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October 12, 2008 |
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Drogoth
February 1, 2006
By Tony Antunovich
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Southern California has a new force to be reckoned with. Los Angeles-based Black Metal purists SOTHIS may not yet be signed to a major record label, but the strength of their 2005 demo contains more than enough evidence to prove that this dark horde are destined to become one of the genre's leaders. Possessing similar characteristics of such well-known like acts as DIMMU BORGIR and IMMORTAL, SOTHIS are North America's best answer to the Black Metal call. The band currently wave their flag of choice across the landscapes of Southern California, but their plan is to conquer all of North America. In this exclusive interview with METALEATER, lead vocalist Drogoth talks about the band's intent to release their debut full-length, their future plans, and what it means to be a part of what he calls a brotherhood.
What is presently going on with the band? What new things are happening for SOTHIS right now?
SOTHIS is basically focusing on three major goals right now: 1. Submitting our materials to record labels with the interest in securing a deal to record our debut full-length album. 2. Writing new material. 3. Working with promoters and booking agents to start playing more live shows both locally and in other states and countries.
Can you give METALEATER an update on the status of a debut? Will SOTHIS be releasing their first full-length debut unto the Metal world in the near future?
SOTHIS' main goal right now is to secure a deal with a record label to do just that. The sooner we can come up with a decent budget for recording, the sooner we'll be able to release our debut. From the beginning of this project, our goal was to deliver our music in the highest quality possible. Unfortunately, that costs a lot of money; something we don't have a lot of. However, if we don't end up finding the right deal for us, we will find a way to finance it ourselves. SOTHIS WILL be releasing a full-length LP - hopefully sooner than later.
What can fans expect from SOTHIS' first full-length?
Brutal and aggressive Symphonic Black Metal. We haven't completely decided what we're going to do as far as re-recording the material we've already released on our demo. I'm sure we'll use at least two songs from the demo, re-recorded of course, but we may use them all. That hasn't been decided yet. As far as the newer material, it's hard for me to be objective about comparing it to the old material, because I'm too close to it. I personally think that the newer songs are different in style, not only from the older songs, but from each other as well. SOTHIS is inspired by many different genres of Metal, and those influences come through, offering an eclectic variety of sounds. Some of it is brutal, aggressive, chaotic and dark, while some of it is more melodic. It offers a wide-range of emotion and ambience. I think that fans of our older material will be pleased, as well as challenged... they should expect to hear some things that they've never heard from us before.
One other thing I should add is that three of the four songs on the demo were written before Nylock (guitar), Zereth (bass), or I joined the band. I added the vocals to those songs when I joined, and Nylock and Asperia (keyboards) helped write "The Memory" (on the band's demo), but a majority of that material was written by Dross (drums) and Scathe (guitar). All of our newer material reflects all six of SOTHIS' members, and therefore has a new element that wasn't there previously.
Last April (2005), SOTHIS signed a management deal with Jeff Keller Management LLC. Can you tell us how that relationship has been going since the signing?
In all honesty, not much has happened with Jeff so far. His sole responsibility right now is to keep in contact with the different record labels that we've submitted to. If he helps us secure a deal, we'll be happy. If not, we don't have much use for him.
Have you had any prospects signing with any labels? Can you give us an update on that?
We've had a few offers, but none that were acceptable to us. Black Metal is not as big as it should be in this country, and therefore the deals being offered reflect that. All we can do is hope that the scene in this country continues to grow, and we plan on being a large part of that. SOTHIS will not sign a deal until we feel it is mutually beneficial to those involved.
For only containing four songs, your 2005 Demo is a very impressive package, I must say. It looks exactly like any normal full-length pack - very professional with a lot of great artwork. You designed that artwork; is graphic design your full-time job?
Thank you for the compliment. The response so far seems pretty positive. We've always tried to make everything we do look and sound as good as we possibly can. I've been a professional artist for about 15 years now. I currently run the animation department for Electronic Arts on the Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth 2 video game project. One of the designers of the game actually named a character after me, so come February when the game is released you can choose to play Drogoth, the Dragon Lord! (laughs)
How did you devise the band's logo? Was it a joint concept by the all the band members or?
I designed both of the logos we currently use. I just sat down and drew several versions, and asked the band members to vote on their favorite.
The band's name derived from the Greek word "Seirios", meaning "Burning" in English, but the band's name is also known as "Sirius" and "Dog Star". Can you elaborate more on how the band decided upon SOTHIS as the final choice?
When we were trying to decide on a name for the band, we all brought a number of ideas to the table. There were several that we were considering at one point, but SOTHIS was the only name that we all unanimously agreed on. Dross brought the idea for consideration.
The band's sound is a very dark, symphonic, orchestral brand of Black Metal, combining many elements of the likes of DIMMU BORGIR, IMMORTAL, MARDUK, and OLD MAN'S CHILD into one entity. Can you explain how the band developed its sound and where you came to embrace Black Metal?
The band's sound was basically developed by Dross and Scathe. They wrote and arranged the early versions of the first three songs that the band developed together. Asperia joined later to add the keys to those songs, although I believe Dross strongly influenced how the keys were integrated. Everything we've done since then has built upon that original vision. Each member brings their ideas to rehearsal, but if we don't all agree that it fits our sound, it'll be thrown out. I can't speak as to how the other members came to embrace Black Metal. That's for them to answer.
I personally became connected to Black Metal simply by being exposed to it. I've been a Metal fan since I was 14. I'm 33 now, so that's 19 years. I started with LED ZEPPELIN, VAN HALEN and AC/DC, moved on to heavier bands like METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX, and then when Death Metal started to emerge I got into bands like DEATH, OBITUARY and DEICIDE. Around the time that the Seattle (Grunge) Invasion hit, Metal took a big nose dive and not as many newer metal bands were being signed. With not much new stuff coming out, I started buying older music... going back to bands that I had heard of, but never got into, and buying their old catalogues and getting into that music. Around that same time, I also moved away from my home town, and all my friends, to pursue my career. That was in '93, so it was before a lot of people in America even knew what Black Metal was. I moved to Austin, Texas and the only people I knew were the guys I worked with.
None of them were into Metal, so I was on my own as far as finding new music to get into. I started going to a lot of Metal websites and download MP3s and that's eventually what lead me to Black Metal. Bands like EMPEROR, BORKNAGAR, and OLD MAN'S CHILD were my first favorites in the genre. I was never part of any "scene" and didn't have the luxury of a large group of friends sharing music and talking about bands. I just had to seek it out and find it on my own. Once I moved back to LA, I was exposed to a lot more fans of the Black Metal scene, and learned about a lot more bands. I fell in love with the genre, and felt compelled to be a part of it. I was living in San Diego when I decided to start a Black Metal band, and shortly thereafter I met Dross, moved back to LA, and joined SOTHIS.
Do you have any formal vocal training?
Not much. I toyed with the idea of doing clean vocals for SOTHIS, and started taking vocal lessons. I think I had about four lessons, and the teacher I hired ended up being a flake, so I would have had to find a new trainer if I wanted to continue. I don't have enough time to train right now, so I really doubt I'll go back to it any time soon. Perhaps in the future, but definitely not now.
Does your voice ever get strained from screaming so much? What do you do to take care of your vocal chords? Any secrets like drinking lots of water etc.?
All I do is just try to take it easy when rehearsing. We have a decent PA system so I don't have to scream that loud to get the volume I need. I can control my voice better when I'm not screaming at full volume anyway. It gets harder during a live performance though, because I get more pumped up, my heart rate starts to elevate, and I get really aggressive and therefore my screaming gets louder. I do drink lots of water when rehearsing and that helps.
How has the Southern California scene been embracing SOTHIS? Is it a vibrant scene?
I wouldn't say it's a vibrant scene, but it definitely has potential. SOTHIS has a long way to go as far as promoting shows and getting more exposure, however I'm confident that we're making the right decisions to bring us to that end.
Where do you see Black Metal heading in the future?
I feel that Black Metal will continue to grow in this country and more and more people will be exposed to it. I know that with the right promotion and exposure, a larger number of Metal fans will begin to embrace it. SOTHIS is very focused on raising awareness of Black Metal in Southern California, and eventually, the USA. The key is for more labels to sign unsigned Black Metal acts, and promote them more. These bands don't have enough money to do it on their own, so without some industry help, it'll be difficult.
What is in the future for SOTHIS?
As I stated before, we're striving towards making a full-length album and playing more live shows. Those things take time and money, so all I can say is that we're doing our best and we will not quit. We're all very devoted to strengthening SOTHIS' position and making our mark on the Metal scene.
Do you have anything you would like to relay to the readers of METALEATER?
For those that have supported us in the past and continue to do so, we truly appreciate it. I have been a metalhead my entire adult life, and I think of our scene as a brotherhood. It is something that I'm very proud to be a part of, and I am truly grateful for the friends I've made along the way. The fans are what keep this scene alive, and you have my eternal thanks and respect for that. Stay Metal, my brothers and sisters. [FIN]
» Official SOTHIS Website
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