Hi Eligio, Welcome to Review Zoo
Hi Lee, thank you for having me.
Please can you tell us a bit about the band you play Guitar in?
I play guitar in the band Crepuscle. We are a melodic death metal band with symphonic elements and are based out of the Bay Area in California (Redwood City, specifically). We like to play fast and heavy but also incorporate melodies whenever possible and have orchestral backings. We have two albums out, Draconian Winter and Heavenly Skies, and are getting ready to start recording our third album, which will be our most epic and melodic offering yet!
What got you into playing Guitar?
I've been interested in the instrument since I was a child but what really did it for me was when I saw Metallica play in 2003 during their Summer Sanitarium tour. I was 11 years old at the time and knew that night that I wanted to learn how to play like them. With the help of my parents, I got my first guitar, a BC Rich Warlock Bronze Series, later that year for my birthday.
Can you remember the first riff you learnt?
If I recall correctly, I think I somehow managed to stumble upon some AC/DC riff while messing around. I learned how to read tabs early on and was on my way to learning riffs from whatever I was listening to at the time.
Do you play any other instruments?
I'm not very proficient, but I do know a little bit of keyboard.
Which Guitars do you use?
I have been proudly playing ESP guitars since 2016. My primary guitar currently is my LTD Alexi Hexed with an EMG 81 and modified with gold hardware. It looks great and plays great! My other two main guitars are my E-II Arrow and my E-II M-II HT Black Turquoise Burst, both with Seymour Duncan Pickups and gold hardware.
Which amps do you use?
I'm proudly playing ENGL amps. I'm running a Savage 60 Mark II E630II through an ENGL E412 cab. This amp is a beast! I'm also using a Line 6 HX Stomp for effects through the 4 Cable Method and channel switching via MIDI. It's a very efficient setup!
Which gauge strings do you use?
I'm currently using D'Addario 9-46 in D standard. I used 10-52 forever but the other guitarist in my band, Cameron Stucky, has been exploring lighter gauges for a while and I decided to follow his lead, which was the right move because this gauge is very comfortable.
Which gauge pick do you use?
I use 1.14mm. I sometimes try different gauge picks, but 1.14 always feels like home.
Your biggest inspirations and influences?
I mainly draw influence from my favorite subgenres of metal, including melodic death metal, folk metal, power metal, some doom metal, and some black metal. Some inspiration also comes from Baroque music and Enya.
Who are your favourite Bands?
Some of my favorite bands include Insomnium, Kalmah, Wintersun, Children of Bodom, Ensiferum, Amorphis, Katatonia, Equilibrium, In Flames, Hypocrisy, Moonsorrow, Dark Tranquillity, and Draconian.
Your favourite Albums of all time?
That's a tough one, but I think I'm going to have to go with Sagas by Equilibrium. That is the best epic symphonic folk metal album ever made. The production is massive and the songs are all so fun. I could listen to that album forever and get the same feeling of joy each time!
What are you currently listening to?
At this precise moment, I am listening to Turning Seasons Within by Draconian, but my most played albums this summer have probably been Kalmah's self titled release and Vast Reaches Unclaimed by Majesties.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I've really gotten into watching movies the past few years. Now that we have streaming services, I've been catching up on all the classics I missed as well as staying up to date with the newer offerings. I also like to keep some sort of very basic exercise routine, so I often end up doing both at the same time.
Any funny gig stories you can share?
One of our first gigs was at our local county fair many years ago. While we were playing, a clown on stilts walked by and started dancing haha It was such an odd sight but quite hilarious.
Another story that comes to mind was when we played a gig at a very small venue in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, there was a super early curfew and no one was managing the show to make sure things were running on time.
We were headlining, so we only got to play two songs. We could have gotten upset, but I thought it was pretty funny. We only played songs from our second album, which had not yet been released at the time, so no one knew what we were playing.
When something like that happens, you just have to remind yourself that this is rock n roll and anything can happen. Laughing it off is the better alternative.
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