Veronica: Well, a lot has changed for me over the years but I do appreciate that you've done your homework and even more so the fact that you have been so patient in waiting for this interview. When you first asked me I was on my way to Germany (for the Magic Circle Festival), when I got back it has been non-stop chaos here at home. I did work for a hardware store for a while and at the time that things started happening for Benedictum I was starting to wind things up there. I had the opportunity to move to Phoenix and start my own company, which would afford me the time to travel if I had to. Or so I thought. Once all the permits were secured for the store and just before its grand opening I left and moved to Phoenix. I now run a company called Streetfighters Inc. You can check it out here. We (my husband and I) sell Sport Bike accessories and are trying to bring the Street fighter scene here to the States. His company has been around for a few years. Mine is only a year old that is why I have been so busy. It has been quite an intense undertaking and although it really did allow me the freedom to travel and do some cool shows and tours at first, it is now starting to grow and needs a lot of attention to keep it going. So please forgive the fact that it has taken me so long to do this interview, you have been so very understanding and I appreciate it! So now let's get this party started!

Benedictum is straight-laced Heavy Metal for a new generation. How big do you honestly think the band could get versus how big you dream of getting? In simpler terms, what are the band's goals for the next six months?

V: Wow, great question. To be honest the road we have traveled has been quite surprising and a real blessing. I always hope for the best but also try to be very realistic. I know that our style of Metal, which is more traditional with a bit of a modern edge, is not the ‘flavor of the day' so it could have gone either way. We were really thrilled to get good reviews for both ‘Uncreation' and ‘Seasons of Tragedy' and have had a lot of support along the way. We have played some cool shows and done much more than we had thought. We hope that the next six months will bring us more success and a chance to connect with more people and play for our fans. We are getting ready to head back out in October for a tour with Girlschool* and then we head back to Europe in December. We will be part of the Hard Rock Hell Festival in the UK and are really looking forward to that as well. We will also be doing some writing over the next six months to start getting it together for our next CD.

With the positive reception of your latest album, ‘Seasons of Tragedy,' the shows you've been playing as a result plus family and work, when and how does the members of Benedictum keep their musical skills tight?

V: I think we are at the point where we do what we call ‘our homework.' Some of us live in Phoenix now, while Pete (guitars), Tony (keyboards) and I and the rest in San Diego so getting together is not something that happens every day. We work out our stuff on our own much of the time and then get together for a couple of weekends a month to work on new stuff and prepare for future shows. It is a bit harder that way but it keeps our relationship as a band fresher, I think, and that is really important.

Your guitarist and longtime collaborator, Pete, has awesome chops. In fact, you describe his axework as ‘mind boggling'. Is there a part in Benedictum's live set when you allow him to let loose and solo for a good five minutes?

V: Glad you asked about that. It really depends on the set length. Considering all his talent, Pete is really very shy so I have to push him to get out there and do more solo work. When we get a chance to headline or have a longer set time we make sure and add something cool in there where Pete can really cut loose and work his magic!

Wasn't Pete in the launch party for the new Testament album? I believe I saw his picture with the band on Benedictum's official website. Does he have any interesting stories to tell from that experience?

V: I don't think that was the launch party but we have had the pleasure of meeting up with them a few times. No real huge stories to tell other than they are great to be around. We met up with them recently in Romania at the Rockin' Transylvania Festival we just did in July. It was cool to hang for a while but as always we had to jet that same day so didn't get to hang out with Testament as much as we would have liked to.

Let's now focus on the band's ‘creative process'. When you all sit down to write a song, what are the standards that the band sets for itself? Is it supposed to balance being heavy, your collective chops, and melody? What makes Benedictum songs work?

V: To be honest the process is heavily divided between Pete and myself at first. I have been working with him for years so we have our own little process. He will throw down some ideas and record them for me and I listen to them over and over and pick out the most inspiring parts. I will usually write the melodies and lyrics around that and we pound out the arrangements and details together. We usually do not have a set agenda when it comes to writing. However, with the title track ‘Seasons of Tragedy' we really did have more of a collaborative thing going on. We had all decided that we wanted to do an epic song and concentrated on it being a collaborative effort. What we did was create a basic premise and structure then slowly built it from there.

V: We have what we call a ‘Petrocity' whenever Pete **cks up! It always seems to be Pete. Either there are problems with his guitar or his equipment or he is always late! We love him but one never knows when a petrocity is about to happen. On one of our very first shows ever, we were so nervous ready to go and when we started out with the song ‘#4' (from the ‘Uncreation' album) and of course he heads out on stage and pulls his chord and that was that. It certainly wasn't the greatest of beginnings. It happened all night long. The crowd was definitely over it by the time we were done. One of the things I think that keeps this band going is the fact that we do all act like clowns most of the time. We have named ourselves the goofiest band in metal. We try to enjoy each moment we can doing what we love. We realize that it really is a gift so we try not to take this or each other for granted.

Okay, let's shift to everything about Veronica Freeman. What kind of frontwoman are you? Do you put in a lot of stage banter and introduce the members? Do you strike a pose?

V: I just let it all go. I really love to perform and it is the best release for all of my energy. Well, sex is good too, but performing is right up there, hahaha! I don't talk too much but I do indeed introduce everyone in the band because without them I wouldn't be doing this. Strike a pose? HELL YEAH!

Other women doing the same thing you do sometimes show a little leg and maybe a hint of cleavage. You take it to another level and knock every guy's eyes out. At what point in your life did you find the confidence and willingness to be very sexy? And by extension, what role does it play in your being Benedictum's frontwoman-is your innate hotness an advertisement for the band?

V: Damn! I don't even see it like that . . . too funny. I think there are quite a few women out there that really go much farther than I do. I think at first the promo thing was to put that sort of thing out there but I am not really all about that. It's cool though but really, at the end of the day, as long as you can deliver its all good. This question is so funny to me because I am just the opposite of that I guess. I don't put too much stock in my looks. All of the outer stuff is great, don't get me wrong, but the truth is it's very fleeting and doesn't last. So like my mom told me, ‘better work on the inside ‘cause the outside will go south some day!'

You've appeared on magazine covers in kinky outfits, gotten married, run a motorcycle business, work out in the gym, scuba dive, and sing for a Heavy Metal band. Is there anything you haven't done?

V: Let's see, I have yet to sky dive, which I think is my goal for next year! ‘kinky outfits'? Geeezzz. . . you're rough! But it's cool. I have to laugh about that though. Would also love to travel more, I mean real travel where you get to spend some time going places. Touring is a blast but with us at this stage of the game we really don't get to stay or see too many of the sites we would like to.

Having interviewed a good number of bands across the United States I've noticed that the musicians in California have such interesting lives outside their music while those in the Midwest and the East Coast are all stuck in their local scene, have boring jobs, and are struggling to get their band off the ground. Is this because the quality of life in California is infinitely richer or is my attempt at anthropological insight grossly inaccurate?

V: You may have a good point there. I have not made that observation personally but who knows? For me it could also be that I have been doing this for a while. There was a time that it was all I did. Go to work, then rehearse, and that was it but I had to be realistic about what the chances were of being able to support myself from music alone and that still hasn't happened. I have to work and I work hard so being able to do this music as I said before is a blessing. I try to capitalize on any opportunities and balance that out with a bit of pragmatism and realism. I dare to dream but need to make sure the bills are paid too!

(Dio guitarist) Craig Goldy is instrumental in the story of Benedictum at a professional and personal level. As you've said in previous interviews, the two of you go way back. But I'd like to know if he's ever told you about Dio's mansion. Does he tell you stories about what's inside it?

V: I've been to Dio's house once or twice already. Very cool. I had the privilege of meeting him a few years back and that was a blast. It was just at the very beginning of what is now Benedictum. The house is totally cool and Ronnie is a great person. He was very gracious and kind and it was a complete honor to meet him.

Being a natural singer who found her voice largely on her own (you've only had voice lessons twice right?) are you still pushing your singing capabilities to levels previously unheard? Are you gonna add growls to your music any time soon?

V: One never knows what will happen in the world of the ‘V.' Growls could very well be added (fortified with eight essential vitamins and minerals). Wow, its cool you have really done some research here. Seriously though, I am still finding things out about my voice, what it can and cannot do and how far I can push it. I try not to take it for granted as much as I used to.

Metal has been the soundtrack to my life since hitting puberty. As a result I someday dream of going places in a Harley. Since Benedictum is heavily involved in bikes themselves, what kind of experience and know-how should an aspiring biker possess before acquiring his vehicle of choice?

V: I will tell you what someone told me; the more you ride, the more experienced you get. Don't go beyond your own level and at first it is wise to ride with someone who has a ton of experience. It's all good to look cool but for me safety is the key. I am still a novice rider and I can tell you I have no desire to leave half of my skin or brains (or what I have left) on the road!. Try to get out there as much as you can but don't push beyond your level too far too fast.

Guitarist Pete terrorizing Europe

You know what? I'm a big fan of Mad Max myself and dig Tina Turner's ‘Beyond Thunderdome.' I've always dreamed that someday a Metal band would give it a makeover. Are you seriously considering doing a cover and including it in a future release? And if you ever sing it live, would you dress the same way she did (chain mail, stilettos, hoops ear rings)?

V: Hmmm . . . all things Tina Turner are okay with me! I will have to give this one some thought though. About dressing like her . . . Well, according to YOU, I already have this outfit!

You, along with the other members, were involved in bands years before your current success with Benedictum. I'd like to know if this experience has influenced your outlook on the music industry in general. What I'm trying to dig up here is your understanding of the biz. How much do you know?

V: A lot more than I wish I did, hahaha! It is a tough business and I now look at it as more of a passion. That way it stays fresh for me. As a business, which it definitely is, albeit not a profitable one, it's tough, very tough. Especially so for our type of music. I must say that over the years we have been very fortunate to have really solid people with a lot of insight believing in us. As I stated before, I am all about having big dreams but a reality check now and then keeps things in order. When it gets to the point where it is no longer fun (it definitely isn't profitable but I am having a blast, hahaha) then I don't want to be in it anymore.

How soon are you going to break out in Europe? According to my research the buzz around Benedictum is starting to snowball.

V: Well, as you know we just got back from Europe at the end of July, are going back again in October and again in December. That is where our biggest fan base is at the moment. We are looking forward to doing some shows here in the States next year as well. But I think 2009 will be more about writing but if something cool comes up we are there!

How about touring in Asia and in my country, the Philippines? If the deal was good, is Benedictum game?

V: If you can make it happen, MY BAGS ARE PACKED! WE ARE SOOOOOOOOO THERE!

Thank you for your time Mrs. Freeman. I'm honored to feature Benedictum on Filipinometal.com. Has doing interviews like this ever made yo late for band practice? interviews like this ever made you late for band practice?

V: I'm always late for practice and late for work. But it's all good. I can't thank you enough for showing us some love and the honor is ours my dear! Thanks to everyone!

The V.

* all girl NWOBHM band.

STAY HEAVY