In the 6 years since I started Defenders of the Faith, there’ve been no shortage of “pinch me” moments. This was one of them. Acid were a band whom, upon initially discovering them towards the end of high school, I became hooked on (no pun intended). Their music was fast, raw, and savage, serving as a mediator between the NWOBHM explosion and the advent of thrash. Having only released 3 albums in the short span of a few years, they were a band enshrouded in obscurity, each member largely fading away from the metal scene. The most memorable of those members was fiery frontwoman Kate De Lombaert, armed with her unrelenting vocal attack and take no prisoners attitude. It was as if she was a mythological figure. And now, here I was face to face with the legend herself on a Zoom call, on the brink of the debut album from her new band, Kate’s Acid, Hellbender. In this brand new interview, Lombaert reflects upon the events that led to this latest venture, staying true to the old school sound, and the heavy ’70s acts who shaped her musically.
Greetings Kate and welcome to Defenders of the Faith! How are you doing today?
Kate De Lombaert: The sun is shining so I couldn’t be better!
Awesome! Before we talk about this new album, I’d like to start with how we got here today. Acid initially got back together in the late ’10s for a series of reunion shows. By 2020, you’d assembled your own band under the moniker Kate’s Acid. What events led to the return of Acid, and how did the lineup that appears on this album come about?
KDL: We restarted the band in 2019. First, in 2010, that was not Acid. That was just a band who did a song with me at Keep it True. That’s where it all started. I did not know it was that good. I was out for a very long time from metal. In 2019, I tried to restart. It took me 10 years to start this because the drummer (Anvill), he also wanted to have a go, but he was being difficult. At a certain moment, I said to him, “Look, now’s your chance. Are you gonna do it or not?” Then, immediately, he came up with three guys. He planted it all the way. I had one very good guitarist at that moment.
He wanted to be the boss, but that is not how it works. That’s why we had different views. I said, “If we do rehearsals, and it’s good, I want to do more than one gig because of all the time we put in it. I want to do a few more.” He didn’t know how many gigs he would do. I said to him, “Do you want to do 3, 4, 5?” “I don’t know.” I said, “You have to know because I want to go on. Otherwise, I will start a band between this band.” Then, he got angry. The next step was I got a letter in the mailbox from the lawyer. He claimed the name because he didn’t want me to go further. He claimed the name, but eventually, he could not claim the name because I made the logo. He had forgotten all about that.
I had a few pictures, drawings, I made in the early days. I always kept them. I learned at school, when you draw something, put your signature on it. Now, I know why you have to put your signature on it! The lawyer said, “The logo is yours. He cannot do anything.” But I did not want to go to court because it would take me a few years and all the negative vibes, I don’t need that. Somebody said to me, “It’s easy. Put “Kate” above it.” I said, “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.” That’s how it’s now Kate’s Acid. I think it’s an honest solution for the fans also because a lot of bands today are playing with the name, but most of them are gone, so where’s the honesty? If you have a name band, most of them have to be in the band, or it is that they’re already gone. That’s something different. You cannot replace somebody when they’re gone.
We went on with Kate’s Acid. I searched for guys that were a lot younger than me. I said, “So what? If they’re playing good, why not?” They’re very good musicians too. I wanted to have good musicians. We did 4, 5 years together. Meanwhile, I wanted to do a new album with them. We tried for a year, but it just didn’t work. They had not the feeling of Acid. I wanted to have Acid songs in it. I grew up with Acid. You can play the songs, but it’s difficult to create. We had 3 songs where they put 2 in the garbage and 1 was so-so. So I said, “Yeah, we gotta stop this.”
Then, I’ve met a guitarist that I’ve known for a very long time, but I’ve never worked with him. A very good musician too, but I was a bit afraid because I am not an easy person and he isn’t either, but we got along very well because together, we all want to have the best. He’s a very good guitar player and my limit is very high. So we made those 9 songs, me and the guitarist. The basic tracks were done by him and me. Later on, we put the drums on. First, it was a drum computer, but I did not want a drum computer on the album. It had to be real musicians.
The bass player, he had no time. He was over in another band. I said, “Listen, you have to choose. You do this or you do that, but you cannot come and go further in two bands. It’s too difficult to combine.” I searched for another bass player to play those parts, and I did not find any over here, not directly, so I went to Colombia to get Camilo (Ortega). I knew him from Axe Steeler. I asked him and he did it right away. He was very loyal. That’s how it all went.
Over 30 years had passed since Acid performed in any capacity, and I think many people were curious what you’d been up to. Were you involved in music at all from the time of Acid’s 1985 split to their resurrection? Furthermore, did you feel there was unfinished business to be done as far as Acid was concerned?
KDL: Not really. It all came back when I went to Keep it True for that one song in 2010. I had forgotten what it was like to be in metal. I always did music. I never stopped playing music. There, it started all again. It was more than 40 years ago now when we stopped with Acid. It was difficult for me, but on the other hand, I felt warmth from the fans at Keep it True. That’s where it all started.
We’re now on the brink of the first album from Kate’s Acid, Hellbender. When did work start on this album, and how long did it take for everything to come together?
KDL: It took about a year. Together, it took about a year to compose and adjust some songs, write some riffs. Then, we had to record it, and that was another problem because I booked recording in the studio, but then I was ill. My voice was gone. I had to postpone it for a few weeks, but came out OK. Then, we had a bit of luck. Jacky (Lee Man) who did the mix, when we finished the recordings, Jacky had the time because Biff (Byford) from Saxon was ill at the time and Saxon was on hold. Jacky is the soundman for Saxon. This came good together, so we went to Berlin to do the mix. A few days later, the mix was done. Then, we had to wait 9 long months for the record company. That’s the longest you can wait for!
And tomorrow it’ll be here!
KDL: I have it! I got a lot of messages today. A lot of people already received it. Maybe it’s because you’re from America. That’s probably because of the distance.
In what ways did the writing and recording process for Hellbender compare or contrast to that of those classic ’80s Acid albums?
KDL: I never had a moment to think it had to be like…of course, I’m a part of Acid, so there will always be Acid in it. Whether I’m searching for it or not, that’s who I am and that’s how I sound. Some people say, “It’s just like Acid from the early days.” It could be, but we’re 40 years further now. It’s different, but still, for me, it’s good. It’s for a bigger audience, I think.
These songs really evoke that classic Acid sound, from the high speed tempos and headbanging riffs, to the old school production and your iconic vocals. How important was it for you to stay true to this sound?
KDL: Well, we started off with vocals. Very strange, but we started off with vocals. I had some melodies and I asked the guitar player, “What do you think of this idea?” He could understand me and he directly put it on his guitar on a good vibe, so it was already…we felt each other really good. He’s also an older metal guitarist, so that may be the reason we understand each other so well. He’s my age, sort of *laughs*.
I’d love to go back in time to your roots. Growing up, what hard and heavy bands was a young Kate De Lombaert listening to? Did you come from a musical background?
KDL: Oh yeah! My dad, he played harmonica. He was very classic and he hated metal *laughs*. My mother, she was OK. She supported me, but my father, he didn’t like the metal at all. The more he said, “I don’t like it.”, the more he pushed me in it. It worked in the other direction. The first music I listened to, I was very young, but it was not metal. It was more pop music, glam. The Sweet and all those old glam bands. Van Halen was one of the first metal bands I heard. Judas Priest…I have to think, there’s so many! Rainbow! The first time I heard Dio was with Rainbow. What a voice. I followed him a bit. We played with Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Loudness, Manowar. We played with a lot of big bands in our younger days.
Expanding upon the last question, what memories stand out to you from the early days of Belgium’s metal scene? Was it tight nit, and at what point do you recall metal really exploding in your country?
KDL: That’s difficult. In the early days, there was no internet. The bands knew each other, but we didn’t have really good contact unless we had to play together on a gig. It was every band for themselves. Nowadays, I know some guys from bands from the early days. It’s totally different from when we were younger. Maybe that’s because we are older now? I don’t know. We played with Ostrogoth, Killer, Cyclone. Cylcone was one of the bands who first did an introduction. They opened for us. There are more, but I can’t remember them all.
Crossfire!
KDL: Yeah, but I don’t know if we played with them. I know them, of course. I think we played with them, but I’m not sure anymore. It’s too long ago.
There are some who consider Acid to be an early influence on black metal. Alongside acts like Venom and Mercyful Fate, you were one of the first metal acts to incorporate raw, evil lyricism in your music. Songs like “Satan”, “Lucifera”, and “Prince of Hell and Fire” come to mind. Did these lyrics come from a legitimate interest in the occult, or rather shock value?
KDL: That was (bassist) Demon who wrote those songs. He was a bit into the dark side. Now, he’s totally turned. We see each other here and there. Not much, but we see each other. He’s totally changed now. Those songs, we had no clue what they meant at that moment. We were so young. It was fun. Afterwards, we were thinking, “Maybe we’re bringing the devil up with the evil songs.” But yeah, we didn’t know. I never wrote them.
Another one of my favorite Acid lyrics is “America”: A song that I play every 4th of July! At the time it was written, had any members of Acid ever been to America? Furthermore, was there ever an attempt to brea Acid into the American market?
KDL: Demon, he went to America. He told stories about it. We were all very young. We were not professionals, so to go further than Europe, it was difficult. Music, it’s nice and good, but when you are hungry, you have to do something else to survive. That’s how it ended somewhere in the ’80s. We had no job and we dreamt of being musicians, dreaming of living for the music, but that’s a fairy tale. The real world is totally different.
Looking forward, what does the rest of 2026 have in store for Kate’s Acid? I imagine the band is eager to play these new ragers alongside all the classics?
KDL: Well, we already did a gig a week ago. You can see it on the internet, on my Facebook. There are a few live moments from “Hellbender” and “Valkyrie”. It was nice! Of course, I have new guys in the band because with the other guys, it did not work out. The bass player, he’s in an American band now. The guitarist, he was very good, but he did not want to go further. I don’t know why. Maybe I was too difficult. It could be. Now, we’re trying to get further with the new band and we’ll see where we get. There are young guys and older, so it’s a mix. For the moment, everything is clean. It’s good. You never know. Tomorrow it could be different, but it’s nice!
The new album from Kate’s Acid, Hellbender, is available now on High Roller Records. For more information on Kate’s Acid, click here.