1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
After
the release of “Les sacrifiés”, we got really great reactions and
played gigs all along Europe. Then, life, the label stopped his
activities (and ripping us off, also..) and I moved 800km away from
Paris, where the band is located, cause I was sick of this big city. As
Mourning Dawn is the band in which I create everything, we had to find a
solution to keep this band alive considering these new conditions. I
worked a lot then for the band, from a distance, and tried to create
something new and never done whereas it is the concept or the
atmosphere. That led me to create the concept of this Ep “Waste” which
is, from what I know, previously never done in the metal genre (I don’t
count Neurosis as “metal”). I also composed the 4th album which will be
recorded this year. Then started a new band called WASTES, which its
first album will be released on code666 in April 2017. Some gigs and
touring in Asia are scheduled as well for this year.
2.You
have a new album coming out at the end of January, how would you
describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also
how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
This
is not an album. It’s a conceptual Ep. I wanted to create something
ambitious, something I’ve never heard before in the Ug metal genre. I
just composed a long song during one of those hard times we all have to
get through, and I just had the idea to compose another one that you
could play altogether. Like a distorted echo. Two depressed songs that
would make something even more depressed. The style is style typical
from what we usually play, a mix of extreme doom metal and a black metal
way of playing
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
No
surprises. Loss in general. I read a lot, poetry, surrealists writers,
classic French literature, philosophy.. But Im not that kind of self
sufficient musician that is going to try to convince their listeners of
some simplistic thoughts, or pretend to be more intelligent than them.
We are playing depressive music and just talking about all the shit that
can happen in our lives, with a special focus on lost innocence and
perpetual mourning each time we are moving forward.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mourning Dawn'?
If
you ever have been depressed, I mean “for real”, nothing like that emo
trend where people like to show how shitty their life is, then you would
know how painful waking up in the morning could be… It’s a pretty old
name though, I was like 18 years old when I chose that, but I definitely
had no other choice than to use this one, cause that was my life back
in the days.
5.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?
People
got some interest in the project, after the release of its first
album, and I had gig offers. I was playing in Inborn Suffering at that
time, so I knew a lot of people in the doom metal scene, and it was easy
for me to find people willing to play live. I wasn’t really interested
in the beginning, and Im still cautious to the idea of playing numerous
gigs because I’d like to keep an obscure atmosphere which is hard to
create “live”, but sometimes it’s great to share what you are doing with
your fans.
6.What are some of the best shows that the
band has played over the years and also how would you describe your
stage performance?
I don’t know, perhaps a gig we played
in London with big names such as Moonspell and lots of good friends in
the doom scene. It was like playing in the family hehe. People that see
us describe us as “intense” and “heavy”, which is not a surprise
considering our style. On my side, I could say that I give everything,
especially with the vocals, which is mostly the main reason why Im
cautious to not play too often.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
I
chose to refuse every gig proposal until this summer, because i am too
busy with different projects (including Mourning Dawn) and we are having
a line up change. But we have a tour in Asia scheduled (our albums have
been released there by a Chinese label there) and I have to admit i am
quite excited about it ! I guess we’ll play in Europe again, and
probably tour there in 2018.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and funeral doom metal?
That
is one of the recurrent conversations I can have about our music. You
know, metalheads are not really know to be that open minded, even if the
scene is growing older, extreme metal is a genre with “rules” etc… But
I am surprised by the reactions, it seems we gained a reputation over the
two genres, we have fans from both sides, even if we are too often
labelized as “doom metal” which is not true to me. I am hoping this is
because people don’t really care about the genres and just get focused
on the darkness we are trying to express.
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 of?
I
started a new international band called WASTES, which is typical
extreme doom metal like bands as Wormphlegm, Abandon, Funeralium etc. Im
guest singing from time to time in Ataraxie and Ive some secret
projects which I hope to talk about in a near future hehe. Vincent is
playing in a celtic metal band called Bran Barr, and our new guitarists
Fred is also the guitarist in Ataraxie.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I
have no idea. Its clear that we’ll try to get out of the boundaries of a
specific genre. Im really interested into acoustic foolish stuff, like
artists like Matt Elliott for example, or to continue weird project like
this Ep, I have some ideas for the future. But the one sure thing is
that we’ll stay in a extreme and depressive style, doesn’t matter the
way of playing.
11.What are some of the bands or musical
styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are
you listening to nowadays?
Im still a doom metal
addict, but I don’t listen to depressive black metal for example, its
definitely too whiny for me. I remember that wave of emo bedroom black
metal, Im glad this is over now. Im listening to a lot of folk rock
stuff, like Shannon Wright or Wovenhand for example which are far more
depressed that a lot of doom bands for example. Im right now listening
to Amber Asylum, which is totally not metal but the atmosphere
is…lovely. I guess, everything dark can have an influence. For now, we
stayed on a classical path of dark/doom metal with lots of guitars etc,
but perhaps it will change in the future. On this last Ep I have to
admit I wanted to add industrial influences because I’ve always been a
Godflesh fan, and despite what people told me, I still think you can mix
it with slow depressive stuff.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for letting me talk about my art. Stay sick.
Laurent – Mourning Dawn
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