This tour is basically a preview for the next tour. We're here with our friends from H2O. We're just get out here and keep things going out here. Let people know that we have an album coming. The album will be released in August and we're gonna be back to support this album in October. So it's just kind of like a preview tour. We came here with our friends, it's been a long time since H2O hasen't been in Europe. They wanted to come back here again, so we figured out that this would be the perfect situation, because they are friends, they're a great band. It's a little bit different, they're melodic, so it's a good contrast.

And you'll get the opportunity to do some summer festivals too.!

Yeah, definatly ! You know, that's one of the key things. We tried to based this tour around the festivals. The bad thing is that we can't do all the festivals because we have to come back to the states to do another tour there. It's a tour called Sounds of the Underground Tour. It's a really big tour in america right now. And because we're on that tour, we can't do the With Full Force festival and other ones because we'll be back in the states. But we're doing GrassPop and The Fury Fest which is good.

I think you have keep good memories about the last time you attempt the Fury Fest ?

Yeah sure, it was a great show ! Lot of people were into it. I'm excited to see the new one, because I've heard that it got bigger now. I can't wait to see how it is now !

So about your new album "Legacy", can you talk about it ?

What can I say, I think this record is our proudest moment. Because I think we have incorporated all the different of Madball in it. It's our most complete record. Today I think this one even takes the cake ! It even takes "Hold It Down" down. Obviously, we've getting older, we've learned from the passed mistakes, experiences and different things. We had the opportunity to work with Zeus who's a great heavy music producer and also a fan of our band. I think all these different factors contributed to this record. That's why I feel that it's our best record. Hands down, I wouldn't even think twice about it !

Was it your choice to work with Zeus ?

He's the first person that came to our mind. We used to work with Matt Henderson, our first guitar player. Matt is my good friend, but he's been really busy lately with familly stuff. So we kind of new all along that he wouldn't be really involved with this record. So we swent ahead and start doing whatever we had to do. And to get the music together, one of the first name that came to my head was Zeus. There was maybe 2 or 3 choices and Zeus was at the top of the list. So we contacted him, he was excited about it. So it worked perfect ! It's good, it's still Madball, but it got more balls ! The production is more up to date ! But the sound is still Madball.

On the website of Ferret, your label, we saw that there was this song "For My Enemies" that you re-recorded from your previous EP. Why that ?

We liked the whole EP, but we couldn't re-recorded the whole EP for this new album. So we choosed to pick one song out of it. We feel that this particular song got the best response. When we do it live, people are really into it. And since the album gonna get out there probably more than the EP will, we feel it was a good thing to bring that song over the album. Also we re-recorded it because we felt there was some things that we should have done differently so we did it and I think it's better now.

You recorded a video for the song "HeavenHell"

We worked with Dale Restaghini. A great guy. You see, it's kind of a funny thing because for whatever reasons, lately we have been surrounded by people who are just as pationate about Madball as we are ! That wasn't always the case. But now, maybe because it's a new time, a different generation, all our people are infiltrating the system you know. Just like with Zeus, he knew our stuff, our background, same thing with Dale. Dale also came to me saying, "I'm a fan of Madball, I wanna make the best Madball video". And he's really good at what he does, he has been making a lot of hardcore and metal videos. He got a lot of air time on MTV. He's really good. As soon as we said we wanted to make a video he was like "I'm there, I want to make it happen". So it's a good feeling when you have all these people in the same team. We never had that before. Everybody seems to be on our side, for the same cause.

Your album will be out pretty soon. What's your feeling just before its released ?

I don't know. This is a big one. We haven't done an album in years. Hold It Down was the last one, that was a long time ago now. My expectations are high. I want to see it do well, for hardcore standards for heavy music standards. I want to do better than any of the other records you know. I'd like to surpasse any of the other records in everything, music, sells. Because you know, we're at a point in our career that we've been around for a long time, over ten years. And I feel that this record has to make a statement. So e're putting ourselves on the spot for this one. We say to ourselves that this one has to take us further. Because you can't definatly take any steps backwords. People are watching us because we are one of the representatives of the New York Hardcore scene. So people are curious. Are those guys fall on their faces or are they gonna make an impact and set a new standard. And I hope this will be the case, for New York and for Hardcore.

With the last EP you showed that you were back, now with this album you try to establish things, it's the next step ?

For sure. The EP was a teaser. Showing people that we're still here, that we still have something to offer. Now with the album, we're making a break, but I think the record will speak for itself. Hopefully !

You got some pretty good response from this EP, this must give you hope for the album ?

Sure. But a EP is just a EP. You got to look at it as for what it is you know. You can't compare the sells of an EP to an album. It's a different world. But it definatly wasn't a failure. So it encourages us for the futur. And I think that the state of heavier music now encourages us too. Because right now at this very moment, not even when we decided to come back, but right now, there's a little buzz going on for hardcore and heavy music. Even back in america, more than ever I see lot of attention about hardcore. Hardcore bands are now selling more records than ever before. Hardcore has never been know to have big record sells you know. But now bands are selling good numbers. Aside from the business part of it, that shows me that the scene is growing. So it's the right time. We'll see !

Did you know that your label Ferret is distributed buy Roadrunner ?

Oh yeah. But I think it's ok. At first we were sceptical. We had a relation with Roadrunner for years and then we decided to move away from them and try something else. Because we felt that they were focusing on other things, rather than us. But I never hated Roadrunner. I actually thought than in the very beginning of Madball that they did a pretty good job for the first couple records. They pushed us a lot. But towards the end it was kind of different you know. So Roadrunner was never bad, but we left them for whatever reasons. So when I heard that Ferret was distributed buy Roardrunner, I was a little concerned about that. But I think it's a different time. We're different. We know what we are doing. We're adults now. When I signed to Roadrunner I was a kid, not a kid but I was 18 years old. I think as far as distribution is concerned, they are one of the best labels in Europe for sure. So that can only help us. And as long as we have somebody like Ferret behind them saying you have to pay attention to my band it's all good. Because Ferret, back home, is all about us. They've been really fighting for us. So that was my hole deal, if we're gonna work with Roadrunner again, they have to treat us the same way they're doing there other stuff.

So you said you will be back in Europe in october. Who's gonna be your support ?

That's a good question. We try to figure out who we're gonna bring with us. We'll try to bring a good package, something interesting.

So your plans for the next months, an us tour and next ?

We have us tour from June to Jully. Then in August we'll do the HellFest in New York, and most of the month is off. We're gonna do some press for the album and also we're gonna cohost the MTV Headbangers Ball with Jammey Jasta from Hatebreed. And the in September an other us tour. Walls Of Jericho is gonna be the main support.

Interview Tataye & O.S.
Translation Tataye