Greetings, your second album called "Extance" is out. What can you tell us about it?
Greetings to you too Petar. Well, “Extance”, as you said, is our second full length album and it’s going to be released in 20th January via Code666/Aural music. It’s a work of art that was created with much passion and we’re really eager to share it with everyone.
Could you give us some more info’s about the album like what is it about, the recording process of it, the lyrics, etc.?
We started composing “Extance” during 2012 immediately after the release of our first album “Cendres et Sang”. Recordings begun in my home studio in the beginning of 2013 but the songs changed a lot through this process. A lot of guest musicians and artists where also involved on this so we kept modifying the tracks till the last weeks of the recordings. Vocals are a huge chapter of our music that we always work last so that we can focus. Concerning lyrics, let’s just say that Aenaon’s artistic interests are anthropocentric. It would be better if Astrous talked about this.
As I remember, after the recording of your last album "Cendres Et Sang", your drummer left the band. Was this the only line up change between the two albums, or was there any other as well? Also, could you introduce your new drummer?
After Vanghmar left the band and after the release of “Cendres…”, Dagwn, our previous guitarist also left the band. At that time we started auditioning for a drummer with notmuch luck. After Anax became our new guitarist, he introduced us to a friend of his that wasn’t just a drummer. He’s actually an excellent player of many stringed instruments, percussions and drums. Nycriz ended up not just being our drummer but also playing the oud, sazi, oriental percussions and the drums for us. He also has a very good Jazz musical education which was a very good thing for us in order to improve this element in our music.
What is the biggest difference in your opinion between the two albums?
Well this is a diffcult question. I think we managed to improve almost everything. Production, compositions, songwriting, performance and aesthetics. I would say that the biggest difference is that simply this is a little more matured album, we finally knew exactly what and why we where doing. I consider “Cendres..” as a powerful beginning for Aenaon but “Extance” stands really as the true vision of this band.
Looking back at the beginning of Aenaon, how do you seethe progress you made from each of your releases and what is your favorite release?
Let me see… we started as an aggressive black metal band using as foundations bands like Emperor and Thorns. After “Phenomenon” EP we decided that we wanted to do something different, more original. “A Parallel Zeotrope” split with Satanochio was the first step to that direction. After that, we just kept improving in this direction. “Extance” is for sure our biggest achievement but we try to keep every release special on one way or another. For example we released a tape with unreleased material from 2009. Even this release means a lot to us because it’s our only cassette release and of course also brings memories from our first more extreme years.
What bands and music styles inspire the music of Aenaon?
Through all these years we gathered so much experience and inspiring sounds to our minds that it wouldn’t be right if I named specific bands or artists. We try for sure to keep an eye and ear for good music no matter where it comes from and develop these stimuli into our own sound. If someone listens to our new album really carefully will be able to identify elements from completely different music genres but of course black metal is always and will be the foundation of our sound.
You recently played live together with Primoridal in Greece. How was it and will Aenaon maybe go this time on a tour orplay at some festivals to promote the new material?
It’s the second time I had the honor to share stage with Primordial. Alan was breathtaking at this one. Really nice show.We hope to plan on playing in some festivals or doing a small European tour but on the other hand don’t know yet if we want to make that risk. Other bands in northern Europe don’t consider it a risk at all. They’ll had the resources to do it over and over again even if they had no luck with their careers. It’s not the same for us. We should first see the responses of our new album and then we’ll see if a tour is possible. After all, Greece at the moment is a third world country and things such as art and education are no longer considered important. Bands who seek brighter future should live this shithole.
Will you this time have a video for a song from your new album?
Actually we are on 90% of completing the shootings and It’s really promising. Dark and aggressive as it should be. We’ll make an announcement soon.
Aenaon released also a few 7", Split’s and tapes. Do you think that this is something good in times when some peopleeven say that CD’s are something that will die out soon?
I download mp3s to listen new albums or to listen music that I wouldn’t care to buy. If there is an album or an artist that I really like then I want it in my collection. Cd, vinyl or tape. I believe there will be always such people. People that want to hold in their hands and sense the material, read the lyrics, focusing on the cover and the layout while listening to a complete album.Vinyl is on the market for good again. Some people believe that cd is soon going to die but vinyl will live forever. I think they might be right. I really like Cds and I hope that’s not true but if you think about it, it’s just one more digital format.
Your new album will also be release over Code 666 as digital download. Is that maybe the new big thing in youropinion in the music industry?
I don’t think so – this is already old fashioned in some countries. From what I see, live streaming through apps and websites is the new way of listening to music. New audiovisual media might rise too. It’s very hard to predict if there is even going to be another “big thing” for music industry. Internet, new media and piracy have changed forever what we once knew as music culture. Most of the people hardly listen to whole albums these days.
You also play in Varathron. Any news about something newfrom them?
Yes of course – a 3way split was released (with Thornspawn and Black Altar) just a few months back and a split with Den Saakaldte will be released in spring via Floga Records.We’ve also already recorded guitars, bass and drums and now proceeding to Stefan’s vocals. New album entitled “Untrodden Corridors of Hades” is going to be released around September – I hope so.
What can we expect in the near future from Aenaon?
We’re trying to be as much active as we can concerning releases, so a new split might rise a while after the release of “Extance” and of course we’ll try to be active for any gig possible. Our first videoclip is also a big deal for us coming up.
Any last words?
It was a pleasure talking with you Petar. Thanks for the interest in our work. I wish everybody a great year. Stay true to your cause and passions.
