Orob Interview

 

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We’re back after a long hiatus! We released Aube Noir in the very last days of 2021 and 2022 was really about promoting it, working on the physical edition and the editing of the music video we released earlier in December for our song Astral. We’re starting to think about the next steps for the project.

2.Last year you also released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep's?

In both Departure and Into The Room of Perpetual Echoes (ITROPE), our sound was really tainted by our love for Enslaved and by the by then recent wave of post and atmospheric black metal bands. Aube Noir is more personal, we managed to go in a lot of different directions but we got better at blending the different layers of our sound. We feared the album would be too much, going from epic black metal to experimental death doom, that it would look like a patchwork but in the end it’s cohesive.

3.This was also your first release in 8 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

Aube Noir had a bumpy road. The album was written just after we released ITROPE, between 2014 and 2016. The record was ready as of January 2017 but things got complicated. The album was signed on a label but the process was slow and ultimately didn’t come to fruition. Most of us had to move out of town (and even out of France) for work or for university and it took a toll on the project, our drummer and guitar player then decided to leave the band. A lot of things to work through!

4.The lyrics on the recent recording were also a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you had covered with this release?

Aube Noir asks a simple question : can we live and develop as humans without destroying everything and everyone around us? To answer it, we created two characters. One, inherited from our 2013 EP, is a wanderer, he’s keeping the link between mankind and nature, a wise man, but few listen to him.

The other one is a young and brilliant spirit, he wants to leave a mark on the world and to use his science to express the infinite potential of human creation.

In the end, the old hermit cannot change anything despite his deep knowledge of nature, and the young disciple doesn’t think about the implications of his creations. The last song, the great fall, tells the shortcomings of these two paths. We as human societies can’t think of ourselves in the long term, and thus we invent stories to make our senseless choices fit into a narrative that’s less depressing and random.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Orob'?

It is mainly linked to the concept of ouroboros. We're really into primordial, atemporal stories about nature and the place of mankind within it, so it felt like a word fit for carrying these thematics.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

The artwork was made by Romane Garcia (check her out @lucilledraws). It represents a masked figure cloaked in white, he’s the wanderer, the pivotal character we follow in both ITROPE and Aube Noir, he is the keeper of the bond between mankind and nature, returning to the world as a ghost. This artwork goes hand in hand with another one, representing another character that encapsulates the destructive nature of human expansion; he's cloaked in black and has a tower instead of a head. We really love that artwork. It's mysterious, alternating between light and darkness, very evocative.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We’re still very proud of having played with Solstafir in Toulouse in 2015, the set was short (and our songs are long) but we had a great time! We also have fond memories of our last show opening for Myrath in 2018 in Montauban, it was quite challenging as we welcomed a session drummer, one of our best shows to date! As the songs grew colder and more progressive with Aube Noir we added a lot more keys and atmospheric samples to our live performances.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2023?

As soon as the line-up is full again, we’ll start playing some live shows.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We're definitely looking for a label for our next release!

10. On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

We're humbled by the positive reaction to our album. We were convinced of its quality but after all these years we weren't sure the album would resonate with people. Glad it does!

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

It will definitely be more akin to the second half of Aube Noir, darker, more experimental but still catchy. On some songs of Aube Noir we allowed ourselves to stray a bit in death-doom, gothic rock and even coldwave territories, we think it gave a special flavor to the album. The new tracks are really going in that direction. There still is a solid prog black metal foundation but we’d really love to make these elements more blended into our sound.

12.what are some of the bands or musical styles that the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Pierre-Henry is really into experimental rock, if you are too you should check his other project Torrens (https://torrens.bandcamp.com/album/voiceless-spring). Can't lie, Gaerea's Mirage and Disharmonium by Blut Aus Nord were on repeat this year too!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

A big thank you to everyone who listened to, shared and reviewed Aube Noir. It means a lot to us and got us back into writing!

Bandcamp: https://orob.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orobband
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@orobband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/13JkT8o9Mm2uueHePY8Twq
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orobband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/orobband