Delve into the journey of Trails of Anguish, from their tumultuous beginnings to their upcoming compilation and beyond. Explore their musical evolution and intense emotional themes in this exclusive interview.
1. Can
you tell us about the origins of Trails of Anguish and how the band came
together?
Originally,
in 1998, I had my music band called 'Through Sombre Sorrowfields' and Scythrawl
joined us. I remember that he always had trouble getting along with the members
of the group and even with me. We did a few concerts, but nothing more.
A few months later, after some conflicts the band disbanded.
Despite our differences between Scythrawl and I we decided to form a duo
because we had good chemistry musically.
Besides, at the same time, I also formed another band 'Fathomless Oracle' with
my bassist.
Musical extracts from my 2 bands are available on my channel
‘YouTube/@Apocryphes’
Trails of Anguish is a sort of continuation of our first band but with a more
aggressive and Black Metal touch. Both on the record and with Fathomless
Oracle, I kept a more melodic and technical musical touch.
2. Your
upcoming compilation "Scathed Gaping Misery" features tracks from
your only two EPs. What made you decide to compile these works now, after so
many years?
I had
completely stopped playing music after the Scarred Mememo EP in 2003. Actually
in 2022, my original bassist player from 'Through Sombre Sorrowfields' wanted
to jam with me and Scythrawl and it was cool playing together. Hence the idea
of wanting to restart the Trails of Anguish band. I put the 2 old EPs on
various platforms like Spotify in December 2022. Subsequently, Hessian Firm
discovered us and approached us for a compilation. We accepted with great
pleasure and we intended to return to the music scene.
3. How
do you feel your sound has evolved from your first EP, "Relentless
Abhorrence of Misery's Grievance," to your second EP, "Scarred
Memento"?
At the time
we knew Yannick St-Amand, now well known for having recorded groups like
Despised Icon and Voïvod. We did business with him for the 2nd EP.
4. What
inspired the emotional and aggressive themes in your music?
I like
mixing the emotions of sadness and anger, I feel good there. These were our
usual moods. We had an inner rage, the feeling of being imprisoned in the
conventions of life, screaming in pain when things went wrong. An overflow that
had to be evacuated, especially during a show.
5. Could
you share a bit about your songwriting process and how you approach creating
music that balances emotion and aggression?
So based on
these feelings of pain, on the guitar I try to create sadness and hope, while
with the drums and vocals we create hatred and aggressiveness.
6. Your
live shows were known for their intensity. How do you translate that energy
from the stage into your studio recordings?
This rage
and pain was part of us, during our practices, we were always drunk. Our songs
were always different from one practice to another. We got carried away by
emotion, so no tempo for us, it broke the atmosphere. In the studio, once
again, our songs were different, we played them faster than usual, we got
carried away by the emotion of the moment. We knew we weren't in the tempo, but
we found it was more natural that way.
7. What
challenges did you face as a band during your active years, and how did you
overcome them?
At the time
we didn't have any challenges, despite the fact that we were a duo, we always
had friends to play with us, especially during our concerts. We just wanted to
play music.
8. After
Trails of Anguish disbanded, what did each of you pursue musically, and how did
those experiences shape your approach to music today?
After
Trails of Anguish disbanded, I did absolutely nothing for the next 20 years. I
played a little acoustic guitar, but nothing more. In 2023, I'm starting a new
band 'Apocryphes' and I would like the sound to be more defined, more precise
and clearer.
9. The
album art for "Scathed Gaping Misery" is striking. Can you talk about
the concept behind it and how it complements the music?
I wanted an
image that is close to our Black Metal origins from the 2000s, that feels old.
I didn't want to mislead the listener and put on a too beautiful image. I
wanted an image that reflected the emotions of Trails of Anguish.
10.
Black metal is known for its passionate fanbase. How do you connect with your
listeners, both old fans and new ones discovering your music through this
compilation?
Most
listeners are on our Facebook or YouTube page. The majority listen to our music
on Spotify. I was expecting an audience in my age group, between 45-50 years
old. And surprisingly, it is very varied 60% under 34 years old, 30% 35-45
years old , and 10% over 46 years old. So, it's a good thing to have made this
compilation, it will allow new generations to know the Black Metal genre of the
time.
11.
Looking ahead, do you have any plans for new music or projects, either
individually or together as Trails of Anguish?
For Trails
of Anguish, we will probably make a new album but we will have to be very
patient, difficulty with scheduling and availability.
https://linktr.ee/trailsofanguish
With my new
band Apocryphes, things are progressing very well. I built this group in 2023
with my former bassist and singer from Through Sombre Sorrowfields and recently
for a few months, the former drummer and guitarist from Magister Dixit joined
us. Apocryphes may have some similarities with Trails of Anguish, but
without being limited musically, as much as it is extreme. We are in the middle
of a composition period and we want to release an album towards the end of
2025.
https://www.facebook.com/Apocryphes
https://www.youtube.com/@Apocryphes
Post a Comment