Scars
Of Chaos
Scars Of Chaos have
recently amazed me with their new album "Humanitarian War Machine", which
is a perfect example of high quality and catchy symphonic black metal.
It's been a few months since it was released, but I still listen to all
the songs with the same if not even greater pleasure... A devastating album
from a promising, superb band that no one who loves either black metal
or symphonic music should miss... So, we have conducted an interview with
the band to give you the chance to get to know them better...
1.FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS ON “HUMANITARIAN
WAR MACHINE”. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE END RESULT OR IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
Thanks for your congratulations, and yes we
are quite satisfied with our work. There's always things we would have
done differently when we listen back to what we have done. And since we
are always each time far in the work on the next album, it's like we listen
to something old. Yet, "Humanitarian War Machine" is what we wanted it
to be. The things we want to do differently, they'll be in the next album.
2.CAN YOU GIVE US IN BRIEF THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND’S LIFE UP TO NOW?
Back to Daemonic Alchemy, the first time we
listened to Emperor, 10 years ago, which made us create the band. Our first
recording sessions in the Drudenhaus studio 5 years ago. Our problems with
our first label after that. And right now!
3.YOU PLAY SYMPHONIC BLACK METAL OR MAJESTIC BLACK
METAL AS SOME LIKE TO CALL IT. EXCEPT FOR A FEW BRIGHT EXAMPLES WHO STILL
HOLD ON TO IT, THIS SPECIFIC GENRE SEEMS TO BE PUSHED ASIDE. WHY DO YOU
THINK IT ISN’T AS FAMOUS AS IT USED TO BE?
Well, it's hard to compose such songs, you
can't do everything because it has to sound... If there's a music that
does not sound alike in rehearsal and in studio it's symphonic metal. And
there's a lot of people who don't like keyboards too... those who do like
it are often in "softer" metal. I saw many bands suppress their keyboard
with time. Because now there are not many bands in this style, every symphonic
extreme metal band is compared to the few big acts and criticized because
of that. I think that for most of the bands it's too much work and it does
not give much back. You have to be passionate.
4.LET’S SUPPOSE THAT YOU HAD TO WRITE A FEW LINES
PRESENTING “HUMANITARIAN WAR MACHINE”. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TRYING TO BE
AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE?
Symphonic extreme metal with lots of orchestral
keyboards, death/black guitar, bass, drums and vocals, and a dark and powerful
sound.
5.WHICH ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
“DAEMONIC ALCHEMY” AND “HUMANITARIAN WAR MACHINE”?
"Humanitarian War Machine" is a logical step
beyond Daemonic Alchemy. It's not a switch in style or a big evolution.
Because of what happened between Daemonic Alchemy and Scars Of Chaos, we
needed to do this album this way. Let's say the production is far less
synthetic and is more powerful. And the music more chaotic than in "Daemonic
Alchemy".
6.WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW WHILST
WRITING SONGS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO UNITE IN SUCH A BALANCED WAY EXTREMITY
WITH MELODY AND ATMOSPHERE?
Most of the symphonic bands have parts in
their music where the guitars are ahead and there's no or near none orchestral
keyboard parts. Then from time to time the orchestral parts take all the
place in the music. It's easier to write and to record this way. We try
to mix orchestral and guitar parts throughout our music, so there's always
both guitar and orchestral parts at the same time. While composing, we
are very careful that it fits. Sometimes, we just throw away very good
guitar or orchestral parts because we cannot mix one with the other. Most
of the time, when the keyboard parts are written, Angelus puts a line of
drums and simple guitar chords behind so he's sure that I'll be able to
make something with it.
7.HAS ANYONE EVER CALLED YOU A DIMMU BORGIR CLONE
OR SOMETHING SIMILAR? HOW DO YOU OR HYPOTHETICALLY WOULD YOU REACT IN SUCH
A DESCRIPTION?
It's not happening a lot with Dimmu Borgir
except when someone really doesn't like symphonic bands. Because when it
happens, every symphonic bands sound exactly the same for him. In France
we are often compared to Anorexia Nervosa (RIP) and some people says we
are an Anorexia Nervosa clone. The less the people like symphonic extreme
metal, the more they say we are a clone. The more they like it, the more
they see the differences and sometimes say it's completely different. So,
we don't really have to react since we don't mind those who don't like
this kind of music.
8.WHY DO YOU THINK THE METAL HEADS SHOULD CHECK
YOU OUT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER THEM?
I'll keep it very simple: if they like orchestral
parts and metal, they should check us out. Maybe not if they like "over
clean-synthetic" productions. After that, each one has to make his/her
own opinion on our music, we're clearly not here to do something that everyone
will like.
9.WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART OF
YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU?
The best part? Concentration of music and
emotion in a maelstrom, how all is mixed together, powerful and symphonic.
But it's also the worst part since it makes listening to an entire album
hard sometimes. Sometimes people say that our music does not slow down
in the album, which is not entirely true, since we have mid tempo parts
in some tracks. Anyway, this album had to be that way, with no real moment
to breathe.
10.ARE THERE ANY ELEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR
EXPERIMENT WITH IN THE FUTURE?
More orchestral only parts. They would separate
each 2 or 3 titles group by lyrical theme, or aggressiveness. Anyway, no
"modern" or electro stuff.
11.YOU BELONG TO THE BLACK METAL SCENE. SO LOGICALLY
YOUR LYRICS MUST BE DARK AND AGGRESSIVE. WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION?
CAN YOU POINT OUT IN BRIEF THE MAIN THEMES YOU DEAL WITH IN YOUR LYRICS?
Hypocrisy, human nature, the will to follow
rules and superior powers or people without individual morality. Sometimes
I've a very precise event in my mind when I write lyrics, but when they
are finished, I make sure they have a much broader meaning. And that the
original subject can't be seen easily at first. It's very important that
anyone who reads the lyrics while listening to the music can bend them
to his mood.
12.YOU USE CORPSE PAINT AND NICKNAMES LIKE MOST
BLACK METAL BANDS. WHY? WHAT DO SUCH THINGS ADD TO A BAND?
We used corpse paint back when we were Daemonic
Alchemy. With Scars Of Chaos we never used them. We kept the nicknames
though, in memory of good old times, but I don't think we would have taken
some if Scars Of Chaos had been the beginning of our music. The fact is,
we don't consider ourselves as black metal anymore. Because of an evolution
in the lyrics and maybe more and more in the music.
13.HOW IS THE COVER ARTWORK CONNECTED TO THE ALBUM’S
TITLE? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPRESS WITH IT?
The artwork is not directly connected to the
title, but it fits very well. Here we have an unknown man without hands
in a tortured landscape. We always work with symbolism and it's easy to
link it to some of the lyrics. But each one has to see it for himself.
14.HAVE YOU GOT ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? HOW
ARE YOU THINKING TO PROMOTE YOUR WORK?
Yes, we have plans, but nothing big unfortunately.
We always had problems to find gigs. We hope that with this album we will
have more propositions.
15.IF YOU HAD TO “TRANSLATE” YOUR MUSIC INTO EMOTION,
WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND IF IT WERE A PAINTING WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
That's an original question! Rage, hatred.
If it were a painting, maybe it would show the same people helping each
other in one way and devouring each other in another, without noticing
it.
16.CAN YOU THINK OF A TITLE THAT CAN SUM UP THE
WHOLE SCARS OF CHAOS ESSENCE?
In HWM, "A New Era of Light" maybe the title
which would fit this description. But if I could choose three songs, reflecting
our essence since the beginning until now it would be "Merciless" for the
early times of the band, then "Unleashing..." and at last "A New Era of
Light".
17.WHY DO YOU THINK FRANCE HAS GOT SUCH A STRONG
EXTREME METAL SCENE? ARE THERE ANY BANDS YOU THINK DESERVE OUR ATTENTION?
France has a good extreme metal scene, yes,
but I don't feel that it's so strong. I find it quite divided and a part
of its public not very supportive. Metal does not sell so well in France
too, and less people come to underground gigs. Yet, it's far better than
it has been. As for the bands that deserve attention, I'd say Anorexia
Nervosa even if they no more exist, Gojira (not my favorite, but pretty
famous) and well... Scars Of Chaos of course!
18.THANK YOU! LEAVE A MESSAGE TO OUR READERS…
I think that most of you have never heard
of us until now, so don't hesitate to take a look at what we are and listen
to our music... thank you!
Christine Parastatidou
|