Azure
Azure's music stands for
controversy, so as you can imagine "King Of Stars - Bearer Of Dark" consists
of some fine, complex and multi-layered compositions. If you want to unscrabble
and decipher the meanings and sounds that Azure deliver, then you could
start with this interview and then move on to their album...
1. FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS ON “KING OF
STARS – BEARER OF DARK”! HOWEVER, I’D LIKE TO KNOW THE CREATOR’S POINT
OF VIEW. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
Thanks! I’m pretty satisfied with it actually,
when I wrote it I didn’t really think it would turn out as great as it
did, I just did it for fun and wasn’t even sure it would end up as an actual
release. As always there are some things you would like to change now afterwards
but overall I’m quite proud of it.
2. WELL, SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST INTERVIEW I’D
LIKE YOU TO GIVE US A SHORT BAND BIO AND PRESENT YOURSELVES TO THE READERS…
I will try to keep this short… Azure was created
in the summer of 1995, we released four demos before we had the opportunity
to release a MCD for an independent label in 1998. At the same time we
got signed to Solistitium records and I then decided to go on by my own
with former Naglfar drummer, Mattias Holmgren, on session drums. We recorded
our debut album in Umeå (north of Sweden) the same year. However,
the release was delayed by the manufactory and shortly after the release
the label was put on ice. We did some attempts to find a new label but
got no serious offers and in late 2000 I took the decision to put the band
in the closet as I already was involved in another band; Relentless (US
style death metal, one album out). In 2002 I moved away to another town
and at the same time I quit with the music.
Two years later, in April, Mattias called
me up and told me to start writing again, and in July we recorded four
songs that were sent out to labels. We were signed to Karmageddon (former
Hammerheart) and recorded the whole album in September, everything was
finished for printing in December but the label just delayed the release
for no reason, and in August we finally left Karmageddon and signed for
Pulverised for Europe and Deathgasm in the US.
3. LET’S SUPPOSE THAT YOU WERE ASKED TO WRITE
A REVIEW FOR “KING OF STARS – BEARER OF DARK”. WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE TRYING
TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE? GIVE REASONS WHY THE METALLERS SHOULD CHECK
YOU OUT.
Actually I had my own magazine for 5 years,
in the end it was the 2nd biggest Metal Magazine in Sweden, and also I
did write for some other magazines after that so I have written a fair
amount of reviews in my days. It is however impossible to write something
objective when it comes to your own album so I take a rain check on this
one.
4. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART IN
YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU? ARE THERE ANY ELEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO ADD
OR EXPERIMENT WITH IN THE FUTURE?
I really like some of the details we did,
like experimenting with different harmonies and so on. Also the solos are
just awesome, especially the bass solo in “Selene – The Spirit”. The worst?
We could have worked a lot more with the vocals but I was sick with a flue
when we were recording so I mainly just concentrated to get anything out
at all without wrecking my throat.
As it seems now the next album will be even
more progressive with strange beats and harmonies, but at the same time
it’s very simple as well… it’s hard to explain. I have most of the ideas
in my head as I myself isn’t a good enough guitarist to realize all of
them.
5. THE GUITARS HAVE THE ABILITY OF CREATING PANIC
AND CHAOS IN OUR SOULS AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAVE SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL
AND WELL CRAFTED, MELODIC SOLOS. HOW CAN YOU COMBINE THOSE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS
IN SUCH A NATURAL WAY?
I never think about that when I write, I just
write some riffs and then put them together. Sometimes I leave some parts
unfinished to be worked on in the studio but otherwise it’s just a natural
thing for me. For example, I never have a beat in my head when I write,
I just let the tunes come and later on I leave it to Mattias to count the
beats, which in some cases are pretty strange.
When it comes to the solos I have some really
talented people helping me out there, I just try to explain a certain feeling
or some phrases and then leave it up to them to perform, as I can’t.
6. MOREOVER THE ALBUM STARTS WITH A PURE BLACK
METAL DYNAMITE AND AS IT UNFOLDS WE LISTEN TO MANY EPIC AND DEATH METAL
ENRICHMENTS AND THEN AGAIN WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO LISTEN TO AN AMAZING EPIC/DOOM
BALLAD WITH BLACK METAL VOCALS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW EASY IS IT FOR
YOU TO INCORPORATE IN YOUR SOUND SUCH A VARIETY OF SOUNDS?
I guess it comes naturally when you listen
to such a variety of bands. I find inspiration in almost everything I listen
to and that’s pretty much all metal bands, except NU-shit, commercial bull
and girlie stuff like H.I.M. or whatever. Some favorites are Arcturus,
Behemoth, Nile, Deicide, Anathema, Paradise Lost, Megadeth, Iron Maiden,
Satyricon, Candlemass, Mayhem, King Diamond, Borknagar, Immortal, Morbid
Angel, Moonspell and of course Death!
7. WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION WHEN
IT COMES TO THE LYRICS? WHICH ARE THE TOPICS YOU MAINLY DEAL WITH?
Azure has from the very beginning been a concept
dedicated to Fantasy. I have created my own world from which I write the
lyrics. “King of Stars…” is a continuing and the end of “Moonlight Legend”
and it also sums up with our MCD “A Vicious Age Lasting” even though it
takes place a couple of thousand years before.
I read almost only fantasy books, Jordan, Eddings
and Brooks are some favorites who have influenced me pretty much.
8. DESCRIBE THE COVER ARTWORK AND GIVE US
ITS CONNECTION TO THE LYRICS AND THE ALBUM TITLE…
Well the album is called “King of Stars –
Bearer of Dark” and on the cover we can see the main character Aarion at
the very end of the story as he walks away from the earth into the stars
and the nothingness. I gave the lyrics from the title song to Pär
Johansson and he did the cover from that.
9. WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED THIS
FAR? WHAT WAS THE MOST FLATTERING COMMENT YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
The feedback has been pretty good actually,
the only bad ones have been in Norway and Sweden, and then it’s been like
3 out of 5 and such. The best ones has been from Germany, we got a 12 of
15 in Legacy which is very good. The reviews in the US market have been
surprisingly good as well. I can’t recall any special comment at the moment
though.
10. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? WHAT
SHOULD THE METALLERS EXPECT TO SEE IN ONE OF YOUR LIVE SHOWS?
We have no live shows planned at the moment,
there would be too much work and time to arrange that right now. Perhaps
we will try to do a European tour on the next album but we’ll see.
We don’t have any special plans for a live
show, and as there will be no budget I guess we just will be playing and
head banging.
11. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD
IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
I would say despair, anger and, hm… this was
hard, maybe relief? As a painting it would show some dark, yet beautiful,
surrounding and in the very left corner you should be able to spot a dark
blue sky. In all the dark you also will be able to spot some tiny details,
like in the artwork of Seagrave or Rembrandt to take it even further.
12. WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO
HAVE?
Animal team up with Kermit for heavy pelting!
Not that I like the Muppets very much, except for the episodes with Vincent
Price or Alice Cooper.
13. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION?
Nah, I think you got pretty much everything.
Buy our album, visit our website and order our shirt… Thanks a lot for
the interview and the interest in Azure!
Christine Parastatidou
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