*When did you really get involved into music in general and into metal specific? Who was responsable for your interest in (metal) music?

I would say middle school (7th grade) is about the time that I really got into music. The band that got me into metal was Metallica.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

Some of the bands that influenced me the most would be Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Pantera, and Megadeth to name a few.

*Which instrument do you play and how and when did you learn to play? Did you had lessons in school or private lessons? If so, was that because your parents expected that from you? Or did you learn to play the instruments by yourself? Do yo still follow some lessons?

My main instrument is the guitar. I took private lessons to learn how to read music as well to learn some music theory. Most of the metal music I learned early on was by ear. At the moment I am not taking any lessons.

*Do you follow other or are you intrested in other styles of music beside metal? If so, what is the music you prefer to listen to?

While I am an avid listener to many different styles of metal I do enjoy other genres as well. I play and sing in a cover band that performs blues, motown, and 50’/60’s rock and roll. I have also studied Classical guitar which is another style that I enjoy as well.

*Is music a full time job for you now or do you have a job beside music? If so, what kind of job are you doing? If you would be really succesful with music, would you quit your other job?

Technically, yes music is my full time job. Technically yes. When I am not playing/recording with Everdawn and my cover band Swingman And The Misfit Mutts, I am a guitar instructor teaching students that suffer from Autism and other diabilities.

*If you could start a band with other musicians on other instruments, which artist would you pick for wich instrument and why? (Something Like an “All Stars Band”.) Would you still go for a symphonic metal band? Or would you do something completely different?

For my fantasy band I would choose Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals because he is my favorite metal vocalist/frontman, Geddy Lee on bass because his playing is amazing and he could also tackle keyboard parts if needed, Mike Portnoy on drums because his ability to play in different time signatures and styles, Dimebag Darrell on lead guitar because it would be an honor to be able to jam with my guitar hero, and I would also be the second lead guitar player as well to round out the group. We would probably play metal that would be a hybrid of old school and progressive.

*If you had been banned to an uninhabited island and you may pick 5 albums to listen to, wich albums would you choose and why?

The 5 albums I would choose in no particular order are:

1. Iron Maiden “Powerslave”: It was the first Iron Maiden album that I bought and holds a special place in my heart. It also has many classic songs plus the epic Rime Of The Ancient Mariner!

2. Queensryche “Operation Mindcrime”: This is my favorite metal concept album of all time. I also had the privilege of touring with Queensryche back in 2016 (when we were Midnight Eternal), during which they played a few songs from this album.

3. Megadeth “Countdown To Extinction”: This is probably my favorite Megadeth album as well my favorite Megadeth lineup. The songs are killer and Marty Friedman’s guitar solos just take it to another level.

4. Pantera “Vulgar Display Of Power”: One of my main guitar influences is Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and this album is arguably one of their finest. It’s heavy but also has groove and melody which I never get sick of listening to.

5. Judas Priest “Painkiller”: Since I have Iron Maiden on this list I might as well include another hugely influential band to me which is Judas Priest! This album took their sound to new heights in metal and is another album that I always come back to.

*What happened that you had to chance the name to Everdawn?

Here is the story. Back in 2018 after Midnight Eternal completed our portion of the Therion European tour, we focused on finishing the demo process for our second album. When we completed the demo, Boris, Dan, and myself thought that the vocals did not fit the material. We felt it would be best to part ways with our old singer in order to move on and evolve as a band. Our intention was to carry on as Midnight Eternal since Boris, Dan and I were the founding members of the band. However, our former singer has locked us all out of all social media accounts despite multiple mediating attempts by our management, ultimately prompting us to switch the name and focus on the music. We sincerely hope that the fans who were following Midnight Eternal in the past will continue to support Everdawn.

*Every new album of a band or an artist is the best one, that’s what they always say. So here is a chance to promote the album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

A music lover should buy our album ‘Cleopatra’ because it has a great balance of pounding drums, heavy metallic guitars, epic symphonic keyboards, and soaring melodic vocals. Not only are the songs catchy/memorable, they also feature many sonic layers which makes repeated listening very enjoyable because you will hear new sounds each time. Stand out tracks would include: ‘Cleopatra’, as I feel the song encapsulates the sound of the band really well. ‘Your Majesty Sadness’ featuring guest vocals from Thomas Vikstrom (Therion) because not only are Thomas’ vocals amazing but it shows a different side to Alina’s singing as well. ‘The Last Eden’ because not only is the song the album closer, but lyrically it deals with the destruction of planet’s environment which is something that impacts all of us.

– See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new Everdawn album ‘Cleopatra’ (Sensory Records) –

*We suppose you will promote this album through live concerts (when of course everyting is getting back to “normal” after the Covid 19 disaster). If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? Is there a chance we can see Everdawn in Belgium?

I really don’t have a preference because playing both clubs and big festivals are important for an up and coming band like Everdawn. We hope that once things open up we will be able to play for the great fans in Belgium once again. Cheers!