DISTANT THUNDER: Embracing Singer JAMES RIVERA's Past

May 20, 2004

Guitarist Eric Halpern (ex-HELSTAR, DESTINY'S END) and vocalist James Rivera (SEVEN WITCHES, ex-HELSTAR, DESTINY'S END) recently spoke to Internet-based music magazine The Wild Cauldron about their new band, DISTANT THUNDER, and their upcoming debut release, "Welcome the End", due on May 31 through Germany's Massacre Records. Asked what inspired the creation of DISTANT THUNDER, Eric replied, "James and I were working on songs for the third DESTINY'S END CD, which never happened because the band split up (I had joined them the year before, just after 'Transition' was recorded). But, we still wanted to use the songs for something…. Well, several years earlier, we had an '80s metal tribute band here in Houston called PROJECT RIVERA. We decided to get that line-up of people back together and try these originals. The only change in personnel was the addition of bassist Mike Lepond. James met him last year when WITCHES toured with SYMPHONY X. Mike heard about the project and, being a big power metal fan, wanted to participate. Of course, the fact that he plays in one of the biggest prog. metal bands in the world might have influenced us a little….ha ha. As for the name, we wanted something that tied into HELSTAR, but still stood on its own. DESTINY'S END wanted to distance themselves from James' past in HELSTAR and I always thought that was a mistake. We try to embrace it and play some of the songs during our shows….kind of like U.D.O. and ACCEPT."

Read DISTANT THUNDER's entire interview with The Wild Cauldron at this location.

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