Interview with CEMRA
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about CEMRA (Members, Starting Year etc).
Цемра (Cemra) is pagan black metal cult from Khmelnytskyi/Kyiv, Ukraine. Starting year: 2019, first release: 2021. Line up: Mlot - guitars/vocals, Berg - main vocals, Alva - lead guitars. We also work with many different session musicians, translators, and artists, who help make each of our releases as diverse, rich, high-quality and interesting as possible.
You have recently released your album ''Життя серед богів''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Honestly, not as much as we expected. As a local underground barely known band we didn't expect immediate overwhelming success, but we would have liked a little more feedback from the listeners. I must admit that there is some light in the darkness and the album did find its audience, albeit small. We noticed stagnation of the native metal scene. Many of the new releases are similar to each other in theme and sound. We are working hard to turn the tide. Our debut album is “the fruit of these efforts“, the purpose of which was to “breathe new life” into Ukrainian black metal, raise not very well-covered topics and, of course, demonstrate to the audience a new view on paganism.
Label or DIY and why?
Label is a worth story. In black metal music, labels have their special place in history, like Deathlike Silence Productions, founded by Euronymous. They often have much more physical capabilities than bands. Labels are masters of their craft, with their own audience, which is almost always larger than the audience of a budding black metal band. Of course, I have nothing against releasing music by DIY and I sincerely wish success to the guys who are doing this, but as for the Cemra, we prefer to collaborate with labels.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Of course. Lead singer of a black metal band was recording vocals for a track called "Быць Язычнікам (Being a Pagan)" in the studio using a variety of rather aggressive and "intimidating to normal people" vocal techniques. At that moment, the next in line сhristian rock band walks through the door. Imagine their faces. We are still wondering whether it was just a simple fright and misunderstanding of what was happening, or a desire to sprinkle the room with holy water and call an exorcist.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Digital is modern world format, we don't appreciate it, but it's a necessary evil for music promotion these days. Analog format is more accepted for us in terms of concept. Vinyl and tapes have their theurgical sound. CD's is a great option for releasing metal music for all times. As for us, we prefer to release our music on Vinyl and CD. Even the idea of illustrating each track of our album was dictated by the desire to release compact discs with truly aesthetic booklets that would be a great addition to the CD-collection of any fan of black metal music.
Your music style is Pagan Black Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Essentially our music grew up from the grain sown by Immortal. As for main influences, that's propably Zaklon, Mgła and Arckanum.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
This is about how music becomes the meaning of life for musicians. Literally and figuratively. You sacrifice something important in your life, and you consider this the only right choice. This could be material wealth, family, relationship, personal time. Yes. We bring a sacrifice to the altar every day. That's the whole point. It's not just a musical craft, it's a worldview.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Nope. Working on it. As our idea of an ideal live performance - it should resemble not an ordinary metal live act, but be a kind of imitation of an ancient pagan ritual on stage. Of course, special attention should be paid to the stage image of the musicians and the requisite. It seems to me that an excellent solution would be to use various ritual attributes, such as artificial animal skulls, ritual daggers and bowls, as well as dressing the vocalist in the clothes of a Slavic or Scandinavian shaman, for example, for those moments when he plays the jaw harp. As you probably understood, we would like to create an unforgettable performance that would interest the audience and reveal to people some aspects of paganism that they did not know about before. Plus good sound, of course, which is often a problem in our country.
What attributes do you think that a new Black Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Only a serious approach and maximum impact. Nowadays, a lot of gangs do this lightly, often as a joke. It is important to live what you do, to be sincere with yourself and those around you, especially those who are interested in black metal. I believe that fans of this musical style have excellent taste and it is not worth wasting their attention in vain, "slipping" them a low- quality musical product. The public easily exposes those who pretend and artificially try to create "an empty image" for themselves.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Black Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Yes. But you shouldn’t attach too much importance to this; it’s not the secret of success and not the only development milestone. In my opinion, there is no universal ideal way to promote your work. Perhaps the best option is a multifaceted PR, i.e. working not with one PR platform, but with different ones - including specialized metal media, social networks, reviewers, etc.
Do you see any differences between the Ukraine Metal Market & the EU Metal Market (Labels, Bands, Fans etc)?
These are absolutely incomparable things, for example, like the Solar System and Boötes Void. I mean our metal market is a completely different system. I can't say it's definitely worse, but it's different, that's all.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Ukraine (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Controversial issue. We have practically no metal clubs. Our Fanzines, Webzines or some other promotion platforms prefer more famous representatives of any genre. Our opinion is that they are involved in the stagnation of our metal scene. We reserve the right not to mention any of the bands and none of the metal resources.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Of course we know mighty Rotting Christ, talented Sakis Tolis with his side projects. We are sure that the Greek metal scene can boast of many great artists who contribute to the global development of metal music in general.
How is the situation right now in Ukraine? Is it difficult or easy for the bands to play live shows & record in the studios?
War sets new rules for conducting life, business, everything else. Many problems have arisen, the energy system of our country is unstable, there are emergency and planned blackouts, which, in principle, complicates both studio work and the holding of festivals. If concerts are held, they are almost exclusively in the style of a charity fundraiser for our army.
What are your future plans?
New music approaching.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Darkest regards!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
CEMRA CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/cemra.official/
https://www.instagram.com/cemra_bm/