VASARIA
Interview with Baron Misuraca
By Allen Lee at Kyonsi Online
1.) Hello Baron can you tell me a bit on
the background of your band Vasaria? VASARIA originally
began as a recording project that set out to fuse elements of
Goth and Metal within a Horror and art history theme. A full
length debut album was ultimately released by Century Media
Records and it soon evolved into a live band situation gaining
momentum from the European scene. VASARIA went on to establish
it’s self within the underground and has currently evolved
to the next step producing it’s darkest and most evoking
work to date. It’s also the spring board for other things
upcoming…
2.)
Where did the band get its name from? a horror movie? Yes…
the name VASARIA first appeared in the 1945 Universal film Ghost
of Frankenstein with Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi, the forth
film in the Frankenstein series. VASARIA was the name of the
village that the second son of Dr. Frankenstein lived in. Bela
Lugosi’s character sought to bring the monster there.
The following year in Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, Lon Chaney
Jr. journeyed to VASARIA to find Dr. Frankenstein in hopes of
securing a cure for his lycanthrope and so on… I thought
it was appropriate.
3.)
You have recently been performing some acoustic shows correct?
How have they been received?
They’ve been received great thus far. The acoustic performances
consist of myself, vocals and Robert Scott Conroy on acoustic
guitar and strip things down to their finest and most significant
elements. Performing in this type of format restores a sense
of innocence to us, musically, helps us grow and was something
we wanted to do for a while now. It has materialized finally.
In light of all the other things  currently
in production, especially the more tech oriented ones, it’s
a very positive thing to be doing something like this at this
point. The set list consists of both VASARIA originals and various
remakes ranging from Sinatra to Tom Jones. Interestingly, we
perform things like “My Way” at Goth and Vampyre
events in NYC and they really go over. It never ceases to intrigue
what reaches out to an audience. Certain things are timeless.
Live footage from an acoustic show at CBGB Gallery will be aired
on Manhattan cable’s Vampyre Dreams show this summer.
Stay tuned to the VASARIA website for times and stations.
4.)
Are you interested in Asian horror films (our focus at Kyonsi)
at all? Yes,
although my knowledge and focus are on the classics, they definitely
have their place in the genre.
5.)
If so what are some of your fave Asian horror, vampire or action
flicks? The
one that joined forces with Hammer films “The Seven Brothers
meet Dracula” always comes to mind. (Editors
Note: Film is aka "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires",
A dual project of the Shaw Studios in Hong Kong and Hammer Films
in the U.K.)
6.)
Does Vasaria currently have any videos other than the older
video for CM Europe
in the works? Abduction, the CM video is still the only
completed VASARIA music video. A new one, however, is in the
works finally slated to begin production later this summer in
conjunction with the upcoming studio effort.
7.)
I understand you are the character in a new comic book can you
give our readers some information on the comic book and who
writes and does the artwork for it? Yes,
I stalk the pages of the comic book world once again! Rising
from the ashes of Peregrine Entertainment's Blood Relations
series, I have returned in In Flesh And Spirit, an all new bloodcurdling
odyssey of my very own. Written and storyboarded by myself and
classically influenced, In Flesh and Spirit chronicles the origin
and ongoing saga of my character, a blasphemed 14th century
musician  cursed
into vampiric undeath. Reborn in contemporary New York City,
I am slave to two masters: an insatiable lust for blood, and
a spiritual quest for redemption…In Flesh and Spirit also
features an awe aspiring array of all new femme fatale characters
that Vampirella and Lady Death fans will undoubtedly sink their
teeth into and equally awe aspiring array artwork rendered by
artist dream (or perhaps nightmare is more accurate) team I
assembled specifically for this undertaking. Legendary Vampirella
artist Louis Small Jr. brings In Flesh and Spirit to life, sensuously
rendering it's interior as only he can, while infamous D.C./
Heavy Metal artist Alex Horley embodies the very essence of
darkness with his ominous cover, the latest in a long legacy
of breathtaking paintings. We are currently in mid production
and are slated for an autumn unleashing. Exclusive consecutive
previews of In Flesh and Spirit can be found at the official
website for the upcoming Horror Channel cable network horrorchannel.com.
8.)
You have recently had some lineup changes can you tell us who
is currently in the lineup for Vasaria's live shows?
Robert Scott Conroy is on guitar, T.C. Tolliver, formerly of
the Plasmatics and WOW on drums , Vlado Kormos keyboards. The
strongest lineup to date.
9.)
Do you consider your band to be horror related as most of your
subject matter deals with horror film topics? Absolutely.
The idea from day one was to create the physical embodiment
of imagery and topics established in classic horror cinema in
the form of a heavy band. A sort of a morphing of the two mediums
was and still is the desired effect.
10.)
What are your other favorite bands to play with or be on the
same bill with? We have enjoyed bills with Moonspell,
Lacuna Coil, Mission UK, and Das Ich to name a few.
11.)
What are some of your personal favorite horror films? There
are literally hundreds but among them are the 1930’s and
1940’s black and white films from Universal: Dracula,
Frankenstein, the Wolfman, etc. and all their sequels; Mark
of the Vampire with Bela Lugosi, also from that era but by MGM
and not  Universal,
The silent horror films of the 1920’s, both American &
German: Nosferatu, The Phantom of the Opera, etc, the Hammer
Horror films from England (late 50’s – 70’s)
especially the Dracula series, Night of the Living Dead and
Carnival of Souls from the 1960’s, the Exorcist…
The list goes on and on.
12.)
What are some of the local NYC bands that you like? Let’s
see… it’s seems as though there aren’t many
bands left in NYC. These days the climate here is less encouraging
of a live band scene. That’s a topic for an entirely different
conservation. Regardless, I like Mahavatar, Morgan’s Canon
and some others as well as bands from out of state as well.
13.)
I understand you like to do some art and painting yourself,
are you currently working on any artworks? Actually,
with the exception of the storyboards for the book that I drew
for the artists to work off of, I have been focusing more on
the writing process and layouts opposed to the creation of art
lately. Sometimes certain interests need to take a back seat
to others. Right now I’m feeling a special connection
to the writing process and it’s role as vehicle for my
conceptualization. Besides, I feel as though I’m in great
hands with Louis Small Jr. and Alex Horley, the artists working
on In Flesh And Spirit.
14.)
What's the current Vasaria release on CD and what releases can
we expect in the future? Last year’s limited edition
EP Edge Of Supremacy EP is the most recent release. The current
lineup, however, as I mentioned will be entering the studio
this summer to record what guarantees to be VASARIA’s
heaviest and most chilling work to date. Also, in a more diverse
direction, I am currently creating and recording some electronic
horror film score influenced techno material with D.J. Dracos
of Subsurface productions, which is definitely proving interesting
to say the least. “Demonic Electronic” as Dracos
put it. The first completed track is appropriately entitled
Distant Screams. The future certainly is now.
15.)
Do you have any closing comments for our readers at Kyonsi?
Thank you all for your interest and support. Please visit
us frequently at vasaria.com , keep reading Kyonsi… and
may the last voice you hear be mine…
Editors
Note:Special Thanks to Baron
for the Interview. Be
sure to check 'em out online and live. Tell them Kyonsi sent
you.
Promotional
Images courtesy of Vasaria dot com |
