King Potenaz exclusive interview

1- Hello and welcome to Metal Music News and Interviews. Our readers are excited to get to know you and your band. Could you give us a brief description of the group?

Where is the band from?

Hello and thank you for this opportunity. King Potenaz born out of a series of jam sessions in 2019 in Fasano, Apulia, Italy, we began to write our own music by drawing heavily on the work of doom/stoner bands like Sleep, Electric Wizard, Kyuss, Monster Magnet and, of course, Black Sabbath. After a change on drums, the lineup solidifies into the current power trio formed by Giuseppe (me) (guitar and vocals), Francesco (bass guitar) and Piero (drums and synths).

2- "Goat Rider" is the band's debut full album. How long did it take to compose and record?

"Goat Rider" is our debut album, excluding a 2-track demo released in early 2022, and was composed in about a year... due to our various work commitments we didn't have much time to play in the rehearsal room, in fact, we could only see each other once a week. A couple of songs were already finished when we started playing with the new drummer, while the others were composed with the contribution of all the members of the band. Finally, in June 2022 we went to the recording studio and, in three days, we recorded the whole album.

3- What musical influences inspire the band's compositions?

Our main source of inspiration is the stoner and doom of the 90s and early 2000s (Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Electric Wizard, Sleep, Cathedral etc) but we are also passionate about psychedelic rock and heavy metal in general. We very naturally tried to put all these influences together and came up with "Goat Rider".

4- The group started in 2019. Can you tell us how did the members all meet?

We started playing at the end of 2019 in the garage of the former drummer, Giacomo, with whom we composed a couple of songs... but our paths separated after about a year. so we got back in touch with an old drummer friend of ours, Piero (known as PRNX) with whom we played in high school and we immediately got along with him since he was really looking for a stoner/doom band to play in. We are longtime friends and musicians, we’re active in the local heavy/underground scene since the 90s: Francesco and I initiated several black/doom/drone projects such as Helvete, Moriendoom and Rius de la Mort, whereas Piero played drums in punk/hardcore bands No Exit and Erpice and produced two electronic solo albums as PRNX.

5- The new album title is "Goat Rider". Tell us the details about the content and a more in-depth meaning to this title?

'Goat Rider' focuses on the figure of this phantom goat-headed biker who is none other than the emissary of King POTENAZ... the whole album, in fact, with the exception of Pazuzu and Moriendoom (inspired by 70s horror films), is a concept that follows these characters through ruins, desert planets with two suns, monoliths and interstellar travels.

6- Are the current members of this project (band) part of another band or project? Or is everyone dedicated solely to the group? How do you maintain a good balance working together?

Musically speaking we are all three completely and solely absorbed by the King Potenaz project and at the moment we have no other side projects. from time to time PRNX and I perform as rock/metal/alternative DJs... it's a passion that unites us and we enjoy it a lot. between us we manage to maintain the right balance since we are very good friends and, in general, we are very in tune from a musical and creative point of view... obviously, there are clashes but we always manage to find the right compromise only for the good of the band that comes before everything.

7- Have you performed any shows in your area? If so, how receptive and supportive are the people of your music? Are there any upcoming shows or tours you can tell us about?

We have already played live in small venues several times and are trying to organize a summer tour to promote the album. unfortunately, since we don't have a booking agency yet, it is a bit difficult to organize a real tour but we are trying to expand our network of contacts (cultural circles, club managers and other bands) and certainly, the promotion of the album and the very positive feedbacks that are coming from all over the world will help us to get to know abroad and maybe to be noticed by some festival organizer or booking agency. we have our fan base, including our large group of friends, and we feel very supported and followed.

9- Thanks for your participation. Finally, what is the best way to get a hold of the group just in case someone wants to book or promote the band? Any final words?

We have a lot to demonstrate live and we are also preparing a show that includes visuals and performances... we really want to play live and share our music with as many people as possible... this is our main goal at the moment.

Lastly, we want to thank from the bottom of our hearts all those who have allowed us to make our music known and then of course we want to thank all those who have supported, endured, and encouraged us from the beginning... we just ask you to continue to do it... we love you all! And please, never stop supporting local bands and sharing their music, they deserve it and need it.

Visit them at Bandcamp here https://kingpotenaz.bandcamp.com/

Short video here https://www.instagram.com/p/CratpFnIaZ6/

Music and band promotion visit https://grandsounds.net/