Interview with Moloch and Ashmedi
Q>>
Hi guys, I just heard the "Sphinx" album a couple of times and I must
say it has a kind of special "aura". Now, everyone knows you're an
original band because of your origins, but can you tell me how you managed to
amalgamate Metal sounds with your typical Melechesh-things on this album?
A>> (Ashmedi) Greetings to you! Thanks for your remarks; yes, Melechesh
is an original band but not alienating at all. It is pure Extreme Metal indeed,
but we sound as ourselves and only ourselves! Our originality is not due to
our origins, it is due to our selves! There are many bands from the Mediterranean
regions but they don't attempt to create something that sounds as their own,
they would rather simply play/copy something that is quite overdone! Back in
1993 I realized that the beats of the Mediterranean Drum have such an evil/head
banging feel to them that would blend perfectly with dark and extreme music...
they sound perfect. That is basically how the "combination" came about.
Melechesh members listen to Metal but are open to everything as long as it is
credible and well executed!
A>> (Moloch) The originality that concerns us more is that of our music,
coming from an original place doesn't really have a meaning, Metal is played
in Peru, like it is played in Greece and Japan. Maybe Jerusalem is a weird place
to come from for a "Black Metal" act, but that's our past, it's been
almost half a decade that we're in Europe, time to pass to another chapter!
As for our music, the very first goal of Melechesh was to introduce elements
of middle eastern/Mediterranean music into extreme Black/Thrash Metal and we
did so and that is what our originality is about, for example, by introducing
rhythmic structures of traditional music but transposed on drums, for the guitars,
we would use scales of Mediterranean music and combine them into Metal ways
of riffing or the contrary: use Metal power chord but with different style of
riffing etcetera. It took time for our music to mature. Never was our intention
to put Folk music over Metal; that was the last thing we wanted, because the
main thing is to keep Melechesh an Extreme Metal act. To explain more the musical
side of our "Mesopotamian Metal" you can check out the article that
is in the multimedia section of the CD, where we have some tablatures, etc...
(the CDrom also has a video clip, photos, etc.)
Q>> What,
to you guys, changed between the previous album and this one?
A>> (Moloch) Our style matured; Djinn is an old album for us because it
was almost completely written by 1999. Our style and capacities as musicians
progressed much since that time and so did our style; be it in composing, song
structuring, concept building etc.
A >> (Ashmedi) The songs are more aggressive, so we basically did a heavier
version of what we call Mesopotamian/Sumerian Metal. It is important to point
out that the "Djinn" songs were written over a long period of time,
some songs already existed in '96! So the new album reflects our current state
of mind. It offers a good balance between mystical Mesopotamian atmosphere and
thrashing black metal.
Q>> Is there
a whole big story behind "Sphinx" or is it more like a collection
of different tiny ones? Tell us more...
A>> (Moloch) No, it's not a concept album but there is a main thematic
drive behind it, yes, and each song, as independent as it is, can relate to
this concept. The concept is one of the Annunaki, a race of gods (giants) that
brought civilization to Mesopotamia. The questions are: where did they come
from, what knowledge did they bring and how was it maintained. That's what the
figure of the Sphynx represents: the entity that brought the Annunaki to earth
and that helped to guard it. This theme is ever-present in Mesopotamian mythology,
where it is believed that the god Ea sent seven sages to bring civilization
to Mankind, (the Annunaki being of the same race as that of the god Ea. In their
literature, architecture and culture, Mesopotamians have asked many questions
related to this new race of gods that brought civilization in chaos and a name
for the nameless.
A>> (Ashmedi) "Sphynx" is a very deep album. The main theme
concerns the pre-Mesopotamian times and the Annunaki Moloch just told you about.
On the album, there are songs that deal with dark occult subjects, like for
example "Of Mercury And Mercury" and "Triangular Tatvic Fire".
This album's lyrical side is very deep and emphasized; many songs have double
meanings.
Q>> On the
second track "Secrets...", the rhythmical patterns start to sound
really "folkish"; one nearly dances on them... How do people react
when you play such stuff during a live performance? I heard similar rhythms
on your video clip; it seems to be a very distinctive thing in your music...
A>> (Moloch) Yes, this rhythm is very distinctive of Melechesh. It's a
rhythm that you find a lot along the Mediterranean cost and in the Middle East.
It's very bouncy indeed, which makes it very heavy in my opinion. It's that
"bouncyness" that makes it "folkish" to your ears but you
are also right as it has its roots in traditional and classical music of that
region. Live, people headbang to it, because instinctively with the heavy guitars
and bass that's the effect it creates.
A>> (Ashmedi) The track has a very typical Melechesh drum, yes. The beat
comes from the Armenian drum and it is actually used throughout the Near East.
I think it is a good beat to bang your head on. Our last show was in 1998 and
yes, we played some songs with such beats and people banged their heads and
went nuts, because such beats invoke instinctive reactions that are dormant
and we simply awake them. People break loose and headbang and shout, just like
at a witches' Sabbath.
Q>> I guess
you've often been compared to other Near East bands such as Orphaned Land for
example. Do you think you bring something more to the listeners? Or at least
something different?
A>> (Moloch) Yes we've been compared to such bands but such comparisons
were and are still meaningless. It's just that they think that we come from
the same region maybe and have a similar aura. But when you listen to the music,
we are unlike any of those bands. The same thing concerning lyrics and imagery:
we sing about Mesopotamia, not about God and musically we integrate oriental
elements into Metal but we do not put samplings of instruments on Metal. I think
people are a bit short sighted; they don't seem to make a difference!
A>> (Ashmedi) At least something different, lets see... Orphaned Land
play with a melodic Doom/Gothic feel; we play Black Thrash! I mean they have
the oriental sound but that does not mean we are the same at all. I think they
are a very talented and a good band, but totally different from us. It is like
comparing all the bands from Scandinavia that incorporate an aspect of their
culture; that would be an invalid and not at all credible comparison. Because
many bands there sound completely different: some are doomy, some are thrashy,
some go toward black and death etc…Furthermore, there are many sides to
Mediterranean music; there are many regions with their own little influences!
Q>> I heard
about many crazy things lately: kids in Muslim countries who were put in jail
because they had a bunch of Metal CDs, shirts etc. I think you faced similar
situations in your country in the past years... How are these things going nowadays?
A>> (Moloch) Yeah things are much harder in such areas of the world where
such music is viewed as a moral threat. Lately in Morocco, some metalheads were
arrested just for wearing Metal shirts, the same in Jordan, Lebanon... That's
what you get when you have simple-minded Bedouins that rule countries and justice.
We faced similar problems in the society we lived in and a couple of problems
with the authorities but not for the same reasons. Jerusalem at this level is
not as bad as the other places you are talking about.
A>> (Ashmedi) We're lucky we don't live in a fundamentalist Muslim country.
We do not have a very clear picture as to what happens in Jerusalem cause we
live in Europe now - I have been in Holland for almost 5 years. Back when we
lived in Jerusalem, Metal was not illegal, actually there used to be a Metal
store and many underground gigs. But there was no Black Metal when we started
and a newspaper made a front-page article about us, in which they turned us
into a satanic cult. They twisted the entire story. The Israeli police in Jerusalem
panicked and wanted to arrest us, because having a satanic cult is illegal.
So the issue wasn't Metal. But even the subject of Black Metal is handled in
a more relaxed way in Jerusalem today... After us, young bands started to emerge
there and this isn't a problem anymore. Now I hear there is a whole scene in
Jerusalem and it is our legacy!
Q>> "The
Arrival Ritual" is one of the few acoustic moments of the album. Don't
you intend to mix even more acoustic instruments in your other songs in the
future?
A>> (Moloch) We like to include some acoustic elements with oriental instruments
that we play, but there's a limit to that. Melechesh remains an Extreme Metal
band and acoustic elements fulfill the role of an effect in order to create
atmosphere and aura, instead of becoming a main element of our music. So such
music will never have a primordial place in our compositions. But it will always
be used as a part of our "trademark".
A>> (Ashmedi) This acoustic part is a true arrival ritual, a completely
exquisite trip. The fact that we will do more of such compositions depends on
our state of mind; this piece is very spiritual and we will only do it if we
are in a state that suits a ritualistic ambient piece.
Q>> How many
times a week do you shave your head? It's so brilliant up there!!! (Just kidding)
A>> (Ashmedi) Every two days.
Q>> Wanna
add something about your future plans?
A>> (Moloch) Hopefully we will be able to tour for this album before 2003
is over ...
A>> (Ashmedi) ... and show people what Mesopotamian Metal sounds like
live!
RNO