Backstage | Alissa White Gluz und Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein mit Sea Shepherd Gitarre - SBOA 26

Interview at Summer Breeze

Backstage at Summer Breeze, Ollie from metal.de talks with Alissa White-Gluz and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein about a custom guitar, animal rights, and their music.

Custom Guitar for Sea Shepherd

The one-of-a-kind guitar is a collaboration between Blue Medusa, Sea Shepherd, and Doyle. German luthier Nick Huber built it with an ocean-blue finish and trim made from recycled ocean plastic. The guitar will be raffled off to raise money for Sea Shepherd’s marine conservation work.

Doyle also discusses his custom Von Frankenstein Monster pickup and strings, which he has spent years refining. Alissa says the strings were surprisingly easy to play in an upcoming video. Ollie jokes that he lacks both the skill and the money to own a guitar like Doyle’s.

Animal Rights and Veganism

Alissa talks about veganism and reducing harm to animals. She says everyday choices can make a meaningful difference, and that even small steps—such as eating less meat or dairy—help. She also notes that animal products are heavily advertised, making the pressure to consume them easy to overlook.

Music and Vocal Goals

Alissa describes a busy year promoting Blue Medusa, which is working on a full-length album. She has also performed at major festivals, recorded a new Wacken anthem with Bear McCreary, appeared with Ice Nine Kills, and supported Savage Lands’ reforestation efforts.

After years of practice, extreme vocals have become comfortable for her. Now she wants to explore more of her range, from low growls and high screams to clean singing, rasp, and falsetto. She also discusses collaborating with DragonForce after recording “Burning Heart,” saying the band’s speed was the real challenge.

Alissa describes Blue Medusa as the all-female band she has long wanted: a chance to play with musicians she connects with and create dark, heavy music that suits her voice and lyrics.

Songs That Represent Their Lives

Asked which song would represent their lives, Alissa chooses “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend,” Doyle picks “Five Minutes Alone,” and Ollie settles on “The Sound of Silence”—a suitably dramatic set of metal-adjacent answers.

People featured: Ollie (interviewer), Alissa White-Gluz, and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein.