I had the pleasure to do an interview with Nate Klug (lead vocals / guitar) and Nick Altenburg (bass / vocals) from the band Vapor before their show at Helvete Oberhausen on 28th july 2023 on the Oblivion European Tour 2023 with Possessed, Stoic Suffering and Matt Miller.
1) What show are you most looking forward to on this tour?
Nate: We played in Romania, in Bucharest we played at Quantic Club, that was really cool. We played there before last spring on the Nile tour and it was a really good time. So now that we came back, we’ve played the same place again and that was really fun and we are excited about that one.
2) Do you have a show where you would say “that is the perfect live show for us”? What are the ingredients for a perfect live show?
Nick: Well a perfect live show I guess would just mean the right crowd of people that match with the energy that we bring on stage
Nate : The crowd, the energy, they are giving back what we are putting out, you know what I’m saying.
Nick: Put it on and and everyone is having a good time, people coming out and giving us that energy, it’s only coming right back out of us on stage.
Nate: Just having fun I guess, this all makes it worth.
3) Could you tell me something about the tour that is coming up with Artillery and Potential Threat SF? I would love to see those guys, I love that band.
Nate: Yeah, Potential Threat SF are cool, they live maybe 30 minutes from where we are. We’ve played with them many times in San Francisco in the Bay Area and the thrash scene. They’ve been around for a long time. Those guys are really cool, we toured with them in 2015, now we are touring again so it’s kind of like a review for all of us touring again now. And you know doing the US and Canada, so that’s going to be really fun, it’s like nonstop tour, we have shows every day so this is going to be really fun.
Nick: it’s going to be busy
Do you like busy?
Nate: yeah, busy is good.
Nick: busy is fun, yes sometimes.
4) Could you tell me something about the new album, a bit about the writing process, the production and how everything came together?
Nate: yeah so, we just sat down, basically during 2020 and 2021 when there was nothing going on and just every band was sitting and writing and trying to come up with songs. We picked out the good ones and recorded everything, got it all together. Finally put it out, so we’re excited about it and got some good songs on there and hopefully people gonna listen and hopefully like it.
Nick: It has been fun this last two tours to get and the road and playing the songs live in front of people, so we are actually proud to see that people are digging it so far.
I’ really looking forward to see you guys tonight on stage and I love the new album, it is killer!
In general in your writing process, is there anyone who brings a lot of riffs and the main ideas or do you write everything together?
Nate: I usually bring some riffs and then I’ll put them with the drums and then we’ll kind of figure everything out and then bring other stuff and blare it. So usually, I just write the guitar part first or something, or maybe the drum part first and then just build onto that, then get the bass and vocals and these. So… it usually starts with the guitar and I’ll structure it with the drums, then I do it again and again because it’s no good and I do it again fifteen times later trying to get it right. So, it takes time in the process.
5) Do you have any plans for the future, like a place you really want to go, maybe a new album?
Nate: Yeah, maybe a new album, we’ve got some songs already we’re working on. Maybe next year, but we’re touring a lot right now, so once we get down with the tours this year, we wanted to try to do maybe a South America tour or New Asia or something. But we’re going to come back to Europe again once the new album is out.
Nick: Just trying to get the new album put together, for next year possible, stay busy.
Nate: When we get back from the tour we’ll go back writing again, then come back down in spring maybe.
It would be great to see you guys come back to Europe with Potential Threat SF
Both: yes absolutely, that would be fun
6) What are for you the most important things to keep a band alive and well?
Nate: just staying active and you know, keeping it alive… doing shows, keep going, working some content and come up with some new stuff.
Nick: Staying active and keeping moving, new songs and putting on a good show.
Nate: yeah basically, new stuff and just getting new people into it. This is what is all about. People are delighted, we’re delighted, and everyone’s having a great time.
Nick: it’s fun, getting out there, just getting people a chance to see Vapor and see what we are all about and show how we do it. So far it’s been really positive, it’s been really nice.
7) Out on tour, do you have some things you really like to do in your free time on the bus or on a day off.
Nate: sometimes yeah, we like to play sports, we like to go see the sites, and walk around and see a little about the people, the cuisines
Nick : eat a lot of food, try a bunch of new beers, just out there have fun, yesterday was a day off, we do explore, see what these cities are about, you know you don’t get every day to go out and travel like this. It’s fun to get out, to see what they have to offer. The food is amazing, I like food myself so any chance I get to eat is great and a good beer to go with is aways a plus.
8) Are there things you don’t like about being on tour?
Nick: Tour life is fun for me, the hardest thing would be being away from my pets, being away from…. you know the people you care about. And at the same time, you’re getting a chance to experience things, so you are just out there having fun with it. It doesn’t last forever so most of the time you are just profiting.
Nate: Yeah, tour is amazing, just sometimes you have to wait a long time before stuff happens. You’re sitting around, just not doing everything for a couple hours… that’s probably the boring part but besides that it’s amazing.
Nick: hurry up and wait, we’ll wait around the whole day and then everything is just wrapping up really quick, just hold and see.
It’s the big stress before the shows?
Nick: hasn’t been for me, it’s the waiting that gets to, watching the clock ticking.
Nate: Touring is the art of waiting.
9) Do you have a favorite tour story or an anecdote from a show?
Nick: Nothing right off the top of my head, things happen quickly, so there are always stories when you reflect back. You can reflect on them on a bad way or a good way or either way, things happen quick. Any particular thing, nothing I can’t think of but you definitely have to adjust to things. Things happen quickly, you can’t control the timeline of everything going on… you’ve missed a turn driving, we are a little late, somebody’s gear breaks down, you just have to learn to adapt to it, figure out how to fix it, keep the show going
Nate: Yeah keep it going
10) What are your motivations to create the band in first place, to pick up your instruments?
Nate: well, I always loved music, my dad played music, so I was kind of like into it, he got me my fist guitar, or bass guitar actually. I played bass when I was younger and the transitioned to guitar later. But I’ve loved music forever and I always wanted to play music and to start a band. I just wanted to start something that people could relate to and make music for people that love music.
Nick: I’ve always had passion for music and as the opportunity came up to go out and play I just decided to jump on it. I’ve just been riding that wave ever since, and having fun with it… It’s just fun to get up in front of people and just perform.
11) What was the very first album you ever bought? a little fun question just like that…
Nick: Oh mine was Metallica’s Master of Puppets, my first personal album I got
Nate: I just don’t know like that
Nick: I remember that I played that tape so much that it got worn out and just stopped working. I played that tape out but I’ve been digging that one.
Nate: I’ve gotta go with Vulgar Display of Power, Pantera, that one is I think the oldest one I had. I remember, I’ve had other ones, but I’ve had so many, or maybe Ozzy… maybe Ozzy and Blizzard, definitely had that one.
12) Do you have a favorite 2023 release? an album you really like that came out this year ?
Nick: Oh not really of the top of my head, I don’t really listen to a whole lot of new music.
Nate: we’ve been so busy
Nick: I know that the album I’m the most excited about that came out 2023 is Mass Mortality that we did, and that is just because we’ve been working on it and felt good to get it out there.
Nate: yeah, or that new Soilwork album was pretty good… There was a lot going on lately…. Yeah, you know we’ve just been so busy, I haven’t really had time to listen to a lot of music lately so…
13) Do you have an album where you would say that it is he most influential album for you ?
Nate: For me it is probably The Art of Balence by Shadows Fall. It’s one of my favourite bands, and they were doing that kind of style, the riffs and everything, and it all came together, it’s probably one of the albums that influenced me the most in the two thousand years.
Nick: Pantera’s been always a big push for me, just something that my brother and I bonded with. Gave me a chance to get close to my brother, and all albums form Pantera we were just playing those albums all the time going to work, so that was really great for me. Just something about Vinnie Paul and Dimebag, and brothers working together, it made me excited working with my brother, you know playing together but we shared that as something that’s bonding, that’s nice.
That you very much for your answers and your time! do you have any last words for the interview?
Nate: Yeah, just check us out at Vaporthrash.com or on Instagram @vaporthrash and come to a show and we’ll see you soon
Nick: Yeah, give us a listen and come out and watch us play, and tell us what you think, post reviews, give us comments. We are very eager to hear what people have to say and just want to go out and have fun, put some smiles on some faces, throw us some devil’s horns up
Nate: Hell yeah!
Thank you so much!
