April Ethereal interview
APRIL ETHEREAL came into existence from the initiative of Jerzy and Jan in 1996 in Tunis primarily as a side project named LEON. The band existed under this name from the beginning until the 14th of july 2000 - the day the band changed its name to APRIL ETHEREAL.
Chapter 1:
At the beginning the band has been a duo though the amount of instruments used by Jan and Jerzy has risen since then. LEON's style evolved in the direction of a more metal playing. As far as the band's concert activity is concerned, we have performed live only once.
In February 1999 the band moved from Tunis to Warsaw. After recording 'Leviathan' in April 1999, the band started to promote the material in the Polish underground. The band has never been faithful to any particular subject or style but our compositions have always been full of darkness and climate. Since the strongly satanic 'Leviathan', the APRIL ETHEREAL's sound has improved exposing guitars and composing faster, more brutal and more melodious songs.
Chapter 2:
In September 1999, APRIL ETHEREAL recorded another concept album entitled 'Silva'. The material featured a better sound and major changes as far as the arrangement of vocals and guitars is concerned. Compositions became more compact. 'Silva' was strongly promoted in the polish underground and a bit in the world. Nobody was indifferent to our music: people hated us or adored 'Silva'. We got good reviews in the polish underground press and even in some official metal magazines such as Morbid Noizz Mag. Mikael Akerfeldt from OPETH told us that 'Silva' was a very good piece of progressive dark metal, which opinion gave us more strength to promote our music, because OPETH is our major influence.
Chapter 3:
The 14th of July 2000 the band changed its name and is now called APRIL ETHEREAL. The result was our new material 'Advent', a self financed CD/MC under the name of APRIL ETHEREAL. It was released on the 15th of October 2000 and since then we're promoting this stuff. The music on 'Advent' is more compact, the tracks are shorter and a bit faster. We're still using lots of acoustical guitars and the keyboards are still there, but the guitar parts are more brutal and the whole sound of the production is heavier and more selective. The major change is, that Jan decided to write the lyrics in English, so 'Advent' is our first release in English.
Chapter 4:
The 11th of January 2001 the band enlarged with a new member - ADRIAN (voc). This was a great change, because APRIL ETHEREAL are now able to play live.
In march 2001 the band signed to CONQUER RECORDS (UK) for releasing ’Advent’ on CD and MC. April Ethereal are now promoting ’Advent’ playing live - in fact, an European Tour with YATTERING and Italian UNDERTAKERS then April Ethereal will play several concerts with; DAMNATION, WITCHMASTER (Inferno from BEHEMOTH), TRAUMA, ARTROSIS, MISTERIA, CALVARIA and many more. APRIL ETHEREAL support Christian Death on their only show in Poland.
Chapter 5:
APRIL ETHEREAL was invited to London’s BBC Radio to make interview. APRIL ETHEREAL is the first band in history of Polish metal scene that could take this opportunity..
Chapter 6:
Band are going to play live show in London with such a great band’s ANCIENT CEREMONY and BEHEMOTH on 23 June 2001.
interview with Jan on 2-7-2001
Please give us a short introduction of yourself?
Everybody knows me as Jan, but in fact my real name is Realnastysatanicbutcherandslaughterofinnocentandguiltypriests Smith. I`m almost 20 years old, in April Ethereal I play guitars, do the drums in the studio and roar in the background vocals. Before Adrian joined us, I was the main singer and I was writing all the lyrics. Nowadays, with my brother Jerzy we are sharing the music and Adrian is writing lyrics. He`s the oldest guy in the band and of course the best frontman of the world he he he!
You started as a side project, what happened to your main band?
The main band has splitted up. The vocalist has left and gone abroad so we didn`t had the possibility to continue. When we joinded him in Poland, our side project was arleady important so we didn`t really wanted to get back together. Neither the vocalist.
Any regret that you continued the side project?
Nop! AE has given to us really cool moments and the possibility to try some other kinds of music during our evolution. I think that with the main band we couldn`t make such progress as with AE and probably the band would split up one day.
Why did you choose the name April Ethereal?
It came from a swedish band called Opeth, which is the main inspiration for us and the reason why we are playing now. When we decided to change our name we looked around us searching something that will fit with our music. After such ideas as Heart Of Winter, Solarfall, Forest Of October or Sunseth we decided to choose April Ethereal.
Are the lyrics important to you because you write in english now?
Of course. In our whole musical activity the lyrics were very important. We decided to sing in english to be more comprehensible. Personally, I wanted to present in my lyrics different human attitudes and psychological personalities. Adrian is writing in another way and founds inspiration for example in H.P.Lovecraft`s novels, so the lyrics will be very different but not less important. We won`t start to sing about every shit we`ll gonna see.
Do you see the band as a live act or more a studio band?
Before Adrian`s venue, we were more a studio band `cause we were doing everything and we were only two. Adrian has opened many new ways to us like the possibility to play live. We have played arleady some gigs and it`s fucking really cool! Today I feel that we are more a live band `cause we are able to infect the public with our madeness and everyone can be sure of that coming to our show. We like very much playing live and it gives us a real pleasure so I prefer playing shows.
You see no problems playing the songs live?
Nop! If a bass player joins us we will be satisfied in 100%. For this moment we are able to play live without problems. Maybe on stage it looks a little poor `cause there are only three persons but we like it and we don`t planify to change it.
What kind of music do you listen to yourself?
A lot! I listen almost to every music. Even recently Jerzy has given to me some hip-hop tape which is very cool in certain moments. I listen to Grind, Death, Speed, Black Metal, Progressive (like Porcupine Tree or Pink Floyd a lot) to such bands as Tool, A Perfect Circle, Faith No More, the present Paradise Lost and some Britpop bands. From time to time I love to listen to old rock bands and blues. I hate all the disco shit.
What do you do when no one is buying the CD ’Advent’?
We will continue to record such great and even more genius albums as Advent and try to understand why everyone is afraid to worship us he he he. Seriously, we will continue to play and I don`t know. We will see what will happen.
Do you live in order of any religion?
No. I believe in nothing he he he! I think that every religion is dangerous and limits the human being. I don`t like this. I like to do what I want to do in this moment and not to think if it`s correct with my religion or not. I have my personal values and I can make a difference between the good and the bad so why I need some God? What for? I couldn`t say that I`m atheist too, in a moment of my life I stopped to think about all this stuff and here I am.
Which bodypart will you never get pierced?
I think that it would be my cock, nipples, my navel and my nose.
Do you support underground bands? In what way?
Adrian is supporting a lot the underground `cause he`s the boss of R`Lyeh Magazine. We are helping him in a way or another but he`s doing the main job. We are helping another bands to play live in our city, Jerzy is building websites so he can help them in that way. Adrian is doing the whole stuff with his Magazine: interviews, reviews, info, promotion etc.
What kind of car do you buy from your royalties?
First of all I don`t have a driving-licence but I will buy maybe a black old Volga. It`s a very old russian car. Old and solid like a tank! Da!
Will the new material be more complex or straight forward?
It will be more progressive and coplex. We have arleady almost one track completed and the music for two others so we can`t say what will be the rest of the stuff. It will be more progressive but not less heavy! I think that it will be more agressive than Advent beacause of the vocals. Adrian has an amazing throat and a big hellish belly so he will blow every ear for sure!
Do you have any personal heroes?
Cow and Chicken! He he he! I don`t have heroes but more influences. For me all the musicians of Opeth are a real model and Mike Akerfeldt is a real inspiration because of his lyrics. Some poets and philosophers are an inspiration for me.
What is the best invention of mankind?
Beer and guitars of course!
Last rites?
Pig`s asses on rods! Cthulu Fhtagn!
