Intervuews About Albums: ETWAS - Rites Of The Damned (2024)

In this new interview, we sat down with the French Occult Symphonic Metal band ETWAS to ask questions about their album, "Rites Of The Damned".

1. What can you say about this new CD?

We wanted something even better than what we did with our previous album. So, we recorded the drums in a studio to have a deeper sound. We recorded them in 21Decibels, a studio in Avignon (France), and it was a great experience all together. In less than a week, Clement, our drummer, recorded all the lines, while Silver (guitar player and composer) oversaw everything. We were all in the studio all day, so Florian (bass player) recorded the bass lines in the meantime, and Victoria crocheted some Baphomet plushes for the merch of the upcoming shows. There were very good times together.

We also wanted an external point of view on our music, so we contacted Paul Darbot, a French videogames composer, to make us an introduction for this album. He really seized the atmosphere of the whole album and created the great "Rites of the Damned" track. Moreover, to transmit this atmosphere, we decided to get a haunting artwork and changed the logo to a new one that is now closer to what we do. So, this new album is one more step for Etwas.

2. What is the meaning of the CD name?

"Rites of the Damned" is the Chvpter II of our discography, following "Enochian Keys". Our previous album dealt with occult arts, such as necromancy, divination, alchemy..., and the way souls got damned by reaching darkness to have knowledge and power. So, naturally, "Rites of the Damned" describes the rites and rituals that follow, when the souls are damned and cursed.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD?

Silver, our guitar player, is the composer of all tracks. We all added something to the songs but Silver composed everything. Excepted the introduction, made by Paul Darbot.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

Probably the 8th one, because it is the most approachable. It still has the essence of the band but with a lot of symphonies and melodies, that can be appreciated by many people who aren't necessarily fond of this type of metal music. The chorus stays in mind and we think it is very cool.

5. Is there a special message in this CD? If there is what is it?

Take a step closer to the shadows and let you be embraced by the darkness. It is a path through the unknown, discovering stories of ghosts and witchcraft. We wanted to create an immersive experience and make people dive into it as if they were consumed by a spell.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

The lyrics of our 2nd track, "The Masque of the Red Death", that follow this way:

"Among vivid blue, deep green, white and pure violet,

There was a black room, fully adorned with the darkest velvet.

Through its bloody red windows where no candelabrum light could shine,

Shadows turned to dread shapes when the ebony clock began to chime.

Within his walls, he gave his guests splendors,

Dances and laughts, feast and wonders, revelry galore.

While outside plague and pestilence terrified,

While lives extinguished for the reaper satisfied.

Hear this dim death knell

See this corpse shrouded in crimson, and his skull so pale !

Hear this dim death knell

Where the putrid black disease won, here’s the Masque of the Red Death!

Dabbled in blood, his bony hands besprinkled with the scarlet horror,

The spectral image slided like a ghost, releasing the Prince furore.

A dagger as only weapon, the duke fell appart and his heart broke

Cursing the deadly specter, whispering at the last beat of the ebony clock.

And summoning the wild courage of despair,

Revellers found the shroud empty in a very last dare.

The Red Death came like a thief in the night,

Scattered bodies in blood dew, in a color so bright!

Hear this dim death knell

See this corpse shrouded in crimson, and his skull so pale!

Hear this dim death knell

Where the putrid black disease won, here’s the Masque of the Red Death!"

It deals with to novel, bearing the same name, of Edgar Allan Poe, who always was a huge inspiration for the lyrics. He still is one of the biggest figures of Gothic culture and haunting stories. So we wanted to make a tribute to this song.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

As we made the album before, we documented a lot about the atmosphere we wanted to bring to our music. We read about the Warren cases (for instance, our 3rd track "Haunting Curse" is inspired by the Smurl family story), and we watched series and movies about ghosts, possessions, and witchcraft, to really be soaked by this atmosphere. We also discovered new bands, such as A Night in the Abyss, whose ambiance is really evocative. And also, obviously, Paul Darbot who worked with us on the introduction and gave us some new inspiration for the tracks that weren't totally finished at this time.

8. Something to add?

Thank you so much for this interview. We hope all of you will enjoy this new album. Feel free to contact us the way you like to share about it.