Metal Music Interviews

Interview Interrogation: Anima (Peru)

28/4/2017

South America is awash with many metal bands, some of which have become established in the international arena:- Brazil's Sepultura (of course), Venezuela's Culture Tres, Argentina's Skiltron, etc., but even in the lesser known metal scenes there are bands making a name for themselves across their respective continent.

And of course those bands who do make it internationally aren't always the best sounding, some of the most underground bands are better than the successful, ironic no? Anyway the point is the underground has a breadth of talent that most of the time gets ignored by the masses in favour of established bands and that's why GMA prides itself in giving coverage to bands on all six continents.

Anima from Peru are the latest band to be interrogated by GMA, fresh on the block this quintet sing in Spanish and English and play Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. But what makes this band tick exactly? Alvaro Bueno Triveño [AT} and Diego Adrián Bueno Triveño [DT] were more than happy to share their world with us... from Lima with love.

"it is indeed difficult to be a metal band in Peru because of the few [gigging] places that exist"

How did Anima form? What does the band name mean?

     "Anima as a group was formed very recently, about a year ago, but the idea came from a long time ago, it was a project created with years of preparation and consolidation, the name "Anima" means the same in several languages, 'Alma', and that is what we want to convey, the essence of everything." [AT]

     "We've been playing together for a long time, we're brothers, and it could not be otherwise, I think Anima existed forever, only now we have a name. Honestly, one day Alvaro told me "what if we call ourselves Anima", I liked the name and it was fortunate that it has a meaning that I could call inspiring jajaja" [DT]

     "Also this is called the selector of modes of handling of the cars Lamborghini jaja." [AT]

How did you all get involved in music? What bands do you aspire to?

     "The music was always a part of us, our father is a singer so it's something that comes from the family, when I discovered metal it was something amazing, I just thought this is what I want to do for life as it is the purest expression of art. I admire many bands of different styles, such as Iron Maiden, Dethklok, Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, Kreator, Slipknot and Babymetal, yeah, Babymetal jaja, But currently one of my favourites is Arch Enemy." [AT]

     "Exactly, we have always been in a musical environment, since I have always had musical instruments at home, so it was not strange that we are interested in music, currently the bands that I listen to would be Arch Enemy, Iron Maiden and I must admit a special fanaticism by Babymetal jajaja, I can say, they are great." [DT]

How long has the Peruvian Metal scene been going? What problems are there? Is it easy / hard being a rock / metal band in Peru?

     "In Peru there are very good bands and extremely passionate fans, the problems are those that are faced in all of Latin America, which is given very little support, it is indeed difficult to be a metal band in Peru because of the few places that exist and that basically is one issue which musicians must face and all of the economic expenses that this requires." [AT]

     "We have been playing for several years, since we were children, and unfortunately there are many problems when it comes to want to show our music, especially, the few places that are given to musicians of extreme genres, honestly it is difficult to be a metal band here." [DT]

What does it feel like to be signing to Profane Records?

     "We are very grateful and honoured to sign with them, it is indeed very important for us to have signed with this prestigious label and we are amazed that it is on the other side of the world!" [AT]

     "Yes it is interesting that a foreign label is interested in us, it was really a huge surprise, personally I am very grateful and excited to work with people so passionate about music and for the confidence that Profane Records is giving in us. So we must show what we can do." [DT]

Have you as musicians performed outside of Peru yet? Is it / will it be straightforward in getting gigs across South America?

     "So far we have not yet presented ourselves outside of Peru, however great news about this will come very soon. It is not so simple because as I said it requires a lot of effort and consistancy." [AT]

"I think South America is full of passionate people, so we just have to work hard to get be able to arrive with our music to all the people who are here." [DT]

Tell us some interesting things about your city, what attractions are there, where NOT to go, best places to eat, etc?

     "Abancay is a quiet city with a very warm climate all year round, there are many attractions such as the archaeological complex of Saywite and the countryside on the outskirts of the city. Of the places to go, well I would not say where not to go because each part can be interesting but currently Abancay as a city is quite careless. Peru in general is famous for its gastronomy and Abancay is no exception." [AT]

     "All of Peru has special charms, and well, Abancay is a small city but it's nice, I really cannot think of any place to "not to go" jaja, let's say that each part has its special charm, I am currently living in the city of Cusco, and as it is well known is a rather touristic city and that it really has enough attractions." [DT]

What plans do you have for the rest of the year?

     "We will be launching our first album very soon, we are working hard to create a quality album that will have a very different sound. A video clip is coming and soon we will give more news about a tour." [AT]

     "The important thing is to keep moving forward, focusing more and more on music, it is really exciting to release a record, we are putting a lot of effort into our material and at the risk of appearing arrogant, I imagine that hard work will pay off." [DT]

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

     "Of course, I would like to thank all the people at Profane Records, as well as all the people who have supported us for a long time, I feel quite fortunate to have parents who support me in what I want and make me happy in doing. Also thanks to Global Metal Apocalypse for giving us space in its prestigious and heavily supporting medium." [AT]

     "Sure, it is necessary to thank all those who have always given us encouragement, there are really so many names that I am even afraid to mention them and forget someone jaja, just thank you all, and Profane Records for allowing us to work on this great dream. Also invite everyone to take a look that soon we will have new releases with totally new musical experiences." [DT]

https://www.facebook.com/AnimaMetalPeru/?fref=ts

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Interview Interrogation:- Henri Sattler of God Dethroned (The Netherlands)

28/4/2017

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Without a shadow of a doubt, God Dethroned are veterans of the Dutch Metal scene despite having split-up twice (1993, 2012) and whilst some might have cast them off as just 'hanging around', it goes without question that the quartet have arisen once again with newfound vigour, a sense of passion and pride, but above all the feeling that they have left business unfinished.

Starting off back in the old days with Satanism as the core topic of their lyrics, God Dethroned mid-career switched to a more death-orientated stance which transgressed into their modern self as a band who sings about war, specifically the First World War; as shown on their 2009 album 'Passiondale (Passchendaele)'.

26 long years down the line and God Dethroned are set to deliver their 10th opus titled 'The World Ablaze', ending the WW1 album trilogy. In promotion of the album God Dethroned have released three blazingly brutal music videos:-

'On The Wrong Side Of The Wire' = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsJ0jPAJPcg
'The World Ablaze' = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vBogAvuq3Y
'Annihilation Crusade' = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJ58_Z8p-s

Fending off the aggression of this Dutch horde, GMA came into calling truce with frontman Henri Sattler who laid out the band's battle plans for the campaign ahead, speaking of their local division, politics and their latest weapon 'The World Ablaze'... prepare for mortar fire.

"This line-up feels really good. I'd like it to stay this way for as long as possible"

Guys firstly how does it feel to have God Dethroned back together? What gave you the impetus to come back together?

     "It feels great! We have played many great shows and festivals after our 3 year break. In order to continue this very rewarding lifestyle, we needed to come up with a new album and so we did.
It was at a friend's funeral that I realised how much I missed the music scene. I was there with many fellow musicians and at the end of the day I knew I had to continue my life as a musician."

'The World Ablaze' is your 10th album and marks 26 years since GD was born, will you be carrying on the war-theme after this album?

     "I'm not sure yet what themes I will follow for future albums. It's too soon. First we'll have to see how well this one does and we'll promote the crap out of it by playing as much as we can. Then in time I will figure out what to do next."

Regarding your new album, could you perhaps give us a short break-down of what each song is about?

     "Some songs deal with very specific events in WWI and some songs basically describe a certain situation on the battlefield. Here's some examples:-

'Escape Across the Ice' is about the Russian revolution that happened during WWI. The abdication of Tsar Nicholas and the rise of the communists, supported by the red army. However, there was also a white army. They were loyal to the Tsar and they fought for their own independence within Russia.

'Messina Ridge' is about the biggest man made explosion before the Trinity bomb explosion in Nevada. The allied forces couldn't pass a hill in the Ypres region and so they decided to dig a tunnel and stuff the hill with explosives. When they detonated it they killed 15000 troops instantly and the shock-wave of the blast could be felt in London...

'The 11th Hour' is about the end of the war. 11 am on the 11th of November (11:00 11/11). All very symbolic. The armistice was already signed at 5 am, so there were no attacks necessary any more on the final morning, but some commanders felt it would look good in the statistics if they would gain some extra ground. So they sent their troops into battle that final morning. And purely to look good they sent 20,000 troops into death that day...

Will this present line-up remain together? Will there be guest musicians also?

"Yes I believe so. We had the new guys in the band as session musicians for 2 years until we decided to keep them as steady band-members. For the first time in a long time we had the luxury of trying them out for a while before having to make the decision to keep them or not. In the past we were forced to make decisions on short notice because of our busy tour schedule and it didn't always work out so well. This line-up feels really good. I'd like it to stay this way for as long as possible. We never really worked with guest musicians and I don't see that happening for the foreseeable either."

With Brexit are you as a band worried about touring the UK?

     "I heard that you guys will be negotiating for 2 years, so there's no immediate changes there. Hope you guys will manage to get a good deal out of this. It would be the best for everybody. And then we'll see what happens."

Since 2009 your lyrics changed from 'satanic' morbidity to war-themed, would you agree your new lyrics teach listeners about WW1, etc?

     "I would say that my lyrics have been satirical versions of bible stories and a lot of fictional stuff that didn't have anything to do with religion. I ran into the WWI theme when I was on visit in Ypres, where our guitar player Isaac Delahaye used to live.

     We would hang out on a regular basis and go to bars and stuff. It was there that I saw "the last post" ceremony, the war cemeteries, the war museum, memorial sites and above all, the English folk that were there to visit the graves of their long lost relatives. It impressed me so much that I decided to write some songs about it.

     With 'Passiondale' our first WWI concept album was born. It turned out to be so special that we decided to do another one ('Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross'). Now the trilogy is finished with "The World Ablaze". I don't know if I actually teach people about it. I may make they aware of it. I don't have to do more than that."

Will there be any festival appearances / tours taking place this year in support of your new album?

     "First we play 5 album release shows in May (called Serpent Fest) and then we play some festivals like With Full Force and Party-San. After the summer we will probably go on a European tour. Shows in Japan and the USA are also in the works."

What is the Drenthe metal scene like? What sights / attractions should metalheads see in your home village of Beilen?

     "I live in the most boring part of the country. There's absolutely nothing to do, so in order to make my life a little bit more interesting I started to play guitar, founded a band and started playing all over the world. It was my grand escape, so to say. The metal scene however is quite good. I suppose it's because of the reasons I just described."

"The World Ablaze" is out 5th May 2017 via Metal Blade Records

http://www.facebook.com/goddethronedofficial
http://www.goddethroned.com/

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Interview Interrogation: Carach Angren (The Netherlands)

28/4/2017

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When you think of Black Metal, or namely the Symphonic version of it, you tend to think of the Nordic nations and maybe Germany in tow. But when you think of the Dutch Metal scene, usually bands like Within Temptation, Epica and Heidevolk spring to mind. However beyond the facade of said metal scene is a thriving Black Metal scene, one band is set or somewhat hell-bent on aiming to change the whole 'devilish aesthetic' normally associated with Black Metal and / or one of it's many varying subgenres.

Enter Carach Angren, a trio in the studio, a quintet on stage (with help from Nikos Mavridis and Diogo Bastos). Having been around since 2003, this hallowing outfit utilize ghost and horror stories as their lyrical subject and thus breaking free from the shackles that forgone Symphonic Black Metal bands have laid down. With an average album turnover of 2-3 years, 2017 heralds the new Carach Angren album "Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten" which is being ultimately billed as their darkest and most spine-chilling album to date.

With that in mind it was time to give the band a grilling as GMA interrogates them, finding out what sits within their darkened chambers of creativity, thoughts on Brexit, their finished tour with Italy's Fleshgod Apocalypse, the new album and other topics surrounding this ghoulish threesome.

Photo by Negakinu Photography & Design

"A political party in our own country tried to forbid one of our shows. The show happened anyway [due to huge amounts of media attention] so we can’t complain haha."

Not so long ago you finished your UK/EU tour supporting Fleshgod Apocalypse, how was it? How was your only UK show?

     "It was very good for us, we had been looking forward to finally touring Europe again, it has been some years since because we focused on the US and other countries directly after the release of “This is No Fairytale”. London was actually one of the craziest shows of the tour haha, it was sold out and people were collectively stage-diving throughout the set, amazing!"

With 'Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten' due for release in June, will there be any tours / festival appearances in support of it?

     "Yes we are working very, very hard on that. We have a very strong management and agencies in places nowadays so they are creating opportunities right now as we speak. It’s our plan to bring a new horror show everywhere to support the new album. Furthermore we have [announced] some summer festival appearances like With Full Force, Nummirock and others."

With the new album, you secured the services of the prolific artwork designer Costin Chioreanu, how was it working with him?

     "Costin is one of those people that are both talented and a pleasure to work with. Also, he really is connected with what we are doing. He only needs a few words to describe what we are looking for and instantly delivers. For this album I asked him to draw an illustration for every song. I gave a little description of the overall concept and what he came up with blew me away. On the last album he came up with extraordinary lyric videos that are still praised on YouTube everyday."

Given you're a Symphonic Black Metal band, your choice of lyricism isn't stereotypical of bands in said genre, how did you become interested in the whole 'ghost / horror story' theme? Are you yourselves believers of the paranormal; have you witness any sightings?

     "Yes of course we have our origins in this genre but we feel we have moved away from it slowly. We tend to call ourselves a 'Horror Metal' band because our music includes Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal elements, even a little bit of industrial now and then. Our focus is indeed telling horror stories and everything we do supports this.

     We really love horror stories and especially the paranormal elements. For me personally it’s not so much about believing or not; it’s the fascination in hearing these stories. When I was with my girlfriend in Mexico for example, I learned about some paranormal stories from her relatives that really gave me goosebumps. I incorporate elements of this in our lyrics.

     Another thing is that my mother told me that she put me in a bath tub when I was very little. She went a away for a minute and suddenly heard me scream. She came back in and apparently I told her that someone was trying to pull me under water, yet there was no one there."

Could you give us a short summary of what each song from the new album means? Or what it's about?

     "We would like the listener to find out certain clues in the story but I will give a summary of what happens. The first track is called “Opening”. It’s the opening of the album but has a different meaning as well. We are then introduced to a girl playing with a Ouija board during the first actual song “Charlie”. The girl summons a force called Charlie and we learn that it is up to no good.

     The girl and her friends run away leaving the listener in the room with the Ouija board still in place. We then experience different stories from entities visiting us via the Ouija board. So the songs following this actually tell individual tales. In the end we return to the scene with the girl and the Ouija board, this force Charlie kills her but there is a clue where it actually came from, plus the listener learns he/she is actually part of the story"

Over the years you've donned a number of eloquent outfits, what is your inspiration behind these?

     "Thank you. With us this is actually an ongoing process, we are always thinking about new outfits, corpsepaint and overall visual elements. So we experiment a lot. Regarding clothes, we have had our go-to place for years and this is working perfectly for us. We tend to adjust existing pieces, do odd combinations, etc. Also, Seregor is an incredible artist when it comes to mask making so his talent is very much contributing to our overall visual presentation. Ideas get triggered by the stories we are telling or things we encounter in movies, visuals, etc. It can be anything."

Regarding Brexit, as a band are you worried about touring the UK? Were you also worried about Geert Wilders' Freedom Party participating in the recent Dutch elections?

     "There are a lot of things happening in the world but then again, there always are and as an artist and band we want to focus on what we do best: entertain people. We feel that the world doesn’t need even more opinions and especially not from people like us who are here to create an escape from everyday life. That is how we feel about this. Furthermore we will try to bring our shows to as many people as possible anywhere in the world.

     Last year and the year before we have been to some pretty exotic places but the funny thing was that a political party in our own country tried to forbid one of our shows. So imagine, we are based in one of the most free countries in the world and exactly here things got troublesome. In the end it only gained us huge amounts of media attention and the show happened anyway so we can’t complain haha."

What plans does the band have for the rest of the year?

     "We will tour [and promote] the new album as much as possible, we are really looking forward to that. Right now we are working extremely hard on a new video. We are working with the same company as last time (Backstage Film Productions). It’s an incredible amount of work but we want to amaze people so that is what it takes. I have actually been digging in a forest all morning, just before answering this interview so the rock-star life is not what it seems haha."

"Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten" is out 16th June via Season of Mist

http://www.carach-angren.nl/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carach-Angren/289371466833
http://www.season-of-mist.com/

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M2TM Interview Interrogation: Callus (Lancashire)

14/4/2017

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Photo Credit: Daniella Beswick Photography

Lack of money, lack of time... [are] the testing stages and they need to be like this. (On being an unsigned band)

As the Metal 2 The Masses (M2TM) kicks into full swing with heats across the breadth of the UK and abroad taking place, bands progressing whilst some fall by the wayside, it's once again time for GMA to probe the bands who have entered this prestigious competition that allows the eventual region winners to earn a slot at playing the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival near Burton-Upon-Trent.

Third up is Callus from Lancashire; questions answered by guitarist / vocalist Louis Clarke.

Debut EP out now

For those not in the know, please explain how Callus formed?

     "Callus formed in early 2013 in Lancaster, Ben and I had been friends since high school and enjoyed the same bands and getting pissed together, so it was only natural that we wanted to form a band. We encountered Mark shortly after and that's when things really clicked for us and when we knew we had the proper line-up. I think we played our first show with Mark in Barrow, Cumbria."

Is this your first time in M2TM? If no when did you previously enter? If yes what are your emotions like?

      "This will be our second stab at M2TM, we played last years event in Burnley. We are like a caged violent demon-boar at this point... ready to bust loose and launch an assault on all of your senses."

How important is the M2TM initiative for unsigned bands? Irrespective of whether they win their regional heats?

    "I do think M2TM is pretty important for unsigned bands, obviously it gets them in there with a chance at playing the main event. Not only that, but with all the attention that the heats get it makes the nights pretty awesome in themselves, which is still great if you are like us last year getting knocked out in the first round (!). The nights always end up being heavily populated as far as we can tell."

What is the Lancashire scene like? Please tell us about local bands, venues, etc.

    "Lancashire's scene is pretty good, we try not to take too much notice on what everyone else is doing in scenes though. We like to do our own thing really, if people enjoy it then that's amazing and that makes our night, if not then that's cool as well we enjoy it all the same.

    As far as local bands go Lancaster can boast some pretty meaty bands especially with the likes of Bloodyard (who of course won M2TM a couple of years ago) and Insurgency really starting to break out and make a name for themselves. A favourite band of ours is Boss Keloid although they probably don't know it... it blows my mind that something so original and moving came out of Lancashire, Wigan I think to be precise. Of course Manchester seems to be "Where its all happening" though.

    As far as venues we love the Yorkshire House (Lancaster) to bits, and we have grown especially fond of The Dark Room at Roper Hall, Preston. Both killer venues."

Will you be going to Bloodstock even if you don't progress to the finals?

      "I think at least one of us may go to Bloodstock this year, but last years line-up was outstanding and pretty hard to top for us... A bunch of us went though even though we didn't get through our round of M2TM. With the likes of Boss Keloid, Foetal Juice, Rotting Christ, Gojira, Mastodon and Slayer it was too good to miss. We also made sure to catch After The Abduction who we have played with before at The Alma Inn, Bolton and The Star and Garter, Manchester (two more awesome venues in Lancashire), who won last years M2TM... those guys bossed the New Blood stage."

What are the hardest challenges of running an unsigned band these days?

     "One of the hardest challenges of running an unsigned band has to be a matter of time and money... two of us each have kids, all of us have jobs and responsibilities yeah it can be tough. Lack of money, lack of time... its all a test but that's life its just how it goes. These are the testing stages and they need to be like this. Although if someone wants to sign us and pay for our shit then we will have a chat right?"

What plans do you have for the rest of the year and are there any messages you wish to send out to people?

     "The plan for the rest of the year is play as many shows as we can and try to reach as many people as we can. We just released our first E.P. as well called Through, Blood, Sweat, Piss and Pain so we want to support that as much as we can and drill that into as many peoples heads as possible. We have something really big planned for early next year so we are trying to build up as much momentum as possible.

     Come to a show if you haven't already, you might be surprised... you might not... still reading?
Congratulations if you got this far! Through, Blood, Sweat, Piss and Pain."

https://www.facebook.com/Callus.band/

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Interview Interrogation: Cache & Nookie from Slot (Russia)

12/4/2017

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What many could argue as Russia's answer to Hollywood Undead and Disturbed, Slot (Слот) have been rampaging Moscow's streets for 15 years with the gritty style of Nu Metal / Rapcore. Having released their latest album last year (SEPTIMA), Slot are leading the new wave of Russian Metal with fellow compatriots Save and MagnetiC forming a new breed of metal band.

Arguably they're part of a wider 'Eastern European' Nu Metal movement with the likes of Jinjer and Infected Rain from Moldova being the latest to bring a new edge to the seemingly dead Nu Metal sound. Slot however were yet to break into the wider international metal arena... until now, as they sign a deal with Sliptrick Records to distribute their album outside of Russian territories; additionally they're releasing online a compilation of their best songs marking their 15th anniversary.

Vocalists Igor "Cache" Lobanov and Daria "Nookie" Stavrovich were more than happy to share an insight into Slot's world.

"Years ago there was one alternative music TV channel called “A-One”, which supported rock music in Russia."

Hi guys, for those who don't know who Slot are could you give us a brief background history?

Cache: "OK, we formed in Moscow 15 years ago. Nookie joined us in 2006. Last year we released our seventh album and there’s a lot of things that actually happened throughout those years. If you want to know who we are, go to iTunes or whatever and check out some of our music. By the way, we are about to release our “best of” this April, it is called “15” and it’s the best way to get to know us; through listening to this release."

The Russian Metal scene is quite underground and yet there are so many decent bands, what problems is the scene facing?

Nookie: "The first and the main problem – there’s no metal bands featured in the traditional media and no support comes from them at all. It’s not only about really extreme bands, but about anything that is even slightly harder than a feather. And of course this is not good for the genre. Everything is working just because artists’ enthusiasm and talent are there; more emphasis on enthusiasm though."

Cache: "The underground is out of show business, actually. Each band is on its own and survives by itself. Loads of potentially good bands just disappear after a while, because they can’t combine the day job and music well together. The absence of 'music schools' is also a problem, it concerns musicians, sound engineers, everyone. Well, I guess it is common for everywhere – metal is not in such favour as pop music."

Have you got any plans to tour the UK and indeed Europe?

Nookie: "We’ll be in Topfest in Slovakia this summer. Check it out - http://www.topfest.sk. As for the rest of the world – we are open to your invitations! There are means of contact with our manager on our site, if you want to book us for any concert in your country, drop him a line."

Is it relatively hard touring Russia given its vastness and time zone differences?

Nookie: "It’s ok, time zones do not change so fast. But the country is really big, so by the time you finished the previous tour, it’s time to go on to the next one."

Cache: "Sometimes gigs happen in some kind of 'anabiosis'. The distance between cities in Eastern Russia is big, so sometimes to get from one city to another you should cross a couple of countries such as Poland for example. But what can we do – people want to see us from all over the country!"

What plans does the band have for the rest of this year?

Nookie: "We have our anniversary tour this spring and then during the autumn. We release “best of” soon and our label will probably release one of our concerts on DVD this fall."

You've been going for over a decade, what challenges and issues have you had along the way?

Cache: "The main challenge – is relations within the band. It’s hard to work without tensions among the band members during those 15 years, but we don’t allow these tensions to destroy mutual respect and good communication. And we are proud, that we managed to do it. And we still exist as a band."

Nookie: "While there were some turbulence in the band: some people left, some came in, it is now quite a stable band. We accepted all the changes as changes for the best. Years ago there was one alternative music TV channel called “A-One”, which supported rock music in Russia. It has helped many bands, many bands disappeared as soon as this channel was shut down. Slot survived and our next TV appearance was also a challenge – I mean my participation in “The Voice”. But we used this show to promote rock music a little bit."

What hobbies / interests do you have outside of music and your day job?

Nookie: "I don’t actually have one. Besides Slot I have my solo project “Nookie” and I make scores for animation and even musicals as a composer."

Cache: "I don’t usually have spare time, but when I do, I’m into photography and design. I even have my Instagram where I upload all the materials. @designofoto and I can count my solo project ModeM as a hobby, this is different from Slot musically speaking, so I can call this a hobby in some way"

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

Nookie: "We know how many people outside of Russia love Slot, and we really appreciate it! Thank you very much for your support!"

https://www.facebook.com/theSLoT/about

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Interview Interrogation: Aevum (Italy)

4/4/2017

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A decade seems a long while right? Well to most it does, but perhaps not so much for Aevum who have just last month released their second album 'Dischronia', a heavenly slab of Symphonic Metal devised by the Italian octet.

However over their decade of activity the band's world was slewed by numerous line-up changes, thus hindering the time when they would unleash their debut album 'Impressions' (2014); a full 7 years since their birth.

But for a band who hails from the city used for 'The Italian Job', Turin, their new-found blueprint certainly seems to have them on the right path and perhaps might become a shining beacon within the Symphonic Metal movement. Aevum were more than happy to let GMA into a few secrets as the interview shall now reveal....

How did Aevum start and were the members in bands previously?

     "We started in Turin in 2007, we were so young at the time... in the beginning it was like a garage band, we had no particular goals, just a huge will to play and express our feelings through the music we love."

It's been a decade since Aevum started and you've just released your second album, what challenges have you had to overcome?

     "How far ahead you can see; it took us four years to move from the first EP onto the second EP. We had to take our time to find the right set-up and the perfect line-up for our project. We consider 2011 our real year of birth.

     A band is like a big family... you have to overcome many different situations as they happen. Our hardest challenge was the 2016 line-up change... we had to find the right people committed to this project, and we made it! Now we are completely satisfied about the line-up, we are so close to each other, and Dischronia represents the amazing result of this intense teamwork."

Symphonic Metal seems to be well-represented in Italy, what made you decide to make this music and is Symphonic Metal popular?

     "The symphonic scene is an important reality in Italy. I think that this kind of music gives you the chance to express your feelings and ideas through many different musical aspects. When you listen, our music is inspired by many influences and 'Dischronia', as our previous album 'Impressions', acknowledges other music styles too... jazz beat, swing, blues, heavy metal, black metal, electro, dubstep, reggae... and many more.."

Will there be a tour in support of the new album? If so where are you playing? Is the UK in sight? Are you worried about Brexit?

     "Sure, we are working in partnership with the Alpha and Omega booking agency to get gigs in different countries this year. Actually we can't give you any more details than that, but we are preparing something special and maybe, we hope, we will be able to reach some venues in the UK too.

     What about Brexit? We are not worried but certainly we are sad about this, we think that we have lost a good opportunity to stick together to make Europe a better place to live."

Could you give us a brief overview of what each song title means?

"You have to know that 'Dischronia' is the diary of a modern, dystopic travel. It retraces the journeys of the Romantic wanderers who, travelling through Europe to see the most astonishing views, cities and masterpieces, fulfilled their souls. The booklet is structured as an actual diary. Each song is inspired by a famous Italian painting or sculpture, especially from the Baroque age.

'Death of the Virgin', for instance, is both inspired and dedicated to the well-known Caravaggio's portrait.

'The Vitruvian Condition' refers to Leonardo Da Vinci, as well as Beltade.

'Inner fire' is inspired by Judith beheading Holofernes, painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the few female painters in the whole history of art.

We invite you to find out or guess the sources of inspirations of the other songs!"

What can you tell us about the Turin Metal scene? e.g. venues, bands, etc

     "Wow, that's a tough and awkward question. We are not very proud of our country and in particular our town. Few and fewer people get used to following the underground scene and for different reasons too many venues have closed or are closing.

     At the same time it's getting harder and harder to find the right places to play, but still, we have lots of good bands and good musicians in Turin... so we hope that something can change in the future".

What sights / attractions should metalheads see in Turin?

     "Turin is less known than Rome, Florence, Venice, etc., but you can bet it's a wonderful town, just like the others mentioned before! Turin was a royal city, it was the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
I think that the streets, the squares, the buildings still reflect this royal ancestry.

     In Turin there are many things to see, from different ages: you have the Roman doors to the city, the Baroque royal castle, lovely porticoed avenues, stunning churches, trendy shops, delicious restaurants... really, tourists shouldn't miss a trip to our town!"

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

     "Our plans? Conquer the world! (lol) Certainly we would like to spread our music as much as possible around the world. We hope to play in Europe and, if possible, outside the European borders too. So... we hope to have an intense year, full of new exciting experiences, new people, new friends, new places, new venues... see you on the road!"

'Dischronia' is now out via Maple Metal Records

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Interview Interrogation: Anima (Peru)

"it is indeed difficult to be a metal band in Peru because of the few [gigging] places that exist"

Interview Interrogation:- Henri Sattler of God Dethroned (The Netherlands)

"This line-up feels really good. I'd like it to stay this way for as long as possible"

Interview Interrogation: Carach Angren (The Netherlands)

"A political party in our own country tried to forbid one of our shows. The show happened anyway [due to huge amounts of media attention] so we can’t complain haha."

M2TM Interview Interrogation: Callus (Lancashire)

Lack of money, lack of time... [are] the testing stages and they need to be like this. (On being an unsigned band)

Interview Interrogation: Cache & Nookie from Slot (Russia)

"Years ago there was one alternative music TV channel called “A-One”, which supported rock music in Russia."

Interview Interrogation: Aevum (Italy)

© 2011-2022
Global Metal Apocalypse

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Interview Interrogation: Anima (Peru)

"it is indeed difficult to be a metal band in Peru because of the few [gigging] places that exist"

Interview Interrogation:- Henri Sattler of God Dethroned (The Netherlands)

"This line-up feels really good. I'd like it to stay this way for as long as possible"

Interview Interrogation: Carach Angren (The Netherlands)

"A political party in our own country tried to forbid one of our shows. The show happened anyway [due to huge amounts of media attention] so we can’t complain haha."

M2TM Interview Interrogation: Callus (Lancashire)

Lack of money, lack of time... [are] the testing stages and they need to be like this. (On being an unsigned band)

Interview Interrogation: Cache & Nookie from Slot (Russia)

"Years ago there was one alternative music TV channel called “A-One”, which supported rock music in Russia."

Interview Interrogation: Aevum (Italy)

© 2011-2022Global Metal Apocalypse

Archives

Categories

© 2011-2022
Global Metal Apocalypse