ASTRIAAL - INTERVIEW AUGUST 2003

I managed to score an interview with Astriaal's drummer extrodinaire, Sean. They're coming to the Rock Ape on the 30th August so check out the interview and if it sounds interesting come along!

1. First up have to say I've heard a song or two off the radio and the new album sounds killer! How would you say the album has progressed in relation to the string of EPs that you guys have released over the years?

To compare the album against the previous mini albums in terms of sound is impossible. We have progressed as musicians and composers, and for the album it was decided that no expense should be spared to create what we viewed as our purest vision of Astriaal. Acoustic tracks like "Summoning the Essence..." and the Revelations trilogy give an indication of what was coming, and also the faster blasting sections have been retained and further refined. I guess we made the ambient sections more epic and grandiose and made the blasting sections faster and more brutal. Taken the extremes to the extreme so to speak. This was always the ultimate goal. To create something that we as music listeners and band members could say that we were totally satisfied with, and something that represented Astriaal's fullest musical potential at that stage of our development. I am very proud with what we have achieved independently, and further impressed with the response the album has had thus far.

2. You guys seem to be one of the most consistent bands in Australia in regards to touring and regular releases, how do you think this has helped the band and the way you've progressed up the Australian metal "ladder" so to speak?

It's hard to establish whether there is a ladder or pecking order so to speak in the Australian metal scene, with each band providing something unique in their own form of sonik interpretation. I remember getting booked for our first Metal for the Brain, and I guess that is still probably the most important event in the development of the band [closely followed by the Opeth support, haha]. After this performance at Metal for the Brain in October of 2000, we toured consistently on the back of the "Summoning" mini cd with a national tour with Destroyer 666 in 2001, and I guess after three missions to Sydney and Canberra, and two shows in both Adelaide and Melbourne in 2001, we set the bar pretty high in terms of touring. This consistent touring gave us a strong and loyal following and made the band much tighter, and to be honest probably set the band up and into what it is today... The regular releases has been due to the fact that we wanted to wait to do the album, but needed something for these people who came to our shows and appreciated what they witnessed to take home.

3. Astriaal seem to have some fairly obscure song titles, could you fill in our readers as to what kind of lyrical theme runs through the band, and whether its just something the band chooses to sing about or a belief code that the band really believes in as a whole?

I will let vocalist/lyricist Arzarkhel cover this one via a quote from a previous interview: "Satan, Satan, Satan...No, honestly my lyrics derive from my subconscious which is why they appear to have that train of thought quality to them. The way in which I write and associate subject matter is governed by what emotion I feel is captured within the music upon myself immediately hearing new material. I then relate subject matter to these emotions and thus this gives identity to each song conceptually. I assume that many of my lyrics would seem rather cryptic at first perusal as I seem to suggest questions that I have a perception of within them or sometimes an answer that begs the question which I have already contemplated but not written. Fundamentally our chosen philosophy held by Astriaal was bound to the Cosmos...the Grand Abyss, but as times change and we progress musically, lyrical subject matter changes also. In saying this though I cannot help myself from returning to the grandeur and allure of the Abyss which is evident in my lyrics for the track! 'Arborescence'. With that song I wanted to relate the beauty I find is held within Nature, [trees and forests in particular, much like the lyrics on Burzum's 'Filosofem' tracks essentially] but as you can read by the end of the song I have returned to the Abyss...it keeps calling me back! Other subject matter incorporated with 'Renascent Misanthropy' include again Nature, the grand Abyss, Man's desire for self destruction and the rise of misanthropic enlightenment."

4. I've noticed a lot of other projects that seem to revolve around Astriaal members like, Carbon, Portal and Blacktalon Media. What are these and how do they relate to the workings of Astriaal?

Probably Blacktalon Media is the only direct link to Astriaal, and in turn Portal. Blacktalon Media recently released the Astriaal and Portal albums, along with setting up numerous tours over the years. Primarily Blacktalon Media is a vessel for extreme artists of similar dark aspirations to unleash their works. Blacktalon Media also covers professional design, promotion and live performance arrangements and provides exposure through their own extreme metal zine' 'Sentinel'. The following bands reside under the ever expanding claws of Blacktalon: Astriaal, Portal, Excruciate, Carbon and Necrosculpture thus far. As for Carbon, I do perform session drums for this act, and Carbon have signed to Polish label Agonia Records for the release of their forthcoming album. Blacktalon Media released their 'Australian Blackmetal' promo in November 01, but that is where the link ends.

5. How has the reaction to Astriaal been overseas, any plans of touring or releasing albums globally?

We are always surprised at how many different and obscure countries people have heard our music and have heard of Astriaal. The "Summoning" mini-album was promoted and distributed O/S by a range of quality distributors, and I guess that is where people first heard of Astriaal. Up until now we have never had a full length album to promote and generally it is only until you have a debut album available people and labels take notice internationally. With "Renascent Misanthropy" we hope it will provide the ammunition to finally carve out our own mark on the world scene. We have many contacts with overseas promoters/labels/bands and have had discussions concerning a tour throughout Europe early next year. Currently negotiating a world wide release, so it will be interesting to see what comes of that. Also related to international matters our debut release into the vinyl format will be the Astriaal 7" EP called "The Throne to Perish" released August 2003 via U.S. underground label Dark Horizon Records.

6. What do you think about the scene as a whole? With more bands touring through Aust. these days... what do you think could be done to improve the scene?

Usual story mate. Except Australia nowadays really does have some fucking killer bands that should be given more support by local fans. Instead of saving all your pennies to see one O/S act, you could go out and see truckloads of great aussie bands... Astriaal has obviously been fortunate in gaining a lot of international supports in the past year that has assisted our profile, and playing alongside the likes of Opeth, Incantation, Mayhem and Pungent Stench was indeed a memorable experience. There is definitely a strong rebirth at the moment, with Australian bands like Alchemist, Dungeon, Psycroptic, Gospel of the Horns and Portal releasing albums as good as anyone in their respective genres, the future looks bright for Aussie metal! The only thing now that needs improving, is for overseas labels to continue to target the quality bands this country produces and to take them to the world.

7. Any last words?

Hails for the interview, and we look forward to returning to the Rockape on August 30th and catching up with the Astriaal fans that have waited patiently for the album. Canberra has always been good to Astriaal, and is another hotbed for quality Aussie metal!!! Support the Sonik War Eternal...

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