The special sound and style of Syrach

The first thing that comes to people's mind when they think of Norway. They think of black metal well here's a interview with of the few doom metal that come out of that region Syrach. With the release of their second album "A Dark Burial". Syrach's Ripper Olsen is to prove that black metal is not the only thing that is coming out of Norway.

Guten Tag, how things been going so far with the band?
Hi… things are going well for the band right now, the new album is out and the reviews in general looking good.. so we’re very pleased. We’re also going out on two European tours soon, so it will be great to get out on the road again, as always.

First Norway is usually known for being the birthplace of black metal. I was surprised when I read your bio and listened to you that's there actually a doom metal band in Norway.
Yes, Norway is known as the birthplace of new black metal, but there’s a lot of other styles here as well, but the doom scene in Norway ain’t that big, but there is a few of us here like Funeral and Sahg, and even those bands sound really different from us. But I hope it was a good surprise, discovering a doom band from Norway, hehe..

The band released their second album "A Dark Burial". I must say it's a very heavy album. It's something I never heard in quite sometime.
Thanks.. I also think it’s a heavy album and I think that Syrach have a special sound and style.. I can’t think of any other band that sounds like us and if that’s a good thing or not, but in my head, that’s a good thing. Hopefully people all over the world will get their eyes open for Syrach’s music after hearing "A Dark Burial".

When the band started out which bands influenced you to play this type of music?
Well, when I started the band back in 1993 I wanted to combine the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the early 90’s English doom scene and make a sound out of that. I love bands from the NWOBHM era and bands like My Dying Bride, Cathedral, Anathema & Paradise Lost on their early 90’s releases.. so those bands inspired me to start a band.. but as the years gone by we have tried to make our own sound and music with influenced from many styles and bands. I don’t think we sound like those bands today, I don’t think anyone can hear any Angel Witch, Saxon and Iron Maiden sounds in our music today, haha. The best thing about Syrach is that we all like different music, but there is a basic understanding for music in all of us. and when we gather all influences and inspiration from the music we listen to, it becomes the sound of Syrach. I know many people look at us & My Dying Bride as some of the same music, but I think people think like that because Aaron from MDB did the artwork on our album “Days Of Wrath”, I think we’re really far away from MDB’s style.

The band also have a new guitarist can you tell us little about the band and how he end up joining the band?
We parted ways with our guitarist just a week after the album was finished.. but we have not a new guitarplayer in replacement for him, we have used session guitarist on our gigs after that and we’re now looking for a permanent replacement on guitar. We have some auditions the last couple of weeks, but have not decided on anything yet. But we got a new bass player in Øystein Knutsen after Hjarandr left the band a month ago. We’re really pleased to have Øystein in our ranks, he’s a brilliant bass player and he fits perfectly in the Syrach family. Øystein has been with us as a session bassist on a tour in 08, so he knows the band and the band know him very well. So we’re happy to have him there for the future.

What the reaction been in the US to your music? Have you been in contact with any of the bands followers in the US?
Of course, we have been contacted from people from all over the world, also from the US. I don’t think Doom Metal is too big in the US, but on our tour in Europe in October we’ll tour with two big classic doom bands from the US. I would really like to tour the US if we have the chance and I tell you, we’ll do it as soon as we get a chance to come over. And of course I hope we have some fans over there too and I hope that they would enjoy a Syrach show as well..

I know the Been Cutting Their Teeth Touring Europe is there a possibility of the band coming to the us?
As said before, I would love to take Syrach to tour the US, but it’s of course expensive for us to do so. We have had offers to play the US so hopefully we’ll be over there soon.

What are your favorite tracks on the album?
I think it’s “A Mourner’s Kiss”. I think that is a song that has a lot of styles incl. in 11 min. or so. This is a song similar to “A Firm Grip Of Death”, my favourite song on "Days Of Wrath". I always stick to the longest songs on the albums, hehe..

If you do a tour in the US do you have a preferance what band you like to tour with. Me I would like to see you guys tour with someone like Candlemass or Electric Wizard that would be a killer tour!
Candlemass is one of my favourite bands ever. I have been a big fan since the debut album in the 80’s so that would be a dream touring with them, hehe. I also think it would been good to get on the road with My Dying Bride as well, so us, Candlemass & MDB would be a great bill for a night of Doom..

Well, I like to thank you for your time is ther anything you like to add?
Thanks for a great interview, it’s been a pleasure. Hope people in the US will enjoy the new album when it hits the market over there. Stay Doom!!