Septic Flesh Interview is up @ AZM

http://www.septicflesh.com/

1. So its been 3 yrs since the last Release Communion. What has Septic Flesh been up to since then?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: The band spent a lot of time on the road. We had the opportunity to play live around the world, along with famous bands as Cradle of Filth, Moonspell, Behemoth etc. Then on 2010, we were focused more on the creation of our next album.   

2. The New Album "The Great Mass" seems to be more epic and Less Aggressive them the last . Was this the plan for the release?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: We never make plans, or follow recipes. Everything is open when we start composing songs for an album. Our inspiration and our emotions at the time, lead us to specific directions of expression. The Great Mass is an album with more diversity than communion but also more intensity.  It is a very vivid, spiritual journey to bizarre dreams. The result is grandiose in an almost visual way, so no wonder why a sense of epicness  prevails.   

3. Will Septic Flesh be coming to the perform in North America in 2011 ?

Christos Antoniou: Yes, definitely we will be in USA end of June for about a month with Big Package but I can’t say anything more than this now. We can’t wait to return back in USA!

4. I very interested going from Holy to another France label Season of Mist what do you see as the major difference? Holy seemed to be much more focused on Europe only? is this correct?

Christos Antoniou: Is big difference. Although we have very good relations with Holy, Season of Mist is one of the best labels on metal. Everything is much better now from interviews to tours and of course the breakthrough to USA. We don’t regret for our cooperation with Holy not at all, but we needed bigger label in order the band to go further.

5. Is Chaostar still in action. This project seemed to be a more electronic verison of Septic Flesh is that the direction the band was born from?

Christos Antoniou: Yes and is more active than ever.

We had our first performance in Athens 2 months ago with Rotting Christ. It was really nice although we had major problems on sound. I am in composition process for the new album which will be based on Medea the masterpiece by Euripides. I hope the album will hit the stores around 2012 by Season of Mist. I don’t think Choastar is the electronic version of Septicflesh. Is totally different musical approach than septicflesh and the only common element s the symphonic and acoustic instruments.

6. Does the artwork to " The Great Mass" play a role in the theme to the album . There seems to be a story to the new Album its is very horror based or am I missing something?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: Each song has a different story to tell. I created each story, as a different psalm, that is also a part of a greater liturgy, The Great Mass. There are unsettling ideas, portrayed on the lyrics, creating a lurking kind of fear. There is also a use of religious symbolism in peculiar, disturbing way. I attempted a deconstruction of their meaning, giving a darker point of view. I have used the specific album title as I found very interesting the wide range of meaning that could be attributed to the word Mass. There is also a reference to the musical term, the symphonic sacred musical composition called mass.

7. Your website www.septicflesh.com is more just a doorway to Myspace, Facebook and Twitter is social media the way for bands to get out there in 2011? Will there be a proper site?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: Yes. Right now, the site has only the main web page, with a teaser video from the new album as the main offering. In addition, each week a different part of the artwork of The Great Mass is revealed on the background. At the date of the release of the album, everything will be revealed and the site will have full functionality and much more available stuff to explore.

8. I love mix of harsh and classical male vocals , choirs mixed with the symphonic Blackened Death metal sound? Is it hard to create an album of this caliber?

Christos Antoniou: It came really natural. There was no recipe for this and no plan. We are all of us fans of soundtracks and classical music. The development from our first “innocent” attempt of song Mythos from our first album Mystic Places of Dawn is big and of course my studies played major role on that. We don’t have to search for someone else to help us for the Orchestra and the biggest bonus is that I know how to construct orchestral music in order the orchestra to have dominant role and not of a simple background. I was studied to do that and is always challenge and fun to write for a big Orchestra.

9. I've also thought Septic Flesh is the reasons like bands like Dimmu Borgir, Emperor and Cradle of Filth moved to a more symphonic sound and you did it yrs before them?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: Our first attempt on the field of symphonic composition, was on our first full length album Mystic Places of Dawn that was released in 1994. It was the last song of the album, called Mythos. The song lasted 8:50 minutes and was completely symphonic in nature, although we didn’t have the luxury of using a real orchestra then, but samplers instead. Gradually, we inserted more and more symphonic elements to our music, on each release, experimenting at first with operatic vocals using Natalie Rasoulies and then a full choir. Now we have reached at a point that we can use the full range of available orchestra instruments, creating very technical and cinematic compositions. We are fortunate that we have Christos Antoniou onboard, as he has a Bachelor of Music composition. He studied at the London College of Music under the guidance of Martin Ellerby, Head of Composition department. So unlike other bands that have to use someone else to make the symphonic arrangements of their songs, we don’t and that gives us100% control of the final result.

10. Septic Flesh is a band going on many Decades of amazing music ... Are you still into new bands or no longer something for you to seek out? If so are there any new bands that impress you in 2011?

Christos Antoniou: To be honest I don’t follow metal anymore as I used to do when I was younger. Also art has been saturated, everything has been said and is difficult something to impress me. The only band that I really enjoy listening is Norma Jean. Their harmony, form and rhythm are unique.

11. What you thoughts on Digital vs old school media do you think Downloading and instant access to music has hurt the indie world or is it just making the cream rise to the top?

Sotiris Anunnaki V: The internet allows the music to spread easier and faster to all countries around the world. So there is more potential now for the smaller bands, to promote their stuff.

12. If there was one band you could tour with that you havent who would it be and why?

Christos Antoniou: Morbid Angel and Celtic Frost. Of course the second can’t happen but Morbid Angel is huge influence for our sound. Altars of Madness was shocked us it is a revolutionary album for Metal. You never know we are also under the same label!

13. Is it hard to create your music live or is it very different live versus in the studio?

Christos Antoniou: Very different as Orchestra plays a vital role in our music we have to use laptop for obvious reasons. To hire an orchestra is very expensive, it can happen but for special occasion and a keyboard player can’t replace the sound of an orchestra is impossible. I would say that this is the only concern we have in our shows. In studio you can hide or add things you have this luxury, on stage you have to be focus on your mission. You have to “win” the crowd.

14. Any closing thoughts place here.

Sotiris Anunnaki V: We are welcoming all wicked souls to attend to The Great Mass.