Interview with doom metal band from Slovakia - SAMSARA.
Answered Tibor.
Translated by Markéta, thank you!
Ave SAMSARA! I have not found any interview in Czech with you. So I would like to ask you if you could introduce your band to the fans who do not know it. You can start from the beginning and carry us through the whole history.
Hello
to you and to the readers of Deadly Storm. Our band was founded in
2009 from the black death metal band MORS OMNIA SOLVIT which you can
listen to on BANDZONE. It was founded by me and the guitar player
Martin. We like the slower style which was played by many
Scandinavian funeral bands so we decided to create SAMSARA. I wanted
to find a suitable name for the band and I read a book about
reincarnation and there was a mention about samsara. Immediately, I
knew that this is the best name for our band. “Samsara” –the
cycle of birth and death and this describes the music we play. At the
beginning, we played in two people – my and Martin. Then we asked
Peťo to play the drums and he joined us. We started to compose and
play concerts. People were very excited about our work, they liked
the music so we decided to record something so we did. But after we
finished recording in 2015 our band split up. The guitar player
Martin left and also the drummer Peťo. But I wanted to continue with
the band because the band was nicely rocking the music so I found
another members with who I work now. In 2017 we released an album and
the songs were recorded with the previous members. The songs were
composed between 2012 and 2015. We did not manage to release it
before so we did it now because of some complications. The album was
released under SMA (Slovak Metal Army).
Since
May our album “When the Soul Leaves the Body” is out. How do you
feel about it now? What about fans and critics?
I have
to say that the feedback surprised me. The reaction on this album are
so positive that I did not expected it. Well, this music is on the
edge of the dark underground so I think people do not hear it often.
But still I am so glad that it has its fans. I am also glad that this
album happened because a lot of people can listen to it in here or
abroad and that can help us to get abroad to play concerts or
festivals and so on…the important thing is that a fan has his/her
favourite band at home. I have not meet any music critic yet. I just
play what I enjoy and what I want and I do not push anyone to listen
to it if they do not like to do so. We know how it is – many
people, many tastes and you cannot satisfy everyone. I am happy, the
reviews are positive.
I
am just listening to your new album and I feel like I am locked in a
cell with a record and I am waiting for death. The album has a great
cold sound. Where did you record and are you happy with the result?
Were you able to have any comments about the final sound?
The
album was created gradually. It was formed in Juraj Kankul´s studio
in Partizánsky and I am happy with the result. Juraj is my good
friend and a great musician. The cooperation with him was on a high
level. He likes to give advice, help. I told him how I want it to
sound like and he fulfil my wishes. Of course, I was very annoying
for him at some times, haha. But first, you yourself have to know
what you want when you go to a studio to record. We knew what we
wanted and it was a heavy sound. We always found the best way and
agreed on everything.
How
did you compose new material for “When the Soul Leaves the Body”?
How SAMSARA compose?
We
were a trio – me, Martin on the guitar and Peťo on the drums. We
all agreed as the band was set up but during time we knew that there
is always something you can make better. The most important thing is
the music, guitars, drums and then we add a sample which was done by
our friend Paľo and I also did some. We picked up what was good and
the rest we threw away. Then I phrased the growl and that was the
composing process. Then we just put everything together with the bass
and we slowly worked on other instruments or vocal, melodies and so
on. And that is basically how we compose even now.
Who
is the author of the lyrics on “When the Soul Leaves the Body”?
And what are the lyrics about? Where do you find inspiration?
The
lyrics were done by our ex-guitar player Martin and I just growled
it. So this question is more on him. The lyrics were about his
feelings and emotions, but he found the inspiration in his every-day
life, he had his own ideas.
Who
did the cover of your new album “When the Soul Leaves the Body”?
I really like this person´s work. How did you chose the motive for
this cover?
In the
inside there are our photos in frames. I came up with this idea. The
main cover is the idea of your graphic designer and designer Gogo
Melone. She also did other cover for other famous bands. I saw her
website and there was a motive of a crying mermaid who had tears of
blood. It was so interesting that Juraj from SMA asked her and she
agreed with doing our CD with this mermaid. I think we will use her
amazing work next time too.
I
think that “When the Soul Leaves the Body” would be great on
vinyl. Have you thought about it? How do you feel about vinyl and its
sound? Are you a collector?
Well,
you surprised me a little bit. I have to say that I have not thought
about it yet. I am not a collector and I cannot compare their sound.
We will see what the future brings but we say “never say never”,
heh.
A
lot of musician do not listen to the style you play. How about you.
Are there any doom metal albums which you would recommend? For me the
great bands are GRAVEYARD DIRT, MOURNING BEVOLETH, INVERLOCH, OCTOBER
TIDE.
I
really like doom and that is why I play it. I like to listen to it
and my favourite bands are (in case of style) MY DYING BRIDE, older
ANATHEMA and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, SINS OF THY BELOVETH, SWALOW THE
SUN, SATURNUS, DRACONIAN, THE FORESHADOWING, older work of LACRIMAS
PROFUNDERE. From the more funeral music ATARAXIE, AHA, ESOTERIC,
SHAPE OF DESPAIR, COMATOSE VIGIL. There is a lot of bands either more
or less famous. I could recommend a lot of them but it would be a
really long list.
How
is it to play doom metal in Slovakia? Do people go on concerts? Do
fans support you and buy CDs? When you have an event how many people
would come?
There
is not a lot of bands in Slovakia who play doom but we went the way
we like. There is more popular black or death but we do not care
because everyone should play what they want. There are people coming
on concerts, they want to have fun and listen to music. There are
different areas in Slovakia and it depends on where you play a
concert. So if you want to have more people on your concert you
should mix the styles that is when more people come. On our event
were almost hundreds of people. It was in a club but it depends.
Sometimes there are 300-400 people. Celestial Help Fest and Flesh
Party are really famous in here. Currently, we have released the new
album which has a lot of fans and they also buy T-Shirts. Yes, people
do supports us through them buying our merch.
Let´s
look at the beginning of your band again…What was the first impulse
to create a band? Why doom metal? It is not the style which would
bring you “fame”.
Since
I was a boy I really enjoyed music and I wanted to play. It was my
dream and it happened. I decided to play doom because I liked the
heavy guitars and deep voice, growl. We do not need any fame, we play
what we like and we express our feelings thanks to the emotive style
of doom metal. I know that it is more an edgy style and there is not
a lot of people who find this attractive. But we do not care, haha.
We have our fan base. In life you have to do what you like and we do
it. I had some other small projects which were in different style so
I am not mad, haha.
We
are getting closer to the end of this interview and I want to ask you
one more philosophical question. How would you define the doom metal
style? What is this music for you and why did you chose this one?
This
style was chosen because we can nicely express our emotions. Of
course, playing and creating in doom metal is beautiful and it is not
only about sadness and depressions. You can express many emotions,
for example anger. This music fulfil me when it is played in a great
way, when it has the parts it should have. I try to put something to
people´s hearts – the slow, tiring, ferocious tones which awakes
the dark atmosphere and the variety of feelings in people.
Finally,
I have a mandatory but important question. What are SAMSARA´s plans
for the next few months? What concerts are you playing?
The
nearest event is in Barrocko fest in Třinec, then Gothoom open air
and then we will see. In the future, we want to create new songs, I
already have some ideas so I need to transform them into the reality.
Thank
you so much for this interview and I wish you hundreds of
enthusiastic fans, tons of sold CDs and sold out concerts. I wish you
luck in your personal life and I am looking forward to see you on a
doom concert.
We
also thank you for the space. Greetings to all fans and people who
support the scene. Bye, Tibor.
Recenze/review - SAMSARA - When The Soul Leaves The Body (2017)
Recenze/review - SAMSARA - When The Soul Leaves The Body (2017)
https://samsara-sma.bandcamp.com/
http://www.slovakmetalarmy.sk/
ORDER:
https://www.slovakmetalarmy.sk/produkt/samsara-when-the-soul-leaves-the-body/
http://www.slovakmetalarmy.sk/
ORDER:
https://www.slovakmetalarmy.sk/produkt/samsara-when-the-soul-leaves-the-body/
.JPG)