Endemise's Dale Discusses New Music In terms of the New Record "Anathema"
It's been quite sometime, since last speaking with the guys in Endemise. Over the course of time, the band went on to play showcases, tour, as well as write and record towards their follow-up release to their debut album "Far From The Light". It was all leading towards sophomore release "Anathema". Where guitarist Dale Suave discusses the new tunes, album, and plans ahead.
1. What has Endemise been up to since we last spoke back in 2013, when you released your debut album "Far from the Light".
Dale: We spent some time promoting Far From The Light and played a couple shows around Ontario. In early 2015 we took some time off to focus on family / other career opportunities and began the writing process for the new record.
2. You decided to go and release not one but two new singles, can you discuss these said singles and why they were picked?
Dale: Nocturne was released on Halloween of 2014 and was the first song written for the new album. We chose to release it as a single at the time with plans of releasing the album in 2015. With our busy schedules, recording got delayed and the release of Anathema got push ahead to 2016. Now we have the album fully recorded and are in the final stages of mixing and mastering. We chose to release a video for the title track off of the album Anathema because it sets the overall mood and sound of this record.
3. One of the two singles was made into a video, "Anathema" can you disclose as to what the video is all about?
Dale: Anathema is fueled by an unquenchable inner Hatred, and despair. Filmed and produced by our guitarist Dale, The video is an artistic vision of what we feel when playing the song. Unlike our last video for “Edge of Earth” off of FFTL, we decided to get away from the “story telling” aspect of a video and strictly film the band doing what we do.
4. Speaking of "Anathema" that's the title for your sophomore and follow-up to 2013's "Far From The Light", would you say that "Anathema" is a continuation of it's previous processor?
Dale: I wouldn’t say it is a continuation but more of a growth. With each new release our sound is constantly evolving and as a band we try and bring more to the table each time around.
Dale: For Anathema we worked with a different producer. Far From The Light was produced by Mike Bond in Ottawa. We have worked with Mike on all of our previous releases and this time around we decided to change it up. The album was reordered here in Ottawa by our guitarist Dale, and is now being mixed and Mastered by Ken Sorceron. Ken has worked with a lot of bands in the industry including his own (Abigail Williams) and is bringing something new to the Endemise sound. As far as writing and over all sound of the album they are quite similar but you will find the production on this album is a little more raw and natural.
6. Where does the title "Anathema" come from, is it a person or a type of being or nothing at all?
Dale: Anathema is a term with several meanings. It derives from Greek ἀνάθεμα, which meant "something dedicated" and, in the Septuagint and New Testament, "something dedicated to evil and thus accursed.”
7. Can you describe what the album's artwork represents and how does it effect the album itself?
Dale: The album art depicts two wolves devouring its prey. The art itself, like most art can be interpreted in many ways. Wolves have a long history of association with humans, having been despised and hunted in certain communities while conversely being respected in some agrarian and hunter-gatherer societies. Being the supreme hunter of the forest, wolves are dedicated to survival, sharp intelligence and strong instincts. In many cultures, the identification of the warrior with the wolf gave rise to the notion of Lycanthropy, the mythical or ritual identification of man and wolf. Wolves were sometimes associated with witchcraft in both northern European and some Native American cultures. In certain folklore wolves were feared as witches and some believed that contact with wolves could cause mental illness and death”.
8. What was the recording process like this time around?
Dale: The process was a lot different this time around. We recorded everything in our own studio, and at our own pace. Having unlimited tracking time, we were able to fine tune / spend more time perfecting each individual take.
9. Can you give us a bit of a story behind the rest of the tracks on "Anathema"?
Dale: Anathema is a collaboration of new and old. Recently we welcomed a new member to the band and his lead guitar work is something fresh we were able to bring to the album. Each song is unique in its own way and I am happy with how they turned out.
10. When it comes to writing an album is there a brain child overseeing it all or do you all take an equal stab at it?
Dale: In the past, a lot of our material was very single minded. In more recent years, the contribution on writing has been very different and quite equal. On Anathema, we have some guitar riffs that were written by our drummer, some drums written by our guitar players. Nearly all of us recorded some sort of vocal track. We really stepped outside of our individual comfort zones and expanded our creative process. In fact we have already begun writing for our next album after Anathema.
11. Where do you hope to see yourself and the band in the next 5 years?
Dale: I personally would like to see the band playing more shows and continuing to expanding our sound with each release. I can’t speak for everyone in the band but we will continue to do what we do and make the music we love.
12. What does the band have planned for the rest of 2016?
Dale: The release date of Anathema will be announced any day now and we plan on supporting that release with a lot of shows and some small tours. We have taken a break from live shows for a while now and are eager to get back at it.13. Is there anything else you would like to say to the future fans of Endemise?
Dale: Thanks to everyone who supports the band and supports local music. Without local scenes, artists would not be able to do what they do and I think we have a pretty F*&%$ing amazing one here in Ottawa and in Canada. Check out Anathema, coming summer 2016.
