Interview with vocalist and keyboardist Kostas
Very few bands embody the true essence of doom metal than Pantheist. Their debut, the three song O Solitude, is a slow, brutal, and dark disc which should please fans of the genre. Signed to Finland's Firebox Records, Pantheist bring an esoteric darkness to their sound. Here are some questions keyboardist/ vocalist Kostas answered for us.
Do you agree with the meaning of Pantheist, that is that God and nature are one in the same?
I can`t say I agree with this meaning, since I don`t believe in God. However I do believe that everything sacred, exalted and majestic about life can be found in what we call nature or the universe. I guess I could say that nature has sacred qualities, although since all these qualities are intrinsically interwoven with what I call nature or the universe, words like `God` and `supernatural` are here meaningless.
What draws you to the sound of funeral doom?
The mournful emotions; unrelenting darkness; utter hopelessness; the slow and elegant destruction of the world and reduction of its parts to minuscule particles which march elegantly towards their end; Shiva`s cosmic dance. The funeral of all negative emotions I have inside of me.
Do you feel you incorporate enough guitar work to appeal to metal fans?
I don`t quite understand this question; what is enough guitar? Who draws the line about what is enough and what is not? Our music is doom metal in its essence and the presence of keyboards doesn`t make the sound of the guitars any less powerful or important. So yes, I do think we incorporate enough guitar is our music (although we don`t really care if someone thinks that we don`t).
How are you able to play music which is so slow and heavy, yet still have dynamics and make it interesting?
For us the key lies in the presence of many layers in our songs, created by different keyboard and guitar lines and dual vocal lines/grunts. We also incorporate many brutal elements and aggressive outbursts in our music which in my opinion add even more dynamics to our songs. However I wouldn`t say that extreme doom needs all those elements, quite in contrary in fact, as many of my favourite doom bands (Skepticism, Thergothon, Until Death Overtakes Me, Shape of despair) play unrelentingly slow, nihilistic and un-brutal music.
What do you think happens to us after we die?
Nothing. The world just goes on without our individual presence. We dissolve again in the eternal potentiality of existence.
What are some bands which you feel embody a similar spirit as Pantheist?
I feel deeply connected to the spirit of the music of underground individuals like Stijn Van Cauter (Until Death Overtakes Me, Beyond Black Void, The Ethereal) and J del Russi (Hierophant, Catacombs). However I wouldn`t say that we embody the same spirit, in fact I believe that each creative individual has its own essence and distinctive mark. All of us strive in our way for the ultimate musical expression of the darkness and emptiness within us.
What has caused you pain and suffering, be it mental or physical?
The sometimes unbearable isolation and solitude of human existence; the pain is purely mental, but it often hurts physically.
Have you had people close to you die? How do you deal with personal loss?
There were individuals which were fairly close to me which died. Unfortunately I reacted with apathy and lack of understanding then, as I didn`t seem to fully comprehend the implications of the irreversibility of human loss at that age. I would probably act completely different now.
What are your plans for the rest of this year?
We plan to start rehearsing for the next album right after the summer. There are also some plans for a split l.p. with another doom band. We`ll see how it develops and simply take things as they are.
Discography:
2003... O Solitude (Firebox)
Current line-up:
Nicolas... vocals and guitars
Kostas... vocals and keyboards
Frederic... bass
Oscar... drums
| TTM reviews of albums by Pantheist: | |
 | 2005 - 'Amartia' |
 | 2003 - 'O Solitude' |
