Monday, June 27, 2016

Shantak Interview

 
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
1) We're now working on a lot of new pieces and ideas and we are endeavouring some kind of non-stop rehearsing campaign in order to be perfect in the upcoming live shows.

    2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2014?
2) The new album is an original mixture of melodeath and doom metal combined with southern and stoner metal. I don't know how to describe it in its simple and complex "alchemy" of sounds but I can only encourage everyone in listening it and maybe drop an opinion (positive or negative). >From the 2014 demo it differs of course in the quality and the songwriting is more complex and complete. We are still a bit "unripe" but we're developing a curious sound that, we hope, that one day it will bring us far away.


    3.I have read that the band started out as a black metal band, what was the decision behind going into the musical direction that you now play?
3) Cool question! So, playing covers is cool, of course, but is deleterious for the development of new music, new sounds, new bands. Playing covers means destroy new music. It should be only an exercise for future original productions and not a solid aim.
So, once we realised that, we decided to begin playing original music

    4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
4) Lately I'm (Nicola) reading books concerning philosophy (Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Pascal) '800 and '900 literature (Baudelaire, Eliot, Goethe, Holderlin, etc.) . The themes of the newer songs are more deep and they continue concerning literature, philosophy, death, dreams, nature and inner life. Recently I began writing short stories about unique characters (like The Unwept) giving a kind of narrative trait to all the new lyrics. They often concern stories of loss, desperation, death and titanism in a chaotic and tumultuous universe.

    5.I know that the band name came from the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author and also what are some of the other writers or literature that you have an interest in?

5) Of course. Lovecraft inspired me (Nicola) in the writing of a lot of lyrics and gave me the idea of basing the "guideline" of the band on an abyssal glimmering darkness and a never-ending chaos. It also concerns dreams and the mysterious shades of human mind and this is very important for poetry and art in general. Other authors in which I'm interested are Coleridge, Eliot, Holderlin, Goethe, Poe, Wilde, Baudelaire, Kafka, Keats, Shelley, Verne, Stoker and many more.

    6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6) The best show, so far, was the Release Party of our album For the Darkening at Circolo Colony (BS). We played all the songs from the album plus two new recent tracks that we wrote in the last period. We saw some vids of our performance and we think that is getting better and better show after show. We are becoming more and more skilled and our performances more and more interesting and professional.

    7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
7) Unfortunately, recently, we heve sent a lot of emails and requests to venues and festivals. But no-one seems interested in leaving us play. We're still waiting for answers and requests. So, if you're searching a particular melodic death metal band for your show, we're absolutely available!

    8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?
8) The feedback, so far, is not really good. We hope that in the next months it will be better and more people will get interested in our music.

    9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9) Uhm, I don't know, everything seems so uncertain so far. The world of music is changing and people who listen to metal are not so many after all. Metal music is dying and this is caused by the growing quantity of cover bands and close-minded people who only listens to the same 3 or 4 bands. I only know that we can only hope that one day we will become a great metal band and the people will be better than now.

    10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10) Our main influences are from Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Insomnium, Black Label Society, Woods of Ypres and, why not, also Type O Negative. Nowadays we're listening to:
Nicola: Insomnium, November's Doom, Funeral, Death, Dark Tranquillity, Gojira, Swallow the Sun, A Forest of Stars, Woods of Ypres, Septicflesh, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Poets of the Fall, Massive Attack, Unkle, Huun-Huur-Tu, This Will Destroy You, Ludovico Einaudi
Federico: Obscura, Death, Beyond Creation, Iron Maidem, Insomnium; Gojira, Meshuggah, A Forest of Stars, Magenta Harvest
Matteo: Woods of Ypres, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Parkway Drive, Swallow the Sun, Gojira, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Korpiklaani, Ludovico Einaudi
Simone: Over Kill, Death, Korpiklaani, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Airs, This Will Destroy You, Ludovico Einaudi, Judas Priest, Pink Floyd
Luigi: Ghost, Lamb of God, Poets of the Fall, Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd,

    11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11) Our non musical interests are:
Nicola: Speleology, Writing, Reading and Photography
Federico: Reading
Matteo: Tuning
Simone: Beer
Luigi: Hanging out with friends

    12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12) Don't let the music die, spread it, be open-minded!


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