1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
I have done some promotion for Arcane Mountain Cult and worked on some material for a new album.
2.In November you also have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ form the stuff you have released in the past?
I would say our new album "Arcane Mountain Cult" picks up right where we left off with the 2nd album "Supreme Silence". Nothing drastically different, more of a natural evolution, with maybe more progressive structures on some songs and the addition of a few great guitar solos from longtime friend and Aldaaron member Voldr.
3.This is your first release in 10 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during this time frame?
Aldaaron somehow naturally went into a dormant phase after Suprême Silence, when the different members dispersed geographically according to life circumstances.
For my part as the composer I had to reorganize my life and kind of went from a student life to an adult life, with more responsibilities and an environment less conducive to composing. Until then I had always composed in moments of solitude and these moments became more and more scarce, until they became almost non-existent.
For several years I composed little touches here and there but without succeeding in entering the state of flow required to achieve the desired result. At the end of 2021, without knowing exactly why, I started composing again on a regular basis and was able to produce the new album in about 6 months. I guess I finally found enough motivation to adapt to this situation, although I'm not sure where that motivation came from.
4.A lot of your lyrics cover Paganism and Mythology themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your pagan views?
I am not a religious person so I do not consider myself a pagan strictly speaking. It's rather that my source of inspiration mainly comes from nature and in particular from the mountains and alpine forests that surround me, which possess a primordial quality and on which I project a dark, powerful and dramatic spiritual essence which heavily influences my worldview and artistic expression. If you define modern pagansim as « the belief in the divine character of the natural world », this is pretty close.
Overall I think the adjective « Pagan » evokes our music in a more appropriate way than other qualifiers like "Satanic", "True", "Orthodox", "Post", etc.
5.Lyrically you have also cover philosophy and fantasy, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
I was passionate about fantasy, especially the writings of Tolkien, during my teens and early adult years. But over time my interest shifted more and more towards non-fictional themes.
Although my level of interest varies over time, I read and listen to a lot of content related to the humanities and social sciences, with occasional momentary reappearances of fantasy and science-fiction.
6.Originally the band started out as 'Empires de Glace', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aldaaron'?
The name Empires de Glace was chosen in reference to the demo of the same name by the Quebec band Frozen Shadows, which is one of the bands that influenced me.
Aldaron is the Elvish name of Oromë and means in this language "The lord of trees". He is one of the Aratar, the most powerful of the Valar.
I thought this name offered a better / more accurate perspective on the band's themes and music. I added an "a" to the original name as another band already used this name.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork and album title speaks of a secret, hidden and forgotten religious order, whose members worship a mountain. I won't give more information so that the listeners can be free to project their own interpretation.
8.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 played with a few big names like Mayhem or Nargaroth. I would say that in general our stage performance was brutal and introverted.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Aldaaron is basically a one-man band at the moment, so no touring plans in the near future.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black and pagan metal?
Difficult to tell as we only see the reaction of the few people that take the time to express themselves, which is a tiny fraction of listeners. The reaction has been very positive so far.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I hope I can go deeper into myself.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Not very original, but I suppose my main influences are classic bands from the 90's and early 2000's : Immortal, early Dimmu, Windir, Dark Funeral, Dissection, Summoning, Satyricon, Marduk, as well as some a bit lesser known bands like Enthroned, Dawn, Cirith Gorgor, Sargeist, Seth, Belenos, Frozen Shadows and I certainly forget some.
As for what I listen to today, apart for the aforementioned bands I really like the Finnish scene, for example Havukruunu, Vargrav, Behexen. Some other bands I regularly listen to include Akhlys, Deathspell Omega, Caladan Brood, Forteresse, Batushka. I also listen to a lot of dark / nordic / medieval ambient music and an ecclectic mix of other types of music.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Nothing to add. Thanks for your interest.
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