Interview: Black Mariah - Danny Bullman (English Version)

Due to popular demand, our recent interview with Danny Bullman of BLACK MARIAH is now online in English as well. Check out what one of Vienna's most famous tattoo artist has to say about his brand new band!

SB: BLACK MARIAH are a new Hard Rock band from Vienna, fronted by one of Vienna's most famous tattoo artists, Rattlesnake's own Danny Bullman. Danny, could you tell us a bit how and when BLACK MARIAH was formed? As far as I know, the band had a different name before? Why the change, what does BLACK MARIAH stand for now?

DB: Black Mariah was formed from the remnants of an old cover had we had here in Vienna, basically Steve, Georg and myself and how it formed into BLACK MARIAH is a pretty interesting story. I was meeting some friends of mine in the rock n roll biz in a hotel in Vienna as they were touring and gigging at Stadthalle, so as we were sitting at the bar, the guys were asking me and Georg (Neumann), our guitar playe,r how our band was doing and so on, and we had some sample of some original music me and Georg had written at that time... So ace (MOTORHEADS manager) told me get off my ass and write more, and Marco (Mendoza, THIN LIZZY, TED NUGENT, WHITESNAKE et al.), who is an old friend of mine, said in only how he could say it: to drop the cover band completely if I was serious about our music and get it out there!

So I took the advice of two good friend who know what they are talking about and we, Steve, Georg and myself set about on the BLACK MARIAH project. So BLACK MARIAH is not a band with a name change. It is a completey new and separate entity to any other band we played in. Now the search was on to find a drummer. So we got hold of one of the best drummers in my opinion in Vienna - enter Farid Leonshartberger. So that was our great drumming sound sorted out, and another lead rhythm guitar player was next, because we wanted two lead players to give us a wider range with solos and some twin harmonies to go along with some of our influences, but we also wanted to find a guitar player that had a very hard edge to his playing and was focused and driven. And as luck would have it, I knew the perfect and really the only logical choice for us - enter Phillpp Mann.

SB: Tell us a bit about the guys in BLACK MARIAH. Who are your instrumentalists, and what do they bring to the table?

DB: Philipp brings ja botlle of Jameson,Farid brings the beer I bring a bottle of rum…hahaha…. I have to say every guy in the band brings his own creativity and drive to every aspect of the band, from song writing to playing to promotion. Every member is a big personality in themselves so together its contagious.

SB: Now you are working on your first album as we speak - what can you tell us about the album? And also about the first single that has already been released, "Killer Inside"?

DB: Our upcoming Album will be one of a kind. Not only for a partly (mostly) Austrian Band, because the mix of the music genres in BLACK MARIAH's music is very well balanced. It reaches from Classic Rock to Metal and beyond. All musicians give their best concerning the writing and production process. Many sleepless night have been and will be sacrificed to achieve the best possible outcome for this debut album that is only a aebut album because it's our first. The whole project is very ambitious. Not only when it comes to the music but also to wander new grounds as a band to be successful and to spread the word through our well built networks around the world.

Killer inside was a song we wrote and wanted to get out there. It was the first song we ever wrote together, so it was a little special for us. And we also had the oppurtuinity to make a "killer" video hahah. It was written to sound like it was talking about one guy a serial killer, but in truth it was about every one and how we all had the ability to kill inside of us. This is reflected in the video by the makeup passing from person to person throughout the video.

SB; I've heard you will be featuring quite a "few" special guest performances on your album... and they will indeed be "special". What can you tell us about these at this point in time?

DB: Ahh I knew this question would come up... Ok as you know I am a tattoo artist, and kind of well known - well a little bit anyways hahaha - I have been tattooing over 25 years and have a lot of clientele in the rock world, virtually a who's who of rock 'n' roll... And when word got out about what I was doing some have offered to play on some track, others I know real well I asked, as I thought this was a great idea for an unkown band to do this.

So ok... Richard Fortus from GUNS N ROSES is going to be playing guitar on one track for us; the song is in post production at the moment getting ready for him to lay his guitar track down. And also Ryan Martinie who is the amazing devil bass player from MUDVAYNE - the status is the same with his track. We have been in the studio quite a while now, it’s a lot of pressure having these guys playing with us and the new music is more grown up I will say compared to "Killer Inside". You will be very surprised by what we will release.

SB: What else can we expect from the first BLACK MARIAH record? Where are you guys recording? How many songs will you feature on the album? What are the central themes you write about?

DB: You can expect a very good mix of different styles, technically played and recorded in high quality. Recording takes place in the previously unfamous but all the more professional and comfortable Faradise Studios in the center of Vienna with our very own KICKASS PRODUCER EL FARIDO COJONES LOCOS! It will feature about 13 Songs of sex, drugs and "RÖCK'N'RÖLL"; other song subjecst are quite hard hitting too: topics such as insanity, depression, also other subjects including lifestyles - hard work, women and so on... and of course sex, drugs and Rock'n'Roll! I say it twice because we LIKE it haha.

SB: What's the songwriting process like for you? Who comes up with the songs, the melodies, the lyrics?

DB: When it comes to songwriting we try different approaches for different songs. So one of us may bring a riff to the practice room or even a whole song that is arranged and smoothed out by all or it also may happen that two or three of us complete the process in advance and bring it to the others to practice it and just do some finishing touches. Those different approaches have some very distinct and forwarding aspects to the dynamics in the band. No one is really left out of the process and everyones voice weighs equally heavy. This is also a big bonus for individual motivation and the feeling to be as one, as a band. Lyrically Philipp and I do it and Steve will come up with some gems now and then too. It’s a full band project and we are very balanced in every aspect of it.

SB: Who are your main inspirations? Both for you personally as a singer, and for the whole band in terms of the sound you are going for?

DB: This is such a hard question as there is something from every kind of music to take influence from. Why limit ourselves? I mean I am a huge ELVIS fan but don’t sing like him with the band! I love music; Rock'n'Roll from Elvis to Slipknot!

As for the sound we are going for: We are going for our sound, not trying to emulate any sound… and I can't really put it in a box and label it, but I will try: classic rock with more balls mixed with punk undertones and progressive hints… and a touch of metal for good luck!

SB: What was the best concert you've ever been to as a guest? Which the worst?

DB: Best concert as in best musically, best performance, best organization, or how I was treated? Or simply the best time I had and enjoyed the whole thing? Treatment wise as a guest... I am pretty well looked after by the bands I know…full VIP treatment….i am spoiled haha! And fun wise I would say OZZY and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY double bill in Dublin some years back as I was with some guys I grew up with and don’t see very often anymore. We hired our own mini bus, stocked it with beer, drove to Dublin - I am west coast area, Dublin is east coast - and we had the best laugh being teenagers again for a night; grown men crowd surfing!

SB: Have BLACK MARIAH performed live already? When is the next chance to see you guys live? What do you think about the Austrian Rock and Metal scene in general?

DB: Have we performed live already? Strange question - We are a band, of course we performed live haha!

Next chance to see us live… As soon as this album is done as it has taken all our drive and focus… and don’t you worry, we will have a big launch party for it and you will get to here the new songs live…..

The Austrian Metal and Rock Scene has fortunately evolved a lot in the past years. Audiences are building up, networks are built and grow, people go out to see bands actually play live and also the bands grow in terms of how to achieve "more". Tours, merchandise, youtube, facebook, and other entities that help to get the music to the people are used with purpose and people resond quite thankful through going to the shows and by supporting each other. That s not the end of the line. This process will go on and everybody involved will be paid of by it either in having the chance to visit high quality shows by Austrian bands or also by having a real scene where one relies on another.

SB: Any message to the people out there just WHY they should check out BLACK MARIAH?

DB: Check us out because this is a one of a kind project with lots to still come and big things to come up in the future which will result in well written music with lots of drive and therefore sweat-driving and powerful concerts. And we will entertain the hell outta you!