Spotlight on … Hellfox.

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

Hi everyone, obviously each of us has a different experience and a different story. Gloria and Priscilla start out with a similar story, where from a young age their fathers listened to vinyl rock music: the transition to heavier music is often natural! Greta has spent her adolescence devouring records of opeth, in flames and similar. Federica approached metal with the study of double pedal.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

As with almost everything, we each have different predilections here. Greta is a pendulum that swings vertiginously between Lady Gaga and Opeth. Priscilla is the old-school one: Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Death, Kreator are some of her favorite bands. Gloria loves Amorphis and in general all Finnish melodic death. Federica takes his influences from alternative metal bands like System of A Down and Lacuna Coil.

*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?

Before we tell you our experiences, let us clarify that the path of music is a path that was not imposed on us by our family, but for which our relatives and friends give us a lot of strength and support.

-Priscilla: “I play bass and growl into the microphone. As for the bass, I started from a very young age (I was about 15 years old and played other instruments before) because out of necessity in a band, with an ex-boyfriend of mine, was missing a bassist. And I fell in love with it. I started taking seriuos lessons very late, about 6 years ago I think, and I took very few, but the teacher Nicola Mazzucconi was so good to give me exactly what I needed. I don’t go to class anymore but if I need Nik is always there! As for the growl, at some point in my life it came out of my lungs and it comes naturally.”

-Greta: “When I was 16 I had my first brief experience in a group, pushed almost by chance by my best friends, and I admitted my musicality, but it was only when I was 19 that I decided to enroll in a real course. I enrolled at the Ricordi Music School, under the guidance of maestro Marco Faragli, a tenor who set me on the path to opera and made me discover opera and the vocal technique that characterizes me today. My passion for rock and metal, however, pushed me to find another band in which to write my songs: Under the Wire, where I remained until 2016. After a “traumatic” clash with the reality of working in the fashion industry, almost by chance once again, I finally decide my way and I made of music my job. So I start giving singing lessons, continuing to be followed by Maestro Faragli. From 2018 I am a teacher in the beautiful project “Piuvoce” and in other schools. I am still taking lessons from Alessandro Del Vecchio.”

-Gloria: When I was 11 years old I got a rusty Eko acoustic guitar from my father, who in turn strummed it as a teenager. I was fascinated by the instrument and I immediately became so fond of the guitar that my parents enrolled me in a music school (Musica in Lemine). After one year I switched to the electric guitar, for a while I was self-taught, but when I was 14 I decided that I wanted to seriously learn the electric guitar and I enrolled in the school Nel Mondo Della Musica in Valbrembo where I had Luca Arzuffi (Spellblast) as a teacher, who made me approach the world of metal and sub-genres. Now I take lessons from Andy Martongelli (Arthemis) and I still have lessons with him.”

-Federica: “I started studying drums in 2009 with Sandro Lorenzetti (Maxophone) from whom I learned the basics and developed a love for the drums. In 2013 I began a new path with Alex Battini De Barreiro with whom I completed the course Diploma Yamaha. Always been a lover of Metal and derivatives, during the last exam I met Federico Ria (Skylark), in committee, and thanks to him I began to approach the study of double pedal. Followed a long period of self-taught study alternating with study sessions with Andrea Bonzini (Diffracture, Wave Electric) met during a live show at Rock’n’Roll: “I was blown away as soon as I heard him! I am currently studying at Nam in Milan.”

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

Absolutely, we’re super open-minded we think if the music is good it doesn’t matter the genre. For example, Greta listens to and sings a lot of pop, Federica has a secret love for Baglioni, Priscilla loves the swing of Buscaglione and Natalino Otto, Gloria has a background as a Green Day lover.

*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?

The only one who works as a musician is Greta, all the others have other jobs. Greta is a professional singer and singing teacher. I don’t think we would leave our job if HELLFOX became very successful, unfortunately in these days things are uncertain.

*If you could start a complete new band (something like an all star band) with other musicians on other instruments, which artists would you pick for wich instrument and why? Would you still go for a alternative metal band?

Sure, we like the genre we do. We could think of an all-star band consisting of Mike Patton on vocals, Steve DiGiorgio on bass, Esa Holopainen on guitar and Federico Paulovich on drums.

*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?

To answer this one we choose one album each. ‘The Call’ – Hellfox (All of us), ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ – Beatles (Priscilla), ‘Come Clarity’ – In Flames (Greta), ‘Am Universum’ – Amorphis (Gloria), ‘Aquarium’ – Aqua (Fedy)

*Every new album of a band or an artist is the best one, so they say. – We do know ‘The Call’ is the first studio-album for HELLFOX. – So here is a chance to promote you album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

You should listen to it because it’s making music is the most genuine way for us to express our feelings and emotions, because we’ve been through 2 years of hell and you’ll hear it all on this album, you should listen to it because we want to prove that 4 girls can kick ass like 4 guys. We would definitely put ‘Your Name’ on the podium because it was carefully written, ‘Raising’ because it makes us dream, and ‘Bleeding Machine’ for the inherent meaning.

See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new Hellfox album ‘The Call’ (Music For The Masses) –

*Is there a chance that you will promote these songs through live concerts? If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? And is there a chance we can see HELLFOX in Belgium?

Certainly, for now we have a lot of dates in the north of Italy, still none abroad but we are working on it. Some dates are also planned in local festivals but nothing huge. We hope to come to Belgium, especially because Priscilla has a lot of relatives in the area and it would be a nice chance to get together with her uncle and cousins.