Friday, July 1, 2016

Scythrawl (Ether, Unquintessence, Trails Of Anguish) Inteview (Part I)

Hohlraum Archive interview with Scythrawl.
27.11.2011

Your first documented project is Trails of Anguish. It isn’t mentioned too often, so could you tell us about its history?

Trails of anguish took form somewhere in 1998. Our first recorded demo came out in December 1999. Trails was at that time the continuation of another band I was part of at that time: Through Somber sorrowfields.

To make a long story short, Through Somber Sorrowfields was formed back then with some random people I had met through my friends. We we’re all different and nobody  really knew what they wanted to play. It started as a Swedish death metal influenced project. The main composer liked In flames, dark tranquility and At the gates. I was a huge fan of At the gates back then so I decided to join in. I didn’t really enjoy the «happy » vibe on most songs so I took the role of writing lyrics and tried to give more depth to the music with concepts. It didn’t lead to anything we made some local gigs but it was obvious we didn’t had anything strong to bind us together. Easily put this was a « friend’s » band and I wanted something more serious.



Later on some conflicts emerged between me and the other band members. This hate was present and tangible in each rehearsal. I and the guitar player hated each other openly. Then one day they threw me out of the band, the bassist told me that I was too negative and that he felt I was dragging him down towards a bottomless pit, which I probably did at that time. Nevertheless I packed my things up and addressed my long hated enemy guitarist an opportunity to start a real band with a deeper meaning.

Even though we hated each other, we we’re linked musically, so he accepted. Trails of anguish was born on that day… The two last songs he wrote for Through somber sorrowfield we’re rehashed and modified and they became the scythe of engrieved melancholia and Laments of martyred innocence. These two songs marked the beginning and a milestone in my black metal evolution. I then knew what kind of music I really wanted to make.





Its EP "Relentless Abhorrence of Misery's Grievance" was released through Grind It! Records. Why have you decided in favor of this label, though it’s mostly Death and Grind oriented?

Well back then I didn’t really have any knowledge of the music business industry and how things like that worked. All I really wanted to do back then was to play music. We sent some promo versions of our re-release version of "Relentless Abhorrence of Misery's Grievance" and Great white north we’re the first interested. Grind it was essentially the same guys with the same distribution process they just had different release schedules and back then Grind it could released the album on a faster time frame.


As may be supposed, "Scarred Memento" was distributed entirely for the purpose of promotion. Is it the last ToA material, or after it something was created but never released?

Scarred Memento was the last official Trails of Anguish release before serious issues of motivation arise in the band. ToA was a two piece band and in the end I was the only one really believing in what we were doing. Dischord would show up late, already drunk and with no new compositions. The Toa rehearsals were always a little awkward in the sense that most of the time we didn’t practice at all. We would show up, drink and talk for hours, ranting about how shitty life was back then and how we hated most of it. It would end in philosophical loops and trances until we reached this emotional climax we’re we would really feel our music. That’s when we would get up and start playing our songs, I don’t remember playing these songs being sober. We were dead drunk at the end of each rehearsal, then we would go out in local bars and start fights with random people or we would end up bleeding from self mutilation in toilet stalls. We were a very hermetic and misanthropic group of people back then. We hated everything.



That also explains why our first album was so off tempo and so chaotically portrayed, I refused to play with a metronome back then and the songs we’re never played the same each time we practiced. They were a spontaneous representation of how we felt in the moment, each variation was unique and that is what made TOA so unique in my opinion. We really believe back then that black metal was a form of utter revolt against life.

 Musically we had attained a level of elevated self criticism that I would strongly impose on Dischord, and because of that he wasn’t able to write new material. Everything he wrote was still quality material but in his opinion it wasn’t good enough, hence the loss of motivation to go on with the project.

Three other songs we’re in the process of making when the project shipwrecked. Two of them will appear on the new Ether album.


Who was the principal moving force of the horde?

Conceptually it was me, musically it was dischord. I think we both played a crucial part in the creation of this beast. It was the merging of poignant riffs, blasting drums and howls of despair that bounded everything all together, everything was in its place, we tried once to incorporate violin to our music but I didn’t like it. Trails of anguish needed to stay visceral and no beauty needed to be added.


Though you were busy with Trails of Anguish, in 2000 the invitation to the band Unquintessence was received. What contributed to the positive response?

I’ve met the individuals of Unquintessence in a very peculiar way. One of the local sluts that I used to date was going out with a member of this group; we started off on a really hostile stance and everyone though it would end up in a very bad way. But strangely I remember shutting myself off instead in a closed room with mayhem “wolf’s lair abyss” playing loud when someone entered the room. We didn’t even talked about the problem at hand, we discussed about life, death, pain and various other deep and esoteric metaphysical concepts. We started sharing knowledge of the music and bands we knew, and like I said back then this was not something you would see often. It was around 1999 and I was 19 years old.





 We connected right of the bat (mostly with that particular individual known in the scene under Nargaeh'nroth and gab.357). Through him I met the other guys who we’re also decent guys with very nihilistic views. Unquintessence was born the week-end after that meeting.


The first mention of your work at the drum kit was Unquintessence demo :Nil:Solaris:, where an excellent level of performance is already heard. Tell us please when have you begun to master the instrument?

Hahaha, well first and foremost I have something to confess! This “demo” was in fact cheaply recorded in our rehearsal room with two mics vaguely pointed toward the instrument with no recording knowledge and this was actually recorded after “ruined”. We though “ruined” sounded a little bit too much “studio” and we wanted to record something more on the “crappy and necro-ish” edge that most of the old school bands used back in the days. In my opinion this was the worst piece of crap we have ever recorded and I never really understood why we even released it…



Has for when I started playing drums, I would say around 14 years old (in 1994). I started off with my first band: Bodybag which was a punk band. Later on I had a band we’re we tried to play death metal and some covers but that didn’t really worked out.

My first black metal band was entitled “Sortiarius Di Oblitare” and I think it was around 1997. I really liked the songs but we never recorded anything and we we’re too young to really focus on music. Later on that formation moved away and became “Shade” a black metal band that had some recognition during the short time they appeared. It was something reminiscent of Ulver’s, “Nattens Madrigal” era.


Galy Records, which issued ep "Ruined", have now deleted all the references to it from their official site. Can you comment on this fact somehow? At present this release is a great rarity, it would be interesting to know what was the number of copies printed.

Well our contract is over with galy record and there is nothing left to sell, so I would guess that is the reason why galy decided to remove all the links to unquintessence. When we first signed with him, we printed 500 copies. Then he reprinted another 500 batch if I remember correctly. We had thoughts to release a newer version containing all that has been ever release with unquintessence and trails of anguish with unseen live footage and a new layout with other  interesting stuff but we quickly realized that cd’s aren’t really selling anymore. We might be selling those in numerical format instead online with cover pages and everything for the hardcore fans.


What is the difference between the activities in Unquintessence and Trails of Anguish?

Well as we used to say, Trails of Anguish was dealing with inner energies. Dealing with introspection, pain, self hate and all these emotions that are directed toward oneself. Unquintessence on the other hand was the rage, insanity and hatred directed towards the outside, towards humans mostly. The energy was the same but the aim was different, but in some twisted way they became very intimately linked, because both of these concepts are part of the same cycle. We were mostly the same individuals involved with these two bands.


If searching in the internet thoroughly, one can find some rumours about the episodical reunion of Unquintessence in 2006. If that’s true why the attempt wasn’t a success?

Well, one night I was at gabe’s house (easier to write than Nargaeh'nroth ) and we we’re struck with nostalgia, we were a little bit affected by alcohol and we we’re listening to unquintessence and all these good memories came back flowing. We were willing at that time to finish what we had started, but I think we knew in our mind that this era was behind us and that we weren’t really serious. On the same frame of though I tried to find new musicians to revive Trails of Anguish but I never found a decent replacement for Dischord, hence we accepted that we are to move forward and not linger in the past…


Comparing Unquintessence and Trails of Anguish one can notice that the bands split up after two eps. We have already discussed Trails Of Anguish story, so lets talk about Unquintessence. Why there was no consequence in the form of a full-length? And what was the reason of a split-up?

As for Unquintessence, the reasons are far less epic. One of the band members, Arkhaan, started dealing coke and he became more and more sketchy. This entire situation made a real turn when he didn’t show up to a show we we’re really looking forward to do, if my memory is right it was the Northern Lights festival in Ontario. Then afterwards he pleaded money problem, which I tried to solve by lending him money. He was supposed to pay his loan for his amp but instead the guy fucking disappeared and spoiled the money on drugs. We never really found somebody else that “blended in” our group afterwards. We all had other bands during that time so Unquintessence kind of fell into the abyss.

We were drastic in our views back then. They were very elitist and straightforward. Drugs are for weak minded people and theft was a punishable crime. I managed to get a hold of him once and wanted to give him a chance in reimbursing me he looked so miserable that I felt pity for him, we went to the bank and he emptied his bank account, but it wasn’t enough to pay me back. After that day the guy just disappeared and we never heard of him afterwards, I learned my lesson. Saw him once in a show years after, when I realized it was him I turned around to beat the shit out of him but he had flee. That’s what cowards do, they flee and do drugs to cope with it.





Nefastus Dies had an album issued through quite a large label Deepsend, however just two years after it was rereleased by efforts of Candlelight. Why such a decision was taken? And what can you say about the work of this label? It is generally considered that the large labels are concerned with a typical show-business, buy and sell, while the smaller labels do everything out of sheer enthusiasm and are much more humane in communication.

We had our share of dealing with smaller labels during the TOA/Unquintessence era. With nefastus, we wanted to try a broader approach. This band was less visceral and more cohesive and structured. We felt this was decent enough material to try our shot in the bigger league. We grew tired of incompetence and small mindedness of smaller labels (we’re most of the time its one lazy bastard that just wants to received free stuff for bands and does practically nothing as far as promotion is concerned). Sure it holds great vision and they are generally more connected to the artistic view than larger labels but we put a lot of effort and money in our music and we felt that smaller labels couldn’t propel our musically adequately.

It is something that most “fans” usually despise and that’s where they usually start calling the bands sellouts and such. These following thoughts are for these people.

I think like many other things, this is the kind of experience you need to live yourself to fully understand the ramifications and to see the broader picture. A sellout band is a band that change is music for increased popularity and income. We never changed our music to fit the views of the world. As of many other bands that became popular because of the quality of the music and their relentless hard work. One good example of this is the Dimmu Borgir affair. I am sick and tired of people disusing and ranting about that band and any other bands for that matter that have managed to get a decent amount of recognition. Puritanical euphoric misanthropic is a masterpiece in its genre, people needs to see beyond tags and musical styles. The primal working force behind an extreme band in any genre, is the revolt against the boringness of life and the ways of the unthinking mass. It is a revolt against the mundane existence of working 9h to 17h, it is an expression of wanting a better life, a life we’re we can live off our passion instead of being a drone in a corporate machine we’re you are digested in your youth and then spit back when you are old and useless.

There is nothing more depressing than rehearsing 3 times a week, then driving 14h straight to a gig, setting up all of your gear, sound testing, waiting for the other bands to arrive, setting up merch, talking with useless peoples, waiting for the show to start, having too pay for your own food and beer, having to listen to all sorts of shitty bands, bonding with them, and finally play at two a.m (because of delay’s generated by poor organization) in front of 15 drunken bastards that don’t have the slightest idea of what’s going on. And to top it off you sell 1 cd and some drunken fuck wants to trade beer for merch and the booker pays you a 100$ for the band.

That’s the reality of “true” underground bands trying to push their music forward. We all get tired of this at some point or another. Before judging us you should try to go out there and live it for yourself. Instead of judging the choices and experiences of others, why not getting a life on your own? Is your reality really much more epic than ours? I don’t think so.
 

After the release of a promo in 2009 the vocalist Sebastien quit the band. Are there any considerations concerning the future of Nefastus Dies?

Yes he left because the rest of the band wasn’t on the same page. We came back from an unfruitful tour in the states and canada and we decided that we wanted to record a second album and see if decent labels were interested but he insisted we stay active and play gigs. There was also a feud between him and another band member, after sebastien quit we revamped the band and recorded 3 pre-studio versions of songs that would appear on the second full length. I had figured out a new concept and the lyrics we’re done, I had taken the vocals duty at that time and the result was very promising. Unfortunately, another personal problem emerged between me and the main composer so he left the band, putting us another step behind...

Me and the remaining member decided to put an hold on Nefastus and we decided we would try something entirely new for us. A cover band for system of a down where I am actually singing and not playing drums. I can already hear people calling us sellouts but it is such a fulfilling experience to switch from an instrument to another that I really don’t care what people think. For me it is another step ahead on my musical path.


What inspired you to start the solo project Ether?

All of the aforementioned reasons. More specifically the fact that I grew tired of being dependant of other human beings. I always knew i had a message to pass through music and until I am fully satysfied with it, I will pursue my quest. Black metal should only be the reflection of one mind. If session members are involved it is ok but I do not believe that many individuals with strong beliefs can make thematically coherent music.



Ether is my own therapy; it deals with my own psychology, fears and obsessions. It is in constant evolution and it will end when I am fixed once and for all. Ether is a process of healing, in Buddhist beliefs it is referred to as Vipassanna. The path of inner vision, which shatters false reality and awakes your true self. It is my own way of facing demons and my own negativity. In this process I can move deeper in the understanding of my true self and what binds me in human suffering.

In the introduction to Ether’s concept you refer to Heisenberg uncertainty principle. An attempt to rationalize the emotional constituent?

As I mentioned before ether is a reflection of where my mind is wandering at that precise moment. When I first introduced Ether I was discovering quantum mechanics and the effect it had on our reality that is now governed by classic science. I was always fascinated at how humans needed to put their faith onto something static when everything else around is based on changes. Heisenberg uncertainty principle is a good representation of that concept.

I would sum up the entire idea with that excerpt:
Quantum mechanics established without doubt that there is a fundamental limit to our ability to determine the exact picture of the physical world regardless of how we try to measure it.

The physical world is limited to our own physical perceptions. Our spiritual and emotional knowledge are unlimited because they are not processed by our brain. They are triggered by the circuitry of our brain, but their source is from beyond this realm. I always felt that something was wrong here, that happiness couldn’t be attained with mere recreational behaviors and social interactions, that humans were filthy and disgusting. I was miserable before because I couldn’t understand why everyone around me seemed to have found their way in what I perceived as deceiving. It is recently when I started expanding my mind to greater things in life that this misery start fading

Understanding that the whole of my existence is somehow divine liberated me. Ether is an offering to the ones that are ready to transcend this state of agnostic reality where human knowledge is limited to experience

By the way, the www.metalhordes.com forum is currently down. Are there any other means to get acquainted with the full version of your message?

I am of a very quiet nature, I will rarely discuss these topics with anyone, only with my closest friend, when where outside with nature, around a bonfire, where I truly feel at ease. I do not feel an urge to share all of this. I posted some thoughts a while back on http://www.myspace.com/scythrawl but I do not feel a need to post anything online. I think it is a synthetic and very impersonal way of communicating. I prefer to express my views with the music I create and within these rare occurrences where I speak to the world. Internet has disembodied human expression to its simplest form, information and it is not suited for what I have to say.


Minding the fact that on the photo in the booklet you have your eyes and mouth sewed up one can suppose either that you’re acquainted with the voodoo cult or that in such a manner you refuse interacting with the outer world. What is right?

That was a good assumption. But the symbolism used is on a personal level.

When I was younger, there was a part of my life where I stopped talking. I would not talk with anyone, not even my parents. At school when I was younger, I would stay away from people; eat in the woods, alone.
I had a normal social life, had my share of bad experiences but I wasn’t rejected by others, I just felt I didn’t have anything in common with them. I felt an underlying and permanent discomfort. Like everything I said and did was fake.



During that time I had a real hard time expressing anything to the outside world, everything was happening inside. At home we ate in silence and when my parents would ask me questions, I would just vaguely respond to their answers with a vague and robotic tone. I was totally muted by emotions. What was going on inside was so visceral and intense that I felt that everything else was insignificant. I would chase death and do anything that could put me in danger. I was numb and death was the only thing that could bring a thrill. Then afterwards I started hating the sun and the outside world, so I would close the blinds in my room, I lived in permanent darkness. I remember staying like that 2 entire summers in a row. Summer is usually the season where everyone rejoices and makes plans for their vacations. I stayed inside in my room reading, playing video games and writing. I became interested in demonic rituals.

I closed my eyes to the world and started a new life inside.

The imagery shown in Depraved, repressed, feelings are an artistic representation of what happened during that time. It was something I buried deep within, that photo shoot was a way for me to re-live it and to accept it. I stayed 3 hours + with the make-up on, could breathe really well, couldn’t move, couldn’t swallow, and couldn’t even feel my legs in the end. It was an interesting experience filled with old memories.


The lyrics of the album are saturated with the personal experience and self-analysis. Can they be treated as an autobiography of your own feelings and an epitaph of the days passed?

In meditation there is a concept used to breaks down the limitations inflicted by our left brain, the one responsible for logic and thoughts. There is a fundamental understanding here, our thoughts are considered by the Buddhist to be a weapon used by our ego to keep us in perpetual emotional servitude.

We then use a method to eradicate these thoughts patterns and regain our own concentration.
In French it is referred to as « L’attention ». When there is a though pattern that prevents you from concentrating on your path to inner vision, you need to start observing the though. Its source, its ramifications, where it is going and how it makes you feel. You need to extract yourself from it, and look at it as you we’re looking something that isn’t part of your life. The more you observe it, the more it dissolves, for you see it for what it really is. An illusion.

That is what I am trying to do with all of these emotions. Extract them, put them on paper and music, then observe them and see them for what they are, an illusion.


(Self-)destructive feelings and attitude solely piercing you lead to the creative principle allowing you to reveal yourself and create. Do you reach the equilibrium or despite all the efforts something bitter stays inside?

That is a good question. I believe I do reach equilibrium when I recycle a negative though into a creative one. The real problem is that it is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. It is efficient when used but if you don’t find a way to extract you from this negative pattern it will become energy consuming in the end. I don’t think someone can live like that is entire life.

On a broader scale I try to stay on the brighter side of spirituality. The one that leads to freedom and peace of mind
.
But when the darkness inside is too strong, ether is my way of coping. It is my way of confronting the demons.


The releases of Sepulchral Productions quite often have a noisy sound, and Ether’s album isn’t an exception. Why have you chosen such a variant of realization and how the record-session proceeded? Do you use the modern tricks of sound recording like triggers, sampling, smoothing?

I actually recorded everything at home. This was my first recording, I didn’t own any good quality equipment and at the same time I was looking for a more (necro-ish) sound. I think this sound is best suited for deep music, it adds a layer of harshness. From a recording point of view, this can be a technique that is well balanced. Sure you can put two cheap mics in front of the band and press record-play  and hope everything will go as planned but it rarely does. Finding the right sound for your music is not an easy feat. A good necro sound is nothing random as opposed to what most people would think.



I did used modern tricks during the recording; actually the drum is entirely electronic because I didn’t have a place of my own where I could record acoustic drums back then.

For the next album I am aiming at something better produced. Something similar to the newest sound of « Death spell omega » or « shining » while still pertaining the harsh vibe.


Are there any plans for the next release of your project?

Yes a second Ether album is in the making and will be entitled: Hymns of failure.
The concept will stay similar, in this album I will be collaborating with fellow dark ambient comrades «LIM» for the ambient tracks: http://www.myspace.com/liberinferus

Your main “specialization” is drums, yet you also did guitars and vocals for Ether.  When you began to master something different from the drumkit? Was this a move of necessity or a conscious decision and selfdevelopment as a multiinstrumentalist?

It started off as a necessity, I wanted to be able to create my own music without any help. During its process it became a mark of self improvement. I was doing the vocals for trails of Anguish, so it wasn’t really hard for me to do the vocal parts. The real challenge here was the guitar for I never really played that instrument and I’ve never composed any music… The second album will be better produced and will sound more like a real band.


The excess of communicating with the same people is often said to be the reason of bands split-up. In your case the hordes change, but members stay almost invariable, it doesn’t bother you? And one can notice you prefer to rely on the band’s forces only or on your own at all (as with Ether) as far as both the creative constituent and physical releases are concerned. They are issued either through some small labels, where practically everything up to the artwork should be made by the band itself, or independently. If want to do something well - do it yourself?

We were a strange group back then. We didn’t really get along very well with people in general. That is the main motivation behind the fact that our line ups were almost invariable. The excess of communication between our hermetic groups led to excesses of rage and violence and negativity that most people couldn’t endure. Sometime fights broke between ourselves but I was mostly directed to the outside world. We were constantly keeping these dark energies alive. When we were together, I felt like I was invincible, like I could have killed someone and get away with it. I understand the kids that burned the churches and killed these people in Norway back in 94. We had our shares of stories. We had nothing to lose during that time, we hated life and embraced death, the negative vibe inside this inner circle had a life of its own.

It did bother me and that is why I preferred early on the entity of Trails of Anguish where I was in control and I had someone following me. With ether I only pushed that concept one step further. We did everything ourselves back then because we didn’t really knew how things worked. Plus these concepts were so intimate that we couldn’t let anyone else take care of it. We had a very specific vision but not the means to render them adequately hahaha. I look at the first print of Trails of Anguish and I can’t stop laughing, it was poorly constructed, the layout the fonts used, everything lacked experienced, but I am glad we did it ourselves. This was entirely created by us.

But nowadays I don’t mind asking for help in different aspects of my creation, the final product is the only thing that really counts.


Following the play of many drummers during their creative career a conclusion can be made that up to a certain moment their technique is developing, the new skills are acquired, and the intensity is growing, yet at some moment as if a turning point takes place and an inverse process begins, when the new records are just a quality drumming fading in comparison to the past expressiveness and ambitions to tumble over oneself. As examples Flo Mounier and Jordan Varela may be mentioned, and even your play, for instance, on the recent promo of Nefastus Dies has undergone considerable changes as compared to what was released under the name of ToA or Unquintessence. Or it is entirely the consequence of the style change?

Again this is a good observation. Here is my view on this. When you are younger, you are starting to learn how to play your instrument and at the same time you are starting a new band. First thing that comes in mind is: « I need to impress ». Also most of the first albums are the culmination of years of work and practice.  Years of filtering and carving, as well as the jubilation of recording your material. Everything is pushed to the extreme for it is your first recording you want to make an impression. Then usually the others album are just a continuation were you want to at least maintain the same level of quality or exceed it a little.



Also after some experience in the studio you understand that certain parts that you do are just useless or almost non existent on the recording. Songs become more structured and less « «emotionally » driven. So you become a more organized version of yourself. The live experience too made a big change; it is easier to stay tight as a band when everyone is following everybody and where everybody punches at the same time. That reality obliged me to start playing with a click, and when you play with a click, you have less flexibility.

This was true for Nefastus Dies, after the first recording we had a major revamping of how we created music. It wasn’t my drum parts anymore; it was the band’s drum parts… Everyone sacrificed a piece of their own ego and simplified their playing in order to get something more straightforward and to the point. I think this obvious on the Nйfastьs diиs promo album Interlude. I think it made the songs easier to listen to but on the other hand I lost the pride of originality. I would say it was a change because we wanted to try and record a real professional album.

Sometimes when listening to the releases with your participation the similar on the level of intensity W.V. Sievers’s playing manner (the French horde CYT’s drummer) gets into my mind. Are you familiar with their works?

Nope sorry, I just listened to some of their stuff on MySpace while reading this question. I understand what you mean but I do not see any real similarity. This reminds me more of the first Antaeus album.


What do you think; does the mentality (as connected with the language spoken) influence the art? Nowadays, for example, in that very France there’re quite a lot of interesting bands which separated from the classical sound and are looking for the new expressive means. Keeping in mind that French is one of the official languages in Canada, and that the albums with your participation present quite an interesting interpretation of the genre, this question is of a special interest.

I would say that the social background was more of an influence than the cultural background for me. Quebec is on the podium of the three industrialized country with the highest suicide rate in the world Even though the suicide rates are decreasing in Europe and Scandinavia our rate has increased from 60% since 25 years (for males, a little less for females). Our suicide rate is at least 2 times higher than anywhere in Canada.

Why is suicide so important here in Quebec? Our researcher’s says that we haven’t invested enough in the treatment of psychological problems. Others put the blame on the fact that there isn’t enough protection to prevent people from jumping from bridges, windows or throwing themselves in front of subways. All of these researches are pointless and are the product of simple minded people that just want to pretend they really give a shit. You can’t really prevent someone from killing himself by putting barriers everywhere. Killing yourself is easy, just drown in water or cut your throat with a god damn table knife, eat pills, suffocate with carbon monoxide etc etc.

People kill themselves because we are educated in becoming machines, no one is teaching you how to be happy in your life, it is not important to them. We have lost our souls, our touch with nature and life’s essence. We are only concerned with profits and status. We are lost and our lives are meaningless. Some people fill this void with entertainment devices such as computers, television and other piece of technology. But the emptiness stays. We gradually lose our friends because we prefer our own solitude and our own little castle we’ve built. We barely go outside anymore; everything can be bought via internet. Gradually we lose our joy of living. Life becomes a rapid succession of mundane interactions and we become only concerned by our bills and reputation.

Life becomes time to kill…

People gets their head infected with poisonous information delivered by Medias, basically people are becoming empty shell waiting to be filled by any crap their masters have carefully selected in delivering them. They lose their passion, they lose their individuality at the price of their own ego, they lose spontaneity, their courage, their motivation and eventually they die from within. That is what kills people, when you don’t have a reason to get up in the morning.
All of these things we never talk about, all of these things are hidden and not taken into consideration because it is shameful. It should be incorporated in the educational system. Classical methods cannot do anything to heal these people…



But why Quebec more than anywhere else? We are a young country and our culture is weak. We are not religious and we don’t have any wars. All of these things give meaning to life. We don’t have any real folklore nor any real story. We don’t have a strong cultural background as many other Europeans countries have. Our people are not as close as other countries. We don’t have any big ideas to turn to. Here in Quebec we don’t have anything to hope for; here days just fly by and people are trying to find a meaning to all of this.

There is more and more immigrants coming in our country and people are scared to say what they think because they fear they will be pointed out as racists. We are gradually losing democracy here and people have lost their faith in their leaders. Basically here the only things we really had was family and even this value is starting to fade away with the newer generations. We just don’t give a fuck anymore, about anything…

What is the solution? Fight it, fight this system, stop listening to television, radio and stop reading newspaper. When you hear disturbing news make your own research on the internet, read book for fuck sakes! Knowledge is power, stop being so fucking dead inside and believing everything the television tells you. It’s all lies and manipulated information to control the mindless mass. Do not take anything for granted and take position when real conflicts occur. Make your own rules and follow your own code, eat better food, stay healthy in your mind and in your body. The key is to attain a higher state of conscience, and make people around you open their eyes. This state of mind can be attained through meditation and other ancestral techniques such as kriyas and asanas as well as many other methods.



Your parts are pretty rich in nuances of different kind, I’d like to ask: do you keep in mind every single beat or every rehearsal and concert contains a small degree of improvisation?

Back in the Unquintessence/TOA era, no, I would change my parts in almost every rehearsal.

Since Nefastus Dies era I am learning my parts and I am playing them accurately each time


You keep silence in the creative plan for quite a long time, and even your MySpace page wasn’t updated since long already. Maybe any thoughts of some new projects?

I hate updating web contents…

Well right now I am working on the next Ether’s release, entitled "Hymns of failure"

I am also drumming for a local band unrelated to black metal named: Profane Anthem. Fan’s of Opeth will probably enjoy this.

I am singing in a System of a Down cover band named: Prison system.

I am also singing in another folkloric band (in the vein of ulver’s kvelsjanger) named Lueur but this project is pending mode for the moment.

Scythrawl
27.11.2011





No comments:

Post a Comment