Sunday, February 28, 2021

Eurynome Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

The duo was born in 2018 as a studio project focused on a particular style of Funeral Doom Metal, played with bass instead of guitar and strongly influenced by atmospheric hues and orchestrations. We also used a peculiar 436 Hz tuning on every line (apart from the vocals) that adorns the overall sound with even more decadence.

We love to wander in abandoned places and cemeteries in particular, we're also passionate about nineteenth-century culture, especially as regards the English Victorian age. 

In our lyrics we try to immerse the listener in an elegantly ruined world, through many scenarios treated also from a narrative point of view.


2.In 2020 you had released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

2020 was our debut year with "Obsequies", a 50-minute, 7-track album recorded with various difficulties due to the pandemic. The record was in fact to be released around the middle of the year but the release date was November 25 instead. However, we tried to use this hitch to our advantage by refining the songs and the final result we wanted to achieve. During those months we experimented with atmospheres that could really envelop the listener's mind, adding some synths in the background for the purpose. Synths have always been pretty important in Funeral Doom and we also wanted to find ways to implement them with our own personal touch.


3.You refer to your musical style as being '19th century funeral doom metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

We like to define ourselves with this term because we have always thought that Funeral Doom could be a genre with very 19th century roots. If the growl technique had been discovered at the end of that period, for example, with the right orchestra and percussion settings, something really incredible, deep and intense would have come out. Of course it wouldn't be metal, but already in those years the culture for slow, decadent and melancholy classical music was quite widespread (just think of the funeral marches). Well, we imagine and try to shape that vision in our songs by making use of a distortion that is not too scraping and aimed at enhancing the atmosphere rather than adding heaviness or aggression.

In some sessions the distorted bass blends in an almost prophetic way with the orchestrations, creating a single line with an extremely unique and antiquated taste. We love this particular style very much and will definitely try to experiment with both more powerful distortions and more complex orchestrations in the future.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Well as previously said we like to tell about abandoned places and relative narrative situations, but we will also range and space on mythology and human perdition. Lyrics are as important to us as music and not just a filler, so we take a lot of time to think about it and find the right ideas and words.

In the opening track, "Eloquence of the Doomsday Fog", we imagine the end of the world where thick mists take over Earth and prevent light from reaching it. Time flows inexorably and is oxidized by the fog, which thickens more and more and remains the only witness of eternity. In the second track we talk about Eurynome but always in the context of a disastrous end for humanity. Later we will wander through overgrown cemeteries and solitary crypts... but we leave you the pleasure of immersing yourself in the music and delving into the stories! 


5.You also use the bass guitar as a lead instrument instead of using a regular guitar, can you tell us a little bit more about this approach?

Guitars have obviously always been the protagonists in metal, but this doesn't mean that they cannot be completely replaced with other similar instruments and groped for new styles and atmospheres.

We love playing bass and with the right tricks it can become a great alternative to the guitar.

In particular, we greatly appreciate the more present bass frequencies, the softer and fuller notes.

Used as a leading instrument, the high notes take on a totally different flavor than the guitar, and for our purpose this result is perfect and allows us to express ourselves at our best.


6.I know that the band's name comes from Greek Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Greek mythology is full of situations, anecdotes and characters that lend themselves perfectly to metal lyrics. A multitude of interpretations and narratives, metaphors and allegories can be used that allow you to tell practically anything you want through this ancient legacy.

Eurynome was a creator goddess of the universe but later relegated to the underworld (with the name of Eurynomos). We are inspired by this mythological dynamic to think and shape lyrics in different contexts.


7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The front cover is actually one panel of a larger single illustration. For our debut album we have in fact opted for a 6-panel digipak where each outer dover can be admired individually with its details and as a whole as a large narrative panorama (from left to right).

In the front panel we can see Eurynome dressed in mourning casting a last glance at the ruined and now buried humanity before finally leaving.

The used technique is "photorealistic collage" and it was all done on commission to dress our record with a continuous series of dramatic and refined artworks.


8.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

At the moment we don't feel the need to expand the band. We are perfectly in tune as a duo and we think adding members would lead to conflicting views rather than actual contribution. The project was born just as a duo and our will and to keep it that way. In the future, however, we could think of organizing a possible session band for hypothetical concerts. But for the moment, also given the pandemic situation, we are strongly focused on writing and releasing new music.


9.The new album was also self released, are you open to working with a record label in the future?

We found releasing our music as indie several difficulties and a big effort both in terms of time and budget, however it allowed us to realize numerous opportunities and merch otherwise difficult to reach with a label as a debut band. The satisfaction of achieving certain goals on your own and building an image with your own hands and efforts is undoubtedly priceless. At the beginning we sought the collaboration of various labels but we did not find any satisfactory proposals. At the moment, however, we are in contact with a publisher to release a possible reprint in different formats. We are also keen to release a vinyl edition of Obsequies and plan to get to work shortly if we see fan interest in the proposal.

For future albums we may be more inclined to collaborate with a good label right away.


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal?

We were surprised by the interest and support immediately shown by listeners of this genre, although our approach to Funeral Doom is particular and not exactly canonical. At the moment it seems that the greatest concentration of audiences comes from Italy, United States and South America.

However, we are very satisfied and pleased with the worldwide positive feedback for this project.


11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We have a lot of ideas to put into practice that have blossomed consistently over the past few months. We think future releases will be full of news and a constantly evolving sound, while remaining solidly devoted to Funeral Doom, with atmospheric and symphonic influence still there.

This is an extremely versatile and flexible genre, it lends itself to many enrichments and we are not the types to fossilize on a single approach.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

During the composing period we took a short break in listening to Funeral Doom to be not too influenced here and there by ideas that were not really our own. In the past years we have always been with our ears focused on this genre and we always liked to discover new projects and styles, although we certainly cannot speak of thousands of bands like the rest of common metal. We are linked to pioneering bands of the genre such as Skepticism, Funeral and Thergothon. However, we also gladly immerse ourselves in the sounds of Ahab, Bell Witch and Mournful Congregation.

In the end we think we have inherited something from each of these projects and we are happy that they have suggested and taught us something.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Thank you very much for the opportunity to express ourselves in multiple ways through these questions. We also thank all the supporters and also those who, just out of curiosity, will go and listen to our pieces after reading this interview.


Monday, February 15, 2021

BlackWeald Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project these days?


I've just released "666 Minutes in Hell", which is an 11+ hours Dark Ambient concept album about hell. It was really exhausting to finish it. As with any work, there is a fun part and a not-so-fun part. The creative part was of course fun as hell, but the technical nuances were overwhelming. I usually enjoy the mixing phase, but with 11 hours of material, it was quite taxing. So I'm happy that I could finally move on.


Right now I'm compiling a mixtape kind of release for the project, which won't be a usual Dark Ambient album, but rather a drone metal / experimental release.


I've also started collecting materials and ideas for the next major release, which will be a Bloodborne inspired ambient album.


Additionally, a song of mine, titled "Kapteyn's Darkness" will be featured on an upcoming Eighth Tower Records' compilation.


I don't work on more than one projects in parallel, although I have a huge backlog of concepts that I want to execute, so I wish I'd have more time and energy to do so.


2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


Well, as I'm only at the beginning of my journey as a musician in this genre, I'm always finding and incorporating new elements. On "666 Minutes in Hell", I had piano segments, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, spoken word, harsh vocals. I've also used several new ideas from the audio engineering point of view, and just the sheer volume of the project was new. This album, in itself, is I think 2 or 3 times longer than all the other materials I've released combined.


3. The new album was also 666 minutes in length, what was the decision behind making an album that long and how long did the recording process take to record an album of that portion?


I had planned to make a long album without any concept already, and I also had the idea of a hell concept album. When I started collecting materials and composing for the latter, I realized that this is going to be that very long album.


Initially, it was titled 6.6 hours in Hell, but as I was working on it, it grew to almost 16 hours, so by the end, I had to cut 5 hours out to fit into the re-titled 666 minutes concept. It took about half a year to make the album from the first sounds till the day it got released.


4.A a lot of the song themes deal with the occult, Satanism and the dark arts, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics and also how long have you had an interest in the occult?


First, answering the questions regarding interest in dark topics, I've always been this way from childhood. I believe it's just the nature of some people to be attracted towards these topics. It's great to find like minded people around the word and share this passion, either as a listener or as a musician, or in other arts like painting, literature, films, etc. Personally, I don't wanna pose as a minister in the Church of Satan, rather I'm just a casual consumer (and sometimes producer) of these topics. It's unrelated to faith, as I'm quite interested in Abrahamic religions as well, even though I despise them. In short, anything mystical, unexplained, unusual, weird, extreme, I'm interested, be it serial killers, anything ancient, religions, cosmology, .., you name it.


Regarding faith, I do not hold a strong faith towards anything, although I highly value the individualist nature of Satanism. It just makes the most sense to me as a way of life. Although people nowadays already have a strong "me, me, me" attitude, that's a twisted way of viewing individualism. The individualist viewpoint should also believe that all the people around you are probably completely different from you, and they have every right to be so, and them, as individuals, should be respected just as much as yourself. 


People are different, in every way, and no communal viewpoint will work for everyone. Even on the biological level, what medicine works for you, might not work for me, not to mention as complex things as thoughts, interests, preferences, etc. By this nature, we have a very small chance of properly understanding what others want and feel, especially if they are not close to us. So I find it mind boggling when a person interacts with another one thinking that his own beliefs and preferences apply to everyone. If it causes no harm to you, you have no right to judge another person's way of life. Be it a preference of rather ordering food instead of cooking, or having a footjob kink.


Another important thing I'm trying to apply to myself, is accepting that there are behaviours and instincts that millions of years of evolution and hundreds of thousands of years of tribalism had on a human. We only recently, in the last few thousand years started to live in such societies resembling our current way of living. Simply disregarding ancient behaviours that are deeply coded into you, or just simply labeling them "evil", that isn't the proper way to manage them. Especially in our current culture where major entities act as the "thought police".


I'm not saying we should live like animals or as a tribesman, but in order to decipher yourself, you need to foster these ideas, instead of suppressing them like you are told to. "Why am I doing this? Why am I feeling this way? People tell me that it's an evil, or at least a wrong feeling. Then why am I having it? Am I a wrong person? Or is it in my nature? Why is it in my nature?".  You don't have to act upon these thoughts and feelings, but without understanding where they come from (to which often the answers are simply evolutionary or tribal), you cannot take control over them. 


In short, find out your interests, beliefs, thoughts, kinks, way of life. As long as it hurts no one, live up to them. Find people who you feel in fellowship. Give it to yourself and also let others live the life they want.


On a greater scheme of faith, nobody has any idea. It would be great to crack the mysteries of consciousness, matter, spacetime, multiverses, life, but I am quite certain these won't be solved, at least not in my lifetime. Still, any of these are great topics to delve into and consider all the possible theories.


5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?


The artwork of "666 Minutes in Hell" is 100+ images of dark entities, objects, architecture and feelings, presented in an ancient, bleak way. I cannot explain it further, not because I intentionally want to be obscure, just, I have no words for it. It's the same with music, I think what actually drives you to create any art, is because you cannot express your thoughts and feelings in simple words. So you make music, paint something, or wrap it in a written story.


6.Since 2020 you have also released a great amount of music with this progress., do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?


Not as much as I'd like to. I think the key is to work on the material every single day. Especially because I believe most musicians get tired after a few hours, both creatively and also your ears. At least for me, I cannot spend a whole day working on music, rather do it in small chunks, but I try to do that every single day. Like how they tell writers to be consistent, and write X pages every day.


7.Would you also be open to bringing this musical project onto the live stage if the opportunity ever came?


Due to the nature of how my music is composed, it would not make much sense, at least for now. Just stepping up and pressing "play" would be pretty fake. Also, I think this kind of music is rather better experienced in seclusion.


Like, I've seen Sunn O))) a few times live, but it was more like a pilgrimage to undergo their wall of sound, rather than a regular metal live show.


8.You have also mentioned being interested in the writings of Lovecraft and science fiction, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?


No wonder Lovecraft (and King as well) are known outside of the circle of horror fanatics, their impact is undeniable. I especially connect with Lovecraft's work with his enquiry about primeval topics and his view on humanity as insignificant. 


As for sci-fi specifically, while I was writing the Leonov album, I realized how much I enjoy working with futuristic and modern sounds, opposed to the archaic sounding music I made before that. It doesn't matter whether it's set in the past or future, if it's mystical, otherworldly and dark, it fits my vision.


9.You also mention that you also write your own horror stories, what are some of the stories you have written so far for this genre and how does your version of horror differ from other authors?


I've publicized those short stories under a different name, and I'm still unsure whether I like to tie these hobbies together. Fact is, I'm not a native English speaker, which does not cause problems during business or private conversations, but in writing, my "style" in English comes off as weird and immature. The lack of vocabulary makes it dry, and the grammar mistakes come through immediately.


In addition, I of course cannot work as efficiently as with my native tongue. As with music, I think being efficient is a key component in fulfilling your creativity. If it only takes 5 seconds checking out how two sounds combined together sound, then you can experiment a lot, but if it would take 2 minutes, you might say "ah, nevermind, fuck that", and by that, limit your creative output.


It's tough, as I love writing, I've been working as a music journalist in the past and have written fiction in several genres. So even if my ideas are worth it, the execution is hardly professional. I might create a website for these stories in the future, just to catalog them nicely.


10.You also have played in black and death metal bands, how would you compare that to the dark ambient style that you are currently playing?


I more and more get the feeling that playing in a black metal band and doing BlackWeald are not even comparable. Although metal elements and influence often sneak into this project, this is mostly a digital project, composed in a way similar to electronic music. Even if I record guitars or anything live, I usually loop it and manipulate the shit out of it.


Plugging your guitar into the amplifier, screaming into the microphone, while the drummer blasts loudly, all in an analog way, embracing any mistakes you make during the performance, well, this is totally different than zooming your eyes on an automation clip to make a half a second of an audio clip 0.5 dB louder. These two ways of making and playing music have not intersected for me, at least for now.


Even on my upcoming release, where there are a few metal-ish tracks, those are not composed in the way metal music is made. At least I'm not aware of people using 808s in a funeral doom track. I rather consider this experimental music, distorted guitars aren't exclusively metal music. Especially that most of the "distorted guitar sound" I make isn't even guitar-based, but synth-based. I dislike noise music, but love distorted sounds and screeching feedbacks, so I'm pretty sure I'd use these more when it fits the concept of a song.


11.Are you also open to working with a record label in the future?


I don't think so. I'm greedy enough of my IPs, that I don't want to transfer any rights or control of it to someone else. Still, it would be amazing to be part of such a community like Cryo Chamber, but I don't think my work fits their catalog, neither in style nor in quality.


12.Do you have any plans to release more albums in 2021?


Of course! Time will tell how fast can I work on the upcoming projects, as I'm approaching a quite busy period in my life. Still, I'm sure the Bloodborne ambient album will happen before summer, then a few experimental EPs, and hopefully a sci-fi/space ambient till the end of the year.


I also plan to do some late-Earth style record, then something more beat-driven industrial. If the urge comes, these might happen sooner than planned.


Taking part in collaborations (not necessarily with Dark Ambient musicians) is on the bucket list as well, but that's for much later. Anyhow, quick compilation works are always welcome, as working with limitations always sparks up creativity.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?


Thanks for the opportunity to share these words and thanks for everyone who supported this project so far.

Below are my social media links, follow me there or just leave me a message.


 Bandcamp: https://blackweald.bandcamp.com/


Friday, February 12, 2021

Begrabnis Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?


Funeral doom from Sendai(Japan)



2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo's and split's?


It became much more extreme death/doom compared to previous releases. And lyrics deal with omnipresent matters.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?


In early days, our lyrics dealt with death or agony, which were cliché, weak and too personal. After we relased the song "Ouroboros"(from split with SOL) in 2016, we became conscious of dealing with philosophy/bloodline from ancient time till now as a lyrical theme. As for the lyrics of "産女(Ubume)"(from Eastern Ghost Story Comp.), it deal with Japanese legendary ghost "Ubume". Baby come from ther underworld to mother's womb. During he/she come through the mother's birth canal, his/her defilement is divided and is born to this world. But if mother and baby died before its birth, mother become the ghost Ubume. The lyrics portray the world of no-life(not simply death) in the view of those who can't come to this world.



4.The band has been around since 2011 in its current incarnation and while you have had a few smaller releases you waited until 2020 to release a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier days?


In early days, we tried to establish our own sound with a lot of experimentation while we were recording demos and were playing at small venues in our hometown.



5.The band started out as 'C'est  la Guerre', what was the cause of the name change?


After the vocalist left the band, we changed our name to current one and started as a new band.



6.Also under your older name you also wrote some satanic topics, does occultism or Satanism still play a role in your music?


It's sure that there are a few influences from them, but not so much. We are totally different band after we changed the moniker.



7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?


It represents the ancient "the origin of life" and "blood". The positive and the negative are attracted each other, then they get birth to new life and finally they return to the earth. Such a lifecycle going on, DNA and philosophy will pass on next generation. Especially, this artwork represents the core of life. 



8.Has the band had any opportunity to do any live shows?


We had played in Japan and Taiwan.



9.The band also has been a apart of a good amount of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared these recordings with?


We released 2 split CD with Australian Estrangement and Danish SOL. And we participated in "Eastern Ghost Story" Comp. 12" and we share the vinyl with Chinese Harfluss, Korean Aek Gwi and Japanese カルマ納骨堂(Karma Ossuary). All of them are very unique and great bands.



10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal and experimental music?


I think we are still regarded as a band from exotic countries.



11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?


Unfortunately, we have stopped all activities for a while by Covid-19 pandemic...



12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?


We have no idea at the moment. Perhaps, we go on the same path.



13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?


We are influenced by many genre of music consciously and subconsciously. We are always listening to any kind of music.



14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 


Please listen to our album!

https://www.facebook.com/Begrabnis
https://twitter.com/Begrabnis_snd
https://begrabnis-sendai.bandcamp.com 


Kalbrian Syndrome Interview

 


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? 

1.Kalabrian Syndrome is an instrumental trio (guitar, bass, drums) that blends in heavy rock, psychedelic, drone, ambient and noise elements always in a dynamic frame, that uses all sort of patterns to deliver a story behind every song. 

2.So far you have released a n ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording? 

2.We wanted it to be straight forward ,no polishing, no editing ,no sort of sound design trickery that the rest of the music business had fed us .So ,we went to the studio played the songs live ,hit the rec button, choose which version of the song works best. Did some mixing and mastering and there you have it.

 3.So far all of your music has been instrumental, are you open to using vocals on future releases? 

3.Really don’t know, Voice is a just another instrument right? With one major difference….the frequencies that produces mean something….there are words….so it has to be well tuned and really have something interesting to say….difficult task. If the right person ,that can fill that role comes our way, we re happy to try it. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kalbrian Syndrome'?

 4.Its just and Inside joke between the band and friends ,so as the titles of the songs. 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover? 

5.It is a photo taken in our home studio in the middle off a session by our friend kellaki. 

6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea? 

6.Of course we are open to the idea ,but covid-19 had other plans. 

7.The ep was released by 'Submersion Records'. how did you get in contact with this label? 7.Submersion Records is a known label in the Underground scene in Thessaloniki and good friends of us. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of experimental and heavier genres?

 8.its been great so far, we love the fact that different people have different favourite track on the EP. 

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? 

9.Really don’t know, we are constantly writing new material, we have some very exciting tracks so far, we experimenting with some new gear ,new sounds. We would like to have a full length album out somewhere in the beginning of 2022 

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? 

10.We are 3 very different people ,each and everyone brings his own thing to the table., and I think that is pretty obvious if you listen to the EPI. Now if the topic comes to bands,9 out 10 it will lead to a major pointless argument.

 11.What are some of your non musical interests? 

11.We play for fun …we don’t pay bills from music. All of us have day jobs.. the little time that we can spent in our day for fooling around goes to the band.

 12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

12.Thanks for reviewing our debut EP and supporting us. Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/KalabrianSyndrome

Monday, February 1, 2021

Nytt Land/Fimbulvinter/Cold Spring/2021 CD Re-Issue Review

 


  Russia's  Nytt  Land  have  returned  with  a  recording  from  2017  which  shows  their  earlier  ritualistic  style  of  Nordic  folk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  from  that  year  "Fimbulvinter"  which  was  re-issued  in  2021  by  Cold  Spring.


  Field  recordings  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  Siberian  style  throat  singing  a  few  seconds  later  while  clean  vocals  and  chants  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  give  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere.  When  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  recording  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling.


  Percussion's  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  tribal  feeling.  Folk  instruments  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  samples  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album.


  Male  chants  and  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  ethnic  music  touches.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  pagan  era  Europe,  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  paganism  themes  based  upon  sources  from  the  Poetic  Edda.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nytt  Land  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic  Nordic  folk  music,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Daudi  Balder"  "Gjallarhorni"  "Surtr  Ferr  Sunnan"  and  "The  Last  War".  8  out  of  10.


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