*When did you really get involved into music in general and into metal specific? Who was responsable for your interest in (metal) music?

-Basti: For me it was sort of natural – coming from a musical household, there always was music around. Even harder acts like Gary Moore or Ozzy Osbourne. So it was no surprise that ‘Tribute To Rhandy Rhoads’ from Ozzy became my first real Heavy album I called my own. And from that on I consumed everything that had guitars on it, be it Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, Aerosmith. The call to Metal came from the album ‘Sound Of White Noise’ by Anthrax – I listened to this record under headphones in the store, the intro really just blew me away and I knew I had found something special.

-Julian: I got in there after I could walk at 60 bpm, because there are some good musicians in my family. There were those old rock beats from Queen I fell in love with, especially ‘The Show Must Go On’, because that was my father’s favourite song. Later, I heard this amazing drum solo from Slipknot’s Joey Jordison and just had to buy their album “Iowa”, which threw me into the ocean of metal music.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

-Basti: When I look at how I create music today, I realize more and more that bands like Paradise Lost, Hypocrisy or Dark Tranquillity had a huge impact on me. Melodies combined with aggression is something that those bands always deliver in an inpressive way and that influenced my understanding of a good metal song.

-Julian: Musicians who express their art with as many details as possible in a very good concept like Fredrik Andersson (Netherbird, Vananidr), Kerim Krimh Lechner (Septicflesh), Oli Beaudoin (Ex Deo, Kataklysm) and bands like Deafheaven, Hate, Heretoir and many more guided me on my own path of music.

*Which instrument do you play and how and when did you learn to play? Did you have lessons in school or private lessons? If so, was that because your parents expected that from you? Or did you learn to play the instruments by yourself? Do yo still follow some lessons?

-Basti: I am playing the bass and electric guitar as well as keyboard. I started with keyboard when I was eight, learning all the music theory and when I was starting with listening to Metal it just was not cool anymore. I then started with bass guitar, had lessons and immediately started playing with other musicians, which improved my playing and especially songwriting skills the most. My parents always supported me in whatever I wanted to play or learn. Today I don’t have that much time to practice anymore, but as I am constantly involved with music I still improve – at least I hope so 🙂

-Julian: I started with snare drum lessons at my local music school in 2005, to get more into the basic technique steps. Because I was so in love with hitting this disgusting snare every single day for about one year at home, my parents decided to buy me a whole drumset and cleared a space in the basement for me. They were always supportive and never forced me to play drums. Since this year I´m learning guitar for myself to understand the spirit of the melodic Sorrow masters in our songs. I wouldn’t recommend every beginner not to take lessons when you have enough time and want to start with music. You have to listen to yourself, if it’s a good decision or not to say goodbye to your teacher, so you can push your own things and thoughts to a maximum.

*Do you follow other or are you interested in other styles of music besides metal? If so, what is the music you prefer to listen to?

-Basti: For me, Metal is my main focus. But in the end it just has to be a good song, no matter what kind of genre. That’s why ? there’s also albums from Chemical Brothers or Singer/Songwriter in my rack.

-Julian: I´m in love with all the post black metal and progressive stuff, they include so many styles of different genres.When my ears need a little break from that, good melancholic acoustic songs with beautiful deep voices or nordic ritual folk refresh my soul and ears.

*Is music a full time job for you now or do you have a job beside music? If so, what kind of job are you doing? If you would be really succesful with music, would you quit your other job?

-Basti: Doing music in fulltime would take away much of the magic, I think. At least for me. I have a professional musicstudio that I run besides my daytime job, so I am still constantly involved with music. And as I am active as a musician now for at least 25 years, I know that most of the time it is just hard work. With today’s massive social media more than ever. The tools may be there so that everyone can make music, but it makes it harder for the individual band to be really heard by a large audience.

-Julian: Originally I´m an industrial electronics technician who´s working in the family business now. It´s a mother-child-sanatorium, that helps busy and exhausted mothers to solve their problems in the future. I would quit everything to express my feelings and emotions to the crowd when I’m playing, so the answer is definitely “Yes!”, but only when the time has come.

*If you could start a band with other musicians on other instruments, which artist would you pick for wich instrument and why? (Something Like an “All Stars Band”.) Would you still go for a melodic death metal band? Or would you do something completely different?

-Basti: Good question, never thought about this. I have to admit that I would not pick any known artists or superstars – I have had the opportunity to do music and work with amazing musicians throughout the last 20 years. Guys from bands like Obscura, Motorjesus or Gloomball – I would certainly pick those guys, throw a lot of beer into the fridge and rock out with these guys.

-Julian: George Clarke on Vocals, because his emotional screams made me cry often when I listened to Deafheaven. Kmac2021 on guitar and backing vocals, because all of his songs express real feelings and are a piece of art. Bill Steer (Carcass) on guitar – I mean, listen to the guitar solo in “Captive Bolt Pistol” and Sean Beasley from Dying Fetus would hammer down everything I want on bass. This phenomenal artists would create a really unique, emotional, melodic and atmospheric sound with a touch of hate.

*If you had been banned to an uninhabited island and you may pick 5 albums to listen to, wich albums would you choose and why?

-Basti: Anthrax – ‘Sound Of White Noise’, Secrets Of The Moon – ‘Antithesis’, Guns’n’Roses – ‘Use Your Illusion Part 1’, Danzig – ‘III: How The Gods Kill’, King Crimson – ‘In The Court Of The Crimson King’. Why? Because each of this records was the starting point to a new area of Rock or Metal that I did not know before. Be it Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Sleaze Rock, Progressive Rock.

-Julian: Deafheaven – ‘Sunbather’, Septicflesh – ‘Communion’, Ghost Bath – ‘Moonlover’, Heretoir – ‘The Circle’, Kataklysm – ‘Waiting For The End To Come’. They were there for me in my darkest hours, so they will go with me until I die… unless there is a CD-player.

*Every new album (or ep) of a band or an artist is the best one (we do know this is the debut album), that’s what they always say. So here is a chance to promote the album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

-Julian: Every song shows real feelings, impressions of anger, hate and despair. We´re honest musicians who teamed up, to give you a chance to join our cult of salvation, so you won’t regret the whole new Melodic Insect-Experience. I would choose ‘Quiet Depression’ and ‘Killing Silence’ from our debut album ‘PRAEY’, because both explain the endless pain of a human being. Both in combination with our melodic melancholic riffing that will bring you to tears.

– See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new Empyreal Sorrow album ‘Praey’ (Independent Release) –

*I suppose you will promote this album through live concerts (when of course everyting is getting back to “normal” after the Covid 19 disaster). If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? And is there a chance we can see Empyreal Sorrow in Belgium?

-Julian: In any case, I want to offer as many people as possible an unique experience when they hear our music. Both types of shows have their advantages and disadvantages, so I’m not going to commit myself to either one. Shure, there is a chance for live gigs in Belgium, but we all don’t know how gigs and this disaster will develop in the near future.

-Basti: We are definitely aiming for a live presentation of our musical vision. And as everything else surrounding our music we would make a lot of effort to present it in an adequate visual way. Let’s see how this all goes on in the next months …