VsGreg
interview Domenico de GOLEM |
Parmi la tonne de
sorties des derniers mois, vous n'avez peut être pas preter atention à Golem ?
Heureusement qu'on est la pour vous rafraichir la mémore avec une petite interview du
groupe italien 1. For those who still don't know GOLREM, would you be nice enough to
introduce your band with a short history ?Domenico: The group was formed on April 1999, after the meeting between Ottavio Marzo and Luca Roberti, two guitarists coming from a hard rock band, with Damiano Porcelli and Alex Martiradonna, respectively ex drummer and bass player of Fearland (a heavy-thrash metal band lived form '97 to'98). The band starts to play an old-style heavy metal, near to the one played by Iron Maiden, but in the September '99, Luca leaves the band for some musical incomprehensions; after few days, Nicola Esposito, ex Fearland guitarist, become the new member of the group. From this moment, the musical direction will be moved towards more heterogeneus sounds: the base is still today the more classic metal, but Golem have enriched their sound with more aggressive elements as the melodic black/death metal or the epic metal. After some concerts in Bari supporting Requiem, on April 2000 Golem record a promo tape of 3 songs. In the same year (October), they record their first demo-cd called "Flames of Wrath" with other 4 new tracks. Immediately after the recording sessions, Alex must leave the band to join the Army; he will be soon replaced by Domenico Bottalico, a young bass player coming from a local melodic death metal band. With him, Golem play some important shows with bands like Natron, Kiss of Death and more. On February 2001, Nicola leaves the band to be substituted by Matteo De Bellis from Requiem. He will come back after 3 months only as vocalist. With this line-up, on January 2002, they return in studio to record a new CD called "Death Never Dies", containig 7 new songs which is getting a big success from magazines (5 times "top demo" including italian Metal Hammer) and audience. Recentely , Golem made some important live sets with Heimdall and White Skull, Natron and appeared in some important compilations such as Wild 'Zine and italian Rock Hard. In the november 2003 Nicola leaves the band due to personal reasons and Matteo who keeps playing the guitar replaces Nicola on vocals so the band decides to go on as a four piece. 2. Whats is the meaning of your band name ? Why dod you choose GOLEM ? Domenico: The Golem is a figure in Jewish folk-lore, he is most widely known as an artificial creature created by magic, often to serve its creator. Damiano and our ex-singer Nicola choose this name when he return from Prague...there’s a very creepy story about the Golem of Prague: in the 16th century, during the reign of Rudolf II, an old Jewish man named Rabbi Judah Loew lived in Prague. During that time, the Jewish people of Prague were being attacked and lived their lives in fear. Rabbi Loew decided to protect the Jews against pogroms by creating the Golem, a giant who according to the Cabala could be made of clay from the banks of the Vltava. Following the prescribed rituals, the Rabbi built the Golem and made him come to life by reciting a special incantation in Hebrew. The word "emet", meaning "truth", was placed on the Golem's forehead.The Golem would obey the Rabbi's every order and would help and protect the people of the Jewish Ghetto. However, as he grew bigger, he also became more violent and started killing people and spreading fear. Rabbi Loew was promised that the violence against the Jews would stop if the Golem was destroyed. The Rabbi agreed. By removing the first letter from the word "emet", thus changing it to "met" (meaning "death"), life was taken out of the Golem. According to legend, the Golem was brought back to life by Rabbi Loew's son, and may still be protecting Prague today. Don’t you think that was a very good story? I think that the our music describes very well this story isn’t it? 3. Who would you classify as your band 's influences, both musically and lyrically? I suppose, these are not death metal acts only? Domenico: We have an inspiration from everything that sounds good from hard rock to black metal and as musicist we can grow up listening other genre such as jazz, soundtracks, fusion, blues... Matteo is a very fucking fan of the 80’s sound, he loves bands as Whitesnake, Wasp, Saxon, Annihilator, Testament and of course Manowar; Damiano prefers power’n’thrash metal (Blind Guardian, Fates Warning, Racer X, Judas Priest, Metallica)and listen all time to Death and Dissection; Ottavio loves his gods Yngwie Malmsteen and Symphony X, he prefers melodic’n’technical metal (Death, Arch Enemy, Soilwork, In Flames,Dissection, Carcass...), I prefer the 80’s hard rock(Skid row!) and everything is melodic and technical as the same as Ottavio. Lyrically “Death Never Dies” is a mix beetween typical power-fantasy lyrics and introspective lyrics. 4. Your brand new cd is just released. Can you tell us more about it, the recordings sessions, the songs etc ? Domenico: I think that we obtained a very good result with this CD: It sounds strong and compact, we have recorded and mixed it in only one month.A very good time we love work in the studio ‘cause we can try to enrich our sound with a lot of solutions... We've chosen Half Moon Studios to recording it because in that studios there is a very good sound engineer, Nicola Lonigro, who helped us very much in constructing the sound we got. His way of working is so much professional and we are satisfied and proud for the final result. Also the audience and the magazines are giving us reason, 'cause the reviews and the opinion of our fans are very much positives. The songs are heterogenous: there are fast songs, I think about the title-track or “The last goddess”, some thrash or 80’s oriented, “Your deepeest fear” and “Here comes the dark” and there is a very “experimental” song for us the mid-tempo “Something to remind” a very melodic and catchy song I don’t if in the future we’ll do a song as this one ‘cause the atmosphear of this song is very particular: music and lyrics is a very strong mix... We've chosen “Death neve dies” as title ‘cause we think it's very much representative for all the songs contained in the album. The meaning is very simple. Death is the only real certainity in our life, it's unavoidable and that's not important to show, when your time comes, who were you in life: strong, weak, nice, ugly, rich, poor, it doesn't matter. We're everybody equal in front of her. You cannot run away from her and you cannot kill her, 'cause Death never dies! 5. Let's talk about the lyrics. What kind of topic did you write about ?  Domenico: Nicola our ex-singer wrote all the lyrics...he was inspired by everything he can see, so much by the reality I think...his lyrics are, in a little part, the mirror of his personality and life...I think that Nicola hasn’t got to teach something to the people, the lyrics are just his point of view about something that could be love, hate, war, society etc... 6. You have just signed the contract withDiamond Productions. What you can say more about this factory, co-operation with them & about their support? Domenico: We have received some offers from various labels but we choose Diamond Prod. ‘cause is the more professional and the only one who let us understand that they like Golem’s music and they are ready to bet on us. The guys behind this label are very available: we can talk about the contract in a very relaxed mood...we have a very good relationship with our label and we hope that we will grow together! Diamond Prod. Is doing a very good job about the promotion: our cd is travelling all around the world...we have received some review also from Russia, Canada, Latvia, Estonia some country that are not just reached by the Golem’s Music...We are proud to work with Diamond Prod. And we hope that Diamond Prod. Is satisfied by our music... 7. How was the progression of your style during the years ? What are your objectives in the future ? Domenico: During this years we add to the typical Maiden guitar-work and to the power’n’thrash sound of the beginning some extreme influences(for exp.the blast beats) and melodic solution as the swedish death metal of the early 90’s(for exp.the clean vocals )...but we continue to add some elements to our sound for example in the last songs that we composed we have add some intricate rhytmic pattern or some very creepy keyboards effects...our objective? Simple: make a unique sound that mix together the agressivines of the extreme metal and catchy melodies not fucking nu-metal or hardcore...I think that this is heavy metal in the 2000...Heavy Metal is the only way to describe the GoleM sound and this is the GoleM sound that we want to export all around the world and kick some asses! 8.What is, in your opinion, the best metal album released in 2003 ? On what cd are you looking forward in 2004. Domenico: In the 2003 there are some very good album...I’m thinking ‘bout “Soundchaser”(Rage), “Permission to land” (The Darkness), “Anthems of rebellion” (Arch Enemy) and “The blessed hellride” (Black Label Society)...”Death never dies” (GoleM)-I’m joking : ). In the 2004 I’ll wait the new Testament cd, the reunion tour of Motley Crue, the unreleased material from Chuck Shuldiner’s Control Denied and of course the new Judas Priest album with Rob Halford...will be the new “Painkiller” or will be a only a fucking commercial movement from the band? 9. Can you give us informations about the metal scene in Italy, the italian bands you like, the labels, the live shows etc ... Domenico: The italin metal scene is rich of very good bands...the old ones Natron, Necrodeath, Death SS, Undertakers, Node etc. and the young ones Secret Sphere, Lacuna Coil, Dark Lunacy, Infernal Poetry...this are only a few list of good band without the undreground ones...I think that the italian underground scene is one of the various in the world, I swear...we have all type of bands death, brutal, power, thrash, cover bands, hard rock... A lot of bands but a small number of serious labels that want to bet on the italian scene...the same situation is about the live show...there’s any valid circuit of clubs...play with regularity is difficult and very expensive...but I think that’s the same situation of a large number of countries around the world. 10.Did you ever heard a metal Band from France ? What do you think about the french scene (labels/bands etc)? Domenico: Yes of course I heard some metal bands from France: Misanthrope and Killers, recently Heavenly has made a very good power-symphonic metal album...also our label-mates Kabbal is a very good techno-death metal band, I like it very much... I think that the french scene is more professional that the italian one...France has got a very good underground supported by a lot of small and medium labels, I’m thinking about Diamond Prod., Deadsun Rec., Holy Records, Osmose...they are all professional label and offers to the french young bands the oppurtunity to show their skills...I don’t know about the live shows I never been to France...but I think that the situation is similar than Italy where there isn’t any valid club circuit... 11.Last words are yours .... Domenico: Ok first of all I want to thank you and VS-webzine, Diamond Prod., our sound-engineer Nicola Lonigro, Claudio Grilli, the guy behind the incredible artwork of “death never dies” visit his web-site www.coolgraphics.it. We want to salute all the metallers that enjoy the Golem’s music and all the french metallers we hope that as soon as we can we come to French to play some fucking heavy metal, drink beer and spend together a good time...for everyone that want to know more about Golem visit our web-site http://WWW.GOLEMNEVERDIES.IT , you will not regret I swear! And last but not least support music not rumors! See ya! Domenico and Golem |