They have been active since 2014, Secret Rule from the Italian capital Rome. Five regular studio albums were produced during this time. With the last one, “Against”, they actually wanted to go on tour in the spring. However, due to recent events, the tour had to be postponed until autumn. Because of the corona pandemic, which is also rife in Italy, the musicians also had to isolate themselves at home. Secret Rule, however, used this time to produce a cover album. “Quarantine: The Other Side Of Us” was released in late April. One reason to ask the band once. Singer Angela answered my curious questions.
MHF: Hey, I’m Rainer and I write for Metalheads Forever Magazine. Thank you for being able to do this interview with you. How are you doing right now?
Angela: Hi Rainer, thank you for this space, it’s a pleasure to chat with you. Everything’s ok, thank you. We’re working for the future.
MHF: Please introduce yourself briefly. How did Secret Rule come about? How would you describe your style of music yourself?
Angela: The band was formed at the end of 2013. Andy already knew Michele and at the same time, he already knew me as well. So, he contacted me and Michele to start a new band with a professional approach and aiming high. Since all of us have a different musical background, our music is a mix of modern and melodic metal, with a touch of Symphonic, electronic inserts, catchy melodies, and heavy riffs.
MHF: You released five studio albums in six years. What are you inspired by when writing songs?
Angela: We’re inspired by what surrounds us, by our feelings and what we live.
In any album, you can notice the evolution of our sound and of our songwriting. Personally, when a melody comes up in my mind, I record it on my phone, and my phone is always full of melodies that we analyze when we decide to start with the writing of a new album. We try to give positive messages and to invite people to be more aware, in this society that wants to govern our minds more and more every day.
MHF: Three quarters of the band members have been there since the beginning. There were only several changes in the drums. What is the secret behind this constancy. And does this constancy have a positive influence on the speed of your songwriting?
Angela: Yes, for sure. Mike, Andy, and I are like a single person. We always agree on all choices about the band, we pursue the same targets and we love music in the same way. It’s like when in the Universe all the stars and planets are perfectly aligned and something magical happens. I think this is our “Secret Rule”.
MHF: Two months after your regular fifth studio album “Against” you released the cover album “Quarantine: The Other Side Of Us”. How did you get the idea for this album?
Angela: During the pandemic, since we had to postpone our tours, we thought about releasing a cover and we started with “Gets Me Through” by Ozzy Osbourne since we had already played it during our tour in the UK some years ago. This got a positive response, so we released another cover song, “The bitter end” with a music video we made by ourselves at home. This one got a great response as well and a lot of fans asked us for a whole cover metal album, so we accepted the challenge and in two weeks we released “Quarantine: the other side of us”.
MHF: You have processed a wide range of different music styles on the album. What criteria did you use to select the individual songs?
Angela: Actually, we gave ourselves two days to put together the set list. All of us suggested a list of songs and then we selected those songs we thought could be more interesting to work on. Since many of us have different tastes, the whole album is a mix from all genres and this aspect has been fun! It’s always constructive to go beyond our comfort zone.
MHF: In those days with Corona, producing an album and video clips was certainly not easy. Please tell us how the recordings went.
Angela: Each of us had the opportunity to record his own instrument at home, so this helped us. After having chosen all the songs, Andy worked on the arrangements and sent his samples to all of us. After having approved the work he did, Alex started to record drums. Then it was Mike’s moment. Then Andy with guitars and loops and at the end I recorded my voice and the choruses. Andy has a recording studio called “The Digitall Studio” and mixed and mastered the album. About the music videos, each of us recorded his part by himself or with the help of some relatives at home 😀 It was complicated because all the takes were shot with different lights and cameras, but in the end, Andy was able to obtain a good result. Andy took care of the video editing as well.
MHF: In autumn you go on a European tour. Unfortunately, there are only four dates in Germany. And none of them near me. Will there be more live performances next year?
Angela: Yes of course. We try to be always active and to go on tour more often when it is possible with our “ordinary” jobs. It would be great to be on tour all year.
MHF: Speaking of live. How important are concerts and contact with your fans to you?
Angela: We think it’s the most important thing. The energy that a concert gives us is incomparable. Watching our fans below the stage, exchanging smiles and energy with them is fantastic. This is a vital lymph for us, and we think it is for all musicians as well.
MHF: I thank you again for this interview. Would you like to say something to the fans at the end?
Angela: We wanna thank all our supporters and fans because they are our fuel. And we wanna tell everyone that to support us beyond buying our merch and music, it’s also important to follow us on our social platforms, or stream our music on Spotify, Google Play and other streaming platforms, or share our music and spread the word about us. Every single action is precious, and we’ll be grateful for it. Thank you, Rainer, for this space and the interesting chat.
Secret Rule are:
Angela Di Vincenzo – Vocals
Andy Menario – Guitars, Keys, Backing Vocals
Mike Raspanti – Bass
Alex Beccati – Drums
https://www.secretrule.it/
https://www.facebook.com/secretruleband/
https://twitter.com/secret_rule
https://www.instagram.com/secret_rule_official
/https://www.youtube.com/c/SecretRule
Pictures: Secret Rule, Rainer Kerber Photography
