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Interview Interrogation: Haruna from Lovebites (Japan)

14/2/2019

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One could argue that the Japanese Metal scene has only really broken into the Western hemisphere and began to establish a respectable presence here. Sure it's true that if you look at the history of the Japanese Metal scene, you would notice that it's origins are firmly placed in the 1970's, echoing a similar backstory to the British Metal scene. It has to be said though that the Visual Kei movement certainly spurred the overall Japanese Metal scene on and pushed it outside the country with bands like X Japan gaining overseas attention. Fast forward to the turn of the century and bands like Crossfaith, Babymetal and now Lovebites are riding the tides of the New Wave of Japanese Metal.

Lovebites are definitely pretty, but don't let the looks fool you as this all-female Heavy / Power ensemble have enough brutality, grit and power to leave you in awe, given Lovebites have only been going 3 years. In these 3 years they have played at Wacken and Bloodstock Open Air and have signed two record deals, subsequently releasing 2 albums and 2 EP's.

Drummer Haruna spoke to GMA about the girls backstory, rise to global success and the debate of whether to call their music Heavy / Power Metal or Kawaii Metal.

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"Maybe people say we are Kawaii Metal because of our looks... listen to our music... we are a Heavy / Power Metal band!"


Festival appearances, a headline tour, two EP's and now two albums across two years since the band's inception, that must be a dream start right?

     "I have never thought I could experience this much in such a short time. However, I was sure that this band was going to be a good band because of these great members. I am very pleased to get good reviews for all of our songs. Playing overseas was great too. I have never experienced these kind of things so I just really hope the band will be grow up bigger by footing these chances."


When you were informed you were to perform on the main stage at Bloodstock (instead of Sophie stage), what were emotions like in the band?

     I was very surprised. The happiness was bigger than the nervousness. I felt like the luck was on our side. I could do my best and did the best performance, I wanted to make good use of this opportunity. It felt so good to play Bloodstock Open Air, it was the first outdoor festival to play as Lovebites. It was raining that day, but when we played the sky became clearer and many people came out to see us."



You all seem to have different tastes in music: Asami listens to Alicia Keys and Aretha Franklin, Miyako learned to play a classical piano; do you use these as influences in Lovebites' music?

     "Halloween triggered me to get into metal music. The first album I listened to was “Master Of The Rings” and I was inspired by Ulrich Kusch’s drumming style. His style became my basic drumming style.


Do you feel that the Japanese Metal scene has gained more attention from Europe over the last decade or so? It seems Japanese Metal is on the rise?

     "I believe it’s getting bigger. Loudness and Babymetal are playing often overseas. I hope Lovebites to get in to the boom."

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Tokyo Tower / Source: Offbeat Japan

In your own words could you tell us the difference between Visual Kei and Japanese Metal? Is the Visual Kei scene still active?

     "I think it’s just the look. Visual Kei bands are mainly guys dressed up, their music styles vary, sometime metal and sometimes not. Somehow people mix up Visual Kei with Metal and think it’s the same thing in Japan. Visual Kei is still highly popular though.


With your new album "Clockwork Immortality", what did you do differently that wasn't present on "Awakening From Abyss"?

     "Regarding drumming, I wanted songs to stand out. So sometimes I play aggressive, sometimes I go for something simple to let the vocals and guitars sound stand out. Through the entire album, we wanted and tried to make stronger heavy metal."


Some say your music is Heavy / Power Metal, some say it's Kawaii Metal, how would you describe your music?

     "Maybe people say we are Kawaii Metal because of our looks. Just listen to our music or come see us play live, you’ll know we are a Heavy / Power Metal band!


With 2019 in full swing, what have you been up to and what plans have you got for the year ahead?

     "We played a Japanese tour in January. I hope to play a lot inside and outside Japan in 2019."


Do you have any greetings, thank you's etc you wish to send out?

     "The new album “Clockwork Immortality” shares strong points from “Awakening From Abyss” and “Battle Against Damnation”. Plus it became more powerful with greater melodies, I hope you’ll notice the evolution of Lovebites. You will see us before long. See you there!"


https://www.facebook.com/Lovebites-1626647444318005/

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Interview Interrogation: Emphasis (Estonia)

15/4/2018

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Emphasis are not holding back nor are they slowing down, the Estonian Progressive / Symphonic Power Metallers have signed a deal with Japanese label Red Rivet Records. Thus giving the band the momentum to reach deep into the Asian market and help expose not only their music, but the rich vibrant sounds the Estonian Metal scene has to offer. It has been two years since the sextet dropped their debut album "Revival" and now they're revelling in their latest offering "Soul Transfer", deviating away from the structural guidelines laid before them in search of a truly inspirational sound for the album as the band go on to explain... it did not happen by sheer accident.

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How does it feel to release your second album 'Soul Transfer'; especially on Japanese label Red Rivet Records? Where does this place itself in terms of the band's history and the wider Estonian Metal scene?

Katya (bass):

     "Estonia is a small country and our metal scene is very small as well. Actually, there's only one metal label – Nailboard Records. Many years ago they signed bands, but now they work more as a  distribution company. So it means that we have no choice and it's pretty common that Estonian artists sign deals with foreign labels. So, as you know, our previous album was released on the Italian label "Underground Symphony". This time we sent our record to a list of labels over the world and we were happy to get positive feedback from Japan. Red Rivet Records offered us reasonable conditions and we're still happy about our co-operation. And yes, for us every action and step forward is kind of achievement."


Regarding the 'Soul Transfer' track-list, could you explain the meaning behind  the percentages?; Assuming it ties in with the album title?

Max (guitars):

     "Soul Transfer is a concept album, an entire complete original story where the order of the compositions are arranged in a certain meaningful sequence. All the tracks are combined through smooth transitions or short instrumental sketches, which underlines and complements the full picture of the idea. In order to understand what we wanted to convey to the listener, you need to listen to the disc from start to finish in one session: from zero to one hundred percent with a total duration of 73 minutes. So, in the album, three main lines are closely intertwined: the inner world of feelings and memories of the character, the world of virtual reality created by a super computer, and the real material non-industrial world and its society, manipulated by gadgets and social media.

  • Tracks 42.88% Electric God and 68.95% Leviathans talk about the control over society by the world elite, the songs trace the lines about fratricidal wars, the mechanisms of using human resources, turning people into zombies through the screens of TVs and computers.

  • As for the world of dreams and feelings of the hero - everything is simple: song 63.11% The Metaphysics of Love is full of kindness, harmony and mystery, about the most important thing that is assigned to a person in his life.

  • The track 31.89% Resonate can be attributed to the relaxation mantra. I would also like to talk about the rest of the tracks, but all this will not change the fact that the main world of our album is the musical world, it is multifaceted, complex, beautiful and anxious, there will be jazz, symphonic, rock and electronic sounds, complex rhythms and chords. From composition to composition, according to the percentages, along with the main character, you will live the entire album and the procedure of transferring consciousness to the server. This was the meaning, the meaning of immersion in comprehension and participation. I guarantee it will leave a residue. The peculiarity of our puzzle album is that it is suitable for repeated listening and studying. Overhearing Soul Transfer, I still discover new moments for myself, new thoughts visit me, I analyse why we did it that way. Whether we managed to create something in the format of rock opera."


Using non-tradtional metal instruments can sometimes be considered unorthodox (in this case a saxophone and trumpet). What gave you the inspiration to include said instruments? How was it working with Raul Sööt and Allan Järve? Can we call the album 'Avant-Garde' or 'Progressive Jazz Metal'?

Pavel (guitars):

     "I expected such a question... creating music for "Soul Transfer", initially I did not think about jazz instruments, as well as about violins. The album was at the stage of mixing... there were a lot of instrumental parties and it did not sound boring. But one evening, when the light at the end of the tunnel was already close, I went to the shower. Standing under the hot water, I thought: damn! I want to add something else, why not the jazz sounds? After two beers I opened my computer, sketched out my ideas, and messaged one saxophonist. In the morning I got a negative answer from him. I was quite mad and decided to make a last effort. I wrote a message to one of the best musicians in Estonia - my former harmony teacher and tenor saxophonist Raul Sööt. Next morning he answered me that it will be interesting for him to take a part in this project.

     After that I was thinking about trumpet. Then I messaged to Allan Järve, who was my friend at the Viljandi Academy of Culture. He quickly came to my studio and we recorded a trumpet for two tracks in an hour. Raul Sööt took the task very responsibly. He recorded his parts at the studio with Cristo Cotkas, there were several sessions. When I mixed the album, including their parts, I realized that this is exactly what I would like to hear in the end. The other members of the Emphasis were shocked. They listened to the songs several times and said that it sounds cool, albeit unusual. Avant-garde it or not – let the reviewers to decide :) But for me this record is exactly what I always wanted to record, even at those times, when in our group were only three members - me, Katya and Vsevolod. Ten years passed and we did it! I want to say a big thank you to all the musicians who shared this work with us - Raul Sööt, Allan Jarve, my friend from Moscow - Oleg Lutskevich, and also my colleague Julia Mets and my student Alexander Smirnov."

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Tallinn (Visit Estonia website)

Assuming there will be a tour to support the new album, are there any countries you would want to target? Will there be a music video released in support?

Anna (vocals):

     "Currently, we don't plan any tour activities. Our album release party took place in Rockstar's club in Tallinn on April 14. The most of the songs we played for the really first time in our lives and we really enjoyed that! The crowd was amazing. We decided to focus on promotional stuff. Yes, we have some great plans about music video .. but let's see! :)"


For metal fans travelling to Tallinn and wider Estonia, what sights / attractions could you recommend seeing?


Katya (bass):

     "Rockstar's club – the oldest rock club in town, actually! Hard Rock Laager Open Air, of course. If you want to discover more, I totally recommend you to visit Narva, home town of three of our musicians, and got Art Club "Ro-Ro“. Believe me, there's really special atmosphere :)"



What plans does the band have for the rest of the year that have not already been indicated earlier?

Katya (bass): 

     "We are planning to open our online-shop, finally! There you can find our musical stuff and some really cool merchandise. As Anna said, we also have some plans about music video, but.... now we're not ready to discuss it. However, GMA will be the first source who'll get a link ;)"

Anna (vocals): "In autumn, we plan to play more shows. This spring was really hard for us!"
Max (guitars): "And we also plan to continue with the new material."
Pavel (guitars): "... 3,5 of the songs done :D"


Are there any greetings you wish to send out to fans, friends, family, etc?

All: "We wish you to visit more live shows and support local underground scene!"

https://www.facebook.com/Emphasis.Estonia/
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Interview Interrogation: Marko Vučković from Rum Smugglers (Croatia)

26/1/2018

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Croatia has had it's fair share of rich metal music history, however it has only recently spawned it's first ever Pirate Metal band; the genre itself popularized by Scotland's Alestorm in 2004 although it's antecedents originates back with Germany's Running Wild releasing the album 'Under Jolly Roger' in 1987. GMA caught up with Marko Vučković (drummer and band manager) otherwise known as The Admiral and looked into what makes these scallywags tick, Croatia's pirate history and what the Croatian Metal scene is like.

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"We grew out of the cliche that everyone thinks they [Alestorm] are the only pirate metal band that exists"


Could you give us a brief history of Rum Smugglers, how you started out, etc.

     "We started as a duo back in 2011, playing a variety of blackened thrash with pirate themed lyrics. We soon recruited the bassist and the rhythm guitarist, to further explain; we regularly switched those band members due to differences in styles and then not being able to comply to the regime of the band. In 2015 we released our demo, 'Hemp Rope Justice', and later on found the new addition to the band, our keyboardist, thus switching to a more folk / power metal method in our songs. He left in the Autumn of 2017, being with us only for a short time, around 9 months. We re-recorded our single during the time he spent with us, and after his departure we are currently trying to employ two violinists. Hopefully they will prove to be better band members then most of the aforementioned."


Presuming one of your influences is Alestorm, what are you aiming to bring to the Pirate Metal movement?

     "One of our influences was Alestorm in the beginning but, we grew out of the cliche that everyone thinks they are the only pirate metal band that exists. We also take influences from Skyclad, Running Wild and Swashbuckle, we are trying to freshen up the scene with our more 'thrashy powery' approach on the subject at hand."


What is the Croatian Metal scene like? Tell us about the festivals, media, venues, bands, etc

      "It's a bit poor at the moment, there are some great bands here, but everyone's focus is mainly on tribute bands and on some weird avant-garde and experimental type of music, thus disregarding the metal scene as it was a few years back. There are some great venues like OKC Palach in Rijeka, and Insomnia in Slavonski Brod, Epic club in Osijek and Kset and Močvara in Zagreb. The Croatian metal scene is still strong though, pushing out bands like Flesh, Frozen Forest, SpeedClaw, Uma Thurman, Decomposing Entity and many others. Just type in Croatia on the Encyclopaedia Metallum website and hope for the best, and check out YouTube links with the same search.-"


You say you combine gypsy melodies, where do you get your influences from?

     "Yea, gypsy melodies, well we are on the crossroads between the Mediterranean and the eastern front, so we get our influences from both sides of folk melodies and folk culture."

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Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb, Croatia

Are there any Croatian pirate stories you could tell us?

     "Of course there are! Mainly representing bandits in the Adriatic sea but there are also many more, check this link and try to translate it to English :) https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gusari"


What plans do you have for 2018?

      "We are currently practising new songs and making new material with our new violinists. So you can expect a new album with fresh and not so fresh tunes to hit the internet soon."


Do you have any greetings you wish to send out?

     "Do what you want, cause a pirate is free!"

https://www.facebook.com/RumSmugglersCRO/
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Interview Interrogation: Sunwalter (Russia)

6/10/2017

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Perhaps they might be from the bygone cosmonaut era, or they could be the humanoid form of the daleks, whatever you make of Russia's (or in their case an extra-terrestrial planet) Sunwalter one thing is for certain... they're clearly onto something. Mixing together the elegant beauty of Symphonic Power Metal with the feel for alien and space topics... you read that right... let's call it 'Xenology metal' for the hell of it.

Having released their latest cosmic opus 'Alien Hazard' it was only fitting to go completely 'Men In Black' on them and torture them with klingon... beam me up Scotty

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"I like sci-fi stories, films, books and computer games. Songs about Satan and demons are typical of the black metal genre"


Hi guys, firstly can you tell us about the band's history and who came up with the name Sunwalter, what does it mean?

     "Hi, Earthman. The history of our band started in 2008, but it was the old period, when we played Melodic Black Metal. The most significant changes happened in summer of 2016, when our crew was abducted by the grey alien race for three days. After the event we got our own spaceship and were assigned as intergalactic mediums between the extraterrestrial intelligence and the human race. This role is very important for our team. Through our songs we deliver information from the deep space to Earthmen, revealing to them new knowledge, concealed by the governments of the Earth states. All our messages are encrypted with alien codes which are impossible to be broken by earth technologies. The name "Sunwalter" consists of two words in two languages: Sun from English and Walterfrom Deutsch. That refers to an extraterrestrial over mind. Some Earthmen directly contact him in their dreams."


You've just released your second album 'Alien Hazard' (via Sliptrick), what has the response been like?

     "This album shows really WOW effect. A few people typically say: “It’s a good album”, but much more people define it like a perfect conceptual release of the year. Especially if we speak about something unusual, like our genre, for example, 'Sci-Fi metal'. First, try to show us a band who play 100% space music and dedicate all songs to the universe. Then try to find musicians, who follow this ideology in their image, arts, outfits and in technical equipment during live shows. Surely, after this you'll get the best response from the audience. This is because we offer original content. And it’s only a part of our truth, another side is classified as top secret."


As you're from Russia, what can you tell us about the metal scene? I bet it's hard touring Russia given there's only really 2 major cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg?

    "That's false. You described a typical stereotype, applied when somebody doesn’t want to work hard. We have enough cities for touring. In fact, many Russians don’t feel like creating something new and original, and even more of them are not ready for big tours. For this, they need to check a lot of info, work on the organization itself, spend money, etc. Many young musicians think, that after their first album some rich producer will find them and they will become rock stars, like in Hollywood films. And after the moment their dreams are broken, they find a million reasons to avoid working hard and keeping on improving their bands, creating lots of gossip, that Russia is not a rock ’n’ roll country."


Touring Europe I assume you have to apply for visas? With Brexit are you as a band concerned about touring the UK?

     "We don’t need visas! Our spaceship just lands in a secret prepared place near the venue, then we play live and go back again to the orbit of the Earth, where we spend a lot of time.

     Miran: By the way, it will be really great to tour in the UK as well as in many other countries because we know that there are lots of abductees and people who share our interest in cosmic themes. We’d like to spread the word of alien races all over the world."


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What does the authorities / government think of metal music, has there been any problems? Have your parents mentioned about rock / metal existing in the days of the USSR? What (if anything) can you tell us about said music in the USSR? (perhaps a question for Myutel?)

     Myutel: "Is it about the Universal Space Systems Reunion (USSR)? Well, that's the union of planetary mining systems, isn't it? They united after the defeat in the civil war, that had broken out after the workers demanded an improvement of their life comfort and additional compensation for hard labour conditions. There was that, what's-his-name… Ah! I remember! Zchee GeVarro!

     As for the music… The government pays too little attention to it. On the contrary, metal and other resources are top priority for them, that's the case. We try to get ourselves out as far as we can. But we feel equal to it!"


One question for Sol (Olga Salikhova), do you feel females are becoming more accepted in metal music? Do you receive any discrimination for being a female metal musician?

     Olga Sol: "On my planet Sedna, other rules apply. There are males and females, but there is no discussion about equality and, definitely, about discrimination. Just everyone mind their own business. For you, Earthmen, it can look like Utopia, but for us it’s normal and remains so for ages. So, I don’t see here any problems in working with boys. They are cute!"


So guys, what made you decide to sing about aliens and space, assuming some of you are avid astronomers?

     Alexio: "First, it was just an interesting topic. Because I like sci-fi stories, films, books and computer games. Songs about Satan and demons are typical of black metal genre, elves and dwarfs are hymned by power metal guys, and the history of the Earth itself changes every year… But space with its enigmas is quite original. And for me it’s a great honour to dedicate songs to the Universe."


What plans have you got for the year ahead and into 2018?

     "We can't tell exactly, because our Grey alien friends arrange all our creative plans. But according to some information, we will engage some additional earthmen for our next saga.

     Miran: I have already received a lot of encrypted information from outer space and every day I translate it into musical form. So we have some new material to share with Eafthmen and even now we can say that it’s very extraterrestrial and metal."



Finally do you have any greetings, thank you's you wish to send out?

     "Thank you for the interest in space and our music. We hope we could find a place for landing somewhere near UK soon, so be prepared for alienization! May the universe be with you."

http://www.facebook.com/SUNWALTER.band
http://www.sunwalter.ru/

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Interview Interrogation: Tuomas Seppälä of Amberian Dawn (Finland)

9/3/2017

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Hailing from the arctic nation of the north, Finland, Amberian Dawn have been wandering the icy landscape for the past decade and despite having parted ways with numerous musicians along the way including vocalist Heidi Parviainen (who now fronts Dark Sarah), guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen and sadly the late Tommi Kuri, Amberian Dawn are leading the Finnish Metal front-line with newfound renaissance and oomph in their stride. 

Celebrating their landmark achievement, the Neo-Classical Power Metal outfit fronted by Capri (Päivi Virkkunen) since 2012 have shown no signs of stopping and as they have recently completed their first ever headline tour, it was only right for them to be grilled by means of our interview interrogation. Tuomas Seppälä stood up to the task of giving the accounts of Amberian Dawn's past, present and future....

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Hi guys, firstly how was your UK / EU tour? What were the highlights?

     "The tour was amazing. It was our first European tour as headliners and there was a lot of new things for all of us. It’s different to arrange your own headliner tour, than take part in some other tour as a supporting band. We all had a great time. There was a lot of highlights, the London show was one of those I think. We had a nice amount of gig-goers everywhere and that encourages us to continue touring."


You've released 7 albums in 11 years, which is your favourite out of the lot? Do you keep in touch with Heidi? Are you aware of her new band Dark Sarah?

     "My favourite ones are probably all the latest albums on which Capri is on vocals. That’s because at the moment I feel that I’ve found my true way of composing music with her as vocalist. About Heidi, I haven’t really been in contact with her and I haven’t checked out her musical projects. It’s nothing personal, I’m just not interested in that kind of music."


Would you say your sound has changed a lot over the last decade? Or would you say it's still considered 'Neo-Classical / Power Metal'? What is Neo-Classical?

     "The sound & feel has changed a lot over the years. My way of composing music varies a lot in time and I’m always trying to find some new angle with each and every new studio album. I don’t want to do the same kind of music over and over again. It’s obvious that Neo-Classical & Power Metal elements haven’t been in front lately, but I think that some of those elements are coming back on our next studio album. Neo-Classical as a term (as far as I know) means having elements of classical music mixed in your own music. "


With Eurovision coming, as a band would you ever put yourself forward to represent Finland?

     "I would do it if the circumstances would be just right. It’s also about timing, about my other projects, schedules etc. Someday I just might go and apply for that contest but I still don’t know if that is what I would like to do it with Amberian Dawn, or by myself as solo artist. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the future. I’m always open for different and new things (new things for me at least)."

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What in your opinion makes metal music popular in Finland? Is it still as popular as say a decade ago?

     "Rock & metal music in general has always been popular here in Finland but it’s starting to change here. Finland is following the trends set by the rest of the world so metal music is losing it’s fan base (not so popular among younger generations) here and many heavy metal enthusiasts are really worried about that.


What does Amberian Dawn mean?

     "The name of the band is just something we came up whilst doing a lot of brainstorming and discussing. It’s always hard to come up with a new band name. So many good names are already taken. Gee, I would love to have “Rammstein” for example as a band name, if it would be unused as a band name. It would be awesome to have a cool name like that for our own band"


With Brexit impending, as a band are you concerned about touring the UK or fairly calm about it?

     "Yes I’m worried about it a little bit but I don’t really know that I should be worried about it or not… but it’s going to be a real shame if we’re not able to do shows in the UK any more due to some political things."


Finally what are your plans for the year ahead? Any greetings, thank you's that you wish to send out?

     "Well, right now we’ve just started recording a new studio album and that’s how the next few months are going to be spent. The album is coming out later via Napalm Records, the exact release date isn’t decided yet though. After the release there’s probably going to be some touring in Europe at least. I wish that all of our UK fans would have a chance to see us live. With our previous tour we were only able to do just one show in the UK (in London). I hope that with our next tour we’re able to do more shows in UK."

amberiandawn.com
https://www.facebook.com/amberiandawn/

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Interview Interrogation: Zuberoa from Diabulus In Musica (Spain)

4/3/2017

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Spain has a very vibrant metal scene that sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to what bands emerge from the sun-soaked nation, so when the Symphonic Metal 'forajido' group Diabulus In Musica joined up with Finnish Neo-Classical Metal exports Amberian Dawn, it was only right for GMA to grill this five-piece ensemble and interrogate them as if they were our amigos (of course they are!).

Having been around for a decade and only two founding members remaining in keyboardist / growler Gorka Elso and vocalist Zuberoa Aznárez, it was the latter who stepped up to the plate to share their thoughts on their tour, the critique of their latest album "Dirge For The Archons", music, politics and the much 'beloved' Eurovision...


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Zuberoa Aznárez with her band of merry men

Hi guys, firstly how was your UK / EU tour? What were the highlights?

      "We had a blast! We really enjoyed every show, but we keep special memories of London, Pratteln and Haarlem. In general they were very enthusiastic about us playing there. We had lots of fun with our label mates Amberian Dawn and our great crew."


You released your latest album 'Dirge for the Archons' last year, what was the reaction like?


     "The reviews were really great! And the fans wrote us several messages telling us 'DFTA' is their favourite album so far. We are also very happy with it. We also have had the chance to play some of the new songs live and the reactions of the audience have also been great."


How did you gain inspiration for your band name Diabulus In Musica? Who came up with it?

     "I founded the band and chose the name. “Diabulus (or Diabolus) In Musica” is a Latin medieval word which means ‘The Devil In Music’. It was like that as they called the triton or the interval of the augmented fourth. The medieval ear was used to hearing perfect fourths and perfect fifths, (early music instruments are tuned different, in mean-tone tuning). The augmented fourth, being half-way between these two most common intervals, was about the worst discord imaginable. That’s why they thought that the devil was inside the triton.

     The reason I chose this name was because of my music studies and my passion for early music. I studied classical singing but I’ve been above all focused in historical singing. The name was perfect for us not only because of the meaning it has to me, but also because it sounds a bit dark, as our music sometimes. We like this ‘dark romantic aesthetic’ as well as early music (actually we have included these elements in our music more than once), so we thought Diabulus In Musica was the name that fit us the best."



With Eurovision coming, as a band would you ever put yourself forward to represent Spain?

     "I don’t think any of us would dream about going to Eurovision, but if we were proposed to go we would probably accept because it is a good way of promoting ourselves. However we all know Spain always ends up in the low-scoring positions hahah so it probably would not be a good idea. We all know all the results are manipulated, so it’s not a very “fair” contest. Anyway, I admit I usually see it, it’s a good moment to gather for a dinner with friends and have a good time and some laughs."


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1. Battle of Atlantis
2. Earthly Illusions
3. Marble Embrace
4. Invisible
5. Crimson Gale
6. Ring Around Dark Fairies' Carousel
7. A Speck in the Universe
8. Hiding from You
9. The Voice of Your Dreams
10. The Hawk's Lament
11. Bane
12. The River of Loss
13. Zauria
14. Lies in Your Eyes (live)
15. St. Michael's Nightmare (live) 08:34    

With Brexit impending, as a band are you concerned about touring the UK or fairly calm about it?

     "For the moment we are calm and we hope it will not be a problem in the future because the UK is one of our favourite places to tour. We have only played twice, but the reactions have always been so great. The best part of our European tour last year was the one in the UK. It was a pity that last year our guitar player couldn’t come because he is from Russia and he couldn’t get his visa to enter UK.

     This year he finally got a visa and could come with us. It’s weird and a backwardness that nowadays it is still so important to get papers and papers, bureaucracy is really annoying, above all when you go just to play a couple of shows. I’m not going to give any opinions about politics, but I only hope things are easier and faster in the future."


What is the Spanish Metal scene like right now? Any bands you would suggest to your fans to check out?

     "Well, I honestly don’t follow the Spanish scene, so I don’t really know very much about it. What I can say is that the metal scene like in every country is a small one and here, people prefers to listen to the typical “Spanish Metal”, which is generally heavy music from the 80’s sung in Spanish. That’s what you get in every metal festival in Spain. There is also a new scene, but it is not supported enough to grow, at least for the moment."



You hail from Pamplona, home of the famous 'running of the bulls', what are your thoughts on the tradition? Have you ever participated?

     "No and I will never do so. I’m personally totally against the bullfights and I hope they are forbidden one day. I simply cannot understand that any human being can call that tremendous brutality “culture”. Regarding the running of the bulls, well, that’s different because bulls and people are on the same conditions and bulls don’t get harmed. It’s a very settled tradition in our city and in that case the bull doesn’t suffer, so I don’t have problems with that, but of course I have strong feelings against bullfights."


Finally what are your plans for the year ahead? Any greetings, thank you's that you wish to send out?

     "We are headlining three festivals here in Spain in spring and we hope to play more until the end of the year. We will also start writing new material. Thanks a lot for the interest and your questions and thanks to the readers also for taking the time to read. We hope to meet you all on the road!"

https://www.facebook.com/diabulusinmusicaofficial/

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GMA Interview Interrogation: Whispered (Finland)

12/4/2016

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It's not uncommon for a metal band to fall into a sub-genre that is totally unique, not only in terms of lyrical content or sound, but by the sub-genre name itself. So when Finland's Whispered announced details for their forthcoming album "Metsutan - Songs Of The Void", the slight-head turn became imminent after the first word. Why is a Finnish Metal band using a Japanese word in their album title? Turns out they're a 'Samurai Metal' band, well musically they're Melodic Death / Power Metal tinged with Eastern 'Oriental' Folk music influences, but we prefer the new genre tag as a way to describe them.

They might be fashioning blades, experts at martial arts, or masters at kanji calligraphy, but they're not resistant to our interrogation methods. Sadly no sake came between us or the band....

Vocalist / guitarist Jouni Valjakka and guitarist Mikko Mattila entered the interrogation chamber.


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"I can't really say what defines "Samurai Metal". Maybe just the lyrics? I dunno. Since our new stage wardrobe, we should maybe be called Kabuki Kombat Metal!"

Whispered has been going now for 12 years, what challenges have you had to overcome and how does it feel to be releasing album #3 'Metsutan - Songs of the Void'?


Jouni:
          "Well thinking of the history of us (the band), we've had the usual. Finding a committed line-up, making the best out of our thematics, getting enough cash to go on etc., Particularly with this album we run into some minor technical problems, some choir sessions were really hard to compile, and I had the pleasure and pain of programming most of the orchestrations and Japanese instruments for the first time. Among the usual, programming a huge orchestra and making the  ethnic instruments sound as organic as possible besides the band was quite a challenge for me."


Mikko:

          "Hey! It feels really awesome to be finally releasing our new album. It's been in the making for so long and finally we can get "rid of it". There's been a lot of challenges even with this album. You just don't make this kind of music by going to the studio, hit record and bang away a few tunes. Although we sometimes wish we could do that."


Could you please explain your choice of lyric topic, namely why and how did you come around to singing about Samurai's, Bushido and Japanese Legends? Do you hope your designed sub-genre 'Samurai Metal' will catch on?


Jouni:

          "Well I have been into Japanese culture and especially aesthetics for a really long time. When I was young I really felt the urge to create something unique and this kind of style felt really natural choice for me. Japanese culture has an endless inspiration for me and for a time now, the lyrics have had a bit more personal touch in them too. Meaning that thinking about struggles, opportunities and values of life, the way of the warrior can and should be represented in those too. 

         I don't care much for genres and at the beginning when we were called "Samurai Metal" I wasn't too excited, but nowadays when I'm not so angsty-teenager-elitist anymore I think it's a really cool sounding genre. I can't really say what defines "Samurai Metal". Maybe just the lyrics? I dunno. Since our new stage wardrobe, we should maybe be called Kabuki Kombat Metal!"



Because Metal music has endless ways it can transform, do you think that bands could create any style of metal they want, or are there limitations? Should it be a natural process rather than looking for new styles to do, just because they don't exist?


Jouni:

          "There are no limits and there never should be. When you're creating something you just gotta let everything go and not restrain yourself in any way. Of course someone might not like your modern-fusion-rap-progressive-extreme-swedish-folk-influenced-nomad-metal, but that's their problem. Not yours."


Mikko:

          "I think there's really no limitations whatsoever. If you come up with something unique that sounds really cool then just go for it. It's always good to search for a new angle on things musically, but it definitely shouldn't be forced. If it's forced it's bound to sound fake. For example Folk Metal is still a rather new style and when it got popular many new bands started to copy the originators. So now there's like a million Korpiklaani / Ensiferum etc. copies around. In a way we are doing it ourselves too, but you should always draw influences from many different sources and try to blend them to a unique mix of your own."


What instruments do you use to incorporate the Eastern Folk (Oriental) influences? Do you think this is a relatively new concept?


Jouni:

          "Well we use mostly the most common Japanese folk instruments like koto, shamisen and shakuhachi and some Chinese folk instruments too. Most of them are programmed, but we've used some real woodwinds earlier and now we have real shamisen played on the CD. Using these kind of instruments in rock music is not in anyway a new idea, but using them with rather fast, brutal and melodic metal is something quite fresh I think. At least I can proudly say that no-one in Finland has never done this before!"

Regarding your new album 'Metsutan - Songs of the Void', what song is your favourite and could you give us a short but concise explanation behind the song titles?


Jouni:

          "I can't say what's my favourite yet but I really like the song "Tsukiakari". It''s mostly a bit slower than the others and I think we really got a nice atmosphere in it. "Tsukiakari" means moonlight and it tells of a servant who kills himself in order to change his powerful master's evil ways. I read a story about the concept years ago and the idea really stuck with me."


Mikko:

          "I think my favourite song of all Whispered tracks is "Bloodred Shores of Enoshima". It is an epic journey, the most symphonic track we've ever done and the story can be realized as a kabuki play with 5 acts. It's also a very challenging track to play and in that regard just how I like it!"


Surely if and when you tour Japan (unless you have already?), they will admire you for this choice of metal? Do you have any fans out in Japan? Will you release your album out there?


Jouni:

          "Our gig in Japan had a really nice reception and we had extremely fun to interact with the fans there. I hope we have a chance to release Metsutan in Japan too!"


Mikko:

          "We played one showcase gig in Japan in 2013 and yes, it seems we have fans there. We were really not sure if they would think that we're too weird coming from Finland wearing hakamas and kumadori face-paint. But the audience response was unbelievable when we played in Tokyo, although a bit surprised at the beginning of the show. "Shogunate Macabre" was later released there and hopefully Metsutan too at some point. I'm actually very much looking forward to getting to record some bonus tracks for a possible future Japan release. It's always great fun to make some game music covers or something along the lines."


As 'Metsutan - Songs of the Void' is out in a months time, will there be a tour across the EU, possibly the UK, or just across Finland? Where have you toured before?



Mikko:

          "We get asked this a lot and unfortunately the answer is still the same: we are very open to opportunities to play anywhere outside Finland, but at the moment there's nothing concrete in the planning. Organizers, promoters, really anybody that can help us change the situation please contact us ASAP or be devoured by Gozuryu!"


Jouni:

"What he said".


Because Eurovision is taking place in May, have you ever considered entering the competition? What was your reaction when Lordi won Eurovision? Surely this has to be monumental not only for Finland, but for the Finnish Metal scene (as well as metal generally)?


Jouni:

          "Eurovision would be fun to attend, since I think I'd get some sick pleasure making as "pop" song as possible. Then we'd of course need clean vocals too, since the masses aren't ready for a full-blown samurai mayhem! Or are they? I was sooo happy when Lordi won! For a one night the whole Finland was celebrating the return of Hard Rock and Metal! Of course tomorrow we all went back to work and to listening to some more Kanye West."


Mikko:

          "I remember being in a bar, watching Lordi win Eurovision and thinking how can this be.. is this real life? Of course it was awesome and I'm so happy they won with a song that wasn't directly composed as a "Eurovision song". You know like the pop format "demands" or so it seems they think. Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät should have won too last year!"


Finally have you got any hello's or thank you's you wish to send out?

Jouni:

          "Thank you for the good questions! Keep your blades up high and be sure to get the new album to your hands 20.05.2016 ! Hail Gojira!"


Mikko:

          "Thank you for the interview! Kanpai and hail Gozuryu!"


Whispered Facebook
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Interview Interrogation: Amberian Dawn (Finland)

12/2/2016

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Our latest interrogation focuses on the Neo-Classical Power Metal outfit from Finland, Amberian Dawn. Having released their latest music video 'Fame & Gloria' (featured above), it was about time we caught up with the quintet as they celebrate their tenth anniversary this year (happy birthday guys!)

We talk about Eurovision and their thoughts about it, insinuating a possible future participation - if they could win it for Finland like Lordi did, then lightning would have struck twice. Their latest album "Innuendo" also receives a cooking as we find out what simmers underneath the latest effort, we ask how the change of vocal duties have affected the band as a whole and how they cope with the stress of touring.

Tuomas Seppälä (below second from right) gave us the lowdown.

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Amberian Dawn formed way back in 2006 and since then the band has gone from strength to strength, with very few low points to reflect upon Tuomas shed light on what the positives have been:
"One of the biggest one was our first European tour in 2008. It was really awesome to get a chance to tour with Epica just after releasing our debut album. As a young band we were just learning how to do it all. We learned a lot during this tour from Epica."


Taking notes from such a well and truly respected metal band such as Epica has helped Amberian Dawn clamber up the ladder to reach heights they might well not have imagined back in their early years. Their latest chapter in the band's career came in form of their latest album "Innuendo", in fact at the back end of 2015 they toured in support of said album along with Delain and The Gentle Storm. However they don't plan to stop there not by a long shot, with Tuomas admitting that they're "planning to tour again this year, (so) let's see when it's going to happen. It takes some time to organize a tour". Time does appear to fly by and as 2015 came to a close and 2016 came into our lives, this inevitably started a new chapter for Amberian Dawn, a period of down time and time spent away from band activities except for some Summer festival appearances of which Amberian Dawn will need to rest and recharge themselves for.


For Tuomas taking a break from the band means he is able to enjoy doing "
sports of all kinds. In the summer I like to jog. In the winter I like to do indoor cycling for example", it is always important for musicians to take a break once in a while and spend time with their loved ones or indeed on their own life and maintain their well-being. Tuomas admits that most of the time touring has it's best and worst parts, right at the top of the best parts is performing and that "If we wouldn't enjoy it so much, we wouldn't do it all", yet hovering in the background of every good moment is elements of bad moments waiting to strike, "of course there have also been some bad moments on tours and usually those are somehow related to technical matters". With all the concerns and worries, bouts of excitement and happiness, time does have a knock on effect on all musicians, sometimes taking things slow can be for the best.


On the continuing theme of time, 2012 became a turning point for Amberian Dawn and in specific their departing vocalist
Heidi Parviainen who was soon to be replaced by incumbent vocalist Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen. Naturally with the change in vocal duties there was a subtle reason behind this, Tuomas explains the decision behind this change:


"Capri has a totally different approach to singing than Heidi does. Capri is able to do both rock vocals and operatic vocals. At the moment I prefer her rock vocals and it gives me new possibilities with the songwriting process. Heidi's departure from Amberian Dawn was as amicable as is humanly possible. Heidi and I decided in early 2012 that we're going to part ways after recording ”Circus Black” and after all the promotional work relating to the album release is done... we also decided to do our final show together with Heidi despite the fact we  had already found a new singer. I think it was a good call for everybody that we finished our co-operation with Heidi at a such a good festival. Now our lyrics are written by Capri. Writing of the lyrics has always been a job for the vocalist in AD"


Songwriting is never an easy process, especially when you're stuck on what ideas you wish to circumvent around the song as a whole, yet there are times where a song can be as bonkers as the performers and yet still score a reputation no matter the genre. So when asked about whether Amberian Dawn could and would write a song to enter the Finnish national selection for Eurovision with, Tuomas admits that he "
would see that as a possibility. Maybe even next year ;) I don't see what harm it would do to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest.", well Lordi won it for Finland and even then Teräsbetoni represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest the following year.
 

Tuomas hopes to see all Amberian Dawn fans on future tours as they have tour plans in the future, so watch this band with interest, once again it's all a matter of time.

"Innuendo" is out now via Napalm Records


http://amberiandawn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/amberiandawn/
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Interview Interrogation: Talesien

12/2/2013

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"The people who live around us consider our music as something underground and marginal".


Following on from our recent reviewal of Galician Power Proggers Talesien and their latest album "El Silencio" we thought it would be best to deliver the Spanish inquisition and put the flaming tongs on this sextet to explore the past, present and future of Talesien, but be warned, there may be blood.

So guys, how long has the band been going, how did the band form and what does the band name mean?

Talesien has celebrated just our 10th anniversary in 2012. The band name comes from the third long play "The Book of Taliesyn" by Deep Purple, but we decided to change it a little, the second part of the title specifically in order to avoid coincidences and also because there were other bands which had chosen this name too. So…

What inspired you to play the style of music you play?

We feel that we are inspired by every single metal song that we listen to in whatever style. We listen to Bon Jovi but we listen to Slayer too. We are open minded people in that sense. We only search for good songs, it doesn´t matter if we are talking about Thrash, Power, Heavy, Progressive, Death Metal, etc.

What is your local town / city scene like?

There are a lot of bands playing different styles, we live in a very rich land in that sense. Unfortunately we also live in the north-western corner in Spain and it´s too difficult to spread our work and especially playing live music around the country because of the distance. Also it´s a social question, the people who live around us consider our music as something underground and marginal.

Have you played alongside any big bands, if so who? If not who would you like to play alongside?

We have been playing alongside many different bands throughout our history, bands such as DIO, Cradle of Filth, Riot, Marky Ramone, In Extremo, Lost Horizon, etc and we would be very pleased to play alongside Dream Theater, Symphony X, Kamelot, Evergrey, Circus Maximus, Seventh Wonder, Iron Maiden and many more…

Has the band got any plans for 2013?

Keep playing and to continue with our brand new long play presentation in places where we still haven´t gone and also to start to compose a new one asap.

Finally any thank you's, hello's and any other messages you wish to say?

First of all we want to give you many thanks for being there for your support and for giving us this opportunity and also a big thank you to our fans for keeping our spirits high

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talesien-Oficial/326397790752670
http://talesien.com/
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Interview with Eluveitie and Alestorm

19/7/2012

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Global Metal Apocalypse caught up with Eluveitie frontman Chrigel Glanzmann and spoke about what Eluveitie have been upto, the band's past, current affairs in general and what the band plans on doing in 2012 and beyond. Interview is below.
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Last year Global Metal Apocalypse caught up with Alestorm and in particular frontman Christopher Bowes, we just found it in the archives and we now present it to the public, interview is below.
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