Interview with Maestitia Gehennalis done by
Patrick
1.Hello please introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello, I'm Naomi Simeria, the creator, guitarist and
lyricist of the black metal band Maestitia Gehennalis.
2.When did you first discover black metal and what is it
about this genre that drew you in?
It was around 6 years ago, when I discovered the side
project that belonged to the guitarist of one of my very favorite bands,
Theatre of Tragedy. Imperium, symphonic black metal project. I was familiar
with several metal subgenres back then but black metal felt (and still does)
very different in comparison. It's generally a subgenre with more artistic
freedom, hence a subgenre with much more variation than most.
3.Who were the first bands that you discovered and who
are some of the current bands that you have been listening to?
The first ones were primarily the classics, but not only -
Imperium, Emperor, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Satyricon, Mgła, etc. While I still have
a lot of interest in more traditional black metal, lately I've mostly been
influenced by avant-garde or experimental bands.
4.When did you first become interested in playing and
writing music? What was the first instrument you learned to play? Are you
self taught or did you take lessons when first starting out?
The first instrument I've ever learned was the piano, I was
quite young when I started. But after a couple of years I took a break from it,
and my interest in music came back when I was about 14 and I picked up acoustic
guitar (which I took lessons for for about a year). It's mostly composing which
made me keep interest in music, playing by itself can sometimes feel monotonous
and with less of a sense of purpose. I started writing at 16.
5.Who are some of your influences and favorite musicians
that you listen and inspired you?
When I wrote this EP, so at around 17-18, my influences
were mostly traditional / old-school bm bands. One of the main inspirations of
then was Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, still one of my very favorites -
fierce and old-school but with a great and memorable sense of melody.
As said before, my style is shaped by them along with a
different BM (and death metal) era now. Main examples would be Ulcerate, DsO,
Blut aus Nord, Ad Nauseam, Thantifaxath. These are the primary influences over
my writing for a while.
6.When did you first get the idea to start Maestitia
Gehennalis? How did you choose the name Maestitia Gehennalis for
the band name? What is the current line up of the band?
In my mid-late teens. About the band's name, it's pretty
typical and straightforward but as I did not have a fixed idea of a project
concept back then either, I thought of a name that sort of reflected my view of
the genre of that time. It's primarily symbolic, and same goes for the lyrics.
The current line up of the band is not planned yet. As the
second release would be very different from this debut EP in style, the
compositions must come first.
7.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences?
For the readers who have never heard Maestitia Gehennalis how would
you describe your music?
There were certain bands that inspired me a lot during the
writing phase. But if you're asking about influences belonging to the music
itself, I don't tend to write with the sound of specific bands in mind.
Regarding how I would describe my music, it's difficult to
wrap it up in a description because the style and mindset tied to writing
fluctuate a lot. So because of that I think the releases will have quite
different identities.
8.Unsanctified Land Of Ephemerality is being released on cd
and cassette through Plague Demon Rec. when did you first come in contact with
this label?
Yes, me and the owner of the label have a common
acquaintance, and he recommended me Plague Demon Records when I was looking for
label suggestions.
9.How long did it take to write the music for the debut
release? Does one member usually write everything or does the whole band take
part in the writing process? How long does it usually take to complete one
song?
It took a year to a year and a half to write the EP. I (the
guitarist) am the only person involved in the writing process.
To complete a song, it generally takes a few days to a week
or two. Often not in a row as I tend to take breaks in between and sometimes write
for other tracks in the meantime.
10.Where does the band draw inspiration for the lyrics and
what are some subjects written about on the debut? Which usually comes first
the music or the lyrics?
As I mentioned, I was very interested in DNS during the
writing phase of this EP and their lyrics were my main source of inspiration.
So I'd say it's strongly related to their early style, written through the lens
of my primary view of the genre from that period. Usually the music comes first
but not always.
11. Maestitia Gehennalis comes out of Romania's black metal scene what is your opinion of the scene in Romania?
The scene in Romania is quite small although there
absolutely are certain dedicated bands. One with the most international
recognition is likely Negură Bunget. It's a small but tight
community.
12.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of
Romania? Are their any new bands you could recomend to the readers?
A few great bands I can think of right now would be Akral
Necrosis, Negură Bunget, Sur Austru.
13.What does Black Metal mean to you?
To me it's a subgenre with
a kind of authenticity that makes expression fluent, rather than limited by
fixed norms or boundaries. Black metal is a more fluid genre, hence it has the
flexibility of adopting various, contrasting moods - fierceness, melancholy,
rawness, complexity, sorrow, triumph - and still be black metal. It definitely
makes composing a more personal and nuanced experience compared to other
subgenres for me, which is often the state of mind where creative expression
feels more pure.
14.Besides working with Maestitia Gehennalis do any of
the members currently work with any other bands or solo projects?
Absolutely. The EP's vocalist "Hades" has his own
projects. His black metal project Lycanthropic (whose next album is very soon
to be released) and a death metal one, Battlestorm. The bassist of the EP, Rex
Santikorn, has his own band named Awicha. As for my own, I'm writing for a new
side project, gothic/symphonic metal.
15.Thank you for
taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for
the readers?
Thank you so much as well! I think everything was covered
up nicely.