Interview by Miriam "NocturnalConcerto" 

Forget all the bands like Arkona et similia, we aren't talking about that kind of folk metal,ok !?Moravian Grammy awarded Ethnic doom metal band Silent Stream of Godless Elegy found their music roots into the metal doom and the traditional Czech music and  at the starts of this year they have published the 5th album thru Season of Mist. Also if there are publishing out albums since 1995, unfortunatly in my opinion, they haven't got the right occasion for coming out the metal underground, so I've took the chance to speak with Hanele, the band singer, "for dive into the stream" of the new album "Nàvaz" and to know more about the band's history . 

Hi Hanele, thanks so really so much for accepting my interview! How are you?? 

Fine, thank you. I am still tired and sleepy becaue of my son (he is 16 month old) and hard work around the new album "Návaz" but I am really happy. I like it.

First of all, for all the metalheads out there that don't know your band, can you tell us more about the history's band? You aren't the usual folk metal band, I can only assure that!

The band Silent Stream of Godless Elegy was found in 1995 and the only original member is our guitarist and main person Radek Hajda. We have played hundreds of gigs and festivals, supported bands like Anathema, Cradle Of Filth, The Gathering, Korpiklaani, Trail Of Tears and Skyclad on their gigs in Czech Republic and had live appearances in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Hungary. SSOGE released six albums so far - the "Iron" debut in 1996, "Behind the Shadow" in 1998, "Themes" in 2000, which was awarded Czech Grammy in hard'n'heavy genre, "Relic Dances" in 2004 (the first one with the current line-up), which was awarded Grammy as well, then bonus album "Osameli" in 2006, which was sung in Czech for the first time, and now there is our new album "Nàvaz", released worldwide by Season of Mist in January 2011. As for our music, in the beginning we grew from that My Dying Bride styled gothic doom/death metal. But we look - more and more - towards the fusion of our folk music and rock/metal, still with the strong doomy touch. That’s what we like and want to do.

When was your first approach with Season of Mist?

It was about eight months ago, just after our recording sessions of the "Návaz" album. We sent some samples to various labels round the world and Season of Mist has contacted us via email with the words like: "It’s not bad at all and we might actually be interested...". It was a big satisfaction for us after five albums and really intensive work. Our new album is released worldwide. And it is a big honour to be supported by the label with a roster of amazing bands like SepticFlesh, Cynic, Rotting Christ or Morbid Angel. We hope it is the right time to break through. 

Just to go straight into the fresh news, from the 17th January your 5th album (excluding the EP "Osameli") is out "Nàvaz". What means lyrically (the title) and what do you want to express (and explain) with this title?

When I thought about the title of the album, I was searching for the word which could "connect" all songs together. And I found very old - not used nowadays - word "Návaz". A talisman. Substantive Návaz is derived from the verb navazovat what means to link something or to join in our language. Those old talismans were made by linking up flowers with stones, feather, ash etc. And I like we succeeded by this to get a secondary sense to the title of the album. "Návaz", "The Join" in English – we join (link) to our past, to our roots. And this album is a talisman for all of you.

Who's the cover's creator and what represent?

Our main graphic brain is our drummer David. Beside he is an excellent musician, he is a gifted graphic artist as well, so nowadays all these matters are on him. Our CD´s artwork reflects the title. "Nàvaz" is a talisman as I said. And other pictures in the booklet contain natural motives. Like our music does…

Can you talk a little the lyrics inside "Navaz"?

All of our lyrics, written by me, take place in ancient pagan times and if there is something that connects them, it’s respect for nature and female cult. For example "The Mother Earth" ("Mokos" in Czech) is the Goddes of the Earth, her equivalent is Hera in Greek mythology or Juno in Roman. In our story it is kind of metaphore when she is the wife and mother at the same time. She is angry at the warriors - her sons - who shed blood and she refused to receive their bodies back. They plead for her forgiveness, their wifes pray for them. In the end Mother Earth, wounded and filthy from their blood, forgives them and let them rest in her embrace, at the place they arosed from. Actually this story is about peace. Both universal one and the piece of a soul. Just enter Mother Earth of yours...

Since the last full album "Relic Dances" (excluding the EP "Osameli") are passed 7 years... Why "Návaz" took so long to be published?

I know it seems it is about seven years from our previous album "Relic Dances", but it is not like we were working entire time on the new album. Simply we were supporting the previous album for some time, we were living our lives, you know - weddings, divorces, kids, flats, mortgages, earning money... :) So I guess it took about last two years we put brain to composing and arranging the new material..  Who came up with this idea?Well, the digipack format is an idea of Season of Mist and we have provided the amulets.The idea of making such amulet came from time we were talking about title of our new album in our rehearsal room. I am not sure who is the author of that idea but it works all together.

The first press of "Nàvaz" comes in a digipack format with an amulet, such a curious choice! Who came up with this idea?

Well, the digipack format is an idea of Season of Mist and we have provided the amulets.The idea of making such amulet came from time we were talking about title of our new album in our rehearsal room.I am not sure who is the author of that idea but it works all together.

Who came out with the band's name Silent Stream of Godless Elegy and what is its meaning?

Radek did. Fifteen years ago he was a young boy beloved in that kind of doomy bands with a long name like My Dying Bride, In the Woods and stuff like that. So he was thinking about a title which could describe band’s music and would be long as hell. We realize such moniker is not the best bandname for posters, ads or catalogues, but it has the magic…

In the website under the band name, there's written the phrase "Dive into the stream, listen to the elegy..."Do you think that represent the band's anthem? Can you explain a little your vision or idea about the phrase?

Of course. I think it is a very nice metaphor and band´s anthem. Listen to our music, our doomy and melancholy songs that are elegies. And a stream of our music will carry you to the wawes which I have never seen. 

SSOGE is been playing and touring from already 16 years (starting to count from the first demo"Apotheosis") and some of your first album - I'm talking about the following albums : "Iron","Behind the Shadow", "Themes"- are long sold-out, are you planning to re-release them??

You know, it doesn´t depend on us. The first album "Iron" was released by Czech underground label Leviathan records. To tell the truth I don´t know if this label still exists. "Behind the Shadow" and "Themes" albums were released by Redblack, but it seems they have no interest to re-release our older stuff. We can´t do anything for it, we asked them many times. I guess you can buy "Themes" at Amazon or iTunes, but that’s all. 

What is the underground metal music scene in Rep.Czech?

There are some good bands I think. I really like our friendly band Endless (kind of Devin Townsend meets Deftones), we are touring Czech Republic together just now. The second band I want to mention is Insania, It is kind of hard core metal with great Czech lyrics and pop melodies. Kind of cult band here… I know a lot of others but I think the time will show if we hear about them in the future. There are two big printed magazines, some fine e-mags and very few radio-stations which are able to play metal music. As for TV, all fell down, damn! As for live playing, there is a lot of festivals (I can mention Masters Of Rock or Brutal Assault as the best known) and clubs here, but it really depends on the band’s position, you know. And – we are still just a small country, unintersting for music business, somewhere far in the east. 

Coming back to the album "Nàvaz", what are the next projects from promote it? Do you think for a European tour?

Of course we would like to support our new album live, I guess Season Of Mist are negotiating with some booking agencies just now, so we’ll see. We’ll keep you updated through our myspace/twitter/facebook profiles and our website. Stay tuned! (links below)

Well Hanele, thanks so really much for reply at my question, hope you liked them! Leave and greet our Femme Metal Webzine's readers as you want. Again thanks for all!

My love metal fans, especially women and girls. Our new album "Nàvaz" is here for you. I sing about old times when women rules and the nature was the most important value. Listen to our music and you will see. Dive into the stream and listen to the Moravian elegy...

Photo Credit

Photos and Logo by David Najbrt

Links 

Silent Stream of Godless Elegy Official MySpace

Silent Stream of Godless Elegy Official Site

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