Hi there. It's a honour to make this interview for a band as special for me as Secrets Of The Moon. Are you ready to start with it? I am! To start with the interview, I'd like to know your impressions about the feedback towards your new album from the zines and the fans. Did you expect such good reviews? Is it satisfying after so much hard work? Of course it is satisfying. I would lie if I say it means nothing to us. We were not sure about the reactions. But they turned out pretty good and we feel fine with it. I must admit that, after "Carved in stigmata wounds", I had doubts that you could make better than it, as it is one of my favourite Black Metal albums, but after some listens to "Antithesis" I had to admit that this new album was nothing but a masterpiece, and that it can compete with the previous one. Did you feel any pressure because of having to make better than before and all of that? Were all the ideas for this album created after the release of the previous one and the "The exhibitions" mCD or they come from even before? Yes almost all the ideas on the album were create after "Carved in stigmata wounds" and the mini cd. we had a clear vision in mind of how the album should sound and what kind of atmosphere it should invoke. That's why we only felt pressure of satisfying ourselves. There was a goal that we wanted to reach and after having a sort of distance from it I can proudly say that we suceeded. I imagine that the recording sessions were quite complicated and stressing this time, as the result is just sublime, and it's not a simple album. Which was the hardest part of all the recording? Anything that didn't left you completely satisfied? Do you have any anecdotes from those sessions? Yes I almost collapsed a few times because after a couple of weeks in studio I was too much into the album. It really started to devour me. I could not sleep at all but was listening to the album over and over again. I started to hate it. I was unsure if it's good or just total shit. I had to leave the studio so that our producer Markus Stock was able to do some mixes. I was a wreck. When I heard samples of the album at home I had to puke. This was actually the hardest part of the recordings, spiritual blackout. If I would be completely satsfied now after some distance I would stop making music but that isn't the case. Looking to the lyrics of "Antithesis", I felt a quite negative feeling on them, and, I hope I'm not wrong, hugely inspired by death and humanity. Can you make us a summary of the ideas behind them and where did you take the inspiration to write them? Where do these subjects meet occultism? You're right with these feelings. The whole album deals with the "ultimate" death. It's sort of an antihesis to death in religious contexts because an afterlife is getting abnegate. Where to get these inspirations? Mostly from personal experiences I would say. I have quite a special relationship to death I think. All in all death is an occult matter. Going to the artwork of the album, it looks more sober than the one from "Carved in stigmata wounds", which was quite original and misterious, as far as evocative. Anyways, I still haven't seen the full booklet, only the cover, so, can you explain us a bit what you wanted to transmit with it? Who was in charge of it? Did you give him/her the full idea or just the music or lyrics? I am a designer myself so Iam responsible for all designs in connection with Secrets of the Moon. In the booklet of Antithesis I wanted to show pictures that come to my mind while writing lyrics. I think these pictures are very direct. You can easily find a relation to the lyrics of the record. After the release of "Antithesis" you did a european tour together blasphemous french Antaeus, playing in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and UK. Can you tell us how was it? Where did you have the best audience? How was the relation with your tour mates? If I had to choose one of the shows, it would have been the one from London, as you played together with Kriegsmaschine, one of my favourite Black Metal bands from the last times, can you make me some comment about their live show? I have not seen their live show so I cant give you any comment on it. The tour was a very exhausting trip but still very successful. We know the ladies and gentlemen in Antaeus for quite some time so it was natural that we came along very good. Most of them are very "closed" characters and so we are. The best audiences? Paris was great, Vienna too. Most of the shows were probably the best we every played. Again, your new album has been released on vinyl format, which is just great for me, as vinyl collector, and I've seen on your website that the previous mCD will be re-released on vinyl too. Is this a decision of yours because you like that format or it's just a decision from the labels? Which format do you prefer? Any vynil you are especially proud from your collection? It's the decision of our label because they license the releases to other labels. I am not too happy with it but finally it is up to them. Iam most proud on the "Carved in stigmata wounds" vinyl because it was released by Lupus Lounge themselves and the quality is fantastic! Recently "Stronghold of the inviolables" has been re-released by Lupus Lounge as a digipack, including some unreleased tracks. Can you explain us where do this tracks come from? As a fan of the band and collector of its releases, I'd like to know if there is going to be any re-release of older material, as you did with the "De musica mundana" compilation LP, which is quite hard to find, and extremely expensive on Ebay when you're able to find it. The tracks were recorded in another session in our former studio "Thelema Abbey". Nothing more to say about it. There won't be any other official re-releases. Although a lot of people claim that Black Metal is dead since quite some time ago, seeing bands like Deathspell Omega, Antaeus, Watain, Kriegsmaschine/Mgla, Katharsis, Nachtmystium, Nocternity, Lunar Aurora and a long list that goes on (including, for sure Secrets, Of The Moon), I can only say that the future is very promising. What do you think about that? Is todays Black Metal scene worse than the old one? Is it all about the music or about the mood and way of thinking and acting? I don't care about Black Metal. Can you tell us which are the last three albums that surprised you these last times? Any book or movie? "Gloria" by Disillusion is an album that I really like these days. Bookwise: I am currently reading a book called "Hexentage" which deals with the Inquisition in the town I was born and live. It's a very interesting one. Some short choosing questions: - Darkthrone or Emperor: Emperor - Earth or fire: Fire - Satanism or Atheism: Satanism - Politics or religion: None of it - Past or future: Future (!) To finish the interview, I'd like to know a bit what we can expect from Secrets Of The Moon in the near future. Any plans to make some more concerts outside Germany or fests? Yes we plan to play loadens of shows on european and american ground next year to promote "Antithesis". Moreover we will compose new tracks for the upcoming album. Ok, I hope all these questions were not too boring. I give you my best wishes for the future of the band and hope to see you live in the coming future. If you want to add something else, go on... Thanks for the great interview! Good luck with your magazine!
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About ...Gia Thanatos is a webzine dedicated to music for the apocalyptic times. No matter the scene or genre it comes from, and mainly chosen according to its author's taste. Archives
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