Dark Moor dared to embellish their symphonic sound with various melodic hard rock/metal elements and they succeeded at long last. Their new album, “Ars Musica” finds the band in a very good mood and with the will to go on doing new things. The original member, songwriter & guitarist Enrik Garcia talked to Grande Rock about the new work, the old days and today’s situation…
Hey Enrik… new album after 3 years… and admirably one of your band’s top works thus far! Great!
E: Thanks, I agree. This is a very special album for us, because there is a lot of us inside.
So, what are the new elements that this album contains in comparison to your previous ones?
E: I think that this album rocks more. Melodies, harmony and orchestral parts are more than on the previous CDs. Each song is different, as you see but all of them have a part of our personality. We are very happy with “Ars Musica”.
What was the musical direction you wanted to follow when you started writing music for this album? Was it something particular or you just went with the flow?
E: We thought of following the way of the last album, “Ancestral Romance”, but finally the melodies drove differently. For us, the important thing is that the new songs sound fresh and original. We don’t like to repeat the same CD again and again so we try to find new sounds and harmonies.
Being a symphonic power metal band, was it hard to decide whether to reduce the symphonic elements or not? Or you do not like to put your music under tags in general? I think the new heavy melodic metal parts are also very exciting.
E: The tags are for the labels and the press, I think. We play rock and Dark Moor are not under tags. We are a band that looks for good melodies much and we try to work with humility and love for our music.
I think you do realize that “The Road Again” is a huge “hit” that can give you more fame and hopefully fortune, right? J
E: Yes, it is a great single, but I think we have other songs that could be singles too, ha, ha. It was very hard to choose a song for the single, but finally “The Road Again” was a very good selection. It is a special song for me because it talks about a part of life, it is deep in feelings.
What does “Ars Musica” declare and how is it related to the stunning cover artwork? (It did bring Harry Potter on mind for a non-specific reason, though
)
E: “Ars Musica” is a statement. We understand that our music represents this one. The cover is really nice, we see us like the children of the cover, lost in our romantic world of art and magic; through the window you can see a modern city outside where it is raining and all is grey and sad.
Please tell us a few things about each song…
E: “Ars Musica”: It is the Overture to the album. A symphonic piece written for me...
“The First Lance of Spain”: Talks us about Diego de Leon, Spanish Hero.
“This Is My Way”: The most melodic song that we have ever written. I love this song.
“The Road Again”: The single that sticks to your mind.
“Together as Ever”: Another favorite song of mine. It is the most rock song of the album.
“The City of Peace”: This is dance music more
… talks about Toledo and three cultures.
“Gara & Jonay”: The legend of the lovers of the isle Gomera, in Canarias, Spain.
“Living in a Nightmare”: The fastest song we have ever written. Talks about Goya’s painting…
“El último Rey”: It is a very Spanish song, and we sing in Spanish too. Talks about Boabdil “el chico” and the lost city of Granada, his city.
“Saint James Way”: This is a mystic song about the experience of following Saint James’ way.
“Spanish Suite (Asturias)”: Cover version of Master Isaac Albeniz’s classic piece.
Tell us about the bonus tracks as well: “The Road Again (Acoustic Version)”, “Living in a Nightmare (Orchestral Version)”. What songs are gonna be included in the Japanese edition?
E: Yes, the same tracks will be featured on the Japanese edition. Those are special gifts for the fans. Alfred and I were in the studio playing the acoustic guitars and we began playing “The Road Again” while improvising at the same time; we liked it a lot and said, hey, why not record it and give it as a special gift for our fans? And we recorded it.
The production is superb as well. Luigi Stefanini (Rhapsody of Fire, Labyrinth, Vision Divine) did a great job. Are you totally satisfied? Is there anything you would like to change?
E: Yes, Luigi and I worked in album productions together years ago and we understand each other very well. Now we have begun to work with other bands too and the result is very good. Luigi is part of Dark Moor’s sound; without him we wouldn’t sound the same.
A video for “The Road Again” will be released anytime soon (it may have, when this interview is online). Are there any thoughts for a second video for any of the slower/ballad songs in the future?
E: We’d like to make a lot more videos, but it’s not easy with this economic crisis. We made a big effort in order to make a great video for “The Road Again” & I hope that all the fans will enjoy it!
What are the band’s tour plans for the Summer and not only?
E: For the moment we are focused on the release and promotion of the new CD. We’ll play in Mexico in October and after that we’ll take our chances to play in Europe, Asia, etc.
I’ve written: “…Closing, “Ars Musica” is a complete and well-crafted album from a band that dared to renew its sound & managed to deliver fresh, melodic, symphonic & heavy music…”. What’s your say?
E: I love you! (i.n.: Hehehe… the band members usually hate me!)
I do believe that the symphonic metal genre is overcrowded and it’s losing its shiny glamour little by little. Too many bands appear while the music quality is reduced. What can be done in order not to become too cheesy and predictable at long last?
E: Yes, I agree, I do not see creative bands… I don’t know. The important thing is to have inspiration to make music and art; this is our way, but other bands possibly only think of money…
E: Thanks, I agree. This is a very special album for us, because there is a lot of us inside.
So, what are the new elements that this album contains in comparison to your previous ones?
E: I think that this album rocks more. Melodies, harmony and orchestral parts are more than on the previous CDs. Each song is different, as you see but all of them have a part of our personality. We are very happy with “Ars Musica”.
What was the musical direction you wanted to follow when you started writing music for this album? Was it something particular or you just went with the flow?
E: We thought of following the way of the last album, “Ancestral Romance”, but finally the melodies drove differently. For us, the important thing is that the new songs sound fresh and original. We don’t like to repeat the same CD again and again so we try to find new sounds and harmonies.
Being a symphonic power metal band, was it hard to decide whether to reduce the symphonic elements or not? Or you do not like to put your music under tags in general? I think the new heavy melodic metal parts are also very exciting.
E: The tags are for the labels and the press, I think. We play rock and Dark Moor are not under tags. We are a band that looks for good melodies much and we try to work with humility and love for our music.
I think you do realize that “The Road Again” is a huge “hit” that can give you more fame and hopefully fortune, right? J
E: Yes, it is a great single, but I think we have other songs that could be singles too, ha, ha. It was very hard to choose a song for the single, but finally “The Road Again” was a very good selection. It is a special song for me because it talks about a part of life, it is deep in feelings.
What does “Ars Musica” declare and how is it related to the stunning cover artwork? (It did bring Harry Potter on mind for a non-specific reason, though
)E: “Ars Musica” is a statement. We understand that our music represents this one. The cover is really nice, we see us like the children of the cover, lost in our romantic world of art and magic; through the window you can see a modern city outside where it is raining and all is grey and sad.
Please tell us a few things about each song…
E: “Ars Musica”: It is the Overture to the album. A symphonic piece written for me...
“The First Lance of Spain”: Talks us about Diego de Leon, Spanish Hero.
“This Is My Way”: The most melodic song that we have ever written. I love this song.
“The Road Again”: The single that sticks to your mind.
“Together as Ever”: Another favorite song of mine. It is the most rock song of the album.
“The City of Peace”: This is dance music more
… talks about Toledo and three cultures.“Gara & Jonay”: The legend of the lovers of the isle Gomera, in Canarias, Spain.
“Living in a Nightmare”: The fastest song we have ever written. Talks about Goya’s painting…
“El último Rey”: It is a very Spanish song, and we sing in Spanish too. Talks about Boabdil “el chico” and the lost city of Granada, his city.
“Saint James Way”: This is a mystic song about the experience of following Saint James’ way.
“Spanish Suite (Asturias)”: Cover version of Master Isaac Albeniz’s classic piece.
Tell us about the bonus tracks as well: “The Road Again (Acoustic Version)”, “Living in a Nightmare (Orchestral Version)”. What songs are gonna be included in the Japanese edition?
E: Yes, the same tracks will be featured on the Japanese edition. Those are special gifts for the fans. Alfred and I were in the studio playing the acoustic guitars and we began playing “The Road Again” while improvising at the same time; we liked it a lot and said, hey, why not record it and give it as a special gift for our fans? And we recorded it.
The production is superb as well. Luigi Stefanini (Rhapsody of Fire, Labyrinth, Vision Divine) did a great job. Are you totally satisfied? Is there anything you would like to change?
E: Yes, Luigi and I worked in album productions together years ago and we understand each other very well. Now we have begun to work with other bands too and the result is very good. Luigi is part of Dark Moor’s sound; without him we wouldn’t sound the same.
A video for “The Road Again” will be released anytime soon (it may have, when this interview is online). Are there any thoughts for a second video for any of the slower/ballad songs in the future?
E: We’d like to make a lot more videos, but it’s not easy with this economic crisis. We made a big effort in order to make a great video for “The Road Again” & I hope that all the fans will enjoy it!
What are the band’s tour plans for the Summer and not only?
E: For the moment we are focused on the release and promotion of the new CD. We’ll play in Mexico in October and after that we’ll take our chances to play in Europe, Asia, etc.
I’ve written: “…Closing, “Ars Musica” is a complete and well-crafted album from a band that dared to renew its sound & managed to deliver fresh, melodic, symphonic & heavy music…”. What’s your say?
E: I love you!
(i.n.: Hehehe… the band members usually hate me!)I do believe that the symphonic metal genre is overcrowded and it’s losing its shiny glamour little by little. Too many bands appear while the music quality is reduced. What can be done in order not to become too cheesy and predictable at long last?
E: Yes, I agree, I do not see creative bands… I don’t know. The important thing is to have inspiration to make music and art; this is our way, but other bands possibly only think of money…
Do you believe that Youtbe, iTunes, Spotify etc. can help metal music reach new fans or bands are losing money and time due to the free-downloading thing as well? Is there something that must be done and if so, what is it? Will the music quality of an album be second rate someday?
E: I don’t know, I not think about it very much, for me it’s the same. I only think of making good songs and enjoy.
Time for our weird questions!!! How did you come up with the name Dark Moor back in the day?
E: The name comes from a Sherlock Holmes book, The Baskerville Hound. A very good friend of ours told us about it and we took it.
Going back to the time when the singer change was made … from the female operatic to Alfred… what do you see? Was it for the band’s own benefit in due course?
E: Ten years ago…. Ufff a long time ago… For me Alfred Romero is the singer of Dark Moor. It is like talking about Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di’anno… The singer of Maiden is Dickinson, end of story. (i.n: Got it dude!)
What are those bands that marked the symphonic metal movement?
E: Mmm. Dark Moor? Ha, ha, ha… I don’t know… What is symphonic metal? For me it all started with Rainbow and their live album “Difficult to Cure”… when I saw the orchestra playing with them I said to myself… hey, I want to make music that way!
If you could put the best sympho power metal band in the world together who would participate and why?
E: This is work for Promoters… I hate tags…. as you can see…. XD
What do you think of the economic crisis that’s threatening people’s lives over the profit of some rich men? Do we need a revolution again?
E: Yes. But peoples in Europe are sleeping… All the wealth is for a few people, while most are experiencing bad conditions… I could talk for days and days about this… Spain is a terrible condition… But finally peoples will win!
Shall we wait for extraterrestrials to save us… or we must first make a stand and save our lives ourselves instead of waiting for others to do that for us?
E: I believe more in “V for Vendetta” by Allan More, have you read it? (i.n.: Nope, but I’ve watched the movie… a good one!)
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
E: I don’t know, I don’t read philosophical books…
Is fiction part of reality… or reality is fiction’s flaw?
E: To be or not to be, this is the question…
Which is the biggest unfulfilled aim or wish for your further life?
E: To see my son grow up happily…
You have the opportunity to have sex with the porn-star/movie celebrity of your choice. Who would it be & why?
E: I love my wife and I’m faithful…
Imagine that your wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
E: I die for her, she inspired me and all the music that I wrote was for her, so she can do whatever she wants with the album collection.
Thx very much for this wonderful interview Enrik. Thx for the music as well. The last words of this interview belong to you… Take care!
E: Thanks to you, I think that it was the longest interview that I have ever given!!! I’m happy that you liked our CD. Thanks for the support! All the best!... Winter is coming!
E: I don’t know, I not think about it very much, for me it’s the same. I only think of making good songs and enjoy.
Time for our weird questions!!! How did you come up with the name Dark Moor back in the day?
E: The name comes from a Sherlock Holmes book, The Baskerville Hound. A very good friend of ours told us about it and we took it.
Going back to the time when the singer change was made … from the female operatic to Alfred… what do you see? Was it for the band’s own benefit in due course?
E: Ten years ago…. Ufff a long time ago… For me Alfred Romero is the singer of Dark Moor. It is like talking about Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di’anno… The singer of Maiden is Dickinson, end of story. (i.n: Got it dude!)
What are those bands that marked the symphonic metal movement?
E: Mmm. Dark Moor? Ha, ha, ha… I don’t know… What is symphonic metal? For me it all started with Rainbow and their live album “Difficult to Cure”… when I saw the orchestra playing with them I said to myself… hey, I want to make music that way!
If you could put the best sympho power metal band in the world together who would participate and why?
E: This is work for Promoters… I hate tags…. as you can see…. XD
What do you think of the economic crisis that’s threatening people’s lives over the profit of some rich men? Do we need a revolution again?
E: Yes. But peoples in Europe are sleeping… All the wealth is for a few people, while most are experiencing bad conditions… I could talk for days and days about this… Spain is a terrible condition… But finally peoples will win!
Shall we wait for extraterrestrials to save us… or we must first make a stand and save our lives ourselves instead of waiting for others to do that for us?
E: I believe more in “V for Vendetta” by Allan More, have you read it? (i.n.: Nope, but I’ve watched the movie… a good one!)
Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
E: I don’t know, I don’t read philosophical books…
Is fiction part of reality… or reality is fiction’s flaw?
E: To be or not to be, this is the question…
Which is the biggest unfulfilled aim or wish for your further life?
E: To see my son grow up happily…
You have the opportunity to have sex with the porn-star/movie celebrity of your choice. Who would it be & why?
E: I love my wife and I’m faithful…
Imagine that your wife is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
E: I die for her, she inspired me and all the music that I wrote was for her, so she can do whatever she wants with the album collection.
Thx very much for this wonderful interview Enrik. Thx for the music as well. The last words of this interview belong to you… Take care!
E: Thanks to you, I think that it was the longest interview that I have ever given!!! I’m happy that you liked our CD. Thanks for the support! All the best!... Winter is coming!