Band: SACRED SIN
Country of origin:
Portugal
Style: dark death
/ black metal
Questions by:
Kai Mathias Stalhammar
Answers supplied
by: Jose Costa (vocals, bass)
SACRED SIN seem to exist, literally, for ages – however you started to gain certain recognition worldwide only as “Translucid Dream Mirror”has been released… Why haven’t you managed to find a proper label earlier?
- As a matter of fact,
for one reason or another, we haven't managed to get good label label support
so far. Sometimes it's lack of money, others it's lack of distribution...
We haven't been lucky with labels that is fact. This time we hope (as always)
that things go as planned with our new label Demolition Rec (UK). We already
passed by 3 different Portuguese labels, some small but devoted, others
big and careless. It ended up the same anyway. Got good distribution and
promotion in Portugal and only very small
outside. So we decided
we had to get a foreign label to have better distribution and promotion
outside.
Besides
“Translucid…”, “Eye M God” was the only CD by SACRED SIN I contrived to
give a listen to. What other products you either have or had available,
and do they differ from each other anyhow in terms of music?
- So far our discography
is the following: «Promo-tape» '91, «The Shades Behind»
7'EP and tape '92, «Darkside» CD '93, «Darkside + Live»
CD '94, «Darkside» tape '94, «The Other Sides»
tape '95, «Eye'm'God» CD '96, «Anguish...I Harvest»
CD '99, and the latest CD «Translucid Dream Mirror».
We have a very vast number of influences, our roots are the 80's thrash,
we have the intense and brutal black / death metal touch, lots of atmosphear
and melodic leads and different kinds of vocals as the concept of the song
demands. Our releases differ mostly due to the line-up changes, styles
of playing of each musician that had colaborated, and the production. On
our fisrt album «Darkside», we had to record all songs as simple
and direct as possible as we got very short time to produce it. On the
second album «Eye'm'God», we got a few more days that allowed
us to put more details into the music and make better arrangements. The
result sounds more progressive and atmospheric. On our third album «Anguish...
I Harvest», we had also short time to record the songs so it sounds
very direct due to the objective approach that the songs were produced.
On our lastest album, «Translucid Dream Mirror», we could finally
do all we wanted with our songs as we produced it in our studio, so the
result is a more diverse, complex and atmospheric album.
Did “Translucid
Dream Mirror” fully justify your expectations when it comes to feedback
you supposed to receive?
- In Portugal people
were a bit divided as they find «Translucid...» much symphonic
and not as brutal as before. On other places of Europe we get the best
reception always. This album was distributed in the US in October, so it's
still to soon to make a definite comment on that matter, I think.
You have invited
no less than four guest singers this time; what for?
- Because I think
they sounded good for those parts. It's a question of finding the best
way to fullfil an ideia for a song or a part. Beside female voices there
are also other male voices that made comtribution on some songs, and for
the same motive: acheive the best for each part of the song.
“Zukunft Kenntnis”
is an all German-written piece… Why German, and what subject(s) does it
deal with lyrically?
- The choice of the
German text in "Zukunft Kenntnis" was a question of sound, and it did suit
perfectly in that part, I think. That piece it's a sort of introduction
for the following song : «Gift Of Second Sight». Context is
related to clairvoyancy and premonition.
As far as I know,
the band’s lineup had been changing drastically allthe way through… with
13 (!) ex-members leaving the board! And as it looks like you’re the only
one left of the original lineup who must have witnessed all these peripeteias,
I’m rather curious to find out what made To Pica, Artur,
Racoes, Samuel,
Quim, Carlos, Fernando, Kito, Nuno, Zack, Dick, Rui and Miguel leave...
- I always try to
give my best to this band, that's the philosophy here. To put that in practice
all involved in the band have to sacrifice some things in their life, ...
it is not everyone that can follow this path and most people quit after
a while for various motives. All those who played with me in SS joined
the band with that spirit, and for that their name is carved deeply in
my heart. I always appreciated their effort and contribution to the band.
It is always sad when someone leaves the band. It is always a challange
to find someone new. But that is the way things are... it's the evolution
of things and we are not a stagnant band. We keep on making our songs,
recording our albuns, doing the tours... enjoying the music we play and
in the end that makes all sence to me.
Demolition Records
is a pretty young label, although they seem to have a clue in what music
industry is all about, thus doing their work good enough. Are you of the
same opinion?
- I agree with you,
that is why we decided to work with them. They offered us the best conditions,
and respect our schedule and plans for this album. We had different offers
from other labels but with DEMOLITION Rec. we are free to decide upon the
band and our music. I hope that the people working
on Demolition will
do their best to promote our releases and to spread our music, that was
the reason we signed with them.
Demolition put
out "Dark Rivers Of The Heart" by VEIL OF SORROW and "The Awakening" by
WYTCHFYNDE almost at the same time they've issued "Translucid Dream Mirror".
Hence; any comments on these works?
- About V.O.S., I
can't comment because I haven't heard anything from them so far. As for
WYTCHFYNDE, they play the sort metal from the 80's that I enjoy. I was
a good surprise to hear this album, it's genuine and pure as they have
their roots on that decade.
Don’t
you agree with those who consider the band you take part in, a black metal
one? Besides that, what should we guided by,distinguishing BM acts from
those whose works belong to completely another genre?
- Is that what people
were saying...? I don't agree! If you say that you are limiting us already
to a certain label, I rather define SACRED SIN as a extreme metal band.
We have a very vast number of influences that goes from one side of the
metal spectrum to the other. We love such different bands as IRON MAIDEN,
SLAYER, MERCYFUL FATE, CELTIC FROST, KREATOR, ACCEPT, DARK ANGEL,
SAVATAGE, POSSESSED, HELLOWEEN, etc. At the time the band started we were
labeled as death metal because that was the main trend. If you consider
only our fast songs I can accept that definition very easily. But at the
same we have other songs more heavy and melodic, and also atmospheric tracks.
What I want to say with this is that you can't fix us into a certain style
of metal only to define our music. We are open minded in terms of metal
music, and that reflects on the songs we do. There is always a dark aura
on our songs, and on the lyrical approach. If you consider all the ingrenients
maybe it would be easier to put us on the same list of bands as CRADLE
OF FILTH or DEICIDE, than with such bands as CANNIBAL CORPSE or MORTICIAN.
In fact, wouldn’t
it be more fair to reckon such bands as MORBID ANGEL, HATE ETERNAL, DEICIDE
and… SACRED SIN to the genre of black metal instead of reckoning miserable
wannabes, such as, for instance, AND OCEANS or BAL SAGOTH thereto?
- Maybe it would be
easier to label us that way, but I guess it all depends on everybody's
taste for metal. Also we have to take in mind that the music is always
in evolution, and the trends changing too. The same with the new fans of
metal, who are inicially to much influenced by the media. Want it or not
it's the music industry that has most the influence on the scene.
MOONSPELL chaps
once named you “Portugal’s most promising black metal act”… Who else would
YOU, personally, mark out?
- MOONSPELL is very
important to our national scene as they are the biggest metal band in Portugal,
and got a lot of attention in the international scene, and that it's good
for all other metal bands here. Fortunately we have lots of cool bands
just waiting for a chance to grow. Here the econonic conditions dictate
a lot of restrictions in some terms, but we got lots of promising musicians
working hard to get some success for their projects. I can advice you to
take a listen to MALEVOLENCE, GROG, SIRIUS,
THRAGEDIUM, etc.
By the way, what’s
your opinion on the latest works by MOONSPELL, such as “The Butterfly Effect”
and “Darkness & Hope”?
- I enjoy most the
new album, it's very solid and objective. Anyway, for me they have great
songs in every album, so it's not easy for me to say what is my favorite.
In terms of production “Darkness & Hope” is the best sound they ever
got and that fits better their music style.
I assume you’re
no materialists, at least if judging by the lyrical canvas “Translucid
Dream Mirror” comes with…
- You are perfectly
right. The focus of my writing is centered around the matters of spiritual
equilibrium, the paths of the soul, projections of the astral light and
travelling through the different spheres of knowledge. It is all very personal,
a part of my visions and thoughts about the world
surrounding us and
the other dimensions of existence beyond our world. The inspiration and
guidance of my writing come from writers like A. Crowley, Elifas Levy,
A. La Vey, D. Undomiel... I see lyrics as part of the music and both should
create the atmosphere of the song. Different words and accents are important
to get a certain feeling in the song. That is the reason why I use different
languages because sometimes I feel that need. I also don't have any compromise
about singing in English. As well as our music, that is diverse because
we are not attached to any particular label, the vocals reflect that attitude
too on this album. For instance in "La Clef Des Grands Misteres" it's mostly
in French because the inpiration came from there, with writer Elifas Levi.
In "Zukunft Kenntnis" the German language did suit perfectly in that part
as I mentioned already. But on "Malificent Genii" the part in Spanish came
because the lyrics were inspired by a medieval Spanish tale. The Latin
used in "Mei Lacrimae In Tenebrae" and "Transmutations (Sphera Lunae Sepiternum...)"
was a question of sound too. And finally on "The Shadow Gate" the end is
in Portuguese because it was written like that from the begining and I
though it should be better to keep it like that.
Haven’t
you ever dreamt of travelling into the outer realms, consequently discovering
any perceivable kind of second reality, the one which doesn’t have anything
to do with vital beings whosoever?
- Yes I belong to
that race of dreamers who search in the occult and unknown the key to mysteries
of life. Luckily I can express that with my music, writing my lirics, giving
words to my thoughts about the world behind our eyes. To a certain point
this is a escape that keeps my sanity, and let me carry on living.
I wonder if there’s
info you have in regards to Russia as well as it’s metal scene?
- I have some info
about Russia, but not much. Some webzines that I stay in contact, and bands
like SIEGED MIND and ROSSOMAHAAR that I have on my private CD collection.
And a coulpe of mails from fans once in while. But I would like to take
this opportunity to invite all zines and bands to
contact me for cooperation.
Time’s running
out, thus making me stop torturing you with the questions of mine. Would
you like to add anything?
- I want to thank
you, first of all for this nice interview. All into metal music should
have a listen to our new album to check it out! Don't lose the chance to
hear our extreme metal music! Anything more about the band you can look
in www.sacredsin.org. Keep extreme and stay metal!
SACRED SIN contact
-
Email: sacred_sin@hotmail.com