CORONATUS (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for your time. What’s currently going on in the CORONATUS’ camp?
Actually, we just started to prepare for some shows we will play the next months. We have to incorporate some of the new songs from the Terra Incognita Album into our live set.
– First of all, though you have just released your fourth album, if you don’t mind I would like you to share some history of the band.
We started in 1999 as a project, released a single in 2001 and had some line up changes until in 2005/2005 the whole thing became a real band with two frontladies with different voices which is the main trademark of Coronatus up to the present day. Our first album Lux Noctis came out 2007 followed by Porta Obscura and Fabula Magna in 2008 and 2009. Because we had several line up changes again, the fourth album Terra Incognita took a little bit longer, but we managed to finish the recordings in august 2011. One of the highlights in 2011 was the Tour with HAGGARD. Former important gigs have been with Within Temptation in Budapest or the Metal Female Voices Festival in 2009.
– Why did you pick «Coronatus» for the band’s name? Both its origin and meaning.
The idea for the bands name was created by Georgios Grigoriadis. He was the first singer and songwriter of Coronatus. In that time he was very much involved in religious things concerning the creator or any creating force and thats the reason, why lyrics of the very initial songs like «Strahlendster Erster» or «Volles Leben» corresponded well to the bands name Coronatus which means «the crowned one».
– As I said, you have recently released your latest album, «Terra Incognita»; how’s being its feedback so far? Is it fulfilling your expectations?
It is! We are very proud of this album and the feedback is very satisfying up to now. Former albums polarized very much, which means, that we had very good reviews, but very bad ones, too. This time the very bad ones are missing completely and the good ones are clearly dominating. So for us this means an important progress within the public awareness.
– Your previous»Fabula Magna» got amazing reviews; did this make you work under more pressure this time or was just bonus motivation for the creation of your new opus?
Indeed, there was more pressure this time! However, the reason for this was again the line up changes we went through. None of us did really know what the result would be.So, this was a musical and compositional journey to a «Terra Incognita», indeed.
– To start to get a bit into this new album; what’s the main concept behind «Terra Incognita»?
Terra Incognita simply expresses our feelings travelling to (musically) unknown shores. The lyrics of the songs thus mostly tell about any form of journeys, development, departures and so on. Both in a physical as as well as some psychological sense, with a large diversity of themes. Thus we have more a guide line, than a real concept. Except the In Signo Crucis Trilogy. The three songs really follow a clear concept.
– Well-known Markus Stock produced, mixed and mastered the album. How did the process go? Are you satisfied with the work done by Markus?
Of course! Marcus stands for a unique and very powerful sound, and we love to record with him. This time we tried out even more things, for example we recorded the guitar lines only two times instead of four times (like we did on the prvious albums). This resulted in a very precise sound and thus to a more transparent sound compared to our former albums.
– You have even shooted a video for your first single, «Fernes Land»; what could you comment on it?
It was a great and also a very funny experience. This was the first time we worked with a really professional video company. Chris from regioscope.tv did a real good job. And of course it was a lot of fun to dress in this pirate /seamen style. Also the scenery, the Rhein Falls have been great. We had a really hot day and tourists have running around the shooting locations. So, we had a lot of spectators, too. it was fun!
– In fact I think is one of the most oustanding tunes on the album because of a certain Folk touch to it. Was this something you aimed for?
Folk elements are something we used more and more in our music, especially since the Fabula Magna. It was just consequent to follow this direction even further. But of course, this is not the only element. I would even say, this part of the tune is more into an medieval direction…
– Anyway, «Dead Mans Tale» is also a really remarkable song, I consider it almost a description of the band, as I think it has anything you guys have ever done, mixing epic paces with a majestic sound, Heavy elements, certain symphony. What could you tell us about this track?
Yeah! This is a track composed by Dirk. You are right! It containes a lot of elements really typical for Coronatus. This is very interesting, since Dirk is one of our new band members. He joined us after the Fabula Magna album. However, especially this song sounds very much in the manner like the former Fabula Magna songs have done.
– Because of this I would like to know how was the songwriting process. Is something natural or are you always looking to try new things and making things dynamic?
I think, things become dynamic simply by the fact, that so many different characters are working on the music.Of course it happens, that we want to try out something special or something new to us. However, the contrast is also present. Sometimes a song simply develops and grows by its one. And sometimes it even develops into an direction we didn’t expect or even did not want to…in such a case a song really becomes work!
– Due to these all the aforementioned different elements and also influences from different music styles; what are your main musical influences? And your non-musical ones?
Here, I can only answer for my own person: I did listen and play all kinds of music in the past, even Jazz and Latin or Punk! My roots in metal became to grow only about 15 years back in the past. It started with Gothic Metal and Black Metal bands, but spread to even more styles. Non musical influences are maybe the fantasy literature or any (pseudo-)historical films.
– This being said, we could say your basis is Gothic Metal or, with other words we could say you are a Gothic Metal band but, what do you think makes you guys different to other bands into the genre?
Of course it is our concept of the two front ladies singing in different styles. This is unique. However, also the compositions result always in something which simply is different from others. You can discuss about liking or disliking our compositions, however, they are somehow differnt in almost every case.I really don’t know why, but it simply happens. And I think, this is good!
– The band has had several line-up changes throughout the years; why so many changes? How do you select the new members?
That’s true, I think we are the band with the very most line-up changes ever! There are many reasons for this. Sometimes, members left the band and sometimes they have been left behind by the band. It really depended on the individual case. But let me say something: I think, one of the very special features of Coronatus is the will not to give up. Normally, a band that suffers from too many line up changes simply will decay. Or they will split up or something. Not with Coronatus! We always went further on. AND: Regarding that many line up changes over the last years, it is almost astonishing that the music did not change so much as one would expect!
– For example, for this new «Terra Incognita» you have a comeback and 3 new members; does this looks like a more steady line-up? And what have these new mates brought to the band?
Ada had her comeback, but in contrast to the Porta Obscura album, she now took over the soprano lines, will she did the rock voice once. This really shows impressingly how extraordinary here abilities are! Mareike is a person that really explodes on any stage. Thus our live shows have really improved a lot, as we could proof on our tour with HAGGARD this year. And yes, I really believe, that the line up is more stable now!
– The comeback I mentioned is Ada’s return. How did all start?
It was because of the afore mentioned tour! First we planned only one gig with Ada, but then we became a very critical situation since the soprano singer that we invited for the tour could not do the job only 2 weeks before the tour started. Thus we asked Ada to change roles and she did!. The result was that astonishing, that we decided to incorporate this dream team Ada and Mareike as the new line up also for the album.
– Finally, what are your near-future plans?
Gigs, gigs, gigs…hopefully
– That’s all from our side, thanks again for your answers. If you now want to add some final words; last lines are all yours.
Hey everybody, thanks to listen to our music. For the metal! For the beer! (…and don’t copy music…)
