Ok Exploders, Switchblade're out with their "Switchblade Serenade" on Perris Records. This album reminds us Junkyard, Ac/Dc, Little Caesar, Four Horsemen, etc. with sleazy, alcoholic and tattooed attitude! A pure and honest rock'n'roll work spiced with 80's heart and pride. Here you are my exploders Mr. Ken Anthony, the voice. Check it out!

Hi Ken, we're very pleased to have you here on The Rock Explosion to ask you something about your career. I know that you helped bands like Metallica, Pretty Maids and Merciful Fate and you were a journalist for several metal magazines as "Metal Force". What kind of work did you do with these great bands? Tell us something of what you more likely remember about these experieces? Why did you decide to stop this career?
Hello there, yes that's right I've been helping these bands, I use to be the manager of Pretty Maids and Mercyful Fate in the beginning. I also came up with the name Merciful Fate, funny ehh. Metallica used to stay at my department when they recorded in Copenhagen . I'm a very good friend of Lars known him for many years. Before he formed Metallica , he came to my flat and we were listening to a lot of heavy metal and stuff. Thats funny for me now, he is now in the biggest band in the world! That's right I was a journalist for "Metal Forces" back in the 80's, I did cover the LA glam-sleazy scene.

I know you lived in Los Angeles during the 80's, if I'm not wrong. Why don't you tell us about your memories, funny experiences and about artists that you've been knowing during those times?
No I never lived in L.A., I use to visit Hollywood every summer, checking out new glam bands and go to concerts etc. I knew so many bands at that time, we were boozin' all time! Some of my fave bands from that time is Heart Throb Mob, Helter Skelter, Cherry Street, Junkyard, Little Caesar. To many to mention.

How, when and why did you decide to form Switchblade? Please, introduce us the other Switchblade's members. Why did you choose Switchblade as monicker?
Me and my guitarist Thomas went to L.A. a couple of years ago, and while we were at Hermosa Beach we were talking about the Danish rock scene sucked! What to do? Of course we gonna make a new sound a dirty sleazy rock band, in the vein of good old days in L.A.. And we started out 2 weeks later. Thomas came up with the name for the band. Soon after we got our drummer Frankie and Olsen on bass. And Switchblade was born!

Your debut album "Switchblade Serenade" is a great example of dirty Rock'n'Roll. It makes me remember of bands as Junkyard, Ac/Dc, Junkyard, Little Caesar, Four Horsemen, Ac/Dc, etc. Do you agree with my opinion? In general, which bands did influence you deeply, since the beginning of your career?
Right man I like that, we really dig those bands. I'm very influenced by the whole 80's scene. I love glam and I mean love it. I would love to play in a glam band, but my voice is not glam, and I'm not the type of guy who tries to do something I can't do, do you know what I mean? I really love the sleazy part of that scene as well and here I am now as the singer.

I know that the larger part of the "Switchblade Serenade" was born in the deepest night! Tell us about the funny songwriting process that you and Thomas Lock used the most?
Yeah that's right! Thomas was fuckin' turning up the amps in the middle of the night and recorded riffs! He is fuckin' crazy. He picked up the phone called me " Hi dude do you like this riff?", I was fuckin' sleeping: "Yeah, man go for it!". Sometimes I contacted him: "I got this idea work on man!" And he did the song in a couple of days.

Why did you choose to record the Holocaust's cover "Smokin' Stacks"? Why do you particularly like it? Maybe the original title has been changed...
I always liked that song , it's a cool rock'n'roll song. Also as I told before Lars Ulrich and I use to listen to heavy metal at my flat and one of the songs I really liked at that time is "Smokin' Valves" that's the original tittle by the way . We changed it to "Smokin' Stacks".

I know you're fond of tattoos, then you've written a song called "Tattooed"! When did this passion start? And which is the tattoo you feel deeper linked too? Hey, do you have a tattoo maker to suggest us?
Yeah, I'm very much into tattoos, that's why we did a song called "Tattoed". It's for all you tatooed muther fuckers out there! I can't remember when I got my first tattoo, I'm linked to the most tattoos I've got . I really like my Guns'n'Roses, my Motley Crue Dr.Feelgood tattoo of course my Faster Pussycat tattoo and Switchblade of course. A good tattoo maker? Yes, Thomas my guitar player he is cool , and I'm not joking.

Why did you decide to write a song about capital punishment as "Sentenced"? Where did you take the inspiration to write the lirycs of this song? Are you pro or against capital punishment?
The song "Sentenced" is really cool, Thomas did that song on his own, he played it for me and I liked it. If I'm pro capital punishment… it depends! If you rape a child or a woman and kill'em, sure you deserve the chair!

Ken, tell us about "Fade". I think it's a sort of bluesy ballad in which you showed the sweeter part of your hard personality...
"Fade" again Thomas idea, it's a song about a former girlfriend of his. That's right it's more bluesy, I'm also very much into the southern rock like Molly Hatchet, Outlaws, Doc Holliday, etc..On the next cd we gonna have a sleazy blues track!

My fav song from "Switchblade Serenade" is "Live It Up". It's a fuckin' rock'n'roll anthem!
I'm glad you like "Live It Up". It's straight sleazy rock'n'roll.

How did you reach the deal with Perris Records? What would you tell us about your work and relations with this label...
Ken: We signed with Perris Records because Tom liked us. Tom is the owner of the label, me and Tom have been friends for many years. I use to party with that guy back in the 80's, he used to be in Cherry Street.

How are going the present selling trend datas about your debut album?
Ken: I'm not sure how many we sold, but as soon we make people happy with our music we are happy! You can get the cds all over Europe, if you can't find it let me know!

What's in the future of Switchblade? Are you planning a tour?
Ken: The future! We gonna kick some fuckin' ass and show all the faggots out there that rock'n'roll is still alive! We will hopefully have a small tour later this year or next. We are at the moment working on new songs for our next cd. Also we have added one more guitarist to our band, a really cool sleazy rocker a bad ass I tell you!

Ken, I think to know a little bit of present and past Danish hard rock & metal scene... I really enjoy bands as Pretty Maids, Push, D.A.D., Hellroute 16, The Defectors, Loomp, etc. How is the situation of today's Danish rock and metal scene? Do you wanna suggest some Danish cool bands to our readers?
Ken: Hahaha, the Danish scene sucks big time. We got a few cool band out here, check out Force Of Evil with Hank Sherman and Michael Denner of Merciful Fate fame. Pretty Maids are still going strong, D.A.D is still here and a few other new metal acts. I'm not saying we are the coolest thing but we rock, we got too much techno, pop, rap fuckin' crap here in Denmark.

In which way do you use to spend your spare time? Do you have some dreams still to realize? Ok, tell us about them...
I spend me spare time with my cool friends and my son. I'm divorced, any beautiful girls out there? (laughs) Yeah, I still got some dreams make a second Switchblade cd, go on tour, and kick some ass.

If you had the chance to change something in today's world, what would you do for sure?
If I could change something? A lots of things, but I don't wanna talk about politics!

Ken, what's your opinion about internet and about exchanging music on-line, sharing mp3 files and so on? Which are the best and the worst aspects of the net?
I think it's okay to exchange music no doubt, but of course I prefer people to buy the real stuff. You see me and Thomas payed for recording our cd and we gonna pay for the next. So please don't copy it, buy it!

Fav pornstar, drink and your personal top 5 albums of all times...
Fav porn star: myself! (Laughing) no I've got no one to be honest. My fave drinks: beer and vodka . Top 5 albums, wow, that's a tuff one:
Pretty Boy Floyd "Leather Boys With Electric Toys", Little Caesar first album, Junkyard "Junkyard", Uriah Heep "Demons And Wizards", Warrant first album. I don't know, there is so many cool albums from the 80's.

Ken, we've the interview is already over. Thanks for your time and cooperation. Now would you like to say something else to "The Rock Explosion" readers?
First of all I will thank you Bruno for your support and time. I will also thank all our friends and fans out there for supporting Switchblade. Thanks a million guys and girls keep it down'n'dirty... and buy our cd, okay!

Intervista realizzata da Bruno Rossi
Traduzione e supervisione di Margherita Realmonte