... ANTHEMS OF DOOM Live report : NORTHWINDS/THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND/CHILDREN OF DOOM...

05/25/2013, here's a date which was underlined on my schedule for some long months and now, I can willingly say that it'll remain engraved in my memories for a long time... This "Anthems of Doom" was taking place in Bressuire, 100 kms down Nantes (where I had  to take Steph from Barabbas- coming from Paris-  at the train station), a little town in the middle of nothing special (not to say "nowhere" or "in the asshole of oblivion" !)... no big town close-by, a doom gig with just national underground Doom bands, there's always "good" reasons that can be found, why not the Champions League final or the fact that it's Mother's day too on the day after ??? So, fuck yeah, just 75 people for such a killer line-up is totally abnormal and frustrating :(

Well, finally, when you're in it, finding great friends you meet with excitement once or twice a year, listening great bands with a good sound, sharing drinks and joints, having good fun... you forget everything :) Oh well, with all the bands playing at 150% and supporting their colleagues at 300% (not just by solidarity - believe me) the venue was finally reasonably packed and in any cases the general atmosphere very friendly and positive.

STONEBIRDS open with their infectious Stoner... Actually touring with their mates of Stangala, both bands will help one each other to fill their line-up, here first Thomas Coïc is on drums while he'll play with his usual band later. As you've maybe read it recently here, Stonebirds come from the "Kreiz Breizh" area (understand :  the center of Britanny) and this tour is celebrating the release of those already famous "Kreizh Breizh Sessions", their split album with Stangala !!! The 1st song is a bit halting , maybe cause we're just a little dozen to be already there in front of the scene but  people come in little by little and soon the power of the riffs prevails...

With a gnarly guitarist/singer delivering thick and crunchy riffs and a very skilled bassist (hard hitting his 6 strings) who occasionally is nicely shrieking on backing vocals, Stonebirds reveal themselves to be a very good discovery, accurate and incisive. The balance between warm and fuzzy with fluid and stellar moods sometimes remind me the welsh gods Sigiriya which is a serious reference in terms of thickness and catchiness !  I need to come back on them this summer for the blog...

Setlist :

Doomed

Dark Passenger

Green Gene

Game Over

Cosmos Rider

Red is the Sky

Red Lights

https://www.facebook.com/Stonebirdsarestone

THE BOTTLE DOOM LAZY BAND are nearly at home here (Poitiers is at just about 45 minutes) and it's quickly noticeable as the audience is a lot more packed now with quite many guys knowing old songs like "The Dead can't Loose Again" or the anthemic "Night of the Living Dead" !

Ben is very unbridled, almost in trance, and as always too he likes to share his bottle of Jack Daniels with fans (including my fucking body, hell yeah!). I think his flow on the new songs has much improved, the english diction is more assured and sedate... New guitarist is pretty impressive, much more groovy and rock 'n roll than the old founding member had special affinities with melodies inspired from Grunge/Alternative 90's rock stuff ! TOS (guit) is particularly cheerful and also unpredictable (his 1st stage diving surprised quite many people !), it's good to see guys who are so enthusiast to play...

And damn, the set is awesome including a great part of new songs, full of infectious Trad' Doom of course but also a  raging and sick dementia which is communicative and pretty orgasmic at times !!! Those guys have a different approach from what you can usually see LIVE with a great part of DOOM bands : they're here to party, play loud and have fun with their fans... it's very friendly and definitely high voltaged doomy rock'n roll and I'm sure that nobody in the hall could have hoped more from their set which definitely launched the evening !!!


Setlist :

The Dead can't Loose Again

Space Crusader

Lost n' Drunk

Riding Bones

Night of the Living Dead

Smiling Tomb

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bottle-Doom-Lazy-Band/72612677709

STANGALA played in 3rd position, luckily for drummer Thomas who has had an hour of rest after his 1st prestation with Stonebirds... I had been quite disappointed by their set in Rennes last year when they opened for Ramesses, but this saturday - things were favorably different on many points.

First they didn't have to face technical issues, 2nd Steven (guit/voc) seemed a lot more at ease in his leader's role (in terms of communication and implication shown, things could still be a bit improved though...) and I think the post of bassist was also more significantly assumed even if surprisingly shared between two guys from Stonebirds (half of the gig for each) ! A reduced and too limited time for the set prevented the band to play a 2nd (new) song of the split album, so "Ar Re Yen" was the only new one but the performance was good and it looks like the band finds little by little its marks on stage for a very original and personnal sound which is not easy to reproduce accurately in live conditions !

Setlist :

Doom Rock Glazik

Sorcerezed

Ar re yen

Langoliers

LSD

Bigoudened an Diaoul

Al lidoù esoterik an dolmen hud

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stangala/117154354982445

If after nearly 20 years and 4 albums ("Winter" being the last released in 2012) NORTHWINDS is maybe the oldest french Doom band in activity, they're also one of the most underrated and that's something you feel even more like a sad injustice after having seen them on stage...
As I said there was not that many people at this gig but I'm sure that we were just a little half to really know them before they came on stage; well, the other half has now been quickly conquered by the exceptionnal quality and originality of their music !
The set alternates between old, recent and unreleased songs which is awesome (1st album title track, demo track, a couple of songs of "Winter", the title track of "Eternal Winter" -new album to come out before the end of the year- and another unreleased song too which will appear in 2014 on a mysterious Tape... you'll read more about  this in an upcoming interview with the lads !!!); it shows too how the sound of the band has maturated over the years with a lot of work in composition and instrumentation (keyboards were present of course but from now on there's no flute anymore for live considerations... which is not lacking to say the truth), not forgetting an highly heartfelt approach and an immense respect for their fans.

The sound is good, crystal clear and perfect for the alternance of ominous doom and beautiful 70's progressive Rock moments like in the centerpart of the gig with the majestuous "Winter". Northwinds is one of those bands that totally transcend your senses and emotions, their set led me to the rare conclusion that for this 1st long awaited time I've seen them, they have fullfilled me even far beyond my expectations and hopefully this is a band to follow systematically wherever they could now play in France (which happens so fucking rarely)... you absolutely gotta check out and support this striking band !!! Now, I've just one regret : not to have managed to take a good picture of vocalist/drummer Sylvain !


                      

Setlist :

Eternal Winter

Night of the Ritual

Great God Pan

Winter

The Firewitch

Land of the Dead

https://www.facebook.com/northwindsdoom 

To play very late and after 4 bands is not an easy task for any band... CHILDREN OF DOOM managed to make it intense and captivating until the end but I can't help thinking that if they had played a couple of hours before, they would have reduced the venue in ashes !!!

Guitarist/Singer Etienne Testard is an epileptic human bomb, the kind of authentic and charismatic caracter who forces everybody's respect and a great part of admiration... If you aren't afraid of tattoes, this guy is in appearance nothing except impressive physically but he imposes something unique, sick and amazing at the same time ! He plays a lot on sarcasm and has a kind of skinned-alive sensibility which denotes in this usually non-communicative relation between bands and their fans on stage...

Beyond this, he's a fantastic compositor of Doom'n Roll and the band starts with the title song from the debut album "Doomed, be Doomed ör Fuck Off", there's also "Bottle Ben in the Streets" in the middle of the set but all the rest  is made of unreleased songs ! lucky assholes we are :) with "Rusty World" an old demo song, the band plays a bunch of great new songs (to appear on the new 2nd album)  "Hidden girls", "Hate of Flag", "Another Way of Life", "Necrotramp" "Exit the Spiral" and  the long delightful "... Al Hazred" which has been probably the doomiest song of the evening !!!

This give serious promises for a stunning sophomore album. The performance is huge and an encore would have been well deserved but it's now two o'clock in the morning and time to stop the loud volumes...

https://www.facebook.com/childrenofdoomband

Little by little, fans leave the hall, we're lucky enough to be able to stay there with our mates and not to have to drive back home this late or even sleep in the car in the abnormal coldness of this fucked-up spring ! Next 4 hours will be good fun with a great part of all bands members (some nice human discoveries, interesting discussions, etc...) but I keep in mind that later today there's about 3 hours by car to come back at home for noon, we're celebrating my sister's 50th anniversary and I know it'll be hard to save appearances, hehehe ! So at about 6:00 I finally end with my sleeping-bag on stage, trying to sleep a couple of hours !!!

Thanx so much to all bands for providing so good heavy sounds, for their friendly and dedicated attitudes too and thanx to the organization for having the balls (of steeeeel !) to settle-up such a fantastic line-up -  keep on guys, we'll be there next time ! (you too dickheads, just think about some true american, swedish or russian doomsters who would have sold their mother for attending such a gig with french Doomed treasures !!!)

... About the Kreiz-Breizh Sessions : an Interview with STANGALA !!!

After their amazing debut album "Boued Tousek Hag Traou Mat All" released about one year and a half ago, psyched-out Breton druids STANGALA have crossed the path with  the ultra heavy and stomping Stoner band STONEBIRDS - for a split-album entitled "Kreiz-Breizh Sessions" !!! Aleksey Evdokimov recently interviewed Steven and Tom to get to know more about this great new release, immediate and future plans...

 

Hi Steven! Hi Tom! How are you comrades? What’s new going on in forests of Brittany? Did you already gather a harvest of first mushrooms?

Steven: Hi Aleks! Everything is going pretty well indeed, as the last months were pretty exciting on our side. I was working a lot on the production of our new split album with StoneBirds and we are now preparing to go on a small tour in France (and one gig in the UK), to promote it. I also started writing material for a new album, and I really look forward to trying these new recipes!

 

Oh, that’s a good news! When do you plan to hit the road? I would like to ask you share more info about tour, you know – dates, cities, bands and, well, maybe few gigs in Russia? 

Tom: The tour goes from the 23rd of May to the 2nd of June. I only remember the Breton part of it (Fanch from Stonebirds is in charge of the booking). So, here it is:

23/05: Lorient @ Le galion w/ Stangala and Burtul

24/05: Glomel @ Le korong w/ Stangala

25/05: Bressuire @ Anthems of doom w/ Stangala, Northwinds, Bottle doom lazy band and Children of doom

We’ll soon post a poster with all the information about the other shows! But as you see, we’ll meet up with friends from Bottle Doom Lazy Band. That’s great news! This show will definitely be a blast and a true doom celebration.About Russia... Maybe some day but this really needs to be interesting because it’s the kind of tour that leaves you damn exhausted! But hey, why not.

 

What kind of merch do you prepare for the tour and do you see any reason to spend a money onto it? And, okay, do you wear t-shirts or other relics of other bands? Which ones?

Steven: We don’t have plans for merchandising for the moment. And yes, we do like the idea of supporting a band by buying and wearing shirts from them if we like their music and attitude, but I really don’t think that it would be so interesting to give names here!

How does process of releasing of that promised split-album of Stangala and StoneBirds go? 

 Steven: At the moment, we are planning on releasing a “tour edition”, on CD, limited to 100 copies, but later on hopefully, a standard release on vinyl.

 

How many demos did you send to labels and were there any responses onto new stuff from some of them?

Steven: We contacted quite a few labels actually, and received a lot of encouraging answers but most are not willing to take the risk to release a split album. A single album from a single band would be apparently much easier to promote and sell!

New release is named “Kreiz-Breizh Sessions”, what is the story behind that title and art-work?

Steven: Kreiz-Breizh literally means Center-Brittany in Breton. Remember that we come from this particular region in the north west of France, where people feel closer to the Celtic culture than to the French one? Well we met these guys from a neighboring city and we came up with the idea of recording something together. We booked a studio in a small city called Guéméné-sur-Scorff, lost in the middle of nowhere in the so-called Kreiz-Breizh, next to StoneBirds’ hometown, and everything went incredibly well! We recorded 5 songs each, really took our time, drank a lot of whisky, slept in a farm, and the outcome of all this is this wonderful album that we are about to release.

Steven, of course I remember where you are from! Even though I’m right now under the weight of few portions of rum! You know – I always have an interest to bands lyrics, what are the lyrics themes onto new songs? Your vocal sounds sad and upset onto “Konk Kerne” song like if someone steals all mushrooms from your secret glade!

Steven: Haha! No one stole my mushrooms, no need to worry! Actually, the new lyrics deal mostly about anxiety, boredom and melancholy, mostly in the context of a withdrawal. Not that I mean to complain about my life like a spoiled western boy whose weed got confiscated by his dad, far from that. It is merely a simple set of feelings emanating from an utter social awkwardness. I guess I am meant to remain hidden in the forest.

Your bandcamp profile says that there’re 10 tracks are already prepared for “Kreiz-Breizh Sessions” but there’s only two of them were shared: StoneBirds’ “Game Over” and Stangala’s “Konk Kerne”. I see that you’re combining not only stoner and folk music in your new stuff but also few black-metal elements as it’s in your project Netra. Did you decide just gather all of your artistic ideas in one band?

Steven: It’s always a struggle for an artist to segment his inspiration! I myself feel more and more the need to somehow simplify all this. Although there will always be an indelible boundary between Netra and Stangala, I tend to be more open than I used to when it comes to choosing where my latest riff belongs.

What’s about other new songs of Stangala? How much do they differ from your previous work and can we make any conclusion about them considering only “Konk Kerne”?

Tom: Since Konk Kerne stands as a transition between our past and future musical experience, you can obviously draw some conclusions. The next songs will lean on the black metal side of doom music. Slow, dissonant chords and heavy drumming! But we’ll always keep the classic doom and Breton licks as a lead. Stangala is a place of experience and feeling: nothing should get in the way of that!

Tom, how did you and Alexandre accept new “black” ideas of Steven? Do you have a mutual point of view in Stangala or do you compose songs separately from each other?

Tom: Steven is the main composer of this project. His ideas are great and since we can’t jam often, we kind of leave the composition to him. That’s how things have always been working and I think we’re all glad of what blooms out of his hands! I personally have played in a few extreme metal bands so I’m not afraid at all to join the forces of evil for the next record (laughs).Steven knows I can follow him in any direction he decides to take so, this can turn out to be very interesting once again!

Will you support this release with another official video and didn’t you ever think to record a song together with StoneBirds? Guess it would be universal and good solution for any split-album…

 

Steven: We might release a new video indeed, but if we do so, it would be much simpler than the previous ones, that is without plot or anything like that. As for the idea of recording a song together with the birds, that is something that we actually talked about but did not have time to do, unfortunately. As a matter of fact, the bands kinda merged after our experience together, we needed a bass player, they needed a drummer, and now there are only the four of us for two bands! So I guess you can say that we are moving in the direction of recording some more stuff together for sure! I really hope that this split album is only the first step of a fruitful collaboration.

How was expensive those videos which you did record before? Do you see a reason to continue perform Stangala in visual way in a future? I’m meaning – did both of your previous videos help you in band’s promo or was it only a kind of outlet of artistic energy?

Steven: It certainly helped getting the band more exposure, but my primary motivation with producing these videos was to have fun. I managed basically every step of the production in both cases and the mission was accomplished: it was a lot of fun! We did both videos on a budget, of course and I am really glad of the result, many people liked it! You will definitely see more video material from Stangala in the future.

 

Hm, it’s just a curiosity – how much of your free time Stangala takes? And how does it help you in a daily life?

Steven: This is hard to assess. I could spend a whole week-end editing a song just as I could spend 3 months without doing anything related to the band. It sure takes an important part of my life, as my girlfriend tends to remind me sometimes, but it is important to me and I never see it as a constrain or anything like that. Everyone with at least bit of personality needs a channel to express oneself, otherwise one becomes crazy.

I don’t force you to tell you but what’s about new stuff? Do you have something certain on your mind after final release of “Kreiz-Breizh Sessions” or will you take a break for a while? What’s about Netra, Steven?

Steven: I already started to write a second album for Stangala. I am confident that it will take quite some time, so don’t expect anything soon. I think that it will be a logical successor to BTHTMA, maybe slightly darker. As for Netra, I have plans to release an EP later this year, which, I can already tell, will be an interesting blend of genres. But wait and see…

 Thank you guys for this interview, it was really cool to chat with you about music and other stuff, but I really need to go to sleep – eyes are closing, rum is boiling, so have good dreams too! And don’t forget to let us know how about other news from Stangala! Oh, and send my best wishes to Alexandre for he’s absent today. Good night! 

Thank you for your time! Cheers!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stangala/117154354982445

http://stangala.bandcamp.com/

http://kbsessions.bandcamp.com/

http://www.reverbnation.com/stangala

... featuring bigoudened zombies, New Video of STANGALA "Bigoudened an Diaoul" !!!

Stangala proudly present their new video for the track "Bigoudened an Diaoul", featuring some vintage zombies and stuff !!!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stangala/117154354982445

... LIVE report HASHCUT / STANGALA / RAMESSES - 18th Sept 2012 Rennes (Fr) -

Several times per year, BLOOD RITES association organize great gigs in Rennes... Last one I saw was highly memorable with Barabbas, The Bottle Doom Lazy Band and The Wounded Kings and I was expecting pretty much from this new one with Hashcut, STANGALA and the revenant RAMESSES after one year of absence on the road. 

I like so much this venue "LE MONDO BIZARRO", the kind of  bar which programms almost all styles of underground music, surviving independantly with faith and dedication, more and more rare but so ESSENTIAL !!! It's also always a true pleasure to meet cool doomsters like the guys of Huata, Antoine from Time To Blast, Maryline and Fernando of Blood Rites of course and a few others.

I'm perfect in time, as the opener HASHCUT first notes ring when I just come in but there's a fair audience already present (about 90) which prevents me to view them correctly and my curiosity doesn't stand that long before I decide to order a bottle of cider and start discussing...  I often need a bit of time to get into the ambiance, this to the detriment of the first bands, especially if I don't know them and sorry but I came for STANGALA and RAMESSES that's fucking all !!! it looks like their gnarly Stoner has convinced a great part of the people present, so I guess it's cool for them.

The wizards from Kemper, STANGALA, start a bit late due, not to the traditional bigouden costume they were wearing but to some technical problems which will unfortunately never be totally resolved.

 Steven plays on a very old little amp and the sound of his guitar is too poor, he still does the job with easiness but sometimes seems a bit tired or stressed (!?) The bassist and Thomas on drums play pretty loud which hide the samples of celtic instruments (pipes), this suffers from a serious problem of balance between the instruments. 

The songs sound good though, mysterious, heavy, with a rather rough psychedelic edge. Fans, including me, can still enjoy "doom rock glazik", "sorcerezed", "bigoudened an diaoul", "bouet tousek has traou mat all" and a couple of other songs from their excellent debut album. There was a great unreleased song too (from the demo period), called "lutin salvia delirium"; watch out for their split album with Stonebirds soon to be released ! Hope to see them again in the future, with better sound results...

The set of RAMESSES will be perfect in all terms, sound included... This was really awesome, a creepy bath in heaviness. Ramesses are not particularly known for the originaility of their riffs but fuck those ones are so hypnotic and extremely crushing ! What I deeply like in this band is their ability to blend a wide variety of doomed sounds, basically Sludge but those regular hints of death, black and even drone make it roughly living and evolutive.

After the departure of Tim Bagshaw, the position of new guitarist (from BONG) looks hesitant, at least very reserved but he seems perfectly in phase with his colleagues musically and that is the most important, anyhow there's Adam who has enough presence, not to forget Mark hammering constantly his drums with a surgical attention ! 

Those guys shred on stage and the fact that the most part of the set is dedicated to "take the curse" (save "the tomb" and "before the jackals") enhance the extreme heaviness of the performance. Is it the sign of a future album that will sound like what remains their referent masterpiece to date (of course I also enjoy "possessed by the rise of magik" but to me it's not as memorable as the 2nd album) ? maybe a part of the answer will be revealed here in a near future ?! I spoke a little moment with Adam before the show and we concluded that I can send him an interview next week after the tour is finished :) ... interview or not, this guy is really cool and a terrific growler too ! 

This has been another excellent evening in Brittany's capital, thanx to Blood Rites and the bands; next gig for me there should be Doctor Cyclops in December, other good moments in perspective... \m/

hail Brittany ! an Interview with STANGALA

 A little bit of geography if you allow me... Do you all set where Brittany is exactly ? No, no, no ... I'm not talking about Great Britain, neither of  a small independent republic  of ex USSR, nor of a small fiscal paradise lost in the Atlantic ocean !!!  Britanny is the western region of France, one of its most beautiful and  tradionalist, deeply rooted in the celtic heritage. 

STANGALA is a  band from Quimper, singing in Breton and playing an amazing Stoner/Doom full of  weedy vintaged atmospheres, blended with celtic influences via a well-thought use of traditional instruments like never heard before in a genre that rarely include such different ressources. If you haven't heard their 1st album yet, as smoky as it could be, I strongly advise you to check out this real breath of fresh air ! Now let's see what Steven has to tell us about it, the band's Breton identity, the Breton's music and a few other interesting things :

Hi Steven, it's a pleasure to have STANGALA interviewed in TOP, thank you ... First, for those who do not know, the Stangala is a valley near Kemper/Quimper, a bit like a small replica of the Broceliande forest, with the legend of St Eloi tied to; why did you choose this name? I've recently read someone describing you as a "narco-druidic" band, is that ok for you guys ? 

Salud! Difficult to say which precise reason prompted me to use this name, in fact it reminds me a lot of memories. The Stangala, it's all a bunch of places very conducive to the imagination. For example, down near the bridge, there are the ruins of an old water mill built in granite that have always inspired me,  something magical, mystical, a refuge where foul goblins would make the reuz at nightfall. As for the description "narco-druidic", I think it suits us rather well, yes!

How did come the idea to form a  Stoner/doom band singing in Breton and with so pronounced Celtic consonances ? Was this something you had in mind for a while but had been unable to do until then? Do you speak a fluent Breton and it comes naturally or did you take the advice or particularly work on your diction?

The idea came naturally by drinking a good mushroom soup ... I do not speak a fluent Breton, no. That said, my parents gave me a lot of their mother tongue over the years, usually fairly simple things, without really knowing how it is written, and although their dialects are as different one from each other than the Breton taught in schools today. Let's say I master the language enough to the use that I make of it.

Basically STANGALA is a trio, but on your FB page, I've noticed the addition of Geoffrey and Niko, what is their function in the band ? On the album Fearann ​​is credited for the celtic traditional instruments, it seems that is not accompanying you on stage ... so how is it going on stage regarding this?

There has been indeed some little line-up changes recently in Stangala. Let's say that the "solid" basis consists in Tom, Alex and myself. Due to certain incompatiblities in timetable, we had to call a session bassist for some dates in early 2012. And Tom has insisted a lot for adding a second guitarist, mainly in order to ensure the arrangements of the album. I must say that the idea didn't enchant me much at first, but ultimately we must admit that it gave us a good boost. About Fearann​​, unfortunately, due to our respective jobs and especially considering our various geographical positions, it would be difficult to include him in the line-up.

The album was recorded at various locations and moments between Brittany and Norway ... Why that and why Norway ? Steven, you seem to have special affinities with  Norway, did it come by life's good fortune or is it a country that you have always been attracted by  (if so why)? I was lucky to get off the Sognefjord there fifteen years and it was one of the greatest moments of my life, do the Stangala and fjords or perhaps other types of landscapes of Norway have particularly inspiring virtues (common or not) ?

I currently live in Gjøvik, a little town  in the North, a few hours far from of Oslo, to study the influence of the aurora borealis on schizophrenics goblins (and some stuff a little more serious). Without being a coincidence of fate, it's more of a combination of circumstances that led me here. This is a very inspiring country indeed, and I would not mind spending a few more years down here.

 

About the presence of guests on the album, including doomsters Carcinos from Huata and  Bottle Ben from TBDLB, what did you expect from this ?

It's a wink; we don't know that much each other in fact, but we had great fun a few years ago at a common gig in Lannion and we kept in touch since then. Both their contributions are actually excellent! And we've been really pleased to have them as guests on the album.

 

                                             

The music of Stangala includes many instrumental passages and  your lyrics are quite short ... I always heard my father (that's his mother tongue) telling that Breton is a language much more oral than written, can we conclude by the fact that singing in Breton implies a very specific way to write your lyrics, different from  English or French?

No, I think it's just the way the album was made​​. At times, I tend to get carried away in the instrumental arrangements, leaving less space on vocals. That said, I actually have a totally different approach when it comes to writing lyrics in English or French. Breton has for me something sacred, every word must be weighed.

It seems obvious that fans of Stoner / Doom can smoothly  enjoy Celtic musical stuff, but can the reverse happen and  have you already converted  fans of Celtic musics to much heavier and weedy sounds like Stangala displays ? Did your immediate environment (family, friends...) feel even more proud of your release with this rather pronounced Breton / Celtic caracters ?

Everyone has an idea of ​​how Celtic music sounds, but that surely can not be said about Stoner / Doom. Of course quite many people from our environment,who have nothing to do with Stoner, have listened it, but people who say they enjoy it, while they have never had a particular affection for fuzzy guitars, leave me deeply skeptical.

 

About gigs... It seems unfortunately that like many of your french colleagues, you are not yet very active on this point, do you have to face particular constraints on this point ? Any interesting  plans coming though?

Let's say that THE constraint in terms of concerts for Stangala is simply our respective availabilities. We meet each other only two or three times per year, not much more, then sometimes we rehearse, sometimes  we prefer to go and pick-up mushrooms in the woods. So, in fact, the scene is not really a priority for me.

As a musician proudly claiming his Breton origins, have you ever participated in musical projects specifically Celtic ? After a peak of popularity about 10/15 years with Dan Ar Braz, Mano (hum. ..), St. Patrick evenings at the Stade de France, etc. ... the interest of people fell off , however, do you think,  that this music remains the most vivid manifestation of the Breton culture?

I played during a while  for a breton dance circle in Kemper/Quimper as a bassist and guitarist, but it's an environment that was not really enthusiastic, and that really disappointed me. I find that such circles are finally aptly named because a circle is closed. That said, I've learned a lot and have been able to significantly enrich my game with that experience.

You cite influences as BLACK SABBATH, IRON BUTTERFLY or QOTSA, and bands of Celtic obedience, but also Celtic and Breton culture in general, can you developp on that particular point please ? Breton music can be diverse from traditional bomb/pipes, to something more melodic as Gwalarn, or close to sacred music like Bann Heoln or even more mystical (almost pagan!) as the excellent Barzaz, it can also be more commercial ... What genre(s) do you enjoy most ?

A bit of everything! Yes, I dig Barzaz and the productions of Yann-Fañch Kemener ("An Den Kozh Dall"), also the first album of Dan Ar Braz and Alan Stivell, Fest Noz bands such as Sonerien Du, but also things more rare as compilations of archive recordings Dastum. Occasionally,  I also listen to bagadoù/bagad stuff, like those of Vannes or Kemper/Quimper, but I find myself less in this precise type of music.

(a Fest Noz is a traditionnal festival that happens at least once a year in most little towns and villages of Brittany, while a Bagad is a collective of musicians playing traditionnal breton music with bombard, bagpipes...)

Your album has been recently released but it's been 4-5 years that you formed and therefore maybe you  already have had time to stimulate an emulation, is there to your knowledge any other underground band(s) mixing heavy and weedy sounds with Celtic stuff ? I knew the label Keltia music but I'm not sure if it is still very active in production!? Is there any active structures that could perpetuate the spread of the Breton rock music culture in particular?

Some likes of Stangala? That would beat everything. I think there's just morons like us to have such  ideas ! To my knowledge, no Breton label would be able to produce music like ours.

I love the diversity of the album, but maybe some people could  think that it sometimes goes in too many different directions, from Stoner Doom, to psychedelic/ proto stuff and even a bit of Melvinesc Sludge, all complemented of course à la  Celtic sauce ... Do you think you'll continue to make things that way or maybe will tend to more homogeneous stuff with a more precise guideline ?

It's difficult to predict in which state of mind will be composed ​​the next songs, but I doubt honestly that our music will be more homogenized. It will always go in every  I think. All I can tell you is that we actually we intend to darken the tone a little bit.

How does business go with the label Solitude? Do they bring you what you were expecting for concerning  promotion and support? Is it a deal for just the first album?

The deal with Solitude Prod was only for an album and we do not have much to say about their work. Maybe a little disappointed about promotion and communication but we did not have extraordinary expectations, so...

Trugarez, guys all the best for you in 2012, ah, can we expect to see a T-shirt out soon? feel free to add something important that I could forget to mention ...

We have got some little projects for 2012, including indeed a T-shirt. In the meantime, do not hesitate to spread the word about the band around you! Kenavo wec'h ar all.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stangala/117154354982445

“Boued Tousek hag traoù mat all” debut album by STANGALA - due to be released on Solitude Productions

I already presented you one of  our new regional pride (along with HUATA whose album should finally come out in november), here  in Brittany, a few months ago : STANGALA...

Now there's great news, indeed they have just signed a deal with Solitude Productions (from Russia) for the release of their debut album “Boued Tousek hag traoù mat all”. 

The band plays a drug-fueled, vintage and occult stoner/doom rock with celtic influences and lyrics entirely in breton. Mind your head while entering the druids forest, your journey is about to begin…

Set to be released in the first days of 2012, the album contains 10 songs and has numerous guests including guys from Huata and The Bottle Doom Lazy Band ! 

To whet your appetite, two songs can yet be listened at their bandcamp page  :

http://stangala.bandcamp.com/
http://solitude-prod.com/blog/

STANGALA - Breizhek Stoner -

It's pretty rare to read a biography that allows to dive immediately in the concept/identity of a band; STANGALA's bio is clear, subtle and very attractive :

"The story began in the year of 2007, when 3 modern celtic druids gathered somewhere in the mystical woods of Kemper, France. In order to explore other paths of the space-time continuum and finally reach the land of the korrigans, they used their magical knowledge and begun the preparation of potions with psychedelic powers. Lead under the influence of the great green smoke, rites were inspired by the legacy of the great ancients, such as the mighty Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, or the young Queens Of The Stone Age, but also by more local and traditionnal knowledge, of which Brittany, as a Celtic land, is full. Today, the druids are gathering secretely once again, consuming even more drugs in their cauldrons in order to, eventually, introduce the world to a path towards a whole new dimension..."

Well, the picture is clearly planted and I'm sure the song of the clip below can NOT disappoint anyone who reckon himself in this kind of musical trip. The ep "Lutin Salvia Delirium" is a bit old now, but there's just a few weeks more to wait for the album recorded this winter and called "Boued tousek ha traoù mat all"; to be yet noticed is the addition of cool guests from Huata, Coffin on Tyres and The Bottle Doom Lazy Band, which is for sure going to  (if necessary) enrich this release that will certainly mark deeply the whole french underground musical landscape.

http://www.myspace.com/stangala