Doomshine

The last few years people and labels are more interested into Doom Metal genre. This interest has as a result many interesting groups to find a deal and release wonderful albums. A proof to my words are DOOMSHINE and their exceptional debut album. 

1.CAN YOU EXPLAIN US PLEASE THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR NAME AND THE ALBUM TITLE? HAS IT GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE HOPE DOOM BECOMING BIGGER AS A GENRE?
  • Timmy: That’s an interesting point of view but it wasn’t in our minds to describe the genre with the title of the album. I don’t know if we really have the hope that doom metal should become a bigger thing. I think it’s a healthy scene these days and it never was more or less. You can see “Thy Kingdoom Come” as a negative description for the future of our planet. Mankind sadly is not able to show respect for nature and the beauty of life, that’s what we want to tell with “Kingdoom”. The name of the band is just a compact reflection of our music. We don’t play the most evil doom in the world and we don’t play songs for a walk in the sunshine. But it sounds like we are somewhere inbetween, so “Doomshine” is the perfect name for our band.
2.YOU SEEM TO COMBINE STRONG MONOLITHIC DOOM RIFFS WITH MORE MELODIC PARTS. AM I CORRECT? WAS IT DONE ON PURPOSE? DO YOU WISH TO BE AS LYRICAL AS HEAVY?
  • Sven: You're correct. We love good melodies and also these dark heavy guitar riffs. But it is more a feeling what a song needs. Somehow some parts change automatically to more melodic parts or you have a good melody in mind and want to put that into a song. For me it's combining to sides of a medal or even two sides of our minds. Being heavy, powerful, raw and having the more beautiful moments as well. That's the beauty and the beast we all have in us.
3.AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED A DOOM BANDS OUGHT TO HAVE EXTRAORDINARY SOLOS AND YOU DO! DO YOU AGREE WITH MY POINT OF VIEW? HOW IMPORTANT ARE SOLOS FOR
DOOMSHINE MUSIC?
  • Sven: I agree, I love good solo parts too. Not every song needs a solo part but when we have one we consider this as an element of the song and as such we treat it. Every element should enrich a song, so we spent the same attention to it as for every other part of the song.
4.FROM THE SONG TITLES IT IS SHOWN THAT LYRICS ARE SAD AND DEPRESSING LIKE THEY SHOULD BE! CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THE LYRICS?
  • Timmy: Yes, the titles tell you that this is no party stuff, haha. But there are not only dark and depressive ways of thinking. Just as the music sounds you may find hopes and wishes in there, so you may get some positive messages. Generally the lyrics are about anything what belongs to life and death or even somewhere between there. 
5.THE SONGS "WHERE NOTHING HURTS BUT SOLITUDE", "LIGHT A CANDLE FOR ME" AND "SHINE ON SAD ANGEL" WERE BEING FREE TO DOWNLOAD FROM YOUR SITE, WHILE
"VENUS DAY" WAS ALSO AN OLD SONG, DOWNLOADABLE FROM AS A LIVE VIDEO. IN FACT YOU HAD ALMOST HALF OF THE ALBUM READY. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO COMPOSE
SUCH EQUALLY GREAT SONGS TO COMPLETE "THY KINGDOOM COME" AND WHERE THEY COMPOSED BETWEEN YOUR SIGNING DAY WITH IRON GLORY AND THE ALBUM RELEASE?
  • Carsten: In Fact we wrote some songs while we recorded other songs of our album! When we signed our deal, I think we had about 60% of the songs which appear on „Thy Kingdoom come“ already finished. SHINE ON SAD ANGEL for example was written back in 2001, and appeared also on the 7“ Vinyl Single. After the signing we began with the record sessions in my studio, and wrote the missing songs in the same period. Many details like the most solos and solo guitar melodies were written while we recorded the particular song. I think it was good „band work“ and because we all know where we wanted to go with our album it all worked perfectly.
6.ALTHOUGH ALL SONGS MOVE MORE OR LESS IN THE SAME STYLE, THE CLOSING TRACK "VALIANT CHILD OF WAR" SOUNDS A BIT DIFFERENT. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US
ABOUT IT?
  • Carsten: VALIANT CHILD OF WAR was an issue in some discussions we had about the album. In the end we all agreed it is a great song, even if it’s a little different than the other ones, and decided to put it on the album. I personally think it has a great atmosphere, and the meaning behind this song stays unfortunately relevant these days... This song seems to be a „love it or hate it“ thing.. we heard people saying it’s the weakest song of our album, and other who mentioned it as a highlight.
  • Timmy: Cause of all the reviews and reactions I know that people who like classic metal or even “true” metal stuff like the early epic Manowar really like ´Valiant Child Of War´. We surely will write songs in the future that also will be a little different to classic doom in any way. We love doom metal and we also love to be open minded, so I think it was very important to put this song on the album.
7. THE SONG "SHINE ON SAD ANGEL" HAS MANY ORIENTAL ELEMENTS. GIVEN THAT MANY DOOM BANDS ALSO USE THEM IN THEIR MUSIC, DO YOU THINK THAT DOOM AND
ORIENTAL ARE TWO STYLES THAT SOMEHOW CONNECT? DO YOU INTEND ON USING EASTERN SCALES AGAIN IN THE FUTURE?
  • Sven: Wasn't directly intended there to use eastern scales but it somehow happened. But it's a fact that lots of doom bands are using such scales whether they know or not, so one can say that this is one of the elements that lots of doom songs consist of. Where nothing hurts but solitude uses also such a scale for example. We heard several times it remembers people to a song from Metallica, can't remember the name, but it's not the same riff, it uses just the same scale. I think we will use such elements in the future too, 'cause it's a lot more interesting than doing all in normal major or minor.
8. THE VOCALS ARE NEVER EXAGGERATING AND ALWAYS USE A WAILING HUE. WAS IT DONE TO MAINTAIN THE LAMENTING CHARACTER OF THE ALBUM?
  • Carsten: We always wanted to do melodic (doomed) metal. It is the way that fit our music, abilities and musical taste the most, and I think it just works perfect with the music. And Timmy is doing a great Job I think!
  • Timmy: Although I am no professional singer I like my style of singing. I think that the feeling is much more important than accurate kind of singing. For example Ozzy never was a real good singer but every metal fan likes his style! And you’re absolutely right when you talk about the character of the songs. It was no calculation to sing how I sing or to keep it on a special level, it was just the best way we found for ourselves.
9.THE SONG "CREATION" IS MAYBE ONE OF THE BEST DOOM SONGS I'VE EVER LISTENED TO! CAN YOU TELL US PLEASE ABOUT THIS AMAZING ENDING PART OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE ABOUT IT? WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG?
  • Sven: Really? Wow, thanx. It's funny, everyone seems to have another favourite song of the album. I have no definitive favourite song, depends on the mood. Sometimes it’s Where nothing hurts but solitude, 'cause it's very powerful, sometimes it's Light a candle for me, 'cause it is heavy as shit and has this super melodic chorus, sometimes another song. I like all of 'em.
  • Timmy: Without praising ourselves… I agree! I see ´Creation´ as one of the strongest doom metal songs ever, I really do! So I would buy the album, haha…
  • Carsten: CREATION is one of my personal favourites on the album, too. In the middle Part we have Michael Siffermann from MIRROR OF DECEPTION as our „Acheronian Voice“, he did a great job on this. We had this spoken Part in the song, and I knew Michael and his deep voice from the recording of their EP „Conversion“ in my studio... so I called him, and he agreed. 
10.ALTHOUGH YOUR SOUND IS VERY MUCH YOUR OWN I'D SAY CANDLEMASS MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF YOUR INFLUENCES! DO YOU AGREE AND WHICH BANDS WOULD YOU ALSO CALL AS YOUR INFLUENCES?
  • Sven: You're right, of course we all are big Candlemass fans and it's a shame they are not around anymore. From the doom genre I would say Solitude Aeturnus and Trouble left a big impression on me. But there are lots of other bands that has nothing to do with doom I like to listen to. Old Fates Warning or Helstar for example belong to my favourites and lots of guitar players like the great Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Vanhalen, Ritchie Blackmore and so on are my heroes. 
  • Timmy: Not to forget we are all fans of some late 80s/early 90s stuff like Sanctuary or Psychotic Waltz and of course the “big ones” Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. And my absolutely personal faves are Thin Lizzy and Saga.
11.GIVEN THE CHARACTERIZATION "BEST UNSIGNED BAND" THAT FOLLOWED YOU BEFORE BECOMING A SIGNED ONE, WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE?
  • Sven: I would say if it works the way in the future it does at this time we are satisfied. We can do our music, we meet every week, we play live and people care about us, that's really fun. May somewhere in the future a little tour. We'll see. 
  • Carsten: Playing lotz of good gigs (with good catering hehe), I would love to play with Candlemass (what will unfortunately always remain a dream), Solitude Aeturnus, Forsaken (Malta), playing at a festival like the „Bang your Head“ would be a great thing ...and doing some more albums I think.
12. DO YOU OBSERVE THAT GENERAL PRODUCTIVITY THAT THE DOOM GENRE SHOWS LATELY? DO YOU THINK THAT EPIC AND MELODIC DOOM IS EXPERIENCING AN UNDERGROUND RENAISSANCE THAT MAYBE THE CANDLEMASS REUNION TRIGGERED?
  • Timmy: If you just have a look on www.psychedoomelic.com you can see how many doom products came in the last few years. But I think we also had great releases in the doom scene back in the beginning of the 90s. Especially in 1994 there were fantastic stuff like “Through The Darkest Hour” from Solitude Aeturnus, “Die Healing” from SAINT VITUS or PENTAGRAM´s unbelievable “Be Forewarned”. I think that the Candlemass reunion was very helpful to get more attention and for the scene itself. Too bad they’re gone again… But I can’t appraise if Candlemass are “to blame” for a kind of rebirth of epic doom. It always were there and also Doomshine was NOT founded cause of the new beginning of Candlemass but rather cause of the FIRST beginning of Candlemass!
13.WHICH IS, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE BEST AND WHICH THE WORST PART IN YOUR MUSIC?
  • Timmy: Huh, difficult to answer… in some reviews I’ve read that Doomshine could be interesting for people who have nothing in common with doom metal. That’s very exciting to me and maybe that’s one of our biggest strengths. Somebody told me that “even his girlfriend” likes the music of Doomshine. We are playing doom for girls, haha! And the worst part in our music… sorry, I really can’t tell you about that. That’s our secret! Seriously, I don’t know. We are happy with our songs! 
14.WHICH ELEMENTS AND EMOTIONS DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'D LIKE TO EVOLVE MORE ON YOUR NEXT ALBUM AND WHY?
  • Timmy: We already have a lot fragments for the second album but we didn’t eye up or even arrange all these parts yet. What I can say from this point is that there are some really heavy doom parts again on one side and very sad melodic parts on the other side. It’s almost the same approach as we had for the first album. The only difference is that there’s no old stuff that will appear in a song, it’s all brand new material. I guess the next album will be more varied and homogeneous at the same time. Also lyrically I will follow a similar path as I did in the past. I want to write about things that happen on this planet, and beyond…, and I will cover these subjects in my own kind of style. I like to hide the meaning in arcane words.
15.CLOSE THE INTERVIEW WITH YOUR WORDS...
  • Timmy: First of all I want to thank you in the name of Doomshine for your questions and I hope our answers weren’t too boring for you guys out there! Watch out for the second Doomshine-CD which will be released between December 2005 and January 2007, haha… But hey, there will be released “Thy Kingdoom Come” on vinyl as gatefold with one bonus track this autumn/winter. Shine on Greek Angels!!!!!!!!!!
George "Volt" Tassis
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