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Some might know about Silent Fall, the French outfit tries to cross genre boarders, to find their own style and with Otherwise they present their debut album. To learn more about them, I asked their label Pitch Black Records for an interview. Thanks to singer Adrien Eyraud and drummer Fabio Carnielli for taking time to answer my questions!
The band started at Winterland, went through some line-up changes and is now called Silent Fall. Please tell us, why you decided to rename the band?
Fabio: Another band from Germany was already called Winterland. They released some stuff in the past.
As we didn't want to go through legal affairs, we decided to change the band's name.
The album is called Otherwise... Why this title?
Fabio: Because we think that we give the listener some other metal, not really conventional.
Adrien: In fact, we try to give another point of view about some different subjects. Nowadays, people often see the world as the media give them, and we try to show that there are other possibilities, another ways of thinking. we don't try to convince anyone, but we try to show that there are not only a 'black' or 'white' point of view, but also many greys, and of course coloured possibilities.
On Otherwise you have 3 songs which were on the Winterland EP... Do you just re-recorded them? Or have you overdone them?
Fabio: No, we took them to another step. Making them closer to the newer songs.
Adrien: It's always a risk to make something new with something old. People may be used to what they listen to. But we wanted to keep these songs which were part of our story and to give them a kind of 'second life'.
How long did you work on the songs for Otherwise? And how long did the recordings took?
Adrien: It's been ... a long work :D We've been working on the first songs since 2005, as we were still named Silent Fall. The last ones have been created last year and some changes happened even in the studio. For the recording, we recorded everything last summer. It took around two months because we are all working... But we managed to make a kind of schedule :P
I like the cover, who is responsible for the artwork? Who's idea was it?
Adrien: Our webmaster, Galthrandir, made it. We wanted a cover that was linked to our music and our ideas, quite actual, sometimes urban. We gave him a few ideas, but he made the job alone, and we instantly loved it.
You are signed to Pitch Black Records, a small label from Cyprus. How did you get the deal with them?
Adrien: We were trying to find a label to release Otherwise, but nowadays, it's more and more difficult for a young band. And then came Phivos, the manager of Pitch Black Records. He found us via Myspace and proposed us a worldwide distribution deal. The contact came at the right moment, and we quickly decided to join this label. I must tell that it's a pleasure to work with people like that, available, hard working, open minded and more than friendly.
You already got some feedback for Otherwise. Are you satisfied with the way the album was received?
Adrien: Yes, we do. It's our first album, so we were not expecting anything. But we receive every day some very good comments and it's a pleasure for the whole band. The other good point of the reviews is that we see what has to be improved for the next album and what has to stay the same.
You are influenced by quite diverse bands, and even as you're musically based into symphonic melodic metal, you add some harsh vocals and other elements. Is crossing genre boarders important for you?
Adrien: Very good question. Everyone of us has his favorite bands and influences. And that's why music is so interesting. People all live the music in a different way and it's quite impossible to find two people who'll love exactly the same singers, the same rhythms, the same melodies. So why shall we stay in only one genre? If we can find a solution to put in our music everything we love or feel, why wouldn't we try it?
The opening track Who Is The Fool? you did in a black metal version as a bonus. How did you come up with that idea?
Adrien: It's a long story. We did not have so much time remaining in studio and we still did not have a distribution deal. And we knew that Japanese labels, as well as others, like to get some special tracks. I had the idea to make this version, Olivier making some very nice black screams with his other band, Wildpath.
What inspires you to write music? Lyrics?
Adrien: I will maybe repeat what I said earlier, but the fact that the world has so many things to tell inspires us a lot. It's a pleasure to see that we can find some new ideas, some new ways of thinking in everyday's life and that we can try to transcribe it into melodies and lyrics.
Do you have one main songwriter who presents the basics and then everybody adds something? Or are their several song writers who deliver ideas?
Adrien: Guillaume and I are both writing a first version of our songs and everyone adds his little (often big :P) 'something'. It's a good way to keep a main 'line' to follow, but also to open the songs to new ideas. And luckily, everyone in the band is full of new thoughts and concepts that increase a lot the level of the songs. Concerning the lyrics, I'm writing everything, based on my wishes or guide by a theme given by the other musicians.
You already played with some renown bands - partly as Winterland -, how was it to share the stage with bands like Gamma Ray or Korpiklaani? And how was the fan reaction?
Adrien: It was a big pleasure. But these concerts were some quite big festival, so it was quite hard to spend some time with the other artists. The best souvenir we have was probably our concert in Paris with Mercenary. The band spoke a lot with us, giving us their advice and their opinion on our performance. What a pleasure when you are yourself a big fan of the music they play! Concerning the fans, they enjoyed a lot! Imagine... they follow a little band and they have the possibility to see also some bands known all over the world. Anyway, it is always a pleasure for us to share the stages with some people like that.
Last year you played a few shows in France and only one this year so far. Is it difficult to play live in France?
Fabio: France is definitely not a good country for Metal. Though many people here listen to it, it's hard to make a band play live. Venues accepting young bands are really rare.
Adrien: Another problem is the fact that French people are quite perfectionist and assist only to the concerts of bands they really like. It's then quite hard for little bands to make concerts as they would like to.
Anything else I should have asked? Or any news to share?
Adrien: Yeah! You did not speak about our world tour with Metallica, Sonata Arctica, Nightwish and Children of Bodom! :D No, seriously, I think that we've made a good preview of the band. Thanks a lot for your time and your interest into us, and thanks in advance to all the people that will follow us after reading it.
Silent Fall try to create their own sound and they think out of the box. I hope that fans will give them a chance, coz it's easier to stick to some popular sound.
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