Well, after each release we take a long break, I don’t know exactly how long it will take this time, but I feel absolutely empty and my mind will need longer to recuperate and come up with new ideas for music, usually an idea for a concept comes first, a few song titles and then the music takes form gradually. Being a small underground band that doesn’t have to keep up with release date deadlines helps a lot to strive to put the best ideas out, most often it takes years. For me what’s important is the final result to please us, I’m always trying to select the best and lots and lots of average stuff is left out.
2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
With “The Hereafter” album I really wanted to get a clearer sound as opposed to our previous “Closure” album, those two are conceptually intertwined, but we took a lot of criticism of the sound being with too much reverb and muddy, so we decided to get it right this time and hopefully we succeeded. I still like a lot the sound of “Closure”, it’s powerful gloomy and absolutely terrifying, but probably it depends on the listeners speakers and obviously it doesn’t sound the same to anyone… also adding some singing parts which we haven’t done in years, I think it’s a positive thing and will surely change the perspective and will help the musical concept to take a better shape.
3. A lot of your lyrics are fantasy orientated, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
Darkflight started as a fantasy metal side project and gradually it turned out to be my main band, I have a deep fascination with this genre and somehow wanted to write a tribute soundtrack to more unknown writers that have in my opinion exceptional books. Recently the concept changed though, Darkflight’s new topic is the transition to Death and the Afterlife.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Darkflight'?
“Flitters of the night, spirits dark in flight” – this is a quote from Adam Nichols’s book, "The War of the Lords Veil" which has been the main inspiration for the band’s first demo and album. It just sounded to me so right by that time and it is not so easy to get a name that hasn’t been taken, also my main band back then was called Dreamflight.
5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to adding in other members or do you prefer to remain a duo?
So far this is strictly a studio project, unfortunately we couldn’t become a live band through the years, it might have been an interesting thing to see. Actually, I am considering adding a drummer, coz I am not entirely happy with my performance on the last album, giving the drumsticks to more experienced hands would probably make things a lot better.
6.How has the support from Metallic Media, Black Plague Records and Symbol Of Domination been for the new recording?
All these guys are great and we are really thankful that they believed in us again to release our latest record, as it becomes more and more difficult to survive with the declining record sales with extreme music I really think they need ALL the support they can get by spreading the word, checking out their other releases, there are some great hidden gems among them. Keep the UNDERGROUND alive by ordering some stuff!!
It is a funny story, but for some time we thought we were cursed, while we have big periods between the albums and with the downfall of the music industry going on, after each album the label that releases it always collapsed, but we think we broke that curse by having two albums in a row released by BLACK PLAGUE RECORDS.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
Our music has certainly reached many people through the years from many different places and fans of different types of metal. With 17 years behind our back (4 full length albums and an EP) … we’d like to think that we create our own brand of black doom and our music hopefully is easily distinguishable, adding a certain kind of atmosphere and deep meaningful melodies, of course we had both positive and negative feedback, but since we’re still around I guess we’ve been lucky …
8.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
I have a sort of a side project with Arsonist from the French black metal band ARS MORIENDI called NOTRE AMERTUME, it’s interesting how international collaboration works, but we have 2 split albums already released with fierce and extreme music… the style is atmospheric depressive black metal and those of you interested should definitely check it out, Milen the new bass player and additional singer has a sort of an alternative rock band called M.R.A.K.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I am actually pretty excited about the future, the amazing singing voice of Milen into “Threshold of Death” song gives me a confidence that we’ll do great things together and expand the music in ways that I’ve only imagined till now.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I’ll admit I am a big fan of doom metal and all kinds of emotional acoustic music, but I also love and listen to a lot of stuff from the 80s, it seems to me that those years and partially the 70s had a true depth, where everything wasn’t synthetically processed and made with such a profound inspiration and/or even naivety, it seems that those emotions (for the most part) are somehow lost in the digital era. The songwriting process is the thing that is mostly underestimated. I prefer bands now that take more time to compose their albums and it’s so obvious when you hear the result. I can mention well thought doom bands with their latest albums: Shape Of Despair, Saturnus, The Foreshadowing, 40 Watt Sun, Procession, the last Draconian… from the non metal scene recently I enjoy Susanne Sundför. Desperate Journalist, some of the IAMX slow songs are amazing.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Exploring nature, especially the Sea, reading a lot of science fiction, fantasy, proper science, even conspiracy books and some sport activities.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for this interview and for the nice words about our last album, for those interested check us out and if the music grabs you, get it in physical form. It’s worth exploring the concept with proper non compressed audio and the booklet in your hands, this is the best way to support us and to see our future albums in physical form.
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