In 2016,
TRUNK emerged from the remnants of Sovereign and Bleak, blending stoner/doom
roots into a dynamic fusion of death, sludge, and hardcore. Ross and Jeremy
share insights into TRUNK's evolution, influences, and their latest release,
"Born Dead," a sonic expression of life's brevity and purpose. Join
us as they delve into the band's Philadelphia origins, the nihilistic ethos
that fuels their music, and their commitment to pushing boundaries while
staying true to their influences.
1. Can
you tell us about the origins of TRUNK and how the band came together in 2016?
What inspired the formation of the band, and how has your sound evolved since
then?
Jeremy and
I (Ross) were in a band Sovereign together for a few years and after we broke
up, Jer moved to Syracuse, NY to join Bleak and I was just filling in for bands
on bass. I eventually got bored and decided to start a new band. We were more
of a stoner/doom band but eventually morphed into more death metal and sludge.
2. The
description of your music as a blend of doom, sludge, death, and hardcore is
intriguing. How do you navigate the challenge of merging these diverse genres
into a cohesive sound, and what influences have played a significant role in
shaping your unique musical identity?
We just
write what we would want to listen to, and I think your influences will slowly
come out naturally. If the song flows, who cares what styles, you know? Let it
figure itself out.
3. Your
recent release, "Born Dead," hit the scene on November 11, 2023.
Could you give us a sneak peek into the themes and inspiration behind the
album? How does it represent the evolution of TRUNK's musical journey?
Well, BORN
DEAD is more of an album of songs we wrote while constantly playing live (Born
Dead, Told to Kill) and a few we had written on our own (Denied Light, Encased
Trinity). Really just trying to express that life is short and pointless, so
chase what you want. Be what you want.
4. Philadelphia,
PA, is known for its vibrant music scene. How has the local environment
influenced TRUNK's music and overall aesthetic? Are there specific elements of
the city that find their way into your sound?
We’re
surrounded by a lot of hardcore and punk so I think that kind of molded our
metal band with punk energy and ethic. In terms of Philly in our sound, it’s
more Philly in our attitude. We don’t sugar coat our opinions. Some may like
it, some not. Regardless, fuck them.
5. The
press release mentions that your music is perfect for those who embrace
nihilism and enjoy partying at the same time. Can you elaborate on the concept
of partying with a purpose and how it aligns with the themes in your music?
Life is
pointless and meaningless in the end, so fucking enjoy whatever this is. Do
drugs, listen to heavy music, be yourself. Then die.
6. Influences
like Entombed, Cannibal Corpse, and Acid Bath are listed as "FFO"
(For Fans Of). How have these bands shaped your musical journey, and are there
any other artists or genres that have had a profound impact on the development
of TRUNK's sound?
Those are
bands that we think that we not only have the same musical “vibe” as but we
respect how they play what they want. They don’t over think it and they do what
feels right, regardless of what people on the outside might think or want.
7. Life's
meaning and the eternal misery journey are themes highlighted in your bio. How
do these existential concepts manifest in your lyrics, and what messages or
emotions do you aim to convey to your audience through your music?
It’s more
me just trying to get it off my chest. It’s my outlet. I say, your outlet could
be baking or fishing. Whatever it is, do your best and grind at it. Be better
than everyone. Don’t worry about others. Find YOUR peace.
8. As a
band that defies easy genre categorization, how do you approach the songwriting
process? Do you consciously aim to push boundaries, or does the experimentation
happen organically during the creative process?
Again, we
just write what we would want to listen to, and I think your influences will
slowly come out naturally. If the song flows, who cares what styles, you know?
Let it figure itself out.
9. For
fans eagerly anticipating the release of "Born Dead," what can they
expect in terms of the overall experience and atmosphere of the album? Are
there any specific tracks that stand out to you personally, and if so, why?
Come see us
live. We’re a live band. So come and see what the album is about.
10. Looking
ahead, what are TRUNK's aspirations for the future? Are there any specific
goals, collaborations, or projects on the horizon that you're excited to
explore as a band?
The album
will be coming out on vinyl and cassette in 2024 with a few east coast weekend
runs and then more extensive touring in 2025, including the west coast.
In this
exclusive interview, Sublation discusses their upcoming EP, "On the
Advancement of Decay." From thematic inspiration to the evolution of their
sound, the band shares insights into their experimental journey through metal
genres.
1. Congratulations
on the upcoming release of "On the Advancement of Decay"! Can you
tell us about the thematic inspiration behind the EP, especially the focus on
decay? How does this theme tie into the experimental journey through different
production styles and genres?
Danny:
Thank you! I remember coming up with the initial concept when I was driving. I
was listening to a lot of modern metal albums, that all shared the same
samples, guitar tones, vocal effects, etc. I then started thinking it would be
cool to hear a record that subtly changed production styles throughout, and we
later decided to lean into different metal styles to match those production
decisions. We were looking to make it all a cohesive theme, so having the
lyrics be about decay/deterioration, while hearing the riffs and production
also gradually decay made the most sense.
2. The EP's opening track, "Congenital Putrescence," has been
released as a teaser. What can listeners expect from this track in terms of
setting the tone for the rest of the EP? Danny: I think they can expect to hear where we left off with our previous
album “The Path to Bedlam” It’s all got of my favorite elements that we do,
such as guitar solos, harmonies, blast beats. We’ve always enjoyed branching
out and touching on different sub genres of metal, but Congenital is an example
of the type of song that comes the most natural to us.
3. The EP seems to progress with a regression of clarity, melody, and rhyming
meter. How did you approach the composition process to achieve this unique
progression, and what challenges did you face in balancing experimentation with
cohesion?
Danny: The
EP was written in order, and we were specifically trying have it start as a
death metal album, and end it with black metal. The challenge was trying to mix
these songs within the style that fit, while making it sound cohesive. I think
we took a lot more time choosing the right gear and instruments for each song.
The album used 3 or 4 different amps, two drum sets, plenty of different
microphones. Mixing an album with all those different tones meant taking your
time getting each one correct, then making sure they flowed together after the
fact.
4. The painter Jay Defeo's quote, "Only by chancing the ridiculous, can I
hope for the sublime," is mentioned in relation to the EP. How did this
philosophy influence your approach to creating music for "On the
Advancement of Decay"?
Max: The
quote’s utility is twofold. Defeo was known for her massive works that often
didn’t feel like they were part of just a single medium. Her paintings “The
Rose” and “The Jewel” were two massive paintings that were so heavily layered
that they are sculptural in nature. So her ambition to work within one realm
and push it so far that it becomes a part of another is something we were
certainly channeling with regards to genre. The concern that pushing things
that far could come off as ridiculous is certainly something I felt while
working on this release, but taking the risk that it could be something
excellent made it worth it. Defeo also would hold her brush with her teeth and
as her life of painting continued she grew fearful that she would lose her
teeth. Her works Crescent Bridge I and II, Traveling Portrait (Chance
Landscape) are all fixated on her dentures. So decay, and more specifically
tooth decay was something prevalent in her work and those works were very
inspiring for me.
5. "Sublation" is described as a death metal band that rejects
lyrical confines while embracing the raw and visceral facets of your roots. How
do you navigate this balance between rejecting conventions and staying true to
the essence of death metal?
Max: I
started writing death metal lyrics in 2008 and at that time I really wanted to
provide my own takes on staples of the genre. When Danny and I decided to play
music together again and named ourselves Sublation, I felt a desire to write
something that was more direct to the human experience and even directly
inspired by my own experiences. Life can be truly horrific and I understand
many enjoy death metal because the grotesque can be a form of escapism, but I
would rather write about the atrocities of humanity and use the language of
death metal to discuss those topics.
6. The band has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from
Fisthammer to Sublation. What motivated this change, and how has it influenced
the direction and vision of the band, both musically and thematically?
Danny: Time
is the biggest thing that has influenced us. The roots of Fisthammer can be
traced to our teenage years, so naturally our vision and approach to music has
become more refined. The name change allowed us to branch out more musical and
lyrically. It’s still coming from Max and I’s brain, so of course it will have
similarities to Fisthammer. But there’s been enough growth in our musical and
personal lives to warrant a new name.
7. Having returned from a five-year hiatus in 2020, what prompted Sublation's
resurgence, and how did the band's shared vision evolve during this period of
rejuvenation?
Danny: I
was playing in a band called Conflict Theory with Fisthammers guitarist Kevin
Welch for a time. As that started to dissipate, Kevin suggested reaching out to
Max to see if he would potentially be interested in writing an album again. We
toured pretty extensively from 2008-2014, especially for an unsigned band. I
think towards the end, we were all just pretty burnt out from me. The 5 years
off allowed us to objectively look at our catalog, and see what parts we
enjoyed the most, and what we didn’t.
8. The EP explores a myriad of production styles and genres. Can you elaborate
on some of the influences that shaped the sonic landscape of "On the
Advancement of Decay"?
Max: When
writing the EP I had a playlist of songs that I’d write to, so each song is
attempting to channel a certain sound or at least my own ideas about what is
conveyed through those sounds. The playlist included; Enfold Darkness,
Belphegor, Satyricon, Svart Crown, Setherial, and Koldovstvo. But I certainly
was channeling a lot more influences than just those.
8.Sublation has been described as a technical death metal act. How do you
balance technicality with the more emotive and atmospheric elements in your
music, especially considering the experimental nature of the EP?
Max: I
think music benefits from contrast. When writing music you will try and create
a journey of peaks and valleys and those contrasts if delivered properly will
create an engaging experience. Technicality is never the goal, but it is
certainly something that we don’t shy away from, and is something I tend to
write naturally. When composing this EP specifically it was exciting because so
often an album is just people writing songs and at the end you look at what you
have, pick the best, then put something out. This was a crafted experience.
Each song has its own structure and peaks and valleys, but overall it was
designed to be a descent and that construction itself was very exciting.
9. The tracklist features intriguing titles like "Eclipse Awe" and
"Born Out of a Whim." Can you provide some insight into the lyrical
themes or inspirations behind these specific tracks?
Max: I knew
that I wanted the EP to have a singular theme that would feed into the decay of
speed and clarity over the release so I had a list of potential facets of decay
to explore. I had just finished writing “this little death” which is
about how in time even our death is insignificant. A little life leads to a
little death. Once I finished that I was pretty emotionally exhausted and asked
Danny if he had an aspect of decay he would like a song to be written about and
he said “I’ve been thinking about the Decay of youthful exuberance”. That
incredibly depressing topic became Eclipse Awe, and it’s now one of my
favorites of the EP. Born Out of a Whim is taken from a concept within Milan
Kundera’s book The Festival of Insignificance. A few of Kundera’s works has
this notion that humanity and its history must be annihilated so that we can be
truly free. I think that concept was best captured within the concept of a
decaying tree sprouting out of Eve, the first woman who floats in the abyss
with her throat slit.
10. "Like
a Fire That Consumes All Before It" is the second track on the EP. What
can you share about the creative process behind this particular song, and how
does it contribute to the overall narrative of the release?
Max: The
release starts with a song that was intentionally more technical than anything
we’d previously released, so this song leans a bit more into the more melodic,
evil, and groovy side of what we do. I wrote it on bass and I think that’s
fairly obvious since the verses revolve around a bass riff. I started as a
bassist so it was fun to write a song starting on my first instrument.
Thematically it’s about the decay of the earth and the industrialization of
space. Writing about the environment is hard to do without sounding like you
are ripping off Gojira, so it took a while to find an in. The industrialization
of space and how capitalism will exsanguinate every resource we have until
there is nothing left felt like something I could easily get pissed enough about
to make a death metal song.
11. As a death metal band hailing from Philadelphia, how has the local music
scene and the city itself influenced Sublation's sound and identity? Are there
specific aspects of your environment that find their way into your music?
Max : I
definitely think that the northeast has a very specific sound. There’s an
aggression and misanthropy that tends to proliferate the scene. I think it may
have something to do with the cold and the general abrasiveness of our larger
cities, and I think you can’t help but have that influence what you create.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into the mysterious world of Dead Storm
Rising, an anonymous trio hailing from the gloomy depths of Seattle. From their
formation to the upcoming single "Leo," discover the influences,
creative process, and the haunting beauty of darkness that shapes their
distinctive sound.
1. Can
you tell us about the formation of Dead Storm Rising and how the project came
to be in Seattle, WA?
I’ve been a
musician in the Seattle area for many years, played with a lot of different
bands, gigged in just about every venue around here. Over time the calling to
do my own thing grew louder… to compose and record music that comes straight
from my soul. I brought my wife in for cello and keys/pads/vocals, and her
brother for lead vocals.
2. Dead Storm Rising is described as an anonymous trio. What led to the
decision to maintain anonymity, and how does it impact the creative process?
First, the
anonymity creates a clear separation from any other projects I am (or have
been) involved with. Second, it serves the aesthetic of our music. It’s hard to
maintain the mystery behind a gothic glower when you’re also known as “Bob from
accounting” by daylight. This project is about the art with no room for
personal egos. By each of us taking on a persona and removing the self/ego, the
focus is firmly placed on DSR as a whole rather than any individual.
3. Your music draws inspiration from Paradise Lost, Lacuna Coil, and Tool.
How do these influences manifest in your sound, and what other musical elements
contribute to the unique blend in Dead Storm Rising's music?
Paradise
Lost has been a favorite of mine for many years. They have evolved so much from
the beginning and explored so many different sounds along the way, but as they
settled back into their doom metal roots (specifically the album “Faith Divides
Us Death Unites Us”) their music resonated strongly with me. I spent time
analyzing it and understanding exactly what made it sound the way it sounds,
and fell in love with the style… naturally, it became a part of my own personal
style. Lacuna Coil’s influence injects more of the gothic metal into the mix,
along with other influences such as Type O Negative, Poisonblack, and Draconian.
4. The upcoming single, "Lullaby," explores real-world misery
within the dreamscape. Can you share more about the inspiration behind the
track and the thematic elements you wanted to convey?
The
inspiration behind this concept is finding escape and solace in the comfort of
our nightmares rather than facing the horrors of the real world. Despite
civilization’s best efforts there’s always a faction that devolves into the
cruelest of human nature, and we turn a blind eye to this; murder, rape, human
trafficking, egregious war crimes, and the suffering the indirect victims of
all of the above must endure. We see it on the news but turn it off, citing it
as “depressing”. We choose to accept this lullaby with which the pain and
suffering of the world sings us to sleep.
5. Gothic metal, doom metal, and progressive influences are evident in your
music. How do you balance these diverse elements to create a cohesive and
distinctive sound for Dead Storm Rising?
It is my
opinion that Gothic Metal and Doom Metal are a perfect pairing. I’ve loved the
gothic aesthetic ever since discovering Bauhaus in the 1988 movie “Night of the
Demons”. It was like nothing I had ever heard and I needed more. It would be
fair to say Stigmata Martyr was the initial seed of Dead Storm Rising. Infusing
this with doom metal allows me to take the creepy and the eerie, and deliver it
with crushing low frequencies and grinding distortion. The progressive
influences show more in the song structure and overall use of dynamics.
6. How does the city of Seattle influence your music and contribute to the
atmospheric and melancholic aspects of your sound?
Given our
somber nature, you could say the Seattle weather makes a contribution to the
atmosphere and melancholy... otherwise it’s the thriving gothic community that
dwells here. There’s really no better place in the United States for us… we are
among family in this place we call home.
7. The haunting beauty of darkness is a recurring theme in your music. How
does this theme play into the overall narrative and emotional landscape you aim
to create in your work?
I’ve always
been attracted to all things dark… heavy music, horror movies, things others
dismiss as disturbing. I’ve never really bought into the mainstream ideas of
life in general; what is acceptable in polite society, how we should look and
what we should wear, how we are expected to conduct ourselves. There’s
excitement in danger and there is beauty in darkness, and this is where we are
coming from.
8. As a studio project, how does the recording and production process
contribute to shaping the sonic identity of Dead Storm Rising?
I write the
songs as a whole rather than individual parts. When I’m working out a guitar
part I’m keeping in mind how it will sound with the keys, bass, drums, strings,
etc, before those tracks are ever laid down. It’s about serving the song and
not any one single instrument. Each part should complement the others without
vying for control. This can be difficult to achieve when writing music as a
group; nobody wants to be stuck playing a “boring” part… but sometimes that’s
what the song needs.
9. Can you share any details about the upcoming debut single,
"Lullaby"? What can listeners expect in terms of musical style and
lyrical content?
Slow and
heavy. It starts with a despondent piano that soon finds itself intertwining
with grinding bass and guitar. Dynamics shift throughout the song, ebbing and
flowing between power and quiet despair.
10. What role do introspection and personal experiences play in shaping the
lyrical content of your songs?
Our songs
hold a magnifying glass over the dark side of humanity, which may lead to
introspection within the listener… we hope it will spark a little thought. We
do not include much in the way of personal experience, other than what we see
in the world around us. Our lyrics explore the villainy contained within
civilization at large, and not so much the expression of personal joy, angst,
or other emotions. If anything, we hope to inspire the listener to accept and
integrate their entire self, darkness and all… only then can we truly be whole.
11. How do you approach the creative collaboration within the band,
considering the anonymity and the diverse influences each member brings to Dead
Storm Rising?
I write
each song from start to finish and record a demo version, keeping some elements
basic, such as the keys, and give Kitsune the freedom to expand on her parts as
she sees fit. After Raze adds his vocals, I may or may not adjust the other
instruments around that. After everything is pretty well solid, I use it as a
reference track and record the final version for mixing and mastering.
12. The themes of despair are prominent in your music. How do you hope
listeners connect with and interpret these emotions conveyed in your songs?
I hope they
will appreciate it for what it is, and that maybe it will encourage people to
think. Again, it’s finding that beauty in the darkness, in the way one might
enjoy a piece of fine art in a museum.
13. Are there any specific messages or experiences you aim to communicate to
your audience through your music, especially in a genre that often explores
darker and more introspective themes?
We hope
that listeners will consider what we are conveying through the lyrics, and look
at things from another point of view… or realize that they are already on the
same page and relate.
14. How do you see the future of Dead Storm Rising unfolding, and are there
any long-term goals or aspirations for the band?
Our goal is
simply to write music that we enjoy, release it, and hope that other people out
there like it as well. We may one day add members to include a full live band,
but for now it’s just the three of us doing what we love while remaining
covertly in the shadows.
15. In what ways do you envision Dead Storm Rising evolving and pushing the
boundaries of the Gothic Doom Metal genre in the future?
As we grow
the songwriting will become tighter, we will settle into our roles more firmly,
and we will continue to refine and perfect what we do. We’re not trying to push
the boundaries of any genre, we’re just looking to develop our sound to achieve
its full potential.
16."Congratulations
on your latest release, 'Leo.' Can you share the inspiration and creative
process behind this track, and how it aligns with Dead Storm Rising's overall
musical vision?"
Last summer
a friend of mine approached me about a friend of his from a record label in
France (Bitume) that was putting together a Failure tribute album and looking
for bands to take on covers. I talked to this guy and agreed to take on Leo
from their album Fantastic Planet. Leo is an uptempo grunge style track about a
recluse that has trouble relating to other people, and appears to suffer from a
great deal of social anxiety. I liked the theme and enjoyed the challenge of
adapting it to our style. It’s not typical for our sound as I had to work
within the confines of the original song, but we had fun doing it.
Gary Dranow's "Sandy Beaches" emerges as a
soul-stirring musical narrative, masterfully penned by Kamil Bobin. Hailing
from Park City, Utah, Dranow, a guitarist and athlete, draws inspiration from
life experiences and influences like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn,
establishing his presence in the Blues and Rock scenes.
The song navigates the emotional turmoil of a homeless war
veteran in Santa Monica, resonating with universal themes of struggle and
haunting memories. Dranow's adept storytelling, set against an understated yet
powerful musical arrangement, creates an intimate connection. The acoustic
chords provide a melancholic backdrop, allowing the emotional core to shine
through.
With lyrical depth, "Sandy Beaches" reflects on
the veteran's paradoxical solace in Santa Monica's shores, capturing the
enduring pain shared by veterans across eras. The song succeeds in humanizing
the often unnoticed struggles of homeless war veterans, emphasizing the need
for understanding and support.
Cyber-punk
takes a thrilling leap into uncharted territories with Notre-Dame of Tokyo's
debut album, "Weightlessness." The French duo, Antwan and Adrien,
abandoned their southern hometown for London on a whim, a journey ignited by a
simple coin toss. The result: a fusion of Rage Against The Machine-style riffs,
Muse-inspired vocals, and Nine Inch Nails dynamics, encapsulated in a 10-track
LP that solidifies Notre-Dame of Tokyo as a formidable force in the metal
scene.
Preceded by
experimental and genre-bending singles, the album showcases a boundary-pushing
spirit, earning accolades from critics. Edgar Allen Poets commend the duo's
fearlessness in exploring uncharted musical territories, while Skylight Webzine
draws parallels to the experimental nature of System of a Down.
"Weightlessness"
narrates the brothers' journey, from their coin-toss decision to settle in
London to Antwan's unexpected role as the band's vocalist. The album
encapsulates their energy and ambition, delivering a musical narrative that
feels fresh and distinctive. Notre-Dame of Tokyo's live prowess is already
evident, as seen in their captivating video for the 2021 single 'X or Y.' With
a mix of twisted, clever lyrics and compelling instrumentals,
"Weightlessness" promises an immersive experience for fans of
cyber-punk and beyond.
International
rock trio Dirty Power unveils their second single, "Said And Done,"
from the upcoming EP 'Gravitas.' Following the success of "I Did My
Time," this stripped-back track takes an 'industri-coustic' approach,
blending Rodrigo y Gabriela's guitar rhythms with the grooves of Rammstein's
"Los." The accompanying anime storyline video adds an immersive layer
to the song's narrative.
Inspired by
Rebels and Resistance movements, "Said and Done" explores the theme
of friends coming to each other's rescue. As part of a three-part arc, the EP
promises a return to personal, cultural, and musical roots, embodying an
'alternative acoustic rock & metal' style. Recorded live in a pirate
ancestor's castle in Ireland, 'Gravitas' captures the essence of Dirty Power's
intimate and redemptive storytelling amid the challenges of the Covid pandemic.
Stay tuned for more from Dirty Power as they embark on a musical journey
reminiscent of Nirvana's 'Unplugged In New York' and Metallica's 'S&M.'
LokkisKott, an emerging artist from New South Wales, Australia, makes a
compelling entrance into the music scene with his debut single, "Deep
Inside." Born from the influences of iconic bands like AC/DC and Linkin
Park, LokkisKott's musical evolution is a tapestry of sounds and emotions
shaped by his upbringing and life experiences.
"Deep Inside" is an intensely personal track that
peels back the layers of LokkisKott's soul, revealing raw and unfiltered
emotions. The song's musical arrangement begins with gentle guitar plucking,
building into a storm of energy with sparse drum beats and impassioned vocals.
LokkisKott's dark and confessional lyrics intertwine with the music, creating a
sonic experience that balances vulnerability and gritty intensity.
The debut single is not just a moment; it's a culmination of
LokkisKott's journey, written during his early teenage years and refined over
time. With "Deep Inside," LokkisKott invites listeners into his
creative universe, where darkness meets vulnerability, and raw emotions fuel
artistic expression. This debut is just the beginning of what promises to be a
captivating artistic odyssey from an exciting new artist with an original
sound.
In this
interview, Amnesiak takes us through their unique sound's inception in 2020,
the thematic inspirations behind tracks, collaborations, and the challenges
faced in creating chilling narratives.
1.Congratulations
on the release of your self-titled EP! Can you share the inspiration behind
forming Amnesiak and the journey from its inception to the recent release?
Thank you! We
wanted to come out with a unique blend of sound, it took a long process and
many collaborations, we have been working on this idea from 2020.
We wrote
and recorded nine songs for a total of two EPs before we came out with the
final 4 tracks. Harm’s Way recalls the concept behind our EP Amnesiak.
The
dramatic story that repeats each time a life of an innocent is taken away by a
murderer.
Any person
taken away from this world is a drama not to be ignored and it doesn’t matter
when and how it happens.
2. "Harm's Way" is a powerful track with a haunting video. Can you
delve into the creative process behind the song and the concept for the music
video?
Harm’s Way
is the last track of the EP and we wrote it thinking to make a track that would
resume the entire EP concept, which has been the guide for the creative process
of the video.
3. The EP covers dark and intense themes. How do you approach songwriting to
convey such heavy subject matter, and what message do you hope listeners take
away from your music?
There are
places and situations in this world and some realities which are hidden from
our everyday routine. We can just get an idea of the dark aspects of those
realities through movies, TV, socials, etc.. We thought to bring out these dark
and intense themes through our music.
Our message
is to be aware that darkness hides in our everyday routine and it can come out
in any moment and surprise us.
4. Your music video for "Harm's Way" was directed by Kassandra
Powell, a UK Music Video Awards nominee. How did the collaboration come about,
and how do visuals contribute to your storytelling as a band?
We got in
touch with a photographer to discuss a photo session and she suggested
Kassandra to us. We wanted an intense horror video and the fact that we acted
in it made everything more exciting and coherent to our idea in drowning
ourselves into the story behind the song and our music project concept.
5. The EP's first track, "Worms of the Mind," deals with
Delusional Parasitosis Disorder. How did you capture the essence of this mental
illness in your music, and what kind of impact do you hope it has on listeners?
Grace came
out with the idea and funny enough in Francesco’s house there was a book left
behind by someone that use to live there, about this mental condition and so
everything was served to us and the idea of “Worms Of the Mind” just came out from
there.We just wanted once again to
remind to the listener that we live in a very fragile bubble, and so, is our
mind.
6.
"Elizabeth's Pleasure" draws inspiration from Elizabeth Bathory. How
did her historical atrocities influence the creative process of the song, and
what challenges did you face in portraying such a dark figure musically?
These
horrific events can reflect in our days if we just compare it to war crimes.
It’s not like watching a movie and feel confortable with it because we know
that it is on a screen or far from our reality, the creative process starts in
the moment when you think that it’s close and real and set your mind in that
situation feeling the chills, the horror and discomfort.
The
challenge is to create that atmosphere with the music and make it sound
dramatic and horrible but create a kind of musical exorcism and relieve too.
7. "Morbid Bride" tells the story of a victim tortured by a serial
killer. How do you balance storytelling with the intensity of the music, and
what emotions do you aim to evoke in the listeners with this track?
Inspired by
a true story this song describes the agony and the last few hours of a victim
tortured and dressed up by the killer as a bride, before he kills her.
The serial
killer keeps the corpses of his victims under the floorboards of his house, and
she is next.
It again
could be a everyday situation ended dramatically and repeated by the killer to
quench his thirsty mutated mind. Darkness is around the corner.
8. "Harm's Way" is dedicated to a woman who was sexually abused
and killed by a stalker. How does the band approach creating music that
addresses such sensitive and real-world issues, and what role does empathy play
in your songwriting?
We imagined
to be the victim and anyone close to the murdered.. We grabbed a pen and a
guitar and wrote what we saw and what we felt.. mixed with our surrounding..
London has many dark stories..
9. The EP features Mark Gemini Thwaite on guitar and Matthew Setzer on bass.
How did their contributions shape the overall sound of the EP, and what
dynamics did they bring to the collaborative process?
Mark and
Matthew played on the last two tracks of the EP, ‘Morbid Bride’ and Harm’s Way.
Amnesiak is a progression from absence of light to dark visions. They both
brought pure energy giving the EP powerful vibes.
10. Amnesiak emerged during the lockdown in 2020. How has this unique period
influenced your music, and what challenges or advantages did you face as a band
starting out in such circumstances?
We had the
project in mind for a while and the lockdown seemed like the perfect time to
make it happen. Our hometown is London, it’s a huge crazy city and it can be
very quiet too, a place where you can hide and isolate yourself very easily
anytime. You can be anonymous and disappear, and no one would realise. People
here are busy with a thousand of things and the frantic lifestyle takes away
the sense of time and space. London like the lockdown can be your best friend
and the worse enemy.. you really need to know how to deal with it. We though to
use both things in the most positive way, and so we used our connections and
made new ones online which we had the pleasure to meet in person once the
lockdown was finished. The positive side of all that time was the chance to stop
and think about your potentials and skills and use it in the best way possible.
11. The
EP captures a chilling alternative rock sound. How do you see Amnesiak's sound
evolving in the future, and are there specific directions or experiments you're
eager to explore in upcoming releases?
No plans we
will follow our instinct as we did with ‘Amnesiak’. For sure we like to
research and evolve so expect something different but coherent to our concept
and sound.
12. What's on the horizon for Amnesiak? Any upcoming projects,
collaborations, or plans for taking your music to a wider audience?
First of
all live shows, for sure there will be new collaborations with very special
guests. We are aiming to reach out to people through tours and festivals. Watch
this space!!
In this
interview, the Siberian metal artist "Olya Manevskaya" delves into the inspiration behind her
latest song, "In Altai Land," exploring the legends of Biya and
Katun' and the cultural richness of Siberia. She discusses her creative
process, the challenges of merging folklore with metal, and her hopes for
connecting global audiences with the myths of her homeland. The artist also
shares upcoming plans, hinting at an album dedicated to Siberian myths and
legends, and reflects on the unique blend of metal and Siberian folklore that
defines her identity as a musician.
1. Can you share the inspiration
behind your latest metal song, "In Altai Land"? How did the
legend of Biya and Katun' influence
the creation of this powerful piece of music?
This is a very interesting question,
thank you very much for it. The most unusual thing is that the
inspiration to write about the myths
and legends of Siberia came from a small creative crisis. Once I
started thinking about what I wanted
to write about in my songs. I wanted to find myself. And
suddenly I realized that the topic
of Siberia interests many people, that there is not much known
about Siberia, especially for those
living far away, in other countries. And even I, a person who was
born and has lived her whole life in
Siberia, do not know everything about it. And the topic of
myths and legends has always
fascinated me since childhood. There are many myths and legends in
Siberia, both from indigenous
peoples and the modern history is shrouded in a multitude of secrets
and legends. I started studying this
topic and got really engrossed in it. And that's how the idea to
talk about the myths and legends of
Siberia came about.
The first "trial" music
video we made was for the song "Siberia". I had long dreamed of
visiting
Lake Baikal, seeing the unique
Baikal ice. And in March of this year, my dream came true, I was
able to go to Baikal and see that
same ice. Baikal is unbelievably beautiful in winter, I recommend
everyone to go there. It was there
that we filmed the music video for the song "Siberia", in which
the guys who filmed the video and I
tried to talk about the culture of Eastern Siberia. The same
story happened with the song
"In Altai land". I really wanted to go to the Altai Mountains, see
the
Altai mountains, glaciers in Kurai.
And then I learned about one of the most famous legends of the
Altai Mountains - the legend of Biya
and Katun - two lovers who turned into rivers and merged into
the Ob River, as a symbol of eternal
love. And that's how the idea to tell this legend and visualize it
came about. We traveled almost the
entire Altai Mountains. During 5 shooting days, we saw 4
seasons (from hot weather at +20
degrees to snowfall). The atmosphere of the Altai Mountains
conquered everyone who participated
in the filming of the music video, and we tried to convey this
atmosphere in the video and combine
it with the atmosphere of the legend. I hope we succeeded :)
2. Your music is deeply rooted in
the myths and legends of Siberia. What draws you to these
stories, and how do you incorporate
them into your songwriting process?
What attracts me to myths and
legends is the mystery: you don't know if it actually was in real life
or not, because often myths and
legends are hundreds of years old, they originate in the cultures of
indigenous peoples, in their
everyday life. It's great that through myths and legends, you can feel the
culture of the peoples who tell
them. When you read a legend, images are born in your head (images
of heroes, images of places where
the action takes place in the legend). And when you come to the
places where the legend originated
and see them with your own eyes, the legend comes alive. And
it's a great feeling when you become
as a character in the story. The most important thing for me is
not just to tell myths and legends,
but through music and videos, try to convey this atmosphere to
others, so that people also become
heroes of legends and feel the full power of legends through
music. It's also great if, after
listening to the song, people have a desire to visit the places I talk
about, or have a desire to learn
more about the places they live, as well as learn about the myths and
legends of their homeland. After
all, in our world, there are so many amazing places that hide many
secrets and stories.
3. "In Altai Land"
specifically references the transformation of lovers into the Siberian river
Ob'. What aspects of this legend
resonated with you, and how did you translate these themes
into musical elements?
Probably what I see every day the Ob
River, it is located in the city in which I live (Novosibirsk),
and before I didn't think much about
the history and greatness of this river. It was ordinary. But after
the legend, the perception becomes
different. Now, when I come to the waterfront and look at the
Ob, I imagine the Biya and Katun and
their confluence into a single river. And it also helped me
learn more information from a
historical point of view: where Biya and Katun' rivers originate,
where the Biya and Katun' rivers
merge into the Ob, etc.
And this happens with many things.
When you, for example, visit a city as a tourist, knowing its
history, you begin to look at things
differently, searching for fragments of this history in every
detail. The same goes for legends,
when you know myths and legends, you start looking for
fragments of legends in every
detail. This things are resonatung in my songs. The fact that myths
and legends, essentially, surround
us in every detail. Sometimes we don't think about the secrets that
everyday things, places that we see
every day can hold. And I want to talk about this in songs, so
that we pay more attention to all
the beauty that surrounds us.
4. The combination of powerful
vocals and heavy guitar riffs is a hallmark of your musical
style. How do you balance these
elements to create a sound that effectively conveys the
emotion and narrative of your songs?
Thank you so much, it's very nice!
Probably, the desire to experiment, create something new, and
simply do what I like helps me the
most in creating songs. To some extent, I am afraid of becoming
a «hostage» to a specific style, I
want to develop and add something new from song to song, tell
something new. That's why sometimes,
in search of experiments, I try to combine the incompatible.
And I don't think about how the song
should sound, but rather think about the idea, what I want to
talk about in the song. It is
important for me that the song has a specific story that will be
understood by listeners. As for the
stylistics of the song, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes I try to
combine the incompatible, and
guitarist Oleg Izotov, with whom we have been working together for
a long time, helps me a lot in
literally bringing all my crazy ideas to life :) Therefore, teamwork and
love for what I do help create songs
as they are.
5. Siberian storytelling is not a
common theme in metal music. What motivated you to explore
and share the myths of your homeland
through this genre?
As I mentioned earlier, to some
extent, a small creative crisis prompted me to start thinking about
what I would like to tell in my
songs. At the same time, people who listen to my music, became
interested in Siberia, asked about
my hometown, interesting places, local culture, etc. And after it I
realized, that it would be great to
tell more about my homeland... Because often people imagine
Siberia as something distant,
unknown, where it always snows and bears walk the streets, ahaha :)
And myths and legends will help to
learn something new about Siberia, because we have a multi-
ethnic region with an interesting
history: there is Eastern Siberia, there is Western Siberia, they differ and
have their own cultural features, and it's great if people all over the world
will know
something new about Siberia.
6. Can you take us through your
creative process when working on a new song? How do you
approach blending metal with the
rich cultural narratives of Siberia?
In fact, this is a quite difficult
question because each time everything happens spontaneously. Most
often, it all starts with the words:
"Oh, what a cool place, I want to visit it", and that's where the process
begins. For example, before writing the song "In Altai land," I had
long desired to visit the
Altai Mountains, which are
relatively close to Novosibirsk (my hometown), but for some reason, I
couldn't manage to go there before.
Then I discovered the Altai legend of Biya and Katun, and
immediately knew that it would be
great to tell this legend and, at the same time, shoot a video in
the Altai Mountains to visually
showcase the legend. So I started studying the legend. Then, images
began to form in my mind (images of
the heroes, images of the places where they lived according to
the legend, where the events
described in the legend took place). I started finding locations and
planning the route. After that, the
structure of the song began to take shape in my mind. For
example, I wanted the choruses to be
quite melodic, and in the video I wanted to show scenes with
nature, running, and create a sense
of flight that captures the viewer's breath. The legend also
contains a chase scene. I realized
that it would be great to use this moment in a part with a
breakdown. To make the breakdown
dynamic, gradually building in intensity, and ending on a
beautiful note to show the moment of
the merging of two rivers.
This is how i'm working on a songs:
first I collecting all ideas for the structure, searching for the
examples, then gather all the ideas
together and pass them to the guitarist. And he helps to complete
the structure, finish all the
missing parts, and record the song. It's a team effort, and I am grateful to
Oleg that he is always listening to
my ideas and helping to implement them. Writing songs for me is
a complex but very interesting
process, and I am very happy that the songs resonate with people and
that the stories I want to convey
are understood by the listeners.
7. Your music has the potential to
introduce Siberian legends to a global audience. How do you
hope your audience, especially those
outside of Siberia, will connect with and appreciate the
cultural stories you convey in your
songs?
Honestly, I don't have a specific
goal, I just want to talk about my homeland because I love Siberia
very much. It would be great if more
people could come and visit Siberia. Siberia is awesome :)
Hope it'll become possible in a
future again
8. What challenges did you face in
merging traditional Siberian folklore with the intensity of
metal, and how did you overcome them
during the production of "In Altai Land"?
My main difficulty in songwriting is
that I start to worry that I won't be able to convey what I want
to say, that something might go
wrong, or that something won't be liked. At certain stages, I stop
liking my vocals, I stop liking what
I've recorded, it seems like everything is bad. Essentially, it's
just perfectionism and
self-criticism, which are my biggest enemies during songwriting :) Another
difficulty is that myths and legends
of Siberia are not widely known, so it's hard to find primary
sources. Because of this, you start
worrying that you might not tell the legend correctly, that the
meaning might be distorted – it's a
huge responsibility. These are the main difficulties in
songwriting that I encounter and try
to overcome.
9. Do you have any upcoming projects
or plans to continue exploring Siberian myths through
your music? Can you give us a sneak
peek into what we can expect from your future releases?
Yes, of course! In the nearest
plans, I will finish an album that will consist of two parts (2 EP
albums combined into one). The album
will be dedicated to the myths and legends of Siberia. I also
plan to shoot several music videos
and, if everything goes well, maybe in the future, I will expand
the theme and add myths and legends
not only from Siberia but also from the Far East and possibly
from my country as a whole. As for
the Far East, some cities were part of Siberia in the past, so they are
directly related to the history of Siberia and its myths and legends. And the
places in the East are
amazing. I would really like to talk
about Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and to visit them. These are my
plans for now :)
10. As a musician from Siberia, how
do you think your cultural background has shaped your
identity as an artist, and what
message do you hope to convey to your listeners through your unique blend of
metal and Siberian folklore?
It is difficult to say exactly how
the combination of myths, legends, and metal music shaped me as
an artist. Because i've just started
my way. I think I have understood the direction to move in, and it
is great to receive feedback from
people regarding my own style in music. While before I tried to
focus only on thrash metal, now I
would describe my style as "Siberian metal". It is great if I
managed to mix different styles
(folklore and metal music) and create a unique style (Siberian
metal).
And the most important message I
want to convey is that there are so many amazing and cool places
around that hold secrets and
fragments of history. So, travel more, discover new places, rediscover
the places where you live or were
born. There is so much beauty and the unknown around us, and it
is great if each person can discover
something new for themselves, learn and explore our world
again.
Thank you so much for such
interesting questions. I hope I was able to answer everything and I
apologize if there are mistakes in
my English responses. I hope I was able to convey the essence
