Charge Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
First we would like to thank you, because we are really grateful for this interview. We released our first album in March. It was produced by Francis Caste who also worked with famous bands from the French metal scene, such as The Arrs, Bukowski or Zuul FX. We will play our first gig of the year on the 30th of May in a famous Parisian venue.

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 stuff you have released in the past?
We defined – actually we tried to define – an aggressive, melodic and catchy musical sound. We also wanted it to sound between rock and metal.
This album is mainly made up of songs from our two first EPs. So it doesn't sound much different from the material we have released previously.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our lyrics can deal with all sorts of topics. I do not think they are very special. 84, the first single of our album deals with the famous novel by George Orwell. Fantasy literally means what it means. We did not sit down and spend hours defining what the songs would be about. We wrote what we felt on the spot.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Charge'?
We wanted something that was straightforward and we wanted it to sound "right in your face".

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We played some our best shows in two of Paris’s most famous venues (Le Batofar and La Flèche d'Or) last year. Concerning our live performances, it's all about being spontaneous and giving energy with no time out. There is no pause, no silence. We keep on moving and never seem to be slowing down. That’s pure energy.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We mainly have plans in the Paris area. We're also planning gigs in the rest of France. Of course, we wish we could play all around the world!

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Our first album is being distributed by an independent record company named "Rebel music/Brennus records".

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and rock?
Pretty good. Surprisingly we received quite a lot of great reviews for a debut album. It's good to have such support. And we even have to admit the negative remarks they make about the record are right!

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We may move toward a style that will be more rock than metal. We want to mix the melodies and structures of rock with some metal arrangement and influences.
Our next album will be out next year.

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We love MetallicA (I myself am one of their greatest fans) Machine Head, Muse and Motörhead – for their unique sound. I also like Red Fang, Godsmack, Slayer and SOAD.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
I love American football. I am a great fan of the 49ers. I am also fond of Star Wars . I have got a great action figure collection.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We want to share our music with as many people as possible. We really want to break all the boundaries between rock and metal. We are setting up a French rock/metal scene so that we may organize tours. And we want to thank all the media who are supporting us. Thank you so much.

Akasava/Strange Aeons/2015 EP Review

  Akasava  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  occult  rock  with  some  elements  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep   "Strange  Aeons" which  will  be  released  in  June.

  A  very  dark  and  psychedelic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going into  more  of  a  70's  proto  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  that  also  have  a  blues  rock  feeling  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  stick  to  a  70's  metal/rock  direction.

  While the music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  70's  the  music  still  has  a  modern  sound  to  it  and  some  of  the  songs the  music  speeds  up  and  also adds  in  a  touch of  proto  punk   and  on  the  later  tracks  the  music  starts  to  get  more  psychedelic  and  when  they  add  whispers  into  the  songs  it  gives  the  music  more  of  an  evil  atmosphere.

  Akasava  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  70's occult  rock,  psychedelia  and doom  metal  and  mixes  them in  with  a  more  modern  sound,  the  production  sounds  very professional  for being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Akasava  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  occult  rock,  psychedelia  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Join  The  Ritual"  and  "The  Witch  Is  Rising".  8  out of  10.

 

Membrane 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?

Since the record, we have actively prepared this album release, as it was 4 years since we hadn't released an album, we had to review everything. The composition and recording (mixing and mastering included) lasted 8 months in total (from March to October 2014). a short time because we don't live of our music, we all have a job. From the moment we were all ok for the mastering of Alan Douches, we looked for labels, Big or small, our priority was to take it out on vinyl, and also to have a digital support via internet ...  "Basement Apes Industries" was ok to do it, so we embarked on co-production for this album release and Atypeek was ok for digital sound. It's more interesting to play the music but it was necessary to do the other aspect (promotion, research shows, printing t-shirt, making the video part for the show, vinyl visual, design, etc, check for cd and vinyl pressing ...). We had to create the artwork and the mood of the new album "Reflect Your Pain" then. We also made a new website: www.membranenoise.com (Max manages) and revived the social networks ...  and bandcamp.. we also look for concert dates for promotion. The objective is the release in April, so release party at Paris, and European tour dates with Revok. It is a continuous work, it never stops, you put a lot of energy, we (members of membrane: Nico, Max, Alban) help each other to move forward on some points to advance, it is quite constructive, there is much discussion. and in parallel to all this we create other new pieces in anticipation of a split with another band and to extend the set live.

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 stuff you have released in the past?

The sound featured on the new album is very heavy, powerful and "opaque", it helps to put a heavy atmosphere with the aim not to allow the listener to breathe ... we wanted a sound that can fit in as much to the compositions and we found it!
other albums are different in composition, the songs were more "Noise" , faster and therefore the sound is different . We also worked every time with different sound engineers for records , so personal keys for each sound texture of each album. " Utility of useless things" is eleven years ago now, and the pieces at the time was less speed and noise! We were satisfied every time for the sound, it fitted us! for " Reflect Your Pain " we did a vinyl mastering different and the sound is even better , much heavier and freezing! and on this album I put more despair for singing, which accentuated the effect of heavy atmosphere!

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

For themes of the songs , I went on this album about death, the double personality of an human being , the cerebral state of a person under the ground, on the pain, evil thoughts , hopelessness, mental distress , fall , assault we hear in our heads , the reflection of his image, loneliness and all that with time some glimmers of hope ! etc .. it was also a lot in connection with music. At the beginning of the musical writing I had my themes, then once we had the pieces , I harnessed the words , and it was a very important moment for me, I spent nights making that, to become crazy! and registration had to be given to the texts all this intensity! "Breath" for example , where I started alone on guitar and vocals and other instruments then arrives and ends with a female voice , I think this song is representative to make you want to spend as image of this album "Reflect Your pain"!

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Membrane'?

we chose the name " membrane " because it has several interesting definitions, and we wanted a short band name and thought that it sounded good. 15 years ago , when "Membrane" was formed , I was a fan of the film " Existenz " David Cronenberg and also films of David Lynch where music have a very important role in his films , so the name came pretty easily . A membrane is both a substance surrounding an organ, a cell but also a part of a vibrating transducer under the effect of an acoustic pressure , sound wave , and finally a sealing wall for separating the compartments, and acts as a diaphragm!

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The best shows are those where we played support with bands such as Unsane, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mouth of the Architect, Kylesa, Kong, Ufomammut  and more because you play with bands that you enjoy and you'll put the mental pressure! You are obliged to give you in depth, and you give all your energy on stage! and when bands members say to you "Crazy show guys", you become aware of the impact of your music! there is also a great time to the Eurockeéennes festival in 2004 !, it was our first big festival as musicians, a great moment! we were also younger! and then played Jr Ewing and Mono on the same stage! There is also an amazing time in Poland in Wroclaw (2010) where people were trans, cry, dance to our music and it was a crazy concert! full of emotions, I still have a lot of images in my head! and recently the European tour in May 2015 has strengthened us to defend our last album, the shows were more and more intense emotions, and scenic and visual expressions, we really found a symbiosis between us and we thoroughly!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

 Yes! We were a 10-day tour with Revok (band of paris) and others shows in April. You can see photos and comments all day of the tour: https://revokbuntaufgrau.wordpress.com/  We did some dates in eastern France too, and nearly the release party 2! at "Home" and a show in Switzerland (june 4). We seek a maximum of dates to promote the new album for the Automn (mainly in France) and we also think about another European Tour for next year.


7.The new album was released on Basement Apes Industries and Atypeek Music, can you tell us a little bit more about there labels?

Membrane Basement Apes Industries, this is a great "Love Story"! Fred Bouchet, the manager of the label, trusted us since the beginning, our first album was released in 2004! and since we are still working together! His ideas and his conception of the music industry correspond to ours. He was always there to promote the band, and edit all our albums, he worked on some album covers, too, it is always fully invested, and since its creation (in 2003), he worked with many groups, this year it is in its fiftieth out! He Has Worked very Actively for the release of the latest album. . Regarding Atypeek Music is a recent meeting, Christophe Feray followed us for a long time and contacts were made well before the album was finished, he trusted us on the production of the album, and we are very satisfied! The label Explored a surprisingly wide range of genres, principally Noise bands! digital media is important now because people are also increasingly linked to what is going on the internet via itunes, deezer, etc... People also another way to listen to music and discover bands. Atypeek Music Allows us to exist and to be distributed on digital platforms. Both labels have become complementary to us, and they worked together to also promote the album, and it also served to streaming the album for a week over "New Noise magazine" just before the official release.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of noise rock and hardcore?

The feedback is very good ! even better than before! we feel a clear evolution , social networks have played a big part! I'm on networks that only last year and this facilitates much better spreading our music and connections worldwide . I feel that people are really receptive to our music , I now correspond with people from Japan, Usa, Mexico, Brazil , Norway, Poland etc ... in our albums, there is always the fiber " Noise" !, our identity ! and I think we touch different people now , whether in the "Noise" , "Post- Hardcore" , "Rock", "Metal", "stoner" , "doom" , "sludge" etc ...

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

I think the band really found its guideline, we try to give all our emotions through our music , music is an exutoire / outlet and we will give the most attention . we already let's create other songs , with the same vein as Reflect Your Pain. We already play in concert, and we see that it sounds well, and we think even record a few songs at the end of the year. Always quite long songs , between 6 and 8 minutes each.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We listen different musical styles, whether of Pop to Death Metal ! We are all fans of Neurosis , Unsane , Breach and Amen Ra , so it plays a lot on our music. For me, I am a  Sonic Youth fan since adolescence, I always liked the saturated guitars !!! and I 've always had this attraction to "Noise Music" !!! I think this album has managed to distance with those great bands developing our own style ranging from the Noise and Metal, to have our own personality ... now we're listening the last album of Metz ! terrible !, also Kenmod , Wovenhand , Terra tenebrosa , Envy, Buildings and more, more ...

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Nico: red wine, the design of the fifties and sixties , skateboarding, BMX, the design/vintage market , and looking after my family
Alban : the great wild spaces , good drinks , my wife and my daughter .
Max : Tennis, horror movies , family.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

 In the future, near or far, we would be really happy to see membrane open a bit more to the world, that would be really fun to be able to come and play in England or even beyond Europe. The music is an important link between people, and allows you to meet so many different people at each place where you play . Strongly following the events !  Thank you for your interest in our music, it's a pleasure to see people put the ear on our "Reflect Your pain" album. THANKS

Obsidian Sea 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?

Anton: We are trying to spread it around, let people hear it and we’re busy making some live shows happen. Some new ideas are already starting to emerge but we’re taking our time with them

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 stuff you have released in the past?

Anton: I guess you can say the sound is still rooted in the traditions of what is called “doom metal/rock”, but with a dreamlike and sometimes uneasy air to it. I don’t know how others will feel, but to me it’s a quite introspective album that you can drift away to.

The main difference with what we did in the past is that we didn’t have the desire to stick strictly to the “canon” this time around. We gave ourselves more freedom with the songs and as we also had some line-up changes the sound naturally changed too.

When I look back, I feel the debut was much too straightforward and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, the current one is to put it simply, better musically. Of course, every band probably declares the same thing for their latest work, but I think there’s a lot more from our personalities put into “Dreams, Illusions, Obsessions” so it’s a more accurate representation of our band and the energy behind it.

3.This is the first album to be released in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time period?

Anton: First of all, we added a bass player (Ivaylo Dobrev) in late 2012 so I’d say we were getting used to writing and playing our music as a trio both live and in the rehearsal room, working out what sounds best for this line-up and of course, writing the current album. Three years between albums seem like a long time when we look back but it didn’t really feel that way especially when you consider the mundane day-to-day activities, work etc. that we have to deal with in order to keep the band going.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Anton: There isn’t a strictly defined concept but I think the album title fits quite well with what we are trying to achieve. In the end these are all stories about Man and his fate: his journeys inside his own soul and mind and the connection he has with what lies beneath the surface of our everyday existence – ecstasies, dreams, faith, the wanderings in which one could lose himself and become detached from his own beliefs and suffer.
This is probably not the common routine “reality” at first glance, but then again, this is what really matters and what defines us as humans, I believe.

The particular inspirations, I think, are not so important. All the lyrics are based more or less on our own life experiences so they might look distant and abstract to some, but for me the main goal as a lyricist is to evoke a certain mood, a subconscious and emotional reaction with them, rather than preach or “say” something self-righteous to someone which is to be understood in a literal way. I have no ambition to do that.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Obsidian Sea'?

Anton: Again, there isn’t a hidden “true” meaning behind it but when I came up with it I had this picture of the night starlit sky in my head. Subconsciously I’ve always associated music with the element of water, with the waves and the sea. So there you have it. I never felt that I have to explain the name to myself and to others, I think it just goes well with our music.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Anton: I haven’t thought too much about it. First of all, we haven’t played so many shows because there aren’t a lot of places in Bulgaria you can go and play especially outside of the capitol – Sofia - and we are just starting to arrange things for abroad.
Anyway, we’ve done memorable shows with 1000mods and Ufomammut (both great bands) but I believe we are getting steadily better live and for me personally our very last performance -  our album promo this April - was actually our best in terms of overall atmosphere (which is the most important in the end).

About the stage performance – we are not a band who tries to interact too much with the crowd or try to get them fired up or whatever – I’d say when we get on stage we enter our own little spaces and sometimes it feels a bit trance-like to me, so we try to accentuate that with the lights and with some little touches on how the stage itself is set. We don’t do anything really expansive or flashy – we just focus on the atmosphere and try to instill our own mood and temperament into those who watch us live.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

Anton: We are working on it. We have a couple of shows in Bulgaria planned for June and we were also invited to a fest in Serbia (you can look it up here: http://www.puljp.org/ ). Hopefully we’ll be able to do something of a mini-tour in some of our neighboring countries at least: Greece, Romania, Serbia, but that is still to be arranged properly. Anyway, if someone is interested in offering us a stage – we are open to any invitations, you know.

8.The new album was self released, are you open to working with another label again in the future or do you prefer the DIY approach a lot more?

Anton: Both ways have their good and bad sides. We worked with Solitude Productions from Russia for the first album and I cannot say we were unhappy with them but we wanted to try and do things ourselves this time in order to really know what’s happening and to have full control over the band’s dealings. It’s pretty hard work and we are still getting experience of how to do it properly, but we manage for now.
Anyway, we are not against working with labels in the future. We’ll see how people react to the album, it was released in 500 copies so I wouldn’t exclude even a future re-release if someone is interested, of course.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom metal?

Anton: It’s still early to say, but there are people from around Europe and the US who bought it and so far we’ve seen some positive reviews (one of them was yours for which we thank you, of course) so that makes me hopeful for the future. However things are not moving too fast, because we’re not the most well-known band in the style so we’re working on getting a wider distribution for the album. Things will happen in time.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Anton: It’s hard to say. I’m not really interested in doing the same thing over and over again. I’m happy with the current album’s direction and I think we still have some nice songs in us in that vein, but there’s not a lot of new material for now… We’ll see. It’s not unthinkable for me to do something completely different in a couple of years if we feel like it.
Actually from what I’ve seen, people really focus on the very traditional element of our music, which is nice, but I feel there’s an unusual atmosphere to it that you can catch if you really listen. It’s not straight “doom” or only “metal” to me and probably we’ll add more strangeness in the future.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Anton: Well, obviously the biggest influences are classic doom bands from the 70s and 80s like Trouble or Pentagram (you all know them) but also early Judas Priest albums, Budgie, Wicked Lady. I also like to listen to soundtracks quite often – Goblin and Fabio Frizzi, some stuff from John Carpenter or say, Angelo Badalamenti’s score for Twin Peaks all come to mind. But it’s an influence in terms of mood and approach to music more than anything.

Anyway, the list would take too long and I’m really not so sure what really goes into our playing so perhaps people would find some completely different similarities.

However I can say for sure that our current sound owes a lot to great Italian bands such as Black Hole, Paul Chain, Death SS or Epitaph.

Apart from all that, nowadays… I listen to almost the same as always, some of the things I mentioned already too. I’m pretty slow in discovering new music. Boring, I know, but it makes me feel comfortable that way.

I can say that one of the last bands I saw live was Wovenhand and I was really impressed...


12.How would you describe your interest in the occult?

Anton: It’s strange, because this is a question we are often asked in interviews, but the truth is we don’t have a real profound experience with it nor do I feel we need to pretend just for the sake of image like many others do.

However, if we expand the answer to whether we are interested in the nature of being, of the world, of ourselves and ultimately – in the truth which unites all this, then yes, we are, as everyone who is working through any form of honest inspiration is…

And I think knowledge and experiencing life are one and the same but knowledge should be approached with honesty and not pride and there are lots of paths to it, be it philosophical, esoteric, imaginative, creative or even the most simple of practical experiences, but it has to be done with pure heart.

And to be honest, I have found that even the experience of not simply “playing”, but actually letting music sound through you is often more profound than the very superficial “wisdom” some sources offer under the pretense of truth.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Anton: I don’t want to sound pretentious, but my main interest is living in an authentic way. I studied philosophy, graduating a few years back and I always had an interest in the ways of fantasy and imagination so this defines my taste in books and movies too.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Anton: Thank you for the interview and for showing interest in the band.
There’s no need to talk too much, music says it better anyway. Take care!

Goatsnake/Black Age Blues/Southern Lord Recordings/2015 CD Review

  Goatsnake  are  a  band  from Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  stoner  form  of  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Black  Age  Blues"  which  will  be  rleeased  in  June  by  Southern  Lord  Recordings.

  Pianos  and  clean  singing  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  and  after  a minute  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  direction  along  with  clean  singing  that  also  adds  a  70's vibe  to  the  recording  while  the  music  still  sounds  very  modern  and  the  later  tracks  bring  in elements  of  stoner  rock  and  sludge.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  harmonicas  in  certain sections  of  the  recording  which  also  adds  a  touch  of  blues  rock  to  the  album  and  when solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also add  more  of  a  stoner  rock/metal sound to  the  recording  as  well  as  enhancing  the  retro  vibe  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.    

  Goatsnake  plays  mostly  a  melodic  style  of  doom metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  70's  and  80's  but  also  mixes  in  elements  of  stoner  rock  and  sludge  along  with  a  more  modern  sound  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Life  Experiences.

  In  my  opinion  Goatsnake  are  a  very  great  sounding  stoner/doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Elevated  Moon"  "House  Of  The  Moon"  "Graves"  and  "A  Killing  Blues".  8  out  of  10.   

Exorcism/World In Sin/Dream Records/2015 EP Review

  Exorcism are  a  band  an  international  band  with  members  from  Serbia,  U.s,  United  Kingdom  and  germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in this zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "World  In  Sin"  which  was  released  by Dream  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along with  some  keyboards  in  the  background  that  also  appear  on  some  of  the  other  songs  as  well  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  all  clean  singing  done  in  an  80's  fashion and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a very  powerful  sound to them.

  When  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  remain true  to  an  old  school  and  traditional  style  of  metal  and  while  the  music  has  a  very  80's  orientated  sound  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  day  feeling  and  the  music  brings  in  Dio  and  Tony  Martin  era  Black  Sabbath  influences  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a slow  or  mid  paced  yet  heavy musical  direction  throughout  the  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  hard  rock  and  the  last  track  is  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Exorcism  creates  another  recording  that  goes  back  to  the  early  80's  styles  of  heavy  and  doom  metal  but  done  with  a  more  up  to  date  take, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording from  Exorcism  and  if  you are  a  fan  of this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Day  In  Paradise"  and  "Black  Star".  8  out  of  10. 

Barabbas 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?

« Messe pour un chien » was released, in november 2014. At that time, we did a mini tour in France with the Sweden doom masters of GOATESS (The « Sombre Novembre » Tour), that was a great experience and a real cool times with 4 fine gentlemen ! We also got in touch with a few labels but as of now, we did not find the « good partner », so the search goes on. The last gig we did was in Paris, on february, with the italian bands DOOMRAISER and SHORE OF NULL. The audience wasn’t huge, so bad for those who weren’t there because it was a great night of doom ! We have also begun working on new songs for our next album.


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 stuff you have released in the past?

The new album is still doom, but less « in your face » than the 1st ep « Libérez Barabbas »,
which was very Cathedral-influenced. « Messe pour un chien » incorporates a broader scope of influences (heavy metal, classic rock, prog, even punk). Oddly enough, it sounds nevertheless more personnal. The production is also better. Jay, our bass player, did a great job. At first, some of us were a bit uncertain about the new album because of the stylistic differences with the 1st ep. But we received a lot of positive reviews for « Messe… », much more than for the 1st ep, so I guess the evolution was positive.


3.The band has been around since 2007 but so far there has only been 2 albums, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

In fact, at first, we weren't even thinking about doing an album. In 2007, the idea was simply to play doom riffs for pleasure's sake, just having a good time making music with friends. When Rodolphe became our singer, around 2009, the band took a whole new dimension and we thought it would be cool to record something, so we did the 1st ep in 2011. After that, we did some gigs, began to write new songs, did some other gigs, ditch some songs and write new ones… And two years have passed : ) We all have families, regular jobs, so we can’t rehearse a lot and we are kinda slow in the songwriting process. It can be frustrating sometimes, but that’s the way it works for us. You know how the saying goes : if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it : )


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

In spite of the religious connotations of our name, we are not a « christian doom band », neither do we intend to preach something to the listeners.  We use religious images to express personnal feelings, in the same way Ronnie James Dio used « medieval » metaphors. For example, « Judas est une femme » is about love betrayed. « La beauté du diable » is about male lust. « Messe pour un chien » relates to the loneliness of a man on his dying day and more generally, to the rise and fall of anybody, how our greatest achievements will meant so little when Death will come. « Le sabbat dans la cathedrale » is simply about partying hard, getting high, doing strange things you would’nt do in everyday life (besides, it’s also very cool to have a title which pays tribute to Black Sabbath and Cathedral, two of our favorite doom bands : )


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Barabbas'?

It comes from the movie « Barabbas », made by Richard Fleischer in the 60s, with Anthony Quinn playing Barabbas. The film focus on the life of Barabbas, a thief, a bad guy, after he’s been set free instead of Jesus. Slowly, Barabbas will question his fate : why did he get a second chance, while another man, a good guy that some see as the son of god, has been crucified ? So Barabbas will try to find the meaning of all this. Of course, the movie doesn’t end well for him (that wouldn’t be doom : ). All religious aspects asides, this movie appealed to us because, like Barabbas, we are all trying to find a meaning in what can sometimes appear as a meaningless universe.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Regarding our stage performance, we try to keep it intense, to put all of our physical and spiritual energy in each gig. If you don't sweat, it's no good : ) Of course, the reaction of the audience is capital to our implication, it’s an exchange between them an us, like getting energy from the crowd and give it back to it. We are fortunate enough to have Rodolphe as a front man. He is a real performer and the driving force of BARABBAS on stage. When he is « on », we feel strong and confident because he’s a real powerhouse. So far, the best gig we did was probably at the DOOM OVER PARIS VI festival in 2012, with ATARAXIE, ISOLE, MARCHE FUNÈBRE ans CHAOS E.T. SEXUAL. The reaction of the crowd was fantastic. The gig we played in Rennes (Britanny, France) with GOATESS during the Sombre Novembre Tour was also really great.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

No touring plan for the moment. To be honest, we’d like to, but it’s really hard to plan a tour when you’re not backed by a label or a gig promoter. So right now, we are focusing on the gigs we will play in the following month, the main event beeing the FALL OF SUMMER, in september, a big fest taking place near Paris with tons of great black / death / trash / doom bands sharing the stage for two days. We are really happy and proud to take part in this fest. So far, we only did gigs in France, but we would be glad to play outside of our country. If an Irish promoter is interested…


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and doom metal?

« Messe pour un chien » has received real cool reviews from some European countries (Germany, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, England, Ireland…), US and Russia. We have also a fair amount of foreign followers on Facebook, and we do sell a part of our cd outside France. Generally, foreign listeners appreciate French singing, they tend to find it kind of « exotic », while many French people dislike bands singing in French. It’s odd, but we did have French doomsters asking us after a gig why we sing in French. Go figure : ).




9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Time will tell ! We have just begun to work on new songs and we don’t even know if we will keep them for the next album. For each record, we wrote more song than the ones we used. It can be frustrating sometimes, but the N°1 rule in the band is that everybody must be pleased with a song or else, we throw it away. Besides, having a whole bunch of songs helps you to get a global perspective on what you want to achieve with a particular record, it helps you develop some sort of « concept », including the sound of the album, the cover… Three things are certain : we’ll keep it heavy, we will use French language, and we’ll continue to write songs, within the traditional structure « verse / chorus / verse ». We  always try to write melodies, songs you can sing along to (granted, we don’t always succeed : )


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

BLACK SABBATH, CATHEDRAL, SAINT-VITUS, PENTAGRAM are probably the more obvious. Those are our first influences. But we don’t listen exclusively to doom metal, or even metal : Rodolphe is also very found of southern rock, Jay and JC dig punk and hardcore, Stéphane likes classic rock…  So I guess all these styles do influence our sound, even slightly.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Watching movies (and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we prefer horror / sci-fi movies, it seems to be a general trend of the metal communauty), reading… and food, of course (hey, we are French : )


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you very much for this interview. Support the French doom / stoner scene, there are lots of real great bands worth a listen : THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND, HUATA, NORTHWINDS, CULT OF OCCULT, ATARAXIE, FUNERALIUM, PRESUMPTION, FATHER MERRIN, WHEELFALL, AKASAVA, FANGE, LYING FIGURES… And all those we forget ! DOOM ON !