Archaic Winter - Interview

'I stumbled upon the band Archaic Winter ( a peruvian/south american act ) over year ago,talked to Luis and got to hear some demo(n) tracks that I found somewhat interesting.
A twisted form of black metal with sick vocals a decent combination of todays black metal versus clearly references to old 70's bands simple but catchy ,witch is quite easy to hear in their riffs.
These days they just released their 2'nd album entitled 'Esoteric Doors' ,so I decided it was about time to have a chat with them' 

When was Archaic Winter formed and how many members are in the band at the moment? 

Luis Landeo: Well I joined the band in 2012, so Greg will answer this question, the only things I can tell, is a feel me happy to meet Greg and play in Archaic Winter, is a great
experience can sing, write lyrics, and express my insanity in music (laughs) is the true!!!
Greg Maupin: Archaic Winter was first started back in 2006 by me (Greg). At the moment we only have two members. Gregory Maupin and Luis Landeo.

You released a demo in 2012 how was the response on this release? 

Greg: The response has been excellent. Many positive reviews have been written about the Demon demo. In fact, I have not heard any bad words about it. It is very exciting and I am very pleased knowing that the music has been so well received.
Luis: Yeah, The response was really really great, after the release of "Demon", we got good cometaries, we got a lot fans, interviews, people of some big bands from Europe and SouthAmerica, and Northamerica, enjoyed our tracks, specially from people from New Zealand, Lebanon and Philipines, it was amazing, dude. A lot people downloaded the demo, it was a great experience release this demo in digital, it was my first recording because I never recorded nothing with my voice, but I felt me proud of this demo.

You got signed pretty fast after one demo, correct me if I'm wrong, but how did that happen and are you satisfied with the label so far? 

Luis: EHH NO, but it was hard for me search a label after of 6 months of release it, I dont want sound like arrogant, but I do in perseverance, I Am Perseverant, I never gave up,  I was really determined in find a label to can release the full lenght and we did (laughs) we was signed first to the italian label: From The Depths Records. From The Depths is a good label, but we got some problems in the release of this album, so I contacted with other good label from Italy, named: Warhell Records, is the label of my friend: Fabian, he is a serious producer, he work so hard in his label. So we signed now with his label Warhell Records. So the release of our second album is in June, we have to remember the first full lenght of Archaic Winter was released in 2006 by Metalbolic Records, and the first singer was Peter Hasselbrack (Bloodsoaked).
Greg : Indeed, everything is happening very fast for this project! Warhell Records have been excellent. They signed us on the strength of the Demon demo after we had difficulties with another label. I am very pleased to be a part of their label.

You're about to release your debut album 'Esoteric Doors' These days, what can we expect? I've only heard the intro/outro which didn't tell me much really, and how would you describe your music to those who haven't heard about you? 

Greg: Well, actually Esoteric Door will be our second full length. We released an album titled The Psychology of Death back in 2006 on (USA) Metalbolic Records. That album had Peter Hasselbrack of Bloodsoaked on vocals. Esoteric Doors is a move toward a sound that is similar to early 90’s Black Metal and Death Metal. The production is raw and the music has many elements of the first and second wave of Black Metal, as well as some Death Metal elements. Archaic Winter is primitive but it is not necessarily simplistic.

Luis: Ufffff This days are stressing (laughs) I want released my album, I was waiting for it for a lot months, it suppossed we will released in March 24 th but for problems with the ex label, now will be released in June but the good part is the album got a good number of pre orders, so our new label is happy. You can expect a good album of Black Death Metal, with 9 dark tracks, with an art in black and white like the old days in metal. I describe my music, like a way to meet our inner demons, to learn new concepts in this dark music, we express melody from our black hearts, we play it with passion and love to the extreme, sinister and dark Metal.

How did you come up with the title & track 'Esoteric Doors' any reason behind this?

Luis: ohh well, well the lyrics are about the black magic, i thought in the vortex, and 
the cabalistic circles, and we know this are like "doors" for esoterism, and I thought give a name easy to remind
so thats how born the idea of use the name of Esoteric Doors, about the cover art, well you know in 2006 the band had a break
and a change of singer, in part this was like some kind of death for Archaic Winter, so I took the skull represent the death, but the death is a simbol of resurrection
so I used too and death is a door to other world, the zodiac are keys and doors of the future, the ouroboros represent the immortality, so the band resurrected and will have immortality
but we will know it in the future, so we will open our esoteric doors (laughs).

now about the track: esoteric doors, well is about wizard searched treausures from hell,
but for invoke the demon will give him the treasures were lost
he had to draw magical circles to contact with lord demon
I took inspiration in the great grimoire explain how contact with the demon: 
lucifago rofocale and get treasures interesting story (laughs)

You told me earlier that some of the vocals/screams used in your music is the same as 

used in esoteric/black magic rituals to invoke demons/spirits in your area,could you tell us more about that?

Luis: (Laughs) I think you are confused about it (more curious I would say, ed.), before this interview I said I did the pronoun in enochian for the intro, for sound like an snake and at the same time like a demon, I did this intro with ambient dark sounds, and I used enochian (the language of demons) to make this album more esoteric than it is, you know this language was created by John Dee in a session of spiritism, and spiritism is part of the esoterism, by the way, I used a part of an enochian key, not all the enochian because  noboby want open doors we can´t close (laughs). About I taped my vocals in my room, and when I taped my vocals first study the kind of vocals I will use (screams, growls, clean vocals) in the music). If you listened our track: “Hails To Baphomet” I did an scream of 33 seconds, in our other track: “Left Hand Path” I used clean vocals mixing my growls and screams, is part of my vocal technique. 

Are you involved in any esoteric activities yourself or do you only use it as a 'theme' in your songs? 

Greg: Yes, in the past, but it is not something that I talk about.
Luis: I will say Greg is saying, but I can tell my city: Piura-Peru, is a city very involve in magical practices, specially in black magic, we have many legends and stories about the devil in the highlands of Piura, and we have an street in my city named: Torata street, but this street have the pseudo of “the street of the devil”, because people says in the midnight the devil was saw there, but is just a legend who knows if was true (evil laughs).

Is this a common thing in your country or is it taboo to talk loud about? 

Greg: Indeed, it is taboo among most people in the USA. People in this country are suppose to have freedom of religion but it not always true. Many Christians and Muslims look down on those who do not share the same views as they do. And to be honest, even Satanist and other occult members are also hypocrites who judge others. There seems to be no escape from bigotry so I judge no man and I only try to stay true to myself.

Luis: Yeahh, in south america we have a lot discrimination about metal, is like a taboo but at the same time we get respect from other people too, but the big problem we get sometimes this discrimination is for the possers with intolerant ideas, people says: “they are metalheads” and then they does drugs, start fights in the streets, giving of this way a bad aspect for the movement and the rest of the society are not metalheads.  I hope this situation can change and keep the metal flame alive with real and rebel metalheads!!!

How's the metal scene down there? Are there other bands we should be aware of?

Luis: The scene in south america is very underground, the problem are fans don’t support the bands here they support bands from Europe or USA, someones don’t assist to events, and if they assist is because they go to drink in the outside of the events and they says the show had a bad sound, we have many possers here, but this is for a long conversation, but I can tell you we have good fans they buy the cds, they assist to support bands and they want wild mosh pit (laughs). About bands I could recommend from this part of the continent are: Priorato, Unblessed, Deathrace, Bruthal 6, Demonized Legion, Jackhammer (this is a good Peruvian band), Chaska, Total Mosh, Insorcist, Criminal, Lacerated and Carbonized, Anal Vomit, Impiedad, Serial Asesino and many others.

When and how did you get into metal and what made you want to start playing it?

Greg: Wow, you do know that I am an old soul, correct? (laughs). (Haha,how could I know you were dating my grandma's friends? ed.) I first got into metal way back in the 1980’s. I did not want to play music until the early 90’s. I never wanted to be a famous rock star. I only wanted to created the same sounds that I had grown up listening to. There is something about a heavy and dirty guitar tone that sets my soul on fire and that is why I started playing!
Luis: I am not an old soul but I will be one (laughs), I am 23 years old, I started in metal when I was 10 years old first listening Korn, then I was 11 years old: Nu-Metal, and Metallica, is funny say when I was 12, I discovered my dad listened bands like: Led Zeppellin, Deep Purple, old Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Kiss, and the firsts peruvian heavy metal bands: PAX and Tarkus (good bands I recommend). My dad bought me my first metal album was: Papa Roach – Love Hate Tragedy and my mom bought me the Linkin Park – Reanimation.  But when I grow up I wanted play in a band, and support metal scene and when I was 14 I discovered Black Metal and Death Metal, is funny now because I make music in a band I mix: Black Metal with Death Metal, and I support metal bands with my webzine & magazine: Arsenal Del Metalero (A.D.M. zine). So people you will be ready for the Peruvian and American Metal Infection (laughs).

How do people react to extreme metal where you live is it a common thing or? It is common among a small group of people?

Greg:  I do not socialize with any scenes so I really do not have a good answer for this. I spend most of my free time locked away with my guitar away from scenes. But I would have to say that metal is most common within small social groups.
Luis: Like I said we have many posers in SA, but real peruvian fans support metal and they buy cds of Peruvian metal bands, and the reaction in gigs is we want stay in the moshpìt (laughs).

What record has made the biggest impression on you since you started listening to metal and if a random guy who had never heard metal before, what album would you recommend him? 

Greg-That is a hard question because there is so many. In the early days it was Black Sabbath, Raindow, Dio, Deep Puple and then I discovered bands like Celtic Frost, Slayer, Coroner, Sodom and Venom and thrash bands like Artillery and Holy Terror. In the 90’s I was into stuff like Obituary, Death, Immortal, Emperor and Dissection. The list goes on and on…not sure what I would recommend to someone who has never heard metal, maybe something like older Black Sabbath or Dio.

Luis: My favorite album are: Vader - The beast, Immortal - At Heart Of Winter, Negator - Old Black, Unblessed - Burning your faith, Chimaira - The Infection, Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power, Kamelot -Ghost Opera, Tim Ripper Owens - Play my Game, Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake, Rotting Christ -AEALO, Goatwhore - A Haunting Curse, mystic circle - infernal satanic verses,  Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger,  I - between two worlds, Ektomorf – Outcast, Agria – Cruel Perverso, Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, Korn – Korn, Sinate - Beyond Human, Deicide – Deicide, Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness, Bruthal 6 – AugenBlick, marduk - rom 512, necromantia - crossing the fiery path, Dagoba – Dagoba, sybreed – slave design, that’s are all the albums I can recommend too.  

Have you played any gigs yet, is there a tour planned that we should know of?

Greg: Archaic Winter has not played live yet. We hope to start doing live gigs in 2014.
Luis: Yeah, maybe we will play in Colombia, next year, is something we want do it, we hope that chance, so you can write us in facebook: www.facebook.com/ArchaicWinter. I would like invite metalheads to join my page here: www.facebook.com/arsenaldelmetalero. Thanks!!!

Thanx for the interview & congratulations with the new album! (ed.)

A few words on their new album will appear here later...

Check 'em out here!