THY
MAJESTIE
Thy
Majestie is a new rising force in the Italian power metal scene. The recently
released their second album and grabbing this opportunity, we had a conversation
with their guitarist, although the conditions weren't the best possible...well...sometimes
the cell phones have a very very bad line, which made this conversation
impossible from time to time. However, we managed after all to have this
talk that you are able to read below. Enjoy!
1.FIRST OF ALL MAKE A SHORT PRESENTATION
OF THE BAND AND ITS HISTORY. WHO ARE THE BAND'S FOUNDERS AND WHICH IS THE
CURRENT LINE UP?
Well, the band was composed by
3 persons. We now have two guitars, keyboards, drums and a bass guitar.
We formed the band back in 1998 and we play epic metal and we are now releasing
our second album. We found a contract in 1999 recorded back then our debut
album and this is now our second release.
2.NOW TELL US SOME THINGS REGARDING
YOUR NEW ALBUM. WHERE HAVE YOU RECORDED IT, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU, HOW
IS IT MUSICALLY, WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES WITH YOUR PREVIOUS
ALBUM?
Well the second album took us about
2 months to record it and it took as one and a half year to compose it
and the differnces between our two albums are very great bcause in the
first abum we were more "happy" in our sound, but now I think we are more
powerful and darker.
3.WHAT ARE THE LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
IS IT A CONCEPT STORY? IF SO, WITH WHAT IS IT DEALING WITH?
Yes, it is concept story because
we want to do concept albums. We did the same in our previous album and
we think that real history themes are better. The story is taking place
in England in the year 866 (note: The line was bad and I am not sure for
the year) and it is a battle between the Anglosaxons and Romans and the
Romans are trying to get control of England with William the Conqueror.
He fought against the king of the Saxons Harold and William the Conqueror
of Normandy won the battle in just one day in 14th of October.
4.YOUR PREVIOUS ALBUM "THE LASTING
POWER" WAS A CONCEPT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME IN A FEW WORDS THE STORY THAT
YOU WERE DEALING WITH?
It is a usual concept about the
challenge between good and evil, because in our story Arter that is our
king, the hero is the good and he is fighting against the lord of evil,
Draita and it is a story that we invented.
5.YOUR MUSICAL STYLE IS CLOSE TO RHAPSODY
AND THERE ARE MANY BANDS FROM ITALY NOWADAYS PLAYING THIS WAY. CAN YOU
TELL ME IN WHICH PARTS YOU THINK YOU DIFFER FROM THE OTHER BANDS? WHAT
DO YOU HAVE TO REPLY TO ALL THOSE THAT MIGHT ACCUSE YOU THAT YOU ARE JUST
FOLLOWING TRENDS?
First of all I think that our previous
album is not that close to the Rhapsody style. We like Rhapsody very much
but I think we are very different, because first of all Rhapsody is using
violins and solo violins and more choirs and I think we are different because
we are more epic, more medieval. Now, the differences with the other bands
here in Italy are very great, because most of the bands here play mainly
close to the German power metal.
6.YOU PLAY SYMPHONIC METAL. THIS IS
A KIND OF MUSIC DIFFICULT TO BE REPRODUCED LIVE. HAVE YOU DONE MANY LIVES
TILL NOW? HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO PLAY YOUR MUSIC LIVE?
Well,we program most of the choirs
and we play them through the keyboards, because we can not bring so many
people. About the orchestrations, we use two keyboards, because our keyboard
player has two good keyboards and we can reproduce this way many things
but not everything.
7.MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT THOSE WHO WRITE
EPIC STORIES, ARE LOSERS, BEING OUT OF REALITY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE
THE STRENGTH TO FIGHT EVERY DAY PROBLEMS. WHICH IS YOUR OPINION ON THAT?
Epic metal is a music talking about
knights and medieval stories and such things and speaks to you in the heart.
I thinkn what they say it's nonsense, because this is our music and after
all there are too many problems we have to face in our every day lives
so we can't possibly focus on all of them.
8.DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH IS THE FIRST
HEAVY METAL ALBUM YOU'VE LISTENED AND AT WHAT AGE?
Oohhh...the first metal album...I
think it was Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son".
9.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T
ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?
Well, I think I would have taught
English, because I am an English teacher.
10.IN WHICH FIELD OF YOUR MUSIC DO
YOU THINK YOU NEED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST
PART OF YOUR MUSIC?
The best thing is that this music
comes from our hearts. I want to improve myself as a musician and we hope
to get better, always better and I'd like to be able to take our music
on higher levels.
11.IF YOUR MUSIC WAS A PICTURE WHAT
WOULD IT SHOW?
Ooohh..I don't know about that...haha..I
think it would be a painting of expressionism. I am not very interested
in the art.
12.IF YOUR MUSIC WAS AN EMOTION WHAT
DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE?
Which emotions...hhhmmm I think
it would be freedom. The freedom to fly.
13. IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION
BE?
-YEAH!
God is the first I thank in my
thanks list, so I think I'd get on my knees in front of God and thank him.
14.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH
HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY?
I'd love to go and visit medieval
Japan or the period of the barbarians in Europe.
15.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
Well, I think we pretty much covered
everything and I also hope we'll be able to meet on stage!
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