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Some people dream about being an astronaut, others dream about being a surgeon and then there is Francesco Cavalieri. He always dreamed about being a dwarf, a dream that has become a reality. His band WIND ROSE has become THE Power Metal sensation of the last years. In the interview we talk about their success with their cover of Diggy Diggy Hole, their upcoming headliner tour and what made them decide to pursue this distinct style of music.
Huge thanks to lightinmirror.de for the amazing pictures!
Shieldmaiden’s Voice: If you had to describe WIND ROSE in just three words, which would you choose?
Francesco Cavalieri: „Hard work“, if we can consider that as one word…or better „Persistence“! Then „Brotherhood“ and probably „Family“.
SV: What would you say distinguishes you from other bands of your genre?
Francesco: We’re the first band that talks about dwarfs and with this theme, we developed our own way of living the music we’re doing. Basically, we invented Dwarf Metal! After trying out different things, we made up this sub-genre that is a part of Power Metal. We have some Prog and Epic elements and obviously there are some connections to Viking Metal, but instead of Screaming or Growling, we have Opera singing. All the vocals are sung in a Choral style, like it was sung by Dwarfs. We got a lot of our inspirations from Tolkien.
SV: What specifically made you say: „Let’s do Gimli, but in Metal!“?
Francesco: In our second album Wardens of the West Wind from 2015, we made a song that was called The Breed of Durin. During that time we didn’t have any boundaries and we could do whatever we wanted because there was no specific path to follow. The first album was very much a Progressive Metal album and for the second one, we went with less of a Progressive vibe, but did more Power Metal. There was no cohesive theme though. One of the themes we had on that album was the dwarf theme and The Breed of Durin sounds totally different compared to the other songs on that album. We realized that there was something special about that song and we decided to follow that path to see where it could lead. It was the beginning of everything, basically.
SV: Last year, you released your album Warfront. What makes that album different from your previous releases?
Francesco: The last albums really encapsulated the growth of the band. Warfront was composed in a particular moment in time for the world, the pandemic, so it’s more solemn, it’s darker and heavier. It reflected all the feelings we had in the moment. Italy was one of the first countries to completely shut down which is why weren’t able to do anything, not even meeting our loved ones. It was a sad moment which is why that album probably doesn’t have any party songs like the previous album did. That is the big difference!
SV: You also went incredibly viral with Diggy Diggy Hole. Do you feel pressured to succeed even more after that?
Francesco: To be honest, no. Diggy Diggy Hole is a cover and everyone knows it and we’re ok with that. It was the first single we released with Napalm Records and I imagine that we used it like a ramp of sorts to make a big leap or to get to the next bigger level with the band. Everything that came after that was just by our forces. If someone starts listening to us because of Diggy Diggy Hole and stays for the rest of our music, then there is absolutely no problem! We’re absolutely ok with that!
SV: Speaking of success: You’re going on your first headliner tour with ALL FOR METAL. What are you looking forward to the most?
Francesco: To be honest, I expect this tour to be a blast because our opener is SEVEN KINGDOMS, a band that has had some success in the United States, they’re from Florida. ALL FOR METAL, our special guest, are also a big promising band. There is a lot of hype around them and they have the right minds to make their own way in this music business. Then, of course, there is us and after 14 years of this band’s existence we finally get to do a headlining tour. It’s a really exciting moment for us!
SV: If you could wish for one thing for WIND ROSE’s future, what would it be?
Francesco: If I could wish for something it would be to stay like this, to not lose this mentality and spirit that we have right now which is to always do what we really like. We don’t do what the market requires. For example, it would be easier to make ten songs like Diggy Diggy Hole, or party songs in general that consist of two chords and ear worm vocals. If it comes natural, then it’s another story. We have Mine Mine Mine that is kind of like that.
SV: You don’t want to force it.
Francesco: Yes, exactly! We don’t want to feel like having to do certain stuff in order to reach bigger crowds. If we become more popular, like it happened this year, then that has to come naturally. Only then will people truly understand the value of our songs. If we have to do music purely for the fame and for the money, then we lose our musician’s spirit. We wouldn’t be true anymore!
SV: Unfortunately we have to come to an end… If you could have one message for your fans, what would it be?
Francesco: Ok! That might sound a bit generic, but here we go: Guys, if you have a dream, like I had, don’t be scared to follow it. If you always push for what you want in life, you will eventually succeed at what you’re doing! No matter what it is! I always wanted to be a dwarf and look at me now! [we both laugh]
There you have it! Everyone can become a dwarf! Make sure to check out the upcoming headliner tour WIND ROSE are going on this autumn. They bring an insanely good show that is loads of fun. Tomorrow, you’ll get my last Rockharz interview which so happens to be a personal highlight of mine! Stay tuned!
Shieldmaiden's Voice 