Albums of Purgatory interview Forgotten Silence

How would you describe the Forgotten Silence sound?
Uuhh, I simply love similar questions, ha, ha, ha… No problem, G. But do you mean „sound“ or „style“? I remeber zine editors used to call us a doom/grind or atmo-death or avantgarde-death or gothic metal band… That is fucking great, that we are „avangarde metal band“ for them now. Finally… It is not bad style-label at all…is it?
I know very well we had a certain problems with final sound of some of our releases. For example our version of CZ black gods MASTERs HAMMER song „Útok“, recorded for REDBLACK´s „A Tribute To Master´s Hammer“ sounded great at studio. But the final result - sound, printed on discs is terrible and really poor. I´m so sorry for that, because I really love MASTERs HAMMER. And I can not forget our second full-length „Senyaan“: it sounds not bad at all…but a bit strange. You have to wait for a while to get into it - if you know what I mean. There is a lot of keyboards…and sometimes my bass is missing, ha, ha… But everything is a part of our history.
So…if you want to hear some sound ´n´style definition, here it is: we are FORGOTTEN SILENCE, sometimes a bit strange sounding crew of good music fans. And we still try to make some noises. Are you so courageous enough to check us out? Ha, ha, ha…it´s like an advertisement.

How did you get involved with the band?
The band itself was founded by guitarist Medved and me. We played in thrashdeath SAX but we were a bit bored by straightforward deathrash. The idea came from Medveds brain…and he asked me to help him with this side project. All it was in autumn 1993…huh, a quite long ago.
I´ve always wanted to play music and became a member of an band. I have played in various bands before FORGOTTEN SILENCE, but mostly it were more funny than serious crews - except REMEMBRANCE (deathdoom in Tiamat-veins) and SAX, mentioned above. Jolly times of my childhood….
Now FORGOTTEN SILENCE lives for almost 10 years…and believe we will stand here forever.

Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?
Be sure I remember it well!! It was 4 years ago. 3.4.1999 is the right date. We played it at KD Musilka in Brno (something like bigger rock club). Our good friends SAD HARMONY played as our support band. I wasn´t very enthusiastic for playing live concerts…but my bandmates really longed to do it. So I agreed. And I´ll never forget this evening - about 350-400 FS fans singing our songs and headbanging like madmen, more than 70 mins of „the best of FS“… Cool!! We played songs from all our releases: one from „The Nameless Forever“, two songs from „Thots“ and the rest from actual „Senyaan“ doubledisc. We also took some pictures, video and audio from this glorious April day. It will become really rare after a few years…ha, ha…

Are you involved in any other projects and if so how do they compare to Forgotten Silence?
FORGOTTEN SILENCE is something like the meaning of my life. The most important band in my life. No band will be ever more important!! My bandmates are/were more active than me: Biggles plays in ANIME (soft and moody atmorock in Anathema and Placebo veins), Hanka sings in SAD HARMONY (foklore metal mix), INSANIA (astral HC metal), SSOGE (pagan doom), ZIZLILA( electroindustrialrockpop), ENDLESS (atmo doom rock), Chrobis played in ENDLESS, Medved has his own pure thrash project CHATEAU (featuring another FS members)… I cooperated with black band SUNSET (I recorded bass on their demotape a few years ago), with Hankas side project Zizlila (bass on Pink Floyd cover, destined for some US tribute CD), with Medveds Chateau (vocal on opening track) and porngrind band KUMA RAFINATTA…but now I´m focused on FS only again.

What are your favourite Forgotten Silence tracks?
Always the new ones, ha, ha…I know it is cliché alike answer, but that´s true! But to satisfy you, read: the nameless song from „The Nameless Forever…“, maybe „Rosa-The Beauty“ from „Thots“, maybe „The Ancient Forest“ from „Senyaan“, maybe „As Suwais“ from „Ka Ba Ach“, maybe „Hathor´s Place“ from sametitled split with NOTRE DAME and surely „Yarim Ay“ from our last EP…..maybe it´s true, maybe not J It is absolutely impossible to name a few trax only. I like everything I´ve ever done.

What are your favourite all time songs?
Hm, a quite difficult to answer. I love YES, that´s why I have to mention their „Wonderous Stories“, „To Be Over“ and maybe „Close To The Edge“. DEEP PURPLE and „Perfect Strangers“, ASIA „The Heat Of The Moment“, VADER „Carnal“, KRABATHOR „Orthodox“, MADONNA „Little Star“, A-HA „The Sun Always Shines On TV“ and „Stay On These Roads“, KING DIAMOND „Black Horsemen“, „Haunted“ and „The Family Ghost“, HYPNOS „In Blood We Trust“, TOM WAITS „A Midnight Lullaby“ and songs from NATACHA ATLAS, SADE, PESTILENCE, SPOCKs BEARD, OSI, RUSH albums…and…and…

What the first record you ever bought?
Uhh, probably some extremely dull CZ pop artist. His name was Michal David and his music was ridiculous. He was typical communists pop singer…and believe or not: he is still very successfull in todays CZ. The first real jewel in my LP collection was DEEP PURPLE „Perfect Strangers“. I´m still buying a lot of MCs, LPs (various secondhand 70´s as well as new ones) and CDs (I´ve fallen in love with INSIDEOUT MUSIC Rec. releases and limited editions a time ago!!!). I hate „burned“ CDRs!!

Which album was it that got you into metal and can you explain why?
I´ve started with ABBA when I was a child (about 4-5 years old), ha, ha…But seriously: the first rock album I´ve ever listened to was URIAH HEEPs „Look At Yourself“, together with some WHITESNAKE and RAINBOW album. I´m not absolutely sure, but it was something like my beginning. And the first metal music? Maybe IRON MAIDEN (I was a big fan of their album covers, the music itself came a bit later…ha, ha). „The Number Of The Beast“ was „the album of all albums“ for a long time. It was very rare to own such LPs in communist era in CZ, but my friend´s mother travelled a lot and she always bought something in Yugoslavia or Hungary. Czechia was closed for metal music for a long time. And finally: the first thrash/death metal music - SODOM „In The Sign Of Evil“, INCUBUS „Serpent Temptation“ (original version!!!) and KREATOR „Pleasure To Kill“. It was soooo aggressive, sooo strong, sooo heavy…that I´ve decided to follow Angelrippers and Petrozzas way, ha, ha…

What would be your dream band line-up?
Do you mean line-up of FS?I don´t think so…As I said, I love YES. And their line-up is „dream line-up“. Chris Squire on bass, Steve Howe on gtr, Jon Anderson on voc, Alan White on drs and Rick Wakeman on keys. Amazing line-up is also on TESTAMENTs „The Gathering“ album: Billy, Petterson, Lombardo, Murphy and DiGiorgio. Isn´t it nice meeting of metal monsters? We played with them (without Lombardo and Murphy) and they kicked ass. It is not very easy to name line-up of my dreams, because it depends on musical style. I love David Vincent´s vocal as well as John Patitucci´s bass play. And I don´t think they plan some cooperation, ha, ha…

If you could do a cover for a tribute album to any band, which song of which
band would you pick and why?
We did a cover of MASTERs HAMMER - and it means a lot for me. They were definitely the biggest CZ band. We also did a few strange covers of our beloved ENYA. And the third part of our last „Yarim Ay“ EP is nothing but our version of YES song „Onward“. But I still dream of joining some MERCYFUL FATE + KING DIAMOND tribute. Maybe…one day.

What do you think of the position of metal and music in general today?
Music is mass-entertainment only today. It seems to be a part of showbusiness. But I still think of music as a part of art. All these prog bands from the 70´s can not be labeled as a „showbusiness stars“ and the same goes for e.g, extreme black crews or avantgarde composers like e.g. EPHEL DUATH. It is simply NOT business or poor entertainment. For me: it´s art. But maybe I´m wrong…
Young people think that LINKIN PARK or LIMP BIZKIT are the heaviest bands on planet Earth. They don´t know nothing about UG (or not-so-known, it´s up to you J) bands like CANNIBAL CORPSE, SEVERE TORTURE and for example DEFILED. Maybe it´s good, maybe not… Honestly, all these bands belong to UG and they still smell like something hidden and forbidden…and it smells good to me, ha, ha…
I spent a certain time in UK (a cradle of hard music - for me) in Brighton…and I checked out every music shop in the city. Bands like MAYHEM, BLOOD, WACO JESUS, CHRIST AGONY, HYPNOS, GROINCHURN, PESTILENCE, CRYPTOPSY or even IN FLAMES is probably something uknown for shop assistants and caterers. The huge box with „heavy“ inscription on the top contains CDs of LINKIN PARK, DISTURBED, FILTER, FOO FIGHTERS, one album of IRON MAIDEN and one album of CRADLE OF FILTH…

Which other bands stand out for you at the moment?
I think…our label colleagues SAD HARMONY will rule the folklore/heavy genre one day…maybe. They sound very very good, but they are from Eastern part of Europe - and it´s not a big advantage. However, they are the only folklore band I can stand…ha, ha. Also HYPNOS kicks ass, although their music is not very progressive. They are simply good! Italian EPHEL DUATH killed me with their „The Painter´s Palette“. Amazing avantgarde black art. New album „Feel Euphoria“ by SPOCKs BEARD proves they are one of the best contemporary composers and musicians. Debut of OSI-project sounds cool - nice sounding fusion of progress and electronic music. But it is project only…And talking about OSI, I can´t forget PORCUPINE TREE. I´ve bought a few CDs a time ago…and I still discover new ideas and moods in their production. They are almost perfect band, because Mr. Wilson & company are able to connect musicianship with atmosphere.
But there are lots of my favourites, that can not disappoint me…like MY DYING BRIDE, YES, THE FLOWER KINGS, ASIA, TOM WAITS…

Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?
Funny stories?? Do you want to hear some funny stories from the band, that composed + recorded „Senyaan“ - one of the most depressive and hopeless albums ever recorded…ha, ha?? No, no…fun has no place in our lives. We are serious men without smile… True, orthodox and pure children-eaters… Sorry, no funny story in my mind at the moment.

…and finally, what do you see in the future for Forgotten Silence?
Now we are working on new album. I strongly feel the spirit of ´95 (we composed our debut „Thots“ as a two piece band). Now I compose something new with guitarist Medved again. New axeman Paia has joined us three months ago, but he is really busy with soundengineering. The good news is, that our „Thots“-keyboardplayer Marty will join our crew very soon… We still think he was and still is the best FS key-player.
New production is maybe more atmospheric and more acoustic than before. I don´t want my growling vocal rules the whole new album… It´d be too monotonous, I guess. We are searching for GOOD melodic male vocalist…but our plans might be changed. However, wait something a bit different and still in the FS veins at the same time, ha, ha…