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In Words: Serpentia



- Ivy - Feb. 2012 - Claudia Ehrhardt -


www.serpentia.pl








Serpentia
© Serpentia


Ivy - February 16th 2012 (by email)




Serpentia delivered a very interesting album, even if the title is a bit long... Anyway, after The Day In The Year Of Candles it's time to learn more about the Polish outfit! Thanks to Ivy for answering my questions!



As outside your home country Poland not everybody is familiar with Serpentia, please tell us how everything started!

The band was founded in 1996/1997 in Poland - by me, Ivy - bass, Chriser - guitar and Seba - drums. In 2000, after several line-up changes we recorded their first MCD entitled ...And The Angels Descended To Earth.
After series of concerts we have recorded our debut album Dark Fields Of Pain in 2003. D.F.O.P. was chosen 'one of the best' debut albums of that time. On year later we recorded Nails Enigma album. Nails Enigma brought many changes - music became even more brutal and new vocal solutions appeared. Nails Enigma had very good feedback from press and fans. In 2005 we had officially broke up.
After 7 years of wandering between nothingness and desolation, we are coming back with third album finally called The Day In The Year Of Candles which was released on 30 of November.


The mini-CD and the following 2 full-length albums were based on a concept, no easy task for a young band... How did you come up with the idea? Was it difficult to realize?

Well, I think if you have your own band you must find something special which you like and that will be at least a bit original. Before Serpentia I was playing in other metal bands and all lyrics were the same either gore or devilish. I was searching for something for us and then I look at old paintings with guardian angel and everything was more clear to me... The angel will soon be our trade mark.

Is it right that the band have broke up or was on hiatus for awhile?

Well, to be honest both. In 2006 we officially broke up, I think after recording Dark Fields Of Pain and Nails Enigma we were a bit tired of each other. Especially that me and Chriser were great friends, but sometimes we were like fire and water. :) He was from the beginning in the band, so I was a bit sad after he left the band. So after couple of months I gave up and put Serpentia to rest. Then our friends were start to pushing me to start that madness once again and give our fans third punch.

When did you start working on the story / songs for The Day In The Year Of Candles?

I started writing concept in the same time as music in 2007. I found some old stuff about ancient Greeks who try to contact with angels using candles. I found some angelic mythology as well so those things were quite helpful with concept.

And why this title?

Title means: Angels are in a mourn after 'The All' left heavens. Main character Raphael mourn after his wife Lisa drown accidentally. She is in our cover and four falling stars in the horizon are: Archangel Raphael, Demon Samael, Archangel Michael and Hooded One - descending from Raqua.

You recorded the album between June and October 2011 in your hometown Cracow. Perfect place for you to record?

Yes, very comfortable to be honest. We have that opportunity to come back every day home and revise everything once again, very comfortable. Jarek Baran who was recording The Day is our old friend we did together Dark Fields Of Pain. So to speak another strong point to record in Cracow.

At your YouTube channel you posted something from the studio... Your way to show people that you're back?

Well. it's a good idea to keep people inform. Nowadays every band must give something special to their future fans. Is not so easy to build strong fan base.

Who had the idea for the booklet illustrations and cover artwork?

Well, we had few previous covers done for The Day, but still it wasn't that what we were looking for. We want something more like book or movie cover, nothing which will tell you what's all about. We knew that we don't want another metal cover, that's for sure.

The limited edition comes with a DVD and has a bonus track. Please tell us what the DVD offers what isn't on your YouTube channel? And why cover Depeche Mode?

If you will buy special edition of The Day you will get over one hour recording session document, interview with me where I explain all about of our absence, photo gallery, Proclamation Of Tragedy video clip and one more music track – it's No Good DM cover.
Well, we were thinking about it's no good from Depeche Mode or Die Another Day from Madonna. We want manipulated cover lyrics to our story. So lyrics of No Good is Gabriel's statement.


You did a video clip for Proclamation Of Tragedy. Why did you choose this track? Please tell us a bit about the video shoot!

We did something like inner circle voting for first video. Not the band, but our friends decided, so situation was clear. We will shot Proclamation. In my opinion we could do every track from that CD, but maybe Proclamation is more catchy, who knows... We were shooting Proclamation in late September, it was quite cold so we decided to help ourselves with whisky to be honest it wasn't easy to relax when is quite cold. I wrote scene play and all actors are from our family. The priest was our translator, the soldier is Sebastian who founded Serpentia with me and Chris, the politician is our ex–guitarist, main character Michael is ex-Painfields vocalist, so it's the brotherhood of serpent. :)

What about playing live? Any shows on the way?

We are preparing ourselves for live shows I think we will play whole The Day plus 2 tracks from Dark Fields and Nails Enigma.

Have you already an idea for the next album? Will it be another concept album?

The story is still on, is just few chapters on The Day so now after our character's found themselves now it's time for strike back! War is coming...

What's on your schedule for 2012?

Live shows.



I really hope that they can tour a lot and get the chance to introduce themselves to the metal fans live. And it will be interesting to see / hear how the story continues.



Claudia Ehrhardt

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