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 Atargatis
is by no means a household name in the metal scene. With
a new album Wasteland just recently released by Massacre
Records, that could change, especially for those who are
familiar with Darkseed and Darkwell. At the time of this
interview, the band had undergone recent lineup changes
and a recent gig in their native Germany.
Peter: I think a good place to start is where did
the name Atargatis come from and how does it fit with
the music?
Luzie: Well, Atargatis is the name of a Syrian goddess. It's an allegory for the origin of life and ascension. We discovered the legends that are told about the goddess and take it as a base for our concept, which is also applied on our new album Wasteland that tells about an everlasting cycle of life and rebirth as a kind of a new Genesis.
Peter: Could you give a brief history of the band?
Luzie: The main part of our band got together about eight years ago while playing concerts with the former bands we had.
We released three EP's in the years 1999, 2002 and 2004 and with our new full-length album Wasteland, we're able to present a complete and comprehensive example of our work.
Peter: Recently, a couple of members left the band. Could you explain the
circumstances and who did you get to replace them?
Luzie: Sadly, our former keyboard player Satyria and guitar player Sagoth left the band because of job-related reasons. They wouldn't have been able to spend enough time on our music and decided to leave. So we're able to present our new guitar man AZMO.
Our singer and bass player Lord Lornhold just couldn't play on our new album Wasteland, but he's still an important member of the band.
Peter: Most poeple who know about the band know that you are also in a band called Darkwell. Going between Atargatis and Darkwell, has there been any conflicts in terms of touring or anything else related to either band?
Luzie: There haven't been any conflicts yet with the plans of Darkwell and Atargatis. It's just important to organize concerts, rehearsals and songwriting well, so it works without any problem.
And playing in two bands means fun twice as big!
Peter: For most people, Atargatis is a relatively unknown band outside of parts of
Europe. If you could give a description of what your band sounds like to
someone who hasn't heard of your band before, what would you say?
Luzie: Our sound consists of classical elements and is based on catchy melodies by guitars and voice. You can describe our sound as a mixture of atmospheric keyboards and orchestral lines completed by powerful guitars. Groovy as well as aggressive, though mostly very melodic parts are followed by gentle, solemn passages and are thus interweaved into a mystical sound.
Peter: Wasteland is the first full-length album from the band. Can you explain how
the record deal with Massacre Records came about?
Luzie: We had been in conversation with several record labels and we chose Massacre Records because they fit exactly to our style of music. And the cooperation is very well!
It's always important for your progression to get assistance so that you can work with combined energy.
Peter: Wasteland seems to be a concept album. If it is, could you elaborate on
what concept is going on throughout the album?
Luzie: Indeed, our new album covers an interesting concept. Wasteland shows the development from a desolated and dried up earth at the end of our time, caused by mankind. The goddess Atargatis sends rain as a symbol for new existence to the earth. Afterwards, nature spreads again and develops into a new "Garden of Eden" and this world is able to recover after the disastrous mistakes our species had made.
On the whole, the concept of Wasteland might be called a new history of creation - a second Genesis!
Peter: On the album, vocals on two of the tracks are contributed by Stefan Hertrich
of Darkseed. How did the arrangement come about and would you work with him
in the future?
Luzie: We know Darkseed very well and appreciate Stefan's voice. So it was obvious to ask Stefan to take part on Wasteland as a guest singer and we are very content with the result. But live, we are still assisted by Lord Lornhold.
Peter: Has the band toured in support of Wasteland and what dates are there
upcoming?
Luzie: We are planning a tour in autumn and play several
concerts in summer to promote our new album.
Upcoming shows:
July 28: Krefeld / Kulturfabrik (Germany)
Sept. 8: Wörgl / Komma (Austria)
Sept. 10: Leipzig / 2.Nocturnal Culture Night Festival
(Germany)
Sept. 16: Jettenbach / Castle (Germany)
Dec. 30: Regensburg / Alte Mälzerei (Germany)
Peter: I'll wrap up the interview and say thanks for taking the time to answer the
questions and best of luck to the band.
Luzie: Thanks a lot for your interesting questions.
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