ETERNAL STRUGGLE - Perseverance In The Midst Of Chaos (Metal/Hardcore - Interview with Franko)

How it all began ? 
I am Ori Frank (aka Franko) the vocalist, I joined Eternal Struggle in 2014. At the time the band was starting to play shows across Israel but we still didn’t have any music released - we were more focused on playing shows and defining our sound. I believe that all hardcore/punk/metal bands share the same frustration from the real world that gets them pissed enough to form a band alongside a ridiculous passion for heavy music and creation. The band's lineup changed several times throughout the years but our current line up feels like the best we’ve ever had, a good combination of great friendships and incomparable professionalism. 

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Our sound is basically affected by everything that inspires us, we all love different bands and genres but we all share love to some groups that we always looked up to for inspiration such as Hatebreed, Sepultura, Biohazard, Suicidal Tendencies and more. We always share music with each other, I think that we all share a great love for metal productions and modern hardcore sounds as well, we always try to bring that “in the face“ attitude to our live sound and studio recordings. As a heavy music fan I always found it cool to check out bands from different countries around the world and try to see what defines their origin through their music, so I’m pretty sure that if you haven't listened to some pure Middle Eastern violence yet you should definitely hop on this ride! 

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ? 
Lyrical concepts are one of the most important elements in hardcore in my opinion, first of all good HC speaks from the heart about realistic problems and self work, the neverending struggle of staying the better person in a collapsing world, the price we pay for the ethical choices we make in our lives. I usually write about what really troubles me and chokes me. As Israelis, the military service is a defining part of our lives - in our album 'Year of the Gun' I found myself writing a lot about questioning different parts of my service and the effect it left on me, it’s a complicated relationship but when I wrap it all into song lyrics I still try to leave some room for the listener to identify with the song and not to make them feel excluded by listening to my own personal story. 

About your latest release ?
Our latest release 'Year of the Gun' was recorded at the end of 2018 but was released in 2021 because of COVID-related delays. We recorded the album in our hometown Tel Aviv with the production of Brian 'Mitts' Daniels who left his guitar player position in Madball a couple of months prior. Bringing Mitts to Tel Aviv was an epic adventure that definitely spiced up the whole process. Combining the atmosphere of Tel Aviv with the NYC flavors Mitts brought in, under the huge crunchy mix from Denmark done by legendary producer Tue Madsen, you can definitely say that 'Year of the Gun' is a global record that combined the best in those different worlds. The album was released by Demon Runs Amok in Europe and Upstate Records in North America, and is distributed worldwide. For the artwork we recruited our friend Marcus Mattern who specialises in creating hyper realistic art, we presented him our art work concept of a child playing with bullet shells and he really took it into the next level, we always love extreme artworks that bring up discussions. 

Future plans ? 
Nowadays we are working on a new album with Mitts that hopefully we will record during the summer and release it as early as possible in 2025. Because of everything that happens in our region it’s hard to set the perfect schedule for recording but we believe that we will be able to go forward with it soon. Together with that we still want to have some surprises about this record so it will be smart to stay patient for now ;) 
 
Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Our future plans are obviously to go out touring with a new record, in the last couple of years we played around 40 different shows in Europe with Sick of it All, Death Before Dishonor and more, and of course some hardcore festivals. We really want to be on the road as much as we can, to reach new places and crowds and expand the Eternal Struggle family. Our dream would be to get on killer tours with our favorite bands and eventually rock our own headliner tour. 

Your BEST & WORST concert and why ? 
Our best shows were probably our big headline shows in Tel Aviv such as album launch shows, no crowd is nuts as the Israeli crowd. I Also got to mention the gigs we had with international bands that we promoted in Tel Aviv such as Turnstile, Biohazard, Atari Teenage Riot, Death Before Dishonor, The Business and more. About the worst shows... I don’t think there ever was anything too tragic but I do remember some benefit shows that we were invited to play, we got to the club with our friends and fans and before we even get to play the whole thing got shut down because someone threw up or spilled drinks all over the gear. 

Next live-appearance(s) ?
Our upcoming live appearances are mostly in Israel but in July we'll do a few shows in Europe - we're opening for Wisdom in Chains in Germany and Poland and we'll also appear at Tolminator festival in Slovenia. 

Before we quit, some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ? 
Last shout out the entire extreme music scene of Israel (punk/hardcore/metal), we have a small scene but it's super warm and extremely hardworking. I really encourage everyone to take a deep dive into extreme Israeli music because we have some great bands here. If you want some names to check out: Hotbox, Last to Die, Sinnery, The Fading, Silentcut,  Shesh Shesh Shesh, Not On Tour, Walkways, Kids Insane, Shredhead. 

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