the idea that we really would like to work closely with someone a bit more off the wall and more exclusive to our band. Besides, original hand painted artwork is a pretty scarce traditional art form nowadays which has really been taken over by so much airbrush work these days and we did really want to try something very different and special with this new album. We just wanted to give that old traditional art a go with the new album cover. I was in constant contact with Russell all the time until the artworks were all finished. So, I did have a lot of input with Russell on the album cover with the way it was created and how we wanted it to look, along with all the other great inner artwork which you see within the CD booklet, which are really, really great too!

How do you see your first two CD's now? Are you still satisfied with the material and everything? Do you think that the new album is going to help you move the band one step ahead?

I think each album we’ve done since day one has really been one big step forward for us. Wings Of Destiny was fantastic and it was so well recieved and embraced by the fans. There are alot of truley great songs and moments on that album. Considering that it was recorded a year before getting signed to a label and recorded on an extremely small independant budget on our own. Breaking The Chains was another positive step forward, more so in the stronger songwriting and better production helping the evolution of the band, also being our bands first album with a proper record label backed recording budget. With the new Headless Horseman album, we seemed to have already moved in leaps and bounds, especially according to the many fantastic worldwide media's reviews and fans reactions! The general reaction has been extremely positive in the sense of the bands heavier and faster songs, crisp production, great songs and a performance that is so superior to any of our previous albums... "Hailed as the best Pegazus album to date as well as the best ever Heavy Metal album to come out of Australia!" It's great feedback like this that truely keeps our flames and fires burning with desire...a true Heavy Metal desire!!!

Which do you think is the most ideal to represent your music from all the songs you've composed and why?

That's a hard one to really answer because there are so many great songs that truely seem ideal from the Pegazus repoitare that we personally like to play and our fans like to hear at live shows! I think songs like Wings Of Steel, Cry Out, Braveheart, Enchanted World, The Crusade, Metal Forever, The Headless Horseman, The Patriot and A Call To Arms are all songs that capture the true essence of what Pegazus is all about as a true Heavy Metal band!

I have heard that Cory is no longer part of Pegazus. What has led to this decision? Have you found a replacement for him?

It was a mutual decision by both the band and Cory to leave Pegazus because he also had his own serious band project that he was concentrating and playing in on the side. We knew about it for quite some time, but it started to take up too much of his responsibility in Pegazus. It was getting really hard to play in both bands, so we had to tell him he had to make a decision and we knew what he would choose, but we didn’t have a problem with that. We did’t want to stand in his way, so the split was an amicable one and we are still friends. We do have a New Bass player now! His name is Hanny and he has been with us since January 2002. He’s a really great guy and has been an actual fan of Pegazus since he was sixteen. Back when he was in high school he even once got in trouble for painting the band name Pegazus on the wall at school...hahaha :o) Hanny's been coming to all our shows, even when he was underage and not allowed to get into the clubs. So we’ve known each other for about eight years now. When we asked him to fill in, he immediately said yes. He’s actually a guitar player, but he’s played the bass in other bands from time to time too. We still don’t know if he will become a permanent band member, so we’ll just have to see how things will work out over the next twelve months or so?

After your previous singer (Danny Cecati) left, how is the situation with him? Is he involved in other projects?

Because my priorities and loyalty have always strongly been with Pegazus and my fellow brothers within the band, being Robbie, Rob T and Hanny, there has not been any real contact with Danny and myself at all, except for one conversation on the telephone in the past two and half years. As far as I'm concerned though, the past is the past and the future is now and beyond!

How is Rob, the new singer, working out for you? What would you say are the differences between him and Danny?

Rob is a true frontman in every sense. His voice is so charismatic and unique which truly gives our songs a very strong character, and live on stage he is just crazy and wild as the rest of the band...totally 100% committed to this Heavy Metal Beast called PEGAZUS!!! I'm not just saying this because he is in the band now, but one of the first things you would notice yourself upon meeting Rob is that he has a great character and personality as a true friend and a brother. When we get together, we have a great time playing and making music and a wicked time on stage and the fans now see that true vibe, live at our shows! That is something that we honestly never had before. Each vocalist, whether it be Rob or Danny, both definitely have a great style and voice of their own, so comparing them is pretty silly I think! They both actually add a special element and quality to the true sound and style of PEGAZUS which ever way you might look at it!

What kind of memories do you have on your european gigs? Which show was the most memorable? Was there any band in Wacken that you really enjoyed watching them play?

The actual tour of Europe that we did with Hammerfall, Primal Fear and Labyrinth was absolutely fantastic! The whole tour package complimented itself so well because no two bands were alike in sound, style or attitude. Gee, that actual tour was so long ago but the memories remain so clearly...it seemed so strange at the time because we had never experienced anything like it back home in Australia. It felt like we were on vacation, except we got to play live shows every night in a different town and city in so many countries. The best part of all this was however, meeting the many, many fans, both before and after shows...the fans totally rule!!! :o) The most memorable show for us is no doubt the Wacken Open Air festival in 1998...that was actually our band's first ever performance on European soil and to kick it off in Germany at the W.O.A was truely awesome and something we would never forget...how can you forget playing such an exciting event, so big and special in front of about 20,000 metal fans! We were also our very selves, very excited to see so many great bands on the Wacken bill that year and some of the highlights for us were to see and hear for the first ever time live Savatage, Doro and Warrior!

Are there already plans for Pegazus to come over to Europe this year? Will you also do any summer festivals?

It has been a long time since we last played a festival or toured in Europe...it's been way too long actually! However, over the past couple of months, we have been discussing and talking with promoters about the possibilities of us coming over to tour in Europe and so far there hasn't been anything strongly confirmed yet. We are working on it to hopefully happen because we really would like to be back over there, amongst some of the greatest metal fans in the world! As for the summer festivals, we missed out on those for this year unfortunately but we will look at hopefully playing some of them next year in 2003 if that is also possible with the actual festival promoters???

Some people say that the scene is getting better in Australia for Metal, while others say the complete opposite. What is your perception of the scene over there? How is the recognition for Pegazus in your home-country?

The metal scene in Australia, has for many years always had an underground vibe. When PEGAZUS first started back in the early 90's it was more the extreme metal that was getting so much more support and recognition by the local fans. We were the only band in Australia playing real true classic heavy metal since the early 90's. Since the band had been signed by Nuclear Blast records in early 1998, went on a big European tour, played the Wacken OA & Rockhard festivals, becoming the first Australian heavy metal band to reach a greater status and some form of success overseas. This position for us seems to have proudly opened some doors for quite a few bands and people back home in Australia too. We have also now noticed a small surge of bands popping up all over Australia over the last couple of years, which is on the very positive side for heavy metal music in our homeland, especially now that PEGAZUS is very established and highly considered worldwide as the true pioneers of the Heavy Metal scene from OZ! "Australia's King Of Metal!" - Metal Forever...Forever Metal!!! :o)

What is your personal view of the Metal scene in Europe? What do you think about all those bands playing power metal nowadays, do you think it´s a trend?

I think it's actually great to have such a wide range and variety of bands out there on the scene. Right now, there is so much more music and styles for the fans to choose from...it's like a smorgasboard of food...you will choose whatever you are tempted to try or hungry for! :o) I think you have to also realistically look at every cycle of music happening around the world as a trend...that's probably the most realistic way to look at it! All forms of music they say come by on the scene as a repeated cycle from somewhere at some time...just knowing when that cycle will happen is the thing nobody really knows...it just happens when the music feels it needs to come back to life again! For a band in particular, it's also all about being in the right place at the right time too. Some bands are ahead of their time by playing way before an actual trend does come by to sweep them off their feet and then there's also the many, many bands as usual that will throw themselves onto that particular trend once it finally does arrive onto the scene.

Which are your three favourite albums in Heavy Metal history and why?

It's pretty hard to actually choose just three albums but the ones I have chosen and commented on below, for me these are absolutely flawless classics that have definitely stood the test of time. I could mention so many more fantastic albums that I love equally as much as these three, but playing and writing wise for me personally, I would have to say these particular albums have played a big part of my life both as a metal fan and a guitarist/songwriter.

"Powerslave" (Maiden): That particular album totally blew me away when I first heard it and it still does to this day. The songs, the musicianship and overall production are one of the finest I've ever heard on a metal album, an absolute classic!

"Screaming For Vengeance" (Judas Priest): What an album this turned out to be for my first ever taste of the priest...another classic album for me that has been very influential and truely inspirational at the same time!

"Blizzard Of Oz" (Ozzy Osbourne): Personally, I am a very big fan of Randy Rhoads' guitar playing and he truely lets rip with his awesome tone and licks all over this album, just as if he actually were on a crazy train... :o)

That's all! End with any comments you'd like, and be sure to send a message out to all the Pegazus fans and metal maniacs ;)

We hope that all the true metal fans and PEGAZUS WARRIORS out there are really enjoying the pure Heavy Metal that flows proudly and freely from our new album "The Headless Horseman"..."Crank it up till your neighbours ears bleed!"....hahaha :o) We are also really looking forward to coming over to play some wicked live metal shows for you, all throughout Europe, hopefully sometime soon and once again having a real wild time with our true friends and fans! METAL FOREVER!!! Johnny Stoj \m/

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