Embrace
Depart
Embrace Depart is a Greek
band which recently released their new self financed album. We had a small
conversation with Stathis. Can gothic/atmospheric metal survive?
1.Hi first of all congratulations on your
newest album. Tell us the latest news from the camp of Embrace Depart.
Thank you very much for your invitation! I
don't know where to start from! Firstly, we are working hard on our new
songs, putting all our energy into getting them ready for our 3rd album
and since the season is up, we're trying to get into new metal festivals
around Greece and live concerts like the one we had with Katatonia. The
band will also appear supporting "Lake Of Tears" in their live concert
at October 16th in Thessaloniki.
2.After two demos, you decided to record your
first album as a self financed and then find a label. Do you believe that
nowadays this is the procedure for most of the bands?
First of all, the two demos you are referring
to where our first album's promo with two different covers, the second,
with improved artwork, will be our album's official cover. Furthermore,
we have greatly improved the sound work of the tracks in the second version
of our promo as well. It is true that our album will be self financed.
This is because labels nowadays have very high standards, paying as much
attention to the artwork, production quality and the overall promotion
of the albums they receive, as much as they pay on their soundwork. We
believe that any band that wants to make a start should visualise their
dreams in accordance with the reality of the music industry.
3.Before a few days you played as a support
group for the latest Katonia gig. How was the feeling you got from this
live show?
Appearing with Katatonia was our first performance
in a live concert with such a famous band, we are obviously very excited
with this first experience of ours. It was a great concert where we had
a great time and we are honoured we were part of it.
4.Also in a few weeks you will support Lake
Of Tears too, do you believe that these two live shows, push forward a
bit more Embrace Depart?
We are sure that our two live shows will prove
to be a good start, providing us with the experience and inspiration we
need to continue our work and making us at the same time wider known to
the public. Katatonia and Lake Of Tears are well known bands and having
our name next to theirs will surely help us get in touch with more fans
of the sort.
5.Which is your main goal releasing your debut
album?
Our main goal for this album is to help us
attract a label that will believe in our work and promote us, so that Embrace
Depart will become a professional band with its own presence on the music
scene, giving our own personal touch to the genre.
6.Tell us a few details from the recording
sessions and did you have any funny moment?
Recording an album, and especially when it
is your first album, is a unique experience. We have had great time working
on it with excitement and anticipation to see our work's outcome. There
were many hilarious moments and we enjoyed every minute while at it with
our friend and producer Dimitris. There are no details we can remember
of though, just that the overall spirit was not only about work but about
fun as well.
7.If I push the play button on your CD player,
what I will hear?
Each of us in the band belongs to a different
musical "world" and each of us has different musical influences. I personally
enjoy Metal as much as I do Gothic music. If you pushed the play button
in my player you would probably hear bands like Moonspell playing or Fields
Of The Nephilim, Diary Of Dreams, Dimmu Borgir, Sisters Of Mercy, Anathema,
VnV Nation, Dreadful, Shadows, The 69 Eyes and many other bands. True music
chaos...
8.What are your future plans in order to support
your latest release?
We will definitely try to apear live as much
as possible in the coming season, up to the degree that this depends on
us. I think this is the best way to be heard and get into direct contact
with the people. From that point on we hope to attract the interest of
label and management companies to promote us even better. In the bottom
line, we will need professional help after this first try out of ours.
9.How do you see the Greek metal scene?
I think that there are a lot of good bands,
but the music industry of our country has not evolved to a degree that
could help bands of this kind to be promoted as they should. As a result,
many of these bands are not given the opportunity to be wider known to
the Greek public, and even when they do, it is almost impossible to continue
even further since the resorts are limited and the support is too little
to help them make the break-though and stand equally among foreign bands
such as Swedish, Finnish or German bands.
Furthermore I would like to add that my personal
opinion on this matter is that the bands should also think more professionally
regarding the quality of their sound, their artwork and all these elements
that make their work complete and promotable. Thank you very much for your
wishes, we hope that next time we talk we will have achieved our goal to
find a label so that we can give more of Embrace Depart to all metal fans
around Greece.
Embrace death... Depart with honor.
Best regards,
Stathis Gazepis (Vocalist)
Antonis Maglaras
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