Sabbtail
SABBTAIL have a strange
and rather unique way to compose their music. They write firts the lyrics
and try to compose sounds that will properly fit to them. Jan Bingegard
from Sabbtail give us more info about this interesting group. You just
have to read the interview...
1.FIRST OF ALL, POINT OUT THEMOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND’S HISTORY THIS FAR AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES TO THE
READERS…
-
1. I believe the most important moment was when
Jan and I decided to put together a band that was to be more dependant
on the lyrics and the written concept rather than to use instrumental playing
as first ground. We felt that the most of the earlier bands we played with
tended to be more built on cool riffs and licks without any deeper meaning.
To build the music as a fond to the lyrics gave us a totally different
way of percieving music, and finally to write it. Sabbtail tells the story
of a young magician and his way into deeper understanding of occult truths.
The lyrics are based upon a set of short novels I first wrote to be a kind
of appendix to book which introduce the reader to the philosophy in magic
use.
2.WHAT DOES YOUR NAME MEAN? DOESIT CONNECT WITH
THE ALBUM TITLE ANYHOW?
-
2 Sabbtail is the name of the formal magical name
given to our main character. Nightchurch is the second journey in his travels.
The entire collection has 9 parts in it and our aim is to make a record
for each one. The 3 album is already written and we are for the moment
making demorecordings of material som we´re coming close to a third
of the way…
3.SOMEONE COULD CALL YOUR MUSIC PROGRESSIVE/HARD
ROCK/POSER/HEAVY METAL. WOULD YOU AGREE? DO YOU THINKARK WERE THE FIRST
BAND TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL IN MIXING ALL THE ABOVE?
-
3 It´s very hard for us to label our songs
( other than hardrock genre, of course) since the lyrics tells of quite
different experiences. The music serves only to impress the scene of
what happens in the lyrics. I think that can give a somewhat split experience
to the listeners since we don´t keep to one niche or style all the
time
4. NOT MANY BANDS CHOOSE THIS STYLE!WHAT LED YOU
TO IT?
-
4 This kind music is perfect for our stories.
A musical style that permits both aggression and brittle beauty.
5. THE SOLOS ARE SHARED BETWEENGUITARS AND KEYBOARDS,
WITH THE HAMMOND SOUNDS MAKING THE ALBUM SOUND REALLY70’S HARD ROCK. WHAT
EXACTLY HAVE SABBTAIL EXTRACTED FROM THAT ERA?
-
5 I think that people associate Hammond with older
70´s style of hardrock, and that´s fine. Akesson has a more
up to date metalsound in the 80´s tradition, that´s fine too
– we think the combination is quite effectful.
6. THE KEYBOARDS SEEM TO BE JUSTA BIT LOUDER THAN
GUITARS. DID YOU WANT TO GIVE A SLIGHT KEYBOARD CHARACTERTO YOUR MUSIC?
-
6 Jan and I made all music to the songs by playing
acoustic guitar and piano, I guess the ground elements are obvious.
7. “NIGHT CHURCH” SOUNDS VERY UP-TEMPOWITH NO
BALLADS AT ALL! THAT WAS KIND OF A SURPRISE FOR AN ALBUM THAT HASA STRONG
HARD ROCKIN'/POSER CHARACTER! WHY’S THAT?
-
7 Actually we recorded a ballad, but the lyrics
was taken from the third novel and we felt that it had no place on ”Nightchurch”
. The ballad will appear on the third album, which we, by the way, is starting
to demo next week. I don´t know what to think of ”rockin´/poser
character” – what´s that?
8. THE GUITAR WORK IS EXCELLENTMOVING FROM HEAVY
METAL (DRAGON’S FLIGHT) TO PROGRESSIVE (OUTCAST) ANDPOSER (DON’T YOU KNOW)!
WAS IT SOMETHING ALREADY AGREED TO BE WORKED OUTOR DID IT COME OUT NATURALLY
WHILE COMPOSING?
-
8 All music was composed when Akesson recorded
his parts, but he has a personal way of playing and adds his spirit into
music in a grand way. I think it´s good to mix element from other
styles as long as they fill a purpose.
9. THE ALBUM SEEMS TO BE MOVINGFROM HARD ROCK
TO PROGRESSIVE AND FINALLY HEAVY METAL WITH THIS TRACK ROW.DID YOU WANT
THE ALBUM TO HAVE A GRADUATED EVOLUTION TO A HARDER AND MOREINTENSE FINISH?
-
9 Yes that´s right. Not in a to obvious
way, perhaps, but the tempo of the songs lays in a specific order that
we feel gives the album a certain rythm.
10. MATS LEVEN REALLY GIVES HISVERY BEST IN SINGING
ALTHOUGH THIS TIME HE HAS TO SING REALLY HIGH! WHEREDOES THE SKILL OF THAT
MAN END? HIS PERFORMANCE IS ALWAYS EXCELLENT NOMATTER THE EXPECTATIONS!
-
10 Mats is a hugely gifted singer. And probably
the most efficient singer I have ever met. His ability to comprehend and
to visualize the lyrics is incredible.
11. THE SONG TITLES SHOW A PHILOSOPHICALAPPROACH.
IS THERE A CENTRAL MEANING OR A MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO PASS THROUGH THEM?
-
11 Yes, there is much to be said in the lyrics.
Most listeners don´t care that much of the lyrics and listen more
to the music, but for those to seek something more, there is…
12. IS SABBTAIL A REGULAR BANDOR SIMPLY A GATHERING
FOR AN ALBUM, KNOWING THAT TWO VERY IMPORTANT MEMBERSALSO HAVE OTHER BANDS
LIKE KRUX OR AT VANCE FOR MATS LEVEN AND TALISMANFOR FREDRIK AKESSON?
-
12 Mats and Fredrik do a lot of other stuff, that´s
true, but we consider ourselves as a regular band.
13. THE SONG “CONTEMPLATION” BEINGTHE SONG THAT
REFERS TO YOUR NAME ALSO SHOWS SOME NORTH - EUROPEAN FOLK ELEMENTS!DO YOU
AGREE? ALSO THE LYRICS SOUND A BIT PESSIMISTIC!
-
13 There´s certainly elements of folkmusic
in contemplation and other songs as well. Jan and I make the songs, as
I said earlier, by playing on acousic instruments and there is few songs
of ours that not sounds good singing and playing them like that. The greater
theme of ”Nightchurch” is the process of dying and it can tend to be percieved
as somewhat dark.
14. MY FAVORITE SONGS ARE “WISHFULTHINKING” WITH
ITS EXCELLENT VOCAL LINES AND HIGH PITCH VOCALS, “OUTCAST”WHICH SOUNDS
VERY SPACE PROGRESSIVE AND HARD, SORT OF LIKE AYREON, AND“DRAGON’S FLIGHT”
WITH ITS PURE HEAVY METAL OPENING RIFF! CAN YOU MAKEA COMMENT FOR EACH
ONE? IS YOUR FAVORITE AMONG THESE?
-
14 It is really hard to explain the songs other
than to ask you to listen to them and feel for yourself… it probably sounds
a little bit weird, but that is how we see them… or it could be that I
lack the abilty to describe them in an honest way in words.
15. ALTHOUGH BEING SUFFICIENTLYPROGRESSIVE YOU
HAVE NO HUGE SONGS! WHY’S THAT?
15 The songs has no longer stories to tell.
All excess instrumental parts has been cut. We wanted to have, comparatively,
short songs on this album. I don´t really recognise us as ”progressive
in the true meaning, more of a hard rock band with some less traditional
elements.
16. WHAT IS THAT STRANGE SYMBOLBENEATH THE ALBUM
TITLE ON THE COVER? WHAT DOES IT SHOW EXACTLY?
-
16 This symbol depicts the riddle that Sabbtail
has to solve. The lyrics each tells a clue of how to understand it. If
the listener wants to be part of what the lyrics really are about there
are possibilities to delve in deeply into this world.
17. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION,WHAT WOULD IT
BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
-
17 As an emotion – sorrow. A painting would
be in oil and show n amorphous, laughing, writhing matter slowly feeding
on bright, shining humanoid creatures that holds the key to greater understanding,
but in their stupidity changes these into new tv-sets.
18. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTENTO ASK YOU ANYTHING
AND YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?
-
18 We would like to extend our gratitude to all
of you who keeps on holding the banner of hard rock swaying… this music
shall live on into generations to come and it will become more and more
powerful! Rock on, Greece!
-
Hope you´re satisfied with the answers,
George, and hope to see you on tour! / Jan Bingegard and SABBTAIL.
George "Volt" Tassis
|