Aeon Gods rises from the ashes of Aeternitas, blending epic power metal with ancient Babylonian myths. Vocalist Alex "Sol'Ra-tu" Hunzinger unveils their divine mission to revive legendary tales through majestic music.
1. Aeon Gods is an exciting new project
that emerged after the disbandment of Aeternitas. How did you decide to
transition from symphonic metal to this new blend of power and epic metal?
After the
dissolution of Aeternitas, we were called by the Aeon Gods to be their messengers
and spread their old legends throughout the world. The Gods gave us complete
creative freedom in the musical realization. This is why we decided on the
style that best carries the old stories and suits us best as messengers.
2. The album King of Gods draws heavily
on Babylonian mythology, which is unique in the power metal scene. What
inspired you to bring these ancient tales to life in your music?
The mighty
Marduk is one of the Aeon Gods
who chose us as their
messengers. His stories about Enlil, Ereshkigal, and many more captivated us so deeply that we
decided to publish the Babylonian legends first. The diversity of the
Babylonian gods' legends—of battles and wars, as well as love, hate, envy, and
jealousy—seemed to fit perfectly with our music. In future albums, we will shift
our attention to other myths.
3. Can you share the creative process behind
choosing which Babylonian legends and gods to feature on King of Gods? Were
there any stories you found particularly compelling?
From the
multitude of ancient Babylonian god myths, we chose the tales we felt were most
significant to bring back to
life and best suited for the realization of our epic power metal vision.
Two major myths stood out to
us:
- The Babylonian Epic of
Creation, spanning from the
creation of the world to the rise of the king of the gods, Marduk.
- The great Flood saga.
We included
both epics across several songs, as they are far too extensive to be told in
just one. Other myths are equally
thrilling, such as the battle for the Tablet of Destinies or Ishtar's
descent into the underworld.
4. Each band member has a unique god-inspired
persona. How did you develop these identities, and how do they contribute to
the live performance and musical storytelling?
Each of the
gods' messengers was appointed
by a variety of gods, each representing an aspect of divinity—for example, the sun gods in
‘Sol'Ra-tu,’ the moon gods in ‘Su'en-Chel,’ the water gods in ‘Abzu'Kean,’ etc.
Through these deities, the band members received their unique messenger names,
which represent the essences of their
assigned gods from different cultures. This divine influence is also reflected in our messengers' unique
costumes and individual god signs.
5. Your album tells epic stories of celestial
forces clashing and destinies being forged. How did you approach balancing the
grandeur of myth with the energy and accessibility of power metal?
The gods
have blessed us with celestial inspiration to translate their ancient myths
into suitable power metal songs.
Many myths involve battles and conflict, making it natural to translate them into power metal anthems. For other
themes, we drew inspiration from songwriting techniques, aiming to capture the essence of the legends' emotions
through rhythm, melody, and soundscapes.
6. The three-part "Flood" series on King
of Gods—"Enlil’s Command," "Nintu’s Lament," and
"Enki’s Grace"—is especially intriguing. Can you tell us more about
the significance of these songs and how they flow together as a narrative?
In this
trilogy, we explore the Babylonian Flood myth. We divided the entire story into
three parts, each told from a different god’s
perspective:
- The plan for the destruction of
mankind by Enlil.
- The mourning of humanity's loss
by the mother goddess Nintu.
- The rescue of humanity by the
merciful god Enki.
This
division allowed us to fully honor
this significant myth.
7. Aeon Gods is described as "the modern
messengers of the ancient mythological gods." What message or experience
do you hope listeners will take away from the album?
Our main
task as the Aeon Gods’
messengers is to bring the old myths and gods back into people's consciousness.
The album and its songs are just the beginning, and any attention to them
brings us closer to our goal. During live performances, we aim to take our
mission even further.
We leave it up to each listener to decide which messages resonate with them, as
we are humble messengers—not priests.
8. With mixing and mastering by Sebastian
"Seeb" Levermann and cover art by Peter Sallai, it’s clear you’ve
assembled an impressive team. How did these collaborations influence the final
sound and presentation of the album?
To honor
the gods, we wanted only the best and most talented partners for our album
production. Our expectations were not only met but exceeded. Seeb perfectly
realized our musical vision, seamlessly
blending epic sounds with powerful metal riffs. Peter Sallai’s artwork
created a special atmosphere, masterfully
capturing the battle for the crown of the gods.
9. You have a theatrical and high-costumed
aesthetic as part of Aeon Gods. How important is the visual aspect in your live
shows, and how do you use it to enhance the mythology?
Our goal is
to make our live shows a fully
immersive musical and visual experience, presenting the divine myths in
their most majestic form. In addition to costumes, we use props and effects,
depending on what’s possible on stage. We plan to continually expand the visual elements of our
performances.
10. Songs like "Babylon Burning" and
"Monsters of Tiamat" have such vivid titles. Could you give us a
little insight into what fans can expect from the themes and sounds of these
tracks?
‘Babylon
Burning’ tells the legend of the destruction of Babylon by Erra, the god of
war. Though entrusted as governor by Marduk, his uncontrolled rage led him to betray both Marduk and Babylon.
‘Monsters of Tiamat’ is an episode from the Babylonian “Epic of Creation.” It
depicts Tiamat’s preparations for battle against Marduk, where she creates 11
terrifying monsters to raise her army.
11. Power metal often emphasizes grand choruses
and powerful anthems. How did you approach songwriting to balance storytelling
with the genre’s hallmark, catchy melodies?
It begins
with selecting the right myths and legends. Not every myth is suitable for
power metal, as you noted. We worked continuously to create melodies, choose
myths, and distill their essence into powerful
choruses. With the
gods’ guidance, we succeeded.
12. Finally, what’s next for Aeon Gods? Do you
have plans for a tour or any special events to bring King of Gods to
your fans on stage?
We have various plans and ideas, though nothing is finalized yet. Rest assured, we will perform live next year. We are ready to answer the call of the gods and take the stage wherever they send us.
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