Barus Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Quite a lot of things are happening at the moment. We have been working on Barús for about a year now, but only officially unveiled the band when we released our debut EP in March. Currently we’re pretty busy between promoting the EP, finding a label for a physical release and writing new material.

2.In March you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Our sound aims to be oppressing, heavy and unsettling, with a mostly old school death metal approach mixed with some more modern or progressive structures and frequent references to other genres of extreme metal. I usually just say that we play death metal, since I find that technical/progressive/modern death metal can mean pretty much anything these days, and they’re scenes that we don’t feel particularly attached to.

3.The band formed out of the ashes of Project Jim, what was the cause of splitting up that band and starting a new one?

The evolution was natural to us. We took some time to reflect on the essence of the music we wanted to make, what it meant to us, and what we wanted to convey as a whole. This led us to step back from some of the experimental elements of Project JIM and focus on something more raw, heavy and atmospheric, something more personal. It seemed fitting to start fresh, because Barús is not just a change of name; it’s an entirely new entity.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Musically, Barús expresses the burdens of the human spirit such as grief, self-doubt and melancholy. We express the sensation of powerlessness and insignificance that these burdens impose onto us, and how they condition the very essence of our beings. This leads to an introspective and sometime fatalistic vision of life and death. The lyrical topics in Barús address this in both a visceral and metaphorical way, exploring the sensation of death and of a misbalance between the spirit and the body.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Barús'?

The word ‘Barús’ comes from ancient Greek. It translates weight in both a literal sense, something that is heavy, monolithic and imposing, and in a metaphorical sense, such as a mental burden, grief. It is at the basis of the subjects developed in our music.

6.Has the band done any live shows or has this been strictly a studio project so far?

We haven’t done any live shows under the name Barús yet, as we have only existed officially for a month now. We are a live band though and a significant part of our activity will be playing live.

7.Are there any plans for any live shows or tours?

All being well, we should have a few concerts lined up in France during the summer and fall. Tours aren’t easy to set up since we each play in several bands and work or study on the side but we’ll try to make it happen, at least on a local level.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?

The feedback we have gathered so far has been very positive, from people in and outside of the death metal scene. This makes us eager to play the songs live.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part off?

Maïeutiste, a black metal band that two of us play in, will be releasing a first full-length album this September, with a series of concerts to promote the release. Our vocalist also sings in Deinmas, a grunge band that has a new demo out and is working on an EP. One of our guitarists has just embarked on a European tour with The Walking Dead Orchestra, his brutal death metal band, and they are working on a new album.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We’re currently working on our full length. We have already written and recorded demo versions of a lot of the songs on the album; hopefully we’ll be ready to start the studio recordings during this coming winter. Musically it follows on from the EP and will continue to elaborate on the same subject.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I think in terms of metal in general we could mention bands like Converge, Deathspell Omega, Meshuggah (specifically the Catch 33 era), Ataraxie, Bethlehem. Our music doesn’t necessarily draw directly from the styles of these bands but they each have something unique and personal, a strong identity.
At the moment I listen to a lot of Ulver, mostly the electronic era and film score work. Concerning metal the latest Dead Congregation is great.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

We each have pretty diverse interests, but most of us spend the majority of our free time writing and producing music.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for the interview! For anyone interested in our music head over to our bandcamp page: barus.bandcamp.com (free download / name your price), and for any labels who would like to work with us for a physical release, contact us at barusband[at]gmail.com.