Please tell us a few words about the new release, about the music on it as a whole or a few words on each track in part. How are you happy with the final release?
Its hard to tell only a few words about this debut; since for us, it has been quiet a journey in songwriting and production… We are very happy with the result we got but of course as with all things we always feel we could have done better here and there; but you just have to stop sometime right? :)
The music is quiet varied, yet it is very a conscious concoction of black, death and prog metal. We really tried to balance it all out and spice it with massive synths and captivating melodies to give breathers in the madness of it all.
How would you describe/label the music on it? Does it sounds like anything we might have heard before?
I dont think this album is easy to label with a genre… The closest a dedicated reviewer got was “Progressive & Melodic Blackened Death Metal” :)
Each track has its own feel to it… We never limited ourselves to a genre and just let the music shape itself as it came to us… There will be unexpected turns which might surprise you, but do give it a few listens and i bet you, you will be captivated…
Where was it recorded and how much time did it take you to record it? Any interesting stories from the recording/producing the material?
The album was recorded at Cunos´ home studio in Oslo/Norway except for the drums… We hired the very capable Lukasz from Poland to track the drums for us… and wow; he really nailed the notes just as Cuno wrote them.. yes our mastermind not only writes the guitars, bass and synths, but he also can write incredible drum lines… If you are a drummer dear reader… This album will make you smile and tap along, trust me :)
The entire production and release took about a year, maybe 14 months… One of the songs took only a day to write while others took days and weeks to complete… the lyrics, production and finding the right mix took the bulk of the time really… we must have tried 100s of synth and guitar sounds; and the mixing… wow… at some point we were both close to loosing it and i remember telling Cuno “Man, this is the same mix as the 6th previous one… they are all good, just a little different and its all about taste; there is no perfection”. So we wrapped it up quickly after that realization and went to mastering… Only 4 rounds there :) We got our master and were very satisfied :)
What can you tell us about the cover artwork? Is there a link between the artwork and the lyrics? What are the topics of your lyrics?
Well I did use good part of 3 months to write the lyrics so i wasnt about to have a cover art with some modern cool artzy lines meaning nothing :) Somewhere along the composing & recording process i decided that i wanted to write lyrics as a concept album, so, one story… I didnt realize at the time what a massive commitment that was… EVERYTHING had to be planned in a very different way than writing lyrics per song.
The story plays out in a science fiction setting and touches the subjects of history, religion, conspiracies etc.; not shocking in concept maybe for a metal band but i do believe that i have managed to voice and tell an original story told by a few key characters. Mainly by a young man who has discovered that he and his family is a part of a secret elite group that has directed mankinds fate since as far back as the known history… Of course there are layers, symbolisms, action and a twist… I must advice anyone interested in the story to really read about the story on our website to get more into it… And you can always message me on facebook for a discussion :)
What do you expect to gain through this release? What are the band's aims at the moment?
At the moment we wish to get the attention of the Metal world; slowly but surely gain some footing and possibly attract a strong and serious label. Our long term goals have no limits… We KNOW that we will create a hell of a live show given that we have some more resources. We really want to tour far and wide, play big international festivals and be recognized as one of the few truly original metal bands around…
Is there a special format the material is released in? Or is it released in multiple formats? How many copies were pressed?
We have released the album only digitally so far… only a handful of copies have been pressed for promotional purposes. We are considering printing more cds and a few lps though.
Where and how will you promote this new release?
Obvious channels, internet, reviews, interviews, radio plays, facebook etc.
Where can we order it from?
You can buy a digital copy of our album on itunes and many other digital markets. You can also order CDs directly from us via our facebook fan page.
December 2014