Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Imperium Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band the recording of the new album?
The new album 'Titanomachy' is coming out soon. It's been mixed and mastered by the awesome Chuck Creese and we're very happy with the result! The guitars, drums and bass had been recorded a while before I was recruited, so my part of the recording was quite simple. Come into the studio for a weekend and lay down vocals! We tracked the lot in two days, and that was that.

The wait is almost over now, so we can finally show everyone what we've been up to!


2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
This album feels very intense. There is an element of light and dark, slow brooding riffs and fast frantic ones, but the core sound is very unrelenting. The speed rarely let's up, whether it's from the riffs, blasts, or shredding lead guitar playing. I tried to rival this intensity vocally too, throwing a variety of blackened screams and low gutturals into the mix. There are gang chants to fit the themes of the lyrics, along with speedy passages too.

The real difference in sound I think stems from the themes, which come across heavily in the lyrics. The sound has changed here too though, with very grand passages of orchestral sounds, female vocals and samples of warfare and violence. It's a real musical journey, just a very fast and violent one.


3.This is the first album to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
With line up changes and injuries, Mike had to take his time preparing the new material. The songs have been a long time coming, and without a vocalist things took longer to find completion. I was contacted last year, and since then things have begun moving along at a steady pace.


4.The lyrics deal a lot  with Greek and Roman Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
The debut album covers the bloody history of the ancient Romans. It's a great topic to cover, and there are a lot of themes that are very applicable to death metal. 'Titanomachy' moves further back. The Roman gods where lifted from the gods of the ancient Greeks, and their mythology holds a great wealth of tales of bloodshed, monsters and war. It's always been a passion of mine, and I jumped at the chance to scribe an album dedicated to this topic.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Imperium'?
'Imperium' roughly translates as 'power to command'. It was a term used in ancient Rome use to describe the ability of military leaders, worthy of leading.


6. The new album is coming out on 'Ultimate Massacre productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
The label was started by Mallika Sundaramurthy and Serge Rhino of 'Abnormality' and 'Epicardiectomy' respectively. Both of the pair have their feet firmly planted in the underground death metal universe, and are out to support up and coming bands in the scene. With 'Imperium' being based in the UK and two label representatives based in the US and Czech Republic, it's quite a global project.


7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
Well it's the first album to be released in 4 years, so we will have to let you know after May 7th! But judging by the reception from the debut, we're hoping for the best!


8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
I play drums for Unfathomable Ruination and do vocals for Inebrious Incarnate. Unfathomable have just finished recording our second full length and Inebrious are hitting the road next month, with plans for a release maybe later this year.


9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Imperium in it's current form is a two man studio project. It would be great to see the band fully formed on the next release, with a drummer and bass player. It's an exciting possibility, and one we may well be exploring in the near future.


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Myself and Mike listen to a broad variety of music, inside and out of metal. For Imperium itself, the band takes influence from the themes and riff styling of bands like Nile and Behemoth. We try to take these sounds and turn them into a marching Roman war machine!


11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Mike is heavily into working out. From running marathons to 100km bike courses, he is addicted to exercise! It makes me feel bad for enjoying beer and video games so much! I also run a music video company called Visceral Video, and of course play drums!


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Cheers for the support, and I hope everyone enjoys the new album when it drops on May 7th!

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