This Friday, October 4th, we can finally discover 'Swallowed By My Own Sins', the debut EP from death metal band Azelma (available here)!
Who is Azelma ?
When a new band arrives, it's good to talk about their music, but it's also important to introduce them.
Azelma is a band from the Côte d'Azure, founded by 4 very close friends: Maelan Lopez (drums), Tristan Raverdino (vocals), Arthur Valerioti (bass) and Romain Viale (guitar). 4 friends who are not only productive, but also quickly making their mark on the Death Metal scene.
In May of this year, we were able to discover their first track 'Prométhée', which appears on the EP released today, a first track which announced the color of their universe: violent, rhythmic and made for live performance! And in June? We already found them on the Off stage at Hellfest! An ambitious band whose success is only just beginning.
'Swallowed By My Own Sins' : the ambition of an emerging group through controlled chaos
As 'Prométhée' and the eponymous title were already available, we can now discover 4 new tracks. Violent, fast-paced tracks that grab you by the guts, but retain a certain construction and rhythm that are sometimes lost in Death Metal. This is how we can define that Azelma is not here just to be violent, but to share a strong message through this passion for the fourth art.
Some tracks have more personal themes, but the general idea of the band is an improved version of the 'momento mori': death will come, might as well enjoy life. A positive vision that goes hand in hand with a rhythmic pulse perfect for headbanging, and riffs that promise some serious moshpits.
And if we can speak of the complexity of the band and its compositions, we can also speak of those who have already noticed and worked with them on this album, since it was recorded by Sébastien Camhi (ACOD, Akiavel...), mixed by Igorrr and mastered by Thibault Chaumont (Carpenter Brut, Mass Hysteria, Igorrr...). Names that don't go unnoticed in the credits, and which bring the band a nice mention for their very first project.
And the band has plenty of plans! But that's something Tristan and Maelan (the band's singer and drummer ) can explain better than we can! So, we leave you with our recent chat with the two members of this emerging and promising band.
Interview with Tristan and Maelan
We're here to talk about your EP, due for release in early October, but also about you and the band Azelma, since you're just starting out. How did you meet? How did Azelma come about?
T - Oh dear, it's a very long story.
M - Yes. Arthur and I, the bass player, met in high school when we were 15. We ended up in the same class. We formed a 1st band in high school, with some friends, which lasted maybe five years, something like that. Then, parallel to that, there was 'Désastre' too.
T - There were a lot of little bands that really helped me get my feet wet. And how did I meet them? Well, I met Maelan and Arthur at a Heart Attack showcase. I was in my last year of secondary school, I think, and I see guys a little bit older than me doing metal and all, dressed in battle jackets and all. I was totally turned off. I said to myself, “Okay, these guys must be my buddies”. They became my buddies. So I supported them a lot in all their previous projects. A few years later, I had a project with Romain, the guitarist, and Maëlan, where we simply did death metal. As time went by, life took its course... and this project, unfortunately, died a little in the bud. A few years later, Maelan, Arthur, Romain and I decided just to unite, because we're first and foremost a bunch of friends. That's what's important and what you need to know, is that we're all friends. And one day we got together and decided to start making music together. We spent hours, weeks, months locked away in a room, in a rehearsal space, composing hours and hours of music. And at some point we just sat down and said, “Okay, this is death metal. We want to make this music. It's time." We decided simply to launch Azelma. And that's how we got together to make music, as well as being friends.
M - But we could. We had different projects of our own, but we're from the same town, we're the same age, we have the same level of motivation, we want to make the same style of music. So at some point, all these factors meant that we had to come together. There was no other possible destiny.
And how did you choose the name Azelma? What does the name Azelma mean to you?
T - Well, it was Arthur who came up with the name. So we give credit where credit is due. In fact, Azelma is the personification of everything we wanted to put into this project, because we were looking for a feminine name and one that would appeal to French literature, because we're big fans of the Romantic literary movement. That's why we later chose the name Azelma. We knew what we wanted to do, but we didn't yet have the name. Because, after all, a name is extremely important. And he comes up to me and says, “What do you think of Azelma?” And in fact, within a few seconds of the end of his sentence, I already knew that we were going to be called Azelma. And so, for those who don't know, because it's still pretty little known, she's a character in Les Misérables, quite simply. But it's a very, very, very, very secondary character. And so it called on French Romantic literature. And why a woman's name? Because Azelma is in a way also the personification of our lives, because before being a musical project, it's our lives, it's the journey of the four of us. In fact, it's really an artistic expression of our daily lives. And we wanted a woman's name to personify that, because we know we're going to die too. And it's important to remember that in order, I think, to move forward. Because it's not sad, it's just there. And you have to try to remember it in order to move forward. And so, we wanted something maternal, hence the name Azelma, because Azelma is the woman with a capital F and it's the mother. And the mother is the one who, the day she gives you life, also condemns you to death.
M - And we also needed an original name, because we wanted to find a feminine name that would be unusual and that would also allow people to find us. To take an anecdote, the band Arthur and I had in high school was called Leipzig, and it was very good. But the problem is, you go on the Internet, type in 'Leipzig' and you come up with a soccer club, which isn't exactly us.
And how would you describe your music to someone who'd never heard it before?
T - In very, very, very, very, very raw terms. We'd say it's death metal, it's violent, it's fast, sometimes it's heavy. On the whole, we're in the technical death metal spectrum, with some Death influences. Some passages are a bit like Cattle Decapitation. We're often told that there's a Gojira side to it, but I don't really hear it.
M - But it's still an influence. Gojira are still role models, but it's mainly in the way they work. We take a lot of examples from them in that respect, in their pace of life. Because you have to know that they've been irreproachable throughout their careers. That's played a big part in their success. And we take our cues from them in many respects, to try and get there.
Coming back to your EP, which is due for release next month, it's called 'Swallowed by My Own Sins'. Do you have a word to describe it?
M - Just one? Violent.
T - Yes, you can use the adjective violent without any problem. I'd say 'concise'. Because we tried to convey as much as possible in as few minutes of music as possible. We really cut to the chase. There's nothing superfluous. It's very intense, too. That might be a good word to describe this EP.
M - Without only having songs that last an average of 2 min. But yes, you could say 'concise'. But you know that in a composition process, so I don't know if everyone realizes the same thing, but I find that it's pretty easy to get lost in a composition and go off into stuff that easily lasts eight, nine minutes, adding ideas, repeating them... So that's why trimming the fat is often very necessary in music, even if it's to come up with songs that last... The longest song on the EP lasts almost 6 minutes, having already cut through the fat.
Are there any tracks that don't appear on the EP that you'd started working on? Is there one in particular that you would have liked to see on the EP?
T - There are a few, yes. But all the ones that aren't on the EP, there's no regret that they're not there. Because I see this EP as a compilation of our transition from adolescence to adulthood. So I have no regrets about the amount of music, in fact, I think it's a good appetizer, and even those that aren't included have a good reason; we really wanted to keep the crème de la crème of what we had at the time.
M - Even if there's an element of subjectivity, yes, from everyone in the group, because, well, there are four of us. There are four of us with an opinion, four of us composing. So you have to put your ego aside. We've got songs that aren't on it, but no regrets. To use Tristan's words, because we talked about it, we compromised. This EP is six songs, six titles that we chose by mutual agreement because the six jumped out at us as being the best.
And you opened this new era, introducing yourselves to the world with the song 'Prométhée', released last May. Why did you choose this one?
T - So why 'Prométhée' to introduce our universe ? Already, it was the fruit of a lot of debate between us. But what were the winning arguments? Well, 'Prométhée' was perhaps the most accessible track, but it still represented us, because every track represents us, but it was perhaps the most accessible track we had on this EP. Despite a verse entirely in 7:4 with drums in 4:4. But it's still accessible, so we decided it would represent us pretty well during the period when it was going to be the only single we had to show the world.
M - And what's quite interesting about this track, for the record, you mentioned that on the verse, the rhythm is in 7:4 and people will clap their feet or their hands or whatever on the drum beat, even though it's a false track. The drums are totally out of sync with the verse, and it's the guitar that sets the rhythm. As a result, everyone has the impression that the guitar is shifting, when in fact it's the drums that are shifting all the way through, which creates this kind of fluid mix, a kind of complexity, but a little hidden, that makes the song accessible all the way through. Whereas if a musician looks at it, it's not that easy to understand.
How do you work in the studio with all this complexity, because there are four of you and four composers, it's always difficult; you have to make compromises, but it also means you can always add lots of new ideas. How do you work in the studio?
M - In different ways.
[laughs]
T - Well, before we talk about how we work, there's the question of how many times a week we work. Because people have had the impression that we arrive pretty quickly with a finished EP. But the reality is that during our composition phases, we do between five and six days out of seven where we spend a large part of the day composing. Because in reality, I think we're an extremely slow band when it comes to producing our compositions, but once we've got them, we're happy with them and there's hardly anything left to change. In terms of timing, it took us maybe, what, six months?
M - To compose the songs for the EP? Yeah, a good six months.
T - But on the other hand, if you count in terms of hours... We can't even count, I think. But then, we often work for a very long time, and we like to use different methodologies to get ideas and compose. We compose a lot with Maelan, who (for example) can write scores. We also like to put our ideas together. Not really in the studio - it's more like a home studio - but at home. A computer, with recording software, to see if it's ok, what's going to sound good... And it's also very important to think about the arrangements during rehearsals, because you can really see the dynamics of the piece, test how it sounds, etc. So we like to use several methods. So we like to use different methods. It helps us to be more accomplished in the creative process, I think.
M - And the same applies here: since there are four of us composing, we also have four very different ways of doing things, and four very different compositional moods. And none of them are off-limits to us in the creative process. If we can each have a maximum number of different ways of composing, that's great too. And that's what also plays into the slowness, given that we're really trying to be as creative as possible by drawing from as wide a range as possible, which can lead to a certain slowness.
T - A certain slowness that we correct by working a lot. But how many riffs have been amputated from songs and two months later resulted in a totally different composition? It's very often like that. By the way, the very first trac of the EP, “The Greatest Moment Of Your Life”, I think it's the first composition the four of us did, and it was based on a riff we had super long ago. And the composition that came out of it had absolutely nothing to do with it, but it really flowed like a waterfall, what. And really, it's maybe even the song we wrote the fastest. In one evening, in fact. And that never normally happens. And that's how much we can reuse riffs to get other ideas.
Do you have a studio anecdote? Maybe a fun anecdote or something that struck you in the studio?
T - Oh dear. Can we talk about your illness?
M - I think we've all recorded while sick. There are lots of anecdotes...
T - There are so many. Something a bit fun, a bit offbeat, but really, it was. It's justifiable, because all the singing, and I mean all the singing, was done in a T-shirt and shorts, because it was 1,000° in the room. There you have it.
And what's your favorite song from the EP?
M - I think personally, it's “Perception Fatale”, because I'm a drummer, and it's a song for drummers, that one. Right, so it's a song that's very busy, because actually, there's a guitar and bass melody that's very complex. There are a lot of very fast lyrics. So, overall, it's a very complex piece, but it's finer than the others. I mean, the track is completely crazy, with breaks all the time. It's got everything a drummer could dream of.
T - After me, as a singer, I think it's “Swallowed By My Own Sins”, the eponymous track, because it's my most personal lyric. And I really like the brutality of that track, I like the way it's arranged. I like everything about it, really.
And you've got some very polished compositions, but also some very polished lyrics. What is the message you want people to take away from the EP?
T - The overall message would be a slightly more festive variant of 'Momento Mori', so as I was talking about earlier, “remember you're going to die”, but we're here, so we might as well celebrate life. And after that, it's going to deal with various themes, but it's all things that touch us personally, especially as this EP was written at a rather difficult time in our lives. And there's one thing you should know: I'm not the only songwriter. I see myself more as a text arranger than anything else, in fact, because all Azelma's texts, even if there are some that are more personal to certain members, aren't necessarily written by me alone. That's very important. I start with ideas, I put the band's ideas into shape more than I'm actually a writer. As with composition, in fact, each member contributes his stone to the edifice.
And you're a very young band, just starting out. Do you have any long-term plans, ideas or ambitions yet?
T - Yes. We've all already dedicated our lives exclusively to this, for example with intermittent work and so on. In the long term, yes, it would be to become the biggest band possible, obviously. But in the shorter term, it's already a question of getting this EP out properly, getting people to appreciate it, and meeting as many people as possible. That's important. And then, in the medium term, I'd like to record the album so we can get it out as soon as possible, because we've already got a lot of songs in the drawers (which you can hear live, by the way). But I really can't wait for it to be available, because it's quite complex for an artist to release a record, because by the time people receive it, by the time the work is born in people's heads, it's already been dead for over a year, often, in the artists' heads.
M - There's a whole evolution taking place. We already have the hindsight of what we recorded a while ago, now. So, on the EP, we know that there are things we don't want to do again, there are things that we've already proposed and that we want to evolve. But I don't think it's frustrating because it's still songs that we manage to come up with, because the essence of who we are is also live. And that's very important.
T - Yes, that's important.
M - We're a band that works a lot in rehearsal so that what we offer live is as good as what we offer in the studio, on Spotify, on the Platforms and on CD. As a result, there's less frustration, at least for me. And to come back to the idea of ambition, which was the question that got us a bit sidetracked in the first place, I also think that the four of us have the same ambition. I see myself making music all my life, but not without Tristan, Romain and Arthur.
T - The same!
M - Really, Arthur, the bass player, I've been making music with him for 15 years. All my experience, however fresh it may be, because well, it's only been eight years, which isn't much on the scale of a lifetime, but all my experience has been with him, almost. The other project we were talking about at the very beginning, called Désastre, involved Tristan and Romain. Azelma is my whole life as a musician. And it can't be anything else, really.
T - That's it. And even ambition can't be quantified with figures, because we don't really care, it's going to be a side effect if it ever works. But what we're looking for in music, above all, is to transcend ourselves and fill our tiny existence and make it the most beautiful thing possible, quite simply.
I'm going to go back to the 'live performances' subject ; you were on the Hellfest off-stage this year. You've got a release party coming up on October 5 in Cannes with Klone. Can we look forward to a tour in the future?
T - Yes. By the time this interview comes out, I think we'll have announced the tour. Very nice dates in France, especially in the south, for the moment. But yes, we'll be headlining some pretty cool festivals. Just think of the Distorsion festival, coming up on November 9. We'll be playing just before Ten56 and Landmvrks, which is really... It's crazy to see what we've done in a year.
M - It's a bit of a dream. We saw them at Hellfest because we were playing on the off stage and also in the fan zone with the Gojira tribute band...
T - May it rest in peace.
M - God rest that tribute band's soul, but it really made our day. But yes, we had access to the Hellfest passes, and we were able to see Landmvrks, who literally set the Hellfest on fire. It was crazy. Sound-wise, they were the best-sounding of all the bands on the main stage, in my opinion. And to know that this band, who beat us all up, we're going to be playing with them on the same night, on the same stage, that's a lot of pressure. But it's a dream.
T - The same night, on the same stage. 1 hour apart!
M - They might be on the side going 'Mmh...'.
T - 'Mmh... This is shit.'
[laughs]
Nah, they're very, very cool. But it's an absolutely phenomenal motivation to put on the best show possible. Simply because when you have examples like that to follow, it just makes you want to live up to them and show them that there's someone in this world who's touched by what they do. And I agree with Maelan; for me, it was the best show of the whole Hellfest. I'd had the chance to see them before, but I found them more enormous. It was just a titan. It was awesome. Then a big mention to Brutus, who are maybe our favorite band, along with Toto. But yes, they were the two best shows at Hellfest.
And we talked about Landmvrks. But is there a band you'd like to open for?
T - Gojira.
M - Yes.
T - That's for sure.
And do you have any words for your fans and for people who are just discovering you?
M - Take earplugs if you come to see us live. It's really important.
T - It depends on the venue, but yes, it's better to have hearing correction. It's always difficult to say a few last words, but... I invite you to come and discover us live, if possible, otherwise on CD. It's also very, very good. And I hope our music, our art and our universe will touch you.
M - And then I think we can thank all those who listen to us and support us, without whom we'd be nothing at all. So here's a little love note to all those who listen to us and support us.
T - I share it.
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