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Interview Interrogation: Belle Morte (Belarus)

23/3/2021

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"[to tour] you need to get a tour permission, which is issued by a commission (none of its members have any relation to music). And they can refuse to issue it because of “low artistic level”, even if your music is literally a masterpiece"


Whilst most of Europe's metal listeners are so transfixed on what's happening in the metal scenes within Western, Northern and Southern Europe, on the other side of Europe a handful of countries often get forgotten. OK so The Ukraine has Jinjer and Moldova has Infected Rain leading their respective scenes charge, but how long did it take for those metal scenes to receive widespread acknowledgement from the metal masses? Exactly. Well now it's the turn of the Belarusian metal scene to stake it's claim on European soil, the band leading the charge and flying the flag for Belarus is Belle Morte. The symphonic metal quartet are set to unleash their mastery through their debut album "Crime Of Passion", which will be released through Italian label Wormholedeath sometime in 2021.

GMA spoke to 4 of the 6 members about the debut album, how Belarus has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, what it was like growing up as metalheads and why people should check them out... discussing their unique take on the symphonic gothic metal sound.

Key:

  • BM - Belle Morte - vocals, lyric / music author
  • SB - Sergey Butovsky - bass guitar, arrangements, sound producing
  • RG - Rostislav - drums
  • MS - Maria - keyboards

The two guitarists who did not answer questions are

  • Ilya Rogovoy
  • Ilya Petrashkevich

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What does it feel like signing with Wormholedeath? You must be excited seeing your debut album being released internationally?


BM:

     "It feels like we are starting a new chapter: very thrilling and we can hardly wait till the album is out :). Signing with Wormholedeath is a huge step forward and it gives us more confidence in what we are doing."


SB: "This is definitely really cool and we have high hopes for this collaboration!"


Your debut album "Crime Of Passion" is based on the John Fowles novel "The Collector", how did you get into his writings and what aspects of the novel inspired the album?

BM:

     "It happened literally by chance. My mum’s best friend lent her this book, I was hooked by the cover and annotations, and read the whole book in one night. If I say this book became my fav, that would definitely be an exaggeration, but it was really exciting to read the same story told by both sides, to know how they both felt towards the same events. Besides, to me it was interesting to try to get into the main character’s shoes and think the way he did. To feel this boundless desire, this need in possessing someone, which goes beyond any logic, ethics, or human law. That’s how the song 'To Get Her' appeared, consequently other tracks followed. By the way, I was surprised and happy to find out Sergey read this book too, because it made our work easier - I didn’t have to explain the feeling each song should trigger."


SB:

     "That’s true :) besides, it made things easier for me as well: I had no troubles telling Belle what I wanted her to sound like when we recorded vocals. Something like “this verse should sound like you are an arrogant moron, whose one and only skill is butterfly collecting”. Speaking about the novel, I read it in 2005 and it left quite an impression on me. This struggle between sophisticated and straight-forward personalities, sharp minds and blindness, inner freedom and narrowness. My main criterion of whether the book is good or not, is whether I have thought “it would be nice to compose a rock-opera or at least a song based on this” during reading. I had this thought :) so I was really enthusiastic towards the idea of having the whole album inspired by "The Collector"."


Would you say your album is more of a story than simply just a collection of songs? Which aspects of the album are your favourite?

BM:

     "It’s definitely a coherent story, chapter by chapter. From the very beginning we had this theme, and all we did was setting about filling the gaps and finding the correct means to tell this story. One of my favourite aspects is definitely leitmotif usage. For example, the instrumental part in 'Lace' has a battle of the 'To Get Her' theme (which is obviously the main theme of the murderer) and the 'My Legacy' theme (which is the girls’ response) - and we have lots of such Easter eggs here and there."


SB:

     "I really like the fact this album is close to a mono rock-opera. We used the leitmotif component, which Belle already mentioned, starting from 'Overture' and till the very end; the plot can easily be grasped without any synopsis; we have a fully-fledged duet between the abductor and his victim, besides, it’s not just some abstract exchange of characters’ emotions turn by turn (how it often happens). It’s a dialogue, turning into an argument in the end. Besides, we gave a lot of thought in how to craft the choral parts and backing vocals (for instance, in 'Beauty and the Beast') and orchestral parts, where they fitted.


Given the glut of Symphonic Gothic metal bands worldwide, how does your music distinguish itself from the rest? Where do your music inspirations come from?

BM:

     "I think our most distinctive feature is balancing between genres, augmenting symphonic metal with different elements, such as progressive, industrial, black, rock opera, Celtic music, Argentinian tango - whatever we feel is appropriate for a particular track. We are not really bonded by any genre strict rules, we focus on “music first” and see where inspiration takes us. Besides, we combine catchy and easy to remember melodies and complex multi-layered orchestral arrangements."

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National Library of Belarus, Minsk / Source: Lonely Planet

Tell us what it is like growing up as metalheads in Belarus? What challenges do you face within the Belarusian Metal Scene?

BM:

     "I have nothing to compare with, but from my personal perspective Belarusian metalheads are the nicest people, they are super friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t say I faced any significant challenges with the local scene. Unless we count the fact that it’s almost impossible to make a living doing music here, most musicians have to combine their “hobby” with a job where they get paid. It does lead to certain limitations."


RG:

     "It’s complicated :) there are a lot of metalheads here, but in general society perceives them as somewhat marginals. Government doesn't embrace the fact that metal music has the same rights to exist as music of the other genres. Soviet legacy is still very prominent here. On the other hand, it’s getting better and during past years we have had a lot of great bands come here. But organizing a gig is still a very stressful and complex thing to do. For example, you need to get a tour permission, which is issued by a commission (none of its members have any relation to music). And they can refuse to issue it because of “low artistic level”, even if your music is literally a masterpiece :).

     Local gigs are like swings. We used to have pretty wild underground gigs; then everything died out for a while. Then there was a period when we had great concert organizers, who put in a lot of effort and their own resources in holding top-level concerts. And then the pandemic happened. The bands also suffered from missing quality booking agencies, labels etc. The majority have to work somewhere else to make a living, and take care of organizing concerts, printing merch, releasing albums etc. on their own. We have many talented musicians, but not all of them are ready to deal with all of that, and it’s sad."



How has Belarus coped with the COVID pandemic; what restrictions / lockdown protocols were put into place?

BM:

     "There is a huge difference in answer depending on whether we talk about the Government or people living here. The Government shamefully failed to take any measures at all. We didn’t have any restrictions, all the borders were open, the severity of the pandemic was denied and laughed at in official media. Medical workers were not provided by appropriate protection means. And real numbers of those who got infected and those who died, were concealed. Medical workers, who had courage to tell publicly how bad the situation was, got fired and repressed.

     On the other hand, Belarusian people have shown the level of solidarity we didn't see here before. They created special funds to help medical workers and provide them with protection means, food and other supplies. They distributed printed instructions telling older people how to protect themselves, and again - helped with delivering foods and medicines. Although officially there were no protocols whatsoever, people started following WHO recommendations by their own initiative."



For metalheads visiting Minsk, what sights or attractions would you recommend (in a normal world)? What bars, venues, festivals are there?

RG:

     "TNT club (which might appear very ordinary if you don’t live here) :). The biggest festivals are Kupalskaje Kola, Our Grunwald, UMF (United Metal Festival)."



MS:

     "In good old times when we went to bars and clubs, if I wanted to hang out in a friendly atmosphere, I went to TNT club. You could always meet someone from your mates there!"


SB:

     "In addition to what Rostislav already mentioned, Brugge club. But it looks like it didn’t survive the pandemic…"


Aside from the album launch, what plans do you have for the year ahead and do you have any greetings or thanks you wish to send out?


BM:

     "We try to stay positive regarding the COVID situation and prepare ourselves for a productive year. For sure we’d like to have the album presentation (hopefully not just online, and hopefully more than one gig). Besides, we are doing a lyric video for 'Broken Things'. In the parallel we still have a lot of work in the studio, as we want to record our second EP this year. We have a very clear concept for it, and expect it to have a lot of unusual collaborations and musical instruments we haven’t used before. Last but not least: we are thinking about shooting our third music video."


SB:

     "I am very grateful to Kirill and Arthur, who helped us with guitars’ recordings at the times when we didn’t have a permanent line-up, long before Ilya joined us. And we are thankful to our families and friends for their support during the whole time!"


https://www.facebook.com/bellemortemusic
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Interview Interrogation: Becky Delirious & Damien Evil from Scream Baby Scream (Italy)

13/6/2020

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As far as the Horror Metal style goes, lyrically it's self-explanatory, musically it's a lethal concoction of pure darkness, ghoulish atmospherics and sounds so spooky that they leave even those in the stiffest form of rigor mortis weak at the knees (OK that's perhaps a tiny bit too dark). Scream Baby Scream don't hold anything back and use their imagery, theatrics and lyrics to seep bleakness into the listener, making them feel cold and at best frozen-to-the-band. GMA gave this quartet a paranormal investigation, we had to make the ghostbusters redundant for these are no match for said group, they needed a proper exorcism... they survived suffice to say.

Well we say 'they' survived, only Becky and Damien awoke from the coffins... perhaps garlic doesn't work after all.

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Would it be right in saying your band name came from the 1969 horror film "Scream, Baby, Scream"? If not where did it come from? Who came up with it?

Becky:-

     "You are 99% right, in the beginning the idea was started by me with the acronym S.B.S., till now it has been a secret between us - the real meaning being "not everything should be said", and I think it will be for another 10 years at least, then we decided to give a name for our creature, as Charles Butler we have our spooky bloody ideal beauty so this matched perfectly."


For those who do not know of Scream Baby Scream, could you tell us how you formed? Were you in bands previously?

Becky:-

     "Oh same old situation, as you know death does not look directly at anyone, so we've been buried in the same cemetery. In the beginning I've asked Damien to help us with first EP, but after 10 years, exhumations and a change of line up he's still there, we try and try to get rid of him, but it's hard... haha. All of us come from different bands and different influences, black metal, 80's glam, punk, power metal and industrial, as I previously told you they really have buried anyone; even the least recommendable."


This year Scream Baby Scream has been going 10 years, what challenges have you had to overcome along the way?

Becky:-

     "10 years already...wow, like every band we faced too many challenges, some rookie mistakes, or some changes in our private lives... but the most important lesson we've learnt in these 10 years is that we don't need to play the blame game, and for sure sometimes our worst enemy is ourself, so the most important thing is to never give up!"


You play 'Horror Metal' - could you please explain to us what this comprises of? What is your sound musically?

Becky:-

     "Actually the horror component wasn't decided in the beginning, but it came out. There are no rules in our lyrics, sometimes we are inspired by movies, books, nightmares or metaphors, in these days there is much more horror in real life, just look out of the window and there it is. "Too Much Heaven On Their Minds" will especially be an album which is also related to current events."

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Milan Cathedral, Italy / Source: Full Suitcase

What plans did you have this year that have either been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19?

Damien:-

     "Like all the artists, due to the coronavirus pandemic we had to postpone some gigs until 2021 and the recording of the new album until the end of 2020, but we tried not to stop. During the lockdown we have worked on the new songs and now we are ready to start rehearsing."


Speaking of which what plans do you have for late 2020 / early 2021?

Damien:-

     "As you already know, the 10th of April we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the band and we released the video of our single “Mouth Of Madness”, taken from the upcoming album “Too Much Heaven On Their Minds”. As soon as this coronavirus pandemic ends, we’ll record and release the new album, some new videos and plan a 2021 European tour to promote “Too Much Heaven On Their Minds”...


For metalheads visiting Milan, what sights / attractions and bars / venues could you recommend?

Damien:-

     "Our basement, if they are brave enough (laughs evilly)! It can be an amazing experience like meeting the Sawyers or Dr Satan! Just kidding... I guess the best place to visit in town, beside the city centre obviously, is the Rock’N’Roll club near the central station."



Do you have any thanks or greetings you wish to send out to friends, family, fans, etc?

Damien:-


     "First of all thank you for giving us this opportunity. I’d also like to thank all the witches and ghouls out there for their great and constant support!"



Becky:


     "We hope all of you are safe because the coronavirus isn't a funny thing, a zombie apocalypse is much better so stay tuned for that!"

https://www.facebook.com/screambabyscreamrock/
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England's Winter Storm discuss film soundtracks that could have featured metal music

5/10/2019

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In a series of posts, GMA will be speaking to bands worldwide about film soundtracks they feel that could have been written using metal music. Up first is Gothic Metallers Winter Storm who hail from the West Midlands, England.

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1. Silence of the Lambs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Mm8Sbe__o

     "I don't think this soundtrack gets the credit it deserves. It's some of Howard Shore's best work by far; it's not all about Lord Of The Rings. I would love to have his insight when putting together a piece of music to set the tone for a scene / movie."
 

2. A Clockwork Orange - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN-1Mup0UI0

     "I adore this soundtrack and the approach Walter (now Wendy) Carlos brought to it. I'm a huge fan of neo-classical music, so to have a soundtrack that so heavily relies on reworked Purcell and Beethoven pieces is fine by me! To bookend a film of that nature with Queen Mary's funeral march and then Singing in the Rain is a touch of genius."
 

3. The Lion King - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY7xBISLBIA

     "I'll be 34 in February, but listening to this soundtrack takes me back to being a fascinated 8-year old kid watching the film at a local cinema for the first time. It is, in my opinion, quite possibly the best soundtrack ever written."
 

4. The Never-ending Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeFni9dOv7c

     "Who doesn't love a classic cheesy, 80s film? This is another film that fascinated me when I was a kid and that was largely down to the soundtrack. It's the first time I remembered paying specific attention to character themes/leitmotifs, and how certain instruments used in certain ways can evoke particular emotions: the joy of riding Valkor, the sadness of losing Artax, the fear being stalked by Gmork..."
 

5. Saturday Night Fever - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyJDYTG5leQ


     "The Bee Gees are literally some of the best songwriters of all time. Sadly, they're mostly lost on my generation, but some of the material they wrote - especially before their disco phase - is incredible. It's not surprising to me that they went on to write, what was then, the most successful soundtrack of all time."


Winter Storm have also released the first single 'Astral World' today, here is a link to the video.

https://youtu.be/Jc0PIm4VAA4

One of the UK's finest melodic metal bands, Winter Storm, are back after a short break with their third full length album. Their latest offering, 'Relapse in Time', follows on from the story that began with their second album, a concept album, 'Within The Frozen Design'. The story begins with the protagonist believing he is designing his own universe, but, as events unfold, it turns out it was all a coincidence and he spirals into madness. The story continues in "Relapse in Time', where the protagonist awakens with no idea of where he is, in a strange land of deserted plains, and a Mars-like terrain.

After forming in 2008 Winter Storm have moulded and changed their sound to make their own unique form of Melodic Metal, which is displayed in the new album. They wished to fuse metal (including 7 string guitars) with melodic keyboards and vocals. Winter Storm have been seen supporting the likes of Delain and Leaves' Eyes as well as performing at Bloodstock Open Air, Hammerfest, HRH Metal and Wizzfest Belgium.

Quote from Hannah, the vocalist of Winter Storm:

     “I am very pleased to announce Winter Storm will be bringing out our long anticipated third album Relapse In Time on the 11th October. First of all I would like to thank all of our friends and fans for waiting so long to hear this album. With this record we are planning to bring a new sound forward; fusing our melodic metal sound with a symphonic and more technical edge.”

‘Relapse In Time’ will be released at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton on Friday 11th October and will be available on all digital platforms.

Winter Storm on the run up to the release of ‘Relapse In Time’ will be releasing a teaser trailer every Friday until the release date, you can check out the first teaser here: https://youtu.be/XbM4f3iGhSM

https://www.facebook.com/winterstormuk
Twitter: @winterstormuk1

https://www.facebook.com/fatangelpr/
Twitter: @fatangel_family
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Interview Interrogation: Matthías Haraldsson of Hatari (Iceland)

4/7/2019

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Mentioning the Eurovision Song Contest usually brings to the fore the flamboyant outfits, lovey-dovey pop songs and the evident 'block-voting' syndrome. However occasionally the event delivers some rather outstanding and unique entries, from Heavy Metallers Lordi (delivered Finland's first ever win in 2006) to Hungary's Post-Hardcore group AWS (post-Eurovision performed at Wacken Open Air)... then came Iceland's turn to abandon the safe-zone, free itself from the shackles of formulaic Eurovision pop music and embrace a darker, more aesthetically-pleasing and original tone in the form of Hatari, who are a 'Award-winning, anti-capitalist, BDSM, techno-dystopian, performance art collective'.

Of course they are not a metal band, however arguably through their performance which befits that of a Rammstein show; through pyrotechnics, elaborate outfits and singing in a language that demands your utmost attention, they might as well be. The unfurling of the Palestinian flags will be seen as a political statement and perhaps the most controversial thing to happen at Eurovision (although the counter-argument is Ukraine's winning song '1944' by Jamela; centres around the deportation of the Crimean Tatars), could the Eurovision be political in that it allows Australia and Israel to participate, but not Kosovo nor Gibraltar or the Faroe Islands due to the latter two not being independent nations. With that in mind it does beg the question whether the ESC is contradictory in it's own rulings or whether there needs a massive shake-up... let's face it will Punk Rock ever get a look in? Maybe the UK should send the Sex Pistols... let's see how far that goes, but for now GMA caught up with Matthías Haraldsson, harsh vocalist of Hatari and discussed about post-Eurovision events, their first EP 'Neysluvara' and of course if everything is going according to plan. 

For your listening pleasure we have included the single / music video for 'Klefi / Samed', curated by Hatari and Palestinian musician Bashar Murad. Next to this is 'Hatrið Mun Sigra', Hatari's Eurovision song, whilst the jurors did not really appreciate the song, the public vote was very high - they finished 10th... we like to think Europe understand the message Hatari are conveying.

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Credit: Brynjar Snær

Having performed at Eurovision, this surely was the biggest moment of the band's career thus far?

     "Yes. Our participation went according to plan and part of that plan was reaching the masses of Europe."


Regarding the music video for 'Hatrið Mun Sigra', where was it filmed and how long did it take to shoot?

     "The video was filmed in Reykjavik, Iceland. It took a few days to shoot under the careful direction of Hatari vocalist Klemens Hannigan and film-maker Baldvin Vernharðsson, who has proven to be an indispensable part of the Svikamylla Ehf crew."


Arguably 'Hatrið Mun Sigra' can be contextualised in many ways with the way the world is right now, would you say the song is more relatable now more than ever? (reflecting on the rise of populism in the recent European elections).

     "We feel (that) 'Hatrið Mun Sigra' is a dystopia relevant to our current political climate, consumer culture, the context in which the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest took place, and the rise of populism in the recent European elections. This is the case with many of our songs."


You released the EP 'Neysluvara' back in 2017, would you say your sound has changed a lot since then? Would you agree that Hatari has it's own unique sound?

     "All aspects of our performances undergo constant development, including our sound, although we work with many of the same elements and themes, including the impending doom of mankind."


With the release of 'Hatrið Mun Sigra' and 'Klefi / Samed (صامد)' ft. Bashar Murad, will Hatari deliver an album for the fans in the foreseeable future?

     "Yes. Relentless Scam Incorporated, or Svikamylla Ehf, will announce the album's release when the time comes."


What was the reception like for Hatari when arriving back in Reykjavik? Are you concerned that RUV could be banned from Eurovision next year?*

     "The reception was encouraging and our tour around the country with Bashar Murad went according to plan. 

     We are no longer concerned with the dealings of the Eurovision Song Contest. It would, however, be hypocritical to enforce a rule that every contestant broke on day one, as participation was in itself a political action."



What is the fetish scene like in Iceland?

     "The fetish scene in Iceland is vibrant and has much to teach us about many kinds of safe, sane, and consensual activities."



What plans does Hatari have for the year ahead? Will we see you performing in the UK in the foreseeable future?

     "We will play shows in many places where there is currently no illegal military occupation taking place. One of these places is London, where we aim to perform late this August."

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Hallgrímskirkja in winter, Reykjavik, Iceland

Hatari are currently doing shows in Iceland and abroad, check out their Facebook page for dates coming up and ones to be announced.

London show has sold out.

https://www.facebook.com/hatridmunsigra/
https://hatari.is/
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Interview Interrogation: Frost Tears (Taiwan)

12/4/2018

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Most people would associate Taiwan as one of those countries you could find labelled on the inside of some of the garments you own, but for metalheads it's known as a vibrant metal scene with ChthoniC as their leading export... following in the Oriental Black Metallers footsteps are a legion of metal bands who are ready to take the Taiwanese scene forward onto newer and greater heights.

One such band is Frost Tears (冰霜之淚), whose blend of Symphonic Gothic Metal and Oriental Metal is so amazing that you would lost in trying to find a band who can be compared to this majestic group. GMA spoke to the group to find out what life as a Taiwanese Metal musician is like, plans for the year ahead among other things. Answers are gratefully and surprisingly received in both Taiwanese and English.


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"'Joyous shout' is a song which returns to the pure combination of power metal and symphony metal"


How long has Frost Tears been going and has any of the members been in previous bands?

     "冰霜之淚迄今已經㒟立八年,到目前為止,歷經三任鼓手᧤現任鼓手 Ibara 第ℛ任᧥;三任貝㠾手᧤現任貝㠾手 Mone 是第ℛ任᧥;吉他手 Dio 是第ℛ任᧤鍵 盤手 Yu 則在 2016 年離團,主唱 Len
與吉他手 Taku 一直是原始團員。目前並不 積極尋找㠿任鍵盤手,因為㒠們覺得改變樂器編制也許是個有趣的ℚ情。在 2017 年在演出的配置加入了一位大提琴手 Tetsu.

     It's been 8 years since Frost Tears was formed by Len (Vocal), Taku (Lead Guitar) and Ibara (Drums). The other present members include Mone (Bass) and Dio (Rhythm Guitar), who are the second members at bass and rhythm guitar. Tetsu, our current cellist, joined us in 2017, which may be an interesting idea or choice to change our band formation due to former keyboardists leave in 2016."



What is it like being a metal musician / fan in Taiwan? What is the scene like and is metal supported well?

     "ྎ灣的金屬樂一直都᭷許多人在默默耕耘,但ᡃ想除了北歐以外,每個國家
都沒᭷幾個金屬樂團ྍ以ᡂ為主流,也因Ṉᡃ們在這八年來所學到的心態,便是 做ᡃ們想做的音樂即ྍ,要跟隨閃靈的 腳 ṉ並不是件容易的事,而即使像閃靈身 為ྎ灣最紅的金屬團,卸下樂手光環ᚋ,
還是要᭷另一份工作才能᭷穩定的收入
ࠋᡃ們也不例外

     ChthoniC as Taiwan's most known metal band has their own way of standing in Taiwan and so do we. In fact, few of Taiwan's (or maybe countries / religions besides Northern Europe) metal bands became famous. So even if we still try to fulfil our destiny in our own way, our conclusion for Metal in Taiwan
is simply make perfect music, and THAT IS ENOUGH. "


You're about to release your fourth EP 'Conscious Being' in a few weeks time, will there be a tour in support of the release?

     "目前還在企劃中,ྍ能在六᭶,因為ᡃ們沒᭷足 夠 的經費同時做 夠 多的ⓐ行 和ᐉ傳活動,所以也不急,一件一件的完ᡂ就好ࠋ

     Actually, we are planning for a tour in Taiwan to begin maybe in June, so things like funds searching or promotion activity is now in pr
ocess."


Have you played outside of Taiwan, if so where? What challenges as a Taiwanese band do you face when booking overseas gigs?

     "ᡃ們曾經在 2015 年到過日本,2016 年到馬來西亞演出ࠋ對ᡃ們而言,演出內
容與器材ࠊ場地並不是問題,觀眾也都 夠 多ࠋ其實對ᡃ們而言,最困難的是籌ࠋ措旅費

     We've been to Japan in 2015 and Malaysia in 2016. Shows were perfect for their own when the most difficult part is still the operation funds."


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Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

What did you differently for the new EP in comparison to your previous releases?

     "因為團員變動,創作方式自然也會改變ࠋ新的 EP 除了首支單曲 Joyous shout 回到像 power
或 symphony metal 那種比較直ⓑ的音樂型態之外,另外三首則是以 現在的編制去重新改寫第一張
EP 中的三首歌,᭷的偏重音色和層次感的提升,ࠋᡃ們或許只是想挑戰自ᕫ而ᕬ吧ࠋ的甚至連主旋ᚊ和歌詞都重寫了

     The new single 'Joyous shout' from 'Conscious Being' is a song which returns to the pure combination of power metal and symphony metal. Others are remade versions of 3 songs from our first EP which has improved tones, path of mixing and in some parts a change of lyrics and melody. It's a way for us to face and challenge our past."



For those visiting Taiwan, what sights / attractions could you recommend? What bars could you recommend?

     "對於訪問ྎ灣的遊ᐈ,你ྍ以推薦哪些景點 / 景點?你ྍ以推薦什麼酒吧
九份是個一日遊的好選擇,酒吧的部分ྍ以選則市區的͟ "Revolver"

     'Jiufen' for 1 day touring and 'Revolver'͛ for alcohol."



What plans do you have for the year ahead?

     "你對未來一年᭷什麼計劃?因為ᡃ們寫歌很慢,一年或許很難完ᡂ一張全新專輯,ᡃ們會盡力ࠋ

     The first priority is to complete our next new album despite our slow working progress, but we'll still make a try."



Do you have any greetings you wish to send out?

     "你᭷沒᭷想要ⓐ送的問候?你們好ᡃ們是來自ྎ灣的冰霜之淚!歡迎至ᡃ們的官方臉書追蹤ᡃ們並隨
時得知最新的演出以及作品訊息!

     Hey guys we are Frost Tears from Taiwan! We welcome you to subscribe to us on our official Facebook page 'Frost Tears 冰霜之淚' to get the latest information of us! We wish to see you, Thank you!


https://www.facebook.com/frosttears/

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Interview Interrogation: Roar Of Heroes (Cameroon)

27/10/2017

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It is an undeniable fact that Africa, along with Australasia / Oceania, are the last frontiers of metal music, with the exception to a handful of countries e.g. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. Of course in Sub-Sahara Africa and North Africa there are far more metal scenes than in West Africa. However with Gabon's Iron Sliver, Nigeria's Threadstone and Ghana's Dark Suburb making noise, it was only fair for Cameroon to join the metal music movement.

Roar Of Heroes are a Symphonic / Gothic Metal unit who are comprised of two musicians - Azra-Freyja and Anarchist 1st), formed from the ashes of a previous moniker - 'Silent Echoes', a six-piece band whose activities did not last long and thus gave birth to this new entity.

GMA caught up with the duo and asked them what it is like to be metal music fans in Cameroon, what challenges there are and where do they see the African Metal movement in the future.

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"Our society has never stopped judging this amazing philosophy, they still think metal is one of the devil's creations."


Could you give us a history of Roar Of Heroes, how it started and what challenges you face as a band?

     "Roar Of Heroes' story is so long that a message won't be able to tell you the entire story in detail, so we summarize: in the beginning, the band was called Silent Echoes and had 6 members; a complete line-up with 2 female vocalists. The band performed together twice in February and June 2016, but after the June show, the band split-up and 6 months later was reborn as Roar of Heroes, with only two members of Silent Echoes, and this has been the same since then.


The Cameroonian Metal scene doesn't seem to have been around for a long while, when did it roughly start and what is the scene currently like?

     "Cameroon doesn't have a real metal scene. We had here, the "Festirock" which we believe started in 2014 and today it's at its 3rd edition. But the last one was more of a "simple live show" than "metal show", including all types of music. So we don't really know nowadays if we can still consider it as a metal scene. But, another scene is about to be born, "Silent Night", organized by A Black Card, the label which is producing our forthcoming album. We all hope this one will be great."


Are you aware of any other metal scenes near you? Would you agree that Africa is fairly young in terms of metal music being produced?

     "Personally, we think Africa will have it's place in the future of Metal music (even though 90% of bands we know only do Death or Heavy Metal, excluding South Africa and the Arabic countries!! according to us). Of course, people do not really know about metal bands in Africa, but we are sure, when the occidental communication will give attention to this continent, things will quickly improve. People really have a metal soul here."


How did you become interested in metal music and what do your parents, friends, etc think of it? How does society perceive it? Have you played any local gigs?

     "We used to say, "we didn't adopt metal, metal adopted us", meaning that we always had it in our soul. When you are young, and you have the "chance" to see Michael Jackson or Metallica on your parents TV, you definitely know that you won't do country or pop music in your life. Parents and friends encourage us just because they know that we play music, we prefer things to be this way, than them judging us too. Because effectively, our society has never stopped judging this amazing philosophy, they still think metal is one of the devil's creations."



What are your main influences for your music and have you released any EP's, albums?

     "Influences? Revolution is for the moment our only influence. We think everyday that things should improve around us, not changing, but improving. We recently recorded an EP, and started recording our first studio album, but unfortunately, we had a "bad wind" in April 2017, which carried with him all our files, and we were obliged to restart everything... from nothing. We finally returned to the studio back in September, and we think all will be okay very soon."


Would you agree that countries steeped in devout Christianity would perceive metal music as a threat?

     "Yes we do. According to us, we think that they are focused on past metal images, which was unfortunately dominated by Death Metal and other s (with the satanic side of the genre). But that's not our philosophy, we have one different from that. In our songs, we encourage people to build themselves, to go further, to be free, to exist and so on. We have a simple philosophy: The impossible is unthinkable."


Given the location of your band, have you had any fans emerge from overseas on Facebook? If so where?

     "We sometimes receive greetings from Nigeria, South Africa, France, Italy, Belgium and USA. People telling us that they like what we do. So encouraging to read mails and sometimes messages on our Facebook fan-page. We will never thank them enough."



Where do you see the Cameroonian Metal scene in 5 years time? What changes need to happen to support the growth of the scene?

     "We are convinced that, in less than five years,  Roar Of Heroes will make the Cameroonian metal scene to be known in Africa and all over the world.  First of all, people have to assume with a firm conviction their love for metal. Secondly, they have to eradicate every  judgement, so according to us, the problem starts from metal lovers, only them can extend the philosophy. But, this is about to happen, our revolution started this way."


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

     "We would like to send a message to everyone reading this article:- "Firstly thanks for reading, secondly never forget guys that every second in your life is a chance to change your story!!! Never stop believing in what you feel! Revolutionary yours!"

https://www.facebook.com/RoarOfHeroes/

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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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Interview Interrogation: Eternal Halloween (USA)

13/11/2016

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Halloween is once a year, or is it? Not according to American quintet Eternal Halloween whose demonic stature is sure to garner attention from overseas as arguably the States answer to the UK's Evil Scarecrow. Moreover this Los Angeles (or as they might call Los Hellos), California-based horde have only been around a year and are already causing a buzz across the American Metal underground, let's just hope their name is not a reference to the Aiden song otherwise things could get quite confusing. Eternal Halloween were happy to spare some time to answer some questions GMA had in store for them...


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"There are bigger things destroying youth and humanity than Satanism don’t you think?  Racism, hatred, greed, ignorance, stupidity, politics and the list keeps going. "


Hi guys, firstly your band name, is the meaning self-explanatory or is there a story behind it? Have you been in any bands before?

          "The meaning is pretty self-explanatory for sure but it goes beyond that. We’re Halloween lovers as many people are out there, but don’t get me wrong, Halloween has a deeper meaning than just being a night of dressing up in costumes and kids walking around town asking for trick or treats. It’s the night where spirits from the underworld cross the portal to the land of the living to feast and celebrate while claiming their rewards.

          Sadly Halloween has mutated to accommodate a society that gets easily offended by every single thing. Now everything is racist, everything is inappropriate or politically incorrect. Twenty years ago if you wanted to dress up as a Jewish refugee or a cross-dresser everyone would get it. Now? Pfftt! Good luck if you try to play that card… It’s so ridiculous and sad but people like weakness and conformity in their lives. We’re here to make you think deeper and to open some eyes. Everywhere we go we want people to enjoy that celebration the way they want with no restrictions so we invite everyone to the Sabbat. That’s why we are the Eternal Halloween.

          Now regarding your second question, have we been in other bands? Yes we have been and we are currently in other bands but you won’t know which..."



How would you distinguish yourselves from the likes of Lordi, Evil Scarecrow and GWAR, all of whom have similar imagery?

          "There are a lot of differences, not only visually but also musically. I think each of the bands mentioned and Eternal Halloween have their own personality. Some like Lordi and GWAR take it to the extreme and they look great. Evil Scarecrow is more like a comedy club with cool music. We’ve been compared also to Rammstein, Rob Zombie, Mushroomhead, Slipknot or Manson; I see us pretty different under a common line: We all have a concept, ours happens to be purely Halloween under the Devil’s command."


Are you worried that some states or countries might ban you from touring due to the Satanic connotations?

          "No, not at all. You have to remember that society is ruled by humans and that is the main problem. If there is anyone dumb enough to get offended by us, our music or our videos there will be a hundred who will like them and will get our stuff somehow. Let’s take the example of Poland where most metal bands are not allowed to tour but Polish people are always travelling somewhere else to see these bands live, why do you think this happens?"


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Given the history of metal in the US and it's court cases against censorship and 'Satanic support', are you simply mocking those who claim metal music is Satanic and destroying the youth?

          "Absolutely! There are bigger things destroying youth and humanity than Satanism don’t you think?  Racism, hatred, greed, ignorance, stupidity, politics and the list keeps going. As we said before, people like blaming what they don’t fully understand in order to feel safe or right. Good and Bad is a necessity in each aspect of life since it’s the natural balance. What I can assure you is that we’re already in hell so there is no need to worry about the devil any more, let’s just “sit back and enjoy the ride, it will get bumpy so you better hang tight!”"


Your debut album is out now, will you be touring in support? If so where? Could Hell in Norway be a future place to play?* Would you stream your album launch gig (if there was one)?

          "We will be touring in support of the album for sure and we will play in as many places as we can since we want to share the Eternal Halloween with as many people as we can to wake them up so Norway, Finland, Poland, China, US, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Greece, Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Hawaii, Blah Blah Blah…  all the places on earth and beyond must get ready for what is coming. Streaming or live you’ll have a chance to experience us, we’re coming for the kill!"


How long does it take to get all your gear on (make-up, etc)? Will there be variations?

          "Our human faces take about two hours to take them off and put on. What takes the most is sticking the horns back inside your skull so we need to numb the pain with tons of Jager, Vodka or Scotch. About variations we don’t know what future awaits so stay tuned."


https://www.facebook.com/eternalhalloweenofficial
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Interview Interrogation: Colin Parks from Devilment (England)

10/9/2016

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Whether you consider yourself a pioneering band or a band who wants to bend a genre so much that the sound evolves itself from the original formulaic infrastructure it's built upon, one thing for certain is that making music requires three solid and key components:- commitment, defiance and the so-true notion of 'patience is a virtue'. Devilment are a perfect example of this, having been freed from the shackles of a demonically-plagued past with in-house quarrels, strived forward to tour with Cradle of Filth of Black Metal fame and rode the waves to summon their second album due to be released this year, it's clear that this Suffolk horde are on a winning run and that no matter what challenges pose them, they're geared to assault these challenges with newfound rigour.

GMA spoke to Colin Parks (Lead Guitarist) to gain an insight into what the future holds for this Witch county brethren, their impending album release and subsequent tour, past relics and some rather dark and disturbing secrets (you filthy animal).

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"The United Kingdom is a tough market to crack (on album sales)... if people spent as much time supporting one another as they do slagging every band off... we would be richer musically for it."


What is new in the Devilment camp? How are things shaping up for your new album and impending tour?


          "Things in the Devilment camp are great, the unit is strong and we are all very close friends. We have welcomed Matt Alston (Eastern Front, Sanctorum) to the band as the full time drummer and this has really been a fantastic addition on many levels. Matt is a great drummer, a driven person and a good guy, it is nice to be around other professionals who really take their craft seriously. On the other side of the line-up change, Sam S. Junior left the band around 8 months ago, he now performs in Savage Messiah. He left due to travel issues and of course playing in Savage Messiah full time.

          The album is something that we all are very proud of, we have worked very hard collectively as a unit to bring this album to you, in its strongest possible form both musically and as a package it is a long way ahead of the debut."




Would you say the shadow of Daniel Finch has been buried and that Devilment is no longer in the shadow of him?

          "Of course. To be honest it is not something we really think of anymore, Daniel left the band on his own terms, the band were supportive and despite emotions obviously running high at the time, we tried our best to support him. Some people just realise it is not for them, the touring and the pressure of deadlines along with the realisation that you have to share your dream with other's, is something you either thrive on, or you feel coming down on you in a negative way, everyone is different. Also despite anything you may read in a negative light about the situation, you will never read anything personal from us directed to anyone.

          Musically the "shadow" was already being stepped out of on the debut, 'Summer Arteries', 'Sanity Hits A Perfect Zero', 'The Great And Secret Show' were all songs by myself and Nick. When myself and Lauren joined the band, the sound changed drastically from that moment on, Daniel always had a very Industrial, Groove based vibe going on, simple but immediate and catchy. Myself, Lauren and Nick pride ourselves on being as musically diverse and rich as we can be within the given genre.

          The new album "II (The Mephisto Waltzes)" is a massive step up in every single aspect, the guitars are way more intricate and full of counter-melodies and harmonies, the keys are thick and exciting, Lauren's female vocals have made a massive difference to this album. I feel that Lauren's input vocally, has pushed this album to a new level for Devilment. I personally spent months writing for this album and Lauren contributed a large amount the whole way through and we both are both from the school of thought of graft, graft, graft."




In relation to previous two questions, will the new album have a different sound to 'The Great...' album?

          "Yes and no, the first album had some very strong tracks, a lot of the album was already written before three of us joined the band, so in many ways it had a linearity to the sound that was already in place. This outing has been far far more of a group effort, and we have found our sound as "Devilment". The album transcends genres in many ways, it has a very Progressive feel to the music, the drumming is spine-breaking, the bass has stepped up massively with some technical wizardry on the fretboard from Nick. The vocals from Dani are refined, twisted and crafted. Lauren's chorus work and ambience in truth is f**king amazing and the whole thing is just more mature and more melodic, but also a harder hitting album that will not feel unfamiliar to any of our fans... just different.

          The greatest thing as an artist is to continually push the envelope for ourselves, but not alienate our fans who are really in to the first album. The new album certainly has aspects of the first album and lots of nods to other songs from it, but it is just another level in terms of songwriting and playing, the chains were cut off of us and it unleashed a monster! Speaking of monsters, late September we are releasing a lyric video for a song and a full music video the month after of 'Hitchcock Blonde', the bands first single!"



Will you be targeting some festivals next year? Is Bloodstock on the cards?

          "Yes we will be hitting the summer festivals hard next year, we intend on touring and getting this album out to you all as much as possible, on the last album cycle the band felt we were not out live enough to make the inroads we wanted to really make. This album we are all pushing to ensure that we are making ourselves a force live and by doing as many shows as possible, we will only become stronger for it.

          I can not at this time confirm if we will be playing at Bloodstock, but rest assured there will be some UK ones and many European festivals also. The band are on a UK tour in December around the UK and are hoping to get Stateside in the early part of 2017, depending on sales... so that is down to the fans and the people that kindly support us to make it happen and our team who book our shows."




As you're from Suffolk, what is the metal scene like at the moment? It's gone a little quiet up there.


          "It seems to have gone quiet of late, there are some local bands flying the flag, Eastern Front and To The Nines are local bands that are working hard to go places, If I could offer anyone some advice on the unsigned music scene it would be to work as hard as you can. If things seem to not be falling for you, work harder, so hard that you see others around you folding and walking away... remember that those who make it are the ones that would not accept no, those that stay up all night working on music, you got to REALLY want it, not just kind of want it. Stay true and it will come."


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Has Devilment ever considered dabbling in the dark side of East Anglia's history? Maybe a song about the 'Black Shuck'?

"We kind of do with the Witch County Suffolk motto, Suffolk has a very rich history and is a very diverse county, in fact I love it to be honest. There are definitely some nods lyrically with regards to this question, just grab out the Devilment album sleeve and have a read through the last album."



With Brexit on the horizon, as a band are you concerned about touring outside the UK?


"Not really, the whole Brexit thing divided a nation, in truth I do not think it should have been put to the public, sometimes the peasants do not know what is in their best interests. It will make things harder with travel and it will in truth be a pain in the ass, but it is what it is, music will always win over politics so I am sure everything will all be just fine."



To the best of your knowledge, where is the furthest your music has been picked up? Are you surprised by this?

          "Australia is one of the furthest confirmed album sales, support for Devilment in Australia is fantastic, I have seen the posters and band being played on the TV's in the record stores myself. Funny as it seems to actually be pushed more away from our shores. The United Kingdom is a funny one, its a tough market to crack. There is a lot of elitist bullshit in all genres, if people spent as much time supporting one another as they do slagging every band off in the comments section of what ever post then we would be richer musically for it."



Finally have you got any greetings you wish to send out? (Feel free to add any info as you wish)


"Just to say a big thank you to my fellow band members, during the album process it has been tough for Devilment as a band, loosing Dan originally was a set back, but losing our friend and brother Aaron was a hard one to take for all of us as we are all family, Dani still plays football with azza every Wednesday night!

Want to thank Matt for stepping in and smashing it out the park, we could not have found anyone better for this. Lastly massive thanks to our fans and family for believing in us, for allowing us to do something that we all love with every fibre of our soul, so THANK YOU !!!!!


Now roll on November 18th when you can all hear this monster!!!!!!!"


As Colin said, Devilment's new album "II: The Mephisto Waltzes" is out 18th November via Nuclear Blast

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

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Interview Interrogation: Gone In April (International)

26/5/2016

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Gone In April started in 2011 through their debut album "We Are But Human", culminating in the band playing across North America and Asia; the latter seeing this group co-headline 'The Great Indian Octoberfest' held in Bangalore. They also headlined the WaveTransform Festival 2014 (North America), as well as other events in the USA.

Following Gone In April's second album "Threads Of Existence" which saw new members joining from the USA and Canada, and another appearance at the WaveTransform Festival, GMA decided it was time to collar this group and excavate the facts behind this multinational facade.
 
So we bound Julie to a chair in a leather catsuit and placed Yanic in confinement, at least that way they could not escape... mind we did not give Julie the catsuit in the first place... another story for another time. Read below to see how it went.


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"It is nice to see the diversity and unity continue to grow within the metal community" (on metal music)


Firstly, how did Gone In April come to prominence and how do you maintain communication? Seeing as it's key to an international band / project, what limitations have you overcome?


Yanic:

"Yes, some aspects of international projects are indeed managed a little differently than bands whose members all reside within the same region, however, many aspects are not any different at all. In terms of communication, my belief and experience over the last decade is “if there is a will, there is a way”. Communication between Gone In April team members is very efficient. Through emails, text messages, video chats, etc, we typically get replies from musicians within 24 hrs, which enables us to move forward with our planning efficiently."


Julie:

"Writing new material is an aspect which is managed a little differently. Since writing is not done during rehearsal with all musicians in one room, each musician writes his parts in his home-town, and sends recordings of his parts by email. One of us will start to work on new material, and send audio files to the other musicians. Then, another musician will work on the material in his home-town, and send his parts to the others, and the work continues in that fashion over a period of several months. All musicians work separately, listening to the other musicians’ audio files, focusing on, and analysing, the composition, and providing feedback to other team members. Once everybody has reviewed and approved all the parts, the official recording begins and all parts come together. Some musicians record in their studio, and some travel to the studio where the majority of the production is taking place, which in this case, is WaveTransform Recording Studio in Knoxville, TN, USA."


"When it comes to band rehearsals and live performances, we all rehearse in advance by ourselves, and the group meets in the same city for rehearsals a few days before the series of live performances. Working with musicians from different countries also requires travel (flights, lodging, etc), as well as working with immigration organizations to get work visas for the musicians which are not citizens of the country where performances are taking place. Therefore, there is a bit more administrative work to be done by the band, however, once a band has experience with international management, international touring becomes a much easier task and many opportunities open up for the band.

For example, Gone In April had the opportunity to travel to Bangalore, India, to perform as a metal co-headliner, alongside Children Of Bodom, at The Great Indian Octoberfest 2012, a 3-day festival with a typical 60 000 attendance. This opportunity might not have been possible without the international management experience of the band. The band also performed at the WaveTransform Festival, in Knoxville, TN, USA, in 2014 and 2016, as well as for other dates in the USA between 2012 and 2016. These international concerts have helped the band get more international visibility. In addition, getting amazing support from magazines, webzines, etc, from various continents, through album reviews and interviews helps a great deal as well. Global Metal Apocalypse is a great example of that! Thank you!"



Having played in India, would you say that metal music unites the world regardless of social, political or religious differences?


Yanic:

"Yes, from my experience, the metal community is a very diverse community. I believe the diversity promotes a sense of open-mindedness, unity, and adaptation. I have had the chance to perform in North America, in Europe, and in Asia, and fans have always been very supportive, regardless of social, political or religious background. In addition, metal musicians are constantly pushing the limits of music composition and performance, and the diversity of the metal community has contributed to creating the sub-genres of metal. I believe that musicians who have contributed to creating sub-genres of metal have come from several different backgrounds, have been exposed to and have had interest for various cultures, which has led them to be interested in several styles of music, and hence, help create a new blend. It is nice to see the diversity and unity continue to grow within the metal community."


You recently released your second album 'Threads of Existence', could you give us a break down of what each song means? What did you do different on this album in comparison to your debut 'We Are But Human'?


Yanic:

"The concept of the 1st album focused on the psychological evolution of a 13th century warrior. The concept of the 2nd album focuses on survival of an individual, or a group or a society within various environments and situations, through its existence, hence the title “Threads of Existence”."


The Curtain Will Rise:

An individual, whose goal is to climb Mount Everest, begins his climb after having trained for years for this challenge. On the way up, the climber faces mental and physical challenges, and wonders whether or not the top will be reached, or if death will be faced. If the top is reached, the curtain will rise to reveal the achievement.


Our Future Line:

A young boy’s family passes away in a tragedy. The boy is brought to a guardian. The guardian, who owns a sawmill, treats the boy as a slave, does not provide proper food and shelter. As the boy faces these challenges, he becomes stronger and eventually takes ownership of his future time line and makes changes to his life, by confronting the guardian, and freeing himself.


Remember The Days:

A group of sailors leave their home country to travel overseas, to a land which they believe will be filled with better opportunities. The sea is a challenging environment. The group struggles, and, in their fight for survival, many of them die of malnutrition. Sailors remember the old days in their former country and wonder if they took their life for granted. In their search for greener pastures, they might not survive the trip, and if they do, they hope it will be to find a land that contains opportunities which were worth risking their lives.


As Hope Welcomes Death:

Soldiers are injured at war and are taken to the infirmary. Although they are now on safer grounds, another battle begins: a battle for survival. Medical staff do their best to take care of soldiers, and keep their spirits up. Some soldiers hope to make it out alive and fight daily for survival, and others wish for death in order for their suffering to come to an end.


Julie:


Embracing The Light:


At the end of his life, an older gentleman holds his grandson in his arms. While his own life bleeds away, the baby’s life is just starting. The old man passes down his knowledge to the boy, telling him all he knows about this world where beauty is weaved with horror, where time stretches forever, and then suddenly flies away. He hopes that he will continue to live in the memory of his descendant once he draws his last breath.


Yanic:

A Million Souls Gather:

Cancer begins to grow and invades the body. After much growth, the individual feels symptoms and finds out about the cancer. Treatment is necessary. The patient will fight for survival alongside powerful allies: technologies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The treatment begins as the allies, the million souls, gather and begin the annihilation of cancer.


Relentless:

There are 16 personality types per the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. One type, the “ENTJ”, is organized, productive, motivated, with high willpower, determination, and leadership skills, has vision and a desire to achieve. The “ENTJ” will not sit back and see what life brings, but will proactively make things happen and relentlessly work to achieve its goals. It takes many types of personalities for a society to survive and be healthy. The lyrics present the world in the eyes on an ENTJ personality type, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the personality type.


The Great Contemplation:

An author’s inspiration is constantly challenged throughout his lifetime, hence his survival is threatened. At the start of the author’s career, all ideas for the first publication are fresh as the author has not yet written and released any works. As the author grows, he gets challenged to find new ideas for the new publications, as to not repeat or release the same content as the first books. The author evolves and develops new tools and ideas to generate inspiration.


The Will To End A Life:

A fighter pilot during war has 2 choices: kill to survive, or be killed. Although the soldier fights to rid the world of evil, the soldier realizes that “overtaking evil begins with the will to end a life”, and that “evil begins with the will to end a life.” Survival sometimes involves surrendering to evil. The soldier begins to questions his actions.


Regarding your new album, have you got any plans to take your album promoting shows to Europe? The UK?

Julie:

"We are currently working on dates for the North America, Asia, and South America for autumn 2016. We look forward to opportunities in Europe in late 2016 or 2017."


You played the WaveTransform Festival, what can you tell us about the festival? Are there any more festivals near to where you are situated?

Yanic:

"The WaveTransform Festival is a series of prominent music concerts presented at one of East Tennessee’s theatres, the US Cellular Stage at the Bijou Theatre. The line-up consists of artists from WaveTransform Recording Studio. The festival features events which cover several styles of music, and which include both local artists and international musicians. Gone In April was fortunate to perform at the last 2 festivals, and we look forward to the next festival. Another great festival in the area is Progpower USA in Atlanta, GA, featuring national and international acts."


What hobbies does the band have outside of playing music? Do you have any pastimes you indulge in?

Julie:

"I play with symphony orchestras, sing with opera companies, and teach voice and violin. When I have a little bit of time, I enjoy hiking, crossfit, D&D, as well as spending time with friends.

Marc teaches music in college, and outside normal hours, is hired as a session guitarist for live and studio. At the moment, he is doing a Masters degree in Music, therefore, most of his spare time goes to academic work for his studies, and rehearsing. He enjoys watching movies and playing video games.

Steve spends most of his time on tour and in studios, away from home, but to answer the question, he just texted and said his hobby involves “trying to play bass half as good as Yanic does air-bass”.

Now you know Yanic enjoys to air-bass…! Yanic works over 100 hours per week. He is a Physicist and Engineer, and designs nuclear medicine scanners, and also runs a recording studio (as an engineer and session drummer) and event management company. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This applies to Yanic’s crazy lifestyle. He loves what he does, so everything is like a hobby. He does enjoy watching movies and TV shows to relax a bit before his little amount of sleep.

Aaron likes to spend time with friends, watch movies. He also plays in another band, produced at Yanic’s studio, so he spends time writing and performing for his band."



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

Yanic:


"As mentioned earlier, we are currently planning live performance dates for autumn of 2016. We look forward to growing our fan base, and meeting a lot of fans on the road who support the band."


Finally are there any hello's / thank you's you wish to send out?

Julie:

We would like to thank all the fans who have supported us throughout the years. We look forward to meeting many of you on road! If you would like to see Gone In April perform in your home-town, contact us and let us now! We will be glad to pursue opportunities within your region! Many thanks to you, Rhys, from Global Metal Apocalypse for all the support!

https://www.facebook.com/GoneinApril
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