Měla si smutný pohled a bojovala si s vlastními démony. Přišla si z pekla války a budila ses uprostřed noci. Volala si do ticha dávno mrtvá jména, lekala ses stínů. Byla si sama uprostřed davu. Našlapovala si opatrně, každý den ráno, když ses vydala za šedivé město. Přemýšlela si o směru, jakým se vydat a kolem se probouzel les. Hladina jezera se leskla do ševelu stromů. Konečně si našla klid.
Jsou desky, které raději poslouchám, než abych o nich psal. Mám totiž pocit, že moje slova nestačí, že jimi nedokážu popsat veškeré pocity. Také jsem potkal dívku, která přišla z temnoty a snažil jsem se jí pomoc. Pouštěl jsem ji nové album doom death metalových CELESTIAL SEASON a vznášeli jsme se na vlnách řeky smutku a beznaděje. Tahle kapela je legendou nejen ve svém žánru. Založena v Nizozemí v roce 1991. Letos jsou pánové a dámy ve skvělé formě, stačí na chvilku zastavit svoje kroky a poslouchat pozorně.
Skladby jsou napsány takovým tím starým, poctivým způsobem. Kapela sice ctí všechny náležitosti žánru (MY DYING BRIDE, ANATHEMA, PARADISE LOST, THE GATHERING, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE), ale přidává navíc velkou spoustu svých nápadů, stylových odboček, atmosférických ploch. Musím se vám přiznat k jedné věci, já příliš jiných, než tradičních metalových nástrojů nemám rád, ale zde jsou violoncello a cello vloženy a používány tak samozřejmým způsobem, že si bez nich nedovedu skladby ani představit. Je to jako se procházek po pláží a sledovat jemnou hru světla lámajícího se o hladinu. Je to jako si lehnout v lese do trávy a nechat na sebe padat nebe. Hudba těchto mistrů není jenom smutná, je v ní určitý druh naděje, spočinutí, odpuštění, chcete-li. Asi jako každý bývám rád někdy sám a jen si tak čtu, uzavřený ve svých myšlenkách i ulitě. Daleko od podivného světa, od válek, od násilí, od bolesti, od utrpení, od nemocí. Možná to bude znít divně, ale "Mysterium III" je pro mě jakousi terapií. Představte si rušnou ulici, která se najednou zcela zastaví. Odněkud z jiné dimenze, z tohoto alba, přiletí velká spousta energie a všichni se najednou seberou a utečou ven, do lesů, do přírody. Mezi křupající větve pod nohama, mezi zelené keře, do větru, do řeky, do smutku, který je ale očišťující. Asi bych měl zhodnotit i zvuk, obal a celkovou produkci, ale ono je vše v takovém pořádku, že ani nemusím. Raději se soustředím na předané emoce, na sílu, která ke mě stéká z reproduktorů. Měla smutný pohled a bojovala s vlastními démony. Přišla z pekla války a budila se uprostřed noci. Volala do ticha dávno mrtvá jména, lekala se stínů. Teď už je jí dobře. Poslouchá totiž tohle album. Mrazivý a temný smuteční doom death metalový pochod! Hledání světla ve tmě a zármutku!
Asphyx says:
You had a sad look on your face and you were battling your own demons. You came from the hell of war and woke up in the middle of the night. You've called long-dead names into the silence, you've feared the shadows. You were alone in the middle of the crowd. You tread carefully, every morning, when you set out for the grey city. You wondered which direction to take as the forest woke around you. The surface of the lake glistened into the rustle of the trees. You finally found peace.
There are records I'd rather listen to than write about. For I feel that my words are not enough, that I cannot describe all the feelings. I also met a girl who came out of the darkness and I tried to help her. I played her the new album of doom death metal CELESTIAL SEASON and we floated on the waves of the river of sadness and hopelessness. This band is a legend not only in their genre. Founded in the Netherlands in 1991. This year the gentlemen and ladies are in great form, just stop your steps for a moment and listen carefully.
The songs are written in that old, honest way. Although the band honours all the elements of the genre (MY DYING BRIDE, ANATHEMA, PARADISE LOST, THE GATHERING, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE), they add a lot of their own ideas, stylistic digressions, atmospheric areas. I have to confess one thing, I don't like too many instruments other than traditional metal instruments, but here the cello and cello are inserted and used in such an obvious way that I can't even imagine the songs without them. It's like walking along the beach and watching the gentle play of light refracting against the surface. It's like lying down in the grass in the woods and letting the sky fall in on you. The music of these masters isn't just sad, there's a kind of hope in it, a restfulness, a forgiveness, if you will. I guess like everyone I like to be alone sometimes and just read, enclosed in my thoughts and my shell. Away from the strange world, from wars, from violence, from pain, from suffering, from illness. It may sound strange, but "Mysterium III" is a kind of therapy for me. Imagine a busy street that suddenly comes to a complete stop. From somewhere from another dimension, from this album, a lot of energy comes in and suddenly everybody picks up and runs outside, into the woods, into nature. Into the branches crunching underfoot, into the green bushes, into the wind, into the river, into the sadness, which is cleansing. I should probably also evaluate the sound, the cover and the overall production, but everything is so good that I don't even need to. I prefer to focus on the emotions conveyed, on the power that flows to me from the speakers. She had a sad look and was battling her own demons. She came from the hell of war and woke up in the middle of the night. She called long-dead names into the silence, frightened of shadows. She's fine now. Because she's listening to this album. A cold and dark funeral doom death metal march! Searching for light in the darkness and sorrow!
Ave MARCHE FUNÈBRE! To start our conversation with a short story...I got up early and went into the woods. It was quiet and the sun was slowly rising above the horizon. I came to the ruins of an old church. In the ruins, I sat down for a while and listened to your new album “After the Storm” It was the end of July, the album had come to me for review earlier. I wasn’t able to write anything until last week, I preferred to keep listening. Hello Belgium and thank you very much for your new album. How did the album come about, when did the first ideas and thoughts come about? What is the basic theme of the whole record?
Dennis: As usual we just start writing music without too much of a concept in our heads. We released our previous album in the middle of the pandemic, so the real writing started after the pandemic, since we prefer writing music when we are together in the rehearsal place throwing some ideas around and see where they go. There were some online things we did (like some covers and stuff but that was just to keep us busy and not lose touch, more than active songwriting really). Kurt and me had some rehearsals with just the two of us. We wrote some stuff but apart from a part in Stranded we didn’t really do anything with what we wrote during these sessions… When the world opened again we started rehearsing again and soon stuff started to happen and the first ideas of this album came together…
Kurt: Indeed, and when the ideas were brought, there came in a fast tempo. I guess all the musical ideas were held back for quite a while. Once we got back into the rehearsal room, the album was written pretty quickly. At times we were writing three songs at the same time. :D
Arne: Lyrically most lyrics were written shortly after my last break-up, which accidentally was right before we could rehearse again as a band.
I listen mostly to fast music, raw death metal, black and thrash, but doom metal is kind of in my blood since the first albums PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE. A long time ago, when I was still in college, I discovered this style with my future wife. How did you get into this style? And what is it like to play doom metal in Belgium? To be honest, I don’t know many bands like that from you.
Dennis: I guess we all have our own story on how we got into doom, for me it was the 90’s when MTV still played music and there was Headbangers’ Ball: I discovered sooo many bands trough that show and given my young age back then I absorbed it all like a sponge, always wanting more… It was there that Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride got my attention, the melancholy combined with aggressive guitars and grunts was an instant hit in my book. Around the same time (or even a bit before) I had a few friends that where older than me and they thought it was cool to “educate” me with stuff they liked so they taped what they would be listening to and that way I got to listen to the Gothic record from Paradise Lost not long after it got out,… Ah… the 90’s and trading tapes, I wish I could go back sometimes, everything metal related was pure magic back then (at least for a young kid like me).
I personally discovered you at a gig with OPHIS in Pilsen in 2014. I must admit that I was literally fascinated by the atmosphere you were able to create. I immediately ran to buy a CD with a friend and didn’t listen to anything else for two months. Every time I’m in a “sad” mood or need to stop, I choose doom metal. Do you remember touring with OPHIS? What do you think about the Czech fans?
Dennis: Sure man, we played quite a lot of shows with The Ophis dudes, but that time it was the first time in the Czech Republic for us and we had the best of times !! It was The Pod Lampu we played there (we returned there some years ago), I really liked that gig and the whole little tour we did. I think we gave a good show there and the atmosphere was cool that night.
Kurt: Oh yes, I remember that gig too. It was the tour we did with the bros of Ophis and our friends in Et Moriemur. I woudn’t mind revisiting Pilsen.
If you saw my library, you might be surprised. You’ll find old historical books and novels as well as modern detective stories, science fiction. I’m the same with books as I am with music. I like to sample. For me, for example, the words for reviews come to mind most early in the morning when I’m walking to work. I write them down on my phone and then use them when I start writing. How do you do it?
Dennis: Writing this kind of music comes natural to us, we don’t really have a modus operandi, sometimes someone comes to rehearsal with a song he already wrote at home and we modify it to our liking, sometimes a song starts just from jamming a riff around and sometimes a vocal line is written first and music gets created and draped around it… We do never limit ourselves in style or any other way when we write, we just write what we like to play and hear, so sometimes a more Death Metal part will be integrated, sometimes some post black, sometimes some Heavy Metal, whatever we feel the song demands…
I’ll confess to one thing. You know what literally fascinates me about After the Storm? The vocals! You all have very urgent voices, you complement each other perfectly. It’s like you’re connected in some weird way? Do you have a musical background? Do you take singing lessons, for example?
Dennis: I leave this one to the vocalist…
Arne: Most voices you hear are mine, so it’s not that weird that they complement each other. We like to record multi-layered vocal lines in the studio. Other than that it is a really cool feature of this band to have more than one versatile vocalist. And I think especially Boris’s extreme vocals really work well next to mine. None of us have a musical background when it comes to singing. It’s just our weekly practices and the occasional gigs/touring that made us improve throughout the years, next to other projects with different accents.
You’re from Mechelen, Antwerp. I don’t know if it’s true, but it seems to me that the sea and the surrounding nature must have inspired you a lot? Or am I wrong? I imagine you’re walking along the beach or visiting an old church and suddenly you think of a new motif for a song. Because I feel this strange melancholy from the new record, which is something that not only British doom bands have, but also bands from Finland. Does the environment influence you a lot in your work? Where do you actually like to go? What about you and nature, sights?
Dennis: For me personally it is more of a subconscious thing… I don’t need to be in a forest to know how to create melancholic music. I do enjoy a walk through the forest, I am indeed fascinated by ruins or the atmosphere of old churches and graveyards. I enjoy nature and landscapes. I can really take them in, but I see it more as something I do and need as a person, rather than something I need as a musician…
Kurt: For me, inspiration comes mainly from a state of mind. Not specifically a depressive state of mind, but rather an introspective one.. Just taking out the guitar and just letting the emotion decide the riff feels right to me. It’s kind of the same as sports to me. Being creative is a way to release stress or express emotion without having to use words.
Arne: When it comes to writing our lyrics, I had a lot of personal things to tell this time, but that isn’t necessary for me to write a good lyric. All I need is the right idea/concept and the words usually flow out of me.
How are you on the gigging side of things? Do you play a lot and often? We have a few good doom bands in Pilsen and the gigs tend to be really poorly attended. Which is a pity, although I understand that this music is not for everyone. How many people come to the club to see you? And what are the Belgian fans like? Do they support the bands?
Dennis: Doom is indeed not the most popular genre, not even amongst Metal fans. We try to play Live as much as we can but we also know we should not play a show in our home town every 2 months, so we try to give our shows some exclusivity so people who want to see us get the opportunity but not every 2 weeks.
I think we are quite fortunate to get quite some gigs, we play abroad a lot too, I think we are a strong live band and that audiences don’t need to be all doomheads in order to appreciate our live show.
The attendance of gigs varies from show to show for so many reasons but I don’t think we can complain.
Most bands have rather fluctuating quality in their discographies. But it’s different for you. I don’t think You’ve recorded a bad album yet. How do you explain that? Are you perfectionists? Or does everything happen only under the “guidance” of one person? They say a band is like a family. Well, yeah, but there’s always got to be someone in the band who has the final say. What about MARCHE FUNÈBRE?
Dennis: Everything in MF is a group effort, we do not have one leader or something, we are a collective and all decisions are taken by all, this means sometimes you need to give in… It is hard to explain but for us it seems to work, which doesn’t mean it is always easy (but if you keep in mind that everyone in MF just wants the best for the band you can get far without having to fight a lot).
Sometimes there are strong opposing opinions on things, then we talk and come to a conclusion one way or another…
As for your first question, yes I think we are a bit of perfectionists, we want to deliver high quality releases on all levels and I think we are and are still growing…
Kurt: I agree with Dennis there. We strive for the best result, but also… we know we won’t get the best result when endlessly focussing on one melody or riff. We do look at the song as a whole and do not feel it’s necessary to focus on the minor details. Music is not an exact science so what is good for us, is not necessarily considered the best for others.
Arne: When I look at our creative process, it’s obvious that we always set the bar higher, for ourselves. Whereas in the past we would be happy when a song would be finished, now we put it away for some time, and re-evaluate it months later. Usually we change some stuff, or even delete parts when revisiting the new songs like this. But in the end I think we always wrote the best song with the given basic ingredients.
As I’m getting older, I’m becoming more and more aware of what things are important. There’;s a lot of chaos all around us nowadays. Social media, the news, wars, depression, all of this affects us and every moment we stop and maybe just sit and look at the ruins of old churches and listen to music is terribly precious. Actually, for me, music is not only relaxation, but also a kind of therapy, it helps me to survive in the strange world of today. What does music mean to you as a creator and musician? And why doom metal?
Dennis: Music is life, it is the most powerful force in my world. Not only Doom but music in general, it can help you through hard times, it can comfort, channel anger, make you put stuff in perspective, bring you joy and happiness,….
The world these days is not any stranger than it ever was or than it will ever be imho… It is just a given fact and you as an individual need to deal with this given fact, love it or hate it the world will not care so you might as well try to enjoy it and go with the ride, you only get one one way ticket to death so try to enjoy the ride…
Could you please tell us how your lyrics are created and who is the author? You draw from literature, philosophy. But how does it happen that you think - this particular text, passage, book appealed to me and would be worth translating into music?
Dennis: Another question I leave for Arne.
Arne: Actually our now ex-guitar player Peter was the one who kickstarted the use of texts from dead poets. Since I’m more in charge now of our lyrics, I think we will see it less and less for our songs, as I usually write my own stuff. My inspiration could come from anything, but most of the time it has some personal story behind it, on which I start dramaticing for better effect for instance.
I can’t help it, I have to ask. You have a few clips for the new album. I think they’re very good. Who is the author, director, who came up with the ideas? By the way, what’s the name of the beautiful girl in “After the Storm”?
Dennis: another one for Arne here (really bad with names)
Kurt: I guess this one is even for Boris. :)
Arne: Well, if you checked the video on YouTube, all the info is there actually^^ The actual storyline of the video came from a brainstorming session between Boris and Michaël, the director, who took my lyrics rather literally. I guess the result is really cool, although I never had the intention of writing about domestic violence, but it happened to be a perfect metaphor for the ideas behind the lyrics.
One more trip into history, please. How did you get started in music? Who was your first role model? What about your first gig? And your first stage performance?
Dennis: We will all have different answers to this one of course. We’ve all been in different bands before joining Marche Funèbre. I have been playing drums since I was 15 I think and was in a lot of bands playing a wide range of musical styles: Blues-Rock, Punk, Death-Metal, …
It really shaped me as a musician…
My first gig, I don’t really remember what my first gig was, probably just playing some covers in some friends’ backyard during summer break or something… Whatever it was, I love playing live, it is my main goal being a musician…
What are MARCHE FUNÈBRE planning in the near future? Do you have something to say to your fans? Here is the space.
Dennis: Thanx for taking the interest in our band, thanx for the support !
What the future plans are, first we’ll be promoting the new album that will be out through Ardua Music on the 27th of September.
After that we’ll see, we still have an EP on the shelf which we will probably release somewhere next year, we are writing for what will be the next album, and we’ll continue playing shows !
SUPPORT the underground! We need you to exist!
Kurt: To our fans, come chat with us. Meet us at the merch stand or have a beer with us!
I was up early preparing these questions, it’s also the weekend and it’s about to dawn. You can probably guess where I’m going. I’ve got my headphones ready, ”After the Storm” in them, and I’m looking forward to the woods. I want to close by thanking you so much for your music. Thank you also for the interview, of course, and I wish you lots of inspiration and good ideas. May you do well in your private life too! Playing again...
Recenze/review - MARCHE FUNÈBRE - After the Storm (2024):
Ave MARCHE FUNÈBRE! Abych náš rozhovor začal krátkou historkou...vstal jsem brzy a šel do lesa. Bylo ticho a slunce pomalu stoupalo nad obzor. Došel jsem k ruinám starého kostela. V troskách jsem se na chvíli posadil a poslouchal vaše nové album „After the Storm“ Byl konec července, album mi přišlo na recenzi dříve. Do minulého týdne jsem nebyl schopen nic napsat, raději jsem poslouchal dál. Ahoj Belgii a moc děkuji za tvé nové album. Jak album vznikalo, kdy vznikly první nápady a myšlenky? Jaké je základní téma celé desky?
Dennis: Jako obvykle začínáme psát hudbu bez přílišného konceptu v našich hlavách. Naše předchozí album jsme vydali uprostřed pandemie, takže skutečné psaní začalo až po pandemii, protože dáváme přednost psaní hudby, když jsme spolu na zkušebně a házíme nějaké nápady a uvidíme, kam půjdou. Udělali jsme nějaké online věci (jako nějaké covery a další věci, ale to bylo jen proto, abychom se zaměstnali a neztratili kontakt, víc než aktivní psaní písní). Kurt a já jsme měli nějaké zkoušky jen s námi dvěma. Napsali jsme nějaké věci, ale kromě části ve Stranded jsme s tím, co jsme napsali během těchto sezení, vlastně nic nedělali... Když se svět znovu otevřel, začali jsme znovu zkoušet a brzy se věci začaly dít a první nápady tohoto alba se daly dohromady. …
Kurt: Opravdu, a když byly předloženy nápady, přišlo rychlé tempo. Myslím, že všechny hudební nápady byly nějakou dobu zadrženy. Jakmile jsme se vrátili do zkušebny, album bylo napsáno docela rychle. Občas jsme psali tři písně současně. :D
Arne: Textově většina textů byla napsána krátce po mém posledním rozchodu, což bylo náhodou těsně předtím, než jsme mohli jako kapela znovu zkoušet.
Poslouchám převážně rychlou hudbu, syrový death metal, black a thrash, ale doom metal mám tak nějak v krvi už od prvních alb PARADISE LOST a MY DYING BRIDE. Kdysi dávno, ještě na vysoké škole, jsem tento styl objevil se svou budoucí ženou. Jak jste se k tomuto stylu dostal? A jaké to je hrát doom metal v Belgii? Abych byl upřímný, moc takových kapel od vás neznám.
Dennis: Myslím, že všichni máme svůj vlastní příběh o tom, jak jsme se dostali do doomu, pro mě to byla 90. léta, kdy MTV stále hrála hudbu a byl Headbangers' Ball: Díky této show jsem objevil tolik kapel a vzhledem k mému mladému věku tehdy jsem vše vstřebal jako houba, vždycky jsem chtěl víc… Právě tam si moji pozornost získaly Paradise Lost a My Dying Bride, melancholie v kombinaci s agresivními kytarami a chrochtáním byla okamžitým hitem mé sbírky. Zhruba ve stejnou dobu (nebo dokonce o něco dříve) jsem měl několik přátel, kteří byli starší než já, a mysleli si, že je skvělé mě „vzdělávat“ věcmi, které se jim líbí, takže nahráli to, co budou poslouchat, a tak jsem dostal poslechnout si gotickou desku od Paradise Lost nedlouho poté, co vyšla,... Ach... 90. léta a obchodování s kazetami, přál bych si, abych se mohl někdy vrátit, všechno, co se týkalo metalu, byla tehdy čistá magie (alespoň pro malé dítě, jako jsem byl já).
Osobně jsem tě objevil na koncertě s OPHIS v Plzni v roce 2014. Musím přiznat, že mě doslova fascinovala atmosféra, kterou jsi dokázal vytvořit. Okamžitě jsem si běžel koupit CD s kamarádem a dva měsíce jsem nic jiného neposlouchal. Pokaždé, když mám „smutnou“ náladu nebo potřebuji přestat, volím doom metal. Pamatujete si na turné s OPHIS? Co si myslíte o českých fanoušcích?
Dennis: Jasně člověče, s The Ophis jsme hráli docela dost koncertů, ale tenkrát to pro nás bylo poprvé v České republice a byly to ty nejlepší časy!! Hráli jsme tam Pod Lampu (vrátili jsme se tam před několika lety), ten koncert a celé malé turné, které jsme udělali, se mi opravdu líbilo. Myslím, že jsme tam předvedli dobrou show a atmosféra byla toho večera skvělá.
Kurt: Ach ano, taky si pamatuji ten koncert. Bylo to turné, které jsme podnikli s bratry z Ophis a našimi přáteli v Et Moriemur. Nevadilo by mi znovu navštívit Plzeň.
Pokud jste viděli moji knihovnu, možná budete překvapeni. Najdete zde staré historické knihy a romány i moderní detektivky, sci-fi. S knihami jsem na tom stejně jako s hudbou. Rád ochutnávám. Mně například slova pro recenze napadají nejvíce brzy ráno, když jdu do práce. Zapisuji si je do telefonu a poté je použiji, když začnu psát. jak to děláš?
Dennis: Psát tento druh hudby je pro nás přirozené, nemáme vlastně modus operandi, občas někdo přijde na zkoušku s písničkou, kterou už napsal doma a my si ji upravíme podle sebe, někdy písnička začne jen z jamování riff kolem a někdy se nejprve napíše vokální linka a hudba se vytvoří a kolem toho se nabalí... Při psaní se nikdy neomezujeme ve stylu ani jinak, píšeme jen to, co rádi hrajeme a slyšíme, takže někdy bude více integrována death metalová část, občas nějaký post black, občas nějaký heavy metal, cokoliv cítíme, že píseň vyžaduje…
Přiznám se k jedné věci. Víte, co mě na After the Storm doslova fascinuje? Ty vokály! Všichni máte velmi naléhavé hlasy, skvěle se doplňujete. Jako byste byli propojeni nějakým zvláštním způsobem? Máte hudební vzdělání? Chodíte třeba na hodiny zpěvu?
Dennis: Nechám to na zpěvákovi…
Arne: Většina hlasů, které slyšíš, je moje, takže není tak divné, že se doplňují. Rádi nahráváme vícevrstvé vokální linky ve studiu. Kromě toho je opravdu skvělým rysem této kapely, že má více než jednoho všestranného zpěváka. A myslím, že zejména Borisův extrémní vokál vedle mého funguje dobře. Nikdo z nás nemá hudební vzdělání, pokud jde o zpěv. Jsou to jen naše týdenní praktiky a občasné koncerty/turné, díky kterým jsme se v průběhu let zlepšovali vedle jiných projektů s různými akcenty.
Jste z Mechelen, Antverpy. Nevím, jestli je to pravda, ale zdá se mi, že vás moře a okolní příroda muselo hodně inspirovat? Nebo se mýlím? Představuji si, že se procházíte po pláži nebo navštěvujete starý kostel a najednou vás napadne nový motiv pro píseň. Protože z nové desky cítím zvláštní melancholii, což je něco, co mají nejen britské doomové kapely, ale také kapely z Finska. Ovlivňuje vás při vaší práci hodně prostředí? Kam vlastně rád chodíš? Co vy a příroda, památky?
Dennis: Pro mě osobně je to spíše podvědomá věc... Nepotřebuji být v lese, abych věděl, jak vytvořit melancholickou hudbu. Baví mě procházky lesem, opravdu mě fascinují ruiny nebo atmosféra starých kostelů a hřbitovů. Baví mě příroda a krajina. Opravdu je dokážu přijmout, ale vidím to spíše jako něco, co dělám a potřebuji jako člověk, než něco, co potřebuji jako hudebník…
Kurt: Pro mě inspirace vychází hlavně ze stavu mysli. Ne vysloveně depresivní stav mysli, ale spíše introspektivní stav. Jen vytáhnout kytaru a nechat riff rozhodnout emoce, mi přijde správné. Je to pro mě něco podobného jako sport. Být kreativní je způsob, jak uvolnit stres nebo vyjádřit emoce, aniž byste museli používat slova.
Arne: Když dojde na psaní našich textů, měl jsem tentokrát spoustu osobních věcí, které bych chtěl říct, ale to není nutné, abych napsal dobrý text. Stačí mi ten správný nápad/koncept a slova ze mě většinou tečou.
Jak jste na tom po stránce koncertování? Hrajete hodně a často? V Plzni máme pár dobrých doomových kapel a koncerty bývají opravdu málo navštěvované. Což je škoda, i když chápu, že tahle hudba není pro každého. Kolik lidí za vámi do klubu chodí? A jací jsou belgičtí fanoušci? Podporují kapely?
Dennis: Doom skutečně není nejoblíbenější žánr, a to ani mezi fanoušky metalu. Snažíme se hrát naživo, jak jen můžeme, ale také víme, že bychom neměli hrát show v našem domovském městě každé 2 měsíce, takže se snažíme dát našim vystoupením určitou exkluzivitu, aby lidé, kteří nás chtějí vidět, dostali příležitost, ale ne každý 2 týdny.
Myslím, že máme docela štěstí, že máme docela dost koncertů, hrajeme hodně i v zahraničí, myslím, že jsme silná živá kapela a že publikum nemusí být samý zmar, aby ocenilo naši živou show.
Návštěvnost koncertů se liší show od show z mnoha důvodů, ale nemyslím si, že si můžeme stěžovat.
Většina kapel má ve svých diskografiích spíše kolísavou kvalitu. Ale u vás je to jiné. Myslím, že jsi ještě nenahrál špatné album. jak to vysvětluješ? Jste perfekcionisté? Nebo se vše děje pouze pod „vedením“ jedné osoby? Říká se, že kapela je jako rodina. No, ano, ale vždy musí být v kapele někdo, kdo má poslední slovo. A co MARCHE FUNÈBRE?
Dennis: Všechno v MF je skupinové úsilí, nemáme jednoho vůdce nebo tak něco, jsme kolektiv a všechna rozhodnutí přijímají všichni, to znamená, že někdy musíte ustoupit… Je těžké to vysvětlit, ale pro nás to je pracovat, což neznamená, že je to vždy snadné (ale pokud budete mít na paměti, že každý v MF chce pro kapelu jen to nejlepší, můžete se dostat daleko, aniž byste museli hodně bojovat).
Někdy existují silné protichůdné názory na věci, pak si promluvíme a dojdeme k závěru tak či onak…
Pokud jde o vaši první otázku, ano, myslím, že jsme trochu perfekcionisté, chceme dodávat vysoce kvalitní vydání na všech úrovních a myslím, že jsme a stále rosteme…
Kurt: Souhlasím s Dennisem. Snažíme se o nejlepší výsledek, ale také... víme, že nejlepšího výsledku nedosáhneme, když se budeme nekonečně soustředit na jednu melodii nebo riff. Díváme se na skladbu jako na celek a nemáme pocit, že je nutné soustředit se na drobné detaily. Hudba není exaktní věda, takže co je dobré pro nás, nemusí být nutně považováno za nejlepší pro ostatní.
Arne: Když se podívám na náš tvůrčí proces, je zřejmé, že pro sebe vždy nastavujeme laťku výše. Zatímco v minulosti jsme byli rádi, když byla skladba hotová, nyní jsme ji na nějakou dobu odložili a přehodnotili ji o měsíce později. Obvykle některé věci změníme, nebo dokonce vymažeme části, když se vracíme k novým písním, jako je tento. Ale nakonec si myslím, že s danými základními ingrediencemi jsme vždy napsali nejlepší písničku.
Jak stárnu, stále více si uvědomuji, jaké věci jsou důležité. V dnešní době je všude kolem nás spousta chaosu. Sociální sítě, zprávy, války, deprese, to vše nás ovlivňuje a každá chvíle, kdy se zastavíme a třeba jen sedíme, díváme se na ruiny starých kostelů a posloucháme hudbu, je strašně drahá. Hudba pro mě vlastně není jen relaxace, ale i druh terapie, pomáhá mi přežít v podivném světě dnešní doby. Co pro vás jako tvůrce a hudebníka hudba znamená? A proč doom metal?
Dennis: Hudba je život, je to nejmocnější síla v mém světě. Nejen Doom, ale hudba obecně vám může pomoci v těžkých chvílích, může utěšit, usměrňovat vztek, přimět vás uvést věci do perspektivy, přinést vám radost a štěstí,….
Dnešní svět není o nic cizí, než kdy byl nebo než kdy bude imho… Je to prostě daný fakt a vy jako jednotlivec se s tímto faktem musíte vyrovnat, milovat ho nebo nenávidět, světu to bude jedno. Můžete si to také zkusit užít a jít s jízdou, dostanete pouze jednu jednosměrnou jízdenku na smrt, takže si zkuste užít jízdu…
Můžeš nám prosím prozradit, jak tvé texty vznikají a kdo je jejich autorem? Čerpáš z literatury, filozofie. Ale jak se to stane, že si myslíte - tento konkrétní text, pasáž, kniha mě oslovila a stála by za to převést do hudby?
Dennis: Další otázku přenechám Arneovi.
Arne: Ve skutečnosti byl náš nyní bývalý kytarista Peter tím, kdo nastartoval používání textů mrtvých básníků. Vzhledem k tomu, že mám nyní více na starosti naše texty, myslím, že to u našich písní uvidíme méně a méně, protože obvykle píšu své vlastní věci. Moje inspirace může pocházet z čehokoli, ale většinou má za sebou nějaký osobní příběh, na kterém začnu například pro lepší efekt dramatizovat.
Nemůžu si pomoct, musím se zeptat. Máte pár klipů k novému albu. Myslím, že jsou velmi dobré. Kdo je autor, režisér, kdo přišel s nápady? Mimochodem, jak se jmenuje ta krásná dívka v "After the Storm"?
Dennis: další pro Arneho zde (opravdu špatné se jmény)
Kurt: Myslím, že tohle je i pro Borise. :)
Arne: No, pokud jste se podívali na video na YouTube, všechny informace tam skutečně jsou. Skutečná dějová linie videa pochází z brainstormingu mezi Borisem a režisérem Michaëlem, který vzal mé texty doslovně. Myslím, že výsledek je opravdu skvělý, i když jsem nikdy neměl v úmyslu psát o domácím násilí, ale náhodou to byla dokonalá metafora pro myšlenky za texty.
Ještě jeden výlet do historie, prosím. Jak jsi s hudbou začínal? Kdo byl tvůj první vzor? A co vaše první vystoupení? A vaše první jevištní vystoupení?
Dennis: Na tuto otázku budeme mít samozřejmě každý různé odpovědi. Než jsme se přidali k Marche Funèbre, všichni jsme byli v různých kapelách. Na bicí hraji myslím od svých 15 let a byl jsem v mnoha kapelách hrajících širokou škálu hudebních stylů: Blues-Rock, Punk, Death-Metal, …
Opravdu mě to formovalo jako hudebníka…
Můj první koncert, opravdu si nepamatuji, jaký byl můj první koncert, pravděpodobně jsem jen hrál nějaké covery na dvorku kamarádů během letních prázdnin nebo tak něco... Ať už to bylo cokoliv, miluji hraní naživo, je mým hlavním cílem být hudebníkem…
Co plánují MARCHE FUNÈBRE v blízké budoucnosti? Chceš něco vzkázat svým fanouškům? Tady je prostor.
Dennis: Děkujeme za zájem o naši kapelu, děkujeme za podporu!
Jaké jsou plány do budoucna... nejprve budeme propagovat nové album, které vyjde prostřednictvím Ardua Music 27. září.
Potom uvidíme, stále máme na poličce EP, které pravděpodobně příští rok někde vydáme, píšeme o tom, jaké bude další album, a budeme pokračovat v koncertech!
Kurt: Našim fanouškům - pojďte si s námi popovídat. Setkejte se s námi u stánku s merchem nebo si s námi dejte pivo!
Vstával jsem brzy a připravoval si tyto otázky, je také víkend a brzy svítá. Asi tušíte, kam mířím. Mám připravená sluchátka „After the Storm“ a těším se do lesa. Na závěr bych vám chtěl moc poděkovat za vaši hudbu. Samozřejmě také děkuji za rozhovor a přeji hodně inspirace a dobrých nápadů. Ať se vám daří i v soukromém životě! Znovu se hraje... takže co je dobré pro nás, nemusí být nutně považováno za nejlepší pro ostatní.
Recenze/review - MARCHE FUNÈBRE - After the Storm (2024):
Mraky jsou zase jednou plné splínu a já nevím jak dál. Někdy je život těžký sám o sobě. Osud, ta stará děvka, nás občas nasměřuje do temnoty. Marně hledáme světlo mezi stíny. Někdy zkrátka bývám rád sám. Jen tak se procházím lesem za naším domem a nasávám pach tlejícího listí. Belgičtí MARCHE FUNÈBRE jsou mi opět velmi dobrými společníky na mé nekonečné pouti. Na konci je vždycky jenom smrt, ale stále máme naději. U řeky, která tu byla, je a vždycky bude. Na mýtině, na které leží včerejší den.
Kdysi dávno, v roce 2014 jsem si pro sebe tuhle kapelu objevil. Na malém koncertě ve městě, ve kterém žiji. Byl jsem tenkrát doslova uhranutý a je tomu tak stále. Sleduji cestu, kterou se Belgičané vydali velmi pečlivě a už dávno vím, že jejich letošní novinka "After the Storm" mi bude dělat společnost hodně dlouho. Má v sobě totiž všechno, co mám na hudbě rád. Chvění, energii, temnotu i chlad, naději, smutek, doom metal, smrt. Už jste se někdy brzy ráno probudili u horského jezera? Tak víte o čem píšu a o čem tahle nahrávka je.
Někdy býváme smutní bez příčiny, někdy se rádi díváme do tmy. Hledáme smysl života a mnohdy ho nikdy nenajdeme. Pro mě to byla vždycky rodina, přátelé, hudba a knihy. Ano, čítával jsem ve stínu starého stromu, jen tak, sám a usmíval jsem se. Netřeba diskutovat o skvělém zvuku (production, mix and master from Martin Furia (Destruction, Nervosa, Toxik etc), není nutné se zaobírat obalem, který přesně zobrazuje to, co se na desce odehrává. V tomto albu je toho o hodně víc. Neklid i spočinutí, radost i smutek, tma i světlo. U MARCHE FUNÈBRE se opět potkává talent pro silné melodie, hraní si s náladami, vynikající vokály, ale hlavně síla, načerpaná snad v nekonečných lesích. Bývá zvykem v recenzích nahrávky k někomu přirovnávat (v tomto případě třeba k MY DYING BRIDE, NOVEMBERS DOOM, MOURNING BELOVETH, SATURNUS, KATATONIA), ale zde je to spíše zbytečné. Pánové mají svůj vlastní rukopis, výraz, prostředky, jak nám zprostředkovat odlesky pestré palety umírajících mraků. V kostech mě mrazí, fantazie létá kolem jako můra kolem ohně. Oproštěn od chaosu všedních dní, kráčím klidně dopředu. Usmívám se, protože vím, že jsme jenom zrnkem písku ve vesmíru. Jsem jako starý mnich, který dávno ztratil víru v padlé modly, aby ji nakonec nalezl uprostřed přírody. Ano, nové album "After the Storm" se dostalo i do mých snů a nemohu tedy jinak, než jej doporučit. Pokud máte tenhle styl rádi, tak neváhejte ani chvilku. Dostanete jeho dokonalou esenci. A ještě spoustu roztodivných emocí navíc. Mraky jsou zase jednou plné splínu a já nevím jak dál. Někdy je život těžký sám o sobě. Osud, ta stará děvka, mě někdy nasměřuje do temnoty. Marně jsem hledal světlo mezi stíny. Už jsem jej našel. Temný a chladný, drásavý doom death metal, zahalený do ranní mlhy horského jezera! Síla i naděje smutných nálad!
Asphyx says:
The clouds are once again full of spleen and I don't know how to go on. Sometimes life itself is hard. Fate, that old bitch, sometimes steers us into the dark. We search in vain for light among the shadows. Sometimes I just like to be alone. I just walk through the woods behind our house and take in the smell of the leaves falling. The Belgian MARCHE FUNÈBRE are again very good companions on my endless pilgrimage. There is always only death at the end, but we still have hope. By the river that was, is and always will be. In the clearing where yesterday lies.
A long time ago, in 2014, I discovered this band for myself. At a small gig in the town I live in. I was literally mesmerized then and still am. I've followed the path that the Belgians have taken very closely and I've known for a long time that their new release this year, "After the Storm", will keep me company for a long time. It has everything I love about music. Shivers, energy, darkness and coldness, hope, sadness, doom metal, death. Have you ever woken up early in the morning by a mountain lake? Then you know what I'm writing about and what this record is about.
Sometimes we are sad without cause, sometimes we like to look into the darkness. We search for the meaning of life and often never find it. For me, it's always been family, friends, music and books. Yes, I used to read in the shade of an old tree, alone, and smile. No need to discuss the great sound (production, mix and master from Martin Furia (Destruction, Nervosa, Toxik etc), no need to go into the cover art which accurately depicts what is happening on the record. There is a lot more to this album. Restlessness and restlessness, joy and sadness, darkness and light. With MARCHE FUNÈBRE, the talent for strong melodies, playing with moods, excellent vocals, but most of all the strength, drawn perhaps in the endless forests, meets again. It's a habit in reviews to compare records to someone (in this case, for example, MY DYING BRIDE, NOVEMBERS DOOM, MOURNING BELOVETH, SATURNUS, KATATONIA), but here it's rather unnecessary. Gentlemen have their own signature, expression, means to convey to us the reflections of the colourful palette of dying clouds. It chills my bones, imagination flies around like a moth around a flame. Freed from the chaos of everyday life, I walk calmly forward. I smile, knowing we are but a grain of sand in the universe. I am like an old monk who long ago lost faith in fallen idols, only to find it at last in the midst of nature. Yes, the new album "After the Storm" has made its way into my dreams and I can't help but recommend it. If you like this style, don't hesitate a moment. You will get the perfect essence of it. And a lot of weird emotions to boot. The clouds are once again full of spleen and I don't know how to go on. Sometimes life itself is hard. Fate, that old bitch, sometimes steers me into the dark. I have searched in vain for light among the shadows. I've found it now. Dark and cold, heartbreaking doom death metal, shrouded in the morning mist of a mountain lake! The power and hope of sad moods!
Chvílemi jsem myslel, že zahynu. Kamenná cesta, mlha kolem mě a všude přítomný chlad, který se mi dostával do kostí. Občas potřebuji být sám. Jenom já, lesy a divoká příroda. Tentokrát jsem se vydal daleko na sever. Ve větru a dešti, aspoň zde nejsou žádní lidé. Nikdo tak neruší podmanivou a syrovou atmosféru. Jsem muzikou natolik pohlcen, že vidím na starodávné mohyle nápis SARAJAH.
Moje fantazie opět pracuje na plné obrátky. Padám pomalu do hlubiny, vznáším se na zpěněných vlnách řeky smrti. Dívám se do tmy a užívám si debut kapely, která má stejně jako já ráda poctivý, starý doom metal, přírodu i pradávné pověsti a mýty. Na každé legendě je kus pravdy a tak jsem zase jednou obestřen lavinou riffů, mocným vokálem a náladami, které jsou povětšinou pochmurné a smutné.
Bájné moře na severu, temné a mrazivé, vydalo další svědectví. Tentokrát v podobě hudby finských tmářů SARAJAH. Už je to nějaký čas, co mi stejnojmenné debutové album přišlo na recenzi. Raději jsem jej poslouchal, než abych psal slova. Vzpomínal jsem na jednoho staršího kamaráda (doufám, že si našel věčný klid), kteří mi pouštěl na starém gramofonu kapely jako TROUBLE, CANDLEMASS, SAINT VITUS a samozřejmě BLACK SABBATH. A tak je moje recenze možná trošku nostalgická. Vlastně to nevadí, hudba je pro mě vždy jenom dobrá a nebo ta, která mě nezajímá. Finové mě dostali svým přístupem, uvěřitelností. Mají velmi dobrý zvuk, stylově vyvedený obal a texty, které mě oslovily. Umí být syroví a náležitě heavy, ale i smutní a melancholičtí. Jsem starý pes a už dávno vím, že bůh neexistuje. Ale příroda, ta mě dokáže stále překvapit. Z nové desky cítím její přítomnost. Mám rád dlouhé toulky lesem, o samotě, když měníte směr podle nálady a počasí. Cítím se součástí něčeho většího, tajemného. Je pro mě velmi příjemné u toho všeho poslouchat tuhle nahrávku. Jasně, můžete namítat, že zde již všechno bylo a vracíme se v kruhu, ale mě osobně to nevadí. Když totiž budete poslouchat pečlivě, tak zjistíte, že Finové mají v rámci stylu svůj vlastní rukopis, nátisk. Poznají to asi opravdu jen opravdoví fanoušci, ale dodejme rovnou, že pro ně se zde hlavně hraje. Chvílemi jsem myslel, že zahynu. Kamenná cesta, mlha kolem mě a všude přítomný chlad, který se mi dostával do kostí. Občas potřebuji být sám. Jenom já, lesy a divoká příroda. Vznešený, syrový doom metal, u kterého ožívají staré mýty ze severu! Stanete se součástí věčnosti!
Asphyx says:
At times I thought I was going to die. The stone road, the fog around me and the ever-present coldness that was getting into my bones. Sometimes I need to be alone. Just me, the woods and the wildlife. This time I went far north. In the wind and rain, at least there are no people. No one disturbs the captivating and raw atmosphere. I am so absorbed in the music that I see the inscription SARAJAH on an ancient mound.
My imagination is working at full speed again. I fall slowly into the depths, floating on the foamy waves of the river of death. I look into the darkness and enjoy the debut of a band that, like me, loves honest, old doom metal, nature and ancient legends and myths. There is a piece of truth in every legend and so once again I am enveloped by an avalanche of riffs, powerful vocals and moods that are mostly gloomy and sad.
The mythical sea in the north, dark and frosty, bore further witness. This time in the form of music by Finnish darkies SARAJAH. It's been a while since I received the eponymous debut album for review. I preferred to listen to it rather than write the words. I was reminiscing about an older friend (I hope he found eternal peace) who used to play bands like TROUBLE, CANDLEMASS, SAINT VITUS and of course BLACK SABBATH on my old record player. And so my review is perhaps a bit nostalgic. Actually it doesn't matter, for me music is always just good music or music that I don't care about. Finns got me with their attitude, believability. They have a very good sound, a stylish cover and lyrics that spoke to me. They can be raw and properly heavy, but also sad and melancholic. I'm an old dog and I've known for a long time that God doesn't exist. But nature, she can still surprise me. I can feel her presence on the new record. I like long walks in the woods, alone, changing direction according to mood and weather. I feel part of something bigger, mysterious. It's very pleasant for me to listen to this record. Sure, you can argue that everything has already been here and we're coming full circle, but I personally don't mind. In fact, if you listen carefully, you'll find that the Finns have their own handwriting, their own touch within the style. Only the true fans will know it, but let's add right away that it's mainly played for them. At times I thought I was going to die. The stone road, the fog around me and the ever-present coldness that was getting into my bones. Sometimes I need to be alone. Just me, the woods and the wildlife. Sublime, raw doom metal that brings to life the old myths of the North! You become part of eternity!
Ave MY SILENT WAKE! To start our conversation with a short story...I got up early and went into the woods. It was quiet and the sun was slowly climbing over the horizon. I came to the ruins of an old church. In the ruins, I sat down for a while and listened to your new album "Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief". It was the end of April, the album came to me for review earlier. I wasn't able to write anything until last week, I preferred to keep listening. Greetings to the South West of England and thank you so much for your new album. How did the album come about, when did the first ideas and thoughts come about? What is the underlying theme of the whole record?
ANSWER: Hi Jakub. Greetings to you too. That is so good that you listened for so long and let it sink in; much better than a quick listen and a lazy review. The album came about after a period of inactivity where we had plenty of new songs, but difficulty getting anything concrete created. My mother died two years ago and after that I began to write a few songs in a short space of time. I decided to write the whole album on my own and get it recorded as soon as we could feasibly do it. It had been so long since the last one, and even longer since the last metal album from us. Two of the songs are about my mother and other songs are about other things I had been thinking about during that time. One of the songs and some other sections had almost been completed prior to this and were included in the song selection.
I listen mostly to fast music, raw death metal, black and thrash, but doom metal is kind of in my blood since the first albums PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE. A long time ago, when I was still in college, I discovered this style with my future wife. How do you explain that this wave was born in England? Ian, you used to play with Simon in a band called SEVENTH ANGEL (I have a lot of your records at home), but they were more thrash (although you were already flirting with doom). How did you get into this style and how did you start MY SILENT WAKE? Please take us on a trip into the history of your band.
ANSWER: I suppose doom is thought to have originated from the UK with Sabbath and the mantle had been taken up by overseas bands like Trouble, St Vitus and Candlemass. Maybe the Brits decided to claim it back and borrow some US death influences along the way! I’m not sure why the scene began or why it came about when it did, but it was short lived and was never massively popular.
I was into Sabbath when I was young, and early on when Seventh Angel was at its demo stage, I got into other doom bands such as Trouble, and have always been drawn to slower heavier music. Towards the end of Seventh Angel, I started to enjoy Paradise Lost, MDB and Anathema and so it was natural that my follow up band was a doom band. That band was Ashen Mortality, which after 11 years morphed into MSW. My Silent Wake always had a more relaxed attitude to our music and whatever came out was allowed to be used. We took inspiration from Celtic Frost in that respect and were not afraid to experiment along the way. Into The Pandemonium is a favourite of mine.
Personally, I discovered you guys right away with your first album "Shadow of Sorrow", which I still like to play when I read books for a long time. I was fascinated by its atmosphere then, and in fact still am today (by the way, the cello and vocals, performed by Kate Hamilton, were always excellent!) Then, when I listen to your other recordings, it seems to me (and maybe it's just my impression) that you're getting more and more raw and cold. Doom metal is basically a sad style, but you're grasping it in a new way. How do you perceive the evolution of your band? Where did you want to move to this year?
ANSWER: That is fantastic that you have been listening to us for so long! That was an exciting time getting the band up and running and a lot happened in the first few years. Maybe as I get older I have become a bit more jaded about a few things, but I think I am generally happier and more content as a person. I don’t feel as restricted lyrically as I once did, and feel I can say everything I need to in the songs. The band has always been changing and evolving and has had the freedom to play other styles such as when we go in a more folky or ambient direction. I don’t see this year as being any different. I am writing one new song this year as we have our 20 year anniversary next year. It is a metal song.
Ian, you're the only one left from the original line-up. Actually, one could also write that your band "stabilized" in terms of personnel only sometime in 2013. Why is that? Did you want to go in a different direction than the others? How hard is it to find musicians in England who are equally passionate about style? This style has never been in the limelight and the crowds don't come to see it.
ANSWER: The early lineup lasted about five years but parted due to life commitments rather than anything else. There was a short period of change and then we settled into a more stable line-up again. As people get older it is harder to commit to bands, even when they don’t do a lot of gigs etc, you still have to record, write and rehearse and do other band related work. I don’t think there are many musicians into what we do, or indeed many fans in the UK. We often play to small numbers but they always seem to enjoy and appreciate us. Over the years I have played with former MSW members such as Mark Henry, who plays with me in Guillotine Dream.
Let's go back in history. SEVENTH ANGEL is a band in which you dealt with Christianity, in MY SILENT WAKE you also touch on faith as such in some topics. For me, faith is a personal thing that is hard to describe in words, but I wonder where you get your inspiration for the lyrics? And what are they about on the new album?
ANSWER: I was a Christian for many years since childhood, but eventually and gradually became agnostic. That change can be seen in the lyrics. When the band started up, I was a non-fundamentalist Christian with doubts about my faith, but that was 19 years ago. I have changed a lot since then. The other band members have also had a variety of beliefs over the years. I think faith should be personal and it would be the cause of far less trouble if that were so. I get lyrical inspiration from things that happen in my life or seeing what happens to those who are close to me. On the new album, the lyrics cover such areas as Alzheimers disease and the effects of that; being judged by those who once looked to you as worthwhile; finding light in places which are different to where you once found it; believing you are being hounded by a beast which is just in your mind; memories of childhood; mainpulative people and their followers; lack of time doing meaningful things; looking back on your life etc..
If you saw my library, you might wonder. You'll find old historical books and novels, modern detective stories, science fiction. I'm the same with books as I am with music. I like to sample. I'll go to a grindcore concert, listen to black metal. But doom metal is a very specific kind of music. It's got every note, drum beat, vocal. How do you actually compose such music? I'm interested in the process of creating a new song? Is that a motif you can hear somewhere? In the ether, in your head? For me, for example, the words for reviews come to mind most early in the morning when I'm walking to work. I write them down on my phone and then use them when I start writing. How do you do it?
ANSWER: I also write things down on my phone or record guitar parts on there. It is an ideal way of capturing inspiration as it arrives. There is no rule about how things get written but quite often it seems to start with the music and then the lyrics are built around it. Inspiration can come from many areas; books, films, music, surroundings, experiences...they all contribute. I too have a broad range of interests when it comes to what I read, watch and listen to.
I'll confess to one thing. You know what literally fascinates me about Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief? The vocals! You and Simon have very urgent voices, you complement each other perfectly. It's like you're connected in some weird way? Do you have a musical background? Do you take singing lessons, for example?
ANSWER: Thank you! A few people have mentioned that they like the way the vocals work on this album. I have never taken singing or guitar lessons and Simon hasn’t taken lessons in anything he does musically either. Simon is naturally a great singer and I am a vocalist. Simon can do more of the technical stuff and I can do growls and low to mid range clean stuff but I don’t normally attempt harmonies or anything too exotic! We have been playing together since the late 80s. Si took up bass for Seventh Angel. He took up keys for MSW many years later. He also plays other instruments including guitar which he plays extremely well, as can be heard on his album Thy Listless Heart – Pilgrims on the Path of no Return; an album that shows off his musicianship and writing skills very well. We have been close friends all those years since the 80s and have been playing together in the two bands for a fair amount of that time.
You're from Weston, a port town. I don't know if that's true, but it seems to me that the sea and the surrounding countryside must have inspired you a lot? Or am I wrong? I imagine you're walking along the beach or visiting an old church and suddenly you think of a new theme for a song. Because I feel this strange melancholy from the new record, which is something that not only British doom bands have, but also bands from Finland. Does the environment influence you a lot in your work? Where do you actually like to go? What about you and nature, sights?
ANSWER: The sea, the countryside, ancient places, forests and woods all influence me and I have had lyrics come to me whilst out walking in the past and stopped to make notes. I am not a fan of the city or modern looking things. I love old things, vintage things and the aesthetics of the past. I hail from The Black Country near Birmingham originally, (an area which was key to the industrial revolution), but I moved to Weston in the late 90s. I lived there for 20 years and MSW was spawned from Ashen Mortality in that town.
How are you on the gigging side of things? I have Bristol and the surrounding area pegged as more of a punk and hardcore inspired place. Do you play a lot and often? We have a few good doom bands in Pilsen and the gigs tend to be really poorly attended. Which is a pity, although I understand that this music is not for everyone. How many people come to the club to see you? And what are the English fans like? Do they support the bands?
ANSWER: Bristol also has a lot of experimental and heavy music fans. I don’t live near there now but in Wales near Carmarthen. The only band member living in Weston now is Addam. Gareth lives near the Severn Bridge and Simon in Chesterfield. Some gigs are very poorly attended. We haven’t done many in the last few years but we did do two this year. Both were good gigs and were enjoyable, but the crowds are typically dedicated, few in numbers, but enthusiastic.
Most bands have rather fluctuating quality in their discographies. But it's different for you. I don't think you've recorded a bad album yet. How do you explain that? Are you perfectionists? Or is it all under one person's "direction", Ian? They say a band is like a family. Yeah, well, there's always got to be someone in the band who has the final say. How about MY SILENT WAKE?
ANSWER: I suppose that because I started the band, I feel I can make final decisions on things but I do normally discuss stuff with the others. I’m glad you think we haven’t done a bad album. We haven’t really done two that sound exactly alike and some are extremely different to each other. I tell people to listen to a few tracks if they haven’t heard us before, because one won’t tell them enough about what we do. I am not a perfectionist in the technical sense but I like things to feel right and effectively convey the essense of what we are hoping to convey. I have found in the past that if a band becomes too much of a democracy, then things don’t tend to get done!
As I'm getting older, I'm becoming more and more aware of what things are important. It's chaos all around us these days. Social media, the news, wars, depression, it all affects us and every moment we stop and maybe just sit and look at the ruins of old churches and listen to music is terribly precious.
ANSWER: The lyrics to the song No Time is about that exact feeling. Things are too hectic now. Bands can fall into the social media hell of having to post stuff everywhere all the time to try and not be forgotten amidst a sea of bands, but it’s a thankless task at the end of the day. Hopefully people will realise that it isn’t doing us any good and will start to distance themselves. I find it hard to do that myself but it is addictive and harmful.
Actually, for me, music is not only relaxation, but also a kind of therapy, it helps me to survive in the strange world of today. What does music mean to you as a creator and musician? And why doom metal?
ANSWER: I love music and have done from a young age. The music I enjoy the most is classic rock, folk, old goth, doom and trad metal but I venture to many other areas too. I am always checking out new (to me) music. Most of the time it is about the feel of the music above anything else. I am as likely to listen to Steeleye Span or Dead Can Dance as Paradise Lost and enjoy them equally.
One more trip into history, please. How did you get started in music? Who was your first role model? What about your first gig? And your first stage performance?
ANSWER: The first song I remember enjoying is Mull of Kintyre by Wings. Mom had a recording of me singing it and strumming a toy guitar when I was about eight. I got into Adam and The Ants and my first record purchase was by them. I heard Saxon on the radio as they were in the charts and got into metal through them. I also enjoyed some of the new wave and post punk bands from the late 70s and early 80s as there was a lot of that in the charts, but I really went down the metal and prog direction in a big way. The first gig would have been some local band and wasn’t massively memorable. My first stage performance is difficult to pin down. In the 80s I did do some odd thing at a church in Coventry playing some U2 style guitar on one song that I had written with some friends before playing my first Seventh Angel gig, but don’t remember much about it!
What are MY SILENT WAKE planning in the near future? Do you have anything to say to your fans? Here is the space.
ANSWER: A new song, a compilation and some gigs for our anniversary next year are all on the horizon. A big Thank You is the thing I would like to say to our fans for the support and for letting us keep this band going. It is a big honour to be able to get your songs recorded and released these days and to actually be noticed to any degree. Thanks so much for the interview!
I was up early when I prepared these questions, it's also the weekend and it's about to dawn. You can probably guess where I'm going. I've got my headphones ready, "Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief" in them, and I'm looking forward to the woods. I want to thank you very much for your music. Thank you of course also for the interview and I wish you lots of inspiration and good ideas. May you do well in your private life too! Playing again…
ANSWER: Thanks so much!
Recenze/review - MY SILENT WAKE - Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief (2024):
