Battering Ram

Sometimes the most interesting records are not born out of urgency, but out of time. A lot of time. The Madrid-based band Battering Ram has been active since 2008, going through relocations, jobs, distance and even fatherhood before finally releasing their first full-length album, Time Masters. Rather than an improvised debut, the record feels like the result of years of accumulated ideas, refined and debated among friends.

The result is a work that starts from classic thrash metal but refuses to stay confined within it. Time Masters features ambitious song structures, touches of heavy, power, speed and even progressive passages. On top of that, the album carries a narrative concept running through the entire record, accompanied by cover artwork created by the legendary illustrator Andreas Marschall, responsible for some of the most iconic imagery in metal history.

We spoke with the band about the long road to this debut, their collective songwriting process, absurd gig stories, artificial intelligence, and the mixture of influences that shapes their sound. An honest conversation with a band that, above all, still functions as what it has always been: a group of friends making music.

I’ve always been intrigued by bands that spend more than a decade playing and only then release their first album. There’s something stubborn about that… as if you’d been sharpening the blade for years. Tell me honestly: did Time Masters come out of patience… or from an inner pressure that simply couldn’t be held back any longer?

After 2014, due to job and relocation changes, we took a break. Each of us was living in a different city, there was a lot of work, some of us became fathers, etc. Some time later, coinciding with a tribute concert for a friend who had passed away, we started thinking about playing together again and arranging some songs we had composed during the pandemic. To answer your question, we believe there was much more patience and passion than pressure itself.

Listening to the album, I get the feeling it isn’t just thrash. There’s an epic side, even some almost progressive moments… How does your creative process work? Does everything start from a riff someone brings to rehearsal that keeps spinning in everyone’s head, or do you build the songs piece by piece?

Well, honestly, a bit of both. The most common situation is that someone brings a song draft, which then evolves depending on the contributions from the rest of the members. We have that nice feeling that this was created by all of us together.

In songs like “Unexpected Events (The Beginning of the End)” or “Immortality Fed by Death” the structures are quite ambitious. Was there ever a moment in the studio when someone said: “Okay, this is getting a bit out of hand”…?

It’s true that, in general, the structure of the songs doesn’t follow the usual standards. We enjoy variety and not feeling tied to conventional songwriting rules. In the case of “Unexpected Events”, we had a clear idea of starting the album that way, with an ambitious track, although when we realized how big it was becoming we decided to restructure it a bit. In fact, Moon E-Brak was originally part of that same piece, and we decided to use it as the album’s introduction and, at the same time, take advantage of its title to pay tribute to a great friend (there’s an exclusive for you ;)).

You recorded the album in several cities — Madrid, Gijón, León, Santander. I’m curious: was that an artistic decision, or simply the practical reality of an independent band recording wherever it could?

Clearly the second option. Each of us was living in a different city and we took advantage of every opportunity to meet up, record and compose.

The band has existed since 2008. That must mean several different versions of yourselves over the years. Looking back now… which of those versions makes you cringe a little?

None! The project started (and still remains) as a band of friends. We had a great time playing, and honestly we’re not embarrassed to look back. Over time we’ve learned and improved, and we think it’s nice to see the path we’ve taken (and even more the one still ahead!).

Let me ask you something that’s been on my mind. Thrash seems to be in a strange moment: on one hand total nostalgia for the 80s, on the other bands trying to make everything more complex. Honestly, where do you place yourselves in that landscape?

It’s clear that we pay tribute to all that thrash music that influenced us back in the day, but the combination of musical tastes among the band members means we don’t anchor ourselves purely to a single style. When we wrote the songs we didn’t have a specific goal about how much or what type of thrash should be present — we simply stopped when we were all satisfied. Anyone who listens to the album will find passages that remind them of the bands that launched the style back in the ’80s, but they will also notice that we see mixing with other genres or subgenres of the scene — such as heavy, power, speed, prog or death — as something enriching.

You’re from Madrid, but the Spanish metal scene often seems to live somewhat in the shadow of other countries. Does the audience reaction here feel different? Or in the end is metal understood the same everywhere?

The band was born and grew in the capital, although each of us actually comes from different regions of the country. Regarding music (metal or any other style), we believe it’s a universal language. There are all kinds of tastes, but the passion with which many people experience this music here has nothing to envy compared to other countries. Perhaps what we miss a bit is more institutional support, especially for less commercial or less massive styles.

Look… I’ve been wondering whether to ask this, but anyway. After so many years there must be some absurd story: a show that went completely wrong, something that almost ended the band… do you have one of those stories you usually don’t tell?

Things that almost ended the band, not many — perhaps distance or the typical twists of life. Absurd stories, plenty, enough to write a book. And concerts that went wrong — well, for example the time we played some covers at a charity event and things didn’t go very well. We used borrowed equipment and, for instance, the drummer had to play with a single bass drum pedal (he’s used to a double), and it was somewhat faulty on top of that… Also, it was a period when several of us had just moved house, so we didn’t have many opportunities to rehearse together before the event. Even so, we survived xD. Given the circumstances, it didn’t cause any insurmountable trauma either…

Imagine nobody complains, nobody says “this isn’t thrash”, none of that. Total freedom. What kind of musical experiment would you do under the name Battering Ram?

Nothing! There’s nothing to hide here. If someone in the band likes something and it fits with the other members, we do it. We believe that’s noticeable on the album. In the end, what you play is the sum of what you listen to, what you like and what you’re able to play. We don’t put barriers on ourselves in that sense for the future.

Sometimes fans surprise you more than any critic. Has something like that happened — someone coming up after a show and saying something that stuck with you?

We’re very lucky to have many friends who support us. What surprises us most about their comments is the variety of bands and styles they compare us with. We ourselves are aware of certain passages where we wanted to pay tribute to some of our idols, and the striking and unexpected thing is when people mention others that would never have crossed our minds and that certainly weren’t premeditated at all…

Listen, about artificial intelligence in music… I’m not interested in the usual “for or against”. Another angle: if tomorrow an AI could perfectly imitate any thrash band… what would remain truly human in this music?

Actually playing it and defending it live would be the most obvious answer, but also the singularity of each band and what it contributes to the style, or the message and the statement one wants to express through it.

Another thing that caught my attention: the cover of Time Masters was done by Andreas Marschall, a guy who basically illustrated half the history of metal. When you saw the finished artwork… was there that moment of “okay, now this is a real album”?

That was something non-negotiable. Among our circle, during those years of learning and enjoying music, an album cover was almost as noteworthy as the music itself. We know amazing albums with terrible covers, but having strong artwork as a calling card was something we wanted to try to imitate. Even before finishing the composition of all the songs we contacted Andreas Marschall and sent him the conceptual story we created to connect them. It was very exciting that he accepted our offer right away and said he felt attracted by the storyline, as well as receiving some sketches during the process. We didn’t want to rush him, and the planets aligned so that he delivered it almost at the same time we were finishing our mixing and mastering process. It wasn’t just the icing on the cake — it was an identity mark, a tribute, a flag…

And to finish — without epic speeches. If someone reads this interview, puts on Time Masters for the first time… and reaches the end of the album. What would you like that person to keep in their head? Or maybe in their chest.

That it’s a special album, with different songs and styles, somewhat unorthodox and with a certain level of complexity, where the songs tell the development of a storyline that accompanies you throughout the entire record. It’s present in the artwork as well as in the lyrics, the protagonist’s reflections that accompany each track, the dialogues or the atmospheres that embellish them. There’s not only music here — there’s a story that had to be told.

Interview: Andrei Lukovnikov