• Translation
by:
Sugas
Banger
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Questions
by: Astrous (Collaborator)
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Replies
by:
CountRaven
Ominous
Sky
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TGZ:
Hail to you CountRaven! How are you?
Well, first of all make us an introduce about
your new band, Ominous Sky!
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CountRaven: Hello Panos. First of all
thanks very much for making this interview
possible. Well Ominous Sky was formed in summer
2004 by Chris “CountRaven” on
vocals and John “Scrollkeeper”
on guitars. Soon after Danae “DraognPrincess”
joined the band on keyboards and the line
up was completed with Thanos “Illusionaire”
on drums and Antonis “Dead But Dreaming”
on bass. With this line up we recorded our
first 7’’ EP “Ominous Sky”
which will be out on Secret Port Records.
Ominous Sky plays melodic, mournful, epic
doom metal in the veins of Candlemass and
Solitude Aeturnus.
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TGZ:
I have listen some songs of you and I find
them very interesting. Can you tell me some
more things about your recording? Where took
place? How is the life in a studio recording?
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CountRaven: Well as I have already
mentioned the debut 7’’ EP of
the band is on its way. So we have recorded
two songs that will be included in this release.
“Twilight Flowers…Turn To dust”
and “…And Demons Hurt My silence”
are the titles of the tow songs. “…And
Demons Hurt My Silence” exists in two
version –the second one with some different
vocals-. The second version appears on a limited
promo CD-R that we have released to the media
worldwide. We recorded the songs on August
2004 in the recording studio of our drummer
Thanos who is responsible for the production
of the stuff as well. Everything was recorded
in three days and after the recording sessions
Thanos spend some extra hours for the mixing
and the mastering. It was a nice period you
know. I remember that their was so much hot
inside the studio that we could hardly survive
in there but everything went really well!!
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TGZ:
I think that your music is a great stuff
of Doom Metal! Do you believe that in now
days this kind of music is enough strong?
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CountRaven: Doom metal nowadays has become
very popular but it still remains an underground
musical genre like it always was. I can mention
lots of new and interesting bands like Lamented
Souls form Norway, Isole form Sweden, Litany
from Greece and many others that really kicks
serious ass. I am sad because many people
keeps on mixing Doom Metal with Stoner Rock
and you know those genres have nothing in
common after all. Also I am sad with the fact
that some bands keep on using the term “doom”
when they describe their music that actually
has nothing to do with doom metal.
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TGZ:
The parts of your voices are very inspirited
with a lot of feeling and… despair!
Do you think that you render 100% the meaning
of your lyrics? Can you make some comments
about your lyrics? |
CountRaven: I am trying to dive
deep into each word of my own lyrics so that
I will be able to express them in my own special
way, a way that comes from deep inside. Writing
is a very special method that helps me to
discover even my own self and to export some
specific feelings from inside me. Do not try
to find some specific topics on my lyrics.
Each one of us can find something different
into them. What I am trying to do is to express
feelings through my lyrics and not to describe
specific topics.
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TGZ:
Which are your influences?
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CountRaven: The influences in the music
of Ominous Sky are mainly into to Epic Doom
Metal genre. Bands like Candlemass, Solitude
Aeturnus, Sorcerer… Also some Black
Sabbath and some old Epic Metal stuff like
Cirith Ungol. Everyone listens to different
stuff but especially me and the guitar rplayer
John have lots of common favorite bands that
have influenced our own music.
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TGZ:
All members of Ominous Sky are in Athens
and you are living in Thessaloniki! This is
enough big distance, 500 kilometers! How difficult
is for you to make rehearsals? Do you believe
that this distance is shortening when you
have passion to create music?
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CountRaven: There is really no problem
with that. All the former members are leaving
in Athens (capital of Greece) and I am living
in Thessaloniki (the second biggest city of
Greece). Distance is no problem. Imagine that
back in the recording days of the EP I was
living in Syros – a Greek Island - and
I have moved to Athens for the recording of
the EP.
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TGZ:
First recording for Ominous Sky and you are
release your work in a 7" EP! I think
that this is a great start! Which label is
responsible about this release?
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CountRaven: Secret Port Records: a great
Greek label with so many killer bands in its
catalog. Theodosis is a good friend and he
was interested for our music for the very
first days of the band. So we made our first
deal with him to release the EP under his
label. Check it out at: www.secretport.com
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TGZ:
Before Ominous Sky, you were played
in Under Water Moon band… One band with
great reviews and acceptance! What happened
and you were break down? In now days do you
occupied with other projects? The rest members
have any other projects?
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CountRaven: UnderWater moon is an old
story man. Unfortunately the other members
of that band have different main goals than
me. So I decided to depart from them. When
I formed my new band –Ominous Sky- I
first thought to keep the same name, but the
sound of Ominous Sky is much more different
and the members were different as well so
we finally decided to change the name. For
the history I would like to point that there
is a recording with the members of Ominous
Sky under the name UnderWater Moon. It is
a demo version of “Twilight Flowers
Turn To Dust” that appeared on Garden
In Black Zine Compilation CD, but soon after
the release of this compilation CD the era
of UnderWater Moon is finished and a new black
star has risen in an Ominous Sky. I do not
know what the old members of UnderWater Moon
are doing now. Except from Ominous Sky –to
answer your question about my other projects-
I play in a Techno-Power-Metal band called
Rex Mundi: a mix between Nevermore and Helstar
with some progressive elements. We will soon
release our first promo CD. I also have a
Folk Noir project called Violet Nocturne we
have released a 4 track EP of melancholic,
acoustic folk music. The bass player of Ominous
Sky plays there as well.
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TGZ:
Except your bands you have fanzines,
web zines and you are broadcasting more 7
years! Tell us some things about these projects!
How difficult is to have all these?
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CountRaven: I have been on radio since
1996 with my own radio show Symphony Of Steel.
I have two web zines the first one called
www.symphonyofsteel.ne (yes the name is taken
form the radio show) which is a web zine about
all genres of metal and anyone can visit it
to take the latest information about our favorite
music as it is daily updated. The second web
zine is something very special for me. It
is totally dedicated to Heavy, Power and Doom
metal and mostly to the old and obscure releases
of those
genres ,but also lots of underground stuff
from our days can be found in its web pages.
It is called Forgotten Scroll and can be found
at: www.forgotten-scroll.com There is also
a printed version of Forogtten Scroll (I am
working on the third issue now) with lots
of stuff about old and newer bands but always
in the veins of PURE metal. All those zines
–web and printed are written in English.
English is a language that many people can
speak and read ad I want my work to be viewable
by anyone who interested on t. Excepts for
all those I have co operated with many other
zines and magazines here in Greece for example:
Monolith, Seven Sign, Ark Of Metal, Metal
Mare, Metal Zone, On The March. Etc. I really
enjoy to do all those thinks. Music is my
passion and through those publications I think
that I offer something to music. I am doing
all those things cause I enjoy it. Sometimes
it is difficult because I have to deal with
many work for each web or printed publication,
but my love for music provides me with strength.
I find it very interesting to communicate
with so many different bands for so many different
places of the world to share music and feelings.
That is the magic things in music man: to
share. Share feelings, opinions, ideas…
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TGZ:
If your music was paint, what do you think
that it will depict?
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CountRaven: I really do not know but
I can Imagine the colors of this paint: Black,
Gray and a little Purple.
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TGZ:
What do you know about Brazilian scene?
Can you compare the Greek and Brazilian scene?
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CountRaven: Brazilian scene has lots
of extreme metal bands that kicks serious
ass. The metal scene of Brazil is mostly known
for its extreme bands. But when someone searches
more carefully he will be able to discover
many good Heavy / Power Metal bands as well
for example the gods Dark Avenger. I now bring
in mind a really good Black Metal band form
Brazil: Ninurta (all hail guys!). I really
like their stuff. Both Greek and Brazilian
scenes are strong with many good bands.
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TGZ:
Ok CountRaven! Please close the interview,
as you want! The last words are yours…!
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CountRaven: Thank you Panos
for one more time. Good luck with all your
activities and your bands. All hail to the
readers of this webzine! Check out the 7’’
EP of Ominous Sky out on Secret Port Records
(www.secretport.com), visit our web site as
well (www.ominous-sky.tk - there you can download
a free song) and stay DOOM!
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