Interview by Miriam Cadoni
One of the best well-kept Australian secrets, Elegeion, is back after more than 17 years with their new full-length “Plight of the Heretic”. The atmospheric doom metal band is ready to unleash its new opus to the world. On this matter, we had a chat with singer Kindabah and mastermind Anthony. Enjoy!
Hi Kindabah & Kwan, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you; and how is this period treating you?
Anthony & Kindabah: Hello Miriam, all is well here in Australia; everything is well with the band. We are currently in the process of filming our second music video and rehearsing for some live shows.
After 17 years of silence, Elegeion is back with the new full-length “Plight of the Heretic”. What has triggered the comeback after so much time?
Anthony: After “The Last Moment” in 2005, we played a couple of gigs; however, I was not able to continue releasing albums; as I was the only person in the band financing the albums at the time. I released a 15-minute song, “Reignstorm” and recorded parts of the latest album in 2011.
In addition, I was playing in other bands that took my priority. And I also spent 7.5 years traveling the world; consequently, it meant I was never anywhere permanent to re-form and re-start the band. Soon after returning back to Australia, I reformed the band in 2018 with new members and commenced the journey to where we are now with a new album.
Technically speaking, “Plight of the Heretic” has a decade-long gestation period. Why has it been so long before this opus sees the light of day?
Anthony: Apart from being overseas for a long time, I did not have band members with whom I felt comfortable finalizing the writing and recording process. I am so glad I found Rune (Drums / Vocals) and Kindah, as they have both been crucial in motivating me to see the new album through to completion. Drummer Rune is one of my old friends from my Black Metal heydays. Then, Scott from the black/death metal band Vahrzaw also saved the day with his lead guitar contributions. Actually, it not have been possible to do it without them!
“Plight of the Heretic” also introduces the new singer Kindabah. How she came across Elegeion?
Kindabah: If I remember correctly, I was introduced to Elegeion by Anthony‘s mutual friend. He was the one who pestered Anthony to get a band together and resurrect Elegeion. When I listened to Elegeion, I was impressed by his style. And could see myself fitting in with the vibe because my voice has a peculiar tone that is less suited to pop and more suited to darker emotions and music.
The recordings of “Plight of the Heretic” happened between November 2020 and January 2022. In which manner has the pandemic affected the whole process?
Anthony: Since Melbourne has gone down in history as one of the most locked-down cities during that time, the pandemic greatly affected our recordings. The initial data was for August 2020; then, it was pushed back to November; after each recording session, we would have up to 3 more months of lock-downs, which dragged the recording to over a year.
In this record, Jesse Oberin took care of the recordings. How his magic touch help to create an organic sound in “Plight of the Heretic”?
Anthony: Jesse was fantastic; I had heard his work on Vahrzaw‘s “The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men” album and was very impressed with the production, so I asked Scott to put me in touch; he took great care in ensuring each instrument was recorded correctly, with patience and attention to detail. During the mixing, he was excellent in allowing us to work closely with him to achieve the final mix; in my opinion, the best Elegeion production to date.
What is the plight of the heretic that you attempt to describe in the songs?
Anthony: Both me and Kindabah wrote the lyrics. As an example: ‘The plight of the heretic is nothing more than a simple desire to be left alone’. And the meaning is that in our society, much of the so-called ‘moral high ground comes from religious zealots who keep trying to push their old doctrines on a rapidly advancing and enlightened society. As per the lyrics, they waste their time and stall the development of mankind. As they push their view of which of their lies are true. So if they left the more enlightened beings alone (for example, those whom they would brand as heretics), humankind could advance forward faster, not backward.
The single “The Blazing Tempest” features an official video. Which details can you share concerning this song?
Anthony: “The Blazing Tempest” is a song about the Australian Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20. Despite the devastation, it captures the narrative of the Fire. And his desire to consume and destroy versus the resilience of Mother Nature and the ability to regenerate.
In terms of upcoming plans, what are you looking forward to? And what are your projects?
Anthony: We are currently busy finishing a new music video. Then, starting rehearsals to support an upcoming international musical act, and putting the final touches on the pre-production of a new album. Overall, this is what we look forward to and work toward every day.
So, Kwan & Kindabah, we are at the end. Please be free to say hi to your fans and listeners. Thank you so much for this interview.
Anthony & Kindabah: Thank you so much to Miriam for interviewing us, and thanks to any fans reading it. Our new album is available on Bandcamp and Spotify, and we have the CD and a new range of Merchandise available at 8merch here.