First, here's a little background: OK, I started gigging when I was 18 with a band called FREELANCE, I joined GEMINI when I was 23, we put out 2 albums one self titled in 1990 and the second called OUT FOR BLOOD in 1992. These were the beginnings of Nightmare Records as well. I left Gemini in late 1993, starting THE KINGS MACHINE, we wrote for a year, then started doing National opening slots regionally soon after releasing THE KINGS MACHINE - A STATE OF MIND on Nightmare  and cataloging another album in the archives that was never released....yet....In 1998 I joined BALANCE OF POWER and we recorded BOOK OF SECRETS, it came out in the summer of 1998 to Europe and Japan.  1999 saw the release of BALANCE OF POWER's 3rd album...TEN MORE TALES.... I then did a side project with German guitarist Rolf Munkes and members of WHITESNAKE, RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH called EMPIRE, Released in 2000 to Europe and Japan, BALANCE OF POWER's 4th album PERFECT BALANCE came out worldwide in 2001 And in 2003 I left the group.  Doing side projects with DEFYANCE (Transitional Forms ) 2003 and with Finnish guitar virtuoso, Lars Eric Mattsson (Power Games)  2003 I also did 5 songs on a  BEYOND INSPIRATION (a tribute to Uli John Roth) that came out on Lion Music in late 2003 on Lion Music in Europe. I was at this time contacted by Brazilian band SHINING STAR to work on they're new album that is still coming. And by my new main projects PYRAMAZE. Pyramaze released our first album in spring of 2004 worldwide on EMI-Japan / REPLICANTS-Europe / HELLION-Brazil /  Melodic Heaven-Korea and on NIGHTMARE for North America. Also in 2004 I began work on the new AVIAN album with David Ellefson (ex bassist of MEGADETH) and many other friends. this yet to be released.
 

TJ - Hey Lance, how's it goin'?

LK - Well, everything is going GREAT, very busy....just finished singing, producing a couple of albums, 2 side projects and one my main thing....one side project is BRAZILIAN /AMERICAN CHRISTIAN band SHINING STAR....the new album ENTER ETERNITY, and AVIAN - From the Depths of Time, these two are side projects that will be coming out sometime hopefully this year.

We've just begun shopping overseas record companies for deals on them, when things are set up we can announce a release date for them....

also mixing the new PYRAMAZE album this week, this is my main band since I left Balance Of Power, the new album LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER is just getting the final touches on it, we have deals in place around the world for PYRAMAZE already from the last album, so as soon as the masters are in the record rep's hands we'll find out when they have in mind to release it this fall. It will of course be coming out on Nightmare Records for USA and Canada.

I'm very happy with the way all of these albums have come out and proud to be a part of each. I'm sure people will enjoy them...Though SHINING STAR doesn't have a website at present, pyramaze.com & avianband.com will take you too these sights so you can check out more details on the group and listen to samples.

TJ - Wow! Busy guy. So what do you do in your spare time?

LK - We'll I really don't have any spare time.....the little time left over each day is spent with my family, I coach my sons baseball team, my son and I take Martial arts a couple of times a week, we both got our black belts this year in Muay Thai, (kickboxing) Sleep some (not much because I have a 2 year old that doesn't think that's really all that necessary ; )
I just spent a day on the Saint Croix river with my family last Sunday, it was really really nice to be outside and just relaxing!

I guess you could say I'm a victim of my own desires....I'm very busy doing what I set out to do.

TJ - Right on. So how do you get your inspiration to write your songs?

LK - It just comes....when I pick up a guitar I'll start messing around with a riff, and pretty soon I have a whole song structure.  I think if you do this every day or even every other day, or even every other week, you seem to get fresh ideas, you may only have one that day, but they come pretty easily at first.

With PYRAMAZE, All I need to write is my melody lines, the words and music are there, The guys record over in Denmark send me the music files, I fly them into my studio computer and sing along...it's very cool, I get to hear the songs for the first time fantastically recorded so there isn't any speculation, just this is what you get, now make it better kind of a thing. It's a different thing for sure than doing the entire process.  This allows me to add melodic and rhythmic vocal parts that compliment what has been recorded.  I feel I do my best vocal performance this way since all I'm thinking about is the vocal lines and making them the best I can for the song.

TJ - O.K., so you've sang in many different bands, played in many countries, played with and for a lot of people, you're a family man, own your own record company and more. How do you stay sane? I go nuts runnin' kids to baseball practice. How do you find time to unwind?

LK - Well, that is a very good question, for one, I don't drink very often, maybe once a month, but that helps ; ) (just kidding)  I enjoy most of what I do, I think that is the difference, I love coaching the kids at baseball, yes the schedule is grueling, but rewarding in many ways....the biggest stressor I have at the moment is a very tornadoish 2 year old ; ) who needs to be watched 24/7, she's got a huge attitude for her age too, a little too much like her Dad I'm afraid.  Also a huge outlet for me is my martial arts training, it's great to beat on things to get your body totally depleted of energy sometimes....works your mind, body and spirit, and natural endorphins are wonderful ; )

TJ - Tell me about your band PYRAMAZE and the concept behind it.

LK - We'll it's a band that is centered in and around the past and history, typically stories that can be related to present and still be relatable to people's lives in some way.  Our stories are of the triumph of Love and Good over Evil or specific characters that are not good, and are written based on a Powerful mix of speed, melody and musical finesse. Many people have compared the band to a mix of Iced Earth, Kamalot, Stratovarious, Balance of Power, Iron Maiden, and even Judas Priest, but none of these comparisons are really very accurate. The band plays extremely tight Like Iced Earth. The band  has Tons of Melody with huge vocals like BOP and KAMALOT, and I push my voice harder in this band because of the power of the music so I'm being compared to Halford and Dickensen and Tate more than Tony Harnell and Blaze Baily like in the past.  But other than my vibrato there really isn't the same thing going on as with these other singers, because the tone and layers make the sound unique. Morton our drummer is Amazing, Michael our guitarist that writes the material is Brilliant. And Jonah, Neils and Toke are all as good as they come on there instruments, so it's a very enjoyable experience for me to play live with them!

TJ - What is your most memorable moment in your career.

LK - Boy you ask the hard ones.....umm hmmm.....I guess it was shortly after BOOK OF SECRETS came out, BOP was my first international band....and my drummer called me from England to update me on the latest reviews that had come in.....he told me that in the biggest metal magazine in Japan called "BURRN Magazine", they had a top 10 of metal vocalists for 1998.....He told me I was number 3 on this list and I just couldn't believe it.....I'm like no way dude, your full of it.....I can think of lot's of People that are better than me!

TJ - You're one of my favorite vocalists, who is yours?

LK - Thank you very much...I'd have to say my top fav's are as follows. And these are in no Ranking as they are all magnificent vocalists... Jorne Lande, Bruce Dickensen, Steve Walsh, Steve Perry, James Labrie, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate,  Jamie Rowe, Kelly Sundown, Geddy Lee, Oni Logan, James Mason, Tony Harnell.....I'm pretty old school on this, I love a voice with Passion, range, and Power.

TJ - Ahhhh! A man after my own heart. Great choices. O.K., so tell me about your record company, NIGHTMARE Records. What are your goals for it?

LK - We'll to be honest, when I started it, my goals were to have it bring in extra cash and help sell my music, I set weekly and monthly gross sales I wanted to achieve in order to make it something that I could do full time, and I reached those goals.  My wife was an Executive director of a company in the Social service field, and doing very well but since the birth of my daughter almost 2 and a half years ago, she's been home. So I guess I've reached those goals and then some. I've been very blessed.  At this Point, now I would like to build the label side of it, up till last year most of the growth was in distribution of other labels and independent artists own releases. I have done a few releases each year, but last year I released about 7 releases, this year I have already done, 8 and probably will do another 5 or so by the end of the year.  So I'm focusing on building the label.  My label is pretty much directly related to my taste in music as well. So I'm looking for bands that are aggressive, but melodic, technical yet accessible. With a Name like Nightmare Records you tend to get a lot of black and dark metal I'm into positive messages and uplifting lyrics not doom and gloom and or anything remotely Evil.....

TJ - How do you stay spiritually fit, so to speak, being so busy?

LK - Sometimes staying busy is the best way to keep focused. What's that saying...Idle hands....etc We're all challenged daily regardless of what we are doing, my email box fills with all kinds of nasty opportunities to explore....I just hit delete. I guess because of the life that I have led and choices I have made in the past that I regret now, and the constant reminder that I have a family that needs me, these are simple daily reminders to keep my path clear.  I don't go to church that often, But I do what I can to give back to my community in various ways volunteering.  I do pray and connect with the lord
and also talk to myself when my mind starts to wander off into thoughts that I would call...non-productive and sinful, that's when I redirect myself, It does help to be busy doing what I love.

TJ - When did you start singing and when did you know that you wanted to front a rock band?

LK - Well I started singing when I was about 5 as I recall, sang to the radio, sang to my mom and dad's music, they listened to a lot of Moody Blues and Pink Floyd and Eagles, Al Stuart and some other cool old stuff that I really like.  I was the guy that was always singing if music was on, no matter how bad or annoying I was to the rest of the people in the car, I would do it, I'm surprised I didn't get told to shut up more often....at the age of 16 I had a buddy that was a musician and he asked me to jam with his band, he said because he thought I had a nice speaking voice.  First time I sang through a very poor PA  and mic, it sounded terrible, wasn't just the PA, was the fact that I had no range at all, the band was like....that was ok, now can you sing it with a little more attitude?

My first band was filled with Kiss wannabe's and at that point in my life, I hadn't really listened to much Kiss so I had no idea what they were asking for.  I was listening to Rush, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, Boston and these sort of groups.  OK...I'll say it... I'm old ; )  29 again !

TJ - HAHAHA...I'm 29 again too...and again and again..haha, so where would you say your biggest following is? It seems that metal still rules over seas.

LK - Good question, Japan, Germany most likely, and the US....fans in these major music markets are all very supportive, hard to say which one is biggest.

TJ - So where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years?

LK - We'll I see myself doing this and more....I've been doing it for a long time, it seems to be doing better for me every year, so why not? I'll keep plugging away at it, or maybe I should start playing pop so I can be a flash in the pan ; )  Nah....I hate pop, I couldn't do that for long before losing my lunch.

TJ - We seem to have a lot in common...I'm a BIG baseball fan. Who's your favorite team and player? (If any)

LK - Guess I'd have to say the Twins....for Major league, but I'd much rather go to a St. Paul Saints game, tons more fun to be honest, here in the Cities we have the Twins, they play in a dome, no fun for baseball.... I wanna be outside, the Saints are what baseball is all about. Pro baseball seem to be so serious....I think Baseball is a fun game and should be played as such myself.

TJ - Great answer! Well Lance, I should let you get back to your busy life. Thank you so much for taking time to do this, you're awesome! Keep up the good work and keep us informed on the new stuff and may GOD truly bless you bro. Any parting words for your fans?

LK - Thank you JT and also a huge thank you to all the fans that support the new music that I put out, if it were not for you, there would be no point! I also thank God for the gifts, I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I love for so long!  Keep the Faith and stay metal my friends!