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Sunday, January 8, 2012
Seeker of the Winterheart talks to Georg Neuhauser and Fabio D'Amore of Serenity
Seeker of the Winterheart talks to Georg Neuhauser and Fabio D'Amore of Serenity
You may say " I thought Seeker of the Winterheat only supported female
musicians?" You would be correct but I like to throw your brain a metal
musical curve ball from time to time and showcase bands that are great
supporters of female musicians too. Serenity is one of those bands out
there that really believe in our metal sisters and have asked many of them
to join them on tour and to also do guest vocals on their albums. I am
pleased to have Georg and Fabio here with me today to talk about what they
have been doing recently and so without any further delay, I would like to
introduce you to SERENITY!!!!!
SOTW: Hello guys, so very nice to have you here with me today. It's good to
see that you have been eating well and taking care of yourself after all of
the touring and things that have been going on with Serenity lately. So
tell us about the things you guys have been up too in the past months since
Death and Legacy was released.
Hello Scott! And thx a lot for giving us this space to promote the band!
We’ve been around quite a lot this year, as you said before. It was an exciting year for Serenity : after the release of Death & Legacy, we started our promotion and live activity to support the album throughout an Austrian headlining round of gigs, 2 gigs with Epica, 4 gigs with Leaves’Eyes and Midnattsol and a long European tour,as special guest of Delain, until the end of Spring. During the summer we even participated to some festivals, like Metalfest Hungary, Absolute Dose of Metal in CZ Rep. and we headlined a festival in Germany.
Quite unexpectedly, we jumped on the Out of the Dark tour festival 2011, together with Van Canto, Tristania, Xandria and Amberian Dawn, after the cancellation from ReVamp, due to Floor’s burn-out. This brought us again around Europe for some time and it was another big opportunity! We wanted to close the circle of this incredible and busy year giving our fans a special co-headlining gig, together with Sons of Seasons, in Germany, a couple of weeks ago, where we could play a longer set-list and include some songs we were not able to play as a support band earlier.
We also shot 2 official video clips : The Chevalier, together with Aylin from Sirenia, and When Canvas Starts To Burn.
We can proudly say that everything we’ve been doing was quite successful : we gained many new fans, we met so many friends and we’ve worked with great musicians, technicians, video makers and tour managers! We couldn’t ask for anything more!
SOTW: How would you describe Serenity to a person that has never heard of
you?
Serenity is a melodic metal band, with symphonic and Gothic influences – sounds easy and standard, but there’s a style behind it : check us out! ;)
SOTW: How would you describe Serenity to a person that has never heard of
you?
Serenity is a melodic metal band, with symphonic and Gothic influences – sounds easy and standard, but there’s a style behind it : check us out! ;)
SOTW: Very good. Tell us what it was like to tour on the Out of the Dark
tour and what was it like the day you found out you would be replacing
Revamp on the tour?
tour and what was it like the day you found out you would be replacing
Revamp on the tour?
It was an incredible experience! We also think the fans out there got to know this as well...
Can you imagine 5 bands, 45 people, 3 tour buses, around 10 different countries and different cultures, touring all together around Europe? Sounds difficult...but not impossible!
The whole production made a great effort, and we started getting along so well, we found out we wanted to go on at the end of the tour. Nobody wanted to go home!
Whenever you find brothers and sisters on your way, it’s difficult to get back to normal life!
We’re also sure the bands that toured with us could say the same things!
This really goes further to just a European tour festival : it’s the proof that music can really unite everyone, and that can be a universal language, that needs to be supported!
We were obviously seriously sad when we got to read Floor had some health problems. Going on tour and replacing ReVamp for us was a super opportunity but we also tried to keep up ReVamp’s name and try to do the best possible, also for them and for those who expected them to be on this festival.
SOTW: On different legs of your Death and Legacy tour, you invited some
very special ladies to join you. Lisa Middelhauve, Charlotte Wessels and
just recently Clementine Delauney. What was it like to tour with these dear
ladies and do you have any tour road stories you can share with us ?
Ehehe – you’ve just stated the name of 3 great singers and persons we had and we have the possibility to work and tour with!
Lisa, Charlotte and Clementine are so different from each other, as singers and as persons, and that’s what brought our tours to make it even more complete!
Of course, Charlotte was on stage with us only few times during the European tour with Delain, as you might understand, but that was awesome and perfect to give our fans the perfect feeling for our single she participated on, called Serenade of Flames.
Not to forget how sweet and nice person she is...
Lisa was with us for the whole tour, singing along the other songs we needed a female guest vocalist. She did a great job and fans were so happy to see her on stage with us : it was a success for us and for her! Lisa is an incredible crazy and kind person : if she didn’t exist, it would have been necessary to invent her :P
Clementine joined us lately, and did the Out of the dark tour with us : it was an awesome experience, she perfectly fits to our music and our style, as well as she is one of the most down-earthed people we’ve ever worked with. You’ll definitely be hearing about her again...
SOTW: It must be really hard to be around all of these beautiful ladies.
You have such a hard job guys. hahah Its hard to be a man of swagger
indeed. HAHAH
SOTW: It must be really hard to be around all of these beautiful ladies.
You have such a hard job guys. hahah Its hard to be a man of swagger
indeed. HAHAH
Ahaha : this is the HIGH price we have to pay to do this ;)
SOTW: Let's talk a bit about the album Death and Legacy. I have read in
other interviews where you have covered this before but being a history
buff myself I find the concept that you chose for the subjects of the songs
to be fascinating. Would you touch on the ideas of the songs and tell us
about the different characters they are based on?
We wanted to have something unique and give our music a concept, basing on some important characters, that made our beautiful history.
SOTW: Let's talk a bit about the album Death and Legacy. I have read in
other interviews where you have covered this before but being a history
buff myself I find the concept that you chose for the subjects of the songs
to be fascinating. Would you touch on the ideas of the songs and tell us
about the different characters they are based on?
We wanted to have something unique and give our music a concept, basing on some important characters, that made our beautiful history.
We also wanted our fans and those people willing to buy the CD, to have a sort of 360° historical feeling, telling the stories and building up songs about these ones.
You can hear and read about Sir Francis Drake, on “New Horizons” and “Changing Fate” with Queen Elizabeth, Giacomo Casanova, on “The Chevalier”, Bartolomeu Dias, on “Far From home”, Jaques de Molay, on “Heavenly Mission”, Hernan Cortes, on “State of Siege”, Albrecth Duerer on “When Canvas Starts To Burn”, Heinrich Kramer on “Serenade of Flames”, Queen Mary Stuart on the bonus track “Youngest of Widows”, Marco Polo on “Beyond Desert Sands”, Christopher Colombus on the other bonus track “To India’s Shores”, and Galileo Galilei on the last song, “My legacy”.
It was really interesting for us as composers, lyricists and musicians to get through all of it, and we thought listeners would have appreciated this direction, as much as we did.
SOTW: Recently, Serenity acquired a new member. Fabio D'Amore is now
officially the full time new bass player for Serenity is that correct?
Exactly : Fabio became a full time member of the band, after his first gig with Serenity in Holland, for Prog Power Europe, in 2010. We first thought it was better for both part to have him only as tour musician, since the other members didn’t know him personally, and due to the delicate moment of the release’s process, it was too risky to confirm on board someone unknown. We found the perfect affinity and we together decided to announce a full time role as bassist and back vocalist just right after it! That’s also one of the reasons why you don’t find him on Death & Legacy line-up and booklet, since this was done before his first rehearsals with us. But you can find him playing the role of Galileo Galilei in Italian, on the interlude called “Lament”, that introduces “My Legacy”.
SOTW: Congratulations Fabio! I would like to welcome you to the madness
that is Serenity. HAHA. So Fabio can you give us some insight on how you
came to be the new bass player for Serenity?
Eheh, thx a lot! But from the moment I joined, I think madness increased ;)
I was in contact with Georg since 2007, when I visited Serenity supporting Kamelot in Lyon, France, to talk about his possible collaboration on what became the latest Fairyland album, called “Score to a new beginning”, released in 2009. After this meeting, and the recordings of his vocals, that took place over my studios in Italy, we stayed in contact and talked about business, from time to time. When Simon dropped-off, he wrote me immediately, and I did not hesitate a second to take this great opportunity!
SOTW: How has your time in the band been so far?
It has been great so far! Seems like yesterday, but at the same time it seems ages I joined Serenity. We did so many things together and we travelled all around Europe, that feels like years. At the very beginning wasn’t that easy, since first I do not speak German, and as you might understand, once the band had to discuss about something or take some decision, it was a bit hard for me. And also, my culture and my habits were a bit different from their ones, so we needed a bit of time to know each other, but now I can say that accepting it was definitely the right choice!
SOTW: What other bands have you been in?
I am currently working with Pathosray, Syrayde, Fairyland and a new band called Mirrormaze, where I am also the lead singer...But I am also working along with many other artists and produce young and debut bands in my studios : I keep my door always open.
SOTW: OK this question is for the both of you. Last September it was
announced that Serenity would be playing in America at ProgPowerUSA in
2012. What does this mean for you personally and will this be the first
time that Serenity has played in America?
SOTW: How has your time in the band been so far?
It has been great so far! Seems like yesterday, but at the same time it seems ages I joined Serenity. We did so many things together and we travelled all around Europe, that feels like years. At the very beginning wasn’t that easy, since first I do not speak German, and as you might understand, once the band had to discuss about something or take some decision, it was a bit hard for me. And also, my culture and my habits were a bit different from their ones, so we needed a bit of time to know each other, but now I can say that accepting it was definitely the right choice!
SOTW: What other bands have you been in?
I am currently working with Pathosray, Syrayde, Fairyland and a new band called Mirrormaze, where I am also the lead singer...But I am also working along with many other artists and produce young and debut bands in my studios : I keep my door always open.
SOTW: OK this question is for the both of you. Last September it was
announced that Serenity would be playing in America at ProgPowerUSA in
2012. What does this mean for you personally and will this be the first
time that Serenity has played in America?
Fabio :Personally means a lot to come back to one of the places I had the best experience in my whole life and music career – I’ve already been there with my other band Pathosray, in 2008, and it was a memorable week! Serenity had the same possibility, the same year, but at that time there weren’t right conditions to have the band coming overseas. So yes, it’ll be the very first time for Serenity!
Georg: THIS WILL BE A BLASTJ
SOTW: Here is a question that I have been dying to ask you since I first
found out that Serenity would be playing at ProgPowerUSA. Will you be
bringing any guest with you and if I may dare ask can you tell us who it
will be?
We will definitely have our female guest vocalist...but we’ll let you think about it ;)
SOTW: Is Serenity working on a new album already or do you plan to tour
longer on the Death and Legacy tour?
Actually both! We’re currently working on a lot of new material for our 4th album, but we’re also focusing on our first European headlining tour! Both topics are exciting and take a lot of efforts, but we’re sure it’ll be a blast either ways!
SOTW: Serenity recently released the video for the song When Canvas Starts
to Burn. What was it like for the both of you to make this video?
The making process was hard work, just cause we only had a full working day to use, and we had to run from morning to night to complete everything. But anyways, everything went smoothly and we actually really enjoyed it! Since we shot the video in a green box, and except us, the model, violinist and few objects, everything was digital, the hugest part was the montage, editing and final process!
But we can say that we’re really satisfied with it! And we also think our fans liked what we came up with, in the end!
SOTW: Since the start of the Death and Legacy tour there have been a
string of unfortunate events so to speak with Tom being ill and Mario
being injured and promoters cancelling shows and what not. How do you find
the inner strength to continue when you are faced with these types of
things?
Fans! Our fanbase is the one that pushes us to carry on this great, but hard job! There will always be frustrating moments and situations in this business, but as long as your passion is high 120% and you have such audience that supports you in this way they do for us, the only thing to do is to carry on!
SOTW: So what can we except from Serenity in 2012?
SOTW: Since the start of the Death and Legacy tour there have been a
string of unfortunate events so to speak with Tom being ill and Mario
being injured and promoters cancelling shows and what not. How do you find
the inner strength to continue when you are faced with these types of
things?
Fans! Our fanbase is the one that pushes us to carry on this great, but hard job! There will always be frustrating moments and situations in this business, but as long as your passion is high 120% and you have such audience that supports you in this way they do for us, the only thing to do is to carry on!
SOTW: So what can we except from Serenity in 2012?
Expect a new album later 2012 or beginning of 2013, but first our headlining tour! We’ll hit the stages of Europe once again this year, with many surprises on our set-lists as well, and as you might remember, for the very first time we’ll play in front of our American crowd! It’ll definitely be an exciting 2012!
SOTW:Awesome guys! So I would like to thank you both for your time and for
stopping by Seeker of the Winterheart. You are always welcome back any
time. Before we end, do either of you have anything that you would like to
add?
We’d like to thank you once again for giving us this space, and we invite all our fans and your readers to check out our official website www.serenity-band.com where they can find all our social network pages and stay always updated! It was an amazing year together, and we cannot wait for this new one!
See you all on the road!SOTW:Awesome guys! So I would like to thank you both for your time and for
stopping by Seeker of the Winterheart. You are always welcome back any
time. Before we end, do either of you have anything that you would like to
add?
We’d like to thank you once again for giving us this space, and we invite all our fans and your readers to check out our official website www.serenity-band.com where they can find all our social network pages and stay always updated! It was an amazing year together, and we cannot wait for this new one!
SOTW: I would like to thank Georg and Fabio for this interview and I can't
wait to meet you both this coming September at ProgPowerUSA. I am really
looking forward to it. I would highly encourage you to get yourself a copy
of Serenity's Death and Legacy and you can find my review of the album on
Winterheart TV. It is a very inspiring piece of art. Thank you to all of
you out there for you support. Now go be great and listen to some great
music while you are doing it.
Video for "The Chevalier"
Video for "When Canvas Starts to Burn"
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1 comments:
Thank you for creating the most epic and original metal music I've ever heard. you're true artist and proffesionals, stay awesome :)