The Wasteland is omnipresent and will be with us for a long time to come
AEONS OF ASHES recently delivered an extensive and exciting concept album with “The Wasteland Chronicles”. A lot has happened to the motivated and up-and-coming band from Austria in the last few years. We asked the band directly what was going on during these years and what plans they have for the future.
We found it a shame that hardly any band mixes female and male growls and harsh vocals
Hi guys, how are things going for you shortly after the release of “The Wasteland Chronicles”?
Christopher (f4v5t): Everything is going great for us right now! We are overwhelmed by the great feedback we have received about the album, the first two videos with our new vocalist 4LE4 and our release show.
July (4LE4): Everything great! The last few weeks and months have been very intense, now it’s nice to approach things a little more relaxed. In the last rehearsal we played a few of our old songs – which I got to try for the first time – and we’re thinking about doing a cover version for fun. But we’re already working on our own new songs in the background.
It’s been over nine years since your debut. Even though there were a few EPs, why did it take so long?
Tim (The GrandMaester): To be honest, we think it’s no longer appropriate to rely on album releases. You can also see this with many international acts: the tendency is to release individual songs. It’s not necessarily listener-friendly, but otherwise you’d simply get lost in the abundance of bands and publications. At best, a release is present in the media and in people’s minds for a few weeks, regardless of whether it is an album or a single song. Therefore, I prefer EPs and individual videos. Now, however, it was an opportunity to present an album – simply because we now had enough material from our wasteland2570 project.
But are you hopefully aiming for a shorter period of time for the successor?
Tim: First we have two more music videos to shoot: “SurRealization” is designed a little differently than the last videos. We remain in wasteland, but want to realize an unreal, nightmarish vision of 4LE4. “Ring of st0nes” is intended to be more of a classic, narrative wasteland video.
July: By the way, we are still looking for actresses for both shoots, at the beginning of November and sometime in the winter… If you can imagine being in front of the camera in an AEONS OF ASHES video, write to us on Facebook or Insta!
Christopher: Next year we’ll almost certainly release new songs, but definitely not a whole album.
How and when are the songs developed? Was that a process lasting several years?
Christopher: The time it takes to create a song varies greatly. Some are almost ready after a few days, others take weeks or months to mature.
Tim: I think we actually worked on “The Awakening” for two years. Our output from the last four years can now be found on the album – with twelve songs and nine interludes, it’s not such a bad cut.
What can you tell me about the concept behind the album and all the interludes?
July (4LE4): The songs all address different aspects of wasteland2570. But just like the characters’ memories, they are difficult to place in time, sometimes fragmented or full of puzzles. The interludes, which – like our light and fog show and all technical details – were completely implemented by our bassist Mexx (d0ck3r), are perfect breathing spaces and convey the atmosphere of the wasteland, just as we experience it in the role play and the story videos . And they are also an integral part of our live shows. When the album was released we played the album from start to finish in one take.
Will you return to the Wasteland or is this a finished story?
Christopher: The Wasteland is omnipresent and will be with us for a long time to come. It’s an ongoing story in a fascinating world. But who knows what will happen next.
You also said you would let fans continue the story in different ways. Was there already feedback and interesting ideas or even results?
Tim: Absolutely! The entire world is constantly changing and growing with everyone who is part of the Wasteland Collective. No matter whether someone appears in videos with their wasteland character, writes blog entries or sits with us at the role-playing table. And when the world changes, it affects our texts and videos. A practical example: “Walk with Us” tells the story of how 4LE4 meets the Inner Circle, i.e. the rest of the band, and how we convince them to accompany us.
July: And for the song “Ring of st0nes” there is a role-playing adventure of the same name before the video shoot. In this, players can get to the bottom of the mystery of what the ring that st0nes/Georg wears as a talisman is all about. You can find out more about this on our website wasteland2570.com. Or you can simply write to us. Everything will be answered!
Christopher: If you are interested in the deeper meaning of the song lyrics, I can recommend our brilliant MediaBook. Our label Running Wild Productions came up with the idea and Georg (st0nes), who is responsible for all of our artwork, and Tim explained how exactly the individual tracks are anchored in wasteland.
A lot has happened in the band structure since your debut. You had some departures, but they were obviously adequately replaced…
Tim: More than adequate, I would say! In 2015 we separated from drummer Carlo. Anyone who makes music knows how difficult it is to find a good drummer who also fits the band as a person. With Clemens (spr0ut) we hit the absolute jackpot. At the end of 2019, founding member and guitarist Jorgo (g8s) left the band quite surprisingly. Christopher then fit in perfectly within a very short space of time.
And how did July alias 4LE4 come about to bring a second voice into the band?
Tim: This was actually never planned. Over the years I have given one or two fans taster lessons in growling. July’s incredible talent was immediately apparent. Since she has been with the band for a long time as a fan and in wasteland, it was clear to us that she would fit in well with AEONS OF ASHES. An unusual step, yes. But we found it a shame that hardly any band mixes female and male growls and harsh vocals. Within a few days we decided to bring her into the band. We can now see from the reactions how good the decision was.
You also made a cool video for “Time Is A Lie”. What is the song about and how was the recording of the video?
July: It was my first video shoot, I loved it! That day we shot all the material for “Time Is A Lie” and “The Night The Darkness Died” with our great team. After 13 hours we just fell into bed – but it was worth it! “Time Is A Lie” takes place between worlds: I can be seen as 4LE4, but also in a previous life. 4LE4 feels the call from the wasteland and is drawn more and more under its spell. You can also see it as a metaphor for how excited I was, as a career changer, to suddenly be playing in a band that I had been a fan of since the beginning.
What about future live activities? Is there anything already planned?
July: We are currently exploring our offers. (laughs)
Tim: Yes, we hope for a few cool shows in 2024. Our wasteland production is now quite complex with a light and fog show and, if possible, video recordings and no longer works so well on small stages. Ie locations like the Freiraum in St. Pölten or the ((szene)) Vienna are simply better suited for what we do than small pubs. I hope this isn’t interpreted as megalomaniacal. But without a healthy dose of megalomania, we would never have dared to take on the wasteland project. (laughs)
How would you classify yourself stylistically? Does that make sense to you at all, since you like to break (genre) boundaries.
Christopher: We recently described our style as “Post Modern Melodic Death”. That describes our music quite well – on the other hand, “Melodic Death” raises expectations in some people that we can’t or don’t want to fulfill. It’s tough. Maybe in the future we’ll just say “metal”.
Tim: The many subgenres in metal are both a blessing and a curse for me. On the one hand, it helps to find bands whose style you probably like. On the other hand, you put yourself in a drawer that some people might not even want to open.
Looking back on ten years of AEONS OF ASHES, what were the highlights and lowlights for you?
Tim: The first two years, 2013 and 2014, were great! We immediately supported DARK TRANQUILITY and released an album. In 2015 we played our biggest gig to date, as the only support act for PARADISE LOST in the arena. Then things got difficult until “Wasteland” was created in 2019. This has given us all incredible new energy. Now, four years later, we are where we wanted to be from the start. And the last few months have been the most intense, but also the most beautiful for us since we started making music.
Christopher: Even though I haven’t been with AEONS OF ASHES that long, I can only agree!
Thank you for the interview! Would you like to say something else?
July: We say thank you! Everything is still very surreal for me. I can’t imagine anything better than immersing yourself in music and other worlds. The release show at STP Metalweekend was simply magical! As is also discussed in wasteland: visions and dreams can come true. Become the person who deserves to have your dreams come true!
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