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Hecate Enthroned



Metal is a brotherhood and if we stay together then we are strong



Prologue
In spite of the fact that in the mid-90s Hecate Enthroned were at the origins of symphonic black metal and recorded several great albums considered as real classics of the genre, the British band was not so lucky as some of their colleagues were. Having released in 2004 one of their best albums "Redimus", Hecate Enthroned disappeared for a long time. It took no less than nine years until they returned with a new record "Virulent Rapture" in 2013. That work was strong enough and it showed that the band were looking for the future and still have something to say to their fans. However, in the middle of work on next CD Hecate Enthroned came up with absolutely unexpected news about the vocalist change. What a risky decision! Nevertheless, the work was continued with a new frontman, and by the end of this year we can expect a new album. Hopefully, it will at least partly compensate a long absence of the guys on the scene. Thus, the main subjects of our interview with bass player and one of the key members of Hecate Enthroned Dylan Hughes have concerned the future album and line-up changes.
Hecate Enthroned
First of all, could you tell me about your work on a new album, and when can we hear it?

The new album is going well, drums and bass are done... guitars are almost finished, just some leads and extras to do for those. Vocals are being done as I write this and should be finished next weekend when Sarah Jezebel Deva will be recording her parts too. Keys are ongoing and Peter is recording them at home on his Korg workstation. We are looking for all recording to be completed for the end of April and then we will start the meticulous task of mixing. That is most often the tricky part of the process and the most important as recording our parts is second nature for us and very natural.
We have rehearsed these songs for many months and recorded them ourselves as demos so we are very familiar with them which has made the recording process very easy and the songs are more complete because of our preparation. Mixing involves a more intense process with 6 people's ideas or views on how it should sound and it's very important to bring the right elements out for each track to make that song work to its full potential. It will be a long and exacting process where we will rely on our producer Dan Abela's skill and vision of how it should sound. We have mixed and produced ourselves in the past but we wanted another view on this album and Dan is an old friend and knows us really well and we trust his judgement on the band completely.

How could you describe your forthcoming album?

This album harks back to early Hecate Enthroned with its orchestration and choirs, some of the songs are classic Hecate Enthroned in that way, but as our song writing has developed the tracks are better put together and we feel they flow better. Fans can basically expect a complete album full of strong powerful tracks whether they are large and epic full of power and grandiose passion or lightning quick with breakneck guitars and drums. We have improved on what we have created as our Hecate Enthroned sound; symphonic black metal and married the orchestration and guitars together to make a devastatingly dark opus nailed by a solid and dynamic drum and bass foundation. Fans will recognise this album as us straight away but it will also sound new and fresh cos of the production and sound it will have. The large epic tracks have a prima
Hecate Enthroned
l ritualistic feel with room for all the instruments to breath and move while the fast nasty tracks are sharp and crushing. We feel we have put together an album which shows where the band is musically and spiritually and is a cumulative mirror of all the members ideas and characters.

As we know this time you have decided to refresh your sound and approach to recording, could you reveal more details about your work on the album?

As I mentioned, we are recording with Dan Abela who has his studio in London but we have recorded bass and guitars up here in our home studio in North Wales with Dan and Mike Smith who worked on the last album with us. It's easier for us to do it that way as we are not restricted to time and could record in sessions that were suitable for us. Dan brought his mobile recording station up here and we used Kempers to record so guitars and bass were digital but will be reamped by Dan at his studio as will the mixing and mastering. Vocals are being recorded with Dan down in Essex and keys are being recorded up here. We wanted live drums on this album so we needed a good live room and desk so we chose Skyhammer Studios on the Wirral... its very near to where we are based so it was very convenient and they had a great set up. It was the first time we used them and we will again for future recordings as it worked well for us with good results. To record in this way using different locations for different instruments has ensured we got the best process for each with each member comfortable and happy with the result. No time constraints so no rushing, it will take longer but we are very confident the results will reflect this.
The overall sound of this album will be different from those two previous releases, they were partly recorded digitally but the equipment and process' we used on this album are better and more refined..... that's the word - refined. I could reemphasize how much bigger and better the keys and guitars are how better the drum sound is but basically everything is simply more refined and that goes for our playing and song writing skills too. As individuals we have grown and improved musically so the band now has more weapons in its arsenal which we have used to devastating effect and we feel we are creating an album which not only adds to the bands heritage and reputation for quality metal albums bu
Hecate Enthroned
t lifts the bar and will propel us further.

Now, the question is about a thing that was a surprise for many fans: why Elliot was fired from the band?

Elliott wasn't fired it was a mutual decision, he wasn't happy with certain elements of the new album such as a greater involvement from sarah jezabel deva than on the previous and he also had several projects on the go that he can spend a lot more time on and they are going well and we are really happy to see him play and record again and we are still in touch and he's a good friend.

Having in mind the fact that the new album was started with Elliot, did you adapt the stuff for the new singer and what is his contribution on the album? Or Joe just sang vocal parts that were ready?

Elliott had written some, lyrics and patterns for the new songs but nothing was set in stone so the songs haven't changed at all, Joe has come straight in and written his lyrics to the songs which had developed further in that time.

And now introduce, please, your new vocalist and tell me who is this guy, and how did you find him?

Joe has fitted straight in with the band and hit the ground running but we have known Joe for many years and he has stood in on live vocals in the past. We knew joes voice would work for us and he already knew the old material and playing those songs with Joe is very natural due to his vocal style. And the same goes for the new songs, his voice works on these and it is what we wanted; piercing highs and guttural lows but with definition and power...Joe projects very well and his vocal style is very descriptive which is also how he writes, he tells a story and that is how he delivers his vocals which has given a direction for each new track bringing out the character of each song while keeping a uniform album feel.

What about the concept? Is there some common subject that unites all the tracks?

On the last album – “Virulent Rapture” – we went back to the more classic Hecate Enthroned themes with our satanic routes and using Hecate herself as a focus and Elliot was very good at that. We have continued with this for the new album and the personal beliefs of each member along with the bands overall theme is represented, not just lyrically
Hecate Enthroned
but through the art work and design. As I mentioned earlier Joe is a story teller so rather than just stating or quoting our ideologies they are delivered through a story so the listener can decipher for themselves while being led through a series of places or scenarios. This all melds with how the tracks were created as individual experiences making the album a book with chapters.

Despite the numerous line-up changes, there is a kernel in Hecate Enthroned – Nigel, Andy and You. What keeps you together over the years? Really, are you still not tired of each other? )

Yes, myself, Nigel and Andy are the core of Hecate Enthroned – we are the long standing and original members, this is our band and has been our life and artistic outlet for 20 years. You don't live a band for that long without developing strong bonds and it's why we 3 have kept together, it's the passion of creating music together and being brothers in Hecate Enthroned and in life. We have grown together as have our families alongside Hecate Enthroned and we have disagreements and rows but it's cos of our passion and it's part of the process for the band to develop. It's become second nature between us now as we know each other so well and this familiarity has developed the Hecate Enthroned style.

You know, sometimes due to the permanent line-up changes some groups stop being a creative band of like-minded people and friends. And it works like having the main “employer” who is a band’s founder, and other musicians who are contracted, they are just hired workers (Megadeth, for example). In fact, it is similar to when you just come to work in office. What can you say to that?

We don't have contracts for new members and each member has an opinion and say on band decisions. Even though myself, Nigel and Andy are the main members and I own the band rights we still want ideas and opinions from the other members as it helps the creativity of the band and we work as a unit with input from everyone which encourages engagement and ideas. Also as we have been going for so long the brand of Hecate Enthroned has been established and new members joining are aware of this and have to fit with that whilst bringing there own character and adding to the mix. That's why getting the right character is so important, not just musically.

What exactly do you appreciate the most in your band?

The support from our amazing fans who have stood by us for 20 years. The response and messages I receive from fans is very humbling and it's what personally keeps me so inspired to do this.

How do you think, which album is most important in Hecate Enthroned discography and why?

The first release is always the most important, as it sets a band on its way and paves the way for future releases, so “Upon Promeathean Shores” is that for us and also in our genre it came out at a very special time over here in the UK and become a very influential release for other bands. The next two – “The Slaughter of Innocence” and “Dark Requiems” built on that and solidified what we started as our style.

I know that for many years you are trying to play a show in South America, but every time something doesn’t work. Is there any progress in this direction?

Yes, the last two attempts at South America failed due to various unforseen issues and it was very disappointing for everyone. ...Fans, promoters and us because South America is a stronghold for us and has our greatest amount of followers so to play there is a huge event. We are very proud to be able to finally announce our Latin American tour in june and the response has been incredible, we will play 6 countries over 2 weeks and get to meet our fans and friends. It's a great honour for us and it will be an amazing tour with some killer shows!!

If you had an opportunity to play any album of Hecate Enthroned to resident of the 14th century, which album would you choose?

I think “Dark Requiems” would fit well in that time due to its mood and atmospheres... The grandiose sounds and construction of the songs has that orchestral /choir reflecting the darkness of that era.

Well, to finish the interview, could you tell us about your plans for the future?

The new album is priority and we will have this completed very soon then with the right deal we hope for an end of year release but we will look for a new label that can give the band and the album the support to reach its full potential. The Latin American tour in june will be a great experience and we hope to get a
Hecate Enthroned
few festivals in EU to keep the year going as we have Incineration fest , London in May and Iberian Warriors fest, Spain in September. We will continue to write and book shows also some videos for the new album, so a lot happening this year.
To all our fans please keep up to date on our fb and web page and thanks for your continued support. Metal is a brotherhood and if we all support each other and stay together then we are strong.

Interview by: Alias
23 апр 2016
the End


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