“Thall Is Tone, Ambience And a Genre If You Want. Everything I Do In Mirar Is Inspired By Vildhjarta And HLB, so Based On That I Think We Have a Lot In Common.”
Q1: Can you start by telling us how Mirar got started and where the name Mirar comes from?
【LEO】: I started Mirar in France just after finishing my music studies. I was planning to go live in Norway. So I posted an ad in the YouTube description of the song Lisette. “If you are Norwegian and want to be part of the project, send me a message on Instagram. » Marius contacted me and we started making songs together. I’m very lucky to have met him, he has a lot of imagination, is very talented and I can’t imagine doing Mirar with anyone else. He is no ordinary metalhead. He is very open to different styles and quickly knew how to make the project more interesting.
The name Mirar comes from Degenesis, a German role-playing game book about the world’s rebirth after an apocalypse. Mirar is a place in Spain where you can see into the past and into the future.
【MARIUS】: I stumbled upon Mirar on YouTube. Lisette popped up on my YT page and had to check it out because of the picture. I was instantly blown away of what I heard. I read in the description that “if you are a musician based in Norway and want to be part of the project, message me on Instagram please!”. So i had to send him a message since I’m from Norway and really wanted to get to know the person behind this madness. We started talking and worked on “Madeleine” together, and after Annonciation I joined Mirar as a official member.
Q2: What kind of music did you yourself grow up listening to?
【LEO】: My father was a musician and there were often musicians at home. I grew up listening to Django Reinhardt, American jazz and a lot of Eastern European music, like Toni Iordache.
Then I discovered Slipknot at 11, it was my first musical love. especially the first two albums. (I don’t really like the rest of their discography, it’s like it’s another band)
Then I went to Fnac to listen to all the metal records. I especially remember Gojira, Suicide Silence, Korn, and Meshuggah.
After high school I studied musicology, I discovered the great composers. I first listened a lot to the polyphonies of the Renaissance (Ockeghem, Thomas Tallis, Josquin Des Prés, Machaut, Palestrina, etc.) and the songs of the Middle Ages.
I also go to see dub and dubstep concerts.
Then I immersed myself in Henry Purcell, Bach, Vivaldi, Rameau, Couperin, Lully, and in a very different style, Rachmaninoff. They are still my favorite musicians today.
I don’t know why, I’m less sensitive to the classical period. But I really like modern musicians like Arnold Schoenberg and Ligeti.
At the same time I discovered “Masstaden” by Vildhjarta, and fell in love.
Then, I went to a Jazz school. I did a lot of solos there, and learned a lot of American standards. My favorite jazz musicians are Coltrane, Eddie Costa, Herbie Nichols, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Raney and I love the aesthetic developed by Lennie Tristano Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh.
Today, Bach is my favorite musician. And I listen to Subtronic a lot.
【MARIUS】: My parents plays clarinet and trumpet, so I grew up listening to a lot of orchestral/film music like John Williams and Hans Zimmer. I played the Cornet for 5 years, but after picking up the guitar I started listening to metal. Slipknot and Korn was the first bands I got really obsessed with. But after getting more into music production I didn’t really listen to metal anymore. I enjoyed listening more to music like Flume, Skrillex, Hiatus Kaiyote and Flying Lotus because of the sound design, complex chords and wonky rhythms. After producing for a couple of years I wanted to get more into songwriting and started listening to Indie music. Artists like Mild High Club, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tame Impala and Mac Demarco. But when HLB dropped Abyssal in 2019 I was shocked. That was everything I wanted in metal music, heavy, complex, dark and top tier production. I got obsessed and revisited all the previous albums. Then Vildhjarta released måsstaden under vatten and i was shocked again.
Q3: I have the impression that France is a country that embraces Japanese culture, anime, video games, and music. Are you influenced by such Japanese culture?
【LEO】: Yes, it’s true that many young French people are interested in manga, anime and video games.
Personally, I was very impressed by the film “Spirited Away”. But unfortunately I don’t know Japanese culture very well.
Q4: From the early to mid-2010s, Djent was booming tremendously. However, the saturation of bands and the uniformity of the music industry have caused the boom to fade away. Why did you jump into this genre at this time?
【LEO】: I love Meshuggah, but I haven’t listened to Djent. I don’t like it. I didn’t jump into the genre. I’m.
【MARIUS】: Im not a huge metal head, I mainly listen to indie and jazz music. But I have almost exclusively been listening to Vildhjarta and HLB the past 5 years. There is no metal music that inspires me except those two bands. So naturally that’s the genre I want to exist in.
Q5: I often see the word thall used as a genre for you guys. However, I don’t think thall is a genre. But I am sure that you guys and Vildhjarta have something in common, would you agree? What’s thall to you?
【LEO】: Thall is just a game between Calle and Daniel. Yes, I listened to Vildhjatra billions of times, everywhere, in the mountains, at night, by the water, during the storm, it transported me to another world. I felt like I was exploring an enchanted world.
Their guitars sounded like creatures, like witches. it made me see landscapes, forests haunted by little elves. I didn’t have an analytical approach, I could just let myself be carried away. I was so addicted that I wanted to compose the sequel to TOE. Especially when they’ve been missing for years. I wanted to compose in their style because I was so frustrated that they weren’t releasing music. I have dozens of Vildhjarta style riffs in my computer, I spent years trying to imitate their sound, no matter if I had no personality. So, thank you Vildhjarta !
【MARIUS】: Thall is tone, ambience and a genre if you want. Everything I do in Mirar is inspired by Vildhjarta and HLB, so based on that I think we have a lot in common.
Q6: Still, “Mare” is a great album! The chugs that tend to be monotonous and Djent-like are really violent and intelligent, sometimes really atmospheric with classical elements woven into them. As can be said for the artwork, was one of your goals to bring medieval elements into metal?
【LEO】: I used classical music pieces because that’s what I listen to the most at the moment. We use these paintings because they are beautiful, and we can use them for free. Plus, it goes well with the baroque music we use.
Q7: You have used Caravaggio’s work in your artwork before, why do you like his work? Is your use of “Judith Beheading Holofernes” a metaphor for the dark times we are once again living in?
【LEO】: Currently, Caravaggio is my favorite painter. I love its chiaroscuros, and its Christian theme. But we didn’t think of a metaphor for the EP cover.
Q8: Djent has often been described as an inorganic genre, but you guys skillfully portray awe, fear, loneliness, and sadness. Is it a revolution for you to bring these emotions to Djent?
【LEO】: I don’t think we do Djent. It’s not a revolution, many musicians express these emotions.
【MARIUS】: I don’t really think about feelings when making music. It’s only based on what I think sounds cool in that moment. Maybe subconsciously my feelings are portrayed in the music, but I can’t really tell what they are before the songs are released.
“Prog Metal Is Not Dead, It’s Finally Getting Recognized. Music Should Be an Experience And Something New And Our Hope Is We Deliver That.”
DISC REVIEW “THE CRUCIBLE”
「SHADOW GALLERY はいつか復活する。そう信じているよ。僕らの最初の大きなブレイクは、日本の放送局やマサ伊藤のような人たちが、最初の数枚のレコードを強く支持してくれたからこそ起きた。だから僕は、そうしたプロモーターと日本をとても愛しているんだよ。日本のファンは、それほど選り好みしないし、新たな音楽の味に飛びつく準備ができている。日本のファンは音楽とバンドに投資してくれる。HARPAZO でもチャンスを掴めたら、そして僕が持ち込まずにはいられない SHADOW GALLERY の強固な影響をここで聴いてくれたらうれしいね」
SHADOW GALLERY は誠実なバンドでした。音楽のためだけに生きたバンドでした。旋律と構成の妙を追求し尽くしたバンドでした。プログ・メタルの理想形を体現したバンドでした。だからこそ、オリジナル・ボーカル Mike Baker の死は大きな衝撃で、彼の遺産を残した2009年の “Digital Ghost” が今のところバンド最後の作品となっているこもが残念でなりません。SHADOW GALLERY は今も存続していますが、彼らの音楽は15年もの間、”石に刻まれた” ままなのです。
「プログ・メタルは死んでいない。ついに認知を得てきているんだ。DREAM THEATER はグラミー賞を受賞したばかりだし、彼らの曲はどれも6分以上ある。僕たちのファンになってくれるのは、同じようなレシピに飽きた人たちなんだ。音楽は体験であり、何か新しいものであるべきで、僕たちはそれを提供したいと願っているんだよ」
しかし例え、SHADOW GALLERY がその “遺産” の中に住み続けていようと、心配はいりません。バンドの中心人物でマルチ・プレイヤー Gary Wehrkamp が彼の一番弟子 Marc Centanini を引き連れて復活の狼煙をあげました。”プログ・メタルのレミゼラブル” と評される HARPAZO で、彼らはトレンドとは真逆の複雑性、長尺、旋律美で現代のリスナーに新たな選択肢をもたらし、ロック・オペラ、プログ・メタルの再評価を促します。
「HARPAZO のポイントは、ジャンルの枠を超えたバンドを作ることだった。ロック・オペラは、マスターするのが難しい特別な芸術形態だけど、うまくいけば、リスナーはヒット・シングルだけを聴くのではなく、アルバム全体を考慮に入れて聴かざるを得なくなる。各曲は次の曲を強化し、コンセプトを構築するものでなければならない」
例えば、AYREON の “Human Equation” のように。例えば、AVANTASIA の “The Metal Opera” のように。例えば、MEATLOAF の “Bat Out of Hell” のように。HARPAZO の “The Crucible” はまさに音楽の “るつぼ” であり、アーティストのるつぼ。FATES WARNING の Mark Zonder をドラムに、ROYAL HUNT の DC Cooper をリード・ボーカルに迎え、プログ・メタルの黄金スカッドを完成させた HARPAZO は、そこに “演者” という名の多様なボーカリストたちを加えて美しくも狂おしいメタル・オペラを上演しました。
「”ファイナル・ファンタジー7″ をプレイして完クリし、悪名高い9999の限界突破とナイツオブラウンドを手に入れた。”ファイナルファンタジー・タクティクス”、”タクティクス・オウガ”、”サガ・フロンティア”、”スター・オーシャン”、”クロノ・クロス”、”ゼノギアス”、”エルデンリング”、”ダーク・ソウル”、”ドラゴンズ・ドグマ” などに夢中になったよ。これらのゲームにはすべて、英雄と巨悪が登場する。HARPAZO のストーリーと似ているのは間違いないね」
機械の体、機械の知能を求めた人類のディストピア。さながら銀河鉄道999のようなトランスヒューマニズムなストーリー・ラインは、実際、日本のゲームやアニメから大きなインスピレーションを得ています。それだけではありません。この世界に降臨した新たなヒーロー Marc Centanini は、桜庭基や植松伸夫を筆頭とする日本のゲーム・コンポーザー、音楽家たちからも影響を受けています。つまり、この HARPAZO という未曾有のメタル・オペラは、SHADOW GALLERY を発見し育んだ日本のファンに対する素晴らしき贈り物でもあるのです。
今回弊誌では、HARPAZO にインタビューを行うことができました。「”Tyranny” は僕にとって特別なアルバムだと思う。というのも、このアルバムの制作には、バンド・メンバー全員が様々な面で全面的に関わっていたと思うからだ。僕たちの影響力の偉大さを感じることができるし、そのチームワークはいつも僕の心に語りかけてくる」 どうぞ！！
HARPAZO “THE CRUCIBLE” : 9.9/10
INTERVIEW WITH HARPAZO
Q1: You have gathered a truly amazing group of people. Can you start by telling us how Harpazo came to be?
【MARC】: Hello Sin at Marunouchi Muzik Magazine and Japan! I was a Shadow Gallery / Prog metal fan before I met Gary and I was a self-practiced writer and guitar player. I was into writing epic narrative story poetry and I was looking for a guitar teacher who could teach me guitar and songwriting. We accidentally found each other on social media and I realized that he only lived about 1 hour from my home. I decided it was worth the drive to take lessons from one of my heroes. For a few years, I took lessons from him and then I told him why I was pursuing lessons. He decided to help me make it part of guitar lessons. I brought in some riffs, lyrics, story, music and ideas for how I wanted the songs to specifically sound and he helped me bring that to life. Gary is a musical genius who is great at all instruments that I’ve seen him play. We started to discover that our fun recording sessions were becoming special and so Gary offered his services to help me bring “Harpazo” to life.
【GARY】: Marc had a grand idea to create a concept album with this story. We developed it together into songs, but it was his narrative and lyric writing. I acted as his director or producer. Clearly, we needed different singers for the various characters, so we made lists and ended up with a great cast of singers to tell Marc’s storyline..
【MARC】: やあ、Marunouchi Muzik Mag の Sin と日本のみんな！Gary と出会う前はプログ・メタル、そして SHADOW GALLERY のファンで、自己流のライター兼ギター・プレイヤーだったんだ。壮大な物語詩を書くことに夢中で、ギターと曲作りを教えてくれるギターの先生を探していたんだよね。そんなとき、僕と Gary は偶然 SNS で知り合い、彼が僕の家からわずか1時間ほどのところに住んでいることがわかったんだ。
もちろん、僕はヒーローの一人からレッスンを受けるためにドライブする価値があると思ったよ。数年間、僕は彼からレッスンを受け、その後、僕がレッスンを受けている理由を彼に話したんだ。すると彼は、ギター・レッスンの一環として作曲を手伝ってくれるようになった。僕がリフ、歌詞、ストーリー、音楽、そして具体的にどう聴かせたいかというアイデアを持ち込むと、彼はそれを実現する手助けをしてくれたんだ。Gary は音楽の天才で、僕が見た限りではどの楽器も素晴らしく操る。僕たちは、楽しいレコーディング・セッションが特別なものになりつつあることに気づき始め、Gary が HARPAZO に命を吹き込むために力を貸してくれたんだ。
【GARY】: Marc は、この物語でコンセプト・アルバムを作るという壮大なアイディアを持っていた。私たちはそのアルバムを一緒に曲にしていったんだけど、これは彼の語りであり、作詞作曲なんだ。僕は彼のディレクターやプロデューサーの役割を果たした。様々な登場人物に別々のシンガーが必要なのは明らかだったので、リストを作り、Marc のストーリーを伝えるために素晴らしいシンガーのキャストを揃えることができたね。
Q2: I have read the narrative synopsis of “The Crucible” and it is very interesting! It is a dystopian story in the near future, but it seems to incorporate things that are happening today or have happened in the past. Is this story, in a way, a lesson and a wake-up call for humanity today?
【MARC】: This story delves into the threat of the transhumanist movement that is growing in the world. It’s a movement that states they want to cut away biological realities they find undesirable and create a new world of godhood. Futurist and former head of technology direction at Google, Ray Kurzweil, a transhumanist activist, has written numerous books about how with nanobot injections we could merge humanity with machine and achieve essentially immortality. Recently, a video from Yemeni “science communicator” Hashem Al-Ghaili entitled “EctoLife: The World’s First Artificial Womb Facility” recently went viral, discussing “bioreactors” that may soon supplant mothers and enable investors to “genetically engineer” prospective children. They want brain implants that may one day soon help the blind to see and the disabled to walk, all great things but at the installation of some version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT could be used as a stand-in for thought control and rapid intelligence systems.
Right now, entertainment AI technologies such as Suno, Midjourney, PIKA, Chatgpt, and others are doing their very best impressions of us humans. AI is able to paint flawed but beautiful pictures in seconds, write our children’s college essays and produce songs about our trip to the grocery store. In the corporate world, AI is used to enhance and make up for our own communication flaws and turn them almost perfect. We see it everywhere now and the true pushers and funders of this technology have a goal and that is a world without their death.
Everything I am discussing didn’t even exist when I wrote the lyrics to Harpazo’s story but were absolutely predicted correctly by many futurists. It’s actually happening faster than I and many have expected. I don’t think there is a way to stop this powerful and growing movement but some of us may have a choice to make later on in our lives – we can either embrace it and become slaves to a new system or we can fight back and try to keep our humanity. Progressive governments want to control us and companies want control us for profit and power – and if you try to fight against that they will silence you and you will be cut off from algorithms. That’s what happened to us, Youtube’s algorithms said our music video had “gambling” and for 3 weeks our marketing campaign for our band, that we put thousands into, was stopped. Where is our restitution for what the AI did to us? It took weeks to rectify. How many people will never now know Harpazo because of that.
Q2: “The Crucible” のあらすじを読みましたよ！近未来のディストピアの物語ですが、現在起こっていること、あるいは過去に起こったことが盛り込まれているようです。この物語はある意味、現代の人類に対する教訓であり、警鐘なのでしょうか？
Q3: In this day and age, we have the instant culture of social networking cutouts and music streaming. I applaud you for creating an epic 71-minute concept album in such an age. Can you tell us why you went against the flow of the times to create such a work?
【GARY】: I have never been a fan of “format.” We didn’t set out to do this project for money or fame. Simply put, we had a story to tell, and we were going to allow no restrictions within the music or songs to tell it. Remaining in an open ended progressive rock format allowed us the freedom to allow the music to match the plot.
【MARC】: When we started this project back around 2010, TikTok wasn’t really a thing. Social media was still getting started as a powerful promotion tool for bands. You will hear from many bands, such as Kamelot, say that concept albums aren’t worth their time any more because of the culture change. You also hear that people only want short songs.Yet, some of the most iconic songs live on in infamy and that aren’t 3-4 minute quick hitters (Bohemian Rhapsody, Shine on you Crazy Diamond, Freebird etc). We wrote the album the way we wanted to based on what interests us. We like arrangements, we like instrumentals, we love exploring different sounds, and we like taking our listeners on a melodic journey. We don’t want you to just listen to our singles, we want you to love our entire album because it’s a puzzle that goes together – which means it was really important that we made incredible songs and opuses that have huge payoff for the listener emotionally. Prog metal is not dead, it’s finally getting recognized. Dream Theater just won a grammy and each one of their tracks is over 6 minutes long. Of course we will advertise on all platforms but the people who are going to become our fans are those who grow tired of the same ol’ same recipe. Music should be an experience and something new and our hope is we deliver that.
【MARC】: 僕らがこのプロジェクトを始めた2010年頃は、TikTok なんてまだなかったんだ。SNS は、バンドにとって強力なプロモーション・ツールとして、まだ始まったばかりだった。
KAMELOT のような多くのバンドが、文化の変化によりコンセプト・アルバムはもう価値がないと言っているのを耳にする。しかし、最も象徴的な曲の中には、3～4分のクイック・ヒッターではない曲、”Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Shine on you Crazy Diamond”, “Freebird” だってある。僕たちは、自分たちが何に興味があるかに基づいて、自分たちがやりたいようにアルバムを書いた。アレンジが好きで、インストゥルメンタルが好きで、いろいろなサウンドを探求するのが好きで、リスナーをメロディックな旅に連れて行くのが好きなんだ。シングルを聴いてもらうだけでなく、アルバム全体を好きになってもらいたいんだ。アルバム全体がパズルのように組み合わさっているからね。
プログ・メタルは死んでいない。ついに認知を得てきているんだ。DREAM THEATER はグラミー賞を受賞したばかりだし、彼らの曲はどれも6分以上ある。もちろん、僕たちはあらゆるプラットフォームで広告を出すつもりだけど、僕たちのファンになってくれるのは、同じようなレシピに飽きた人たちなんだ。音楽は体験であり、何か新しいものであるべきで、僕たちはそれを提供したいと願っているんだよ 。
Q4: When one thinks of metal operas featuring many singers and guest musicians, Ayreon and Avantasia come to mind. But your music is more like a full-fledged opera, would you agree?
【MARC】: I definitely think right now we are firmly in the rock/metal opera style because of a few key differences. When I think of opera, I think of a theatrical stage with all of us wearing wigs and capes that go whooshing around as we sing in Italian (btw Gary would totally have a rad black cape). None of the singers, at least not I am aware of, are classically trained nor do I want them to sing like that on Harpazo. I also think of full orchestration – usually guitars are not in opera which is a shame!
A musical typically has a lot of dialogue and acting on top of having music on a stage. Musicals can often include elaborate acted fight scenes and set devices like fire and smoke that actors can dramatically use to “disappear” off set – looking at you“Phantom of the Opera”! Now if you asked me what I think the show would be like on stage – definitely more of a musical – like Ayreon’s ‘Live Equation’ he did for ‘Human Equation’.
The point of Harpazo was to create a band that pushed the boundaries of the genre beyond what they are. Rock Operas are a special art form that is difficult to master but when done right, forces listeners to take the entire album into consideration to be heard rather than just the hit single. Each song should strengthen the next song and build upon the concept but also be good enough to stand on it’s own. It’s very difficult to do but we enjoyed the challenge immensely.
Q5: Speaking of opera, Japanese games, such as Final Fantasy and Eldenring, have a sense of opera and fantasy. You are influenced by such Japanese games, music, and anime, aren’t you?
【MARC】: Absolutely! When I became a teenager I got very much into video games and was drawn to japanese role playing games. After a while, falling down a sewer hole in Mario got boring after the 50th try, I longed for a story. I find parallels to my story to a lot of these j-rpg games unintentionally. I played and beat ‘Final Fantasy 7’ and got the notorious 99:99 and the knights of the round table. I fell in love with Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Saga Frontier, Star Ocean, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Eldenring, Darksouls, Dragon’s Dogma etc. These games all feature a hero/s and a great evil. You can definitely see similarities with Harpazo’s storyline.
I didn’t just love these games, but I listened to the soundtracks and my love of the composers such as Motoi Sakuruba (who has an incredible Prog Rock music), Nobuo Uematsu, Hitoshi Sakimoto have been so inspirational. While I was writing the album, I would find mood setting tunes to help me construct the lyrical parts of the album and listen to them on repeat until I forgot they were playing. Songs like “Theme of the Black Knight”, “Antipyretic”, “Reflected Moon”, “One Winged Angel” – have so much emotion. I also love polish Adam Skorupa of the Witcher 2 game and American composer Jack Wall of Mass Effect. As for as Japanese bands, you’ve got to mention Galneryus, X Japan, Sigh, and a newer smaller band that I love, ‘Imari Tones’.
As for Anime, I was a Toonami kid and loved shows like ‘Outlaw Star’, ‘Dragon Ball’, ‘Gundam Wing’, ‘Yu Yu Hakushou’, ‘Cowboy Bebop’, ‘Attack on Titan’, ‘Vampire Hunter D’ to name a few. I occasionally check out a show here and there or a movie like ‘Demon Slayer’for example. There is just a lot to love here and a lot of these series have stellar world building, these shows make characters you care about and the stakes are always high. Again, like the Harpazo album. Speaking of which – would possibly be a great manga if someone wanted to give it a try!
【MARC】: もちろん！10代の頃、僕はビデオ・ゲームに夢中になって、日本のロール・プレイング・ゲームに惹かれたんだ。しばらくして、マリオで下水道の穴に落ちるのが50回目くらいで飽きてきて、ストーリーに憧れるようになった。僕の書くストーリーは、知らず知らずのうちに多くのJ-RPGゲームと類似しているんだ。
“ファイナル・ファンタジー7″ をプレイして完クリし、悪名高い9999の限界突破とナイツオブラウンドを手に入れた。”ファイナルファンタジー・タクティクス”、”タクティクス・オウガ”、”サガ・フロンティア”、”スター・オーシャン”、”クロノ・クロス”、”ゼノギアス”、”エルデンリング”、”ダーク・ソウル”、”ドラゴンズ・ドグマ” などに夢中になったよ。これらのゲームにはすべて、英雄と巨悪が登場する。HARPAZO のストーリーと似ているのは間違いないね。
日本のゲームが好きというだけでなく、サウンドトラックも聴いていて、桜庭基（素晴らしいプログ・ミュージックの天才）、植松伸夫、崎元仁といった作曲家たちへの愛情をもっている。彼らは僕にとてもインスピレーションを与えてくれたよ。アルバムを書いている間、僕はアルバムのリリカルな部分を構成するのに役立つムード・セッティングの曲を見つけては、それが流れているのを繰り返し聴いていた。”Theme of the Black Knight”、”Antipyretic”、”Reflected Moon”、”One Winged Angel” のような曲はとても感情的だ。”Witcher 2″ のアダム・スコルパや “マス・エフェクト” のアメリカ人作曲家ジャック・ウォールも大好きなんだ。日本のバンドでは、Galneryus, X Japan, Sigh, そして僕が好きな新しい小編成のバンド Imari Tones がいるね。
アニメに関しては、僕は Toonami (Cartoon Tsunami) キッズで、”アウトロースター”、”ドラゴンボール”、”ガンダムW”、”幽☆遊☆白書”、”カウボーイ・ビバップ”、”進撃の巨人”、”ヴァンパイア・ハンターD” などの番組が大好きだった。時々、他の番組や、例えば “.デーモン・スレイヤー” のような映画もチェックする。こうしたシリーズの多くには素晴らしい世界観があり、気になるキャラクターが登場し、賭け金は常に高い。HARPAZO のアルバムのようにね。そういえば、もし誰かがこの作品の漫画に挑戦したければ、素晴らしいものになるかもしれない！
Q6: Shadow Gallery’s last album was “Digital Ghost” in 2009. Of course, there were some unfortunate events, such as the passing of Mike Baker and the fire in your studio, Why have you not released anything for such a long time?
【GARY】: We enjoyed focusing solelyon bringing our music to some festivals and to Europe on a couple of tours. We rewrote new endings and arrangements to segue songs together with greater zest and punch. That was a fun thing to do over the course of a few years. We planned on resuming and started writing again but have not yet since been ready to move forward with definitive material.
Q7: “Carved in Stone” is a very important album for me, as it was my first introduction to the world of prog metal.
There are 6 albums in Shadow Gallery, can you tell us which one is your favorite and why?
【GARY】: I am honored that “Carved” was your introduction. That was an extraordinary time writing that record. As far as favorites, They are all special to me, and the first one, released just before I joined the band, has always been one of my most listened-to (aside from listening while working on it.. I think “Tyranny” is a unique record to me because I believe every bandmate was fully involved in many aspects of creating that record. I can hear this great degree of all of our influences, and that team effort has always spoken to my heart.
Q7: “Carved in Stone” は、私にとって、プログ・メタルの世界に初めて足を踏み入れた、とても重要なアルバムです。SHADOW GALLERY には6枚のアルバムがありますが、あなたはどのアルバムがお気に入りですか？
Q8: Shadow Gallery was often compared to Dream Theater at the time, even though you were very different. How did you feel about that comparison? Did their Grammy win expand the possibilities of prog metal?
【GARY】: How could I not be honored to be compared to such a monumentally incredible band. Please compare away! Those guys are the best! While I couldn’t say how much, their Grammy was a great thing and hopefully opened up new doors for those who need to become more familiar with this style of music.
Q10: Is there a possibility that Shadow Gallery will start up again? Japanese fans are really looking forward to your visit to Japan!
【GARY】: It is difficult to say, but I believe so.
Our first big rise was seeing Japanese stations and people like Masa Itoh strongly endorse our first few records. I love these promoters and Japan so much. The fans in your region are not so picky and ready to jump ship for the next fleeting flavor of music. They invest in the music and the band. I am in the band because I initially auditioned to be an extra member who would play Guitar and keyboards and sing for a tour of Japan in the early 90’s. When the label told us that the priority was finishing a second album first, the other members just asked me to join as a full member and write and record the next one. I am also grateful for that. I hope they take a chance on HARPAZO and hear the robust SHADOW GALLERY influence that I cannot avoid bringing.
When I heard ragtime in Fatal Tragedy, I was absolutely hooked. It was absolutely my favorite record for many years…until I got ‘Images and Words’ and ‘Awake’ and was introduced to the genius of Kevin Moore’s lyric writing.
“Fatal Tragedy” でラグタイムを聴いた時、完全に夢中になった。”Images and Words” と “Awake” を手に入れて、Kevin Moore の天才的な作詞作曲を知るまではね。
Ayreon “Human Equation”
this album really introduced me to rock opera’s on a completely different level. Love is a song my wife and I still sing together occasionally. It also just has really impactive poignant lyric writing that matches well with it’s folky dark sci-fi vibe that just take you into this “Black Mirror” like world where it’s just all a simulation. That was a dirty trick by Arjen haha!
I have to say, I wasn’t much of a power metal fan before I heard this band in the early 2000s. Nor did I know the greatness of Roy Khan’s vocals before this band. The song writing of Thomas Youngblood and Roy was stellar, the drums by Casey were killer and fast, and the keys by Oliver and bass by Glenn – great job all around to create this modern telling of the story of faust. Black Halo/Epica are t near flawless power metal albums.
2000年代初頭にこのバンドを聴くまでは、パワーメタルのファンではなかった。このバンドを聴くまでは Roy Khan のヴォーカルの素晴らしさも知らなかった。Thomas Youngblood と Roy のソングライティングは素晴らしく、Casey のドラムはキラーで速く、Oliver のキーボードと Glenn のベースは、ファウストの物語を現代に伝える素晴らしい仕事だった。Black Halo/Epicaは、ほぼ完璧なパワー・メタル・アルバムだ。
Fates Warning “A Pleasant Shade of Gray”
This album is like poetry on a level I had never heard before. Song structures were nearly abandoned and it was just one long song. “Let nothing bleed into nothing, and do nothing”. Jim Matheos seriously is underrated writer and how could I not mention’s Harpazo’s Mark Zonders work on that album. I always hated how there wasn’t a clear storyline so I created my own in an epic 14-page poem that went along with the music. Underrated album!
このアルバムは、今まで聴いたことのないレベルの詩のようだ。曲の構成はほとんど放棄され、ただ1つの長い曲になっている。”何もないところに何も出血させず、何もしない”。Jim Matheos は過小評価されている作家であり、HARPAZO の Mark Zonder のこのアルバムでの仕事の素晴らしさを挙げないわけにはいかない。ただ、明確なストーリーがないのがいつも嫌だったので、音楽に合わせて14ページの壮大な詩を自分で作ったんだ。過小評価されているアルバムだ！
(MARK)
PINK FLOYD “THE WALL”
was my most extensive game-changing record. Combining a concept album with diverse styles, sounds, and sound effects – all seamlessly running one song directly overlapping the next- has been endlessly inspiring to me.
showed me that you didn’t need a three-minute song to make a strong impact. Having a dozen different sections of music that returned creatively to any other part was not only acceptable, but it was also invigorating and inviting. You will hear that on albums like Amaran’s Plight’s “VOICE IN THE LIGHT” or this new HARPAZO record, as well as some SHADOW GALLERY songs.
強いインパクトを与えるのに3分の曲は必要ないことを教えてくれた。他のどのパートにも創造的に戻ってくるような、何十もの異なるセクションを持つ音楽は、それでも人々に受け入れられるだけでなく、爽快で魅力的だった。Amaran’s Plight の “VOICE IN THE LIGHT” やこの HARPAZO の新譜、SHADOW GALLERY の曲のようなアルバムでそれを聴くことができるだろう。
AYREON “THE ELECTRIC CASTLE”
This was back in the day when I would get a lot of music from fans, magazines, and their writers by cassette in the mail. A writer named Larry Daglieri sent me some cassettes in 1998 with bands such as SAVATAGE and many others I didn’t know. One group of songs moved me. When I asked him about that, he told me I was referring to a new AYREON album that came out around the same time as Shadow Gallery’s “TYRANNY” record. I contacted Arjen Lucassen to tell him how much I liked it, and we became terrific friends and made numerous appearances on each other’s albums and side projects.
I heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the radio when I was about to leave for the school bus stop in the morning in 1975. I was in Kindergarten. I wouldn’t leave the house until the song was over. My mother may have been impatient, but she saw something in my eyes and let me listen to the whole thing. Of course, neither of us expected it to go on for so long. Still, this song remains a game-changer for me. “The Prophet’s Song” would also be a solid motivating song for me years later.
GARY: Thanks for taking the time to listen to progressive music. I hope many of you accept and adopt this album as much as we have. Thank you always for your support!
MARC: Hello to our friends in Japan! We are Harpazo, and we are thrilled to share our new progressive metal epic rock opera with you: “The Crucible.” This album is a powerful blend of intricate rhythms and evocative melodies, crafted to take you on a profound musical journey. “The Crucible” is a story told through music, filled with emotion and intensity that we hope will resonate deeply with you. Each track is designed to offer something unique, revealing new layers and surprises with every listen. We warmly invite you to join us and embrace this musical adventure that your incredible culture helped inspire. We are excited to connect and make new fans in Japan and look forward to sharing this experience with you. Open your hearts to our music, and let “The Crucible” become a part of your life. We welcome you with open arms.
EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH JEFF LORDS OF CRIMSON GLORY !!
“To Me, Progressive Suggests Innovation, But If a Given Band Tries To Innovate Or Change Too Much, They Will Be Discredited Because They Ventured Too Far Out Of The “Prog” Box. I Find That As Sad As I Do Ironic.”
Q1: I am very happy you are back! Can you start by telling us why you decided to come back after 10 years?
【JEFF】: There was never really a decision to not come back. But we know that in order to do so it requires timing and of course the right singer. Ten years prior to now after having toured Scandinavia with Todd LaTorre as our singer, we had plenty of momentum, so the plan was to take a short break and then to jump straight into songwriting mode. However, not all parties involved chose to be present for these writing sessions. Over time, this led to frustration for those of us who were present, mainly Todd, who was eager to write new songs with the band. When it became apparent that we were forced yet once more into hiatus, a few of us stayed occupied with our various solo and side projects. It wasn’t until a mutual friend of the band introduced us to a Greek singer who could not only mimic Midnight, but he copied his whole persona, mask and all. We’d do Zoom meetings and this guy would be in full stage garb. As one could imagine, we found it a bit odd, but the bottom line is that there was some friction when it came to the direction of the material. There was also some overreach, which we saw as a red flag.
Q2: Crimson Glory has broken up and reunited several times, but when you last split up in 2013, was it because Todd LaTorre was brought over by Queensryche?
【JEFF】: As mentioned in my previous answer, Todd had become discouraged over a situation in which not every band member was making new songs a priority in their life. This is not to say that the rest of us were not disappointed as well; we were, but sadly, this was not the first time that the plug had gotten pulled on the band because of certain lifestyle choices that are sadly common in this business. Unfortunately, a hiatus was nothing new to us. But about the time that it became clear that things would once again become stagnant, we found out that, yes, Todd in fact agreed to team up with some of the guys in QR who had sought him out, or he sought them out, I’m not sure which. But it’s a moot point, because to answer your question, Todd did not leave CG to join QR; he left because of the “inertia” of CG, which I believe is actually the word that Todd himself used to describe it.
Q4: Speaking of prog metal, after you guys came Dream Theater and Meshuggah, and in recent years the Djent movement. How do you feel about the evolution of such technical music and prog metal?
【JEFF】: While I’m keenly aware of how recording and producing music has evolved over the years, honestly, I’ve been out of the loop when it comes to how it’s changed stylistically. The truth is, I stopped listening to heavy music long ago. I know that may seem strange, but this is just how things have evolved for me. One thing I do notice is that many fans of what’s termed “progressive” rock or metal are unbending when it comes to what they listen to. To me, progressive suggests innovation, but if a given band tries to innovate or change too much, they will be discredited because they ventured too far out of the “prog” box. I find that as sad as I do ironic. But the bottom line is that music is subjective and everybody likes what they like.
Q5: However, I also love “Strange and Beautiful” and “Astronomica,” which are away from such “prog metal” style of music. How would you rate the earlier and later albums?
【JEFF】: On S & B, the stylistic change came about mostly because of two reasons, the first of which was Midnight’s voice having suffered because of lifestyle choices he made that affected him physically. The other reason is that he and Jon were living together during that time period, and thus, they were collaborating the most. Given that one of Midnight’s influences was Led Zeppelin, this might explain how/why when the two of them started writing together, the songs on S & B had more of a bluesy feel, versus the style that was established on CG 1 & 2. Of course, another crucial factor was Jon’s aspiration to be the only guitarist at that time. As far as rating our albums, I’m not really in the business of rating my own works, but I do prefer the style we established on 1 & 2 more. All of my contributions for the upcoming return of CG should reveal that I prefer that style, a style that I injected into the band from the onset. As for Astronomica, that album captured a little bit of that style, but it seems like it didn’t appease the diehard Midnight fans enough, albeit, Wade did the songs justice with the style he brought to the table.
【JEFF】: “Strange & Beautiful” でスタイルが変わったのは主に2つの理由がある。ひとつは Midnight の声が、ライフスタイルの選択によって身体的な影響を受け、苦しくなったこと。もう1つの理由は、その時期、彼と元ギタリストの Jon Drenning は一緒に住んでいて、そのため、彼らは最もコラボレーションしていたからだよ。Midnight の影響のひとつが LED ZEPPELIN であったことを考えると、2人が一緒に作曲を始めたとき、ファーストとセカンドで確立されたスタイルに対して、S＆Bの曲はよりブルージーなフィーリングを持っていたことが説明できるかもしれないね。
もちろん、もうひとつの決定的な要因は、当時 Jon が唯一のギタリストになることを熱望していたからだ。
私たちのアルバムの評価に関しては、まあ私は自分の作品を評価するような仕事はしていないけど、ファーストとセカンドで確立したスタイルの方が好きだね。今度の CRIMSON GLORY の復活のために私が提供したすべての曲は、私がそのスタイルを好んでいることを明らかにするはずだよ。”Astronomica” に関しては、再びそのスタイルを少し取り入れたアルバムだったけど、熱心なミッドナイト・ファンを十分に満足させることはできなかったようだね。
Q6: Crimson Glory has been wonderful with all the singers over the years as the musical style has changed. But maybe, Midnight, who has passed away, is still very popular. How would you feel the individuality of each vocalist?
【JEFF】: Few people realize that Midnight was originally intended to sing on some of the Astronomica demos. He declined. We sought out Wade when we saw him perform with his band Lucian Blaque. Jon got his number and kept it. When Midnight declined, we called Wade. As mentioned, I think Wade did the songs on Astronomica justice. But I think our new singer, Travis Wills, is a better fit, especially if we’re making comparisons with our original vocalist, Midnight.
Q7: “Triskaideka,” the first song to be resurrected, is a really wonderful piece of music! Can you talk about the new Crimson Glory, reborn with new members, your new musical and lyrical philosophy?
【JEFF】: As mentioned, the new CG will be a deliberate return to the style that put us on the map to begin with. However, it will also reveal how we’ve all grown as musicians, as will it hopefully demonstrate how it’s possible to stick to one’s roots while adding a contemporary edge. To stay strictly focused on recapturing the past would not allow growth as an artist. Conversely, to stay strictly focused on being trendy and current would have its drawbacks, too. So, it’s definitely a balancing act. Right now my musical philosophy is to partake in this balancing act. In my other band, Gods of Centaurus, I don’t have to think in terms of a certain time period. Not that doing so is a bad thing, there’s just certain things I have to keep in the back of my mind when writing CG material. Between both bands, I get my creative needs met. I consider the balancing act in CG a challenge, and with new singer Travis Wills and new guitarist Mark Borgmeyer, there should be no looking back. Everyone is a seasoned player, and equally if not more importantly, everyone is down to earth. That goes a long way in this business.
【JEFF】: 新しい CRIMSON GLORY は、最初に私たちをメタルの地図に載せたスタイルに意図的に戻ることになるだろう。しかし、同時に私たち全員がミュージシャンとしてどのように成長したかを明らかにし、現代的なエッジを加えながらもルーツに忠実であることが可能であることを示すことができればと思うよ。
過去を再現することばかりにこだわっていては、アーティストとして成長できない。逆に、トレンディであること、時流にこだわりすぎるのも欠点がある。だから、バランスを取ることが大切なんだ。今、私の音楽哲学は、このバランスを取ることにある。私のもうひとつのバンド、GODS OF CENTAURUS では、特定の時代にとらわれる必要はない。そうすることが悪いというわけではないが、CRIMSON GLORY の素材を書くときには頭の片隅に置いておかなければならないことがある。そうやって両方のバンドの間で、私は創造的な欲求を満たしているんだ。
CRIMSON GLORY でのバランス感覚は挑戦だと思っているし、新しいシンガーの Travis Wills と新しいギタリストの Mark Borgmayer がいるので、後ろを振り返ることはないはずだよ。みんなベテランのプレイヤーだし、それ以上に重要なことは、みんな地に足がついているということだ。それがこの業界では大きな意味を持つのだから。
Q8: Crimson Glory is famous for its masks, but this time the area of the mask has been reduced, giving the impression of being more stylish. Why did this mask change happen?
【JEFF】: The original masks were full face and were the brainstorm of Jon and our former manager. At the time, it seemed like a publicity stunt. However, it did create a mystique which got us the cover of many music magazines. The problem was that we looked like mannequins because of the complete lack of facial expressions. When we were traveling in a van somewhere in Europe on our first tour, there was a music magazine with the band Duran Duran on the cover sitting on the seat. This was before cell phones, mind you, so, sitting there bored out of my mind I grabbed a silver sharpie, started doodling and drew half-faced silver masks on each guy, making each one a little different than the other. I showed this to somebody, I forget who, but they thought it was a good idea. Going forward we started cutting our full face masks diagonally, each one a little differently than the other. This was the era between the release of our debut and Transcendence, hence, the evolution of the full face masks to the stylized half face masks on Transcendence. With the return of CG, it just seemed appropriate to return to the look of the era in which the masks were born, except with a more modern look.
In Anime, and video games, not so much. Japanese food? I love it. As for music, I think Band Maid is a great band, with special props to their drummer, Akane. And I like Waggakki, too. Very cool act. I dig the Shamisen player.
We’ve been to Japan before and we love it there! Quite a few stories, not all of which I’m at liberty to go into, but there was one incident where a few Japanese fans actually flew back to the states with us just so they could be seated next to us for the ride. Now that’s devoted fans! We love the Land of the Rising Sun and hope to return!
“If You Play Jazz, You Should Listen To Metal. If You Play Metal You Should Listen To Jazz. If You Play Country You Should Listen To Classical, You Know What I Mean?”
LEVIATHAN
「地上の愚かさで人間の狂気に勝るものはない。水にはすべての人を惹きつける魔力がある」
2004年。今から20年前の夏、メタル・リフに革命をもたらし、リフの歴史を変えた2枚のアルバムがリリースされました。MASTODON の “Leviathan” と LAMB OF GOD の “Ashes of the Wake”。奇しくもその20年後、2つのバンド、2つのアルバムは邂逅し、共に旅をはじめます。
“Leviathan” で MASTODON は現代的なリフの可能性、つまりリズミックな挑戦を追求しました。言いかえれば、MASTODON と LAMB OF GOD の登場で、一般的なメタルのリスナーまでも複雑さを包容し、欲しがり始めたともいえます。そうした意味でも、”モダン・メタル” における MASTODON の貢献は計り知れません。では、そうした複雑さ、”プログレッシブ” な影響はどこから現れたのでしょうか？
「特に70年代のプログレッシブ・ロックに影響を受けた。例えば、”Colony of Birchmen” という曲名が “The Colony of Slippermen” へのオマージュであるように。GENESIS の “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”。あのコンセプト・アルバムは僕の一番好きなアルバムなんだ。
赤ん坊の頃から僕の人生の大部分を占めている。僕の両親は初期の GENESIS に夢中だった。母の昔のバンドは “Supper’s Ready” をよくカバーしていたんだ。僕にとって GENESIS はおばあちゃんのミートローフのようなもので、最初の数音をピアノで聴くと心が安らぐんだ」
Brann はドラマーとしても Phil Collins の大ファンです。
「彼のドラミングは大好きだし、彼が出した Peter Gabriel 以降のアルバム、”Abacab” も好きだ！GENESIS のドラマーとして、彼は驚異的だと思う。
多くの人が彼のことを “GENESIS をダメにした男” としか思っていなかったり、偉大で革新的なドラマーというよりは、ジャケットとネクタイ姿のラウンジ・シンガーとしてしか知らなかったりする。
僕が Phil Collins と Stevie Wonder が好きな2人のドラマーだと話すと驚かれるよ。多くの人は Stevie Wander が自分のアルバムでドラムを叩いていることさえ知らないんだ。ドラムは彼が最初に手にした楽器なんだ。Stevie は、Peter Gabriel, David Bowie と並んで、僕の一番好きなミュージシャンだ」
加えて、ジャズからの影響が MASTODON の複雑さと重さの架け橋になっています。
「ジャズで影響を受けたのは Elvin Jones, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams。この3人がトップ3だね。この3人のキットの動かし方が好きなんだ」
まさにモダン・メタルの多様性。では、メタル・プレイヤーにとって、ジャズを学ぶことは重要なのでしょうか？
「僕も勉強したことはないけれど、ミュージシャンとして一般的に何でも聴くべきだと思う。ジャズを演奏するなら、メタルを聴くべきだ。メタルをやるならジャズを聴くべきだ。カントリーをやるならクラシックを聴くべきだ。もし音楽をやっているのなら、音楽的な状況やセッティングに入るときに、自分が何を話しているのかを知っておくべきだからね。そうすれば、何が何に合うかを頭の片隅に置いておくことができる。あらゆる種類の音楽について一般的な知識を持っておくべきだ。世の中にはどんなジャンルにも宝石がある。それを探すんだ。Willie Nelson のように、多くの人がその音楽について語り、クラシック・アーティストとして賞賛されていれば、きっとその音楽は素晴らしいものであるはずだ。今はピンとこないかもしれないけど、後でピンとくるかもしれない。
若いうちは少し閉鎖的になりがちかもしれないけれど、あるスタイルの音楽に対して “絶対ダメ” とは言わない方がいいと思う。たとえ好きでなくても、その音楽について何か知っておくべきだと思う。13歳か14歳の頃、スラッシュ・メタルをよく聴いていたんだけど、その時は家では他のものを聴いていることを認めることができなかった。聴いていたけど、カッコつけてたんだよな」
THE MARS VOLTA のメンバーだった Jon Philip Theodore と比較されることも多い Brann。
「Jon は僕の相棒なんだ！ライブで知り合ったんだ。彼は僕の親友で、よく話をする。僕らのスタイルは絶対に似ていると思う。初めて Jon の演奏を聴いたとき、いろんな意味で自分を思い出したよ。似ているところがたくさんあると思うし、彼のスタイルが大好きなんだ。彼は本当に流動的で、最高においしいビートを持っている。彼がキットを動き回る様子はとても流動的で、でも僕には彼がやることすべてが正しい場所にあるように思える。ドラマーに聴かせたいものは何でも、彼がやってくれる。彼は私を幸せにしてくれるんだ」
とはいえ、MASTODON には怒りや激しさだけがあるわけではありません。
「妹は僕が15歳の時に自殺した。妹は14歳だった。それから13年。僕が心の中に抱えていたすべての痛み。姉を失った痛みはいつもそこにあった。TODAY IS THE DAY では怒りが込み上げてきた。それ以降は、怒りたくない。MASTODON で活動を始めてアトランタに移ったとき、個人的に大きな癒しがあった。それには MASTODON が大きく関係している。それが、”Remission” を作った大きな理由のひとつだ。Remission とは、許しと癒しという意味だ。MASTODON が助けてくれた。人生に起こった多くのことを許してくれた」
彼らの音楽が複雑になるにつれ、バンドは “Leviathan” ほど直接的な攻撃性を見せることはほぼなくなりました。だからこそ、シンプルかつ強烈な “Blood and Thunder” のメイン・リフを思いついた瞬間は、まさに奇跡でした。MASTODON 流 “Paranoid”, “Enter Sandman”, “Highway Star” のようなアンセムで、シンプルで、即効性があり、誰も否定することはできません。
「”Blood and Thunder” の最初のリフが出来上がったとき、全員が部屋に集まって、100時間演奏し続けたよ！」
Brann に言わせれば、バンドはあのリフで宝くじに当たったようなもので、そこからリスナーは MASTODON に病みつきになるのです。
“Blood and Thunder” が天才的なのは、その原作である “白鯨” のエッセンスを巧みに抽出しているところでもあります。”Blood and Thunder!” という絶叫自体が、18世紀に一種の誓いとして生まれたもの。小説では、ペレグ船長が叫び、彼が所有するペコッド号の乗組員たちに、エイハブ船長の指揮の下、急いで出港するよう促す呼びかけの言葉でした。
1984年の “Powerslave” に収録された IRON MAIDEN の名曲 “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” が、基本的にコールリッジの同名の詩を自分たちのために書き直したのとは異なり、MASTODON は白鯨をテーマのバックボーンとして使用しています。”Aqua Dementia” （ボーカルは NEUROSIS の Scott Kelly）では、彼らはさらに踏み込んで、船室の少年ピップがクジラ船から飛び降り、一時的に海に捨てられている間に精神に異常をきたした経験を詳しく説明しています。
「水とか火とか、いろんなものを使いたかった。純粋な攻撃性も欲しかったし、美しさも欲しかったし、すべてが混ざり合っていたかった」
EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH LUCA DELLE FAVE OF SEVENTH DIMENSION !!
“I First Discovered Japanese Culture Back In 2014. Actually It Was Back When Babymetal Was Starting To Become Big In The West And I Was Part Of The Early Bandwagon Of European Fans.”
Q1: First of all, I was surprised to hear that you have lived in Japan for four years! Why are you so closely connected to Japan?
【LUCA】: I first discovered Japanese culture back in 2014. Actually it was back when Babymetal was starting to become big in the west and I was part of the early bandwagon of European fans. So I went to see them live in several of their first European shows and by doing so, I met plenty of Japanese people for the first time in my life. I was struck by their kindness, respect and humbleness. I then made many Japanese friends within that community which eventually brought me to visit Japan in early 2015. I was there for a month and I completely fell in love with this new world I had found, which led to my decision to commit to become fluent in Japanese and live there. It might sound cheesy for some, but I found a lot of peace in Japan and discovered a lot of what I value in life by living there. I’m back in Sweden now for various reasons, but Japan is always a second home to me.
Q2: After living in Japan, how do you feel about the Japanese music and metal scene? Were there any artists you particularly liked?
【LUCA】: My friend listens to a lot of Visual Kei, so he tried to get me into a lot of stuff haha. But ‘Girugamesh’ had a lot of really great music. Ulma Sound Junction is also a great band! I know them because they played with us when Seventh Dimension played at Wild Side in Tokyo in 2019. But the thing I love the most about the music scene in Japan is that, despite the genre, playing music with actual instruments is still the main way to perform and record. While I feel that so many genres in the west have abandoned that for complete replacement by programming. So I like that big human factor still being strong, even within pop music.
Q3: Does Japanese culture, anime, video games, history, and music influence your work?
【LUCA】: Culture sure does when it comes to many of the lyrical ideas I get recently. My wife, who is Japanese, recently introduced me to a famous Japanese poem called 雨ニモマケズ and it stayed with me because I recognize a lot of it’s content in many Japanese friends I have. It also made me realize how much life in Japan has helped form some of my ways of thinking. And all these things surely make their way into our music sometimes. I also studied orchestration & arrangement and graduated at SHOBI College of Music in Tokyo, so a lot of what I learned there has been applied to our new album.
Q4: Still, “Of Hope & Ordeals” is a great piece of work! Can you start by telling us the meaning of the title and the artwork with the Final Fantasy-like crystals?
【LUCA】: The title came about a year ago. I suggested the title to the guys in the band on Midsummer’s Eve last year, which is a big holiday here in Sweden, once the general topics and lyrical ideas were already set in motion. I realized a lot of them dealt with hardships but also finding light at the end of the dark tunnel. So this title popped up into my head, and it really connected with everyone. When it comes to the artwork, one of our main ideas from the beginning was to have an album where we “paint with many colors”. So we wanted each song to have its own vibe and color. So each color represents a song, and then every color is also found again within the 6 chapters of the final song. Originally in my draft art, it looked more like a sunflower, but we knew early on we wanted to have things like stones or crystals. The labyrinth in the middle represents the album title. In other words, we wanted to symbolize the word “Ordeals” with the feeling of being stuck in a labyrinth trying to find your way out to the colors that represent “Hope”. The labyrinth also felt very fitting for the genre, since with prog you never really know what’s behind the corner, where the path will lead you or how long the path is.
Q5: This is truly an “Ordeals” time in the world, where war, division, and oppression are rampant. In such a world, what can music do and what can music be “hope”?
【LUCA】: I think hope, or peace, is always achievable, because more often than not it is the result of a mindset. Sometimes hope and ordeals are codependent on one another, as in we can’t fully appreciate hope and peace unless we’ve experienced struggle and hardship. A certain mindset can also hinder you from finding peace, such as being caught in greed for example which then becomes this hunt for a goal line that constantly moves away from you the closer you get to it, almost like the horizon. But music is definitely a wonderful tool when we struggle with these questions. They often offer a remedy, a temporary relief or even help us deep dive into answering these questions. I think that musical stimulation combined with human interpretation leads us to a very special and meditative place of self reflection.
Q6: What’s more, in such a dark world, perhaps the fantasy of metal and prog as an escape from reality is what the world needs most right now?
【LUCA】: That’s exactly it! And sometimes an escape is what we really need. This is really why I love big long songs such as Black Sky: Final Frontier on this album. Long pieces like that really make you temporarily forget about the world around you.
Q7: Your cover of ” A Change of Seasons” was wonderful! It’s true that your music is influenced by Dream Theater, especially the atmospheric feeling of the Kevin Moore and Derek Sherinian era before Jordan Rudess joined the band. Would you agree?
【LUCA】: Oh absolutely! For us, Dream Theater is a huge influence, there is no denying that. However we probably mostly grew up with the Jordan era of Dream Theater actually, which is my favorite era in general around 2000-2011. This is also of course because that is when I became a musician, fell in love with music, discovered prog and discovered all my favorite bands. I guess a person’s favorite era of music is always the era that took place whenever they were around 20 years old, haha. However we are of course big fans of DTs early Kevin Moore-era as well, and ‘A Change of Seasons’ is my favorite song of all time which is also why we covered it.
Q7: “A Change of Seasons” のカバーは素晴らしかったですね！
あなたの音楽は DREAM THEATER、特に Jordan Rudess が加入する前の Kevin Moore や Derek Sherinian 時代の雰囲気から影響を受けているように感じました。
【LUCA】: もちろん！僕らにとって DREAM THEATER の影響はとても大きい。でも、僕たちは Jordan 時代で育ったんだ。2000年から2011年ごろかな。それはもちろん、僕がミュージシャンになり、音楽を好きになり、プログを発見し、好きなバンドを見つけた時期でもあるからだ。
人の好きな音楽というのは、常に20歳前後のときに体験した時代なんだろうね。”A Change of Seasons” は僕の一番好きな曲で、それがこの曲をカバーした理由でもあるんだ。
Q8: It is important to note that your music is technical and progressive, yet has very catchy melodies. Prog and metal music is not the most popular music, but with such melodic beauty, is it possible to gain great popularity through buzz on social networking sites and TikTok?
【LUCA】: We sure hope so! Haha. But I think we always wanted our music to sound proggy but at the same time being very listenable prog. We might go to odd places within our chord progressions sometimes or have long songs, but I never want a song to feel long, with the exception of ‘The Dreamer’s Escape’ on our third album which is purposely designed to feel long. But there’s a common goal I want to achieve when it comes to having long songs, writing an odd chord progression, writing in odd time… And that is that I always want it to feel smooth and natural. Unless there is a conceptual/lyrical/story reason for it not to do so.
Dream Theater “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory”
Symphony X “The Odyssey”
Porcupine Tree “Fear of a Blank Planet”
MESSAGE FOR JAPAN
Japan, you are my second home, now and forever! Playing in Japan with Seventh Dimension in 2019 was the best show of our career and we definitely want to come back and do a proper tour. We love you, I love you and we shall see you again! And when we do, we shall prepare a bunch of incredible setlists to make it an unforgettable tour!
“Metal Comes From Rock. Rock Comes From Blues. Blues Comes From The Blacks Deported To America. The Very Basis Of Metal Comes From Home. Metal Is African!”
DZIKKUH
トーゴ出身のメタル・バンドが、世界に羽ばたこうとしています。Arka’n Asrafokor は、メタルの激情とトーゴの音楽遺産を見事に融合させています。同時に、彼らはモダン・メタルの多様性を理解して、ファンク、ラップ、サイケデリックなタッチを混淆し、地球という唯一無二の美しき星へ音楽を捧げているのです。
3月末。Metal Hammer が週間ベスト10曲を発表しました。このおすすめリストは、通常、北米とヨーロッパのアーティストが独占しています。しかしその週は、メタル界のレジェンドたち、Ozzy Osbourne や Serj Tankian に混じって、トーゴのバンド Arka’n Asrafokor がシングル “Angry God of Earth” でランクインし、ガラスの天井を打ち破ったのです。この曲は、竜巻のようなスラッシュで始まり、儀式的な香りを匂わせる催眠術のようなテクスチャーを召喚。生のメタルと西アフリカの祖先の響き、母なる大地への祈りを巧みに融合させています。
「我々が選ばれたと聞いたとき、まず頭に浮かんだのは、どうして我々があんなところにいるんだろうということだった。きっとハードワークのご褒美なんだ。ロックは逆境に立ち向かうための、信念の行動だったから」
Kodzo Rock Ahavi は作曲を手がけ、ほとんどすべての歌詞を書いているバンドの顔。彼にとっても、Metal Hammer のようなビッグ・マガジンにチョイスされることは晴天の霹靂でした。
“I Was Introducing Chris To Hunter X Hunter While We Were Writing The Storyline For The Album, So I’m Sure There Was Some Sort Of Indirect Inspiration Going On There.”
1.The Azdinist // Den of Dawns
2.Fym
3.Mount, Mettle, and Key
4.Sky Sailing / Beyond the Bloom / Wilt 11:07
5.Weight of the Blade
6.Kingdom of Ice and Light
7.The Lavender Fox
8.Agentic State
9.Doppelgänger
10.The Portent
11.Trench of Nalu
12.Moonrise
Bonus Track
13.Spark Madrigal
14.Demon Returns
Chris Sampson – Vocals, Electric Guitar, Mandolin
Galen Stapley – Electric Guitar, Nylon String, Theremin
Alex Miles – Bass
Shaz D – Keyboards, Grand Piano
Andrew Scott – Drums
Adam Hayes – Bongos, Congas, Fish Guiro on tracks 1, 7, and 11
Nina Doornenstroom – Trumpets on track 3
Camille De Carvalho – Oboe D’amore, Clarinet, and Basson on tracks 4 and 6
“I Think Where We Differ From Toto Though Is Sometimes We Can Get Pretty Heavy, Sometimes You Need To Feel The Crunch Or Chugg. But Again, Similar To Toto, We’d Also Like To Reach a Wide Audience.”
DISC REVIEW “FIVE STEPS ON THE SUN”
「僕たちにとって非常に重要なのは、自分たち自身、そしてリスナー全員に、音楽の中で大きな問いを投げかけるよう促すこと。自分たちを取り巻く世界、宇宙、テクノロジー、科学、時事問題について、音楽の “問いかける” 力を感じてもらいたい。僕たちは音楽を通して大きな問いを立てることができる。音楽は、僕たちがこの世界についてどう感じているのか、もっと考える機会を与えてくれるんだ」
音楽やアートは何のために存在するのでしょうか？もちろん、純粋に気持ちよくなるため、感動を味わうためにアートを享受する人も多いでしょう。そうした一方通行で受け身のアートももちろん素晴らしいものです。一方で、アートを受け取って投げ返す対面通行の楽しみ方も、悪くはないものです。アイスランドを拠点とするギタリスト DarWin は、自らの音楽でリスナーに、世界に対して何かしらの “問い” を立ててほしいと願っています。
「僕たちの多くは、ひいひいおじいちゃんおばあちゃんがネアンデルタール人だったのだよ。いずれにせよ、ネアンデルタール人は種として消滅した。 それから1万数千年が経った今、僕たちはここにいる。 僕は、ホモ・サピエンス、つまり現代の “人類” の最後の一族になるとはどういうことなのだろうかとずっと考えていた。 そして “次世代の人類” はどのような姿をしているのだろうか？ ホモ・サピエンスの後には何が来るのだろう？ 彼らはどのように出現するのだろうか？ …ってね。僕はときどき、次世代の人類はいかにテクノロジーに適応し、あるいは融合して、より高度な能力を獲得する必要があるのだろうかと考えることがあるのだよ」
2015年に産声をあげた DARWIN は、克明に暗雲が増えていく世の中でいつしか、人類 “ホモ・サピエンス” の終焉を夢想するようになります。そのプロジェクト名が示すように、DarWin は種の起源と終焉について掘り下げながら、滅びゆく世界で人類の進化、その正当性と妥当性に問いを投げかけるのです。
「エアポッドでバッハを脳内に流しながら外をランニングするほど素晴らしいことはないよ。何百年も前の作曲が、まったく異なる世界情勢に直面しながら、モバイルネットワーク通信、何百ものマイクロプロセッサー、バッテリーエネルギー、その他さまざまな現代の技術革新によって、僕らの脳にストリーミングされているのだから。 古代と未来の衝突はとても魅力的だ」
それでも DARWIN は、人類の可能性を諦めたわけではありません。人類はとても脆いけど、個々の人間には内省があり、希望があり、回復力と大きな可能性を秘めている。その左相がこれまでの素晴らしき音楽の歴史と、未来を見据えたテクノロジーの進化、その融合でしょう。道程と道筋の邂逅。
DARWIN は長い音楽とロックの歴史を抱きしめながら、今を生き、未来を創造しようとしています。ここに参加するアーティストは、ほとんどが百戦錬磨。かつてはあの Billy Sheehan, Guthrie Govan も名を連ねていた DARWIN のラインナップ。今回の “Five Steps on the Sun” では、Simon Phillips, Matt Bissonette, Derek Sherinian, Greg Howe のレギュラー・メンバーに加えて、Andy Timmons も降臨。一方で、新進気鋭のベーシスト Mohini Dey も起用して、まさにロックのロード・ムービーを完成させました。
「たとえプレイヤーたちがみんな狂ったようにシュレッドできるとしても、メンバーの真の貢献は本当に素晴らしい曲にあると思う。 彼らは幅広い聴衆のためにポップなロック・ソングを作ったけど、曲作りには洗練さと思慮深さもあった。 でも、僕らが TOTO と違うところは、時にはかなりヘヴィになったり、クランチやチャグを感じることがあるところだと思う。でも TOTO と同じように、幅広いオーディエンスに音楽を届けたいと思っているんだ」
そんな DARWIN によるロックの “進化論” を探求する試みは、もちろんその楽曲にも及んでいます。プログレッシブでシュレッドを織り交ぜながらも、あくまでメロディとフック、そして構成の妙で勝負する DARWIN の楽曲は、あの TOTO と肩を並べるほどの楽曲派です。
しかし、それだけでなく、ここには Plini や PERIPHERY を思わせる Fu-djent, 近未来的なシュレッドやチャグチャグしたリズムまで存在しています。”ロックの起源” からその道のりを余さず投影した彼らの音楽は、そうしてアートと人類の可能性を指し示しているのです。
今回弊誌では、DarWin にインタビューを行うことができました。P-Vine から日本盤の発売も決定！どうぞ！！
DarWin (g)
Simon Phillips (d, p)
+
Matt Bissonette (v)
Greg Howe (Lg)
Mohini Dey (b)
Derek Sherinian (key)
Julian Pollack (key)
Chariya Bissonette (bv)
Jesse Siebenberg (Ag, bv)
Andy Timmons (Lg)
