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In recent months I read a issue of the Rock Hard megazine. It had a special inside that took the readers back to the year 1992. One part talked about Black Sabbath that released the "Dehumanizer" album in those days with Ronnie James Dio on vocals.
Later on a E-Mail flew into my inbox that said that the music of Ian Highhill comes with a similar flavor like the Sabbath album so I couldn't resist to listen and was warmly welcomed by the sound that took me back to the days of the Birmingham legend with Dio on vocals. Who stands behind such great songs and what does Ian Highhill want to express with them? His full independent release of a new album made me even more want to know details behind the album "A Hymn Among Gravestones".
Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did you start your career as a musician?
Ian Highhill: I started my career in the early 80s. A friend of mine wanted to start a band, and around the same time, I got my uncle's old electric guitar as a birthday present. And obviously, the NWOBHM was happening at the time, so you couldn't have asked for more inspiration to start a band, could you? This was followed by many line-ups, perhaps most notably the power metal bands Olympos Mons and Astralion, and now my solo project Ian Highhill.
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| Ian Highhill talks to us about his life as a independent artist. |
Do you think that today's musicians have the chance to take more control on the material they release?
Absolutely! Thanks to Pro Tools, social media and streaming services, artists now have complete control over their work. However, they also bear the entire burden of advertising, sales and, of course, creating the product itself. In my case, that includes recording, mixing, producing and mastering. It's all the things that record companies used to take care of. However, lately, it seems like the bands have been taking care of most of this themselves, while the labels have been making the money. So, I'm not sure what's best anymore.
You've just released a brand new album called "A Hymn Among Gravestones". Which topics did you cover in the lyrics?
The new album covers many themes. The first one I came up with was the title track, 'A Hymn Among Gravestones', which is directly linked to the war in Ukraine and other ongoing unrest. The same goes for 'King of Ashes'. This, in turn, leads us to one of the greatest sins of mankind: greed. Hence the song 'In the Name of Greed'. I also wrote a song about young people who join criminal gangs in search of respect: 'Deal with the Devil'.
Do you write songs when a idea sparks up or do you work on new songs in sessions?
I like to do everything myself, so I can work whenever I want and whenever I have ideas. The great thing about this is that I don't have to book studio time or wait around for other musicians to finish. I can make the songs from start to finish without any hassle. I haven't written at band sessions since Pro Tools came along. It's great that I can work from home in peace and quiet, and at my own pace.
The cover artwork has been done by you, too. The front and back cover seem to accompany each other. Are there some hints on the meaning you would like to share with us?
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| Ian Highhill completed all steps for the new album by himselves. |
Yeah, I've been doing digital art as a hobby for a while, so it was only natural that I should make the cover myself. I also did some oil painting back in the '90s, which has been helpful too. The cover shows a soldier coming back from war, only to find that the only reward he gets is a hymn among gravestones when he dies. I've been around long enough to have met some World War II veterans. I'll always remember the sad look in their eyes whenever the war was mentioned. With everything going on between Russia and Ukraine right now, I thought it'd be a good idea to make the album title track about war and forgotten war heroes.
You can listen to songs of the album by picking a streaming service of your choice of this list.
Physical copies are available of Ian Highhills own webshop.
You can also watch a video here directly.
