• Not often we find bands from countries that have no tradition in metal music that move us in the lyrical and of course in the musical part. One exception comes from the Czech Rebublic. I am talking for SALAMANDRA who have offered us an amazing album "Skarremar". Every time I listen to their album I have chills on my spinal cord. Here we had a very interesting and informative interview with Pavel (leader and guitarist of the band) and Katka who is responsible for the lyrics. Read and you won't loose. Only gain!

1. GIVE A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE BAND. WHICH ARE THE CURRENT MEMBERS?

•  THE RECORDS
•  December 1998  debut CD   “Twilight of Legends”
•  SALAMANDRA was founded by the guitar player Pavel Slíva who had participated on various speed and melodic metal bands in Prague and Pilsen before. The CD debut "Twilight of Legends" was recorded in October 1998 (Studio Citron, Ostrava) basically as a studio project. Concept both in music (most by Pavel Slíva) and lyrics (Katka Pancová): the gothic elements in the melodic metal opuses illustrate the atmosphere of a pre-medieval war conflict.

• April 1999  cover song  “Judas”
• Considerable success was also the song "Judas" by the speed metal legend HELLOWEEN recorded for the tribute album of THE EASTERN PUMPKIN' GARDEN, Slovak fan club of HELLOWEEN with a line-up established to play live shows.

•  December 2000 2nd CD  “Skarremar”
•  The six-member line-up co-operated on writing the first “band album” recorded in Prague in the summer of 2000 with a couple of session musicians incl. piper, flute-player, opera singers, etc. (Two songs had been recorded in November 1999 as exclusive internet edits; "The Traitor" featuring the leader of the black metal legend ENOCHAIN on backing vocals.) The concept: legend of an evil barbarian king-magician, rebellion and victory.

• THE SHOWS
•  Positive reactions of media have always walked hand in hand with a huge applause of audience (festivals RADEGAST ROCK 1999, DYNAMO NORTH POWER JAM 2000, IMMORTAL SHADOWS 2000, SILESIA OPEN 2000, NOC PLNÁ HV?ZD 2001, BRUTAL ASSAULT 2001 and club shows both in the Czech and Slovak Republics, support to CHROMING ROSE, KABÁT, etc.)
• THE BAND
• The topical line-up consists of the six gentlemen following:  (member since:)
• Guitars & Vocals:  Pavel Slíva & Karel ?epecký  (1998)
• Lead Vocals:   Dalibor "Panther" Halamí?ek  (1998)
• Drums:    Daniel “Baalberith” Jure?ek  (1999)
• Bassguitar & Vocals: Jarda Dufek     (1999)
• Keyboards:    Lukáš Homolka    (2001)
• Lyrics & Management: Katka Pancová    (1998)

• ... Ex-Salamanders & Participating Guests; thank you:
• Aleš Klimša   - bassguitar (“Twilight of Legends”)
• Marek Lanko?í  - keyboards (1998-2000)
• Terezka Pavlíková  - flutes (“Skarremar”)
• Terezka Halamová  - lead opera voice & choir (“Skarremar”)
• Markéta Tošková, Marie Št?drá, Ladislav Peringer, Martin Sou?ek & René Vršecký- choirs (“Skarremar”)
• Robert "Siki" Kyselica - spoken word (“The Time / Go Back through Ages”)
• Rudolf M??inský  - bagpipes (“The Coward / Hail the King”)
• Martin Pawlas  - church organ (“The Singer / Remember the Legend”)

• PAVEL : There may be some kind of similarity, all the bands play speed metal, ha? I enjoy listening to these bands but I never force their music elements into our music. Anyway, our roots differ: we are Slavonic, Moravians! We are devoted to our own history (nowadays working on the topic of the historic period of Great Moravian Empire), and use our national melodic structures.

• P: I like listening to BLIND GUARDIAN, STRATOVARIUS, Luka Turelli, FREEDOM CALL, NIGHTWISH; many various melodious bands with traditional folk elements.

• P: We were recording in Prague for about two months in the summer of 2000. SALAMANDRA produced “Skarremar” themselves. Because this style is not played by many bands, producers were not interested in producing the record; and we couldn’t afford a high quality foreign producer. However, we may rely on a foreign producer to co-operate on the next album!

• P: The basic similarities dwell in the feeling, the atmosphere of “the local”. Both albums are concepts based on fantasy stories with a plot. Both records make use of gothic motifs and develop the music upon the principle of a melodic line.  The CD “Skarremar” is far more lively and energetic. Not only writing the songs, but arrangements and recording was a process where all members of the band were involved in, while the music of “Twilight of Legends” is mostly my product and the album was more like a studio project. The “Twilight of Legends” stuff played live is even more elaborated and considerably more dynamic.

• KATKA: “Skarremar” is a king - magician whose stupid policy and wars ruin the kingdom. The songs describe the feelings of various types of characters and events changing the country once proud, but now decayed... Being slightly inspired by a Czech legend and wanting to fulfil the prayers of the “Silent Memory” theme (from “Twilight of Legends” debut), I let one of the glorious ancient warriors rise from his grave and kick ass of the depressed nation and fight. Here comes the happy end!

• K: SALAMANDRA’s work: the music, lyrics and atmosphere will forever be based on fantasy, magic and history in a fine balance to address any person world-wide.  I personally dislike re-telling history, re-narrating legends and sticking to reality too much. I believe the music and each listener’s imagination are the most important elements, therefore I try to have a “sting-at-the-tail” or an open-end to the song or the whole concept so that everyone can find their own message, and create their own world within the record.  I hope that the fact that the stories of the first two albums were situated in no precisely defined country, in no particular age give our fans enough space to find similarities with “their own worlds”, present or past... Which is probably the only way to relate SALAMANDRA’s lyrics with the evils of our present.  Skarremar may be any dictator you know: your bloody boss, teacher, politician, or just a vision of something bigger and worse. The hero coming up from his grave may be any of the legendary warriors, or just a symbol of any individual’s courage buried before the horrors become unbearable. Or the good and the evil depicted may as well be explained as a conflict of the dark and bright aspects of a single human’s ego not knowing which way to turn. It is your personal choice to find YOUR OWN principles in “Skarremar”! YOU are the one giving the concept the only correct meaning FOR YOU. This is the only message “in between the lines”.

• P: Leviathan Records is for us a label # 1 as they provide us all the best they can. Although it is not a large company, we are satisfied with the care they give us. (However, we are free to accept a better offer as soon as there is the chance to get a contract with a label providing us better conditions.) Most of all we want our music to be distributed world-wide and Leviathan makes that possible, being open to negotiations with foreign labels and distributors.  It would certainly help us to co-operate with a great agency operating in show or tour promotion, but there are too few companies like that in the Czech Republic. 90% of the promotion is done either by the band itself or in co-operation with other bands.

• P: Of course, the basic worry of all authors and composers is that as they grow and develop, they learn many improvements and think of all that might have been done in a better and more attractive way. But at that very moment, the recording was the best we were able and technically allowed to achieve. I am also sure that many listeners get the difference and progress between “Twilight of Legends” and “Skarremar”. The third album will undoubtedly continue improving our standards! The new keyboard player too will bring (and has already brought into our live shows) a brand new atmosphere.

• P: As far as composing and playing are concerned, I have recently started thinking a bit different: I explore the traditional folk music, classical guitar, flutes, ancient melodics. In the Czech Republic there are several excellent bands using these elements in folkrock, doom metal, etc. but absolutely none in speed metal. I am just fascinated by the concept of heavy-folk-metal.

• P: The fusions of all the various music styles have been a kind of TREND in recent years, which I consider a positive thing. There is no need to be orthodox if it means degeneration of creativity. I believe that you may name few fine examples among Greek bands too.

• P: Something is ready, but at the moment we prefer delivering our music live as there is a huge demand for us playing clubs. Therefore we take our time when completing the material for the third album. We shall focus on the civilisation of our land (the history of Great Moravia), nowadays we wonder about how to get the maximum of the atmosphere of the region into the music. However, our fans needn’t be worried that the metal played by SALAMANDRA might weaken or become too soft. The speed metal skeleton will remain there as long as SALAMANDRA is called SALAMANDRA.

• P: After the three year touring (both festivals and the club scene) we are definitely no stage greenhorns, since spring we have played a great show with masters of sword and various stage properties complementing the atmosphere according to the space and time given.  We enjoy travelling to regions where we hadn’t been before, sometimes we go through castles which we are interested in.  Live shows are designed so as to provide an absolute contact with the audience, that is what we enjoy best. We like that the audience is singing with the band. A circle of fans have already gathered around the band who do not mind driving over the whole republic to come to our show. And of course, summers are wonderful, playing open air festivals is very refreshing!!! (Beer!!!)

• P: In the Czech Republic there are many bands of better or worse quality... But most of them, however good seldom get over the borders of the region, not to mention getting abroad. I like SILENT STREAM OF GODLESS ELEGY (old-Moravian doom metal), EUTHANASIA (Slavonic metal), etc.; but too many other bands have never got enough money to get a record made and our small market is flooded with mainstream rock... which (I am afraid) is the same world-wide.

• K: I really love reading. My most favourite no. 1 style is science fiction (though I can’t name a single author) and my no. 1 author is Mika Waltari, though I am not a true fan of historical novel. His novels have an extremely strong atmosphere, deep philosophy and provide wonderful visions of civilisations long gone; while his short stories of contemporary times illustrate both extraordinary and every-day situations by beautifully formulated language. Mika Waltari is simply the best!  And I also like reading many, many other books like (of course) fantasy -- “The Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien, thrillers by Dean Koontz, fantasy series by Terry Pratchett, reports and novels by George Orwell, etc. I rather read modern literature, and I too often prefer depressive stories & legends...  I am a keen collector of rock & metal lyrics too: I have a deep respect for music with something special in lyrics, to name a few examples that I sincerely recommend -- AYREON, Steve Vai, “Ten” by PEARL JAM is a very exceptional work .. yes, and early METALLICA is cool!

• P: There are films, movies and PC games which I love, but I cannot say that I’ve ever identified myself with any of the heroes. They are all fucking posers!

• P: Get on a yacht and sail around the world.

• P: If I got a serious offer I would consider doing that. I have my precise feeling, so that certainly will never be a fucking Beverly Hills, fucking Baywatch!

• P: As it is a very, very long time ago -- I started playing when I was 15, I really cannot tell that I started doing something which I thought had not existed ever before... I was just enchanted by this kind of art!

• P: To play in countries with a fine audience where I haven’t been before. Or in Greece where I spent some time on holidays and was absolutely amazed: I would love to bring my band there. Well, my aim generally is to create, play, and make records.

• P: SALAMANDRA send all the best wishes to you all in Greece; keep raging & stay sane!