INTERVIEWS
UNSILENCE INTERVIEW WITH LYCOS ZINE (ENGLAND) 2000.
1/ Hi Kieron! How's things with Unsilence at the mo?
Hello Sam! Things are cool with us at the moment. We recorded our MCD two months ago and we're happy with it. By far our best recording yet! We've been taking it easy since but now we're starting to make preparations to release the MCD in January. We're also looking for a new guitarist and getting a web-site organised.
2/ You have just finished recording a new MCD right? What can you tell us about it? What will it be called? Have you decided on track names and suchlike? How different is it to your previous release?
We recorded the MCD during September at Academy studio. It was engineered and produced by Mags and Mark Brooks. It looks likely to be titled 'Transfiguration' and contains the following tracks: "Our Final Autumn", "The Gallery", "Once were Embers". We are pleased with how the MCD has turned out. As well as production and playing, I would like to say that the main improvement is in the song arrangements. We spent some time trying to hone them up and changing parts where needed. I would also say that the material is heavier and more aggressive, but also more melodic and atmospheric. We are releasing the MCD ourselves, as we're sick of labels fucking us around. We should have it out by January.
3/ You are also looking for a new guitar player as well? What happened there?
We sacked out guitarist Paul Gemmell just a few weeks before entering the studio. His playing wasn't quite up to it. He was slow at learning stuff, which placed extra demands on me. There was also some personal stuff. (I did all the guitars on the MCD). We have already auditioned a guitarist who is quite promising. We should be auditioning s few more. We are going to keep things open for a short while before we decided on who to take on. We need to get the right person and not make the mistake we made taking Paul on.
4/The most immediate association I make with Unsilence is Noise, but presumably that's not the interpretation you put on it? Why the name and what does it mean?
I suppose the name Unsilence could be open to a number of meanings. To me it means awakening the deeper emotions which we expressing our music. We originally thought of 'Unsilent' but we thought that somebody else would also think of it, so it became 'Unsilence'.
5/ You don't seem to think much of the metal scene in your local Bolton do you? Like to tell us about it?
I guess it's all right compared to other places. There are people into it, but it's more mainstream stuff. There are some people into the underground. There is also X Records here, which has a really good underground section. But as you know there's a greater concentration of bands here (or members of bands) like Subvexation, Nightmare Visions and us. Also there's a couple of friends who have a band called Body Harvest which should be gigging soon. They play more groovey death metal. Only our vocalist and myself live here. Our drummer's from Saddleworth and our Bassist lives in Oldham. We usually say we're a Lancashire band.
6/ And what is your opinion of the UK scene in general?
It is as good as ever, though I haven't heard too many new bands lately (nice to hear someone not slagging it off for a change - Ed.). I think The Enchanted and In Dying Grace show promise. There hasn't been any bands breaking through in the way MDB, Anathema or COF did a few years ago.
7/ The UK is/was known for supplying some very big name doom bands, MDB, Paradise Lost and Anathema to name a few. What do you think of the more recent releases of these bands and can you comment on the evolution of the doom metal style?
Although a lot of people have slagged Paradise Lost's recent direction, I thought that One Second was quite a strong album. I found it darker than some of their preceding 'metal' albums. Gothic is still their peak (Damn right it is! - Ed.) I've yet to hear their new album. The last MDB was also very good and retained a lot of their style despite being different. Their new one is supposed to be right back to their roots so it'll be interesting to see how they pull it off (pretty well really - Ed.). Anathema also do what they do well. I prefer certain songs of theirs more than others. It seems that some Doom type bands are moving away from their metallic roots but maintaining their melancholy. For us, the positive thing about this is that it gives us more room to do our thing. No matter how we progress, we'll still be a heavy guitar based band.
8/ You think there is any chance of you becoming 'just another British doom band'?
We are concerned that we may be perceived as such. But as long as we write and play to the highest possible standard and try to create our own vibe, then we should be right. That is the key really, to create our own vibe. We could have all the same things like doomy melodies (or avoid them). But it's how we make them our own that counts. I would say we're more than just a doom band. We have influences in Death metal, black metal and Heavy metal, etc.
9/ Your previous album was supposed to be released on Seven Art Music in Italy, but it didn't happen. What actually went on there?
We recorded our first album 2 years ago (97). But then Seven Art underwent problems with distributors and things were caused by their naiveté, such as giving top much to their main band Having Tears and Withered Flowers at our expense. The deal was terminated a few months ago and Seven Years Music has ceased to exist. We may put the album out ourselves on a small run. It depends on what interest there is and what money we have. But the MCD is really more important now.
10/ I hear you filmed a live video to promote the Choirs of Memory album, (the one that wasn't released - Ed.'s note) which is somewhat unusual for a band with few releases. Did it ever see the light of day?
It's not quite how it sounds. When we supported The Blood Divine in Bradford during January '98, Purity Cries were on and their guitarists girlfriend was filming their gig and I asked her if she'd film ours, which she did. The quality would be a good bootleg at best, but filmed through 2 cameras. But she didn't edit it and we've yet to see it. I would have sent it to Seven Art and they made a thing about how they'd have used it for promotion.
11/ Who writes the lyrics in the band? Is there a recurring theme to them?
They're mainly written by Andrew (vocals), but I've started but I've started writing some. There isn't really a recurring theme. We just write based on our observations and emotions.
12/ Last words?
Thanks for the interview. See you soon!
A FIRE ON THE SEA
The new album
from Unsilence, out now on Nine Records (Poland). Availible on CD and
download, click here to order.
UNDER
A TORN SKY
The debut album from
Unsilence, still available on CD, Vinyl and download. Click here
for more info.