Interview Shocker

Shocker emerged from shared passions, blending diverse influences into their unique heavy metal sound. Horror aficionados, their music offers unexpected twists.

1. Can you share more about the origin story of Shocker and how the band came together?

Around 2008 Danny Copperire (which I met a few years earlier in a metalclub called ‘The Stage’ in Tielt) and I decided to start a band. Due to not finding the right musicians this so called project did not happen. In 2016 I went to see a coverband called ‘Back to Back’ near the area of Kortrijk. Danny was the bass player of that band and David the guitar player.

After a few beers the conversation about starting a band came up again. Also David was very interested so he joined our ranks. It still took us 2 years before the band    ‘Shocker’ was brought to life.

As we were in search for a 2nd guitar player we came in touch with Chris (ex- Phoenix Rebellion). He really blew our minds when auditioned with us. He could play keyboard too so that was a plus! Louis (Eyes Of Stone) joined our band after we saw him play live with the band ‘Enchantress’. Once again we were blown away. He really liked our music so the next logical thing was for him to join our ranks. With them on our side we created the unique    ‘Shocker’ sound which I am very proud of. 

2. What inspired the name "Shocker" for your band?

Some of us including myself are big horror fans, especially the 80’s ones. That’s how we came up with the bandname Shocker. A movie from Wes Craven. It’s not our most favourite movie but a descent one. We very much like the name haha. A few all time favourites of mine are ‘Slaughter high’, ‘Toxic avenger’, ‘Nightbreed’, ‘The Mouth Of Madness’, ‘Neon Maniacs’, ‘From Beyond’, ‘The Keep’, ‘Evil Dead’, …. 

3. How would you describe the musical style and influences of Shocker?

Our basic sound is Heavy Metal. Because it’s a genre we all love. Especially David, Danny and myself. But also Louis and Chris like it too. I personally love US metal bands like ‘Sanctuary’, ‘Lizzy Borden’, ‘Leatherwolf’, ‘Vicious Rumours’, ‘Fates Warning’,…to name a few as Danny also loves the more heavier and darker bands like the old ‘Amorphis’ or ‘Holy Terror’,… David is a huge fan of ‘Nevermore’ and ‘Opeth’, Chris loves old school psychedelic progressive bands as wel as other genres and Louis likes modern as wel as old school bands. This combination is wat makes the ‘Shocker’ sound unique and these previously mentioned bands definitely influenced us.

4. Could you talk about the creative process within the band when writing and composing music?

We want to make music and combine the different styles we all love. The way we work is that David, Chris or Danny come up with a riff or a bass line, then Louis fits in with a pounding drumpiece and I finish with a fitting melodic vocal line. That’s the way Shocker works.We don’t want to make commercial music, we just want to make music that feels good to us without imposing any limits. We like to think outside the box but don’t have any prescribed way to work. Each member of the band has a different background and loves different kinds of music so that’s where the magic comes from and how a new song is born. If you listen very carefully, like, if you take your time to really explore our songs you will hear those differences.

5. What challenges did you face in finding the right lineup for the band, and how did you overcome them?

The hardest challenge was finding our own sound with a perfect blend of different styles in each song. We want a song to be a journey, interesting and perfectly balanced so that the listeners can dive deeper into the sound of ‘Shocker’. With the current line-up we have found our own sound wich I am very proud of. When we rehearse there is a special vibe hanging and when in the making of a new song we complement each other like i have never experienced in any other band. 

It’s true we had a couple of line-up changes in the past. Some ex-members played in other bands too so it was not easy to combine those bands so evidentially they quit. For other members their heart was at home so they also stopped. But each member that played with us has a place in our hearts and we want to thank them for helping create the basic sound of Shocker and for all the good times!

6. What sets Shocker apart from other bands in the music scene?

We play heavy metal with a twist. Expect the unexpected and that is where our strength lies I think. So give us a try. 

7. Can you tell us about your experience recording your first EP and the reception it received?

The first ep was recorded in 2021 by Kristof at the closed session studio in Roeselare during covid. We didn’t get the chance to promote it at its full potential because of corona. But we are very proud of what we recorded at that time. It went very smooth actually. Now with the new album ‘FVOTM’ we are making up for the losses in the past with a lot of gigs heading our way.

8. How has the addition of Louis Genovese as the drummer impacted the band's sound and dynamics?

Louis is an awesome young drummer. He really fits the band and has become a good friend. He’s a quick learner and the overall sound has definitely changed with him joining the band. He has a lot of idea’s when it comes to making new songs. I couldn’t imagine the band without him. Every single member has its own contribution when making new songs and this combination is what makes a Shocker song complete.

9. What themes or messages can listeners expect from your upcoming full album?

My lyrics can be dark and personal but also fictional. I try to set a positive undertone when writing the lyrics, creating some kind of a silver lining in between. When writing the lyrics I try to create a song which can be interpreted in different ways. My lyrics are not black&white or as easy as they come but more deep and thought of without being to difficult to read or understand. I occasionally like to write about a horror movie too but I guess you already knew that, hahaha.

10. What was the most memorable moment during the recording or production of your upcoming album?

The satisfaction of hearing the result of our hard work!  The album was recorded by Pieter Nyckees @ Shellshock studios in Brugge. To be honest the recordings went smooth and we want to thank Pieter for guiding us throughout this process. He did an amazing job! The mastering was once again done by Jerboa Mastering. He did a great job with the EP so it was obvious to us that we would ask him again for the full album.

11. How do you see Shocker evolving musically in the future?

We will just keep on doing what we do and we all have a lot of new ideas up our sleeves when it comes to making new songs. In fact we are now in the making of new Shocker Classics!

12. Are there any upcoming gigs or tours that fans can look forward to?

The 16th of June we play with the mighty Vicious Rumours in The Verlichte Geest and on the 14th of october we play at the legendary ‘Mario’s Metal Meeting in Tilburg. And there’s more coming up in the future! Check our social media for more info. And in the meantime we are making new songs for the upcoming album so we are very excited. 

Last words: 

First of all thank you Redouane/Lelahel for taking time putting together this interview! You Rock!

I also want to say thank you to all of our fans and everyone who took the time reading this interview. You make all of this possible!! 

If you haven’t heard our new album ‘Fractured Visions Of The Mind’ yet, be sure to check it out. We have it on cd and limited vinyl only 100 pieces! Available through us. You can find us on facebook, Instagram, youtube and spotify. I surely hope to see you all at a gig somewhere in the future. You all Shock! 

Sammy

You can find us on Facebook: 

https://facebook.com/shockertheband