1.Welcome Shylmagoghnar to Metal Music Clan. Could you tell us a bit about the history of the band and why did you decide the name Shylmagoghnar? When and where start Shylmagoghnar?
Hello Metal Music Clan, thank you for having us!
Shylmagoghnar is the result of the two of us (Skirge & Nimblkorg) meeting in early high school. Our interests in almost everything, from music, to film, to games and also general views on life, were very compatible and it didn't take long for us to develop a close bond.
At that time Skirge had already been experimenting with writing lyrics, and I started playing guitar during that same year. The decision to start a band together was pretty much inevitable.
As for the name Shylmagoghnar, it's too long ago to say for sure, but we do know that we wanted a name which sounded like it was not-of-this-world. Something which sounds abstract and weird, but also speaks to the imagination and represents what we felt the music should be. Both of us chose 2 syllables which spoke to us on a personal level, and the combination formed the word “Shylmagoghnar”. That must have been somewhere around the early '00s.
2.Which is the current line-up of the band? Could you do a brief presentation of the members?
There are two of us – Skirge & Nimblkorg.
Skirge is the lyricist and vocalist, and also contributes with piano/synth or composition of a song from time to time.
Nimblkorg mainly writes and performs the music, while doing some lyrics/vocals every now and then.
There is a bit of overlap, as we both just enjoy doing lots of things, but this balance has worked out the best for us so far.
3.In 2014 your wonderful debut album "Emergence" was released.Please, present us your last work album "Transience"(2018).What can we find in this last album?
We're glad you enjoyed the debut! As for its follow-up “Transience”, it is intended to be a sibling to our first album. We had always imagined our first 3 albums to be a trilogy-in-spirit (which is also why we are going with the similar naming convention for both albums), so for Transience we wanted to build further upon the base that was laid out with Emergence, but we wanted to approach different themes this time around.
Where Emergence had a more earthy, human, apocalyptic theme, Transience is intended to be a shift in perspective towards the things which lie beyond our physical boundaries. The endless cycle of life and death, the passing of time on a cosmic scale, the search for meaning in an unsympathetic void.
Musically, this also meant a shift in tone. With the grander scale of material to write about, the words and sounds had to match, which resulted in generally longer more complex lyrics and songs and a vibe which feel more dramatic to us. But it still very much is Shylmagoghnar.
4.Shylmagoghnar it's a Atmospheric/Melodic Blackened Death Metal band.What are your inspirations to write music and lyrics?
Nimblkorg: for me personally, I think it started when I heard Smetana's “Má Vlast” on a cassette tape my brother brought home when I was still very little. I remember being amazed by how visual his use of music was, and I think it lodged the thought “music is not just sound - it can tell a complex story” in my mind.
However, being generally disgruntled by the music that I heard on the radio in my childhood, I had started to believe that I simply didn't like music and that it wasn't for me. The thoughts of Smetana's work faded into the back of my mind.
It wasn't until I started going to high school, and music with heavy guitars was introduced to me, that I realized I had simply not been hearing the right music for me. The second I heard a distorted guitar riff, I immediately knew it was what I wanted to do with my life, and so that's what I did.
About the sound and genre mix of Shylmagoghnar: to us that is basically just a random result of that musical journey. It was never on our minds while writing anything, and we continue to approach the project with a “go with what the music tells you to do” mentality.
Skirge: Musically, I am inspired from anything from classical music to black metal. I like eclectic music that doesn't adhere to the unwritten rules of one specific genre. As for lyrics, it is life itself, and the depths of the human mind, that inspires me.
5. Shylmagoghnar is a band formed by two members, Nimblkorg and Skirge. How do you organize yourself to do all the work?.Have you given some concerts?
Nimblkorg: I cannot lie; the organization part was and still can be very challenging! Being your own manager is a slippery slope.
As anyone who has ever done a creative project of their own volition can surely attest to, it is fun and easy to get ideas for a project, but actually bringing those ideas to a a satisfying end can be absolutely grueling. First of all, the skills required to make an album by ourselves were much more numerous than we had anticipated – and each of those skills had to be patiently practiced, or else we'd end up with a subpar result. It's like planning to build a closet, and ending up having to study how to build an entire house.
It took us over a decade to get comfortable with all required skills, and when things take that long, it becomes harder and harder to stay optimistic and productive. Half the battle takes place in the mind, and there have been points where we felt like giving up. I'm glad we didn't though – the outcome has changed our lives for the better for sure.
To sum it up: we organize ourselves to do the work by constantly pushing back against self-doubt and demoralization. There is simply no short-cut to achieving what you want to achieve in life.
We do not perform live no – due to personal circumstances I cannot deal with uncontrolled noise and light around me, so it's not my personal goal in music.
6.Please, could you give us a brief explanation about the lyrics of "Transience" ?:
Skirge: It is hard to give a short and precise answer here. One of the many themes that are delved into are what it means to experience existence with full awareness - the dichotomy of what it means to be painfully aware
of your own limitations while possessing an almost unlimited imagination of what could be. To see all the paths not taken, and suffer for the loss of every one. Other themes that are explored are endurance in the face
of crippling hardship and depression, the nature of reality, and the duality of dreams. And there are many more themes to be discovered. But in the end I would really like the listener to have their own interpretations.
7. We think we can get the vinyl edition of "Emergence". Have you any website for info, merchandising,etc?? Where can we get your stuff?
We mostly post all of our news on facebook ( facebook.com/Shylmagoghnar/ ) and www.shylmagoghnar.com . Furthermore, we upload our full albums on our youtube channel
( http://youtube.com/shylmagoghnar ) and everyone is very welcome to leave a comment there!
We do our best to react as often as we can and answer questions.
The two main storefronts are our personal Bandcamp page ( https://shylmagoghnar.bandcamp.com/ ) and the Napalm Records online shop ( smarturl.it/Transience-NPR ), but our music also gets distributed physically and digitally worldwide, so with a bit of luck you may be able to find our work in your local music shop. If not, please let them know you are interested! It helps us tremendously to spread the word.
As for the Emergence vinyl: at the time of writing that one is sadly completely sold out. There may be a reprint in the future though.
8.Please, give us a opinion about the following Words:
-Religion:
-Nimblkorg: If practiced on a personal level, I have no qualms with it. I'm not religious at all, but I've seen people use it to overcome dark times and fear, or to grow as a person, and I can respect that.
Organized religion (or any movement basing its right to exist on dogmatic values for that matter) on the other hand is something which I consider a potential danger to society. History has shown that it has a tendency to overstep its boundaries and try to force others outside of that religion to live by its standards. That's tyranny and I have zero respect for that.
-Skirge:
A slippery slope, and that's putting it lightly. It's a subject I could discuss for hours, but suffice to say that I strongly believe that humanity as a whole would be better of without it.
-Nature:
Nimblkorg & Skirge: We consider nature to be everything around us, including ourselves. It can be anything from beautiful to horrifying. It's very hard to give a concise opinion on it, so all we can say is that we respect it greatly.
-Dark poetry and paintings:
Nimblkorg: I love it. In popular culture, I feel that the balance of what is shown is overly shifted into the positive, light, happy side of life, which feels fake to me. Real life has just as much darkness as it has light, and I think that exploring both sides equally can be a very enriching experience.
Also, in trying times, some of the greatest artists ever have arisen and timelessly portraited the anguish of a nation in words, images and sounds. These should serve as a lesson to future generations, so they will never make the same mistakes again.
Skirge: It is the dichotomy in humans that has always captivated me, so I definitely like to indulge in 'dark' art from time to time - Both darkness and light are inside of everyone. My own creative work generally does not tend to be
on the cheery side. And, like Nimblkorg, overly happy stuff has always felt very artificial to me.
-Black Metal Music:
Skirge: Black metal will always have a special place in my heart. I am very picky when it comes to music, and within the genre of black metal this is no exception - but when there is that connection, no other genre can give me this surge
of adrenaline, energy and emotion; it's impossible to put in words and utterly incomparable with anything.
Nimblkorg: In line with the previous answer, I'm very fond of the atmospheres it can create, both in the positive and the negative. It gives the musician a wide palette for expression. I don't like all black metal of course, but I think that's a good thing. I think art should cause a reaction, and that reaction depends a lot on the observer and their personal life views and experiences. Any reaction is better than feeling nothing at all.
9.Recommend us:
-A book:
Skirge: 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. A truly amazing book, reading it for the first time was an experience. It made a deep connection with me, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Nimblkorg: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. Wouldn't say this is my favourite book ever, but it certainly was unique.
-A film:
Skirge: You can wake me in the middle of the night for a viewing of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.
Also, I know it's a bit of a hype right now (which I usually don't buy into at all), but I was watching HBO'S Chernobyl, and it really is some damn powerful stuff - it was on my mind for weeks after viewing.
Nimblkorg: Terminator 2. I know you've seen it already, but go watch it again anyway!
-A place to visit:
Nimblkorg: I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. I'm probably not the right person to answer this question.
Skirge: Anywhere were there are no to little people is a good place, far as I am concerned.
10.Future plans for Shylmagoghnar?
Nimblkorg: As mentioned before, our original vision was at the very least a trilogy of albums, so that's what I'm setting my mind to now. We tend to take our time with albums, so we don't have anything to announce yet. We're certainly not standing still though!
11-Something to add to the readers or editors of METAL MUSIC CLAN??
We wish to thank you all for reading and we hope you enjoyed the answers. Also, for those of you in particular who are working towards similar goals as we are: don't give up, no matter what happens. Talk to others who are in the same boat – it helps to surround yourself with productive people and keep each other going. You don't have to do this alone.
To the editors of Metal Music Clan: thank you very kindly again for the interview, it's much appreciated!
All the best from Shylmagoghnar
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