Interviews: Nameless Theory


On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Metal band, Nameless Theory from Portugal. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

Hi guys! First of all, many thanks for the opportunity! Basically, the name came up during a brainstorming. Three of us came from a previous band (me, André and Júnior) and we didn’t want to keep the same name (in order for it to be a fresh start), so when we invited Igor to be the drummer we had several brainstorming sessions during the rehearsals and at a certain point someone threw out that we were “Nameless” and then another one said that we can put something “cool” to go with Nameless and “Theory” was one that sounded cool and we could somehow build a concept out of it, and it had such a cool sound that we decided immediately that that was going to be it.

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

We all come from a metal background, I think it was mostly what we heard growing up so since we were all in our teens, we had an interest of learning an instrument and being part of a band, so naturally, we’d inclined to what we were hearing at the time and that was mostly metal and hard rock, and such. Eventually, we played in some cover bands (that played metal like Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc) and then we naturally felt the need to create something of our own. 

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Yes. I and Igor played together for a couple of years in a covers band, that’s where I met him. He had also played previously in another covers band with Junior, so he would hang out with us a couple of times. As for Junior, he had also played with André in an original project. So, in mid-2012 Junior had the idea to reconnect with André and another drummer to make original music and he invited me later in the year. Eventually, at the end of 2012, we had a falling out with the other drummer and in January 2013 we invited Igor to pick up where we left off but completely changed the songs we had.

4. Each band member's favourite band? 

So my favourite bands are (in no specific order): Iron Maiden, Pain of Salvation, Opeth and Devin Townsend – I could go on but let’s leave it like that! Igor’s favourite bands are Lamb of God, Slipknot, Foo Fighters... André’s favourite bands are also Iron Maiden and Lamb of God, but also Deftones, As I lay Dying and Comeback Kid (there are some more but these might be the most influential for his riffs) and Junior’s favourite bands are also Lamb of God (there’s a pattern here!), Korn, Mudvayne, After the Burial... We like a lot of bands really but maybe these one’s are the most influential.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Since day one we always write our songs as a band, so the simple answer is ourselves. We inspire each and every one of us and try to push ourselves further. It’s the fantastic feeling of being able to play music as a band that keeps us going on. In practical terms usually, André brings some guitar riffs and then we just jam, and the songs start to evolve. What we also do is to try and create a trip with highs and lows and a lot of dynamics, never thinking about what people want but more about what the song wants and where it wants to go. Then at the same time, I’m hearing the songs and trying to put in words what the music makes me feel, so we always write the music first and I try to write lyrics that match the music we create. Obviously, the lyrics come from a place of personal experience but usually they give me full creative control on that regard (which I deeply appreciate).

6. Where was your last gig? 

Our last gig was on the 29th of February 2020, as specially invited band of a local garage band contest. We were promoting the (then just released “Into the Void”) and although we were feeling that something serious was about to go down, we never imagined that we would completely stop giving gigs for more than 2 years. And we are still feeling the consequences, it’s difficult to book dates, but we really want to make 2023 the year we finally go Live again, and hopefully a lot! We are working on it.

7. Where would you like to act? 

If you allow us to dream high then the great European metal festivals are on our minds, such as Wacken, Download, Hellfest, Resurrection Fest, as well as our home festivals such as the great Vagos Metal Fest, SWR Barroselas Metal Fest, VOA... There are so many great Portuguese metal festivals that support the underground scene we’d love to be a part of, and hopefully, we are on track of being part of them in the future. But let’s keep our feet on the ground and work for the next live gig and take it from there.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

This is a question I never thought about. I guess we are always open to collaborations! I’d like to think that we are very open-minded and just enjoy music in general, we don’t consider ourselves elitists in any fashion, so we’d be open to anything if it’s cool and sounds good. Maybe a fusion between Metal and Fado (a traditional Portuguese musical genre) would be extremely interesting, it’s not something new - there are some Portuguese metal bands that made this - but it’s part of our cultural heritage and I really like fusion music, so I think we’d be happy to also do something in that line.

9. Whom not? 

There’s no one in specific really. Based on the original question I think we wouldn’t do a collaboration with someone we just couldn't identify. I guess more on a person than on a musical level. We just want to be happy and spread positive vibes. Even if we have a couple of - what some would consider - “social” lyrics, the idea behind them is always, 100%, be yourself, be happy and fight for your happiness and don’t let yourself be dragged down by bullies and people that mean you harm. So based on that, we wouldn’t collaborate with bands or people that we would feel that it’s not right.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that? 

Yes! I have a lot! I really suffer from anxiety and entering the stage (would it be to play for 100 people or 10) it’s terrifying! But in the end, this really boils down to personalities, I know that my bandmates are a lot more relaxed and deal with this extremely well, so it really depends on the person. So basically, I hold on to the memory that playing live is the best feeling in the world – once you step on the stage and sing the first line – it’s really a cathartic experience, especially in this genre and the music we play, I really try to switch off every concern I have, every stress and just feel the energy of the songs and the audience. So, I really hang on to these memories I have. Another thing I do is to have at least 30 min before entering the stage alone or at least to be alone with my thoughts and I do some sort of meditation, breathing exercises and such to try and calm down the anxiety. I also try not to think about any gigs in advance, for example, if we are booking dates I just say yes and I don’t consider too much if it’s a big stage, a small stage, if it’s in a week or a month. Just say yes and then deal with the fact that it’s going to happen, just to avoid second thoughts. But in the end, it’s absolutely worth it, after the first line and notes it’s the best thing in the world! 

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Each and every one of us brings something to the table based on our influences, either current or old. I think we can see I try to bring a lot of prog vibes (really inspired by Pain of Salvation, Opeth, etc.). I like to tell stories and to feel where the songs are going without limiting them in terms of length and structure, André is also like that, and both of us really love Iron Maiden so we naturally also lean towards the melodic and epic for the chord progressions and vocal lines. Igor and Junior, they push us forward more on the aggressive side, with the Lamb of God and Slipknot influences. There are also a lot of hardcore/metalcore influences on the riffs side coming from André and Junior. So, in the end, we try to make something that can be described as “our sound” with all the influences we have.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Fortunately, no one ever asked us something weird, but we’d like to! It would mean we are reaching enough people to get something weird going on!

13. What do you think of your fans?

It’s funny because although I still consider us very small on the Portuguese underground scene, we’ve developed a following mainly in our local area and we’ve actually made friends (and in one case bandmates in a separate project!) because of Nameless Theory. And they are people that keep asking when we give news and always react on our social media. So, for us, it’s really that: a nice friendship. And we just hope that they still stay in touch, and we promise them that 2023 onwards it’s going to be a lot more activity from our side!  

14. What do you think of our site?

I think that it’s great that sites like yours keep supporting the metal scene, especially what we consider the underground scene. There are a LOT of great metal bands that don’t get the attention they deserve and only with projects as yours they can start to be heard. So, many congratulations on the project and we wish that you guys keep pushing and never give up! As for the website itself, it’s very organized and with a cool look, you understand immediately where to go and don’t get lost – so for us don’t change a bit, it’s a winner! 

15. Something to add?

Only appreciate again the opportunity to be heard and promise that Nameless Theory will keep on pushing and making new music. We already have about 5/6 new songs, that for me are REALLY sounding great so who knows... I wouldn’t say a new album is on the way for 2023, but who knows the future! Let’s just try to return to live performances and build up from there! Cheers everyone!

No hay comentarios

Imágenes del tema: Aguru. Con la tecnología de Blogger.