Hanna Tsepesh: Moro Ms. Maya, Mr.Cerberus and Mr. Catafalque! Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL and thanks for accepting this interview. First question can you tell to us little bit about DEATHLIKE SILENCE history? The band was founded in 2003, right?
Mis. Maya: Moro vaan to you too and you`re welcome! I think Mr. Catafalque can answer this first question better than me.
Mr. Catafalque: Y
es, it was 2003 when the band was founded, but actually I wrote the first Deathlike Silence songs in the end of 2002. In the first year the band was more or less looking for the right direction. We had only few songs and there was few member changes and so on. In 2004 wed had the first solid line up and we made our first gig in the autumn of 2004. The first gig is always some kind of milestone in every bands history.Hanna Tsepesh: What are the inspirations to create the lyrics for DEATHLIKE SILENCE?
Mis. Maya: For me inspiration comes from my own experiences in life generally. It`s unfairness and cruelty but also from love and deep acceptance.
Mr.Cerberus: That’s probably different for each member. For me the lyrics are just things that happen. Sometimes they stem from things that anger me. For this band they don’t really come from happiness, which is probably quite understandable.
Mr. Catafalque: My lyrics come most often from the world of horror, which is also one of my big interests.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands at the moment?
Ms. Maya: Alice Cooper is always the number one for me. What comes
to the bands which are on the spot right now I really enjoy Volbeat and Ladyhawke.Mr.Cerberus: Devin Townsend, Genesis and Guthrie Govan plus a whole host of others.
Hanna Tsepesh: I want to ask you if you have or had any singing lessons? I also like to say that you have a great power voice and I am very surprised because I know your band since the beginning and your voice improved a lot!
Ms. Maya: Thank you very much for your kind words! It`s nice to hear that. And I intend to prove even more in the future. Well, as a singer and in life, you are never ready. My background as a singer is classical studies during the years of 1986 to somewhere 1990. It would be nice to have some lessons on now days too, but unfortunately there’s no time for that.
Hanna Tsepesh: let’s talk about your new album “Saturday night Evil”, the riffs are amazing, your voice is very strong in this record and I think DEATHLIKE SILENCE makes an excellent album! For the people who don’t listen your album yet can you talk little bit about it and for you what are the big different between this album and the past one?
Ms. Maya: The new record, Saturday Night Evil, is more like a nice chilly package. All songs are more connected to each other and together they combine a line of chilling stories of life and death.
Mr. Cerberus: The new record is a bit heavier. The production on the new one is also better, seeing as we actually had some kind of a budget this time. The guitar playing is also better on SNE. But Vigor Mortis is also a very good album, something we can be proud of.
Hanna Tsepesh: DEATHLIKE SILENCE has also one cover music call “Moonlight Shadow” (written by Mike Oldfield and performed by the vocalist Maggie Reilly). Why and when the idea come in your mind about to make “Moonlight Shadow” cover?
Ms. Maya: Moonlight Shadow has been on our gig set since the beginning of Deathlike Silence. It’s storyline comes great together with our other songs.
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is proud with the final result? How has the response been to the album by the media and fans?
Ms. Maya: Yes, we are very proud. It’s like having a baby. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes you have to push really hard to get it out. Now the birth on the beginning was quite hard, but in the end it went easily. And an Evil was born. (Laughs) No pain, no gain. The response of the Saturday Night Evil has been generally really good. We humbly thank you all!
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your favorite music in this album and why?
Ms. Maya: I really prefer Burning Flesh because of the lyrics. They are so strictly straight and they’ll Eat Us because it’s so macabre.
Mr. Cerberus: Burning Flesh, because of the quirky little jazz thing before the solo and because of the lyrics. Till Death Tears Apart is also something I really like, because of the melody in the chorus.
Hanna Tsepesh: In this time since the band started what is the most precious lesson that you learn?
Ms. Maya: With the right persons around, you can really express yourself freely and make music that you love. It’s a gift to have all these lovable people around me.
Hanna Tsepesh: How long exactly you warm up your voice before singing?
Ms. Maya: First I do five minutes concentration in silence, then smoke a cigarette, gurgle with water and hit the stage.
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking about European tour? Can you tell me some dates/places for the future gigs?
Mr. Catafalque: We would love to do touring in Europe and where ever, but there is this cruel economical side of it that is hard to beat at the moment. We are still quite unknown band outside Finland, so it’s difficult to arrange a tour, because it’s expensive to travel with all the needed stuff and people. But sooner or later, it will come!
Hanna Tsepesh: you want to send any message for your fans our there?
Ms. Maya: Be nice to each other and Rock on! And of course listen to our music!
Mr. Cerberus: Buy our t-shirt!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers and time because we know that now you are busy with “Saturday Night Evil”. THE GATES OF METAL wishes to you and the other guys a big success and we hope to see Deathlike Silence At Portugal very soon…
Ms. Maya: You’re welcome, and thank you! Would be a pleasure to come to Portugal!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some DEATHLIKE SILENCE music’s and for future information go at:
www.myspace.com/deathlikesilencerules
www.deathlikesilence.com/ds/index.htm
