Our colleague’s interview with guitarist M. Edwards on the occasion of the release of the Overlorde album Awaken the Fury. His review of the album can be found HERE. Hungarian version will be available at noon.
Hi Mark!
I’m glad I got the chance to introduce you and your band to Rattle A.D. readers!
I would like you to tell me a little about yourself! When and where were you born?
Hail Janos! Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview, brother. I was born in New Jersey, USA in 1961. In a suburb of New York City.
When and how did rock music catch your attention?
Around 1975 I think. I had been learning guitar since 1971 but was a country music fan. I had a good friend who was from Great Britain. His father worked for a major international bank, I believe it was Chase. He had been transferred to Manhattan and moved his family to my town. My friend turned me on to the early Queen albums. I think “Night at the Opera” had just been released or was about to be released. Queen II became a favorite and is one of the oldest LPs I own.
Which band/performer influenced you to start playing guitar?
Being only 10 years old, I dont think there was specific band or guitarist. Certainly not a rock artist since my family listened to country music.
Your paternal aunt had a Hungarian husband. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Yes, it was my great aunt. Her name was Elaine, and she was of Norwegian descent. She passed in 2012, just short of 105 years old. Her husband of 72 years had passed in 2004. He was Gerald (Jerry) Serly, an accomplished Hungarian-American who had emigrated as a child. He was a musician and member of NY Musicians Union Local 802. Being in Manhattan that union featured and worked with some of the most famous musicians in the world. Jerry held various positions within the union during his lengthy tenure after joining in 1927. He and Elaine met when Elaine auditioned on accordion at a Manhattan “Speak Easy” during prohibition. Jerry’s father, Lajos Serly, was a highly esteemed Hungarian composer and conductor. Jerry’s brother, Tibor Serly, was an accomplished violinist-violist and music theorist who composed major theatrical pieces. Tibor was a student of Béla Bartók, and later was Bartóks sponsor when Bartók and his wife emigrated to the USA. Tibor met them at the docks and provided support to them. Tibor also completed Béla Bartóks two unfinished works after Bartóks death.
When and how was Overlorde formed?
I had placed an ad in the weekly NJ newspaper “The Aquarian/East Coast Rocker” in late 1984. John Bunucci (later nicknamed “Kong”) answered the ad. After we unsuccessfully joined another project, we began forming the basis of Overlorde in early 1985. Initially John handled both bass and lead vocals. While in the process of auditioning drummers, we named the band on June 6, 1985. That day was the 41st anniversary of D-Day, Operation Overlord. We performed our first show, as a trio, on Nov 2, 1985.
Could you briefly describe the current lineup?
Myself on guitar and backing vocals, John “Kong” Bunucci on bass and backing vocals, George Janeira on drums and backing vocals, and George Tsalikis on lead and backing vocals.
They rarely appeared with new material. Can it be expected that you will release a new album in a much shorter period of time?
We certainly hope so. We have new material already coming together. And also, our record label No Remorse Records is reissuing our 1987 EP later this year. It contains three live tracks of songs never previously released.
Would you like to talk a little about Awaken the Fury? How did the songs come about? Did the historical themes come from you?
Some of the music was the result of Kong and I writing together, some were written by me and George Tsalikis. Kong had written music and lyrics for two songs, George Tsalikis wrote the rest of the lyrics. George Janeira had song subject concepts that George Tsalikis used for lyrical inspiration, and I also had some song topic ideas that I suggested to him. Two of the three historical songs, “Battle at Marathon” and “Hammer Strike” (about the Battle of Tour/Poitiers) were topics I suggested. The other historical song is “Fire in the Sky”. George Tsalikis had already written the lyrics about a fictional aerial dogfight. With my interest in World War II, I suggested he tweak the lyrics so it could be set during the Battle of Britain.
You played a big role in the mixing. John „Kong” Bunucci’s bass guitar plays almost as a solo instrument on the album. Was this part of a conscious concept?
Yes! Thank you for noticing that. Over the past 10 or 15 years, I came to appreciate just how unique and powerful Johns bass playing is. Some critics had previously compared him to Geezer Butler and John Entwistle. As I watched other metal bands at various festivals and listened to newer albums, it seemed like most bass players simply followed the guitars. Thats not John. He is almost like a “lead bassist”, similar to Geddy Lee. Which makes sense because we are a one-guitar band just as Sabbath, The Who, and Rush. John always had to fill things out on stage, especially when I took my guitar solos. Having learned bass guitar in the 1970s, he had absorbed all the best traits of those masters and put that influence to good use in Overlorde. Our prior releases didnt properly represent the importance of his bass playing in the mix, and I wanted to make sure “Awaken the Fury” corrected that.
Could you say a few words about the beautifully crafted cover?
Yes, it is excellent artwork! We came across a talented Italian artist, Daniele Gay, on a website called Artstation.com. It is an artist community for improving their art skills as well as displaying and selling their work. Daniele had created a piece called “Epic Battle”, which had been auctioned as a NFT to raise funds for Ukrainian relief. The art depicts Ogres and Orcs attacking Knights Templars. The Ogres and Orcs are red and blue, representing the Russian flag and the fact that Ukrainians refer to the invaders as “Orcs”. The Knights Templar shields are in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag. The massive Ogres represent a superior force attacking a smaller army, which is what happened in Ukraine.
When we approached Daniele, we were not only pleasantly surprised to see he could license the artwork to us, but that he also is a fan of heavy metal. He had one requirement. He wanted to know what our songs were about. I guess he didnt want to license his serious work to a band singing about partying and getting high, lol. I sent him the song topics, and we both quickly realized that many of the songs matched the situation in Ukraine and the artwork. Historical and fantasy songs about an outnumbered country or people defending against a superior enemy. And the song/album title ”Awaken the Fury“ coming to represent the fury that was awakened within the Ukrainian people to defend their country.
What plans do you have for the future? (I’m thinking here of musical plans, concert tours.) Maybe we can catch you in Europe as well?
A proper tour seems unlikely, but we would certainly like to perform at some festivals. 2025 is our 40th anniversary year, which would be quite special. Any festival organizers interested in adding Overlorde to their roster can drop us a line.
It is often said that Hungarian history rivals English history. I hope that a Hungarian historical theme will appear on the next album. There is a chance? I’m happy to add tips and resources! 
I can’t say that we have any Hungarian-related song topic ideas. So yes, please do let me know some ideas. Thanks!
Thank you so much, Mark, for taking the time for me and our readers!
I wish you all the best of luck, I hope Overlorde gets even more recognition worldwide soon!
Thank you again for the opportunity to do this interview. Readers can find out more at www.overlorde.com. HAIL to your readers! “Across the sea amidst the horizon, Overlorde forever binds us!”
