Alarum-the most intriguing and skilled current Australian metal band-Fuck Yes!!!
Alarum-the most intriguing and skilled current Australian metal band-Fuck Yes!!!
Alarum interview for Devil’s Horn’s Zine (Melbourne) by Mark
Jenkins
1-
You have just dropped a sensational album by the name of
Recontinue, tell us how this came about and the differences between this and
your previous releases ?
Thanks, great thanks to hear you like it. Our 5th
album Recontinue follows our 2020 album Circle’s End. When the last album was
released we were unable to tour and/or catch up with lockdowns here in
Melbourne. We updated recording equipment and set out to write an album that
the heavy parts were heavier and the clean/jazzy parts were more clean/jazzy.
Also to experiment and make the album a journey from start to end, continuing
from previous albums and yet having its own sound. Conscious of the lengthy
times we have had between prior albums, we set out to make sure that there was
less of a gap between albums this time around. 4 years is a record for us.
2-
To someone that has never heard you before how the hell
would you describe your sound? And what bands have influenced you the most?
Metal music with a heap of other musical styles blended with
it, lots of twists and turns that work together in their own way.
Bands such as Death, Atheist, Cynic, Pestilence were strong
influences in early times and many others have inspired and influenced over the
years – Dave Weckl, Satriani, Mr Bungle, Pink Floyd, King Crimson etc.
Each member does having different influences and we do enjoy
mixing things up. While travelling on the road we sharing and expose each other
to our favourite tunes and makes for fun times on the road.
The core element of our sound is metal- thrash, death, prog
and adds other experimental, jazz fusion, latin, funk, rock sounds.
4-
How do you seeing your music being an intersection with art,
be it album or merch art, music videos etc.?
As a fan of music, the artwork, merch and anything related
are very important. This album in particular we have worked on getting them all
packaged together so they relate and the art is part of the bigger musical
release. Not just separate things. Some of my favourite albums I have purchased
based on the art only without even hearing the music, for example Evil Dead –
Annihilation Of Civilization. That is still one of my all-time favourite albums
that the art alone made me buy it.
5-
What is the lyrical focus of the band? Is there any
particular meaning or message?
Lyrics have been similar over all our albums, themes of
moving on and finding some meaning or something positive to hold on to going
through our experiences of life or during in hard times.
Recontinue came after some difficult times, being forced
into isolation made many things get looked at and also facing things that
required something to look forward to in reflection. Regermination and regrowth
from dark times, of having hope to be able to rebuild, grow and continue again.
In personal lives and also as a planet and species who are existing.
6-
What is current state of your local and national music
community or scene?
What do you think you can achieve creatively in live spaces
that you can’t in your recordings and vice versa?
We have always enjoyed being a part of the music community
and scene however have not been as connected or involved as much as would have
liked over the past 4 years.
The spirit of live music here in Melbourne and in other
places around Australia lives on though. There are many awesome bands, great
venues and lots of great shows happening.
As long as people still get out and continue to support the
local scene it will continue.
There are lots of shows local and international happening,
it has its ups and downs as everyone can’t afford to go to every show when so
many are happening.
Nothing beats live music experience so it’s great to see
people getting out of their home comforts and enjoying it with like-minded
people passionate about heavy music.
7-
Your live performances are energetic and fun. How have you
cultivated your physical presence during performance? What do you feel like you
embody as a performer when you’re on stage?
Live we are all about enjoying it and making it as fun as
possible, while being challenged at the same time with the music that we are
playing. When performing, to have that connection with the music, ourselves and
the audience is a great feeling. The build up, pressure and release of energy
while performing our music is a great feeling. Like being part of the metal
music delivery system for the universe haha.
8-
How do you feel that changing economic structure impacts
creativity?
Does your creativity help you connect to and navigate or
deal with the world?
Art can be very creative beneficial tool while living
through hard times such as economic
challenges etc and any of life’s hardships.
Music and art are a great release and something which does
help to escape as well as connect to our existence and our relation to dealing
with life and the world.
9-
What are some of your highlights of your career so far? And
what is happening next?
Making it this far and releasing our 5th album
Recontinue and getting great response is a highlight.
The recent shows with Pestilence were up there also.
There’s been many highlights over the nearly 30 years –
touring USA 2006 with Necrophagist, Cattle Decapitation, Arsis & Neuraxis.
Jamming Piece Of Time with Kelly from Atheist in Florida. Playing Progpower
Europe 2008 with Cynic and Zero Hour. Playing Ireland with Obituary. Many Oz
festivals like Metal For The Brain, New Dead and Overcranked. Maryland
Deathfest with Anata, Miami show with Aghora. Supporting Obscura, Testament,
Lamb of God, Dark Tranquillity and many more. Each show is a highlight as we
continue and also look forward to doing as much as we can when we can.
10.
Any bands or releases you can recommend at the moment?
On the recent Pestilence tour, we also played with Abramelin
– their new album I recommend highly in getting a copy and getting into.
Also bands Gosika and Dharma played on some shows and they
were both great.
New Blood Incantation album is cool. There’s so much great
music out there, the past year have been tied up working on our album so now
that it’s released I’ll be diving into listening to as much new material as I
can.
There’s new music coming from Ahles which I’m really looking
forward to.
11-
Final words to the fans and readers?
Thanks for your support, do check out our Recontinue album
and help us get it out there far and wide…tell a friend, share a link and come
to a show.
Thanks for your time, effort & support, we really appreciate
it!!
Get antisocial:
https://www.facebook.com/@alarumofficial/
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