Interview with Syrach

Hailing from Norway, a band that plays Death/Doom metal and not your traditional Black Metal. We had a few questions to ask the band about their musical genre selection, their new album and how their music has evolved in general. Here is what they had to say to our interrogation:

Infernal Masquerade: Thanks for the interview and let’s get started with the questions: 
I.M: Being from Norway a country better known for Black Metal bands and bands in other styles of Metal except Doom, why did you guys decided to play this genre? 

Kenneth:
Yes, I know that Norway ain’t a big Doom nation,-but for us it was rather natural to start up as such a band.When I started the band back in 1993, the Black Metal phenomenon in Norway started rising,-so I wanted to do something complete different. I have always been a big fan of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and the early 90’s  British Doom scene with bands like Anathema,Cathedral,Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride..I wanted to combine the two styles,-thundering heavy metal riffs in the style of NWOBHM and the heaviness and growl vocals from the British Doom scene at that time. So Syrach started up like this in 1993,-but since then we have developed our style and sound to be our own,-incl. more and different styles and sounds into the band. So the band started to be a band outside the Black Metal scene here in Norway..too many bands jumped on that style and we didn’t want to be one of them.

I.M: How do you think your sound has evolved/changed since the band was conceived to this days? 

Kenneth:
With 5 different members in the band,-with 5 different taste of music,-we have combined them and made our own sound and style of course. We started out with a similar style like the bands we loved at that time,-but since the years gone by, we created our own preference to the music we love to do..and turned it into something of our own..and I can’t really find any band that sound exactly like Syrach..that’s hard to find. We have over the years incl. styles like death/doom/heavy metal/70’s prog and a dose of rock’n’roll..and that all together,-we have become SYRACH anno 2009.

I.M: What happened between “Silent Seas” and “Days of Wrath”, there is a 10 year gap between releases? 

Kenneth:
The easiest way to explain the 10 years of absence is line up changes,-that took a hard toll on the band. But we never stopped to excist in those years, we did demos,did concert and all that..so let’s just say that we had a loooong summer holiday,hehe..at one point, in 2001 we were only two members in SYRACH,-but we kept the faith in what we were doing and manage to get a band back together,-so I am really proud that Days Of Wrath and now A Dark Burial have seen the light of day.

I.M: How do you expect people will react (or how have they reacted) to your new album “A Dark Burial”? 

Kenneth:
In general, A Dark Burial has gained good reviews. The thing I hope people will see on this new album is that we are now much more a band than on Days Of Wrath. I think the new album is more solid than before,-a more complete album.But it also demands a lot of the listeners,-you have to listen to it over and over again and after some spins,-you can hear new things that you didn’t hear there before..I feel that on Days Of Wrath we did a rather “one way death/doom metal” thing,-but this time there is so much more to it..and hopefully we can develop and be a better band on the next album..we can always do better and we reach for that goal of course….and I hope, as all musicians do..that people enjoy the new album and find it a damn good record,hehe..

I.M: Why did you guys decided to sign with Napalm Records in order to release “A Dark Burial”? 

Kenneth:
Napalm Records signed us in 2007 and re-released Days Of Wrath in Nov.07. The first original release of that album was released by ourselves through our own management “Ripper Management” in a limited edit.digipack version. Napalm re-released it worldwide with new artwork and design. So when we did a pre-production of songs for A Dark Burial,-the best thing for us to do, at that point, was to continue our good work with Napalm,-so.. so far, we’re very pleased with our cooperation.

I.M: Based of how well your music has been accepted in the past, why do you think you guys have not reached a better ‘recognition status’, do you think it’s the genre you guys play? 

Kenneth:
Maybe..we are not slow music and not fast music,-we’re kind of in between genres in my eyes or maybe ears is the right thing to say... But as this is said, we have never made music out of what people would like to hear, Syrach have NEVER jumped on a trend,-call that stupid maybe,-but if I should live with myself I rather do it this way..I am proud of what I do..and I don’t have to think about that I sold my soul for anything..that I never jumped on trends. That is something I hold high in my musical life and in personal life as well..I am what I am, I never pretend to be something else..

I.M: Will Syrach stick to their current style? Or do you guys see the band transforming into a different musical style anytime soon? 

Kenneth:
Hehe, my last answer speaks for itselves..hehe..if we feel for changing our music, we’ll do that,-but that’s because we want to do it. We have started working on new material for a forthcoming album,-and as it seems now, the sound and style sounds a bit more heavy and “dirty”,-a raw version of our roots,-so maybe we’ll go even further back to our roots on the new songs,-who knows..it’s to early to tell yet..but you will always be able to hear that we’re Syrach…we will not go power metal,hahaha…but we will of course develop the music and skills.

I.M: Anything else you guys want to add for our readers and your American fans in general? 

Kenneth:
First of all, thanks for a great interview, it’s been a pleasure to answer your questions,-as it always is in interviews. I really wish that we’re able to come to the US to do some shows,-and I would love to bring Syrach’s music to the American people and hopefully we would have gained some more fans in the US. So if we have the slightest chance to come over I promise you that you can be looking forward to one hell of a show..we’ll show you some true Norwegian doom, that’s for sure.

Thanks for the interview and good luck with the promotion of the new album.

Kenneth:
Thanks for the good words and wishes. Doom on!