(BR) • Zine Bass Doom • Published Thu 12 Sep 2019
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- ๐ ENTREVISTA: Robert Garven, do Cirith Ungol (DuckDuckGo search or Google search or WP search or FB)
(Transcription in English after)
por Nilo Vieira
Quando o Cirith Ungol foi formado, o heavy metal era mato. Antes de hordas de bandas fazerem รกlbuns baseados na trilogiaย Senhor dos Anรฉis, antes do doom metal receber tal taxonomia, eles jรก estavam lรก. Em 2015, o hiato de mais de vinte anos foi interrompido e, quatro anos depois, vieram ao Brasil pela primeira vez โ o รบltimo show do รบltimo dia doย Setembro Negro Festival. Nas baquetas do grupo desde o princรญpio, Robert Garven conversou comigo sobre passado, presente e futuro do heavy metal. Desce a barrinha aรญ!
Como foi o show no Brasil?
Foi incrรญvel. Foi nossa primeira vez na Amรฉrica do Sul, entรฃo foi muito especial para nรณs. Conhecemos vรกrios novos amigos, gente que veio de todos os cantos da Amรฉrica do Sul para ver a banda. Vรกrios grupos conhecidos tocaram no festival [Setembro Negro], e creio que a maioria veio para prestigiar tudo! Nossa banda tem uma longa histรณria com o Brasil, nossos primeiros discos foram lanรงados aรญ โ vimos alguns, que nos lembraram dos velhos tempos!
Um single foi lanรงado ano passado, e umย รกlbum ao vivo,ย Iโm Alive, estรก marcado para 2019. Podemos esperar um disco de inรฉditas em breve?
Sim, o anรบncio oficial do ao vivo acabou de sair. Vai ser incrรญvel! A canรงรฃo โWitchโs Gameโ (o single de 2018) farรก parte parte do filme de animaรงรฃo The Planet of Doom, que deve sair em 2020. Sobre um novo รกlbum, estamos trabalhando em material agora e รฉ nosso objetivo!
A banda comeรงou em 1972. Por que demorou tanto tempo para lanรงar o primeiro disco?Inclusive, quando saiu, esse tipo de mรบsica jรก nรฃo era tรฃo popular. Como se sentiram sobre isso na รฉpoca?
Quando a banda comeรงou, tรญnhamos em torno de treze anos de idade. Quando estรกvamos ali em torno dos dezoito anos, jรก havรญamos criado nosso prรณprio estilo รบnico de heavy metal, escrito e gravado vรกrias canรงรตes. Nessa รฉpoca, comeรงamos a levar a sรฉrio a ideia de levar a banda adiante e tentamos conseguir um contrato com uma gravadora major. Apรณs anos de tentativas frustradas, decidimos lanรงar um disco por nรณs mesmos โ que nos considerรกvamos a โdemo definitivaโ. Isto se tornou oย Frost and Fire, e foi lanรงado em 1981. O รกlbum foi gravado, produzido, financiado e fabricado pela banda.
Havia muita mรบsica pesada entรฃo, mas creio que nossa mรบsica estava um pouco ร frente de seu tempo. Nรฃo acho que estรกvamos preocupados se alguรฉm gostava, estรกvamos basicamente escrevendo para nรณs mesmos. Tentando criar o que chamรกvamos de Molten Metal (metal fundido, em traduรงรฃo livre), que era essencialmente o metal mais pesado conhecido pelo homem! Crescendo com a influรชncia de todos os fornecedores do que considerรกvamos o verdadeiro heavy metal, tentamos ser o prรณximo passo na linha evolutiva.
Aliรกs, vocรชs foram uma das primeiras bandas a referenciar Tolkien em letras e no prรณprio nome Cirith Ungol. Hoje, ele รฉ possivelmente o โautor favoritoโ de headbangers junto do H.P. Lovecraft, talvez. Qual sua opiniรฃo sobre?
Sua escrita nos influenciou muito cedo na banda, e รฉ como decidimos sobre o nome. Penso que o que liga headbangers ao seus livros e outros do mesmo estilo รฉ o cenรกrio fantรกstico, junto dos herรณis รฉpicos e as criaturas que os habitam. Todas histรณrias muito sombrias e empolgantes! Tambรฉm fomos influenciados por vรกrias outras formas de literatura, arte e cinema desde entรฃo. Nรฃo posso falar pela banda toda, mas a obra de H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard e as pinturas de Michael Whelan me impactaram muito.
King of the Deadย marcou uma mudanรงa de direรงรฃo, e hoje รฉ considerado um dos primeiros discos de doom metal. O que me diz sobre?
Sim, รฉ considerado como nosso melhor รกlbum. Estou certo de que vรกrios ouvintes e mesmo a banda poderiam discutir sobre isto por horas, mas tendo a concordar. Nรณs tivemos completo controle de cada faceta daquele projeto, e penso que รฉ uma reflexรฃo precisa do que รฉramos naquela รฉpoca. Nรฃo tenho certeza se foi um dos primeiros discos de doom, mas seria uma honra caso verdade! A banda certamente sempre teve uma o fator doom no repertรณrio em canรงรตes como โDeath of the Sunโ, โDoomed Planetโ e โWar Eternalโ.
O heavy metal cresceu muito desde que vocรชs comeรงaram, comercial e artisticamente. Pudemos ver tal diversidade no Setembro Negro Festival. Como vocรช vรช tal trajetรณria? Tambรฉm gosta de estilos mais modernos ou prefere focar no tradicional? O Jarvis (baixista) toca no Night Demon, por exemploโฆ
Adoramos tocar em festivais assim. Ser exposto a uma ampla gama de subgรชneros do metal รฉ emocionante e divertido! Proporciona a oportunidade para fรฃs e bandas experimentar mรบsica alรฉm do seu foco limitado. Infelizmente, como membros de banda nem sempre podemos ver todos tocarem porque estamos chegando ou partindo, nos preparando ou nos recuperando de nosso show! (risos) Aprecio qualquer um que toque som pesado, e o Night Demon รฉ um exemplo perfeito! Tocamos com eles vรกrias vezes e acho que sรฃo uma das bandas mais porrada por aรญ!
O Michael Whelan fez as capas dos discos do Cirith Ungol e tambรฉm para os clรกssicos do Sepultura. Vocรช gosta deles ou de outras bandas brasileiras?
Com certeza os conhecemos, sรฃo muito famosos e com longa histรณria. Infelizmente, nรฃo fui apresentado a muitas bandas do Brasil, mas estou ansioso por isto! Sou amigo da banda brasileiraย Fallen Idol, por exemplo! Fomos sortudos o suficiente para ser a primeira banda a usar uma capa assinada pelo Michael Whelan, e estamos empolgados por sua arte estampar oย Iโm Alive!
Algo mais que vocรช gostaria de adicionar para quem nos lรช?
Agradeรงo pelo tempo para ouvir mais sobre o Cirith Ungol. Nunca pudemos vir ao Brasil antes, e estamos muito contentes que tocamos no Setembro Negro Festival. Nos divertimos, fizemos vรกrios amigos e espero que possamos voltar para tocar mais shows na Amรฉrica do Sul!
Google translate it here:
When Cirith Ungol was formed, heavy metal was bush.ย Before hordes of bands made albums based on theย Lord of the Ringsย trilogyย , before doom metal received such a taxonomy, they were already there.ย In 2015, the gap of more than twenty years was interrupted and, four years later, they came to Brazil for the first time – the last concert of the last day of theย September Black Festivalย .ย In the group drumsticks from the beginning, Robert Garven talked to me about heavy metal’s past, present and future.ย Go down the bar there!ย ย
How was the show in Brazil?
It was amazing.ย It was our first time in South America, so it was very special for us.ย We met a lot of new friends, people who came from all over South America to see the band.ย Several well-known groups played at the [Black September] festival, and I think most came to honor everything!ย Our band has a long history with Brazil, our first albums were released there – we saw some that reminded us of the old days!
A single was released last year, and aย live album,ย I’m Aliveย , is scheduled for 2019. Can we expect a new album soon?ย ย
Yes, the official live announcement just came out.ย It will be incredible!ย The song โWitch’s Gameโ (the 2018 single) will be part of the animated film The Planet of Doom due out in 2020. About a new album, we’re working on material now and it’s our goal!
The band started in 1972. Why did it take so long to release the first album? Even when it came out, this kind of music was not so popular anymore.ย How did you feel about that at the time?
When the band started, we were around thirteen years old.ย By the time we were around eighteen, we had already created our own unique style of heavy metal, writing and recording various songs.ย At this time, we began to take seriously the idea of โโtaking the band forward and tried to get a deal with a major label.ย After years of failed attempts, we decided to release a record of our own – which we considered to be the โultimate demoโ.ย This becameย Frost and Fireย , and was released in 1981. The album was recorded, produced, funded and manufactured by the band.ย
There was a lot of heavy music then, but I think our music was a little ahead of its time.ย I don’t think we were worried if anyone liked it, we were basically writing for ourselves.ย Trying to create what we called Molten Metal, which was essentially the heaviest metal known to man!ย Growing from the influence of all suppliers of what we considered true heavy metal, we try to be the next step in the evolutionary line.
By the way, you were one of the first bands to refer to Tolkien in lyrics and in his own name Cirith Ungol.ย Today, he is possibly the “favorite author” of HP Lovecraft headbangers, perhaps.ย What is your opinion about?
His writing influenced us very early in the band, and that’s how we decided on the name.ย I think what connects headbangers with their books and others of the same style is the fantastic setting, along with the epic heroes and the creatures that inhabit them.ย All very dark and exciting stories!ย We have also been influenced by various other forms of literature, art and cinema ever since.ย I can’t speak for the whole band, but HP Lovecraft’s work, Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard, and Michael Whelan’s paintings made a big impact on me.
King of the Deadย ย marked a change of direction, and today is considered one of the first doom metal records.ย What do you tell me about?
Yes, it is considered as our best album.ย I am sure several listeners and even the band could argue about this for hours, but have to agree.ย We had complete control of every facet of that project, and I think it is an accurate reflection of what we were at that time.ย Not sure if it was one of the first doom records, but it would be an honor if true!ย The band certainly has always had a doom factor in the repertoire on songs like “Death of the Sun”, “Doomed Planet” and “War Eternal”.
Heavy metal has grown a lot since you started, commercially and artistically.ย We could see such diversity at the Black September Festival.ย How do you see such a trajectory?ย Do you also like more modern styles or prefer to focus on traditional?ย Jarvis (bassist) plays Night Demon, for exampleโฆ
We love to play festivals like that.ย Being exposed to a wide range of metal subgenres is exciting and fun!ย Provides the opportunity for fans and bands to experience music beyond its limited focus.ย Unfortunately, as band members we can’t always see everyone playing because we’re coming or going, getting ready or recovering from our show!ย (laughs) I appreciate anyone who plays the heavy sound, and Night Demon is a perfect example!ย We played with them several times and I think they are one of the coolest bands out there!
Michael Whelan made the Cirith Ungol album covers and also for Sepultura classics.ย Do you like them or other Brazilian bands?
We certainly know them, they are very famous and have a long history.ย Unfortunately, I was not introduced to many bands in Brazil, but I’m looking forward to it!ย I’m a friend of the brazilian bandย Fallen Idol, for example! We were lucky enough to be the first band to wear a Michael Whelan-signed cover, and we’re thrilled to have their art stampingย I’m Aliveย !ย ย
Anything else you’d like to add to those who read us?
Thanks for taking the time to hear more about Cirith Ungol.ย We have never been able to come to Brazil before, and we are so glad that we played at the September Black Festival.ย We had fun, we made a lot of friends and hope we can go back to play more shows in South America!
