Heya Raul, things are fine, we are still working on the LP layout and the shirt, but things are going well. Reviews are coming in too, so everything goes slowly but surely in the right direction..
2. If I’m not wrong you’ve recorded the new opus in cooperation with the American label called Paragon Records. What made you to sign with them and tell us if some other labels were interested to sign you, because I know that the previous one was recorded for Barbarian Wrath?
After we had recorded “On Wings ...” we wanted to improve our working conditions. Barbarian Wrath weren’t able to help us with that, but Paragon Records are. They are reliable, they believe in what we’re doing and they’re professional. They proposed the best conditions for “From Arcane Fires” and kept every single word!
3. Could you please introduce us “From Arcane Fires” by telling us the necessary technical details, also don’t forget to reveal us the story behind each track of it!
OK, I’ll try. We recorded and mixed the album during March/April 2008 at the “Rape of Harmonies” studios in Schmölln/Triptis. We recorded in an almost live environment with few takes and even fewer overdubs to keep the spontaneous atmosphere of the recordings.
The first track “Devil’s Tongues” deals with the loss of our mother tongue and culture in general. “She is ever a moon” is a bit more cryptic and references a special kind of inspiration. “Down winding stairs” deals with fate and our relation to its weavings. “Blood & Honey” is our call for resistance. “Song of the moth” could be seen as our ode to passion, wrath and glory. “All souls’ night” deals with the time in the year that’s named as the title. And the last track “Muspilli” is the scoring of an ancient German text. I won’t tell more about the songs as people should read the lyrics and find their own interpretation.
4. Tell me please what CD artwork represents and if you find that this is the most interesting one to represent your lyrical content and band’s musical lines!
We have chosen a couple of things which represented aspects of the album and put them together in a kind of anti-still life. I think they show some of the root themes of our music very well!
5. A lot of people said that Anael’s present musical style fits more with an underground black metal compared to your previous materials which were orientated to something a la Samael. I mean that now you are more directly instead a darker music you’ve done in the past. Could you tell us please what is all about with this musical orientation?
First of all, I don’t agree at all with this perception! The new album is darker than everything we’ve done in the past. It isn’t more direct; it just has a bit less of a heavy and thrash metal influence. And we don’t give a flying fuck what people regard as fitting for us, as long as it’s metal and we can express ourselves through it, we go for it! Our demos and our first album had a significant Samael influence, amongst many other influences. And I’m pretty sure that the whole Samael influence people hear nowadays is solely based on our band name. And I’m sick of this crap!
6. Compared to the previous albums how do you see the present one and what is the major difference between them in your point of view?
The major difference of “From Arcane Fires” is that I wrote the songs based on an acoustic guitar, to make them work independent from any particular sound. And it’s darker, more atmospheric and more breathing because we recorded most of it live.
7. After the recording sessions did you played some concerts to promote the album or you’re still waiting the summer to cross the Europe with some other bands? Are you satisfied with Paragon’s job, do you think that the stuff out there considers Anael as a priority or they have some other bands to pay attention?
We are going to promote the album live as much as we have the opportunity to do so. However we’re not an easy band, we’re not everybody’s darling or labelled as “cult”. That means that there are just a few good offers for shows. But if there are enough people wanting to see us we will come, that’s a promise – and a threat!
For sure Paragon Records have quite some other good bands to pay attention to, but we get a great promotion and are in exceptional good contact, so it is a pleasure to work with them
!
8. I assume that you’ve received a lot of reviews until now! Are you satisfied with the feedback?
Reviews have been quite good, that’s right, so I’m satisfied. I don’t care too much about the reviews though. I rather look forward to future projects instead of hearing people rave about things past.
9. As the main person behind Anael do you consider that this combo is like an expression of your personality? Can you tell us more about your philosophy and the occultism behind Anael?
Maybe to some extent. However, there are 4 persons involved in the band so I rather like to see our music as the sum of all band members’ contribution. This is valid for the lyrics too, I write all of them, but I wouldn’t include anything we can’t all stand for. I can’t tell much about our philosophy, maybe you can ask a bit more specific? Our philosophy on what exactly do you mean?
10. 8 years after the band’s foundation do you think that there are a lot of other things to do with your band? In your point of view where are you standing in today’s German extreme metal scene?
Well, first of all it’s 10 years in December. Yes, there is still a long way to go for us. We have achieved quite something in our book, but there are always new shores we haven’t been to yet. Honestly, I don’t care where we stand in relation to any scene. We are doing what we feel to be right, without caring much about scenes. All I know is that there’s a lot of promising metal in Germany as everywhere else, and it’s good to see still some new interesting bands.
11. Can you reveal us a few of your future plans concerning your live activity, also what can we expect from Anael in the near future as a musical direction?
See question 7 for that. About the future musical direction, I don’t know, we’re trying to not repeat ourselves. This means that we will always change and evolve a bit, stability through change! I already have a couple of things in my mind, which might even see the light of day in 2009 as we’re celebrating a decade of existence.
12. Unfortunately we are closing to the end, so… if you want to add something do it now!
Good luck with your webzine! Thanks for your support and keep the arcane fires burning! And: don’t hesitate if you have any further questions in the future.
