PSYPHERIA
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JON OSTER
IS THE GUITAR PLAYER OF A DEATH METAL BAND AND ALSO TEACHER. SOUNDS STRANGE
EH? THIS IS NOT THE ONLY STRANGE THAT YOU FIND OUT ANOUT THIS INTERESTING
BAND FROM U.S, IF YOU READ THE INTERVIEW. ...SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR,
GO ON(SCROLL DOWN ACTUALLY I MEAN :)]
1.TELL US IN A FEW WORDS THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND'S HISTORY. WHAT IS TODAY'S LINE UP?
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I am a teacher. About 10 years ago,
a student (who played guitar) was murdered off campus. His band asked me
to play with them as a tribute to him. I had not played in a band for a
while, and when I jammed with these kids, I realized how much I missed
it, so I got a new band together. The current lineup is John Oster (me)
guitar, Mike Hurley guitar, Adam Roberts bass/vocals, Lyle Livingston keyboards,
and Cory Valdez drums.
2.I LIKE YOUR NAME. IT'S DIFFERENT
(NOT A TYPICAL METAL NAME) AND IT SOUNDS GREAT TO MY EARS. WITH WHAT
CRITERIA HAVE YOU SELECTED THIS BAND NAME AND WHAT DID YOU WANNA EXPRESS
THROUGH IT? WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR NAME FROM "ENTHRONED" TO "PSYPHERIA"?
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A friend who creates computer game
characters came up with Psypheria for a vampire character. We just liked
the sound of it! If you analyze it using Latin bases, it means "Into the
mind"--which is cool since some people find our music rather mind blowing!
We changed it after the band from Belgium started releasing CD's in the
US--we got confused with them a lot.
3.WHICH ARE YOUR INFLUENCES? NAME SOME
OF YOUR MOST BELOVED ALBUMS?
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Morbid Angel, Nile, Cryptopsy, Immolation,
Coroner (old), Vader...almost any CD by those bands! I also like Yngwie
Malmsteen as a guitarist, along with Ritchie Blackmore and Jimi Hendrix
4.I READ IN YOUR BIO A DESCRIPTION
GIVEN FOR YOUR MUSIC. SO IT SAYS THAT YOU PLAY BRUTAL, TECHNICAL AND MELODIC
DEATH METAL. I AM CURIOUS...HOW CAN IT BE BRUTAL AND AT THE SAME TIME MELODIC?
GIVE ME YOUR OWN DEFINITON FOR YOUR MUSIC.
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The brutality comes from the speed,
darkness, and overall intensity.We just try to write riffs that are memorable,
not just a bunch of noise. Our sound is best described as intense and technical
with a strong classical influence.
5.HOW MANY DEMOS HAVE YOU RELEASED?
CAN YOU TELL US SOME THINGS ABOUT THEM AND COMPARE THEM WITH YOUR DEBUT
ALBUM? WHAT DO YOU OBSERVE? IN WHICH FIELDS HAVE YOU PROGRESSED?
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Enthroned made several demos: Darkness
Reigns, Cranial Damage, Gears, Absence of Life, Thy Flesh Consumed (released
by Mad Lion Records), and Gothic Disturbance. The first three had a very
limited pressing. Psypheria has made two--a self titled 3 song EP, and
Plague's End. That demo got us signed to Heretic Sound, which has just
released our full length Embrace the Mutation. The first few are embarrassing
now--but they sounded cool at the time! Our song writing and technical
playing has improved--and we are more brutal now.
6.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
WHAT THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO HURT THROUGH THEM? IS IT REAL LIFE OR FANTASY?
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They are dark and rather cryptic in
meaning sometimes. We avoid the gore and porn stuff--that's too childish.
Some are anti-Christian, but not Satanic; several deal with pain, psychosis,
immortality--all sorts of topics. We are currently working on a concept
CD based on Greek tragedies and mythology.
7.HOW CAN KEYBOARDS AND BRUTAL DEATH
BE COMBINED? ISN'T IT A LITTLE HARD THING? HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR
YOU TO COMBINE DIFFERENT IDEAS IN YOUR MUSIC?
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Not at all! The drums and guitars provide
plenty of brutality! The keys add a layer of sound that no guitar can express,
and he doesn't just play cheesy atmospheric parts--Lyle is a classically
trained pianist and plays very complex parts. It's not that hard to combine...classical
and death metal are more similar than many people would imagine!
8.TELL US ABOUT YOUR CO OPERATION WITH
THE KEYBOARDIST LYLE LIVINGSTON. IS HE STILL A MEMBER OF DRAGONLORD,
IS HE A SESSION TO YOU, IS A PSYPHERIA MEMBER?
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He's a full member of both bands...he
just stays very busy! We've done a show together and will no doubt play
some more. Our music is very different, so we make good contrasts for each
other.
9.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE
METAL SCENE OF YOUR COUNTRY? THESE PAST FEW YEARS WE WITNESS A REBIRTH.
DO YOU AGREE? ARE THERE ANY NEW INTERESTING BANDS YOU'D LIKE TO POINT OUT
FOR US?
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Well, that on depends how you define
"metal"! A lot of bands use distortion and think they are playing metal,
but they are not! There's too much cloning going on. Shitty bands like
Korn get copied daily--the labels want a sound that sells--and don't bother
with originality and integrity. There's also too much mixing of rap and
metal...that shit needs to stop NOW! Rap is not even music--in fact, I
think we can blame the downfall of Western civilization on it. It
glorifies ignorance and violence. I haven't heard too many good bands--Severed
Savior is one of the few true death bands in Northern CA--they are very
brutal and technical.
10.YOU HAVE DONE MANY LIVE SHOWS. IS
IT EASY FOR YOU TO GIVE US A GENERAL IDEA OF THE ATMOSPHERE DURING A
LIVE APPEARANCE OF YOURS?
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It varies from show to show, but we
generally play with high speed, precision, and volume! Our energy is often
based on the crowd--the more they are into it, the more we give. We don't
use many effects...just a fog machine and whatever lights the venue has.
We don't need to cover up shitty music with a big stage show!
11.HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO PROMOTE
YOUR WORK AND CAN YOU TELL US WHICH SONG OF YOURS DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST
IDEAL TO REPRESENT YOUR WORK?
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We basically plan to send out promo
copies of the CD and do more interviews! As for songs, check out "Flesh
Must Burn" and "Cathartic Degeneration." "Systemic Confrontation" really
shows off Lyle's piano skills.
12.WHAT MADE YOU INVOLVE WITH MUSIC?
WHICH GOALS DID YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? WHICH WERE YOUR DREAMS?
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I don't really know...I've loved music
since I was a little boy. I guess I'm attracted to the creative expression.
I never had any goals originally--just to make music and have fun. Now,
I want to tour Europe!
13.WHICH IS THE WORST AND WHICH IS
THE BEST REVIEW YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
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I haven't read that many bad reviews
to be honest. Of our old Enthroned demos, one guy thought we needed fewer
songs and more originality. A recent web review of Embrace the Mutation
on www.powerslave.com is very glowing!
If they are all that good, we'll be millionaires soon!
14.WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST AND
WHICH IS THE WORST PART IN YOUR MUSIC? WHERE DO YOU NEED IMPROVEMENT?
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Damn...that's a tough question! I can't
think of a worst part or I'd fix it! I think the best part is our originality
and playing ability. I wouldn't mind making it even more technical, but
that's about it.
15.MANY EXTREME METAL BANDS EXPRESS
RACISTIC IDEOLOGIES. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
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Keep that shit to yourselves. Who is
really fit to sit in judgment of another race? All races have their good
and bad points.
16.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST
QUESTION BE?
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What were you thinking? :-)
17.IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
SOMETHING IN THE WORLD WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
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Not to sound like a Miss America pagent
winner, but maybe end disease, poverty, and violence.
18.ARE YOU ANNOYED BY THOSE GUYS WHO
JUDGE THE ARTISTIC VALUE OF A RELEASE BY THE NUMBER OF COPIES IT SELLS?
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I really don't worry about it, but
that is certainly no indicator of quality! Just look at Korn, Linkin Park,
etc.
19.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
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"Professor Death Speaks Out"!! Some
guy called me that the other day...pretty cool!
20.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
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Not really...you did a thorough job.
Check out Embrace the Mutation on Heretic Sound Records, and visit our
web site at www.psypheria.com
CHRISTINE
PARASTATIDOY