SECULARTHREAT
Do you consider yourself
as a demanding listener that would like to listen to good melodies, skillfull
playing and full of inspiration music? Do you know SECULARTHREAT? If the
answer in the first question is positive,then you must learn about this
great band from U.S. that mix death with thrash metal and also has some
touches of classical music. No doubt that they will drive you crazy...
1.CONGRATULATIONS FOR "SECULAR THREAT"!
GREAT MUSIC!
2.FIRST OF ALL TELL US THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS IN THE SECULAR THREAT'S HISTORY AND INTRODUCE THE CURRENT LINE
UP.
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ST is in a state of flux right now.Original
drummer Ozz moved last March and a replacement was never found. Dan Chagrin
joined on bass in April and after recording nine songs he and I discovered
we could not work together. I'm not sure if I am going to try and find
replacements or just be a solo artist. I haven't had the best of luck holding
a group together and I'm starting to take it as a sign. I'm 31 now and
I still love writing songs and lyrics, but having a "band" doesn't seem
likely anymore. Never say never though, right?
3.IF I ASKED YOU TO INTRODUCE THE ALBUM
YOURSELVES TO THE READERS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?
ARE YOU SATISFIED BY THE FINAL RESULT? IF YOU COULD CHANGE SOMETHING NOW,
WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
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Secularthreat is a streamlined, three-piece
aural assault combining old-school thrash and modern death/black/extreme
metal. As with any project a perfectionist is involved with I don't
think you are ever completely satisfied, but I think it definately holds
its own in the metal world. I am a future-oriented person so I find
it difficult to dwell on things that I cannot change,
like the past, so I don't know what or if I would do anything different.
4.THE PRODUCTION IS NOT THAT GOOD.
THE VOLUME IS LOW AND THE THE SOUND NOT AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE FOR THE
KIND OF MUSIC YOU PLAY. WHERE WAS THE ALBUM RECORDED? DID YOU USE THE HELP
OF A PRODUCER?
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You are actually the first person to
say the production is not that good. I think some of the reasons
for this assessment is that many of todays bands use a lot of electronic
drums and people are getting used to that sound. I recorded and produced
this cd in my home studio and the only electronic sound I used was for
the kick drums, everything else was mic'd. If the volume is low,
turn it up!
5.HOW MANY DEMOS HAVE YOU RECORDED
BEFORE THIS ONE? WHICH ARE THE MAIN SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG
THEM?
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I recorded three Malintent cds before
I forged Secularthreat. Some of the guitar riffing and soloing might be
similar because I play guitar on that too, but Malintent is more sci-fi,
futuristic, techno-speed metal and ST is more philosophical, introspective
and organic. By the way, Malintent (and hopefully ST) is now available
from apple.com,
listen.com,
netmusic.com
and other download sites. Secularthreat and Malintent cds are at cdbaby.com
6.WHERE ARE YOUR LYRICS REFERRING TO
AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY FOR YOU? WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE LYRICS AND
WHAT CAN TAKE THE INSPIRATION AWAY FROM YOU?
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Lyrics are based on history, philosophy,
world events, movies, etc. Sometimes the words aren't as important as the
power the phonetics evoke. Certain words just have a good resonance in
my chest so I try and us them, other times I may have a cool subject matter
that I can write good lyrics for, like "Drifters". The biggest obstacle
for inspiration is the monotony of everyday life. Just the admin of paying
bills, running errands, this, that, blah, blah, blah. . .
7.YOU REMINDED ME OF HUGE THRASH METAL
BANDS SUCH AS ANNIHILATOR AND TOURNIQUET. DO YUO AGREE WITH THESE 2? WHICH
OTHGER BANDS CAN BE FOUND WITHIN YOUR INFLUENCES AND COULD YOU NAME SOME
OF YOUR MOST BELOBED ALBUMS?
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I never listened to either of those
bands so I have no comment on that.Older influences(favorite album): Iron
Maiden (Powerslave), Metallica (Master of Puppets) Slayer (Reign in Blood),
Megadeth (So far, so good, . . . so what! & Rust in Piece), Testament
(New Order & Legacy), Death (Individual Thought Patterns). Newer influences(fav
album): Old Mans Child (In Defiance of Existence)
Emperor (Prometheus), Zyklon (World ov Worms), Nile (In the beginning),Dragonlord
(Rapture), Nevermore (Dreaming Neon Black & Dead Heart). There's more
I'm sure, but that's all I can think of.
8.APART FROM THE TECHNICAL THRASH METAL
SOUND YOU ALSO HAVE SOME DEATH METAL TINGES AND MANY CLASSIC MUSIC PASSAGES.
HOW GOOD CAN THIS COMBINATION BE AND HOW EASY IS IT FOR YOU TO ACHIEVE
THE PERFECT BINDING OF DIFFERENT MUSICAL BRANCHES? WHO CLASSIC COMPOSERS
DO YOU LIKE?
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When I write music I just riff until
everything has a good flow to my ears. If I have good lyrics from the start
then I try to construct the music and tempo to there meter and sound.
Beethoven is my favorite, I also like Stravinsky, Bach, Vivaldi, Chopin,
and Rachmaninoff.
9.YOU COME FROM THE U.S. AND I THINK
THESE LAST FEW
YEARS HEAVY METAL IS COMING BACK
TO THE SURFACE ONCE AGAIN AND STARTED BECOMING MAINSTREAM. SINCE YOU LIVE
THERE I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU SEE THINGS AND WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ALL
THESE...
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There is always a mainstream-metal
style pulsing throughout the genre that I still feel is mainly purported
by MTV, VH1 and fuse, but I think most of the quality stuff is still underground
and will always be underground. At least in the US. That's why sites like
cdbaby.com
are so valuable, they expose underground, independent artists - but you
still have to get the name out. cdbaby, cdbaby, cdbaby!
10.YOU ARE ALL SKILLFUL MUSICIANS.
HOW IMPORTANT IS
THIS FOR THE SONGWRITING? WHICH
ELEMENTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY FOR YOU WHILST COMPOSING?
DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE SKILLFUL MUSICIANS, AS I WROTE IN MY REVIEW,
YOU GIVE ME THE SENSE THAT YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS SERVE THE COMPOSITION
AND NOT THE VICE VERSA. WHAT I MEAN IS THAT YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO SHOW
OFF... WHAT DO YOU THINK ON THIS SUBJECT?
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I get off on technical music, that
is why I love classical music, metal and even stuff like Eric Johnson.
I have been playing guitar for 15 years and I take pride in knowing I play
well. I like that aspect in all of the intruments played in a group. I
don't like show-offs and many guitarists have trouble with "over-noodling",
I never lose site of the bigger picture in a song and if I have nothing
to offer in the way of a lead, then I don't do one or keep it short and
sweet. One review of Malintent's "The Second Coming" was criticized
for the material being too technical just to be difficult. I say fuck that,
I like to challenge myself and keep myself on my toes. I don't want to
be complacent and play/write stuff that comes easy
to me. It is only good music to me if it takes effort and skill to accomplish.
11.DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
WHAT IS THIS
THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN OFFER TO
THE METALLERS IN YOUR SHOWS? WHAT SHOULD THEY EXPECT TO SEE FROM YOU?
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Like I said at the beginning of this
interview I don't know what the immediate future holds for Secularthreat.
Maybe some reader in the US (near VA) will read this, listen to ST, love
it and want to be a part of the live show. cdbaby.com/Secularthreat
12.ARE YOU SATISFIED BY THE FEEDBACK
YOU GOT THIS FAR? IS THERE A COMMON STATEMENT YOU READ IN ALMOST ALL THE
REVIEWS YOU RECEIVE?
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I don't have expectations when I send
stuff out for review. It is just promotion and like the saying goes, "Opinions
are like assholes, everybody's got one."
13.IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT
WOULD IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
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Secularthreat's music can't be summed
up with one emotion. There is hate, anger, sadness, aggression, introspectiveness,
not all emotion but aspects of ST. The same goes for paintings, each song
would be at least one painting maybe more. But Brooding and Realsim are
strong.
14.WHICH IS, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE
BEST AND WHICH THE WORST ELEMENT IN YOUR MUSIC? WHICH IS YOUR TRADEMARK?
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This question to me is deconstructive
thinking, something I try and avoid. I just pick up my guitar or my pen
and do my thing. I don't try and formula-ize it.
15.LET'S SUPPOSE THAT WE LIVE IN A
WORLD WITHOUT
MUSIC. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN SUCH
A CASE?
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Well I actually am working on interior
and artistic design painting, and coming up with creative ideas that people
would like in their homes. Music has always been in the forefront for me,
but I need to make money and I don't want to make the artistic sacrifice
to do that with music, so I'll do it with something else. My music will
always be pure and from my soul, untainted and uncompromised by society.
This attitude/philosophy is also what makes it almost impossible to work
with other musicians.
16.WHICH WORDS DO YOU THINK COULD BEST
DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST DEMO AND YOUR MUSIC IN GENERAL?
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Aggressive, technical, melodic but
heavy, unique and soulful.
17.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION? LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE...
Christine Parastatidou
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