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?
Well, it is an amalgamation of the best riffs I managed to create during the first years of my guitar adventure. The track "Priest Eater", for example, was first thought of in 2014, so you make an idea of how old these things are. They are how I understood metal music back then, a representation of a primitive stage in my songwriting experience.
I am happy is finally done and I am able to move to the next one.
How would you describe/label the music on it? Does it sounds like anything we might have heard before?
I would say is a mix of thrash, death and black, the latter in a more subtle way, and everything done in a kind of old school fashion. A lot of people say it sounds like early Sodom. To be honest, I had only heard one of their albums at the time this album was composed.
Where was it recorded and how much time did it take you to record it? Any interesting stories from the recording/producing the material?
It was recorded at my own home/studio back in January 2019. The whole process took 5 to 6 months, including mixing, mastering and everything in between. In fact, this is the second time this whole album has been recorded. It was recorded a few years earlier but the only thing I managed to do well enough was the guitar part, everything else was far behind. I was maybe a bit finicky at the time, but this forced me to work even harder to attain the skills needed.
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?
I figured my album would need some cover artwork, and not only that, but also individual artwork for each track, why not. I knew nothing about painting or how it could be done. This was back in 2017. In a couple of years I managed to learn some basic skills and represent what I imagined fit best with the songs. My intention was, and still is, to produce not only a music album but a piece of art. Music is the main attraction, but behind there must be artwork and lyrics. Everything carefully thought. The lyrics are about psychology, religion or lack thereof, manipulation of the masses, deceit, cowardness. Nothing alien to us, 20th and 21st centuries societies.
What do you expect to gain through this release? What are the band's aims at the moment?
I like to think of it as a door that needed to be crossed in order to even start. Now that is crossed I can focus all my energy on new material, rather than beating to death the old one.
Surpassing the previous release, the one we are talking about, is my objective right now.
Is there a special format the material is released in? Or is it released in multiple formats? How many copies were pressed?
It has been released both in digital and CD. A few hundreds copies were pressed.
Where and how will you promote this new release?
Since live shows are no longer an option, internet and social media is the only way to go. This interview, I guess, is an example of a "how".
Where can we order it from?
It can be ordered via Bandcampat stormsiege.bandcamp.com
You can also follow on facebook and instagram @stormsiegethrash
Thank you for the interview.
Cheers.
March 2021