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WARNING SF    "Jon Torres and Torre Carstensen (25 October, 2002)"

Q>> Hello guys! First of all, I’d like to understand why you put 7 re-recorded tracks and 3 non-re-recorded tracks on the current album. Did you want to make the contrast between your old sound and the new one clearer or what?...

TC: The new recording is the true representation of Warning SF in its current incarnation, new members included - and the old demo tracks were put on to satisfy any of the old fans who knew us from back in the days.

JT: Basically, the 3 old tracks were going to be re-recorded, but we eventually decided to keep them in the true style and sound they were originally recorded in. As far as the contrast is concerned I think it will give the record an added appeal for both old and new listeners.

Q>> What about the general reaction on the album? Do the media people like it?

TC: It’s just being released, so it's a little early to tell, but we are certainly excited about the way it turned out, and it seems like it may create a bit of a buzz.

JT: The very limited amount of media people that have actually heard some of it so far like it quite a bit but, as Torre said, the record has just been released so it’s a bit soon to get a real feel for what the GP thinks of it. So far so good.

Q>> I think people looking for vintage sound won’t be satisfied with your future release (but I will, haha!!!). Now, do you think you preserved a kind of “vintage attitude” anyway?

TC: Well, we all came from the Old School SF Metal scene - even the new players - and I think even our newer music reflects a love for all the crushing Metal that came out in the vintage days.

JT: I agree...All of these songs were written between the years 1980 and 1985, so they are bound to have a vintage 80’s Bay Area attitude and sound in my opinion. The newer re-recorded tracks have a bit of a “Torre” twist to them, which gives it a different sort of vintage sound that really works for us.

Q>> What happened in the back of your mind the day you decided to bring the band back to life? Was everyone excited with this idea?

TC: I think that the idea has always been there. There has always been a hunger to resurrect some good old-fashioned Metal and even to see how far we can take it with some new talent added to the mix.

JT: A pleasure and painful fucking brain freeze! At that time there was no “Band” only Brian Poole and myself. At first we were just going to re-release the first demo and be done with it but I thought in the back of my partially frozen mind that if I was going to do this I was going to do it all the way. We started auditioning people left and right and after about 6 months and 6 different drummers we went into the studio and recorded the basic tracks. After that we went through a few lead guitarists and finished the musical part. After another 3 months we finally found the singer we were looking for and finished the album. After that I was damned excited!

Q>> What have you been doing during all those years of standby? Did some of you stop playing?

TC: As Warning SF , yes. But we have all kept busy with other projects.

JT: Warning SF stopped being a band in 1987. Since then, I’ve been in many other bands (Ulysses Siren, Laaz Rockit, AngelWitch, I4NI, Repulsa, Slough Feg) as well as the other members who are now involved being in other bands like: My Victim , Vicious Rumors, Mordred, Etc. We have all kept busy.

Q>> It seems quite clear that there’s a certain “back to the roots” feeling these days, with lots of Heavy and Power Metal bands around... Do you think you would be there today if that revival wasn’t there?

TC: That answer has to be yes, because first and foremost, we are doing this for ourselves. It is something that we have in our blood, and there is nothing that makes us happier than to know that people are starting to listen to our music again.

JT: I’ve always written music for the band and not for what is going on at the time. This style of music is what has made my blood boil from the beginning. The fact that it has made a resurgence makes no difference at all on where we stand musically.

Q>> Do you feel like an “old” band in a modern world? And on the other hand, do the fans of today make you feel as young as they are?

TC: We only feel old in that our roots are old, but it seems like the modern world is ready for a dose of the old days. History always repeats itself. And we hope to give some of the young kids a little lesson from the old school.

JT: Not at all. Modern Schmodern. There is a broad enough listening audience young and old for our particular style of twisted mayhem to last through the ages. Come and see the freaks!

Q>> Do you already have new ideas for the new songs you are going to release on your next album? Tell us what we can expect from you...

TC: We are constantly working on songs and inspirations and I think the next record will just be a continuation of what we are hitting you with right now.

JT: Many ideas, and some old Warning SF tunes that didn’t make it on this record may resurface. I think that in general you’re going to see a far heavier, more focused effort next time around.

Q>> How do you (or will you) work on songs with the new members?

TC: Creating can evolve in many ways. There is great chemistry in the rehearsal studio, so that is one aspect. And maybe we'll just go out and get into some trouble so we have something exciting to write about.

JT: Trouble indeed! It will be a far more collaborative effort on the next record. Let’s break stuff.

Q>> What’s Warning SF’s musical motto (if there is one... if not, find one that suits the band’s attitude well!)?

TC: You've been Warned!

RNO