Tears Of Martyr Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Hi and thank you for giving us the chance to share some lines with you.
This past weekend we had a bunch of big news as our second full-length "Tales" has been released by Massacre Records and we celebrate it appearing at Lisbon Dark Fest playing alongside with metal masters Therion.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it
differs from previous releases?

Well, one of the improvements in Tales is the production, we are very happy with the results and having worked together with Enrik Garcia (Dark Moor) and Luigi Stefanini at New Sin Studios. Regarding the musical sound you can find all the elements usually present in Tears of Martyr sound, maybe we have put this time even more detail in the orchestra and how entwines with the rest of the instruments.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release
explores?

We have tried to combine both music and lyrics as we always do, so the lyrics can stand alone as stories by themselves. In "Tales" there are a lot of   short stories. Some of them are inspired in novels and classics as "The Scent no. 13th" which is inspired in The novel "The Perfume" or "Lost Boys" an adaptation of Peter Pan to the Tears of Martyr Universe. You could also find "Of a Raven Born" my personal vision of Poe's classic "The Raven".
There are also original characters like "Golem", "Mermaid and Loneliness" or "Fallen Hero". There are also songs  inspired in some stories and legends from Spain, like "Vampiress of the Sunset Street", "Ancient Pine Awaits" or "Wolves and a Witch", so we hope the listener could really enjoy all the emotions and feelings that come from these stories!


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Tears of Martyr always had quite a somber touch in our songs, this is most of the times present, there is a tragical sense in our stories and our characters find their selves inside a stormy spiral of emotions and having to fight or escape from the role of suffering and despair they have been put through. We had an strong influence of classic greek and romanic mythology in our origins, so the idea of fighting against some kind of gods who wickedly play with our fate and destiny remains there.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?

We have had the chance to play with many great bands, like Dark Tranquillity, To Die-For, Epica, Dark Moor and a long etcetera, i could chose any of these shows but I will tell you the last one playing with Therion at Lisbon was amazing, the fans gave us a huge support and it was a very special night celebrating the release of Tales. We are a band who loves to play live, for us is always something very special as is the moment when we can canalize all your feelings straight to the crowd.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?

There are no confirmed dates for the fests season and at this moment we are looking for promotor to work with. It will be great to schedule some dates after summer so we will be able to tour consistently with Tales and share it on stage with the fans.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans
of gothic metal?

We have received a lot of good reviews and comments from many countries so for us it would be really great to have the chance to tour and play for the fans abroad!

8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We are a band who has slowly shifted in our style since it was formed back in the nineties, so you could not expect a dramatic change for the next I guess hehe. Anyway, we have never said no to new things... so there is always room for at least a couple of surprises!


9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music
and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I listen to many kind of music styles but metal is the biggest influence. As for bands I started listening to bands like Kiss, Ozzy, Dio, Wasp when I was a kid, and later added some extra heaviness and darkness to the mix with bands of death and doom of the early nineties.


10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

I should say yes, there are some references to the occultism and there is a lot of space for the 'unknow' in our lyrics, anything related with mistery, the unsual and the occult is a big source of inspiration for me.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I think I gave you some hints with the previous question ;) I also love poetry and cinema a lot (horror, suspense and thrillers the most!) but I like watching all genres. In my case lyrics have a big visual influence so when I am writing the story it usually comes to me in flashes.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks again for these lines, I hope it will give Occult readers the chance to know a bit more about Tears of Martyr and our new album "Tales"!

Cheers,
-Miguel Angel