The Road to ANAKA.

PRESS & INTERVIEWS

"At Least the Fans Will Keep Their Hearing"
By: Steve Kurutz

The New York Times

February 7th, 2004

It’s been almost two weeks since the closing of L’Amours, a live-music club Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, but the heavy metal world is already reeling. A Swedish band called Hypocrisy had to alter its tour plans; a Bay Ridge group is unhappily contemplating gigs in Poughkeepsie. Several metalhead, rarely known to be effusive, have described themselves as “heartbroken.”

Such was the importance of L’Amours. For two decades, the club was a launching pad for metal bands on their way up (Metallica), a rehab for those on their way down (Kiss in the 80’s) and a New York tour stop for everyone in the murky area in between (Motorhead, Savatage). In the 90’s, it was home to the city’s hard-core scene.

“If you played L’Amours, you made it” said Danny Schuler, the drummer for Biohazard, a hard-core group that was the unofficial house band.

L’Amour’s location, along a forgotten stretch of 63rd street riddled with salvage yards and auto shops, did little to inspire outsiders. “The first time I pulled up,” said Brian Woody, a road manager, “I though, ‘This is L’Amours?” But for Brooklyn kids, the club’s proximity was something of a merit badge.

“I gave you pride to know L’Amour was in your neighborhood and famous bands were performing just a few avenues away” said Jimmy Pallis, who lives in Bay Ridge, and sings for a local band called AnAkA and spent many nights backstage at the club.

Mr. Schuler, the drummer for Biohazard, added, “I played there for the first time in 1985, when I was 14, in a Top 40 band called Krystal Tee, and became an instant legend in my school”

The club’s recent shuttering isn’t that surprising. It closed once before in the mid-90’s and had gone through ups and downs. But for a joint known coast to coast for creating a big noise-when Slayer played, the brick walls were nearly pulverized – its final days were quiet.

Several attempts to reach L’Amour’s owners were unavailing. But according to Mr. Schuler, after his band played L’Amour late last year, the owners Mike and George Parente said the club would be closed in January for renovations. Then February the clubs website stated L’Amours was shutting down and all future shows were canceled. No explanation was offered.

With L’Amours gone, heavy metal bands face an uncertain future in New York. “They’ve got us booked into this place called the Cricket Club in New Jersey,” said Peter Tagtgren, the singer for Hypocrisy. The group had been scheduled to play L’Amours yesterday

"AnAkA - Brooklyn, NY" -- The Aquarian Weekly Magazine in the North Jersey Notes 5/9/07
By: Tim Louie

I've come across yet another band out of New York that just tickled my fancy! Not to mention, they were interviewed on 89.5 WSOU last week, and they're performing live this Saturday night (5/12/07) at Dingbatz in Clifton NJ. You can't get anymore North Jersey than that! Therefore, I'm featuring AnAkA this week, despite the fact that they're from Brooklyn NY. We won't hold that against them, because these guys are metal the way metal is supposed to be! They're not this nu-metal crap that's out there.

AnAkA's sound is very reminiscent of a variety of influential metal bands. I couldn't pinpoint just one band because just when I thought that they sounded like one, the next song sounded like another. On the first track I heard "Rust & Jade" singer Jimmy Pallis' vocals reminded me of Dave Mustaine. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that on the song "Rust & Jade" AnAkA was paying tribute to Megadeth. On the next two songs that I heard, "Nevermore" and "Misery's Child," Jimmy's voice and melodies suddenly transformed into a sound that reminded me of a young James Hetfield from the Kill 'Em All days! It was very refreshing to hear. AnAkA showed off their commercial side with a more mellow song, sort of, called "With Passing Time," which was a very cool change. The last track I heard was a song called "Wither On The Vine," which opened with a simple but heavy as balls guitar riff! By the way, the guitar work on all of these tracks kicked ass. Guitarist Peter Pallis' guitar sound was your typical metal sound the way it's supposed to be-crunchy and loud!

AnAkA was originally formed in 2000 by guitarist Peter Pallis, bassist Karl Andreassen, and drummer Tony Heredia. Originally, Peter was writing the lyrics and even singing, but realized that the band needed a singer to really deliver his lyrics. Besides, Pete also realized that he was a guitar player and wanted to focus on his guitar playing. So, in February of 2001, Peter brought his own flesh and blood into the picture, singer Jimmy Pallis, the one guy that he know he could trust to deliver the songs the way he wanted them delivered! Since then, AnAkA have established quite a fan base, performing at popular NYC and NJ venues with their powerful live show, which can move their audiences "sonically, physically, and even psychologically." AnAkA have also built a strong fan base in Europe, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Japan, Germany, and Italy, and their music can be found on thousands of music websites and radio stations from all over the world. You can't ask for anything more!

AnAkA's latest CD release, Rust & Jade, was produced and engineered by Jerry Farley and mastered by Dan Korneff, who are know for their work with bands like Ill Nino, Breaking Benjamin, Lam Of God, 40 Below Summer, and Candiria on their latest releases. AnAkA also recently signed with a NYC based label called Godsend Records, and they have picked up endorsement deals with Halo Guitars. Basically everything is okay in AnAkA's world at the moment. You can catch their fire this Saturday night (5/12/07) at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ. If you want to check them out beforehand, you can log on to myspace.com/anaka or go to AnAkA.net. If you wish to purchase their CD, you can do so at cdbaby.com/anaka. Fans of old school metal will love these guys!

"Head-bangers aim to Draft Brooklyn rockers into AnAkA Army"
Brooklyn New York's Bay Ridge Courier News Paper, 2/15/2007
By Craig Pisani

Allow me to introduce "The Next Big Thing" to hit rock and roll since the days when a young band named Metallica transformed themselves into the ambrosia-feasting Greek gods of heavy metal. "The Next Big Thing" dines at Spumoni Gardens; it drinks at the Kettle Black in Bay Ridge.
"The Next Big Thing" I a referring to is the Brooklyn-born-and-raised hard rock heavy metal quintet AnAkA, whose musical influences vary from Alice in Chains to Zakk Wylde.

Individually they would seem to be average Joes, but as AnAkA, they become extraordinary, creating a profound and distinct sound that generates a high voltage of energy. Their loyal "AnAkA Army," a dedicated group of soldiers, who attend their shows, electrifies the vanguard with the current.
AnAkA's members include guitarist Peter Pallis, bass player Karl Andreassen, Tony Heredia on drums and Jimmy Pallis as the vocal extrodinare.

Back in 1995, Peter Pallis taught himself to play the guitar in his Bay Ridge home. While practicing one day, his young brother Jimmy entered his room to inform him that "Some guy is yelling into our front window about the music. That "guy" would be Heredia, who lived three doors down and was exulted about the riff being performed.
Jimmy Pallis joined the band in 2001 allowing his brother to concentrate on compostion and guitar. "I would not give my lyrics to just anybody" said Peter Pallis. "When Jimmy came on board it was very special to me."

Since their inception AnAkA has rehearsed and recordered at Fast Lane Studios in Flatbush, which has seem other native Brooklyn bands such as Type O Negative, Biohazard, and Life of Agony walk through its doors. Their latest album "Rust & Jade", is used as a template for other local bands at Fastlane.

AnAkA credits L'Amours as the place where they were raised and educated. Lamour's was located at 1545 63rd Street and hosted local and national acts played for more then 25 years, earning it the nickname "The Rock Capitol of Brooklyn." The venue had the likes of Judas Priest, The Misfits, Guns N Roses, Megadeth and the legendary Metallica graced the stage. When first getting started, the band went to the owner of L'Amour's, handed him a copy of their first demo "Down Devils Road." Next thing they knew they were on stage. "It was really awesome playing there" said Andreassen. "Just knowing that a lot of your musical influences have preformed on the very stage was an honor." According to Peter Pallis, "L'Amour's helped us find our style and confidence. We owe them much gratitude for getting us started." When L'Amour's closed it's door in 2004, it marked the end of an era.

Since, AnAkA's songs have rocked radio stations around the world as well as huge Manhattan clubs. But the band responds to every single speck of fan mail they received, up to 200 a day at times, sticking to their credo, "Treat everyone the same. It's all about the fans."
At a recent Irving Plaza show, part of Bodog Music's Battle of the Bands, the crowd bellowed the band's name in a hearted frenzy. Their crowd-surfing set an Irving Plaza record. Nobody had ever made it over the barrier between the audience and the stage before.

"These guys are freakin' awesome," howeled fan Mathew Simon. The Battle of the Bands will be broadcast on the Fuse Network as a part of an 11-episode reality show in mid-2007.

AnAkA will perform on February 24th at Don Hill's, 511 Greenwich at Spring Street. Tickets cost $10.00 and the doors open at 5:30 pm. This is an all-ages event. For more information email AnAkA at AnAkAmusic@aol.com.
Check out AnAkA on the web at www.AnAkA.net, and www.myspace.com/anaka

AnAkA Interview
INTERVIEW July 21, 2003: AnAkA - "THE AMERICAN WAY"
Interview by, Antonis Maglaras of Greek Radio, CRETE FM

1. Antonis: First of all, tell us the history of "AnAkA"?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: AnAkA is a heavy metal/ hard rock band from Brooklyn, New York with its musical influences ranging from Metallica, to Alice In Chains, and Black Sabbath. AnAkA was originally formed in 2000 but has quickly established a fan base in the NY underground heavy metal, and hard rock seen as well as the rest of the U.S.A.. AnAkA, "Down Devil's Road" is the bands first album/demo, and it contains 7 kick ass heavy and heart felt tracks. AnAkA's music is rage, heartbreak, self realization, love, honor and wisdom ... powerful music for the outlaw-thinker that is found in all of us.

2. Antonis: Tell us some details for the CD "Down Devil's Road"

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Devil's Road is our first studio album. It took us about four months to record and mix down the material on Devil's Road. The music from the album is very personal to me as a song writer. My thoughts, my beliefs, and my life experiences fuel my writing. The songs are like windows into my heart and mind.

3. Antonis: Is there any feedback from the audience about the CD till now?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We have a great deal of fans here all over the USA. Everyone has really shown a lot of support. We've sold a great deal of CDs on www.AnAkA.NET. We've have very loyal fans, and everyday more and more people join our AnAkA Army. It is something that we are very proud of. There's nothing like connecting with people through music that you feel and make. You can even view what some of our fans have to say about AnAkA on the comment section of one of our unofficial websites www.AnAkA.iuma.com.

4. Antonis: Which is the procedure when you write the songs?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Well there are a couple procedures we go through. On Devil's Road I had written the songs (guitar and lyrics) and just showed them to the rest of the guys in the band. They listened to them and added there own parts to them (drums, bass, and vocal range and technique wise). Since then we also just jam, all together and just go with what happens in the jams. I'll have a guitar idea, or Karl will come up with a cool bass riff, and we all just build on the those ideas. We use both these methods although I mostly decide what the songs are about lyrically.

5. Antonis: Have you already played any gigs?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Yes we've played a lot of gigs. We are a live band, we love playing live, its the best part of being a band. We feel that the most important thing as a band is the performance. The live performance is where, as artists, we can express the feelings projected in our music and the stage gives us the perfect opportunity to floor our audience not only sonically but also visually. We have played and headlined a number of shows in well known and well respected venues here in New York City, such as, The Continental, CBGB's, L'Amour, Castle Heights, etc.

6. Antonis: Your influences from the metal scene?

Pete: Metallica, Black Label Society, Black Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice In Chains.
Jimmy: Metallica, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath, and Black Label Society
Karl: Metallica, Alice In Chains, Godsmack.
Tony: Rush, Testament, Queensryche, Alice in Chains, and Metallica.

7. Antonis: Pete tell me your influences as a guitar player

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: James Hetfield, Zakk Wlyde are my two biggest influences as a guitarist.

8. Antonis: Jimmy tell me your favorite vocalist

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: As a vocalist I would say my favorite singers would definitely be Layne Staley, Pepper Keenan, Zakk Wylde, Dave Mustaine, Chuck Billy, and James Hetfield.

9. Antonis: You live in USA, how do you see the metal scene there?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: This place needs a new kick ass metal band to breath some life into the metal scene once again, and we feel AnAkA is just the band to give the US metal scene a swift kick in the ass. There is so much music out there that doesn't say anything. AnAkA is about feeling, AnAkA is about Power, AnAkA is about being real. Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal here in the USA is ready for a rebirth, it just needs a band to come along, pick up the metal flag and run with it. We believe we are that band.

10. Antonis: Do you know anything from the metal scene in Greece?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Only that you guys must have great taste in music if you're playing AnAkA on "Crete FM." haha...

11. Antonis: Tell me you favorite album and your favorite band?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: WOW that's a difficult question to answer...Well my favorite band is Metallica, and I love all their albums but my favorite one would have to be Master of Puppets. Some of my other favorite albums are, Black Label Society "Sonic Brew," Megadeth Rust in Piece," Down "Nola.''

12. Antonis: What are your plans in the future for "AnAkA"?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: There is no limits for AnAkA, we want to take our music to the people, we want to connect we people through our music. The world must hear AnAkA.

13. Antonis: Is metal a way of life for you?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We in AnAkA define our lives in the way we see fit. As for me, metal is the music I listen to, and it is a large part of the music I play and write. As for it being a part of my life, in a way it is, but I am not a follower of trends, I am what I am and I live my life my way. You don't have to wear certain clothing, or have long hair, You just have to be yourself, and when you play people can tell how truly METAL you are.

14. Antonis: I found you through the Internet, do you think that the net can replace the old underground days?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: I think the Internet can provide bands, such as ourselves, which are trying to get noticed, with another means of getting their music out there. I feel that the underground days cant be replaced because it still exists, it hasn't gone anywhere. For a band to truly be worthy of being given respect, it must pay its dues as an underground band, play gigs and kicking ass. The underground rock scene is where a true kick ass band gets it's name, not the Internet, though the net may help.

15. Antonis: Tell me what dreams you have for "AnAkA"

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: AnAkA is my dream come true. Playing this great music with my best friends, who could ask for anything more? I don't know what we are destined for, that is for time to decide. But I do know this, AnAkA is real, powerful, heartfelt music and soon everyone will know what we are all about.

16. Antonis: Thanks for your interview, and close the interview as you like.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I just wanted to thank you for helping us spread the word of AnAkA. This is only the beginning so strap yourself in tight, ain't gonna be no turning, ain't gonna be no stopping, only straight ahead at one hundred plus mph. Enjoy the AnAkA ride. Thanxxx again, Stay Wild Always, from AnAkA.

ALBUM TOP 5 - GREEK, CRETE FM RADIO
1.AnAkA - "Down Devil's Road"
2.EMERALD - "Under the Veil of Eternal Heaven"
3.MORDANT - "What Time Can't Touch"
4.ANTHENORA - "The General's Awakening"
5.ARTHEMIS - "The Damned Ship"
*AnAkA, "Down Devil's Road" has been ranked #1 on CRETE FM since November 2002
http://www.geocities.com/skylightgr/demos.htm

Interview With AnAkA -- 10/21/05
Interview by Karma E. Omowale, Of www.forteeng.net

Thanks for doing the interview! Jimmy Pallis (Lead Vocals) & Peter Pallis (Guitars/ Vocals/ Song Writer)

Q: Of course, if the audience wants to delve deeper into your bio/band history they can always read up on the band on your site. Since you guys hold down some serious jobs you being a lawyer… Would you drop it all if for AnAkA under the right circumstances?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: We've all talked about it and we would surly drop it all to follow our passion, our dream … AnAkA. We have always put a great deal of love and attention on every detail of AnAkA, every lyric and every note, we make sure that AnAkA continues to be what our fans expect us to be, AnAkA, that awesome hard hitting band that writes great meaningful music. We are a band that writes songs that means something, which holds a great deal of value to our audience. We would do anything for AnAkA, even jeopardize our careers. Life is only lived once and then your die … I say, might as well live life to the fullest and take a chase for your dreams because like I said you only get one chance at life so just enjoy the ride and kick some ass on the way!

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: If you want something bad enough in life you have to be willing to risk it all to get it. It's about leaving you figure print of history, It's about creating a legacy, the AnAkA legacy. It's about being remembered.

Q: Define AnAkA, who is your target audience?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Well I like to define AnAkA and our music as being "Music for the outlaw mind" … yes it sounds like a cool slogan but it's much more than that, its also what we are all about as a band. We get people asking us what that means and if we are all about rebellion and whatever, but what it boils down to is that we aren't afraid to look at life in a deeper more focused way, and we aren't afraid to apply that ideology into our music.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We classy ourselves, as outlaw thinkers, especially myself being the song writer, I tend to analyze life and try to understand it in a way that hasn't been force fed to me over the years from family, schooling or mainstream society. I have created my own philosophies through my own life experiences. To me being an individual, self-belief, self-awareness, and self-understanding hold great value in this world. That is the same focus and the same openness that I put into AnAkA's music. I try to keep the music as real and as introspective as my own personal philosophies and beliefs.

Many of my ideas are all jotted down on our website www.AnAkA.net under our band Mission Statement link. If you want to get a better idea of what I am about as an individual, as a song writer and as a human being, you can take a look at my Bound By Thought section and see what the thinking behind AnAkA is all about. To answer your "target audience" question, I'd say we focus on getting our music to people that aren't afraid to read a little deeper into music and who are interested in learning more about life through the art of music. We tend to say a lot in our songs about life and heartache, two things that go hand in hand and two things that we must all deal with. We have AnAkA fans from all walks of life and from all over the world writing us, telling us why they love our music, from the Rock fans to Thrash Metal fans … our music is music for everyone!

Q: Does AnAkA have a specific meaning? What is the history behind the name?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: What is the meaning and history of the name AnAkA … well first before I get into that, let me explain why we chose that name. We always felt that AnAkA, didn't place a pigeon hold on us creatively. You find it all over the music industry; band names that are so very metal or so very this or that, AnAkA on the other hand allows us as musicians/artists to explore our musical interests and minds. It doesn't make us focus our sound on only one genre of Rock or music, but gives us a larger pallet to work off of. The name "AnAkA" was originally the nickname of an American build steam engine, which existed some time in the early 1920's I believe. We felt that "AnAkA" symbolized our classic Hard Rock/Metal sound and the weight and force behind our music. We love the name; it just fits our band and music just right!

Q: What would be the determining factor for you to tour outside of your locale?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: For AnAkA to go on a national or international tour we first must find a major label that would sign us to a satisfactory recording contract. Being signed to a small New York City based record label called Godsend Records, AnAkA still does a great deal of work on our own and we also pay for a great deal of our band expenses on our own. Thus, the determining factor for AnAkA touring on a larger spectrum would definitely be getting signed to a major record label. We have been contacted by a number of major record labels such as Atlantic Records and Columbia Records but we are still looking for the right deal. When that day comes AnAkA will take the world by storm, and we can't wait to show them all what we are made of.

Q: What can one expect at a live AnAkA show?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: AnAkA live huh … lets see how do I explain it … that's simple …INTENSITY. "Blood, Sweat n' Beerz." Those words are written on top of every shows set list and that's what we are all about when it comes to AnAkA live. We are all about intensity, energy, explosiveness, soul, and strength when it comes to our live performances. We become more monstrous versions of ourselves, it's awesome. We leave it all on the stage, all 1000% of what we are and what our music stands for. We love jamming live, the larger the audience the better, we are simply a live band, which is what we do best! All of the members of AnAkA feed off our audience and project their energy right back at them at million miles an hour.

As a band we believe that if we don't walk off that stage exhausted and covered in sweat we didn't play hard enough for our fans. Once you loose that hunger that is when it's not worth it any longer. Playing hard and rocking out is the fuel to AnAkA's creative fire, and that will never fizzle out. AnAkA is basically a bunch of dudes that are adrenaline junkies … give us a stage and we will kick its ass!

Q: How have sales been for Rust and Jade? Has it been well received?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Before we get into Rust & Jade sales, I would like to say that we, the four original members of AnAkA, Pete and I, as well as Karl Andreassen (Bass) and Tony Heredia (Drums) are extremely proud of this album. My brother Pete and I put a great deal of mind, body and soul to that album and our fans and any one else for that matter which has heard it have really fallen in love with it. The CD has been selling great, not only here in the USA and South America but also over seas in countries such as Germany, Italy, Greece, etc. Along with doing a great deal of work getting the CD to people all over the globe this album AnAkA, Rust & Jade has done a great job in getting our band out to the much larger audience.

Our first CD AnAkA, Down Devil's Road did awesome … it helped AnAkA define itself as a player and a quickly rising act in the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal scene here in the United States, but Rust & Jade has been so well received by the public that we are moving up by leaps and bounds, through instrument endorsements, name recognition, major label attention and a constantly growing fan base. You can see our fans reviews of AnAkA, Rust & Jade by visiting us at Unofficial Website www.Myspace.com/AnAkA, you don't need to take our word for it, ask the fans!

Q: Is there a specific meaning the title behind Rust & Jade or is it something that you'd prefer to let your fans draw their own conclusions?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Well I would love to tell yah! But, I would prefer our fans all over the world drawing their own conclusions as to what that title and album stands for. That's the greatest thing about music; you have a chance, as the listener, to relate the words of each song to your own personal existence. What does the title and the music say to you? We all have our own eyes and ears and we all have our own lives, music is just something that you as the music fan can relate each word and each note to your own personal experiences, that is why we feel such a connection to music or any other piece of art and that is what makes us human. As for the meaning of Rust & Jade, I won't give that it all away, lets just say what shines today, may loose its glimmer tomorrow.

Q: Considering you have a lot MP3's out there on your site via My Space, and available on iuma.com, has it helped the band overall?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Oh definitely! I strongly feel that the best way to reach an audience that has never heard of your music or your band is through the Internet by posting band information and MP3's. The Internet makes the world a very, very small place, and you in promoting your music and your band have the opportunity to reach music fans from all over the world and all walks of life. That is an amazing thing, and it has assisted me a great deal in getting AnAkA and our music over seas and to ears that would have never been able to sample our music without it. AnAkA receives positive feed back every day from both My Space and Iuma and I recommend that all types of artists put their work on the Internet so that you can show the world what you are all about.

Q: You guys are really into artwork for your CD's which is pretty awesome; it definitely gives more for the fan to look at. Is this to offset downloaders, group preference, or…

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: When it comes to the artwork for our CD's my brother Jimmy here is the one who comes up with all the graphic design work and the disc design on his own. I don't think it's for offsetting downloaders, we are just extremely self-sufficient when it comes to the band and its presentation. Jimmy and I are very creative people, we love writing, drawing, and music, in other words, we are modern day renaissance men … I guess hahaha. Designing the art for each album is just another creative outlet for us. We put a great deal of time and effort on every aspect of our music, from recording to promoting.

I know how important it is to give your fans only the very best. Before I ever created AnAkA, I was a giant music fan, and still am till this day. I was always really pumped ever time my favorite bands came out with a new album, I couldn't wait to get it, and I always looked forward to opening up that CD just to see what special features were included on the disc, such as booklet design and what not. AnAkA just wants the entire album to be worth the purchase for our fans. From great tracks to a great packaging, our fans deserve only the very best, and that's what we try to give them every time. People work hard for their money, we know that, and we reward them for supporting us enough to go by our CD.

Q: Speaking of artwork, who created the artwork for Rust & Jade?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: The artwork for Rust & Jade was done by yours truly! The design of the new albums cover came from my head, throw my fingers and into my computer at home. Pretty cool huh!

Q: What do you want the buyer to walk away with after seeing the cover for Rust & Jade?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Well we wanted the album cover to in a way portray the feel of the album. That is in our opinion the most important part of packaging an album. This cover symbolizes the idea of there being a dark cloud over head, which we have all experienced in life, but also that there existences a sliver lining which at times seems so distant. It's about looking at the outside world and seeing how menacing it can be, seeing the ugliness; through the boards of your own existence, yet also seeing it's majesty and power. Even in the darkest moments of our lives, there will always be that glimmer of hope that keeps us hanging in there. I think Jimmy did an awesome job of getting that idea across with the cover art. I want the fan to be able to see that cover and say … wow … I need to take a listen to this CD.

Q: When writing songs, to whom or what do you look towards for inspiration?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I guess I'll answer this one being that I'm the main song writer of the band. Well in writing songs I tend to look towards my own personal life experiences, I guess I inspire myself. LOL I also tend to look around at the world, events and other people a lot for inspiration as a songwriter, because ideas are all around us, stories need to be told. Introspection is a great source of inspiration but I don't limit myself to just things that have happened to me or to only things that I alone feel. You can learn a lot from putting yourself in other people's shoes so to speak. You can learn from everyone and everything in this world, and that's what I tend to do when it comes to writing lyrics and music for AnAkA. I try to keep the music REAL and HONEST, and that is something that our fans love most about us … the fact that we are writing meaningful music that all can relate to.

Q: Speaking of songwriting is it more or a democracy when it comes to contribution of music or is there one, main songwriter (a dictatorship)?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: AnAkA is definitely a democracy; we all work together to create the songs. If one dude has an idea they will present it to the other members and if we all dig it we will naturally just start jamming on it until we have a song which we feel is AnAkA material. Lyrically it's always my brother Pete writing the words but I have say sometimes in that as well. We have been doing this for a while and we are all comfortable in our roles in this band. When it comes down to it though my brother Pete is the musical mastermind in AnAkA, everything tends to go through him ultimately. He is one of the most talented people I have ever met, and I have never met anyone that can even match is love for the art of creating music.

Q: In your opinion, how has your song writing changed from Down Devil's Road to Rust & Jade? The later release seems to have evolved as far as the lack of sorrow that surrounded the first release. Please expound.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I don't know it I would say that Rust & Jade lacked sorrow compare to Down Devils Road. Devil's Road was a very personally work for me. I guess Rust & Jade looked at the world a bit more that Down Devil's Road did. I found myself looking out at the world and not liking what I saw at the time, I was writing R&J. For example 9/11, I saw from a far, many things that day that have stayed with me, I guess I just need to write about them. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of personal stuff on the Rust & Jade album, I don't think I could avoid that if I tried. But for the first time I found myself pushing the envelope on my creativity for some of the songs, and I did so through putting myself in other people's situations and writing about them.

Q: Your lyrics are pretty thought provoking. In your opinion, do you think it can make or break a band?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I think it can only help and band. AnAkA is all about the charge, the push, the grove, and the intensity, but we are also about writing meaningful music. We all feel, we all have a soul, and I think people can really relate when another persons soul speaks out. I have received countless emails from people saying that our music spoke to them in some way and helped them through difficult times. It's truly to humbling, and I feel a responsible to it. That's what its all about for me, making connections with people.

Q: You dedicated "All I've Known" to Layne Staley. His death must have really moved you as well as to countless others. Nice homage!

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: As a vocalist, I saw Layne's voice as something that was so amazing and so moving. He was a great talent and one of my greatest vocal influences. His death was more then just another rocker passing away due to personal vices; it was the death of one of the music world's greatest talents. That is why when we first started jamming on "All I've Known" I knew that I was going to perform that track using Layne's vocal style out of respect. It was another way of saying thank you.

Q: Speaking of a nice homage, it's nice you dedicated "The Days Went South" to those affected and to the lost on September 11th.

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Being that each member of AnAkA are New Yorkers to the bone … we were hit face first by September 11th. We are all from Brooklyn, just a few miles from the World Trade Center, on that day we were able to smell and see the smoke billowing over the NYC skyline first hand. Some of our neighbors never returned home to their families on that day, and "The Days Went South" is a track that will forever be dedicated to everyone one lost on that horrible day. AnAkA will never forget!

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I was on the Manhattan Bridge just after the second plain hit, which put me in plain sight of the towers. I saw the holes in the building, I saw the flames, I saw the smoke, I remember thinking, "my god, people are dying in there". You could almost feel the sorrow forcing it's way out of the holes in those buildings. That song was written for the people we lost that day.

Q: Your band is quite diverse as far as ethnicity is concerned (Greek, Russian, Norwegian, and Latino) how does this play apart in your music? Do you incorporate a sense of your cultural backgrounds into your music?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I think it's there. I mean we don't really say "Hey Tony can you come up with a Hispanic type of drum beat for this song?" but I think our cultures play a huge part in who we are as people and how we were brought up, how we relate to each other, and learn from one another.

Q: I see your songs filter through Greece via radio, etc. How popular is the metal/hard rock scene there asides from Nightrage?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Greece loves AnAkA … AnAkA loves Greece. LOL. Actually Greek Radio has been very supportive of our band. It's being great hitting Greek radio. Our parents were born and raised in Greece, and we love it. Hitting Greek radio is a milestone I wish my grandfather on my pops side would have lived to see it.

Q: What's the biggest test of character you've endured thus far with your life in AnAkA?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Sticking to our guns and just being AnAkA. People want to change a good thing to fit the flavor of the month. We are not about turning into something we are not just for the payday. That mentality is complete BS.

Q: Who are you listening to in the genre and out of the genre?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Well here is a list of bands I am digging right now. Mudvayne, DevilDriver, Chimaira, Motorgrater, Soil, Slipknot, Dry Kill Logic, Black Label Society, Metallica, Megadeth, Danzig, Black Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice In Chains, Testament.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yeah…those guys! LOL In no particular order. We should also mention Rush for Tony, and Godsmack for Karl.

Q: Wish list?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: As far as AnAkA is concerned, my wish would be to continue to connect with people through our music and go as far as this AnAkA thing will take us. To make a difference in the world of music and to be remember as a great band. To live life to the fullest…OOPS!! That's more then one wish!!

Q: Who would you like to see your name next to on a marquee, your all time bill from hell?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Being that we are New Yorkers, I would love to headline a show jamming with Metallica & Megadeth (the "Rust In Peace" line up!) at the world famous Madison Square Garden. Playing the Garden would be the ultimate rush for me, but playing a show with those two monster bands which inspired and influenced just about everyone in our genre would be the most amazing experience ever.

Q: If you could work collaborate with anyone (producer wise), who would you chose?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Oh, I don't know I'm happy with who we are collaborating with right now.

Q: If you could commission a band to do your favorite song, who would do it and which song would it be?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Umm lets see what musical monsters we can pick … ummm … Oh ok! I'd say Rust & Jade, covered by the Soggy Bottom Boys. LOL

Q: Name a couple of albums that served as major influences on your lives.

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: The most influential albums, I'm sorry I can't do it but I can tell you my most influential bands: Metallica stuff, Megadeth stuff, Alice In Chains stuff, Corrosion of Conformity stuff.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: A couple would easily be Metallica Master of Puppets, and Down Nola AWESOME albums that made a statement. Most people who tell me they dig Down now talk about Down's second album, I always tell them "Dude check out the first one it's great, especially if you're a guitarist".

Q: If you could do a split CD with any band, which would you choose.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Never though about it…

Q: What does the future hold for AnAkA? What can your fans look forward to?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: The sky isn't even the limit for AnAkA. We are planning on returning into the studio to record our next CD in a year or so, this time around as a 5 piece. So keep you eyes and ears open music fans because here we come again!!!

Q: If you could interview a band, name one that you would like to interview?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: It would have to be AnAkA because I would love to ask myself trick questions!

Q: More role reversals, do you have any questions for me?

Jimmy Pallis of AnAkA: Have you enjoyed our interview session!?

Karma: Very much so, hope it was not only enjoyable for you, but to all!

Q: Any final words? Do you have a message you would like to share with your fans?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Only that we appreciate there support and what they have done for us. Every day the AnAkA Army grows and swells stronger and more powerful before, and it's all because of you guys. We will never stop, we will never give in, we will never let go (a little Rust & Jade for you lol). Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I'd like to thank Jimmy and Peter Pallis of AnAkA for taking the time out to answer the questions in this interview. Wishing you the best of fortune, go fuck some shit up!

Peter Pallis of AnAkA Interview -- 10/4/06
By Antonis Maglaras, Radio DJ & host of "On The Rocks" Alpha Radio Greece

Hi Pete, how are you? It's been almost two years since your previous album AnAkA "Rust & Jade". Have you already started to work for the next one?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: WOW lol has it really been that long. Its funny how it works, you spend so much time focusing on getting the music to the people, the gigs, the radio promotion, the radio interviews, writing new stuff, and before you know it two years just fly by. I always say the years fly by, as the days move slow. It's been a great two years to say the least, the AnAkA Nation has been growing and growing, and each day we hear from brand new AnAkA friends who are digging our music.

As for the new stuff it's really coming along. We have a ton of new music, and we have even started playing a lot of it live. You wanna hear it? Come check out a show! There is always something new going on with this band. We are always working on a new song, and we can't wait to record this stuff.

In fact we were all set on walking back into the studio at the end of this year to record the follow up to Rust t& Jade, but we were voted into Bodog Entertainments "Bodog Battle of the Bands" and that has pushed back the recording of the next AnAkA album. On August 1st we won 1st place in the 1'st round of the Bodog Battle of the Bands and things are looking promising to say the least. It was a great show and we are really psyched about this battle. Basically there are four rounds and each round brings you closer to winning the grand prize which is a million dollars and a record deal. We are feeling really good about this thing and we have all the confidence, miles traveled, and band unity, we need to make some big waves in these battles. It's also going to be turned into a TV show so we really have nothing to loose, its great exposure any way you look at it.

A lot of people say that the third album for every band is really important, it can propel you forward or it can stop you in your tracks, do you agree with that?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Humm…I don't know that I ever really though of it in those terms. To us they are all important, and the next one is just the next step on the road to what we believe is there for us at the end of the tunnel. I think that too often people try to find way to define success and how to get it. I don't see it as "well if the third one doesn't make us a household name then we might as well stop". That's just silly. AnAkA to us is just life. Being a band that isn't signed to a major label and having the success we have had has been a great life lesson for anyone who wants to listen.

I mean we have literally done this all by ourselves, for ourselves. You have no idea what an achievement that is for us. We have radio play all over the US and in Europe. I mean radio stations like 89.5 FM WSOU, have really helped us get our music to the people. They really believe in us, as do a number of other radio stations around the world. They have this awesome featured which airs every Tuesday night at 11:00pm called "Absolute AnAkA" were they double show two AnAkA songs every week, and just last week they aired our entire live set of our last show at the Continental from August the 26th 2006. How often does that happen, a band getting an entire live performance of radio? Manny the Greek, Emohead, and Malibu Kelly over at WSOU are great people and we can't thank them enough.

Aside from all the great radio play, we have sold thousand of albums and we have developed a great following of people who love our music and we have made some great new friends along the way. Make sure to check out www.myspace.com/anaka if you want to check out the growing number of AnAkA heads! The emails there have been great, and our friends list is more than 44,000 strong! Keep'em coming guys we really appreciate all the support.

As for the label stuff we got a lot of major record label interest from our last record "Rust & Jade" and there seems to be so much going on right now as far as the future of AnAkA is concerned. I am always researching and trying to learn more about the music business. I remember reading an interview with Jason Jordan the Vice President of A&R over the Hollywood Records that made quit an impression on me.

He said "You only go to a record company or get signed to a record company when it's totally necessary to take that step because, to be quite honest, you could have a successful career without having a record deal, by doing it yourself. And there have been plenty of artists who have proven that fact. It's a harder road to go, but I can tell you it's probably more satisfying in the end."

He hits the nail right on the head there. I mean in the end what is true success measured by anyway? Sure we are out to sign with a major label but it's not the be all, or end all. It's about the love for the music, in the end that's all we really care about. That's what keeps us honest.

Tell us a little bit about how the new album will sound? Will we get the same type of "AnAkA tunes" or have you taken any steps forward with your compositions?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: There always going to be AnAkA tunes, just newer AnAkA tunes with fresh inspirations and musical out looks behind them. We are always looking to take a step forward. The next album is going to be killer. It will still have the heartfelt, yet sledge hammer feel that the AnAkA boys have always delivered. We are always learning, and finding new ways to express our music. If you look at the work we did on Rust & Jade, stylistically we went so many different directions, and so many different places in writing those songs, and yet the songs all really seemed to belong on the same album. We have a talent for that. There is no singular formula for making an AnAkA song. We have a bunch of formulas, and that allows us to go to so many different places on a record. It's hard for a band to just develop that, for us it's just a natural ability, an ability we feel compelled to revel in.

A few years ago, when you started AnAkA, did you believe that you would have this type of success?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: I knew that if we worked hard enough we could get our music noticed. There is no big secret to this, no easy way out, no hidden way to go. You put the work in, you work your ass off, period. You save the excuses and the denial for those who would rather sit back and merely talk a good game. You play, you practice, and you promote religiously. Too often people want success to just fall out of the sky, fall on their face and wiggle. Then when that doesn't happen, they just start pointing figures, and blaming others. They grow bitter and envious, and eventually end up wasting their god given potential drowning in a pool of their own filth. To us it's always been about putting the work in, learning how to put on a better show, even watching the tapes of our live performances, and saying "cool, wow playing the guitar over my head really got a rise out of the crowd, I gotta do that again next time." It's about understanding the performance that needs to be given, and dealing it out each and every time you step up on that stage. NO EXCUSES. Do that and at the end of the day you'll feel the reward, you'll feel the success.

So far, you have released two albums on your own. Do you think that this is the best time to sign with a record label?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yes this would be as good a time as any. As I said earlier, we are really looking forward to the next round of the Bodog Entertainment Battle of the Bands with will take place on Monday November 6th 2006 at the Warsaw in Brooklyn. The Bodog reps. seemed very artist oriented and we can't wait to hit the stage for them again for the second round. We believe in ourselves we feel that we have a great chance, and we know we have to stay focused on the task at hand.

The label thing will work itself out in due time. I mean in the last couple of years it came really close to happen more then just a few times. It just has to be right. We have heard all the horror stories about bands getting worked over by record companies. My take on that is; Weren't you there? Weren't you watching? Didn't you have your own best interests in mind? I think that when it's right it will happen. We have never been afraid of going down that road when it has come to fruition in the past. The major label interest has been there for quit some time now and we have always looked forward to finding out where we can go next, and even listening to advice. You just deal with it, you have the conversations and you take it for what it is. If it doesn't work out, we can live with that. If it does, well then that's great. I believe all things happen for a reason if it in the cards for us, great we look forward to the challenge, if not, well we are already doing what we love doing anyway. We've met some jerks, but we have also met some really stand up people in this business, and we don't look at the business or any of that kind of stuff in a negative light.

Have you ever thought to have some guests in your newest work?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Humm… not really, other than out producer Jerry Farley who might pitch in with some piano ideas or what not. He did some of that on Rust & Jade and it came out awesome. He really understands music and we where glad to have him play those parts. Other then that the AnAkA boys can play their instruments just fine. We don't need any added help when it comes to playing.

What's the plan? When we will have your new album hit stores?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Not sure right now, sometime after we record it lol. No we really have to see what's going to happen with the Bodog thing right now. It doesn't make much sense to start working on an album in the middle of this compotation.

Your American born but you come from Greek descent, is it a dream of yours to come here to Greece and play someday?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yes it is. My brother Jimmy and I are of Greek descent. We been there a number of times although not since AnAkA formed. There has always been way to much work to do, it been difficult to get away. We have family there, it's a beautiful place, maybe the most beautiful place on earth, and I think about going back often.

Jimmy, Tony, and Karl, and I use to talk about it from time to time. Now as the band's success grows, and grows it looks like it's something that can happen one day. That's the great thing about life, you never know what's around the corner.

Thank you very much for your time Pete, and we will talk again soon.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yes we will my friend. Antoni on behave of myself and the rest of the boys, I would just like to say thank you for all that you have done for AnAkA. Don't think that we have forgotten the fact that you were the 1st radio DJ to ever give us air play on your radio show "The Metal Heart" back in 2002 on Crete FM. Thank you my man, it is much appreciated. It was a pleasure doing this interview. Til next time….Stay Wild Alwayz, Peter Pallis of AnAkA.

Peter Pallis of AnAkA's interview with Simon Dangerous from "Hollywood Shake Down" -- 1/5/07
www.myspace.com/hollywoodshakedown

Simon: How did the band get started?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Hey Simon what's up man, I guess it all got started in my head years ago when I was a kid. I remember going down to the local guitar shop just to look at the guitars. Back when I was like 10 years old or so, I can remember watching a live Iron Maiden show on VHS, I think it was call Iron Maiden "Live After Death". It blew my mind. Seeing those guys up there in all of their glory, I think that's how the dream began.

Simon: What inspired the bands name?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Karl Andreasen, our bass player found that name on the Internet somewhere. It was the nick name of an old 1930's steam engine. AnAkA, it just has a cool, epic ring to it. You throw the 3 capital A's in there and it just makes it stand out. For us it was about finding a name that was awesome enough to be catchy, yet didn't pigeon hold us into any singular genre of music.

Simon: What bands/artists do you consider as influences?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: There are so many, and we all have pretty similar tastes in music.

I love bands like Alice in Chain, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Black Label Society, Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Lynard Skynard, etc. For the most part actually we pretty much all dig these bands. Along with the bands I just mentioned, my brother Jimmy Pallis (lead vocalist of AnAkA) really digs some of the newer stuff that's out like Killswitch Engage and Devildriver. He's got me into that stuff too. I think there is a lot to be said for bands like Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, Devildriver etc. It's awesome to see where METAL music is going, but it's important not to forget how got it here, and were it came from.

AnAkA is all about history and our musical heritage, we understand and pay homage to the bands that paved the way for us. Karl Andreasen our bass player is really into Alice in Chain, Mike Inez can do no wrong lol.

Tony Heredia is a huge Rush and Testament fan. It's kinda funny when kids today don't know about an awesome band like Testament, yet love newer bands that pretty much derived much of their sound from bands like Testament. Chuck Billy has an awesome voice, and for anyone who loves those metalcore-ish vocals and think they are a new invention check out Chuck, he will blow you away! He has been doing that forever. You can learn a lot from Testament, and did I mention the riffs? Oh my god the riffs lol! "Low" and "The Gathering" are stellar records, they are a must have in my opinion.

Simon: Is there a strong musical scene where you're from?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: It is what you make of it. I can't say this enough, the key word is promotion. I can't stand when I go check out a band, and see they have no following because to me it means they aren't working hard enough. Can the hard rock scene in New York be better? Sure it can but the only way you get people out to shows is by making them believe that you're band and your music is worth it. People are stuck to their computers these days. They want music? It's there at a click of a button. It's easy for today's music fan to be lazy, you have to make them want it, you have make them embrace your music as their own and you have to inspire them to walk away from their iPod. It's all about connecting with them through the music, getting them to the shows and then winning them over. I think that people think that fans, supporters and a following just somehow form on its own if you're "cool" enough. That's just not true, creating a fan base takes a lot of work and if you're not ready to put the hours in, you're not ready to be in a serious band.

Simon: Do you feel like it's harder to get the type of music you make heard?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: No, I don't think it's harder to get our type of music heard, especially with the internet these days. I think it all depends on how hard you work to get the music out to the people. With us it's always been about promotion, promotion, promotion! Being in a band is about so much more then just writing music and performing it live. If you want to get your music out there you better get up off your ass and make sure it gets out there. That is a hard learned fact. Success doesn't just fall out of the sky, land on your face and wiggle. You want it? Fine then go out and make it happen. I think it is the miss-conception of many that promotion takes care of it's self somehow.

If you're an unsigned band that doesn't promote your missing a big part of the picture. Even bands that are signed to labels should continue to assist the label in band promotion in my opinion. One more new supporter of your band is worth five, maybe ten, maybe more, prospective new supporters through word of mouth. The music and the performance is only two aspects of what it takes to have a successful band. It's all about the passion you have and the sacrifices you are prepared to make in making your dream a reality.

Simon: What expectations do you place upon yourselves?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We always have high expectations. We are very proud of what we have accomplished with AnAkA thus far. We have taken this band from simple beginnings, to a self functioning power house, unrelenting on it's path towards getting to the next level. It's all been a succession of challenges that we have conquered. That's the way we work, there is nothing we feel we can't accomplish. When we started we knew we had to prove ourselves, we went from playing anywhere we could, to playing major venues like to Irving Plaza, Warsaw and B.B. Kings. We've got the radio play, we fill venues, we've created an awesome following, we have done the major label showcases, and we continue to grow through constant hard work and band promotion, and in doing so we have taken this band into territories that are usually reserved for national acts or signed bands. This year Jimmy (AnAkA lead vocalist) was even invited to be a guest panelist at the CMJ Conference in NYC and spoke on a panel entitled "From Glam to Death Metal" about the sub-genres in hard rock heavy/metal music. We do it all on our own steam, we make sure we do it all, in time no one will be able to deny AnAkA. The future is bright, we believe that we are here to make a tremendous impact on the music scene.

Simon: For the people who don't know your band. How would you sum yourselves up?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: AnAkA is about raw emotion, and the power of perseverance. It's about the endurance of the human spirit, self belief, and never giving up. It's about being a thinker as well as a fighter, going against the grain, yet understand the potential in ever given breathe. Musically we don't like to label ourselves. Sure we are a hard rock/heavy metal band but we can really go anywhere we want with our music. We love that freedom, we revel in it.

LIVE ... AnAkA is pure INTSENITY! It's all about taking every human emotion there is and slamming them together all at once, and creating a massive sonic/ physical/ spiritual explosion of heavy musical energy and force. It's about living life to the fullest and being unrelenting in your life's quest. You only live once, getting out there and do something that will live on for life times long after you're gone. We are in our glory on stage; you can really feel and see that at an AnAkA show. We are doing what we love, what we were born to do and the people can't help but be taken in by it. You can look at the people in our audiance and see it in there eyes, they know they are watching something special, something heartfelt, powerful and most importantly. something REAL. We pour ourselves into the music during the performances and the people feel that, we leave it all out on that stage. You can see it in their faces. I make a point to look at them and connect with them during the show, I see the smiles, the head-banging, the moshing and crowd surfing. I hear the chanting, they reward us at every show with love and support. Our supporters connect with AnAkA because of the honesty, it is just us and our experiences, experiences that we all face, all of us. We are all connected contrary to what most would rather lead you to believe. We are all here for a reason, we are all here with a purpose. For me and for my AnAkA brothers, AnAkA is the realization of that. It's a celebration of life.

Simon: Does the band all share song writing duties or do you have a main songwriter?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We have a bunch of different ways that work for us when we write. I am constantly writing so I'll come into practice with an idea, many times even with full songs that the guys add their parts to. We have also written a lot of stuff just jamming and going with what feels best at the moment. We are always working on something new.

Lyrically it's 95% me. Jimmy adds some stuff and comes to the table with some cool ideas while we are working or writing during jam sessions but for the most part it's my responsibility, and I'm really proud of the work I've done so far. The lyrics are very important. For me it's about the riff, the groove, the hook and the lyrics. Those are the elements that always make a great song. They are all equally important. I can't stand it when I hear someone say lyrics don't really matter, that's BS, people who say stuff like that say that because they can't write them.

Simon: What are your thoughts on the state of modern rock/metal as it stands today?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: It seems that people always come to this "how is the state of metal these day" question. I think that there is an incredible stigma that is attached to heavy music in general as if nothing metal can be successful. This of course has been proven wrong in history, time and time again. Certainly it's not as main-stream as pop, but really who wants it to be? I know, I know, everything is about dollars signs, but there is a quick turnover rate with pop and more mainstream music and that cannot be denied.

Pop might be where the money is, but there is a strong place for heavy music in our culture today. With a lot of pop music it's a "here one minute gone the next" scenario that leaves the powers that be and the decision makers of what and who gets through in the music business constantly trying to fill in the gaps and voids left by last months "in trend drop outs" or the last "flavor of the month." With pop some boy band comes along, does there thing for a while, makes money and "pop!" like an over inflated balloon their gone, never to be heard of again lol. There are some great hard rock bands out there that have stood the test of time and have made timeless music. There are still bands out there making that kind of music, are they being identified in this quick consumption age? I'm not sure, and that is not a good thing for the music fan.

As for the state of hard rock/ heavy metal music, heavy music is forever man, it's alive and well and always will be. There will always be a need for it. I always say it's one of the truest expressions of music. It's honest, it guttural and it's full of energy. You go to a metal show and it's such a release, the crowd, the band, everyone is moving, everyone is a part of it. That feeling, that release, it's such a high and that will never die.

It all goes in cycles, and there are so many sub-genres today that I think it's gotten kinda silly. I really don't keep up with the sub-genres, to me if it's heavy and it kicks ass then I'm all for it. I think the whole sub-genre thing comes from a need to feel separate from the pack, to feel like what you're doing is different and totally original. I Think that you kinda miss the bigger picture when you think that way. Some people are like "Oh I only listen to this type this sub-genre or that sub-genre, and everything else isn't even worth listening to". That's really closed minded, and that really limits musically taste and understanding. In my opinion people really need to stop being so up tight. There is a multitude of great music out there and I'm talking about all genres.

The word Metalcore seems to be on everyone lips right now and that's cool as long as it's done with the expectations of pushing the limits and the boundaries of what has already been done in the Metalcore genre. I don't think that just jumping on the band wagon just to be "in" is the right way to go. I see a lot of bands doing that right now, and kind of screaming just cuz everyone else is. AnAkA has always been about mixing it up musically and not really paying too much attention to what everyone else is doing. There are elements of many different kinds of music in AnAkA. That keeps things interesting and challenging for us. When you listen to an AnAkA record it doesn't sound like one long song, beginning to end. There are a lot of different feels. I think that's important.

Simon: Are there plans to come overseas and tour at all?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We'd like to but that all depends on label representation right now. We always get emails from people asking us to hit the UK, Germany, Italy or Greece and places like that. It will happen when the time is right.

Simon: Do you set yourselves deadlines as a band, for things that you need to do to help progress?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: When something needs to get done it gets done, we don't really need to set deadlines because we are always pushing towards the next level.

Simon: Have you found that having myspace has helped bring you to a wider audience?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yeah, I mean this is truly the information age. Myspace is a tremendous way to promote your band. It seems everyone is on myspace. There is a stigma growing around myspace, and in many ways it's understandable. I mean when it comes to a kid sitting at his computer for hours on end, and only working his creativity by working on his myspace page then the stigma is justified. Too much of anything is not good BUT when you're talking about getting the word out about your band you go where you can and do what you must to get the numbers and myspace is a great promotional tool.

We have built our band and our following from the ground up, and myspace has been a tremendous help. At www.myspace.com/anaka we have over 136,000 listens, we have over 86,000 profile views, and hundreds, at times thousands of profile views a day. I mean it's amazing what the internet has done for us. We get hundreds of emails, we promote, promote, promote and the fans do the rest. The internet multiplies word of mouth, it's that simple. We also get a great deal of traffic at our official AnAkA website, www.AnAkA.net.

Simon: What types of things to you derive your lyrical content from?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: For me it's all about life experiences. We can all relate to that, we all have the same size spirit. I take writing AnAkA's lyrics very seriously and I love doing it. It's awesome, you take a feeling or a moment in your life, you put it in a song and it lives forever. The song becomes a representation of the life you were living when you wrote it. Over time the words may stay the same, but somehow the meanings change. Sometimes when you write a songs it's as if you finally took the situation or feeling you wrote about out of you, and put it in the song, you find piece with it, it's no longer taking up space inside of you, and it becomes ok to just let it go. Its unbelievably cathartic.

Simon: What advice what you offer a young band that's just starting out?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Never stop and forget about taking short cuts. If you want something, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. If you want it bad enough you have to be will to risk everything. Practice hard and work hard. Stay honest and never forget why you started.

Simon: Are there any bands out there that you would like to tour/work with?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Yeah, there are a bunch of bands we would love to tour with or play on a bill with. Black Label Society would be awesome, Metallica, Down, playing with any of our favorite bands would be an unbelievable honor.

Simon: Would you consider a reality TV offer, much like "Battle for Ozzfest" to help promote the band?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: Been there, done it! We were actually voted into the Bodog Music's "Bodog Battle of the Bands" in mid 2006 and it was an awesome experience. It's a nation wide battle of the bands/ A&R showcase, with the grand prize being a million dollar record deal to the winning band. It's actually going to be turned into an eleven episode show on the Fuse Network. We raged our way through three rounds, and in the third round we played a major part in completely selling out Irving Plaza here in NYC with hundreds of insane A-NA-KA chatting AnAkA -heads. It was intense, there were some great bands there, and it was truly a night to remember. The cameras took it all in, and I'm sure the people at Bodog Music will do a killer job with the tv show and all that rocken AnAkA footage.

In the end the Irving Plaza show broke the record for attendance for all of the other Bodog Battle shows in 2006. The AnAkA fans were great, we were basically walking into a situation were there were 12 other bands trying their best to win, and 12 different sets of fans cheering the bands on. We walked out on stage and the chatting started it was humbling looking out at the sea of people all there to support AnAkA. There were about 1,500 people there. I remember stepping outside of the monster that I become right before every show just for a moment so that I can take it all in and making sure I remembered it correctly. They were chatting and going crazy, moshing, and crowd suffering it was great. The thing that really made me feel like we had accomplished something was half way through the first song I noticed that it wasn't just AnAkA supporters that were chanting for us and having a good time, It's was all of them, we had won them all over. They might have been there to pay homage to the bands they were supporting, but they also paid homage to AnAkA, I really got a feeling of how special this whole AnAkA thing is becoming. Connecting with those people that night was awesome. It was magic, and it was proof that all our hard work is paying off. It truly was a special moment in time for us.

We didn't move on to the fourth round that night and a chance at the million dollar record deal, it was given to a Latin Pop band, but we did walk away with some great memories, a bunch of new opportunities, hundreds of brand new supports and a glimpse into what the future is going to be like. There were some good bands there that night, and the final decision was a surprise to most, but we know we made that place shake, AnAkA proved ourselves to be more than just a band, AnAkA has growen into a force of nature.

I look forward to seeing how much of it gets on the TV show. I'm not sure exactly when it will air in 2007, but I'm really interested in checking out the finished product on Fuse TV. We are still very cool with all the good people over at Bodog Music, and we've made some great contacts and friends there. It felt very natural playing for them and it would be an honor working with Bodog Music in the near future. Let's see what the future holds.

Simon: In closing...Whats next for AnAkA?

Peter Pallis of AnAkA: We are currently gearing up to walk back into the studio to record our 3rd record. We have about 20 or so killer songs that we are pretty much done with. It's gonna be really tough deciding which ones are going to make it onto the next record. They are all awesome songs.

The Bodog thing really got people curious about AnAkA. We really proved what we can do on a grand stage. We are talking to a few people about the next record and AnAkA's future in terms of label representation. It's funny how you don't realize how many people are really looking as its all happening. Lets see what happens, if it works out, great!, either way one things of for certain, AnAkA will be out there doing what we do best. It's so exiting thinking about how far we can push this. We are knocking at that door right now, it's time, we know it's time, in time we are gonna break that door down and force our way in. It's cool that the powers that be are noticing it. The sky is the limit for AnAkA … Up! Up! and Away!