1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
-The band is now more active than ever. The release of our fifth album, ”The Great Fleet of Echoes” is just one week away, and we have been extremely busy with all the promotional stuff. In addition we have a new synth player for the live shows, so we are also rehearsing for the upcoming live shows like never before. It feels good to be in this band, we have had some praising reviews and we feel very optimistic about the future of the band.
2.Where did you come up with the idea for the band name?
- It was our previous drummer who first came up with the name. We had couple of other names to choose from, but we eventually picked this one as we all thought it suited our music best. But of course all that was ages ago. We are still very pleased with the name, although some might think it might refer too much into the music we played in the past. We are different in many ways compared to the early days, but nevertheless, we feel that we are still the same band and the name suites are current style as well.
3. How would you describe your sound for someone who has never heard you before?
- We have a melodic and progressive approach into metal. We have mostly clean vocals with some additional growling and screaming as well. Synths have a major role in our music so there´s a lot of atmosphere and emotion involved. Some say that we have our own unique sound, which is sometimes comparable with Tiamat, Anathema, In the Woods... and The Gathering.
4. What are some of the best shows that you have played so far and how would you describe your live performance?
- That´s a tough one. We have had plenty of good shows with great bands like Satyricon and Anathema. But I have to admit that the latest, smaller club shows in Finland have also been the better ones. I think our performance has improved dramatically in past few years. It used to be very uncomfortable to perform live, but now I think it´s a real pleasure.
5. Are there any future plans for a U.S tour?
- Well, it´s a long time dream. It would be great to come there as we have lots of fans there. Hopefully we can pull it through some day.
6. Out off all the albums you have recorded so far which one are you the most satisfied with?
- It has to be the Binding of the Spirit album. It was, and always will be the best album for me. There is so much personal stuff and emotion involved in that album and in the making process that it´s hard to beat. Sure, the new album is great and Quicksilver Clouds was great too, but there is just something in that album that I can´t explain. It still gives me shivers when I listen to it. I know many people won´t agree, but for me, it´s the best Throes of Dawn album ever.
7. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
- Our lyrics have always been quite dark, and that´s the way I want it to be. I write all the lyrics and they are often about things that have happened in my life, although it might be difficult to see those things when you read them, cause I often write in a somewhat unclear way, mixing different themes and words. The texts can feel confusing sometimes, but there´s always something in there that´s very personal and genuine.
8. How has the new material been received so far by the metal community so far?
- We have had a mixed response. Some people praise the new album and some don´t like it all. But we knew that it would come to this. We knew that The Great Fleet of Echoes is going to divide the listeners because it´s so different from our previous albums. The songs are more diverse and melodic, and some are songs can hardly be described as metal, so we knew that it was coming. And we dont care really. We know that the album is good and something that we have always wanted to make, so it doesn´t really matter if someone else doesn´t like it.
9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the band heading into on future releases?
- We have started with raw and technical black/ death metal which soon turned into more melodic dark metal on our second Dreams of the Black Earth album. Our third album Binding of the Spirit was more downtempo and depressing than any of the previous albums. At the same time the synths were taking more and more part in the song writing process and they became a key element. Quicksilver Clouds introduced some new elements into our sound, bringing it a step closer to our latest The Great Fleet of Echoes which is very melodic, progressive and melancholic album. I think the next album will propably continue on the same lines as our latest album... but you never know really until you have finished the recordings and there´s still a long way until we get there.
10. Does Paganism or Occultism play any role in the music?
- When we started playing in 1994 we were interested in all the occult and pagan stuff we could get our hands on. I still have lots of books from those days but I have to tell you that those are things of the past. I very seldom read any occult books or anything related. I am an atheist and I feel those things are quite distant in my world. I have nothing against them, but it´s just not my cup of tea.
11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced the band and what are you listening to nowadays?
- I have been listening to all sorts of music lately from Massive Attack to Shining. Our musical influences from the metal genre would be Tiamat, Anathema, In The Woods..., Decoryah etc. Influences outside metal would be: porcupine Tree, king Crimson, Pink Floyd, Swans
12. What are some of your interests outside of music?
- outside music i live very casual life, but i like to travel read books and that kind of normal stuff but I am also very interested in photography. I know I am just an amateur but some of my pictures have been used in the cover layout of our latest album.
13. Any final words or thoughts?
- Thanks for the interview! Please check our new album The Great Fleet of Echoes, available from itunes and Firebox records. www.firebox.fi www.throesofdawn.com
Best regards,
henri.
TOD
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Nice interview!
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