Another interview from the second attack album, this time with guitarist Rudy Van De Sype
Rudi, before I ask you about Second Attack, is it correct, that you started as a punk band called The Onion Dolls and released a single in 1980?
It is allmost correct. Crossfire is founded with musicians from Onion Dolls ( punkband ) and DRESH witch was a coverband with songs like Deep Purple and other rockbands from the 70’s and 80’s.
What was the line up like those times and how did you get together exactly? Did you have any musical experiences?
I think that everybode had experiences but in different styles of music like I said in de question before.
From what I know, singer Peter De Wint and drummer Chris De Brauwer were involved in Mystery, but what about the musical past of the other guys?
That’s correct and I fouded the band Native Instinct. We released 1 mini CD and 2 full CD’s. First Born and An awfull Rage.
What made you to turn into heavy metal? Who came up with the moniker Crossfire?
Playing metal is like a religion and something you are born with I think. Not like today because there is a lot of false metal these days.
How about the Belgian metal scene as a whole, when a lot of bands started popping up, such as Killer, Acid, Ostrogoth etc. all of them trying to make a name for themselves?
In general we were all friends playing in different bands. Belgium is a small country so …..
Do you think, that 1983 debut See You In Hell presented a fairly developed brand of speed metal fervor with a side-order of traditional, rocking sensibilities that set you apart from the slightly earlier NWOBHM craze and the nascent thrash metal scene?
See You In hell was one of the first speed metal albums so I think we introduced a new style of metal together with a few other bands.
Did it showcase a talented, promising outfit?
This was indeed 80’s metal a lot of show and especially clothes 😊
How long did it take you to come up with new songs? Did the label perhaps ask you to hear new material?
Mausoleum records didn’t push us to make new songs so we took our time to write songs and to record them
The album was recorded in 1984 at Shiva Studios, Brussels, Belgium, do you still remember, how did the recording sessions go?
We recorded the album with a producer Patrich, I thind, thas wasn’t used to recording a metal album because thes days there weren’t metal producers in Belgium. But he was a good technician and a nice guy so the recording was fun to do
Do you think, that the album art itself depict the same glowing skull face at the summit of an Aztec pyramid, but now from a much closer perspective that reveals a far more menacing setting, and the music reflects this notion?
Yep I think the albumcover was very good en agressif so for us it was OK.
Are Peter’s vocals of a far more focused and dynamic character, as the signature primal scream that you employed relentlessly before is now contrasted with some more restrained and tuneful moments?
In your opinion, is the biggest change of the lot the bombastic, in your face tone of Marc Van Caelenberge’s lead guitar work, which still retains that mixture of NWOBHM influences, but has far more bite to the tone? Every guitarplayer has his own tone, So is Marc and so I am. I think that our 2 tonse fixed the total sound that is special Crossfire sound.
Would you say, that in essence, this album is about as close as a speed metal album can get to becoming a full on thrash album and at times it really sounds like it wants to dispense with the Judas Priest elements and go into full on Living Death territory?
That was the problem in CF Marc liked more Speedmetal Patich and me we prfered Trash and Chis and Peter liked more melodic Metal. These are styles that are to different for me ande the rest of CF.
On the other hand, did this album prove to be even more menacing when the tempo is brought down, with a doom-infused anthem, like Master Of Evil and a haunting turned angry ballad in Running For Love?
These were indeed songs that I liked more Doom with a trachy edge.
Can be Second Attack best understood as a refined and improved version of what See You In Hell sought out to accomplish 2 years prior?
That’s called evolution in songwriting and metalstyles indeed.
Did you develope a lot compared to the previous album?
See previous question
How do you view, that Second Attack is more enjoyable than the debut and offered up something more vascular and heady without veering miles from your See You in Hell prescribed style?
First of all the studio was better, the producer was better and we had more experience with songwriting playing together etc…….
Is the production work of a much meatier character, with the tone of the guitars having a sharper attack and the whole arrangement sounding like it’s far closer to one’s ears than before?
We had a better producer, studio and technician. So better budget also😊
What were the shows/tours in support of the record?
We did concerts in Belgium, Holland Breat Britan ( London) and Germany. That was it. The label Mauseleum is a legend in Metalworld but was stil a small label wit less opportunitys.
What do you recall of the third Heavy Sound festival? Can you tell us more about it?
It was a fantastic day to play there. HSF was one of the first big metalfests in Europe and of course some bands like Slayer was nice to play on the same festival. Nicest memory for my of my Crossfire time.
The band broke up after Peter left to join Ostrogoth in 1987, what were the reasons of it?
This is not correct I left the band as first member because some members were very difficult to handle, without mentioning any names 😊 A few months laret Peter left CF to become leadsinger in Ostrogoth. And then CF splitted for good.
