First of all, please let us know when, why and by whom Falcon was founded. What was the intention behind the founding of Falcon?  

Perry: I founded Falcon to play the kind of early 1970s style heavy rock that I love. I grew up listening to stuff like Aerosmith, Rush, AC/DC, early Scorpions, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, etc. I heard that stuff long before I was introduced to heavier metal (including lots of thrash and early death metal bands like Death, Sadus, Sacrifice, Coroner, etc.), and I listened to the ’70s bands alongside the thrashier ones from the ’80s. Falcon--the band name itself--is something I’ve wanted to use for a VERY long time, and I really think it fits in with the old heavy rock tradition. Remember Budgie? They were named after a bird. I tried to get Falcon going shortly after starting Artisan. Couldn’t get the right people involved to make it work back then, so I put it on the backburner until me and Greg began to jam together in late ’02. I asked Darin McCloskey (Pale Divine) to about drumming right away. Darin and I had been in touch for several years (I’m a big Pale Divine fan), and I knew he was, like Greg, a total die-hard fanatic for bluesy and psychedelic heavy rock from the early ’70s. 

The bass in Falcon is played by Greg Lindstrom, who wrote metal history when he was playing with the epic metal legends Cirith Ungol in the late 70s and early 80s! How did you get into contact with him, what is it like to play together with him and what does it mean to you if you now can play songs, that were originally written for a cult band like Cirith Ungol!

Perry: I met Greg through Rob Garven, the drummer of Cirith Ungol. I’d been friends with Rob for several years before I ever got to meet Greg. Rob hasn’t been playing drums for over a decade now, but he always used to say, “I’m sure Greg would love to jam.” I was really busy with Artisan when I first met Greg. First time I hung out with him was to interview him, actually. I’d given an old interview I did with Rob Garven to the mag SNAKEPIT, and I wanted to follow it up with an interview with Greg. But it was pretty clear from the get-go that we should be involved MUSICALLY together, rather than as interviewer and interviewee. I was--and will always be--HONORED to play in a band with Greg. It’s not every day that you get to be in a band with one of your biggest musical heroes. Greg’s a great friend and a down-to-earth guy. Not to mention a stunning bassist, keyboardist and guitarist. I’m overjoyed to be doing Falcon with Greg, and have felt the shivers up my spine every time we play old Cirith Ungol songs Greg wrote. I’m having the time of my life, and I couldn’t think of a better guy to tackle bass and keys in Falcon. To be playing these songs (like “Shelob’s Lair” and “Route 666”) that Jerry Fogle once played guitar on is just... amazing. I only hope I can do them justice. Jerry was one of the greatest unsung guitarists of hard rock and metal.

Falcon rocks on in the classic power trio formation! Why have you chosen this kind of lineup and will Falcon always play in this formation or can you also imagine to get another musician in the lineup?

Perry: I chose to go with the power trio because this is THE classic kind of lineup that bands in this style used. Cream, Blue Cheer, Rush, Budgie, Trapeze... All trios. Also, the more people involved in a band, the greater the possibility for things to go awry. More people equals more conflicts and maybe “too many cooks in the kitchen” as they say. I’m pretty damned sure Falcon will remain a power trio for its entire lifespan. It’s possible we might invite a friend up to play second guitar on a song as a surprise during a show, but we ARE a power trio.

In Falcon you.ve taken over the leadvocals... as long as I remember, you haven’t done this in any other band before... so, was it a big change for you? Was it very difficult to handle this?  

Perry: I hadn’t really done any vocals seriously before Artisan. So, Artisan kinda prepared me a little for Falcon. Although in Artisan I was mostly growling (Chuck Schuldiner style). Growling is definitely far easier for me to do than ACTUALLY singing. It took some definite time for me to develop my singing voice to a point where I personally felt like I could make a go of it. I always wanted to sing while playing guitar in the past, but I didn’t think my ear or “pipes” were trained enough to do it before. Artisan definitely got me in the habit of vocalizing and playing guitar at the same time. Multitasking is obviously the most difficult part of it. I’m not the best singer out there, and I know it. But, love it or leave it, this is Falcon. One of the main concerns for me was not having to worry about another singer not seeing eye to eye on my lyrics or anything.

Falcon’s earthy rock sound is so oldschool, that you can’t believe that it has been written and recorded in 2003 and not back then in the 70s... how have you succeeded in creating such authentic music and writing such cool 70s sound?

Perry: The early ’70s heavy rock vibe is just in my blood. Having listened to the stuff since I was a little kid, it’s just there. And since I didn’t have much of a chance to let all the bluesy, psychedelic and groovy riffs and solos out in Destiny’s End or Artisan, the floodgates really opened wide when Falcon became a reality. Also, I think a great deal of Falcon’s authenticity owes much to both Greg and Darin. Especially to Greg, ’cause this is the music that was exploding when he was in his teens. He LIVED for this music in Cirith Ungol. Darin, like me, is a maniac for the stuff, even though we were “born too late.” Obviously the gear we play has a little to do with it. Each of us tends to favor vintage or reissue stuff that can achieve the old tones. But I think Falcon sounds the way it does mainly because we believe in what we play. It’s not artificial or like we’re following some kind of stoner rock trend. Our HEARTS are in it, so I think that shows in the music.

And what bands/musicians have influenced you the most?

Perry: Not that he has anything to do with the Falcon sound, but Chuck Schuldiner’s gotta be my fave METAL guitarist. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford are probably the two guys most responsible for making me wanna pick up a guitar in the first place. Jerry Fogle!!! (R.I.P.) Jerry, again, was just a fuckin’ stellar guitarist. Incredible lead player. For me as a guitarist, the influence would have to read something like this: Vincent McCalister (Pentagram), Randy Palmer (Bedemon, Pentagram), Mel Galley (Trapeze), Leslie West (Mountain), Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy), John Baxter (Buffalo), Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser (BOC), Randy Holden, Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer), Mark Shelton (Manilla Road), Phil Cope (Witchfinder General), etc. Vocal-wise? Felix Pappalardi & Leslie West, (Mountain), Phil Lynott, Glenn Hughes (in Trapeze!), Bobby Liebling and Tim Baker, of course.

What is the live situation like for Falcon? Have you played any gigs yet? If yes what were they like and if not have you planned any?

Perry: Falcon’s first gig was at an L.A. club on January 27, 2004. It was a small warm-up gig for us. I think it proved one thing for sure: we’re a very LOUD band for a power trio. We’re lookin’ forward to more shows. We have another booked for March 5 in L.A. We’ve been rehearsing a lot with our friend Andrew “Drewcifer” Sample on drums. Andrew had a radio show on KNAC.com, and a lot of folks know him from his day job. He works for Century Media. The logistics of having a drummer living 3,000 miles away meant we had to get someone locally who could gig with us. Darin’s a good friend and a great drummer, so this only has to do with distance factor.

The only Falcon release so far is a 4 Track CD-R named Demo 2003. How many copies of this were made and what reactions have you earned for it?

Perry: Yeah, the demo CD-R has been out since April ’03. It’s just a CD-R with a photocopied insert sheet that we’ve sent around to a few hundred people. The reaction has been very positive overall, and I’m really glad. Definitely some constructive criticism about the vocals, which I then made a lot of effort to improve for the album sessions.

In the meantime you’ve also recorded your debut album. So can you please give us some song titles and tell us a bit about at least some of the tunes?

Perry: We recorded ten songs for the album, four of which were on the demo. “Downer,” “Castle Peak,” “Route 666,” “High Speed Love,” “The Crying of Lot 246,” “Throwback,” “Shelob’s Lair,” “Half Past Human,” “On the Slab,” and a cover of Bang’s “Redman.” “Downer” is not about popping pills, although the title might lead you to believe that!? Ha! It’s actually about a certain philosophy, a world-view. Kind of a pessimistic one. Always considering what could be the worst outcome of any given situation--and taking it RAW without looking to religion for an answer.

And where do you see the biggest difference between the album recordings and the demo recordings?

Perry: The huge difference is the recording quality. The demo was done with a bare minimum of equipment and inferior microphones. We were limited to only one mic on the drums for the demo. But we basically tracked the stuff in a similar way for the album--basic tracks LIVE. Rhythm guitar, bass and drums were all recorded simultaneously. That’s the way they used to do it in the ’60s and ’70s, and that’s the way we did it. For a very spontaneous vibe. The vocals are another big difference. We paid a lot more attention to production on the vocals on the album, whereas the demo was done quick, rough and raw. Can’t forget all the cool vintage amps and gear we used on the album!

Is there already a release date confirmed for your debut? And who will release it? Have any labels shown interest yet?

Perry: No release date set, although we’d like it to be out by the beginning of summer 2004. While we’ve sent the demo around to tons of labels there haven’t really been any bites yet. Although Rich Walker is interested in possibly putting a Falcon release out through the Miskatonic Foundation. Not sure if that’ll be the first album or something else, but stay tuned to the Falcon website for news on that. If no labels express interest in the finished product, we have absolutely no qualms about releasing the thing on CD ourselves.

What comes next after the album release? What other plans do Falcon have for 2004?

Perry: We’re gonna play some gigs in Southern California, and hopefully get a chance to do a show or two with Darin McCloskey on drums on the east coast. After we’re finished with the album it’s time to start working on material for a second album. We already have MOST of the tunes written for that, but we have some arranging, rehearsing and pre-production to do before we know when we might record a second album.

Next to Falcon, you’re also involved in a band called Isen Torr, which was brought to life by Solstice’s Rich Walker! Please introduce Isen Torr to us... what is the idea behind it, who are your bandmates, what does the band sound like and what releases are out now or are planned to be released in the near future?

Perry: I got in touch with Rich through my friend Rob Preston (Doomed Planet Records) many years ago. Me and Rich met in 1999 while Destiny’s End was doing a mini European tour. Got to spend about a week hangin’ with Rich and became really good friends. Having been a huge Solstice fan too, I knew I wanted to do something musically with Rich down the road. I told Rich I would’ve jumped at the chance to join Solstice when they lost their lead guitarist--if only I lived in England!? But after Solstice disbanded, Rich decided to he was gonna work on Isen Torr, a more NWOBHM oriented project with folks from other countries. Isen Torr has more than a bit of that raw, early ’80s NWOBHM sound, combined with tons of traditional Celtic and English melodies and that super low B tuning. Rich loves. I knew this was the chance for me and Rich to work together—and with some other really talented metal musicians. Rich got Martin Zellmer from Ritual Steel to play drums, ex-Ritual Steel bassist Oliver “Zulle” Zühlke and Tony Taylor from Twisted Tower Dire on vox. I knew Tony, ’cause TTD had opened for Destiny’s End in Virginia in ’99. I didn’t know Martin or Zulle, but I knew their singer Sascha Maurer. Needless to say we got along really well and the rehearsals and recording went really smooth. I’m sure I speak for everyone in saying a great time was had by all! We recorded two long-ass epic songs in July ’03 for an EP, MIGHTY & SUPERIOR. MIGHTY & SUPERIOR is due out any day now through Metal Supremacy (Germany). The plan is to do an EP of two or three metal epics every year for another couple of years.

That’s it! We.re through! Now I leave the last words to you...

Perry: Thanks for letting Falcon be a part of the first issue of METAL COVEN. I’d like to thank the German and other European Falcon fans for the killer support!

Fragen: Januar 2004 by Tobi
Antworten: Februar 2004 by Perry Grayson