A LOOK BEHIND THE VEIL...

EN GARDE

IN THE PERIOD OF 90'S THE THINGS WEREN'T GOING SO WELL FOR THE GREEK METAL SCENE. THIS HAD AS A RESULT SOME GOOD AND QUALITY WORKS OF GREEK METAL BANDS TO PASS UNOTICED. NOW SLEASZY RIDER DECIDED TO RE - RELEASE SOME OF THEM. EN GARD SOUND IS SOMETHING BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC AND GOTHIC METAL WITH A SOUND THAT REALLY MAKES THEM DIFFER FROM MOST OF THE BANDS OF THIS GENRE. SO WE FOUND THE SINGER OF THE BAND, ELISABETH AND WE CHATED ABOUT PAST AND FUTURE TIMES...

1. FIRST OF ALL POINT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF THE BAND’S HISTORY. ARE THERE SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE REGRETTED DOING OR NOT DOING?

You don’t have to regret about things that are already done but you don’t have to do the same things again if you’re not satisfied. Maybe now we’re more experienced and there are more efforts, so we could have done some things different or we could have done some more things but I don’t regret for others. Now, as about our important moments, I believe that our releases are important to us and the same is the respect we have earned with our work.

2. I THINK THAT EN GARDE MANAGED TO CREATE A VERY PERSONAL AND RECOGNIZABLE SOUND. BESIDES THAT YOU WERE FORMED BACK IN THE BEGINNING OF ‘90S SO WE COULD SAY THAT YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST BANDS THAT TRIED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. DO YOU THINK THAT PERHAPS YOU WEREN’T IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME? DO YOU THINK THAT PERHAPS THINGS WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU NOW?

Our personal sound just came out. We didn’t say: “Now, we’ll make a group that will play metal or gothic or etc”. Each one of us put something from himself in this group and I did the same thing. We didn’t like giving titles. We were just playing music and the chemistry made the work. If we did the same thing nowadays, it wouldn’t be the same because we wouldn’t be one from the firsts that made the difference and after us many groups came out with this style but we made the difference and we did it unconsciously, believe me.

3. WHEN DID EN GARDE DISBAND? HOW HAVE YOU DECIDED AFTER ALL THIS TIME TO RE-RELEASE YOUR PREVIOUS SONGS?

En-Garde disbanded in 1999. Sleaszy Rider decided for us. They found it a real good work, they knew our name from the past and they liked our style. So, they found our previous label, that doesn’t exist anymore and got the rights for this work. This work wasn’t going to be out because we don’t exist anymore.

4. LET’S SUPPOSE THAT SUDDENLY EN GARDE BECOME REALLY FAMOUS AND THE INTEREST AMONG THE FANS RISES…WOULD THERE BE A CHANCE TO REUNITE OR PERHAPS TO CHANGE THE LINE UP AND START ALL OVER AGAIN?

There’s not a chance for us to reunite as En-Garde but Jordan (our guitarist), Jim Vassalos (our third drummer, not the one who played in our releases) and I we’re thinking about making Dreamland, approaching En-Garde’s influences.

5. YOUR LYRICS ARE WONDERFUL AND MELANCHOLIC AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM. DO YOU WANT TO TELL U WHAT INSPIRES YOU? ARE YOU A PESSIMIST AS A PERSON OR DO YOU WRITE SUCH LYRICS IN ORDER TO PIPE ALL YOUR NEGATIVE ENERGY?

I wouldn’t like to talk about the kind of person that I am. I believe that some of our feelings are only for ourselves. You must not leave other people to see what’s deep inside of you. But I think that melancholy and emptiness give a deep world of emotions that happiness cannot give you. When you’re happy, you’re just happy, that’s all. But when you’re feeling down, you can feel many different strong things.

6. YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL VOICE. ONE OF THE BEST I’VE HEARD. HOWEVER, THINGS IN THE METAL COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE GREEK BORDERS ARE DIFFICULT. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU’D BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY IF YOU WERE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY?

You know, I really like Greece but as about music, things are too difficult not only in metal community but in music community. Maybe in other countries people are more open-minded than we are here.

7. BESIDES THE OTHER THINGS, YOU ARE ALSO A PIANO AND A VOCAL TEACHER. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT MUSICIANS SHOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC THEORY OR IT’S NOT THAT NECESSARY?

It depends on what you wanna do in music. I believe that knowledge can help you everywhere. How can you read a book when you don’t know the alphabet and how can you read music when you don’t know the notes? I really love Chopin but I could not have played his music if I couldn’t read it.

8. SO, SINCE YOU ARE A TEACHER…WHICH VOICES (MALE AND FEMALES) DO YOU LIKE THE MOST WITHIN THE METAL BRANCH? WHO DO YOU THINK HAS MANY POTENTIAL BUT DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO USE HIS/HER VOICE? DO YOU LIKE BRUTAL VOCALS OR NOT?

In the metal scene are usually brutal male vocals, so I can’t name anyone. Brutal vocals don’t annoy me but I like deep brutal vocals. On the other hand there aren’t too many female vocals in the scene. I believe that Lisa Gerrard from “Dead Can Dance” is unique. She’s not from metal scene but is unique for every scene. A voice doesn’t have to do only with potentials or technique, it has to do with the sense of feeling and the atmosphere that can give you.

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

I don’t know exactly the emotion but I think it would be something that makes you dive in your emotions, in your loneliness. If it was a painting? I think something behind veils. You know, veils can hide not only faces but thoughts, feelings, emptiness…

10. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T ABLE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH MUSIC?

I can’t imagine my life without music. My worst nightmare is when I’m getting cold and I can’t talk. I think that I will never be able to sing again. I’m not singing because I want to be famous or make money and things like that. Singing is a way of life for me.

11. YOU ARE GRANTED ONE WISH. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO OR CHANGE IN THE WORLD?

After many things that have happened to me I realized that one of the most precious gifts is health. So, I’d like to be able to give health there where could be no hope, to make even the world look “healthier”.

12. IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO TRAVEL IN TIME, WHICH PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST FROM OUR TIMES?

I don’t want to travel in time. I’m ok with our times. I’d just like people to be more romantic, more gentle, more honest and more human.

13. IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM?

Just a simple question: “Why innocent souls have to pay for our mistakes?”.

14. WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS BLOODY AND CATASTROPHIC WAR AGAINST IRAQ?

I’m against all kinds of war. I think everybody’s life is precious, especially children’s lives that are real pure.

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

I don’t like giving titles. You can name it as you wish.

16. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?

I’d like to thank Sleaszy Rider Records for their trust in our work and for giving us the chance to release it. I’d like to thank you for this interesting conversation and hospitality. My e-mail address is: [email protected]. Everybody is welcome to write me. Thanks.

CHRISTINE PARASTATIDOY

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