SYRACH

Interview date

November 2007

Interviewer

Damien

I N T E R V I E W

Hi Kenneth, thanks a lot for accepting this interview for the french metal webzine http://www.auxportesdumetal.com/
First of all, can you please explain us the meaning of your band's name "Syrach" ? Where does it come from ?

The name is taken from some writings that were not allowed in the Bible because of it's content. Back in 92/93 we were the only doom metal band in Bergen, there were only black metal bands at that time. So we were some kind of outcast, just like the writings not allowed in the Holy Script,-so the name fitted us perfectly. But the name have many meanings today....but we stuck with it and I think it's a really good name for a band...

You're a norvegian band and you play doom-metal. Do you think that heavy melancolic music is a regional speciality Northern Europe ?

Well, I don't think so...not for Norway...there's not to many doom bands in Norway,-I can only mention a couple of bands around, like Sagh and Funeral. But there's classical dark doom bands in England from the 90's,-so maybe Northern Europe have many quality darker bands then the rest of the world...maybe because of the cold winter,haha...Norway has always been compaired with quality Black Metal bands,-so the doom bands drown a bit in this Black Metal birthplace...

Your music is powerful and deeply melancolic. Are your composition based on your past life and experiences ?

I like to say that our music is a long journey through a dark depressive landscape, the more you listen to the music further into the dark abyss you sink...hehe...Off course some of the feelings in our music is based on our personalities,-but we are NOT all just dark souls with depressing thoughts...but life in general have dark sides and bright sides...and we use the darker sides in our music,-and manage to make good music with those dark minds...

On some songs, we can hear a beautiful female voices. Who is the lady ?

The lovely lady with the fantastic voice is Silje Wergeland from the Norwegian band Octavia Sperati, check out their albums on Candlelight Records. Silje have been doing some vocals with us on some live performances in Bergen and she sounds great on the album...

You play both short and long songs. How would you define a typical doom song ?

Ohh...that's a tough one...depends if you means classic doom or the "new wave" of doom...for me a doom song is a long songs, but on an album I mean that you have to have a variation of the songs, most long composition but also some shorter tracks to keep the interest up for the listeners that ain't that much into the long songs...but a classic doom songs can be a short one,-with that I mean around 5 minutes ;-)

The darkness of your song reminds me Celtic Frost. What do you think of Celtic Frost's return last year ?

Well, first of all, I am honour to be compared with such a classic band here...I love the early releases from C.F., and I saw them last year live at Hole In The Sky in Bergen,-great to see the old heroes being back on the stage....to be honest,-I haven't heard that much on the new album....

Where does your inspiration to mix thrash, heavy-metal rhythms and female voices come from ?

All 5 members have really different music taste,-all from New Wave of British Heavy Metal,Faith No More, Rush, Frank Zappa, 70's prog, Black Metal, Iron Maiden, My Dying Bride and the list goes on and on....so I think all our different styles put together in one mix makes the expression in Syrach's music...

Your latest album is in the section "Coups De Coeur" on the webzine http://www.auxportesdumetal.com/ beside Iced Earth, Ministry, Down, Paradise Lost, Porcupine Tree, Middian or Unsane. How do you react to this ?

To see our name besides some of those bandsnames makes you realize that we're in a good company here,haha...we are of cours honour to be beside bands like we like ourselves, like Paradise Lost and Porcupine Tree...no doubt about that...and the good review of Days Of Wrath also warm our doom heart...so hey...we're proud!! J

I give you the last word to the french readers ?

Yeah...what can I say..first of all..thanx for the interview and the really good support you have given us..we truly appreciate this! I hope the French readers will give the Days Of Wrath album a try and support a true band along the way...maybe we'll see you out there on some gigs in France in the near future...we've never played in France,-but we love to come...give us a line and we'll be there...that's for sure...Doom on!!!