AETERNUS

Leslava: Hi, Ares. I am very pleased to meet you. I hope to see and hear live at the festival very soon. How are you?

Hello there. Likewise. Yes well we'll see how this turns out in these so very uncertain times. I am good though. Not sick yet, working out and making riffs as usual. Thx!

Leslava: How old have you taken the guitar? What was the impetus for becoming a musician?

I was about 14 or 15 years old when I got my 1st tiny acoustic guitar. I always loved the rock band Kiss as my Mom and her brother was huge fans and through them I got to hear Kiss and I loved it. Loved everything about them and I recall dreaming of becoming that cool. So yeah, I had my first guitar and fucking around with that for some years doing alright I guess, haha... and around the time of being 18 or so I got myself a used Electric guitar by a Swede who I guess wanted something better sounding. A Hondo electric guitar. (Whatever that is, I still don't know) At that time I had developed a love for Metallica and their music, the guitar playing and my idol was James Hetfield. So on this cheap plank with strings on it I taught myself all Metallica songs up until Black Album. Through that I developed my playing style. After this I was introduced to Boltthrower and Deicide I think it was and through that when I started Aeternus in 1993 I kinda had my ideas on shit and how I wanted my band to sound like. I didn't wanna go for Thrash metal and the Metallica type stuff as I was blown away by the power and darkness of Death Metal and down tuning at the time. ...and the train started rollin'....

Leslava: You’ve been on stage for over 20 years, which in itself is an achievement. Do not abandon, feel inspired and continue to play. What is your main achievement and band over the years? Tell me about the current band members.

 Thank you, Thank you! I'll stop making music if we go deaf or if we can't play no more....or if we die. Main achievement is whenever we make a song. This is what it's all about. The dark emotional roller coaster that one rides when making music and playing music. The passions ultimate reward. Current members Are: Phobos, excellent drummer. Highly skilled and creative and inventive. Eld: Excellent bassist, on e of those type of bassists that just plays bass and knows exactly how to no matter what style or song or riff. Creative and inventive. Gorm: Newest member on guitar. Super creative, highly enthusiastic and a very solid guitarist.

Leslava: What else won your heart as much as music?

Music is unique. Nothing compares....

Leslava: Listened recently ‘’ Heathen ’’. The album seems to have a desire for control and uncompromising. Tough, mature and gloomy. Personally, I like it. How about a new album? Is work going?

Thanks a lot, yes we're very happy with that album. New album is coming, just not yet...at all. Got like 3-4 new songs soon. Need another 4 or so, but we are on the case. It's a slow process, but we try to work fast and hard. The quality and the caliber of riffs must be absolutely thought through 100% so with us it takes time. Not really thinking too much on like "Where do we go from Heathen?" at all really.....maybe a bit at start. Now it's more like: Ok, gonna make FUCKING AWESOME songs. We're doing that, but it takes time. 

Leslava: Chronophobia. It's all about time (issue topic). Does time bother you? What do you think, managed to do a lot or not enough? Are you trying to control time and have time to do the maximum in a day or vice versa?

I feel time is not something one has enough of at times as far as composing music, however I won't rush nothing cuz that will bite you in the ass. So one just works hard, play the guitar and then at the end you're done. 1 year, 2 years, 3 or 4 ....ok, .so be it....prefferably 3 max.  ;) 

Leslava:Previously, the dark time of the day (time) was often perceived as sacred. How about heavy music? Could you attribute it to the sacred?

Hmmm, naaah....sacred? I relate this word to religion. Music is necessary. Plain and simple.

Leslava: Fear is ....

?

Leslava: Your last words. Thank you for your time.

Thx for the interview and the support Alla. Thx to all who supports us and our Dark Metal.  Know now we're making music for the 9th Aeternus album and it'll be total darkness. We promise.

Cheers, Ares!!