Sacrimonia Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Kuba: Well, it’s been less than a month since the release of “Anthems of Eclipse”, but we’ve already played 3 shows supporting Grima, Ultar and Bloody Tyrant on their European tour. We’ve also started collecting ideas for new songs, as well as planning a late-fall tour.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

Kuba: I would say that new songs are catchier than the ones from the EP. Also, the arrangements are more transparent, so to speak, including a wider variety of styles and motifs. The EP was very much rooted in black metal, especially the guitar work - on the other hand, on the full length we decided to include bits of melodic death-, post-, heavy metal, you name it. There is even some metalcore to be found in a few parts, although it’s not so straightforward in your face.

Mariusz: We wanted to make sure we’re not producing generic black metal songs with a symphonic component, but rather start from thinking about the melodies and harmonies as such. As a result, on the new album the orchestrations often drive the songs, they don’t serve just as mere additions to the guitar content.

Kamila: Just as the boys said, less black metal in black metal. However, for us the genre is artificially given to us after the release, not something to be crucial during the creative process. There are some influences and motifs, not really an intention to play a certain genre. As long as something sounds good and fits the general vibe we give, it sits.

3.This is also your first release in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Kuba: Well, first of all we were gaining experience gigging and promoting the “New World Ascension” EP. From 2018 we were also writing the songs for the new album and by early 2020 we had it pretty much finished and ready to be recorded, but then the pandemic came and unnecessarily prolonged the entire process.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress  as songwriters over the years?

Kamila: The new album is strongly inspired by French modernists and symbolists: Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine. Other than that, the song “Modern Prometheus” is of course a reference to Mary Shelley’s novel – the concept of a god-like parent figure, the grief of a creature. “Katabasis”, the old song previously recorded on the EP, refers to Mikhail Bulgakov’s novels.

I would say that the simpler my inspiration and writing process is, the better the song comes out. Personally, I think the new album has better lyrics than the EP, while the writing process of every song was much easier and shorter. To be honest, I pretty much like the lyrics for “Into Darkness…”, but there was not really a certain reason to compose them like that. I just wrote what came into my mind while listening to the guitars Kuba composed for the new song. A few years ago, I needed a special motif, so many feelings, a certain vibe and a literary inspiration. Right now I just write what comes to my mind first and the rest comes to me eventually.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sacrimonia'?

Kuba: There isn’t any specific meaning behind the name. From what I recall, the main inspiration was the song “Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)” by the band Kamelot. Anyway, we decided that the name “Sacrimonia” sounds atmospheric and dark and that it would be a good fit for us.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

Kuba: The artwork was created by a young, yet very promising Polish artist – Dorota Bujak. She asked us for demo versions of the songs along with lyrics and somehow translated the vibe of the music into visual art. For me, the artwork is very oneiric, far from cliches so often found on metal albums and that is exactly what we wanted to achieve.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Mariusz: The small tour in Czech Republic in 2019 was a blast. Cool cities, very good response from the audience and everybody we worked with there was a professional… which isn’t something you can always say about the music industry.

Kamila: Yes, the Czech tour and also  Łódź DeathFest for me. The audience got crazy and they didn’t want us to leave. They called us the best band of the event afterwards. That was probably the first bigger concert we had in the early days. I also recall the concert with Madmans Esprit organised by our friend, Antoine – I think he is a great tour manager and I hope to play more with him in the future.

Kuba: Damn, hard to choose, but I’ll probably stick with the Czech mini-tour. As for the stage performance, I don’t think it’s for us to judge, but I’d say we’re giving it everything we’ve got every time we’re on stage.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

Mariusz: Yes, we’ve just finished a small, preliminary promo tour and we will continue this fall.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Mariusz: This won’t hurt of course, but we aren’t pressing ourselves to get signed. We’ve already rejected some rather uninteresting offers. In current times a label isn’t a must-have.

Kamila: It would be great to have a good label and a satisfying contract. But the thing is – “good” and “satisfying” are the clue words for that.

10.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of symphonic black metal?

Mariusz: Judging by comments on the internet, the reaction has been mostly positive. People tend to mention that the album “sounds like symphonic black metal that they’re used to, but there’s something cool and refreshing about that”. Expectedly, the vocal performance gets a lot of praise.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Mariusz: It’s not a surprise that we want to decouple ourselves from the black metal cliches. I could definitely see us incorporating more gothic, cold wave and classic heavy metal elements.

Kamila: Less black metal, more experimental sounds and motifs. Gothic and coldwave is the way to go for me. Of course, staying with the brutality and heavy sound. I think the LP shows the right direction in some aspects.

Kuba: Genre-wise Kamila and Mariusz have already hinted in which direction we may evolve. I would also like our future songs to be even catchier, containing hooks that will stay in your head from the very first listen. 

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Mariusz: I’m very much into dark folk and coldwave stuff. Think King Dude, Drab Majesty, VR Sex.

Kamila: Similar to Mariusz, I love coldwave and darkwave music, especially the one mixed with electronic sounds and synths – Boy Harsher, London After Midnight, Drab Majesty (as mentioned before). Also lighter classics like Lebanon Hanover or even The Cure. I am somehow into jazz sounds – from the funeral and doom jazz like Kilimanjaro DE, to free jazz jams and experimental concerts by various, smaller artists. 

Kuba: Well, apart from extreme metal and gothic stuff, I’m very much into the 80s  - both hair metal acts such as Motley Crue or Skid Row, and classic heavy metal like early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Running Wild, Grave Digger etc. I also really dig the Scandinavian “glam revival” thing, including relatively new bands such as Crashdiet, Reckless Love, Gemini Five and so on. Oh, and let’s not forget about various soundtracks to both movies and video games.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Kamila: Don’t forget to follow us on social media to get the latest news from the band!

Mariusz: Thanks for the questions and your support!

Kuba: Thanks for the support, keep up the good work!

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