EmpYrioS
EmpYrios is a newcoming
act from Italy that delivers a unique and special sound that mixes progressive
elements with many modern metal touches. I think these guys are up to something
great, so all we can do is support them and enjoy their music...
1. CONGRATULATIONS ON “…AND THE REST IS SILENCE”!
REALLY TIGHT AND PIONEERING PROGRESSIVE METAL! HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO CHANGE?
Teo (Drum): Hey thank you!! What you hear
in this work is what we are! How could we change it? “…and the rest is
silence” has been an album we created in very long long time passing
through several line up changes and I think it would sound different in
some way if the current empYrios’ line up would have written the
same songs. It is a strange feeling but, in my opinion, if you think about
the future it will be really interesting on the audience’s side.
2. GIVE US IN BRIEF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS
OF THE BAND’S LIFE AND PRESENT THE CURRENT LINE UP.
Teo (Drum): Well, the most important moment
is absolutely the current period. Now we have the opportunity to know what
the audience all around the world think about us… I’m really overboosted
!!! Let me introduce you the current line up: Silvio Mancini on vocals,
Simone Mularoni (DGM, Marsh Mallows) on guitars, Simone Bertozzi (Undead,
Gory Blister) on bass guitar, Emanuele Casali (Astra, DGM) on keyboards
and me, Matteo Mastroianni (Marsh Mallows) on the drums.
3. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU WERE ASKED BY YOUR
LABEL TO PRESENT YOUR ALBUM IN A FEW WORDS?
Teo (Drum): The most intense fascinating metal
sensation…..yep!
4. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART OF
YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU?
Teo (Drum): Hey! There is nothing I hate about
my work! I could tell you that we’ve got a lot of ideas for a new album,
and I’m sure you can recognize our sign…by the way, I prefer not to speak
about that…Let the others speak about our music!
5. WHY DO YOU THINK THE METALHEADS SHOULD CHECK
YOU OUT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER TO THE SCENE? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU
FEEL THAT SETS YOU APART?
Teo (Drum): We are really lucky! I think we
have the opportunity to play with a singer that shines with mixing the
right dose of everything in each part. But there isn’t really anything,
in my opinion of view that sets us apart. We have nothing more than the
others band, we only play on our way, the way we like and this is what
we offer: our metal point of view.
6. WHY HAS YOUR ALBUM GOT SO MANY INSTRUMENTAL
TRACKS?
Teo (Drum): Cuz’ Simone (Mularoni) loved to
spend his nights by writing music… Now he discovers that beer has a different
taste and I believe you’ll no more hear so many instrumental parts…
7. WHY HAVEN’T YOU “DRESSED” THOSE SONGS WITH
VOCALS? ARE THEY SOMEHOW SPECIAL?
Teo (Drum): They are orchestral parts! They
speak on their own!
8. WHICH ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN “…AND THE REST IS SILENCE” AND YOUR PREVIOUS PROMO CD “THE EVERSINNER”?
Teo (Drum): The similarities are me, Simone
(guitar) and Silvio (vocals). The differences are Ema (key) and Simo (bass)…eheheh
I’m joking. We have simply spent more time on arrangements and on fluency
of the vocal parts…in our opinion the difference between a beautiful song
and a nice song is especially on this side of the composition.
9. WHICH ARE YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES AND WHO ARE
THOSE MUSICIANS THAT MADE YOU REALIZE THIS IS THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU LOVE
AND WANT TO FOLLOW?
Teo (Drum): I love listening to every kind
of hard rock music, but when I play I prefer the metal side of drumming:
simple and powerful. My favourite musicians are Vinnie Paul, Mike Terrana,
Matt Sorum, Uli Kush, Gene Hoglan for their power and Chad Smith,
Pat Torpey, Thomas Lang for their taste.
10. WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED BY
THE FANS AND PRESS? WHICH WAS THE MOST FLATTERING AND WHICH THE MOST UNFAIR
REVIEW YOU’VE READ ABOUT YOUR ALBUM?
Teo (Drum): At this time I know that press
and fans give us positive reviews, but I want to point out hateful people’s
behaviour and way of thinkin’. When people hear the word “empYrios” immediately
they think of the same progressive metal band and so they build on their
own some sort of wall that constraints their judgments on the adjective
“progressive”. I’m sure if the same persons listened to our album without
any kind of preconception they would listen to our music in a totally different
way, the right way! WE ARE NOT ONLY A PROGRESSIVE BAND! WE ARE PRINCIPALLY
A METAL BAND!
11. YOUR TRACK TITLES SOUND QUITE PESSIMISTIC
TO MY EARS… WHY IS THAT? WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION? TELL US
A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE MAIN TOPICS THIS ALBUM DEALS WITH.
Teo (Drum): All the lyrics are simply written
by the moment, but principally make reference to a confused and pessimistic
state of mind. It is true. We think painful moments are the only
ones that give you the faculty to go deep inside the human feelings
cause the pain is stronger and violent than happiness; it doesn’t give
you any time to stop and reflect cause you’re carefree and glad.
12. SO, WHICH IS THE REST THAT IS SILENCE? WHAT
DO YOU WANT TO SUGGEST WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL TITLE?
Teo (Drum): Well…This is my suggestion…Gulp
down the whole album without breathin’ and when you get to the end, around
you, for a few seconds, you will listen to a different way to conceive
silence…
13. IF YOU HAD A BIG BUDGET TO SHOOT A VIDEO
CLIP, WHICH SONG OF YOURS WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND HOW DO YOU IMAGINE IT TO
BE?
Teo (Drum): Are you telepathic? Are you able
to read my thoughts? I was waiting for this answer since we’ve started
the interview! Being honest we’re already preparing to shoot a video-clip.
Our choice will be about “The ruiner” or “Tort” and all the images
will be based on a light game ….the rest is silence, I’m sorry
but it will be a surprise.
14. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PROMOTE YOUR WORK? HAVE
YOU GOT ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
From the release of “…and the rest is
silence” we will make everything we can to bring it where it is possible.
Before we start seriously to gig we would see what the audience thinks
of our album and which nations will mainly appreciate it. In the mean time
we’ve already started to work on the new material…
15. WHAT’S THE STRANGEST OR FUNNIEST INCIDENT
THAT HAS OCCURRED TO THE BAND?
16. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE EMOTIONS, WHAT WOULD THEY
BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
Teo (Drum): It would feel like an iced lake
ready to melt down in the wink of an eye. Could you imagine the emotion
that could give you a scene like that? If it were a painting it would surely
be something really messed!!
17. BY THE WAY HOW DID YOU SELECT YOUR MONIKER
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
It comes from DANTE’s Divine Comedy. The “Empireo”
is the OVERWORLD, the infinite space over the sky. It is joy and extasy,
jubilation and feel of crying.
18. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION?
Thank you too! Stay tuned, hail to all and
see you soon!!
Christine Parastatidou
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