Luca Cerardi: When we arrive in the studio we are completely prepared. The songs are ready, we are all ready. It's a budget issue. We have a time scheduled in studio and the only way to do a great job is to arrive there really prepared. This doesn't mean that once you are there, nothing can change. Everything can change. We cut many parts and added many new ones. The connection between us and the studio guys helped Raw to be a great album.
What are your expectations for the album?
My only expectation is it can help us to advance and can be appreciated. I hope to have the chance to do other records and try to play live in the future in the USA and Europe.
Will you be coming to the US to tour?
I hope in the future, but not now. We don't have any plans for it. We must wait and see how Raw will be accepted and maybe then we can come to tour.
What are the largest and smallest crowds you've played in front of?
The largest was in 2000 in North Italy. It was a big open air and we played in front of more than a thousand people. I think it was the biggest crowd we ever saw in front of us. The smallest I think was the same year, there were three or four people, worse then the first shows in the early days.
What was the first concert you attended as a fan?
AC/DC on the 1996 Ballbreaker tour. I'm an huge fan of AC/DC. It was my 19th birthday. It was one of the best shows I ever saw.
How did you get started in music?
It was in 1993 and during a party at my school I saw one of my schoolmates play drums in a band and I was shocked. I liked it very much, despite the fact I always thought I would play guitar. From that moment me and other guys thought to start a band. I bought a drum set the summer of 1994. During the winter of that year one of my schoolmates busted my balls to start a band, and I accepted. He wanted to play guitar so I chose drums. In early 1995 I started to go to drum school. From that moment music became my life. The band was born exactly the same week we all together started to go to music school.
Who were your musical inspirations?
In the beginning I liked AC/DC. They are great. Once I started to play music I became heavier and my focus shifted to Metallica. They were my inspiration for a long time. We played Metallica for two years here in Italy than we moved to Pantera cause I love their power, their heaviness, their entire music from the first album to the last one. Now we are discovering all music. All of us are discovering hard rock in all its ways but also hardcore, thrash, blues and all music. We have always been influenced by Bay Area thrash but now we are more curious and we are listening to a lot of music.
How did Merendine Atomiche get started?
We were five school mates in 1995 who, after some trials, decided to do it seriously. We started to play in February, 1995 but we had problems with the lineup for almost four years. In this long period it was very hard to keep going on but it paid off.
How did you decide on the band name?
It was in 1996. For more than a year we didn't have any name because of the continuous changes of the lineup and because we didn't find one that we all liked. We started with Vanishing Wizards, but it was weird. One day our old bass player came to my home and said Merendine Atomiche. He explained that the meaning was that "impossible is nothing" and we were 17 and we would conquer the world like all teenagers thought they could. The name is in Italian and it keeps our roots, it reminds us of our youth, it's funny and different and it has a strong meaning. It works. From that moment we were Merendine Atomiche.
Who are some current artists you admire?
I still say Metallica for how they change themselves. I think it is not easy have the world against you and keep doing what you want. I appreciated what they did, they had the courage to do it, so I like them. I would say Dimebag Darrell Abbott because he was my favorite guitarist. His music many times gave me inspiration. I can say also the Rolling Stones. I saw them on stage few days ago and to see Mick Jagger running around on stage for two hours give me inspiration to work hard because I want to play music also when I will hit 90 years old!
