Well,Friends Of Aristocracy
Line Up:
Marek Štembera On Vocals
Tomáš Halama On Guitars
Martin Meyer On Guitars
Tomáš Ledvina On Bass
Drums Recorded By Giulio Galati
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCZWB-mTGiI
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will follow, in all its emotions, the interview 126 of the Aristocracy.This time, we'll talk to a band that arrives from the Czech Republic showing that their ability to work only increases. It's an intense, solid Death Metal that knows what it wants.Undoubtedly, after listening to the almost 50 minutes of the album, you are a little dizzy. But, with the certainty that you heard something of high capacity.We are talking about Heaving Earth that shows us their third complete work entitled Darkness Of God.Let's start now, our amazing chat we had with Tomáš Halama who is one of the guitarists of this sensational band.
A1:When did the songs for the third album start to be worked on?
Tomáš Halama:Hi Felipe. We ́ve started to work on a new songs already back in 2015 at the time still with the Denouncing the Holy Throne line-up. So it was a long process with lot ups and downs, but that ́s something you have to accept,life events are not always working in your favor.
A2:The first three songs on the album have messages in parentheses.What's the reason?
Tomáš Halama:Those phrases in parentheses serve as a more detailed definition, also sounds good and the title looks better with an afterword. My personal opinion.
A3:Can we say that song seven on the album is instrumental?
Tomáš Halama:Yes, that ́s what it is exactly.
A4:Is Vengeance the most brutal weapon of the human being?
Tomáš Halama:I wouldn ́t say. It ́s hard to judge which are the intentions that transform us into beasts. It could be pure hatred, arrogance, stupidity,you name it.I wouldn ́t dare to judge.
A5:Quickly going back to 2012,how did the idea of doing a split album with the Australians Altars come about?
Tomáš Halama:I think that Gab from Nihilistic Holocaust records contacted us a wanted to make it happen.There was minimal input or decision to be made from our side and we also haven ́t seen a single copy or maybe,our former vocalist found one cassette in some distro a bought it. That ́s about it, I don ́t really care about that split to be honest.
A6:Morbid Angel is part of your life and my life.But which album was the most memorable for you?
Tomáš Halama:I can ́t pick one, everything from Altars of Madness to Gateways to Annihilation is greatly resourceful for a whole metal scene. Bands like Suffocation, Immolation, Gorguts and other 90 ́s death metal classics do have the same or similar importance to me as Morbid Angel btw.
A7:Is Chaos necessary for a Death Metal band to win over the people?
Tomáš Halama:That ́s questionable.I do think that some kind of a controlled chaos should be part of any death metal music/record, because it inherently possesses some sort of violent vibe/feel, that should be part of a death metal expression. But listening to lot of way too melodic or rock influenced and tired as fuck music labeled as death metal,I don ́t really hear a glimpse of aggression or chaos there,it could pass as an elevator music.
A8:What ́s the idea behind artwork ́s album?
Tomáš Halama:It shows the symbol of a hope for millions like we perceive it.Hopelesness, abandonment and misery eternal as a final output.
A9:These seven years without the album were a lot of work and training for the songs,am I correct?
Tomáš Halama:These seven years were for sure lot of work, but also lot of insecurity about future of the band.One time,it was all drooling down like eroded rocks and I had to take some time off and focus on other things for a brief period of time, otherwise I would quit. After a short breather I started to work on the songs again,writing new stuff,rearranging some older parts and making ́em work until it all sounded smooth to me.
A10:How is Heaving Earth different from your previous bands?
Tomáš Halama:In a lot of aspects. Heaving Earth started as a 90 ́s US death metal inspired band, at the same time, I was putting together with other lads band later named as Brutally Deceased, which was a pure Swedish death metal worship, at least at the very beginning. The band is still active although I stepped aside in 2019 after 3 albums a 2 split CDs with Interment and Embrional.Currently I ́m also part of late 90 ́s Florida inspired blackened death metal formation Altars Ablaze, our first CD will be soon out also thru Lavadome productions before Brutally Deceased and Heaving Earth I was part of some projects, but it´s waste of paper/space to talk about it.
A11:Some literature or film inspire the band ?
Tomáš Halama:Not really, I ́m strictly inspired by music, sounds and noises of all kinds. With a visuals, nope.Usualy, I ́m too impatient to even watch a whole movie, I just get bored easily. With a music it ́s a different story.
A12:How band arrive to Lavadome Producions?
Tomáš Halama:The thing is that Jan from Lavadome was thinking about releasing our first album Diabolic Prophecies,which could have been a first Lavadome release, but we got offer from polish label Redrum666.Instead Brutally Deceased "Dead Lovers ́ Guide" was a first Lavadome product,if I ́m not mistaken and sold really well. Soon,we ́ve realized that releasing another album under Lavadome wings would be a good thing.
A13:This album is conceptual?
Tomáš Halama:No, it is not, although some lyrical themes are present in many songs. Our main focus was to picture not only lyric-wise, but mostly music-wise an inverted side of hope, human creatures being out of any kind of love or light, abandoned and betrayed. In that matter we had to work with different sound colours,because if you want to create any kind of a tension, you have to create a promise.
A14:What would the 2022 HE say to the 2008 HE?
Tomáš Halama:It ain ́t easy but it ́s worth of try. I ́m not a great and even less of an inspirational speaker,so I would keep it simple.
A15:Denouncing the Holy Throne and Darkness of God are different or complementary? Justify it!
Tomáš Halama:You can look at these records from both standpoints. They are for sure different, "Denouncing the Holy Throne" was much more rooted in a legacy of late 90 ́s US death metal with frequent excursions into more contemporary style of death metal, with "Darkness of God" it ́s pretty much the other way contemporary death metal with occasional touches of more classic death metal of late 90 ́s.In that way,you can clearly see an evolution, "Darkness of God" is a logical next step in a bands progression, so both records complement each other in evolution of our sound and expression.
A16:I swear that last question:A drummer is not being missed by HE?
Tomáš Halama:Thanks for noticing,drummer is dearly missed, but we are working on some solution, so hopefully,we will be able to perform live in a near future. Thanks for your time. Cheers!