Lunaris is the name which soon will be widely known. Today it is pretty hard to find something new in extreme music, nevertheless norwegian LUNARIS is just creating its way in metal music. Their debut album "...The Infinite" is in my oppinion a debut of this year and I hope that it would be a preludium to a great career of this great band. Ladies and gentlemen, here is guitarist M
As you are debutants I have to ask you first about bands history. Who founded Lunaris and could you present the actual line-up of Lunaris?
Balfori and I started Lunaris in 98.
The current line-up is:
M Guitars, Backing Vocals
Balfori Vocals
Ray Keyboards
Maztema Bass, Vocals
Azarak Guitars
Janos Drums
Could you tell me what was the reason of Asgeir Mickelson`s leave from the band?
Asgeir was only a member of the band for a few months in 99, but he has always been a close friend of the band, and has helped us out on several occasions. The only reason he did not stay with us as a member, was simply because it didnt work out the way we had hoped, and we all felt it was better if we looked for someone else.
Your new percussion player is a member of Italian band V.E.G.A., so its hard for me to imagine that he travels to Norway just to rehearse. By the way, could you tell me how have you met Janos?
Janos was introduced to us through a mutual friend. He was in Norway because his girlfriend at the time lived here. He went back to Italy for a year to study, and when he came back we still hadnt found a permanent drummer, so it worked out perfectly. Janos lives in Norway, and occasionally goes back to Italy to work with V.E.G.A.
Could you tell me something more about your demos "Demo 2000" and "Creative destruction"? What was on those demos? Is there something in common between songs from those demos and songs from "...the infinite"?
Demo 2000 was actually our second demo (the first one was never distributed). The tracks were still quite rough and unpolished at the time. We used programmed drums, and the sound and feel was very different to what we have now. Creative Destruction was recorded in September of 2000 and featured Asgeir on drums. Maztema also did some vocal parts on this demo. There were a couple of tracks on those demos that ended up on the album.
How did you manage to sign with Elitist, a firm that becomes more and more cult and deals with very talented bands?
We were in negotiations for quite a while with one of the major European labels, but things were taking way too long, and finally we broke it off. Shortly after we sent a few tracks of our album to Lee at Elitist, and he was very quick to reply. He was very interested in working with us, and we got the feeling right away that Elitist/Earache was the right label for us.
Lets talk about your debut album. In my opinion this album is almost perfect, where all songs are on the high level. Could you, as the author of this music, tell which song is your favourite?
That is a very hard question to answer I like all the tracks in some way, but if I have to choose, I would probably say Mother of Storms and Growth denied.
And now on the other hand tell me which of your songs you do not like.
I would not put any songs I didnt like on the album.
What was the idea to play such kind of music? On one hand it is a primitive black metal and on the other hand there are progressive parts with complicated riffs and beautiful solos, black metal screams are mixed with clean vocals...
There was really no plan as such. The sound is just the result of these six individuals playing and adapting the songs Ive written. I write the music with the intent that Im gonna get a kick listening to them. I attempt to make music that gives me the same good feeling I get when I listen to my favourite bands.
Could you give me a full definition of what Astral Metal means?
Your guess is as good as mine. This is something the marketing department of Earache came up with.
"...the infinite" is an album that is very complicated in some parts. How does the work on creating new songs look like? Who is the author of new songs and who brings most of the ideas?
I write pretty much all the music, but the guys incorporate their styles into the ideas I bring to the band. When I write the songs, I usually write the song pretty much from start to finish in one sitting. I might go back and fix or add something here and there, but I hardly ever spend more than a couple of days on a track.
From where did you get intro to "Si Vis PAcem, Para Bellum"?
The intro is taken from a radio speech by President Roosevelt. I think it is from 1938. The sample I use is only a tiny part of it, and it is taken completely out of context - hehe.
Who is the author of your lyrics and what are they about?
I have written most of them, but Ray, Azarak, and Balfori contributed as well. The lyrics are, to sum it up, a celebration of the free human spirit and people who dare to think for them selves, to stand completely alone in the decisions they make. The struggle against archaic norms and religious dogma. I feel these barriers are holding back human intellectual evolution.
Most of you play in other bands, so Lunaris is going to be rather a studio project. Or maybe Im wrong. Is there any possibility that some lucky men would see Lunaris live?
Lunaris is absolutely a full time band. Obviously we have to make compromises in that there are other bands and priorities to consider, but not more than many other bands in the Norwegian metal scene. We expect to start touring early next year. It wont be very extensive touring, as we plan on recording the next album sometime before next summer, but we will be doing some shows and festivals. There will be a lot more touring with the next album.
How does the works on the second album proceed and when it is going to be released?
The material for the next album is about 75%. There is a lot of pre-production and arranging still to be done, but we are getting closer every day.
At the end tell me about the new album. What will it be like? What can we expect from it?
The next album will be a natural progression from the infinite. I guess it will lean a bit more towards death metal, but the black metal elements will still be there with force. It will be faster, slower, more technical, more melodic, more brutal more of everything Lunaris represents.
As you are debutants I have to ask you first about bands history. Who founded Lunaris and could you present the actual line-up of Lunaris?
Balfori and I started Lunaris in 98.
The current line-up is:
M Guitars, Backing Vocals
Balfori Vocals
Ray Keyboards
Maztema Bass, Vocals
Azarak Guitars
Janos Drums
Could you tell me what was the reason of Asgeir Mickelson`s leave from the band?
Asgeir was only a member of the band for a few months in 99, but he has always been a close friend of the band, and has helped us out on several occasions. The only reason he did not stay with us as a member, was simply because it didnt work out the way we had hoped, and we all felt it was better if we looked for someone else.
Your new percussion player is a member of Italian band V.E.G.A., so its hard for me to imagine that he travels to Norway just to rehearse. By the way, could you tell me how have you met Janos?
Janos was introduced to us through a mutual friend. He was in Norway because his girlfriend at the time lived here. He went back to Italy for a year to study, and when he came back we still hadnt found a permanent drummer, so it worked out perfectly. Janos lives in Norway, and occasionally goes back to Italy to work with V.E.G.A.
Could you tell me something more about your demos "Demo 2000" and "Creative destruction"? What was on those demos? Is there something in common between songs from those demos and songs from "...the infinite"?
Demo 2000 was actually our second demo (the first one was never distributed). The tracks were still quite rough and unpolished at the time. We used programmed drums, and the sound and feel was very different to what we have now. Creative Destruction was recorded in September of 2000 and featured Asgeir on drums. Maztema also did some vocal parts on this demo. There were a couple of tracks on those demos that ended up on the album.
How did you manage to sign with Elitist, a firm that becomes more and more cult and deals with very talented bands?
We were in negotiations for quite a while with one of the major European labels, but things were taking way too long, and finally we broke it off. Shortly after we sent a few tracks of our album to Lee at Elitist, and he was very quick to reply. He was very interested in working with us, and we got the feeling right away that Elitist/Earache was the right label for us.
Lets talk about your debut album. In my opinion this album is almost perfect, where all songs are on the high level. Could you, as the author of this music, tell which song is your favourite?
That is a very hard question to answer I like all the tracks in some way, but if I have to choose, I would probably say Mother of Storms and Growth denied.
And now on the other hand tell me which of your songs you do not like.
I would not put any songs I didnt like on the album.
What was the idea to play such kind of music? On one hand it is a primitive black metal and on the other hand there are progressive parts with complicated riffs and beautiful solos, black metal screams are mixed with clean vocals...
There was really no plan as such. The sound is just the result of these six individuals playing and adapting the songs Ive written. I write the music with the intent that Im gonna get a kick listening to them. I attempt to make music that gives me the same good feeling I get when I listen to my favourite bands.
Could you give me a full definition of what Astral Metal means?
Your guess is as good as mine. This is something the marketing department of Earache came up with.
"...the infinite" is an album that is very complicated in some parts. How does the work on creating new songs look like? Who is the author of new songs and who brings most of the ideas?
I write pretty much all the music, but the guys incorporate their styles into the ideas I bring to the band. When I write the songs, I usually write the song pretty much from start to finish in one sitting. I might go back and fix or add something here and there, but I hardly ever spend more than a couple of days on a track.
From where did you get intro to "Si Vis PAcem, Para Bellum"?
The intro is taken from a radio speech by President Roosevelt. I think it is from 1938. The sample I use is only a tiny part of it, and it is taken completely out of context - hehe.
Who is the author of your lyrics and what are they about?
I have written most of them, but Ray, Azarak, and Balfori contributed as well. The lyrics are, to sum it up, a celebration of the free human spirit and people who dare to think for them selves, to stand completely alone in the decisions they make. The struggle against archaic norms and religious dogma. I feel these barriers are holding back human intellectual evolution.
Most of you play in other bands, so Lunaris is going to be rather a studio project. Or maybe Im wrong. Is there any possibility that some lucky men would see Lunaris live?
Lunaris is absolutely a full time band. Obviously we have to make compromises in that there are other bands and priorities to consider, but not more than many other bands in the Norwegian metal scene. We expect to start touring early next year. It wont be very extensive touring, as we plan on recording the next album sometime before next summer, but we will be doing some shows and festivals. There will be a lot more touring with the next album.
How does the works on the second album proceed and when it is going to be released?
The material for the next album is about 75%. There is a lot of pre-production and arranging still to be done, but we are getting closer every day.
At the end tell me about the new album. What will it be like? What can we expect from it?
The next album will be a natural progression from the infinite. I guess it will lean a bit more towards death metal, but the black metal elements will still be there with force. It will be faster, slower, more technical, more melodic, more brutal more of everything Lunaris represents.
