The Dynamic Power Metal Anthems of Trend Kill Ghosts

The Dynamic Power Metal Anthems of Trend Kill Ghosts

Fans of classic power metal acts such as Helloween, Gamma Ray and Primal Fear will want to check into what the dynamic Trend Kill Ghosts has to offer the world at large.  The Brazil-based collective issued a full length entitled Kill Your Ghosts in 2019, and has recently unleashed a thrilling cover of the Gamma Ray song Dethrone Tyranny as a gift to their fans as these pandemic days rage on.  Highwire Daze recently caught up with lead vocalist Diogo Nunes to find out more about the mighty Trend Kill Ghost, including working with the legendary Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear on one of their songs, their exhilarating Gamma Ray cover, an upcoming show with the one and only U.D.O., and other topics of intrigue.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Trend Kill Ghosts, and how long the band has been together.
Hi, I’m Diogo Nunes, lead singer of TKG and we started the band in the beginning of 2018.

Where are you based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
We are from Sao Paulo – Brazil, and the metal scene here is very good, we have a lot of amazing bands here like Angra, Shaman, and Sepultura on the mainstream, and bands like Nervosa, The Damnation, Project 46, and Mercy Shot on the underground scene.
We are in the center of the metal scene in Brazil!

What made you to decide to record a cover of the Gamma Ray song Dethrone Tyranny and has anyone from Gamma Ray heard or commented on it?
Kai Hansen is one of our biggest idols and his bands are our main influences, and we wanted to give a gift to our fans at the beginning of the year.  Most bands usually cover or pay tribute to the best known Kai songs, especially the ones he wrote with Helloween, so we decided to go a different way, we wanted a really heavy song and Dethrone Tyranny was the right song !! I showed for Tim Hansen, Kai’s son, he listened and praised our version a lot but I don’t know if he even commented with his father, I hope so and that he liked it!

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Kill Your Ghosts title?
It doesn’t have a story but it is music to encourage people to overcome their problems and “kill their ghosts“, we were in a moment to show the light and that it is possible to make dreams come true as long as you don’t give up on them!

Select a song from the Kill Your Ghosts album and what inspired the lyrics.
Living a Lie, I wrote the song on the subway on my way to home and and my cell phone battery was dead, so I started to notice that people were stuck in their cell phones, nobody talked or interacted with anyone, so at that moment I realized that people no longer lived reality, but in the digital world.  We no longer appreciate the world outside the internet, we prefer to be stuck on social networks than live life beyond a cell phone screen.

What was it like working with Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear and of course Gamma Ray on the Kill Your Ghosts album and how did he become involved with the recording process?
Ghost’s Revolution, is a special song for me because talks about the reconciliation of my friendship with Rogério, because we have previously had bands that did not work, and that this time we would make things happen as it should be!  In addition to the music having the participation of an idol, and today a friend, Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear.  Rogério and I met Ralf in 2009 when we played with Primal Fear with our former band, he was very attentive and kind to us, we even exchanged contacts, but we didn’t speak until the day I got in touch for participation in the song. Again he was very attentive, we sent the song ready for him, where he just had to put his voice (what a voice!). As he had already done all of the production.  It is a very powerful song, and we wanted a powerful participation in it.  I remembered that I had Ralf’s contact and he immediately agreed.  He really liked the song because it reminded him of the time when he sang in Gamma Ray, as you can see, it is a music he sings at full steam and power!

With Kill Your Ghosts being released in 2019, how close is Trend Kill Ghosts to writing and releasing a whole new album or EP?
Due to the Pandemic situation, we anticipated the work of the new album, and we are already ahead of the process, lacking only the recording of voices and keyboard arrangements.  We hope to release the new album now in 2021!

How has the pandemic affected Trend Kill Ghosts? Have you had any shows or tours cancelled because of it?
Due to Pandemia, our plans changed completely, we had some shows canceled and two tours to be rescheduled.  But we didn’t stay put, besides anticipating the recordings of the new album we also released some different versions of KYG songs and did what we could to not leave our fans without news from us!

What is a live Trend Kill Ghosts show like, and have you been able to play at all during the pandemic?
Our concerts are very energetic, I really enjoy interacting with the audience that is watching, making them participate and feel the real experience of a metal concert.  We did a web concert playing KYG in full as well as some covers like Helloween and Shaman, and the response was very positive, our fans loved it.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming show with U.D.O.?
I confess that I am very anxious, because taking a tour with one of my idols never crossed my mind !!  I believe it will be spectacular concerts, with insane audiences!  I hope the world can return to normal soon so we can enjoy these moments !!

If Trend Kill Ghosts could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s a good question!! It would certainly be Helloween United!  As I said, Kai Hansen and his projects are our biggest influences and being able to share the stage with “Creature and the Creator” would be a dream!

What do you hope 2021 brings for you and Trend Kill Ghosts?
I hope that TKG can get back on the road later this year and that all this will pass soon, as we are too anxious to show the new songs to everyone!!

Any final words of wisdom?
Thanks Ken and Highwire Daze!! Let’s continue taking care of ourselves, the world already knows that what we are going through is not a joke!  So take care, and follow our social networks because very soon we will have great news … and KILL YOUR GHOSTS!!!

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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