This week's interview happens to be in correspondence with this week's Rick's Pick. Here is a video interview with Fight Tonight from Germany, in 2008.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Rick's Pick: Fight Tonight
This week's pick goes to German hardcore band Fight Tonight. They are a newer band and their releases are currently limited to an EP and a demo CD, honestly all I have heard so far has been great. As mentioned they are rooted in hardcore, but remind me somewhat of If We Die Tomorrow, as they also incorporate punk and a bit of grind. I definitely look forward to their full length. Check these guys out.
~Rick 56
Sunday, September 20, 2009
INTEVRIEW: Thesyre
Thesyre "Résistance" Interview
Archaic Magazine 2009
Archaic Magazine 2009
1. Having read other foreign bands talk of the difficulties they can encounter when singing songs in their native tongues, the album sung in the French language is quite a success, much like German it seems to be a language with a tone well suited to metal, are you in agreement with this?
For someone not speaking French it might sound alright. For someone used to speak French it might sound weird at first as we are overwhelmed by bands signing in English. English seems to be the common language for rock music in general and it always gives this genre some novelty value to sign in a different language. We used to have most of our lyrics in English to make sure most people would get the idea behind them but for this album it was mandatory to have them all in French; there was no other way than to express those ideas in my mother language. I’d say that most languages can be fit for metal since there is a lot of screaming and sometimes the elocution is not that clear. The Norwegians took great advantage of this in the 90s: they had the strong accent, the weird sonorities and the whole novelty value appealed to a lot of people. Most Scandinavian languages have this crude sonority to the foreign ear which suits metal expression well. French works differently by being closely linked to classic literature and poetry, I think. It has the smooth Latin element and yet remains harsher to the ear than say, for example, Spanish.
2. While so many bands in the metal genre can be seen experimenting with various folk instruments, whereas in thesyre you maintain a real attention to detail with the dynamics of the music, at the same time one can sense a real 'stripped-down' ethic to everything, is this something you pay close attention to when writing, are you conscious about this?
It was my goal since the beginning. I always felt that a lot of bands were trying too hard to sound different by adding a lot of different ingredients in the mix. I felt I could strip the music down to its very core and work around the dynamics instead, something most metal bands seems to avoid or ignore these days. Our sound is based around the traditional rock instrumentation and the structurs of our music is very song-based. The dynamics, the layering and the dissonances we sometimes use expands our sound canvas a bit while still remaining firmly rooted in rock music. Thesyre is all about songs so far, I would say. We’re after this catchy element which makes the music an instant hit or miss for the listener. I like a lot of more technical and progressive bands but this approach is not ours for the moment.
3. The vocals on “L'égalitarisme freine l'excellence” in places remind me of some songs by Deinonychus, were they an influence on you at any point during the creative process or even at all? and referring specifically to this song what particular thoughts spring to your mind and what have you yourself observed of egalitarian ideologies stand in the way of advancement?
Although I have been in touch with Marco of Deinonychus for years, I’d say firmly that his music or lyrics never had an influence on Thesyre. I am listening to Deinonychus’ latest album and I am still looking for the link you made (as I guess this could be the album being the closest to what we do in Thesyre, right?). As for your mention of egalitarian ideologies, I guess it’s obvious that our society allows too much place to equalitarianism. I have no problem with giving a chance to the runner but we shouldn’t do everything to have as many people as possible to feel safe and comfortable just because they’re different. Difference plays an important role in advancement, I would say. If you want to make as much people as possible to feel good about everything you’ll most definitely have to lower your expectations on them and to expand the services you offer them. In such a position I can hardly see how we can win anything out of it. It all have to do with the notion of competition among men and the idea that we were not all born equal. We’re dealing with an egalitarian obsession which we rarely witness in history. This might make us feel more ‘modern’ or ‘advanced’ but I am pretty sure it’s not an avenue that will win us anything on the long run. We’re taming ourselves badly by behaving like that.
4. Do you think humankind will eventually arrive at a sufficient enough paradigm for our modern society? or are there any movements you see currently today that might give rise to such? Personally I think we're making slow footsteps towards this the further we move away from orthodox religion.
You hit it right when you say we’re making slow footsteps in the right direction. The problem is that those slow steps are too slow for anything good to happen anytime soon. In our era we should be ready to skip a few steps and look out to reach the upper ladder, right? Never have we been so much in touch together via any form of communication devices. We have access to a database of knowledge our ancestors couldn’t even dream of a century ago. We’ve explored our world like no others did before and, yet, we’re still stuck with ideas and philosophies dating back to the past millennium. To truly embrace modernity man will have to break free from its chains but he’s not ready for it yet. Religion acts as a huge restriction on achieving true modernity. Most authorities in place, religious and political ones, realize that’s it’s a good thing to keep people rooted in their past. It’s easier to keep control on people when their desire to question what is perceived as the truth and remains low. It’s easy to force us into an economy of mass consumption when our ideals resume themselves by buying more stuff from the megastore at a cheaper price or to watch the football game on your HD screen. The whole entertainment culture we’re fed with daily keeps us chained and make us slaves to the real powers working behind the curtain. Up until we’re ready to break free from this manipulation they empower on us trough religion and their governments we’ll never be able to reach another level.
5. Thesyre to me is naturally reminiscent of many of your own influences, would it interest you if a younger generation of bands/fans begin to appreciate these important bands also?
I would love to see the next generation get into the bands which played a major role on our development because of our music. That would be an honor to serve as a link between both. I think that a lot of younger music enthusiast are looking to the past to find out who influenced who and why is this whole genre gone that far. I am doing the same with obscure progressive and psychedelic bands of the 70s. It’s always good to know the roots of an artistic movement as it helps you identify who were the leaders and the followers as well as knowing who made the real advancements and who helped refine the genre. By knowing where you are from is much easier to visualize where you want to go. By doing so, young musicians would also realize that there has to be some kind of a balance between emulating the past and looking at the future. It’s the source of all forms of progression: build on the past and keep looking ahead.
6. Have there been at times misconceptions created by people with regards to the meaning of the band's 'the eagle in the wheel' moniker? I shamefully admit to having mistaken this for something 'imperialistic' myself at first. conversrly, I think it describes very well the persons transformation from a cog in the wheel to an eagle, what were your thoughts at the time when this symbol came to your mind? I think it's very effective in this context.
Well, it looks imperial because of the eagle and the cogwheel also gives it an industrial feel. I reckon it might be misleading at first as it’s not very ‘heavy-metal-by-numbers’ for a logo. Many people linked us to NSBM, Industrial and Martial music when in reality we’re much more rooted in the Thrash and Black Metal genre. I like the idea that it’s a bit misleading at first. You must get passed the iconography and look deeper into the band to have an idea of what’s beneath the cover. I designed the logo to embody that idea of freedom trough hard work and dedication. It’s about will and perseverance, which frees one from enslavement. I am glad you got its signification right.
7. As mentioned earlier with regards to the experimentation certain bands are undergoing at present incorporating various native folk instruments as well as other elements, wouldn't you say that this may seem some way ironic considering that there can be so much that can already be explored on already existing instruments such as bass, drums and guitar? I think it was Brian Eno that said something along the lines of the guitar being such a limited instrument by it's very construction that this would natural make people want to push the limitations of the instrument in question. And would you agree with this statement?
There’s not much you can do when your expression gets limited by 7 notes, right? Be it on a piano or on an electric guitar, music works around a set of patterns. If you only understand music by identifying patterns then you’ll get bored quick. When you create music you’re trying to trigger a reaction in the listener. Sounds and words are connected to stimulate impression in the listener’s ears. Some people will react positively to the stimulation as they will be able to filter and process the information and eventually create links between the impressions they get, the words they understand and the notes they hear. It’s a complex language which is built on a simple pattern. It’s what you’re making of it which gives it its full potential. Letters, for example, won’t do much for you unless you sequence them into words and formulate sentences. Being able to express yourself with the language (visual, musical or lyrically) and to then have other people react to it is, for me, the whole reasoning behind any form of artistic expression. Pushing the limitations of the instrument was done in the last centuries. I think we’re now at a point where we need to find where we can bring all those experimentations. Mozart, Beethoven and Bach did a lot for music and we’re still relying on their discoveries now. Electronic music has pushed the boundaries even farther and this whole evolution of the artistic language allows us to enjoy very peculiar forms of music such as power electronics or noise. It’s a complex aesthetic which gets developed and which requires time to pass unto the audience but we’re still evolving artistically. We’re refining the aesthetics right now and I am looking forward to see the next steps.
8. From what you say the realization of this current album 'résistance' this time round has been recorded wholly by yourselves if i'm correct? in what way would you say this has aided the process of arranging the songs? it would give your more time to work more carefully on these I would imagine.
We always worked with a good friend on all our previous albums (in his professional studio) and this time we felt we could try something different. We recorded a few split releases on our own and liked the way it sounded. I felt it would suit our sound better to downsize the production a bit and concentrate on the rough qualities of our music a bit more. Our last album “Exist!” sounded much more polished and in some places I felt some of our initial rawness was missing. I think “Resistance” succeeds in keeping our sound but giving it a rougher edge at the same time. Some people will prefer a more polished approach but we’re not there to please anyone but ourselves first. The album was recorded real fast, as usual. Most of what you hear are first takes. The drums and bass where done in a record time I’d say and the guitars took a little longer as we had to 2 two tracks. I won’t even start with the vocals which is always easy for me. I messed around a lot more on effects and the mix since I was working in my own studio this time. I felt I had a lot more control on everything and could make sure that everything I wanted to hear was there. I do not downplay the role of a studio engineer or a producer but I think that in the case of a band like Thesyre, the more you handle yourself, the better it is for your sound. We also avoided doing a mastering on the album. So many bands rely on some studio magic to make things louder and more compressed it’s getting ridiculous. We preferred to deliver the album as we mixed it to Osmose. It’s loud enough and if you need it louder there’s a cool device on your player called a volume knob.
9. To me it seems obvious that some people are inherently born with superior genetics, to what extent would you say this holds true?
Well, it’s plain facts…truly simple. Who can argue that we were all born with the same genetic profile? We’re a product of our parent’s union and therefore they play a massive role in forming what we are. We inherit a lot from them so we’ll all be a mix of both (therefore different) the day we’re born. There are exceptions to the rule but you can’t beat having intellectually and physically strong parents; they’ll give you the best to begin with at least. Look who’s breeding the soonest around you… Look who’s having the more kids… It doesn’t take a degree to reproduce yourself, sadly. The worldwide gene pool isn’t getting any better these days. We’re supporting a lot of unable parents and their families and all this does is to create a culture of degenerates reproducing itself faster than the clever people out waiting to have a steady partner and find a steady job making sure they can provide and educate their kids properly.
10. If you could define the Thesyre concisely which words would you use?
Abrasive, catchy, mid-tempo Black/Thrash Metal.
11. With Thesyre one can find not just one but a myriad of messages running concurrently with one another, do you focus on the established truths or is it something that continual changes with you as you develop and explore?
My lyrics rely on what I consider to be the truth. I do not follow the established ideas unless they’re mine as well. I am always questioning myself on everything. My brain is on full throttle 24/7, addressing the reality surrounding me. Some of my friends could tell you I have a tendency toward conspiracy theories and that I am a little radical in my views but this is who I am and it surely transpire in my lyrics. It develops and evolves but the very core of my reasoning has been the same for the last ten years I would say.
12. What I find most interesting about the booklet of 'Résistance' is that it kind of sums up the lyrical theme of the album in one image so to speak, and saves the inclusion of the lyric sheets. What prompted you to take this decision? more direct perhaps?
More direct and, in some ways, open for a broader interpretation. An image is often worth a thousand words and I felt this collage I did was summing up the whole album. Knowing the lyrics would be in French also made me go in a direction where everyone opening the booklet could get an idea of what the album was about lyrically.
13. In what ways do you apply logic when discerning the truth in situations? for some people it can be a very contradictory swarm of information when one is trying to find the "truths" wouldn't you say?
What do we consider to be true? Just because something gets covered a lot in the media and that a lot of people have many theories about it doesn’t make it true. Truth for me has to be observable and identifiable. I rely a lot on hard facts to establish my own conception of what is true. I do not believe in a spiritual world, in a life after death, in ghosts or spirits. I believe in what I can feel, see, smell, taste and touch. As soon as something gets out of my (potential) reach it triggers a debate in me: is it or can it be true? What are the logical possibilities for it to be true? Is it man-made, is there an explanation I can come up with? Anything beyond the reach of your senses defies the laws of logic, I think. Even the cosmos, we have a lot of theories about it but very little hard facts. We’d like to think that the way we define the universe around us is right but unless we can go experience it by ourselves it remains theory and therefore shouldn’t be considered true in essence. It’s a limited view of the world in some ways but it’s also a very realistic one. I try to fight all the illusions around me the best I can. “No expectations, no deceptions” isn’t easy to live by but it surely is a motto worth applying to your life.
14. Are there some instances of modern society and products of globalization that you find quite rewarding? One thing that springs to mind for myself is the ease of communicating with people of different cultures, but I think this is something which can quite easily exist without the onslaught of globalist zeitgeist.
The world we live in right now is easy on us. We can feed a good portion of the population, a lot of us live with decent standards of hygiene and we can enjoy an ever expending life expectancy. No humans had it that easy before us, I would say. We have technologies to helps us cure ourselves from diseases, we have fast travel, easy communication devices…really we shouldn’t have to moan against anything. Yet, the main problem with what we call modernity is that we’re all becoming dependant to the technologies we developed in the last century and those technologies relies on energy we can hardly renew for various reasons. We’re licking clean this planet’s resources and one day or another we’ll suffer the consequences. We should be doing our best to make sure we can enjoy living according to the standards we established but also making sure it goes hand in hand with the planet supporting us. So far we’ve failed to do so and I would like to think that we’ll manage to sort it out and try to save what’s left. I have huge doubts we’ll be able to do it. Globalization is the solution a lot of people figured out would work the best for us but I doubt it. It only expands the problem to the whole of the planet and accelerates our downfall. A modern society should recognize that there are too much people on this planet and that our consumption habits will have to be suited to a more sustainable lifestyle. If we cannot regulate ourselves then nature will do it its own way, the hard way.
15. Artistic creations have shown in preceding decades through various movements, that areas of artistic endeavor often overlap, in some cases inextricably so. Are there any other areas where you could say you could quite happily see Thesyre in whether it be film, installation etc? Do you feel this is outside of the parameters you may have set yourself?
I would like to expand our parameters but so far I cannot invest more time in the band. If we’d try to expand our sphere of artistic activities we would have to dedicate ourselves a lot more and it’s impossible at the moment. We all have careers outside of Thesyre which are very important to us and we cannot sacrifice more of it right now without suffering a loss. I am glad to consider Thesyre as a musical eye-opener attracting a handful of people right now. I guess we could serve as a multiplication agent in a world of bands trying to make people think and react. We’re not here for the money or the fame. We’re not here to boost our egos and to convince ourselves we’re great musicians. It’s a creative outlet into which we all like investing our efforts and for as long as we will be able to keep it going we’ll accomplish ourselves within it. Anything beyond requires sacrifices we cannot do at the moment.
16. 'Afin d'en finir avec le judgement des dieux' ('In order to end with the judgement of the gods')? could you tell us a little about this particular songs meaning(s)?
This song is based around a radio play written and performed in parts by the French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director Antonin Artaud, back in the late 1940s. I inspired myself from a part of the original text and re-arranged it to fit my views on organized religion and the necessity to cut all ties with it in order to progress. I always wanted to do something based on this author’s works and it suited this album’s concept of resistance perfectly.
For someone not speaking French it might sound alright. For someone used to speak French it might sound weird at first as we are overwhelmed by bands signing in English. English seems to be the common language for rock music in general and it always gives this genre some novelty value to sign in a different language. We used to have most of our lyrics in English to make sure most people would get the idea behind them but for this album it was mandatory to have them all in French; there was no other way than to express those ideas in my mother language. I’d say that most languages can be fit for metal since there is a lot of screaming and sometimes the elocution is not that clear. The Norwegians took great advantage of this in the 90s: they had the strong accent, the weird sonorities and the whole novelty value appealed to a lot of people. Most Scandinavian languages have this crude sonority to the foreign ear which suits metal expression well. French works differently by being closely linked to classic literature and poetry, I think. It has the smooth Latin element and yet remains harsher to the ear than say, for example, Spanish.
2. While so many bands in the metal genre can be seen experimenting with various folk instruments, whereas in thesyre you maintain a real attention to detail with the dynamics of the music, at the same time one can sense a real 'stripped-down' ethic to everything, is this something you pay close attention to when writing, are you conscious about this?
It was my goal since the beginning. I always felt that a lot of bands were trying too hard to sound different by adding a lot of different ingredients in the mix. I felt I could strip the music down to its very core and work around the dynamics instead, something most metal bands seems to avoid or ignore these days. Our sound is based around the traditional rock instrumentation and the structurs of our music is very song-based. The dynamics, the layering and the dissonances we sometimes use expands our sound canvas a bit while still remaining firmly rooted in rock music. Thesyre is all about songs so far, I would say. We’re after this catchy element which makes the music an instant hit or miss for the listener. I like a lot of more technical and progressive bands but this approach is not ours for the moment.
3. The vocals on “L'égalitarisme freine l'excellence” in places remind me of some songs by Deinonychus, were they an influence on you at any point during the creative process or even at all? and referring specifically to this song what particular thoughts spring to your mind and what have you yourself observed of egalitarian ideologies stand in the way of advancement?
Although I have been in touch with Marco of Deinonychus for years, I’d say firmly that his music or lyrics never had an influence on Thesyre. I am listening to Deinonychus’ latest album and I am still looking for the link you made (as I guess this could be the album being the closest to what we do in Thesyre, right?). As for your mention of egalitarian ideologies, I guess it’s obvious that our society allows too much place to equalitarianism. I have no problem with giving a chance to the runner but we shouldn’t do everything to have as many people as possible to feel safe and comfortable just because they’re different. Difference plays an important role in advancement, I would say. If you want to make as much people as possible to feel good about everything you’ll most definitely have to lower your expectations on them and to expand the services you offer them. In such a position I can hardly see how we can win anything out of it. It all have to do with the notion of competition among men and the idea that we were not all born equal. We’re dealing with an egalitarian obsession which we rarely witness in history. This might make us feel more ‘modern’ or ‘advanced’ but I am pretty sure it’s not an avenue that will win us anything on the long run. We’re taming ourselves badly by behaving like that.
4. Do you think humankind will eventually arrive at a sufficient enough paradigm for our modern society? or are there any movements you see currently today that might give rise to such? Personally I think we're making slow footsteps towards this the further we move away from orthodox religion.
You hit it right when you say we’re making slow footsteps in the right direction. The problem is that those slow steps are too slow for anything good to happen anytime soon. In our era we should be ready to skip a few steps and look out to reach the upper ladder, right? Never have we been so much in touch together via any form of communication devices. We have access to a database of knowledge our ancestors couldn’t even dream of a century ago. We’ve explored our world like no others did before and, yet, we’re still stuck with ideas and philosophies dating back to the past millennium. To truly embrace modernity man will have to break free from its chains but he’s not ready for it yet. Religion acts as a huge restriction on achieving true modernity. Most authorities in place, religious and political ones, realize that’s it’s a good thing to keep people rooted in their past. It’s easier to keep control on people when their desire to question what is perceived as the truth and remains low. It’s easy to force us into an economy of mass consumption when our ideals resume themselves by buying more stuff from the megastore at a cheaper price or to watch the football game on your HD screen. The whole entertainment culture we’re fed with daily keeps us chained and make us slaves to the real powers working behind the curtain. Up until we’re ready to break free from this manipulation they empower on us trough religion and their governments we’ll never be able to reach another level.
5. Thesyre to me is naturally reminiscent of many of your own influences, would it interest you if a younger generation of bands/fans begin to appreciate these important bands also?
I would love to see the next generation get into the bands which played a major role on our development because of our music. That would be an honor to serve as a link between both. I think that a lot of younger music enthusiast are looking to the past to find out who influenced who and why is this whole genre gone that far. I am doing the same with obscure progressive and psychedelic bands of the 70s. It’s always good to know the roots of an artistic movement as it helps you identify who were the leaders and the followers as well as knowing who made the real advancements and who helped refine the genre. By knowing where you are from is much easier to visualize where you want to go. By doing so, young musicians would also realize that there has to be some kind of a balance between emulating the past and looking at the future. It’s the source of all forms of progression: build on the past and keep looking ahead.
6. Have there been at times misconceptions created by people with regards to the meaning of the band's 'the eagle in the wheel' moniker? I shamefully admit to having mistaken this for something 'imperialistic' myself at first. conversrly, I think it describes very well the persons transformation from a cog in the wheel to an eagle, what were your thoughts at the time when this symbol came to your mind? I think it's very effective in this context. Well, it looks imperial because of the eagle and the cogwheel also gives it an industrial feel. I reckon it might be misleading at first as it’s not very ‘heavy-metal-by-numbers’ for a logo. Many people linked us to NSBM, Industrial and Martial music when in reality we’re much more rooted in the Thrash and Black Metal genre. I like the idea that it’s a bit misleading at first. You must get passed the iconography and look deeper into the band to have an idea of what’s beneath the cover. I designed the logo to embody that idea of freedom trough hard work and dedication. It’s about will and perseverance, which frees one from enslavement. I am glad you got its signification right.
7. As mentioned earlier with regards to the experimentation certain bands are undergoing at present incorporating various native folk instruments as well as other elements, wouldn't you say that this may seem some way ironic considering that there can be so much that can already be explored on already existing instruments such as bass, drums and guitar? I think it was Brian Eno that said something along the lines of the guitar being such a limited instrument by it's very construction that this would natural make people want to push the limitations of the instrument in question. And would you agree with this statement?
There’s not much you can do when your expression gets limited by 7 notes, right? Be it on a piano or on an electric guitar, music works around a set of patterns. If you only understand music by identifying patterns then you’ll get bored quick. When you create music you’re trying to trigger a reaction in the listener. Sounds and words are connected to stimulate impression in the listener’s ears. Some people will react positively to the stimulation as they will be able to filter and process the information and eventually create links between the impressions they get, the words they understand and the notes they hear. It’s a complex language which is built on a simple pattern. It’s what you’re making of it which gives it its full potential. Letters, for example, won’t do much for you unless you sequence them into words and formulate sentences. Being able to express yourself with the language (visual, musical or lyrically) and to then have other people react to it is, for me, the whole reasoning behind any form of artistic expression. Pushing the limitations of the instrument was done in the last centuries. I think we’re now at a point where we need to find where we can bring all those experimentations. Mozart, Beethoven and Bach did a lot for music and we’re still relying on their discoveries now. Electronic music has pushed the boundaries even farther and this whole evolution of the artistic language allows us to enjoy very peculiar forms of music such as power electronics or noise. It’s a complex aesthetic which gets developed and which requires time to pass unto the audience but we’re still evolving artistically. We’re refining the aesthetics right now and I am looking forward to see the next steps.
8. From what you say the realization of this current album 'résistance' this time round has been recorded wholly by yourselves if i'm correct? in what way would you say this has aided the process of arranging the songs? it would give your more time to work more carefully on these I would imagine.
We always worked with a good friend on all our previous albums (in his professional studio) and this time we felt we could try something different. We recorded a few split releases on our own and liked the way it sounded. I felt it would suit our sound better to downsize the production a bit and concentrate on the rough qualities of our music a bit more. Our last album “Exist!” sounded much more polished and in some places I felt some of our initial rawness was missing. I think “Resistance” succeeds in keeping our sound but giving it a rougher edge at the same time. Some people will prefer a more polished approach but we’re not there to please anyone but ourselves first. The album was recorded real fast, as usual. Most of what you hear are first takes. The drums and bass where done in a record time I’d say and the guitars took a little longer as we had to 2 two tracks. I won’t even start with the vocals which is always easy for me. I messed around a lot more on effects and the mix since I was working in my own studio this time. I felt I had a lot more control on everything and could make sure that everything I wanted to hear was there. I do not downplay the role of a studio engineer or a producer but I think that in the case of a band like Thesyre, the more you handle yourself, the better it is for your sound. We also avoided doing a mastering on the album. So many bands rely on some studio magic to make things louder and more compressed it’s getting ridiculous. We preferred to deliver the album as we mixed it to Osmose. It’s loud enough and if you need it louder there’s a cool device on your player called a volume knob.
9. To me it seems obvious that some people are inherently born with superior genetics, to what extent would you say this holds true?
Well, it’s plain facts…truly simple. Who can argue that we were all born with the same genetic profile? We’re a product of our parent’s union and therefore they play a massive role in forming what we are. We inherit a lot from them so we’ll all be a mix of both (therefore different) the day we’re born. There are exceptions to the rule but you can’t beat having intellectually and physically strong parents; they’ll give you the best to begin with at least. Look who’s breeding the soonest around you… Look who’s having the more kids… It doesn’t take a degree to reproduce yourself, sadly. The worldwide gene pool isn’t getting any better these days. We’re supporting a lot of unable parents and their families and all this does is to create a culture of degenerates reproducing itself faster than the clever people out waiting to have a steady partner and find a steady job making sure they can provide and educate their kids properly.
10. If you could define the Thesyre concisely which words would you use?
Abrasive, catchy, mid-tempo Black/Thrash Metal.
11. With Thesyre one can find not just one but a myriad of messages running concurrently with one another, do you focus on the established truths or is it something that continual changes with you as you develop and explore?
My lyrics rely on what I consider to be the truth. I do not follow the established ideas unless they’re mine as well. I am always questioning myself on everything. My brain is on full throttle 24/7, addressing the reality surrounding me. Some of my friends could tell you I have a tendency toward conspiracy theories and that I am a little radical in my views but this is who I am and it surely transpire in my lyrics. It develops and evolves but the very core of my reasoning has been the same for the last ten years I would say.
12. What I find most interesting about the booklet of 'Résistance' is that it kind of sums up the lyrical theme of the album in one image so to speak, and saves the inclusion of the lyric sheets. What prompted you to take this decision? more direct perhaps?
More direct and, in some ways, open for a broader interpretation. An image is often worth a thousand words and I felt this collage I did was summing up the whole album. Knowing the lyrics would be in French also made me go in a direction where everyone opening the booklet could get an idea of what the album was about lyrically.
13. In what ways do you apply logic when discerning the truth in situations? for some people it can be a very contradictory swarm of information when one is trying to find the "truths" wouldn't you say?
What do we consider to be true? Just because something gets covered a lot in the media and that a lot of people have many theories about it doesn’t make it true. Truth for me has to be observable and identifiable. I rely a lot on hard facts to establish my own conception of what is true. I do not believe in a spiritual world, in a life after death, in ghosts or spirits. I believe in what I can feel, see, smell, taste and touch. As soon as something gets out of my (potential) reach it triggers a debate in me: is it or can it be true? What are the logical possibilities for it to be true? Is it man-made, is there an explanation I can come up with? Anything beyond the reach of your senses defies the laws of logic, I think. Even the cosmos, we have a lot of theories about it but very little hard facts. We’d like to think that the way we define the universe around us is right but unless we can go experience it by ourselves it remains theory and therefore shouldn’t be considered true in essence. It’s a limited view of the world in some ways but it’s also a very realistic one. I try to fight all the illusions around me the best I can. “No expectations, no deceptions” isn’t easy to live by but it surely is a motto worth applying to your life.
14. Are there some instances of modern society and products of globalization that you find quite rewarding? One thing that springs to mind for myself is the ease of communicating with people of different cultures, but I think this is something which can quite easily exist without the onslaught of globalist zeitgeist.
The world we live in right now is easy on us. We can feed a good portion of the population, a lot of us live with decent standards of hygiene and we can enjoy an ever expending life expectancy. No humans had it that easy before us, I would say. We have technologies to helps us cure ourselves from diseases, we have fast travel, easy communication devices…really we shouldn’t have to moan against anything. Yet, the main problem with what we call modernity is that we’re all becoming dependant to the technologies we developed in the last century and those technologies relies on energy we can hardly renew for various reasons. We’re licking clean this planet’s resources and one day or another we’ll suffer the consequences. We should be doing our best to make sure we can enjoy living according to the standards we established but also making sure it goes hand in hand with the planet supporting us. So far we’ve failed to do so and I would like to think that we’ll manage to sort it out and try to save what’s left. I have huge doubts we’ll be able to do it. Globalization is the solution a lot of people figured out would work the best for us but I doubt it. It only expands the problem to the whole of the planet and accelerates our downfall. A modern society should recognize that there are too much people on this planet and that our consumption habits will have to be suited to a more sustainable lifestyle. If we cannot regulate ourselves then nature will do it its own way, the hard way.
15. Artistic creations have shown in preceding decades through various movements, that areas of artistic endeavor often overlap, in some cases inextricably so. Are there any other areas where you could say you could quite happily see Thesyre in whether it be film, installation etc? Do you feel this is outside of the parameters you may have set yourself?
I would like to expand our parameters but so far I cannot invest more time in the band. If we’d try to expand our sphere of artistic activities we would have to dedicate ourselves a lot more and it’s impossible at the moment. We all have careers outside of Thesyre which are very important to us and we cannot sacrifice more of it right now without suffering a loss. I am glad to consider Thesyre as a musical eye-opener attracting a handful of people right now. I guess we could serve as a multiplication agent in a world of bands trying to make people think and react. We’re not here for the money or the fame. We’re not here to boost our egos and to convince ourselves we’re great musicians. It’s a creative outlet into which we all like investing our efforts and for as long as we will be able to keep it going we’ll accomplish ourselves within it. Anything beyond requires sacrifices we cannot do at the moment.
16. 'Afin d'en finir avec le judgement des dieux' ('In order to end with the judgement of the gods')? could you tell us a little about this particular songs meaning(s)?
This song is based around a radio play written and performed in parts by the French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director Antonin Artaud, back in the late 1940s. I inspired myself from a part of the original text and re-arranged it to fit my views on organized religion and the necessity to cut all ties with it in order to progress. I always wanted to do something based on this author’s works and it suited this album’s concept of resistance perfectly.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Rick's Pick: Before the War
This week's pick goes to the band Before The War and the album "The Flames Of Wrath." Like last week's pick, this is another CD that I have had for quite awhile but had not given it a good listen until this past week. The band plays a mix of metals, but rather than being just a straight death metal band, Before The War have definite grind influences as well. This is a great CD if you are fans of bands like Pushing Onwards, Guiltily the Pain, etc...~Rick 56
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
HELP WANTED
Due to some seasonal shifts Uprise Direct is currently looking for individuals to help contribute to our blog-zine. Numerous talents are desired, if you feel you qualify for any of the following please feel free to reply. We are currently looking for individuals who can write reviews, interviews, editorials, etc... as well as locate and report news. We are also looking to expand our graphic department.
Uprise Direct gets several thousand views a week and is a great way to advertise or get recognized. Individuals should be self motivated, trustworthy and prompt. Persons must be willing to send previews and samples for review before publication. Email UpriseDirectZine@yahoo.com for any and all positions.
Friday, September 11, 2009
EDITORIAL: Bite the Hand That Steals
Bite the Hand That Steals ~Chris
Once upon a time, in the annals of RAC history, "Rock Against Communism" and "Rock Against Capitalism" went hand in hand. All the original first wave of RAC bands were critical of capitalism, particularly the laissez-faire variety, which was born of the Thatcher/Reagan revolution. Being the product of White working class communities, these early proponents of Nationalism saw their estates decimated, their fathers, brothers and friends lose jobs, be reduced to penury in the name of corporate profit. Their trade union rights disappeared; the concept of a "job for life" went the same way as the dinosaurs, as the manufacturing base disintegrated in favor of a consumer based society. For Nationalists and Skinheads of our generation to laud the virtues of capitalism would have been literally to reload the pistol with which we had already been shot.
Yet there was a broad perception which has a legitimate foundation that when RAC traveled across the Atlantic, this anti-capitalistic vein was ignored, or at best sidelined. Many American Nationalists were perceived to have swallowed the lie, perfected under Reagan, that free market capitalism was as American as Colt. Many were silent or seemed to give tacit approval to capitalism. Perhaps by exclusion rather than inclusion, bands were quick to attack communism but seems loathe to take on capitalism. There were exceptions. Day of the Sword’s song "Consume" was one of their more overt attacks on capitalist culture; Red White and Black have several songs which contain references to the dangers of capitalism. There are others, but that they are vastly outweighed by the anti-communist diatribes in an age where communism has been exposed as a spent force, is an odd scenario.
Whether bands avoided overt attacks on capitalism because they were offering tacit approval, or because attacking capitalism would alienate a section of their fan base, there have been few effective volleys fired in this war on economic liberalism. We have established that music is the most effective messenger, is the catalyst for much of the shifts in our collective political consciousness, and given the recent havoc created by the profiteering of unregulated capitalism, perhaps we will finally see the first effective salvos fired by the younger generation. Anything that musically could be achieved to put a wedge between young Nationalists and the neo-cons and conservatives, who would use them in times of upheaval to defend an ideologically bankrupt fake patriotism, can only be a bonus.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rick's Pick: Titania & Antisystem
This week's pick is a CD that until now, I had never really gave a chance. After only one listen, I set it aside, and until this past week did not listen to it again. The CD that I disregarded is the split CD from Titania and Antisystem, "We Are Here To Create Our Own Fate."
I have to say I cannot comment on Antisystem`s contributions yet, because honestly I have been playing the Titania songs over and again. Titania contribute 8 songs that are done in several different music styles. I have to say I am more partial to the heavier songs on this CD, but they definitely are a talented band; no matter what style they are playing.
I have to say I cannot comment on Antisystem`s contributions yet, because honestly I have been playing the Titania songs over and again. Titania contribute 8 songs that are done in several different music styles. I have to say I am more partial to the heavier songs on this CD, but they definitely are a talented band; no matter what style they are playing.
~Rick 56
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Citing Sources
While not citing quotes is considered plagiarism in all scholarly settings, Uprise Direct is hardly that. However, we do ask that individuals or other zines who insist on copying our news word for word, mere minutes after it is posted here, please credit us with the source. We make sure to acknowledge any news sites as we have been given permission by the authors to do so, as that is the usual request. We understand online zines, in addition to email lists social network sites and forums, are obviously great sources for information.I would have thought I wouldn't have to make such a post, but it happens. This seems to be a larger issue of web zines who have a language barrier. So, while there is no way to enforce this, we kindly ask for your cooperation. And to those of you who have been a great inspiration to us and have helped us along the way, you know who you are and we thank you, cheers.
~Doug Sacred
Friday, September 4, 2009
REPORT: Sons of Europe Concert
This report was originally written by Revolt NS webzine. Courtesy of NS Revolt, we have decidedly reposted it here for all of our readers. Thanks for the support from the guys over there and their great work! This looks to have been quite the event...
For a third year in a row Hungary was a host of “Sons of Europe” – one of the biggest festivals for WP music worldwide. A record number of bands were on the gig flayer so I was looking forward to visit this gig and the beautiful city of Budapest. My journey started in the very early hours of Friday, 28 August from the Sofia Airport with a one hour direct flight to Budapest. My Magyar hosts were waiting for me there so after a short rest in a comrade’s house we went downtown to meet other people from all across Europe, who were already in Budapest. After a lunch break, our very international crew of people (Bulgaria, Russia, Croatia, Spain, France and of course Hungary) went for a sightseeing the heart of Pest. Despite the hot weather we were glad to see the Parliament, The white bridge across Danube, and tons of other monuments. At the beginning of the evening we were invited to attend a small private gig, which took place in a pub near by city centre. The gig should “warm us” for the festival next day, the bands which played (Feher Torveny, Voice of Justice and Utolsó Védvonal) did their very best. My attention was hold by the last band (the name in English means Last Defending Line) with their harder RAC (with some metal/HC influence) will become one of the top bands in the huge local scene very soon. After their performance guys from the “special guest” band Kolovrat did some songs, lately joined by me on vocals, but my voice was fucked up of the many beers I’ve drank, so it was totally shit performance, thanks God all the audience were drunken so nobody (I hope) will remember this shame – hahaha.
The gig ended around midnight, we were very tired and just went back to the house of our host (Zozo, thanks for the hospitality brother) to have sleep before the big day.
The next day after just few hours of sleep we went to the gig place in the very early afternoon. The location was chosen smartly, gig venue was in a kind of a warehouse building with few big halls inside. The building was surrounded by other similar ones, totally invisible for the eyes of ZOG and their puppets from police. After a check from the security guards of the gig, we entered the hall and around 16.30 the kick off was given by a ballad performance of the singer of Kolovrat.
For a third year in a row Hungary was a host of “Sons of Europe” – one of the biggest festivals for WP music worldwide. A record number of bands were on the gig flayer so I was looking forward to visit this gig and the beautiful city of Budapest. My journey started in the very early hours of Friday, 28 August from the Sofia Airport with a one hour direct flight to Budapest. My Magyar hosts were waiting for me there so after a short rest in a comrade’s house we went downtown to meet other people from all across Europe, who were already in Budapest. After a lunch break, our very international crew of people (Bulgaria, Russia, Croatia, Spain, France and of course Hungary) went for a sightseeing the heart of Pest. Despite the hot weather we were glad to see the Parliament, The white bridge across Danube, and tons of other monuments. At the beginning of the evening we were invited to attend a small private gig, which took place in a pub near by city centre. The gig should “warm us” for the festival next day, the bands which played (Feher Torveny, Voice of Justice and Utolsó Védvonal) did their very best. My attention was hold by the last band (the name in English means Last Defending Line) with their harder RAC (with some metal/HC influence) will become one of the top bands in the huge local scene very soon. After their performance guys from the “special guest” band Kolovrat did some songs, lately joined by me on vocals, but my voice was fucked up of the many beers I’ve drank, so it was totally shit performance, thanks God all the audience were drunken so nobody (I hope) will remember this shame – hahaha.
The gig ended around midnight, we were very tired and just went back to the house of our host (Zozo, thanks for the hospitality brother) to have sleep before the big day.
The next day after just few hours of sleep we went to the gig place in the very early afternoon. The location was chosen smartly, gig venue was in a kind of a warehouse building with few big halls inside. The building was surrounded by other similar ones, totally invisible for the eyes of ZOG and their puppets from police. After a check from the security guards of the gig, we entered the hall and around 16.30 the kick off was given by a ballad performance of the singer of Kolovrat.
I have waited to hear this for years!!! Being a Slavonic language speaking guy, I have listen Kolovrat since their very first years and I can tell you comrades this band is a legend not only for me, but for whole Bulgaria and East Europe as well. The set was sadly very short due to the delay of the gig, and even the second ballad player (Stivie from Section 88) didn’t appear at all. So the second band was Vendetta from Hungary. They played about an hour for the pleasure of the local Hungarian fans. They were followed by Unit 28, a young band from England which played some own songs as well as Skrewdriver covers, but to be honest this band didn’t impressed me too much, they need to practice much more to reach good level. Guarda de Honra from Portugal was announced on the gig flayer but they didn’t even come to Budapest due to some personal obligations of the singer.
So after a short break in which I bought some T-shirts and cd’s from the hall where all the tables with stuff were located the gig continued with Germany finest Hate core band Moshpit. Someone from the crowed told me… “ Ohh Moshpit will play, it will be a massacre” and he was god damn right. “Die Jungs” showed no mercy and made excellent show, really power rampant wave of “hate fucking core” which made the crowd slamming like mental bastards in front of the stage!!! Well done by the lads, and top of the cream for the HC fans!!!
Next band in the schedule was Faustrecht - the band an old school cunt like me was waiting for…. And they didn’t disappoint me. I can describe their show just like – totally professional and full of passion and energy. For me they were the very TOP BAND of the night. Hail to you lads – because of bands like yours skinhead Rock’n’roll is still alive!!! I had a short conversation with Michi – their bass player right before the gig, asking for a repress copy of their greatest album “Klassenkampf”. He just let me know that if I need this cd I must ask… their local police department which raided comrade’s house and confiscated all the cd’s. That’s how “democratic authorities” in Germany are dealing with the so called freedom of speech.
Next two bands were local – Voice of Justice (I heard them previous night) and veterans from Archivum. I was already very tired ( it was around midnight), and just went outside gig hall for some fresh air, beer and talk to comrades from all across Europe, some of which were already fallen from the battle with alcohol( hahaha), and had a nap on the ground around the gig hall. I went back to see the performance of Ultima Frontiera from Italy and I like it so much, it was a class one. They were supported by around 100 Italians which made a warm atmosphere during their set, dancing and hailing on every of their songs. Bellissimo ragazzi!!!
After more then hour, they were replaced on stage by Kolovrat, this time with a full line up for their rock set. The band played set of 25 songs both old and new, a lot of covers (Skrewdriver, Landser, Brutal attack, etc.) in few languages – German, English and even Czech, for the pleasure of the lads from “Narodny otpor”. Very passionate performance by the Russian band, but I think they need more live gigs to improve their sound, so it can sound so great like in studio. And when it was almost five o’clock at morning and 90 % of the people were gone home, the last band of this WP music marathon took their place on stage. Feher Torveny rocked the small crowed of security guards of the gig like they were rocking for 1000 fans. What an awesome band, what an awesome performance… even it was almost morning and didn’t have any strength left I hailed their music sitting on a chair near by the stage – hahaha. It was a perfect end of this great concert. For sure it will be a night to remember for all those 500-600 man and woman who came from almost every white European country. Hail to all of you, all the bands that performed on this 14 HOURS GIG!!! Special thanks to Norbert for inviting so many great bands, to Spanish, French, Dutch, Russian, Croatian, Magyar comrades for the great time we spend together. And at last but not the least to Lena and Anton for the photos. Hope to see you all very soon. Hail Europe of the Fatherlands!!!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Ross McGarry (ex. Skrewdriver), Rick's Pick: Legion of Saint George
Reportedly, the former guitarist of Skrewdriver, Ross McGarry, has passed. McGarry played with the band in the late eighties and also played guitar on the "After the Fire" recording.
McGarry ,who was only 43 years old, died suddenly from Pancreatic cancer and his funeral is today, Thursday September 3, 2009.
This week's pick goes to another British RAC band. This time it is the new release from Legion Of St George, "Last Talons Of The Eagle." This is an excellent CD that musically and vocally reminds me of the band US Chaos. A long awaited CD, that was well worth the wait. ~Rick 56
McGarry ,who was only 43 years old, died suddenly from Pancreatic cancer and his funeral is today, Thursday September 3, 2009.
This week's pick goes to another British RAC band. This time it is the new release from Legion Of St George, "Last Talons Of The Eagle." This is an excellent CD that musically and vocally reminds me of the band US Chaos. A long awaited CD, that was well worth the wait. ~Rick 56
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)