You’ve just released your
first album…Can you tell us more about it?
Yeah, that’s it, the CD has
finally been released ! And I’m quite happy with the result. The voice sounds
really good, as deep as possible, which is not always easy to mix. The result
is a panel of varied and catchy songs, from gothic to melodic death, the whole
being very symphonic, with abyssal atmopheres.
I’ve heard that the recording
wasn’t that easy…Where did you do that? In what conditions?
I’d prefer not to coma back on
that. But the problem was especially the timing, because we were not leaving
close to each other. We had to see that with the working hours and the studio
hours, all the more that it was quite difficult to access it in the woods. But
that’s OK, concerning the sound, the result is very correct, and the most
important thing is that we’ve had fun doing it !
And James Murphy mastered the
album…how did you get in touch? How was that with him?
Mika from Season Of Mist knew
him well. James had already made several masterings for him. We had the
occasion, and he worked seriously on it. And you can hear it, I’m really
satisfied with what he did ! You know, the mastering is more important than you
could think for an album. That’s what gives power and opulence. You can have a
great sound, but if the master doesn’t follow that, it can ruin everything,
especially when your track appears on a sampler with tons of other bands.
Have you finally found a new
drummer? Who? How?
Yes, he’s named Gildas, and
comes from the ‘Conservatoire’ in Nancy. My friend Gwallam from Anaon knew him
and told him we were looking for a drummer, so he contacted me. We got along
well, and I have to say he’s got a terrific level ! By the way we also have a
new bass player, Bob. He used to play with Gildas, so we just took the pair ! We
are gonna go there in order to rehearse, and rage is in our hearts.
So you’re finally gonna play
some more gigs? Is a tour or some dates planned?
We all miss the scene, and
it’s there that the music shows it all ! The ‘Fog Bringers’ are gonna hit the
stage soon ! I am already trying to find dates, and concerning the tour, it’s
planned for later. Maybe with Nocturnus and Mayhem. But we’ll talk about that…
Concerning a show with Lord last
year, Cйdric (their old
bass player) told me that it sucked…What happened? And is that the day when you
signed with SOM’s Mika?
Yes, it’s the day when we
signed the definitive contract with Mika. Concerning the show, the problem is
that in concerts, and especially in black metal concerts, there’s a lot of
jerks who try to look ‘evil, to have the most underground tee-shirt, and the
worst: to raise the fist as high as possible…sad but true ! There’s no way you
can avoid that, but sadly, a politic side is present in music, though it has
nothing to do there. And stupidity and ignorance are not punished by the
law…But well, there are still some people involved in the underground and who
are cool ! All the black metalheads aren’t dickheads !
So, you don’t really like the
black metal mentality? Why? And what are you in favour of?
It’s stupidity that I dislike
! I think that the underground spirit is to help small bands and enlarge the
scene. The trip ‘I’m alone and I’m bad’, is fun for a while, but…It’s something
that old bands invented in order to get known, and it worked. Do you really
think that the guys from Venom, Darkthrone, Satyricon or Dark Funeral are guys
who live in the forest, sacrificing people and painting their face with unpure
blood? No, those guys go to work, come back home in order to feed their kids,
and then play with their Playstation while drinking four gallons of beer…normal
! Concerning satanism, people do what they want. If they think they’ll grow
stronger by destroying their life…now I hope they won’t destroy the life of
their relatives ! Because negativity goes by this kind of shit sooner or later.
But at the same time, with
Adipocere, you allow black metal bands to get well-known…Isn’t that a bit
paradoxical?
No, because in black metal, there
are also interesting persons, as well as good band who can play. And anyway
it’s my job… But now I turn the question back to you: are you sure to agree
with the mentality and to like ALL the bands that are in your ‘zine? You know,
if we distributed only bands that I like, the catalogue would be rather
small…..
And about religion, you are
quite into bouddhism, right?
In fact I’m into bouddhism
because of the aim they want to reach, into the Kabbal for the rituals, and
into celtism for the use of the elements. All that only makes one, but it’s
easier to explain it like that to a profane.
What have been the changes for
you since Akhenaton?
Simply that I now play in a
band and not alone anymore ! Accept the tastes of the others and their style of
playing, in order to make a real collaboration. Which is a fantastic
enrichment. And being able to play live, which was hard when I was on my own.
How is it going with your new
solo project, Sangdragon? Is a release date planned? What will be the style?
Some tracks are already
pre-recorded. The style will still be into movie soundtrack, but quite
atmospherical, and with more guitars. It’s not planned yet, because right now
I’m spending a lot of time on WOS. Oh yeah, the artwork is ready too !
Part from that, on WOS promo
CD, it’s written –I quote- ‘Solos a la Morbid Angel’…Isn’t it a bit
pretentious?
I agree. Fields Of The
Nephilim and Mobid Angel are our main influences. You can fin them by listening
carefully to the album. About Morbid Angel, listen closely to the rhythmic
parts. And the solos are more like King Diamond’s !
OK, thanks mate! One last
word?
Thanks for the interview. Support
the scene. It’s time for it to get a new breathe, the one of the sacred winds
of Sirius !