Few questions – interview with Atmospheric Black Metal band MAVRADOXA.
Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers?
– When was it founded and what style of music do you play, etc.?
Nival and Lux created
Mavradoxa in early winter 2016. The band is a realization of Nival’s dream to
create a meaningful and emotive sound, playing on twin themes: the spellbinding
strength of Nature, and the absolute desolation of modernity. We would prefer
to resist being caught in the trap of trying to label our own sound, but we do
describe it as “Laurentian”—referring to our geographical origins.
Where and under what conditions were you recording the
new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?
In February our second
full-length album, Lethean Lament,
was recorded near Buffalo in North Tonawanda, New York. We recorded the album
with Joe Leising at Rotten Metal Recording, the same studio we used to create Sojourners. The sound of the album was a
collaborative endeavor. Leising’s mix of equipment, expertise, and unique recording
techniques captured the essential sound, while we provided input on tone,
atmosphere, and mix. Leising also mastered the record; he did an amazing job
translating our ideas into reality.
How many copies were released and which medium was
used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
Lethean Lament will be released through Canadian label Hypnotic
Dirge Records in both digital and CD format. The CD features a four-panel
digipak and an eight-page lyric booklet. More information is available at
hypnoticdirgerecords.com, or on their Bandcamp page.
Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of
the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider
these things important?
The band name was
created by Lux from a loose transliteration of the Greek words mavras and doxas, which translate to “black worship” or “black glory”. The
logo was first sketched by James Hallenbeck, and later converted to vector
format by Justin Groth. The album art for Lethean
Lament was created by Swedish digital artist Tomarum (Christine Linde),
while Nival was responsible for layout and design.
Which label did you choose for releasing your album
and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takes
care about you?
Hypnotic Dirge records has
been wonderful to work with. Nick reached out to us upon hearing Sojourners and offered to release our
second full-length. Hypnotic Dirge has released an incredible portfolio of dark
and experimental music, which is well-worth exploring, including two personal
favorites of ours, Obsidian Tongue and Frigoris. In addition to pressing our
album, they have also made merchandise for us and promoted our album and its
singles through a number of online venues.
Which bands do you idolize and where do you get your
inspiration?
We believe that it is
important to try to incorporate a variety of styles to keep the song surprising
and interesting to the listener. Lux has found a lot of inspiration in the
progressive drumming of Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree and in the most
recent Katatonia releases (Daniel Liljekvist, Daniel Moilanen).
How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do
you prefer, whether it is (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances
would you consider as the best?
We have played a handful
of shows. Probably our favorite performance was a lodge show in the middle of a
forest in upstate New York with two crushing bands, The Highest Leviathan and
Enthauptung. The atmosphere was inimitable and perfectly suited to our style
and concept. We look forward to sharing the stage with Obsidian Tongue in a few
weeks at our first Northeast tour show in Portland, Maine.
What about your plans for the future? What do you want
to achieve with the band?
Our plan for the future
is to continue to create expressive and distinct albums—to construct a
discography of which we are proud. Of course, we would like to tour and play
festivals, but writing and recording remains our top priority.
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you
provide some contact information?
We can be reached by
sending a message to our Facebook page, or by emailing mavradoxa@gmail.com.
Thanx for the interview.
Thank you for having us.
- Mavradoxa -
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MavradoxaBandcamp: https://mavradoxa.bandcamp.com
Metal Archives: http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/M...
- Hypnotic Dirge Records -
Website: http://www.hypnoticdirgerecords.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hypnoticdirg...
Bandcamp: https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp...
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/hypnoticdirger...
