HECATE ENTHRONED (Eng.)
– Hello and first of all, thanks for taking the time. What are you currently up to? How is everything going with HECATE ENTHRONED?
Things are going well after a album break and 2 new members recently coming in…we had the album release at the end of last year and have been busy promoting this and playing some shows around europe also shooting some videos that will be released soon. We are also writing new material for the follow up album and working on a new live show and nailing the new line up as a tight and dangerous unit.
– First off, as this is our first interview with you, I would like you to tell us how did you come up with the band name. I guess it fits your beliefs and the band itself, but Hecate, the Dark Mother, is strongly connected to femininity.
Yes the name was suggested during a band discussion many years ago when we become a total BM band and needed a new name and image to go with the music and HECATE ENTHRONED sums up our dark satanic beliefs and strong personal empowerment in what we do. It does has a strong dark feminine element to it but also leand towards Hecate as Lilith the satanic concubine. The Mother of Death.
– Some months ago you released «Virulent Rapture», your first album in 9 years. What prompted this gap of time between your two latest albums?
A lot of elements combined to create the 9 year recording hiatus, from personal commitments with families and work to label and recording issues. We actually had this new album written and recorded for several years but never got the right offer to release it and we were actually set on a self release until we got this offer from CRANK MUSIC GROUP. This version of the album is about the third recording we did but was worth it as it is sounding amazing and will be worth the wait for our fans. We have been continuously playing and gigging the whole time since REDIMUS so for us there was no break in momentum from a playing/writing perspective and at the moment as musicians we are at the height of our powers and this is evident in the album and from our live performances.
– In fact I read this version of the album is about the third recording you did. With so many time with the material written but not released, did it suffer much changes?
As i mentioned above we couldnt get a decent deal from a label so considered a self release and recorded the album ourselves for that reason but we werent happy with the overall sound so we recorded it again. I took it to my old friend Mike Smith at Velocity Raptor Studios to work on it and master it but while we were working on it with Mike we decided to re-record again as we had better ideas for the overall production. The songs did change with each recording, different ideas came and ways of playing certain parts and it is natural if you live and work with songs for a while you will get ideas and improve on it. So when we did the final recording the songs were perfect and the mix and production we got from Mike was perfect.
– And are you satisfied with the final output?
Very satisfied….more than we have been with any other album cos we had time to work on it and time in the studio to record without money and time constraints. We spent a lot of time on the mix and the mastering to get it as we wanted it. In the past there were always things we wanted to do or add but didnt have the time..with Virulent Rapture it was as we intended.
– As I said, it took you 9 years to release this opus, but you haven’t been inactive at all, you still played a lot live. Moreover I could say «Virulent Rapture» is a portrait of 20 years of career but, how do you think has HECATE ENTHRONED evolved throughout these last years? Does your experience on stage also affect your evolution or what you do on each album you release?
As you say it has been 20 years as a band and playing and existing in the scene for that long does colour your attitude and outlook as a band and individuals. We have learnt a lot and seen a lot but with HECATE ENTHRONED we are never turned by trends or what others are doing..we are focused on what we do and dont pay much attention to others. We do our own thing and always have. Yes our live show is always full of energy and agression we are a very aggressive band and we can write in that way and we always have in our minds when writing how the song will work live. We use a lot of atmospheres also in our music to create a mood and a dark miasma and this is also something we put across in our live shows. Our music dictates how we play, we dont contrive to write a certain way …it flows from us naturally.
– The album was written years ago. If you had created this opus more recently, would have it been much different? Anyway you are always loyal to the band’s spirit and sound.
We are writing now and it is similar material to VR but with a more classic HECATE ENTHRONED BM edge. I think with us every album will be different as its our nature but we keep that HE soild base and style simply because the core has been together for so long that our style is solid and engrained into us.
– Part of that essence is the apparently interest for anything dark. The title, for instance, I think it can be interpreted in many ways. Was letting the listeners take their own interpretations something you were aiming for?
VIRULENT RAPTURE does have a story, the title track is the only song that has a story….it is about a demon banished to our world and realises when he kills or causes pain and suffering a door opens to his world so to keep that door open he has to continue to kill and torture….the nastier the more the door opens and he can escape. And when he finally does return to his world this will be his VIRULENT RAPTURE. Yes exactly, Elliot wrote the majority of the lyrics and titles for VR and he doesnt like to explain too much about the meanings or go into details..he wants the listener to interprete and work it out for themselves.
– And can it be interpreted as something autobiographical? What meaning does it hold personally to you?
No i wouldnt say autobiographical but it puts out from the lyrics our satanic roots and beliefs but it does play more on HECATE herself and she takes centre stage on this album. Musically it is a cumulation of where we are now as a band, our previous and current styles and our skills as musicians. It is a statement of intent and what is to come…..
– On the other hand, on the cover artwork we can see an incarnation of Hecate (or Lilith, Ishtar, etc., as you prefer) so, are lyrics on the album related to Her in any way?
We wanted to bring HECATE back with this album and focus more on her and the cover is a HECATE/LILITH representation- Lilith as satans concubine spawning demons and copulating with men. So the lyrics do hinge around the satanic elements of Hecate.
– Musically songs as «Plagued by Black Death» caught my attention, as I consider it a perfect depiction of what this album it’s all about and of its overall grandeur. What could you comment on this track? Do you have any favourite ones off this album?
Yes PLAGUED…is the biggest track on the album, it is what we do best …huge orchestration and choirs and we wanted to put forward the grandoise of this track so we had this huge production so these massive songs could breathe and destroy. It has the old HE elements along with the new heavier more aggressive guitars and riffs, it blends what we are perfectly and is a representation of the album and our sound now. This track is a favourite along with UNCHAINED, LIFE, TO WIELD THE HAND OF PERDITION.
– This record was released by a new, still not very known label, called Crank Music. How did this cooperation arise and how is it working thus far?
As i mentioned before we had approaches from labels but with nothing workable or a good enough offer and we were ready to self release, but Crank Music Group approached us and straight away we struck up a repoir. We liked what they said and there attitude…they are young and with great ideas to grow and expand and do business. They care about the music and the bands and we are all working together along with the other bands on thr rosta to expand and improve. There are lots of things to do and set up but we all have trust and are like a fmaily. Its is going well.
– All this about «Virulent Rapture» being said; how could you descr5ibe it in just 3 words?
BLASTING SYMPHONIC DESTRUCTION
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
We have released a new video this weekend..ABYSSAL MARCH from the álbum and are working on a DVD release in the autumn along with some EU shows and a south american tour. We are writing for the next álbum, probably next year.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Thanks to all our fans for your continued and unwavering support. Keep an eye on our FB page and Web page for all future news and updates.
BEWARE THE TRIPLE GODDESS THE MOTHER OF DEATH, YOU ARE FOREVER BENEATH HER GAZE
HECATE ENTHRONED – BESM
http://www.hecateenthroned.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjnTRs3fMnM
