Interview: Hounds (US/ITALY)
7–11 minutesThe Nwothm
Turin’s Hounds have carved their path from Savatage covers to epic concept albums rooted in dark atmospheres and classic metal grit. In this interview, they reflect on their evolution, the Italian scene, and the gothic pulse of their hometown, all while teasing what’s next for their warrior-led saga.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNOaqNRa3Pk
Interview
TheNwothm: Let’s kick off with the basics: who are Hounds, and what part of Turin do you call home?
Hounds: Hounds are an Italian U.S. heavy/power metal band based in Turin, in the North of Italy. We started the band almost ten years ago playing some covers just for fun, but after a little while we felt pretty confident to switch to new and unreleased stuff. We released a self-titled demo, our debut album Warrior Of Sun in 2020 and now we are ready once again to unleash our music with Rise Of The Immortals! To answer your question, there are few places we call home in Turin and are all strictly bonded with live music: Ziggy Club and Blah Blah which are the last vanguards of underground music in town.
TheNwothm: You started out as a cover band in 2016! What was the first song you ever played together, and how did that moment feel?
Hounds: We started with a couple of Savatage’s classics like Tonight He Grins Again and Jesus Saves and then we added Space Truckin’ by Deep Purple and Kill The King by Rainbow. Those were very funny moments because there was a lot of excitement in the air. That’s because Hounds was the first band for me and Marco (keyboards). But soon we realised that we were ready to write our own music and so we threw some new fresh riffs to jam with. That’s the way Stronger Than Steel – our first song we wrote together- took form. We still have fun playing some covers and throughout the years we played No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper and Warrior by Riot.
TheNwothm: How did you eventually evolve into Hounds as we know the band today?
Hounds: Well, it was only natural for us to try something new and do it our own way. As I said we started with Stronger Than Steel and briefly we collected enough riffs and ideas to come up with an entire demo. I remember that as one of the most engaging, funny and best times and memories I had with Hounds. But once again, it was natural for us to craft something that would reflect our personalities yet our influences at the same time.
TheNwothm: Turin has a rich cultural and historical backdrop. Has the city’s atmosphere or heritage seeped into your music or lyrics in any unexpected ways?
Hounds: I do not think that the cultural heritage influenced or inspired us about the lyrics. The city’s atmosphere though is another sport. Turin has its gothic, dark fascinating soul because it is in between the Black and White magic triangles. We also have a monument dedicated to Lucifer in Piazza Statuto which is one of the main squares of the city, and the Devil’s Door which is in one of the oldest buildings in town. Perhaps it subconsciously helped us to create our darkest songs like Rise Of The Immortals and Condemned to Hell.
TheNwothm: What’s something about the Italian metal scene that outsiders might not know but should?
Hounds: The metal scene in Italy is mainly made by a bunch of passionate and loyal fans who enjoy supporting bands by going to gigs. The main problem is that there are only a few young metal kids out there that guarantee a new generation of metalheads, but I think it’s pretty normal because true metal is not for everyone. On the other hand, there are many venues, especially in the North of Italy, that host a lot of concerts all year long, trying to keep the underground flame alive despite all the difficulties and the ridiculously high prices to host a show. So, for the bands outside Italy, please come and play and the audience will show up!
TheNwothm: Piedmont is known for its landscapes and legends, so have any local myths or stories ever inspired a track or theme?
Hounds: We are not influenced by Piedmont legends nor local myths, lyrically speaking. The concept of the Warrior of Sun is mainly inspired by the Dark Souls videogames series and knight named Solaire. But, on the other hand, some ancient Medieval Castles ruins that are in our land have inspired us when setting the aesthetic of the artwork I guess.
TheNwothm: Your debut EP “Hounds” dropped in 2018. What was the biggest lesson you learned from recording and releasing that first batch of original material?
Hounds: What I personally learned is: never ever rush things and always try to be relaxed when it’s time to record something. There is no worse enemy than the anxiety to perform and sometimes the pressure is so high that you can screw up even the easiest parts. My advice is: do your homework at home and then keep calm and play at your best, and everything will be good.
TheNwothm: “Warrior of Sun” in 2020 was a full-length leap. What’s one track from that album that still gives you goosebumps when you play it live?
Hounds: That’s a hard one, but I’ll go with “City Hunter” and “Beyond the Horizon” that we usually play together like one single song. I love the mix between the speed metal of City and the epic and melodic choruses of Beyond, which is perfect to let the people sing along with us.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDnh-oQr0q0
TheNwothm: “Rise of the Immortals” is your latest release. What’s something you tried on this album, musically or lyrically that you hadn’t done before?
Hounds: I do think that Rise shows how we grew as musicians and artists. We experimented a lot trying to find the good balance among 80’s heavy metal cut throats guitar riffs, epic choruses and catchy guitar melodies, emotional impact and fancy orchestral arrangements in order to have a bombastic, majestic result. As a bass guitar player, I tried my best to write the right bass line that fits the best with the spirit of each song, letting my mates to shine as a good metal band should do. We tried different things during the recording and mixing process, finding the right sound of each instrument trying to make the wall of sound as layered as possible.
TheNwothm: Looking over the music you have released, do you each have a favorite track, or perhaps a story about a particular song that will always stay with you?
Hounds: As I said, “Stronger Than Steel” has a special place for us because it was the first song we wrote together. I would like to mention “Rise Of The Immortals” because we wrote this song in 2019, just in time for our first date ever in Germany. I recall this special moment because, even if we played in a small pub, I clearly remember the tension before hitting the stage and also because the German audience is crazy and truly loves metal.
TheNwothm: Tell us a little bit about yourselves? What is something that fans may not know about you?
Hounds: We are a band of friends and when we do not play we usually hang out at night howling at the moon! I’m joking! To be honest we spend our time together blasting metal at full volume and drinking a lot of beers but we have many common interests.We all are a bit nerds and we enjoy sci-fi, horror and action films. We do love John Carpenter’s movies in particular, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, Tim Burton’s Batman and stuff like Total Recall and Robocop films. We are also into videogames like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. Sometimes we also meet and spend the night watching WWE and old school WCW wrestling matches. Our favorite wrestlers are Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Ultimate Warrior!
TheNwothm: Are there any themes or concepts you’re itching to explore on future releases that you haven’t tackled yet?
Hounds: Surely we’ll go on with the Warrior concept and his stories and adventures. In the future maybe we will try something else, perhaps more sci-fi oriented or more introspective, but for now it is too early to think about it.
TheNwothm: Have you already started penning ideas for your next release?
Hounds: Yes, actually we have a bunch of ideas for a third album and at least a couple of songs that are pretty much completed, but that did not end up with Rise because we wanted songs linked by a specific feeling and sound and full of the epic nuances. We hope to complete the third album very soon.
TheNwothm: Do you have any confirmed tour dates or plans extending into 2026?
Hounds: We will have a huge date on next 4th of December opening for mighty Helstar from the U.S. We are thrilled to play with such a cult band that made history of heavy metal and we can’t be happier than this! Currently we are working on booking dates for 2026 and more dates will be announced! We also hope to be back in the studio as fast as we can to work on the third album and we do not want to spend too much time on the next release.
TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?
Hounds: They can purchase our music and merch on bandcamp https://houndsmetal.bandcamp.com/album/rise-of-the-immortals or DM us on Facebook and Instagram for any order.
TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?
Hounds: You can follow us on:
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/houndsmetalband
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/houndsmetal/
- Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@houndsmetal
- Spotify https://tinyurl.com/3aajakpz
TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?
Hounds: Thank you for the time and space dedicated to us and thanks a lot to those who will, eventually, support us in the future! You are the flame that makes everything relevant! Cheers and take care and keep supporting true heavy metal!”
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