THE KING OF BARDS!!!

ALMORA

ALMORA IS SOMEHOW THE CONTINUATION OF KNIGHT ERRANT, BUT ALSO A STEP FORWARD WITH MORE VARIETY IN THE COMPOSITIONS AND VOCLAS. RECENTLY THEY HAVE RELEASED THEIR VERY GOOD DEBUT ALBUM (A VERY GOOD PROPOSAL FOR THE FRIENDS OF FOLK AND POWER METAL) AND WE HAD THE CHANCE TO CHAT ABOUT PAST AND FUTURE SECRETS. ENJOY...

1.HELLO AND FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR ALBUM. CAN YOU MAKE US A SMALL PRESENTATION OF THE BAND AND ITS HISTORY TILL NOW?

HELLO NICK, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT ABOUT US. THE BAND WAS FOUNDED BY ME IN OCTOBER, 2001. I PLAY THE GUITAR AND YAYLI TAMBUR IN THE BAND. MY BROTHER BURAK PLAYS THE GUITAR, VEFA PLAYS THE BASS&FRETLESS BASS, SERKAN PLAYS THE DRUMS , NIHAN PLAYS THE VIOLIN AND BILGE PLAYS THE FLUTE IN THE BAND. NIHAN AND AHMET ARE THE VOCALISTS. I CAN DESCRIBE ALMORA'S SOUND AS CLASSICAL HEAVY METAL& SYMPHONIC HEAVY METAL.

2.ALMORA (AS I READ IN YOUR BOOKLET) IS A CHARACTER THAT YOU CREATED. CAN YOU TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS CHARACTER AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS NAME FOR THE BAND?

IN MY OPINION HEAVY METAL RESEMBLES LIFE ITSELF. MY MUSIC REFLECTS LIFE TOO. WHILE WRITING THE MUSIC, I AM INSPIRED BY THE THINGS THAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH. THIS STORY IS ACTUALLY ABOUT A BITTER BETRAYAL THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. KING ALMORA IS A CHARACTER WHO MANAGES TO PERSEVERE ALL HARDSHIPS STANDING STILL AND PREFERS TO CARRY ON WITH MUSIC OR HIS OWN ORDEALS, JUST LIKE ME. THEREFORE THE NAME OF THE BAND IS ALMORA.

3.NOW TELL US A FEW THINGS REGARDING YOUR LYRICS. WHICH THEMES DO YOU LIKE TO "HURT" THROUGH THEM? FANTASY OR REALITY? IS YOUR DEBUT ALBUM A CONCEPT?

INDEED. YES, WE CAN SAY THAT THIS ALBUM IS A CONCEPT. WHAT THE ALBUM CONVEYS IS BETRAYAL AND MOVING ON IN DIGNITY WITHOUT YIELDING.

4.BEFORE ALMORA YOU WERE A MEMBER OF KNIGHT ERRANT. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT MADE YOU LEAVE AND WHY HAS THE BAND DISBANDED?

I CAN EXPLAIN THE MAIN REASON BEHIND MY DEPARTURE BRIEFLY AS THE HYPOCRISY AND THE LOSS OF HONESTY WITHIN THE BAND. I FOUNDED ALMORA TO CARRY ON MAKING MUSIC IN A SINCERE WAY AND I GUESS I ACHIEVED MY GOAL.

5.I LEARNED FROM ADNAN THAT THE TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF KNIGHT ERRANT REFORMED THE BAND. IS IT TRUE? DO YOU KNOW IF THEY CONTINUE PLAYING THE SAME MUSICAL STYLE?

I HAVE NO CLUE TO BE HONEST. HOWEVER I WOULD DOUBT IF THE NEW FORMATION THAT YOU MENTIONED CAN BE A CONTINUATION OF KNIGHT ERRANT.

6.IT IS A FACT THAT TURKS AND GREEKS DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE RELATIONS IN THE PAST. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS SITUATION CAN CHANGE? IS IT POSSIBLE MUSIC TO BE THE WAY THAT WILL BRING US CLOSE?

YES WHY NOT? THE ROLE OF ART IN BRINGING PEOPLE CLOSER IS FUNDEMENTAL. I THINK GREECE AND TURKEY ARE TWO COUNTRIES WITH EXTREMELY SIMILAR CULTURAL AND SOCIAL CODES. THUS THERE IS A LOT TO SHARE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THESE TWO COUNTRIES.

7.YOUR FEMALE VOCALIST HAS A GREAT VOICE AND HER VOCALS ARE ALMOST OPERATIC. HAS SHE MADE ANY STUDIES?

I THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF NIHAN. I WILL LET HER KNOW ABOUT YOUR ENCOURAGING COMMENTS. AS FOR YOUR QUESTION, YES NIHAN STUDIES MUSIC.

8.I'LL NAME SOME BANDS AND I WANT YOU TO TELL ME YOUR OPINION OR HAT YOU THINK OF THEM. SKYCLAD, RUNNING WILD, JETHRO TULL, MAGO DE OZ AN PENTAGRAM (NOW MEZARKABUL).

SKYCLAD-I LIKE THEM VERY MUCH
RUNNING WILD- ROCK'N ROLF (MY IDOL)
JUDAS PRIEST-METAL GODS (WITH ROB HALFORD:)
JETHRO TULL-INCREDIBLE
MAGO DE OZ-VERY GOOD MUSIC
PENTAGRAM-MY FRIENDS&COOL

9.HAVE YOU LISTENED TO ANY NEW BANDS FROM TURKEY THAT YOU FOUND REALLY TALENTED AND PROMISING?

I TRY TO LISTEN TO ALL TURKISH BANDS ATTENTIVELY. THERE ARE INDEED REALLY TALENTED BANDS IN TURKEY.

10.MANY BANDS SPEAK ABOUT THE TRUE HEAVY METAL SPIRIT. CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR OWN DEFINITION ON THAT TERM?

I CONCEIVE HEAVY METAL MUSIC AS A SOURCE PERMEATING THE WILL TO LIVE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY IN MY CASE. THEREFORE THE TRUE HEAVY METAL SPIRIT IS TO CARRY ON STRUGGLING DESPITE ALL AND TO KEEP ONE’S DIGNITY AGAINST ALL INJUSTICES.

11.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?

I GUESS I WOULD BE A SPORTSMAN. BECAUSE I HAVE INDULGED IN SEVERAL SPORTS SO FAR.

12.WHICH IS MAN'S BIGGEST TEMPTATION?

THE NECESSITY OF LOVE.

13.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY?

I WOULD LIKE TO TRAVEL TO THE 17TH CENTURY TO MEET THE BAROQUE COMPOSERS IN FLESH.

14.IF YOUR MUSIC WAS A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW? IF IT WAS AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

MINE WOULD BE A BRIGHT PAINTING AND THE EMOTIONS WOULD BE ENTHUSIASM AND HOPE.

15.IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIEVRSE WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM?

I WOULD ASK THE MEANING OR THE PURPOSE OF FATE AND TIME.

16.WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE??

I WOULD RATHER LEAVE THAT TO YOU.

17.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU TOO. PLEASE ACCEPT MY BEST WISHES FOR YOU AND FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS IN GREECE. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONCERN, HOPE TO SEE YOU SOMETIME SOON.

NIKOS "William_Kidd" PARASTATIDIS

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