June 8, 1999.
From the abysmal depths of Italian underground comes the immortal nocturnal beings known as THEATRES DES VAMPIRES. Playing their very own style, "Theatrical Vampiric Metal", they are one of the best and most original black metal bands from Europe. My questions were answered (with blood) by Frater Necros, the one behind the keyboards symphonies in the band's music.
1) Greetings. When the vampires did arise from the tombs the first time? And who are the ones?
NECROS: The
THEATRES DES VAMPIRES band was born between 1994 and 1995 like
one-man band. His founder had already had different experiences
in the metal music underground since 1989, realizing different
promos with other bands. After a couple of month, Lord Vampyr
(founder of the THEATRES DES VAMPIRES) finds musicians to
collaborate in this plan; on March 1995, the band enters in
recording studio t o record his first promotape, entitled
"Nosferatu, Eine Simphonie Des Grauens", this promo
gets a big success and in a little time becomes sold out. On the
wave of this success, 5 proposals arrive for realization of a
full-lenght CD , the band decides to sign for the newborn Garden
of Grief, on December 1995 THEATRES DES VAMPIRES enter in studio
for recording the first CD. During recording, however, the first
problems begin: the drummer after have recorded his bases in a
day, leaves the band and many errors on the songs too, also the
relationships with the other components of the group crack so
much that Lord Vampyr is alone in recording almost entirely the
CD. So it comes "Vampyrìsme, Nècrophilie, Nècrosadisme,
Nècrophagie". At the end of this unlucky period, Lord
Vampyr begins to look for more able and motivated musicians;
after many months of searching new line-up has come; three promos
follow and two live-shows full of horror references and ghostly
atmospheres; this change of look and the more mature songs bring
to the band firsts proposals for a second CD; the band signs an
accord with ALKAID RECORD from Milan that will realize new CD in
firsts months of the 1999.
2) The band's concept is very based in the Anne Rice's "Vampire Chrocicles". What fascinates you in her novels?
NECROS: Naturally we consider Ann Rice one of the best story teller of the moment, but in effect we particular love the first book of Ann Rice "Interview With The Vampire".
3) What can you tell us about the new album "The Vampire Chronicles"? How were recordings and, mainly, if are you satisfied with the final result?
NECROS: "The Vampire Chronicles" represents the change of style of the band, we took 2 years to compose all the songs (and prepare the shows) at the end we had so many ideas that we find material for the two next albums, the recording session take only 2 week, we had try to create a very obscure sound, more gothic and horroric than the old album, and I think that we have reached a good result.
4) Is possible to compare the debut album "Vampyrìsme, Nècrophilie, Nècrosadisme, Nècrophagie" with the new one "The Vampire Chronicles"? What differences/similarities is possible find between these two releases in your opinion?
NECROS: No is impossible to compare it, the old album was composed and played only by Lord Vampyr, pratically now the THEATRES DES VAMPIRES is a new band, only the names remains the same and the way of the lyrics, the style is changed, the old album was a raw black metal style, now only the voice is black metal style, and some obscure atmoshere, the style is more gothic and more technics, sometimes is similar to heavy metal, sometimes it can rember the MERCYFUL FATE... Is not easy define the new style of the band. We like to call it "Theatrical Vampiric Metal".
5) Could we consider "The Vampire Chronicles" a tribute to Anne Rice?
NECROS: Yes, we can.
6) The THEATRES DES VAMPIRES live performances seems be indeed quite theatrical. How do you and the guys conceive the acts in the shows and what special meanings have the performances?
NECROS: Our concert is like an horror film, the FX is designed by David Bracci, one of the effect maker of Dario Argento the master of horror film! The stage is designed like a cemetery, with some coffin and cross, skull is all around... We make theatre and we want that this is clear from the first istant of the concert!
7)
Are there many live shows programmed for soon in order to promove
the new album?
NECROS: In september we start our tour in Europe, first Italy (with some dates with CHILDREN OF BODOM and DARK TRANQUILLITY) than Germany and at the end England in December at the Vampyria, if you want other information you can go at: http://www.darkangelprod.demon.co.uk. Here you will find the information about Vampyria...
8) What about others "vampiric" writers? What about Bram Stocker, for example? Do you like his novels as much as the ones of Anne Rice?
NECROS: Naturally there is some classic like Le Fanu or Stoker that is the masterpiece of the vampiric history, but we prefer some book that are more storical, and talk about vampire in a scentific way.
9) Religious themes also can be found in the THEATRES DES VAMPIRES? This topic is an important part of the band's spirit?
NECROS: Sometimes we talk about black magic, and vampire magic, but we aren't satanist, we think that Satan is a way to talk about the mystery that is around the figure of the vampire... Naturally we don't love the Cristian Church and we study a lots about the Cristian esoterism, but we aren't true satanists, we are still searching a way to live the religion, we are studing about ancient rites, but is a slow research that probally will that to us the rest of our life...
10) The old Italian culture or the mighty ancient Roman Empire are founts of inspiration to you?
NECROS: Well, sometimes you can find in our lyrics some parts in latin (the old language of Roman people) but generally we don't talk about the Roman Empire (but naturally we like a lot)... I don't know if in the future we will talk about some old Roman legend... Not for the moment...
11) The Italian metal scene is quite strong. Do you enjoy the Italian black metal bands of nowadays? Maybe the famous OPERA IX or EVOL?
NECROS: We know OPERA IX and EVOL by name, we
are in contact with a lots of Italian band like HANDFUL OF HATE,
we like a lots the MALDOROR and the king of Italian metal DEATH
SS. We also hear LACUNA COIL and NOVEMBRE... Yes we have a lots
of good Metal bands here in Italy... We are happy of this!
12) The most famous "vampiric" band nowadays is, of course, CRADLE OF FILTH. I was wondering if do you like their music? And do you like of other bands like ANCIENT, ABYSSOS or CRIMSON MOON that are influenced by vampires too?
NECROS: Well, well... In effect we don't really like CRADLE OF FILTH (and personally I hate it... But not all the member of THEATRES DES VAMPIRES... somebody like it...). Our first demo was printed in the 1994... In this old days very few people talk about vampire, so we consider us one of the fisrt band that is 100% vampire! We don't like band that uses the vampire trend to make money, generally this band don't have a real culture about the vampire history... For us is different, you can find our name in the book of Massimo Introvigne "La Stirpe Di Dracula" that talk about us like one of the first vampire band (and this book is one of the most famous in our country)!
13) Seems that is possible to find some gothic influence in the THEATRES DES VAMPIRES sound. I was wondering if do you like of gothic bands?
NECROS: Yes there is strong influence of gothic inside our band... I personally like bands like LACRIMOSA, NOSFERATU, SISTERS OF MERCY... And naturally DEAD CAN DANCE!
14) Your interest for vampires is limited to the fiction or are you interested in the studies of the vampires in our "real" world? I mean, astral vampirism and this kind of thing?
NECROS: As we write up, we study a lots all the tradiction about the vampire, so legend, study, and ancient story... We find very interesting the fact that you can find the tradiction of vampirism in very different culture, so probally there is some of real under the legend. We really like book like Stephn Keplan author of the book Vampires Are or Norinne Dresser... Very interesting...
15) Who in the band came the first time with the definition "Theatrical Vampiric Metal"? And how could you explain the meaning behind this title?
NECROS: Lord Vampyr invent this term, that now is used in the European Magazine to define us... Because as you know is not easy define our kind of music... The meaning is simple, in our music you will find horrorific keyboards like an horror film, and the image will be very "true" like a special effects, also the live will be a real film experience... We associate a lots the image at the sound. For this reason in our CD you will find a lots of sample of thunder rain wind and so on... Like the sonor of a film... At the end the lyrics talk about vampire at the 80-90%.
16)
Vampires are eternal, but what's your outlook of death?
NECROS: Naturally a lots of time we think about the death, the death is near to us... Every day, for this reason sometimes, we spend time in the cemetery, to try to understand what is really the death, probally we are searching the immortality, our probally we are only searching the meaning of the life... One day I hope will find it...
17) OK, any final vampiric summonings/exclamations/comments?
NECROS: Support us as you can! We really want to come to play in Brasil, let that we will realize this dream! Support us with your love of fans! For us the fans is everything! If one day will came in your country we will terrorize you!!!! And you'll like this a lot!!! Ave!!!
Contact THEATRES DES VAMPIRES:
Snail-Mail:
Via F. Gentile, 7
00173
Rome - Italy
E-Mail:
ICQ:
12674783
The official THEATRES DES VAMPIRES homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/3462
