Affliction Gate
Affliction Gate is a young band in the international extreme Metal scene; this combo being, in my point of view, one of the most interesting French rising forces we've seen in the latest years or so! And if we add here that this first official full length features mighty Vincent Crowley from Acheron and that the future one will feature well known Dave Ingram from Benediction, things have been said since the beginning! Being in touch with band members since their "Severance (Dead To This World)" EP released in 2008, this was the perfect occasion to learn more things about this promising gang from Toulon!
Arcana Noctis: Hell(o) and darkest hails for Affliction Gate! What the latest news from your camp is these days?
Affliction Gate: Recently, we found a new rehearsal place so we started again to practice in order to prepare the upcoming gigs in late May including an appearance at the Festung Open Air in Germany.
Arcana Noctis: You started this band 3 years ago with the aim to play the Death Metal music of the 90ies, mainly influenced by bands such as Grave, Asphyx, Unleashed, Massacre, Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Mantas or Death! Where are you standing today concerning your musical content and what elements did you take from all these bands I mentioned above?
Affliction Gate: Affliction Gate is and forever will be old school Death Metal. No evolution or musical change to expect at all. It's still our intention to refer to our influences and to expose them willingly through our music. You can compare our motivations to a band like Death Breath. If some wants to call us a "tribute band", that's not a problem because this is what we aim to do: to pay tribute to late 80s/early 90s Death Metal! There is no specific formula but we try to capture the same feeling, atmosphere and combine various elements of the bands we worship in our music. We completely stick to the tradition of the Death Metal sound we knew & experienced since the early 90s.
Arcana Noctis: Very soon you've been joined by Cyphera as bass player, but she left the band and went to her country, England! A lead guitarist was found, Damien, in 2007 and you started to work on your first release "Severance (Dead To This World)" which was released in 2008 as EP! What could you tell us about this material and the response you got on it since now?
Affliction Gate: This EP features the very first 3 tracks we composed back in 2006. Due to various reasons, we faced a quite long period of inactivity where the band was dormant between late 2006 and summer 2008. So it was time to record something and since the EP was recorded in August 2008, Affliction Gate was truly back to life again and still is now! It was our very first official recording therefore and a home made one. In these circumstances, SoundCould have been better as it's not as massive as our style requires but it's still a very decent demo recording and you can really hear what Affliction Gate is all about through it. We got lots of positive feedbacks thanks to it (be it in the underground scene and even from some bigger mags) so we really can't complain.
Arcana Noctis: This material is something I'd like to label as "primitive" old school Death Metal, mainly influenced by Acheron! As I can see you are very attracted by the U.S. Death Metal scene; but what can you tell us about the whole musical content of this EP I mentioned above, although it consists in just 3 songs?
Affliction Gate: Acheron is a cult band for us and we are big fans since their first album. As you pointed out, we also play a quite similar primitive style too so it's not surprising if some parts may sound like them. We are not exclusively attracted by the old U.S. scene as we enjoy as much the Dutch, Swedish or English ones. As said, in one of my answers below, we take inspirations from all of them. Affliction Gate songs include lots of variations and hooks as it's how we like Death Metal. It's really boring to hear always the same monotonous and repetitive tempos or patterns.
Arcana Noctis: The recording process of "Severance (Dead To This World)" was done by Wayne, the bassist/vocalist of the 80s inspired Thrash Metal band Hungry Johnny who took the bass too along the recording process. He did the mixing process too; but what can you tell us about this cooperation?
Affliction Gate: Wayne is a long time friend of mine so it was very easy to deal with him. His work was really important in Affliction Gate. He did a good job to record the EP, especially with the quite limited equipment we had. Also, for the recording of our debut album, his help was even more precious.
Arcana Noctis: When you sent me the promo material of "Severance (Dead To This World)", this EP was released by Forgotten Wisdom Production from your country, who released it in MCD format? How did you got in touch with this label, and what was the feedback on your first release?
Affliction Gate: The EP was supposed to be released on a German label (Imperium Records) first but as Phillip couldn't release it before the end of 2008 finally because he had other delayed stuffs to release in priority first, we preferred to ask to another label to keep this recording quite "fresh". Actually, I know Thomas for almost 10 years now as I used to trade or buy stuffs with him back at that time and we even met on some gigs. I know he is 100% serious and dedicated to the underground so I asked him about the EP and he agreed to release it as we planned (in December 2008) in a MCD version yet in a CD single packaging cardboard cover as we wanted to make clear this stuff is more a EP than a real MCD, if you know what I mean.
Arcana Noctis: You passed some internal problems soon after that when Damien (replaced by Frank with the occasion of the recording process for "Severance") was fired and you've been joined by Viv! Why did you part ways with Damien and how did you managed to find the new bass player? Also, why are you playing as trio today and what happened with Viv?
Affliction Gate: Well, it's difficult (to not say impossible) here to find musicians who have the same motivation and influences as us. So, lack of time + lack of interest for the band and the usual musical differences forced us to part ways with both Damien and Viv.
Arcana Noctis: Today Affliction Gate plays as a trio: Herostratos, Grief and JP, but you used some studio session members for the recording session of your first opus that we are going to talk about later! Working as a trio isn't a little bit to difficult? And how did you find the session members?
Affliction Gate: No, not really, as JP, Herostratos and I am the creative core of the band since the beginning. Session musicians are needed for bass duty and to compose & play solos so we asked to some friends in Hungry Johnny (Wayne and Bobby) and Frank (ex Catalepsya, solos for studio sessions only) to guest and join us for both recording and live shows. This formula works perfectly this way so we will go on like that in the future as well!
Arcana Noctis: This year you played some gigs in Marseille and Luynes with Ibogaine, Imago Mortis and Arghoslent in March! What all is about, and how did you feel playing on the same stage with Arghoslent?
Affliction Gate: Those 3 first gigs were nice live experience to start with. The best gig was with Imago Mortis: all was just perfect that night. Sure, it was great to see such a killer band as Arghoslent live even if the conditions didn't make the things as cool as expected. Anyway, we really got along very well with all the bands we played with so far.
Arcana Noctis: Just a few months later here you are very close to ink a deal with No Colours Records! This was the perfect occasion to prepare band's first opus called "Aeon Of Nox (From Darkness Comes Liberation)"! What could you tell us about this material and about the working process that you had on it?
Affliction Gate: "Aeon Of Nox..." is the logical continuation of the EP. By the way, all the tracks of "Severance..." were re-recorded because we wanted to propose new definitive versions in professional studio conditions. We are very satisfied with the sound of the album as we could reach a much more powerful, dark and heavy edge that we were longing for before entering the studio, while avoiding to sound too "overproduced" or modern. This recording required a lot of concentration and energy, not to mention that it was quite stressful due to time limits and that it was our first experience in a real studio.
Arcana Noctis: Recorded in August, "Aeon Of Nox (From Darkness Comes Liberation)" features mighty Vincent Crowley on vocals on "After The Red Moon"! How did you get in touch with Vincent from Acheron and how did you managed to convince him to join the roster for the recording session of the track I mentioned above?
Affliction Gate: Actually, I was already yet briefly in touch with Vincent back in the early 2000s. Then, when the EP was out I got in touch with him again through MySpace and we traded some stuffs. When working on the intro of this song in rehearsal, we thought about adding a guest for the narration part. So, the name of Vincent came to our minds as we knew his voice could fit fucking well! I wrote him to propose this idea and he answered that he was OK to do it. Some weeks later we received the wav files through internet, then we thought it would be great if he could do more vocals and backing vocals on some parts of the song which he agreed again. It was very easy and great to deal with him and we are extremely honoured to have his voice on the album.
Arcana Noctis: Consisting in 8 songs, 7 tracks and an intro, the album will be very soon released through Metal Inquisition, a sub division of No Colours Records! Please try to introduce us the whole content of this material and don't forget to mention a few things about the lyrical content!
Affliction Gate: Musically, it's still pure worship and tribute to the late 80s/early 90s Death Metal as I already mentioned above. Lyrics explore and develop all the aspects of darkness that can be embraced for the better or the worst... deliverance, illumination, destruction, self destruction...
Arcana Noctis: What will be the main musical difference between the 2 materials that we talk about until now; and tell us if this opus fits with both lyrical and musical contents in the end?
Affliction Gate: No musical differences as you can guess after all my previous answers by now. As a Death Metal band, our lyrics must be as dark as the music. There is no other way possible.
Arcana Noctis: Although this new material features Crowley from Acheron, it seems that the whole musical content and melodic lines are closer to Benediction/Bolt Thrower! So what's the truth behind this statement in the end?
Affliction Gate: Well, there were already obvious Bolt Thrower and Benediction vibes on the "Severance..." EP, if you ask me. Our influences are still the same since the beginning.
Arcana Noctis: If I'm not wrong you told me that you have finished the mixing process on "Aeon Of Nox..."! When will this material be released and what should we expect from it in the end?
Affliction Gate: Our debut album "Aeon Of Nox..." was released since 2 months now. Expect an album created by fans for fans, as simple as that. We have not the pretension to set new standards or be the next sensation in the Death Metal scene. We just want to contribute to keep the ancient flame alive!
Arcana Noctis: What do you prepare for the promotional campaign on it, and what do you expect from your label concerning the promotional activity of your band from now on?
Affliction Gate: Metal Inquisition has a cool distribution network for the underground scene and some more "mainstream" labels. They also got us some interviews in magazines as Metallian, Grind Zone or Terrorizer + they spread lots of promotional CDs for reviews in zines, web zines etc. Metal Inquisition really supports us and does a nice job without any doubt.
Arcana Noctis: In the end I'd like you to tell us what will be your future plans concerning Affliction Gate, and what we should expect from your band from now on?
Affliction Gate: We will play live again in May to promote "Aeon Of Nox...". 3 dates are planned at the moment: France, The Netherlands and Germany. Now, we are also working on new material. A cover of Death/Massacre "Corpsegrinder" will probably be recorded as bonus track on the limited LP version of the album to be released during 2010 still on Metal Inquisition.
Arcana Noctis: As you can see the end is very close my friend! See you soon and good luck in your future activity! If you have to add something in the end use this space properly!
Affliction Gate: Thanks for the support my friend and all apologies for the fucking delay!!! All the best to you all and keep up your great work with Arcana Noctis webzine!
Arcana Noctis: Hell(o) and darkest hails for Affliction Gate! What the latest news from your camp is these days?
Affliction Gate: Recently, we found a new rehearsal place so we started again to practice in order to prepare the upcoming gigs in late May including an appearance at the Festung Open Air in Germany.Arcana Noctis: You started this band 3 years ago with the aim to play the Death Metal music of the 90ies, mainly influenced by bands such as Grave, Asphyx, Unleashed, Massacre, Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Mantas or Death! Where are you standing today concerning your musical content and what elements did you take from all these bands I mentioned above?
Affliction Gate: Affliction Gate is and forever will be old school Death Metal. No evolution or musical change to expect at all. It's still our intention to refer to our influences and to expose them willingly through our music. You can compare our motivations to a band like Death Breath. If some wants to call us a "tribute band", that's not a problem because this is what we aim to do: to pay tribute to late 80s/early 90s Death Metal! There is no specific formula but we try to capture the same feeling, atmosphere and combine various elements of the bands we worship in our music. We completely stick to the tradition of the Death Metal sound we knew & experienced since the early 90s.
Arcana Noctis: Very soon you've been joined by Cyphera as bass player, but she left the band and went to her country, England! A lead guitarist was found, Damien, in 2007 and you started to work on your first release "Severance (Dead To This World)" which was released in 2008 as EP! What could you tell us about this material and the response you got on it since now?
Affliction Gate: This EP features the very first 3 tracks we composed back in 2006. Due to various reasons, we faced a quite long period of inactivity where the band was dormant between late 2006 and summer 2008. So it was time to record something and since the EP was recorded in August 2008, Affliction Gate was truly back to life again and still is now! It was our very first official recording therefore and a home made one. In these circumstances, SoundCould have been better as it's not as massive as our style requires but it's still a very decent demo recording and you can really hear what Affliction Gate is all about through it. We got lots of positive feedbacks thanks to it (be it in the underground scene and even from some bigger mags) so we really can't complain.
Arcana Noctis: This material is something I'd like to label as "primitive" old school Death Metal, mainly influenced by Acheron! As I can see you are very attracted by the U.S. Death Metal scene; but what can you tell us about the whole musical content of this EP I mentioned above, although it consists in just 3 songs?
Affliction Gate: Acheron is a cult band for us and we are big fans since their first album. As you pointed out, we also play a quite similar primitive style too so it's not surprising if some parts may sound like them. We are not exclusively attracted by the old U.S. scene as we enjoy as much the Dutch, Swedish or English ones. As said, in one of my answers below, we take inspirations from all of them. Affliction Gate songs include lots of variations and hooks as it's how we like Death Metal. It's really boring to hear always the same monotonous and repetitive tempos or patterns.
Arcana Noctis: The recording process of "Severance (Dead To This World)" was done by Wayne, the bassist/vocalist of the 80s inspired Thrash Metal band Hungry Johnny who took the bass too along the recording process. He did the mixing process too; but what can you tell us about this cooperation?
Affliction Gate: Wayne is a long time friend of mine so it was very easy to deal with him. His work was really important in Affliction Gate. He did a good job to record the EP, especially with the quite limited equipment we had. Also, for the recording of our debut album, his help was even more precious.
Arcana Noctis: When you sent me the promo material of "Severance (Dead To This World)", this EP was released by Forgotten Wisdom Production from your country, who released it in MCD format? How did you got in touch with this label, and what was the feedback on your first release?
Affliction Gate: The EP was supposed to be released on a German label (Imperium Records) first but as Phillip couldn't release it before the end of 2008 finally because he had other delayed stuffs to release in priority first, we preferred to ask to another label to keep this recording quite "fresh". Actually, I know Thomas for almost 10 years now as I used to trade or buy stuffs with him back at that time and we even met on some gigs. I know he is 100% serious and dedicated to the underground so I asked him about the EP and he agreed to release it as we planned (in December 2008) in a MCD version yet in a CD single packaging cardboard cover as we wanted to make clear this stuff is more a EP than a real MCD, if you know what I mean.
Arcana Noctis: You passed some internal problems soon after that when Damien (replaced by Frank with the occasion of the recording process for "Severance") was fired and you've been joined by Viv! Why did you part ways with Damien and how did you managed to find the new bass player? Also, why are you playing as trio today and what happened with Viv?
Affliction Gate: Well, it's difficult (to not say impossible) here to find musicians who have the same motivation and influences as us. So, lack of time + lack of interest for the band and the usual musical differences forced us to part ways with both Damien and Viv.
Arcana Noctis: Today Affliction Gate plays as a trio: Herostratos, Grief and JP, but you used some studio session members for the recording session of your first opus that we are going to talk about later! Working as a trio isn't a little bit to difficult? And how did you find the session members?
Affliction Gate: No, not really, as JP, Herostratos and I am the creative core of the band since the beginning. Session musicians are needed for bass duty and to compose & play solos so we asked to some friends in Hungry Johnny (Wayne and Bobby) and Frank (ex Catalepsya, solos for studio sessions only) to guest and join us for both recording and live shows. This formula works perfectly this way so we will go on like that in the future as well!
Arcana Noctis: This year you played some gigs in Marseille and Luynes with Ibogaine, Imago Mortis and Arghoslent in March! What all is about, and how did you feel playing on the same stage with Arghoslent?
Affliction Gate: Those 3 first gigs were nice live experience to start with. The best gig was with Imago Mortis: all was just perfect that night. Sure, it was great to see such a killer band as Arghoslent live even if the conditions didn't make the things as cool as expected. Anyway, we really got along very well with all the bands we played with so far.
Arcana Noctis: Just a few months later here you are very close to ink a deal with No Colours Records! This was the perfect occasion to prepare band's first opus called "Aeon Of Nox (From Darkness Comes Liberation)"! What could you tell us about this material and about the working process that you had on it?
Affliction Gate: "Aeon Of Nox..." is the logical continuation of the EP. By the way, all the tracks of "Severance..." were re-recorded because we wanted to propose new definitive versions in professional studio conditions. We are very satisfied with the sound of the album as we could reach a much more powerful, dark and heavy edge that we were longing for before entering the studio, while avoiding to sound too "overproduced" or modern. This recording required a lot of concentration and energy, not to mention that it was quite stressful due to time limits and that it was our first experience in a real studio.
Arcana Noctis: Recorded in August, "Aeon Of Nox (From Darkness Comes Liberation)" features mighty Vincent Crowley on vocals on "After The Red Moon"! How did you get in touch with Vincent from Acheron and how did you managed to convince him to join the roster for the recording session of the track I mentioned above?
Affliction Gate: Actually, I was already yet briefly in touch with Vincent back in the early 2000s. Then, when the EP was out I got in touch with him again through MySpace and we traded some stuffs. When working on the intro of this song in rehearsal, we thought about adding a guest for the narration part. So, the name of Vincent came to our minds as we knew his voice could fit fucking well! I wrote him to propose this idea and he answered that he was OK to do it. Some weeks later we received the wav files through internet, then we thought it would be great if he could do more vocals and backing vocals on some parts of the song which he agreed again. It was very easy and great to deal with him and we are extremely honoured to have his voice on the album.
Arcana Noctis: Consisting in 8 songs, 7 tracks and an intro, the album will be very soon released through Metal Inquisition, a sub division of No Colours Records! Please try to introduce us the whole content of this material and don't forget to mention a few things about the lyrical content!
Affliction Gate: Musically, it's still pure worship and tribute to the late 80s/early 90s Death Metal as I already mentioned above. Lyrics explore and develop all the aspects of darkness that can be embraced for the better or the worst... deliverance, illumination, destruction, self destruction...
Arcana Noctis: What will be the main musical difference between the 2 materials that we talk about until now; and tell us if this opus fits with both lyrical and musical contents in the end?
Affliction Gate: No musical differences as you can guess after all my previous answers by now. As a Death Metal band, our lyrics must be as dark as the music. There is no other way possible.
Arcana Noctis: Although this new material features Crowley from Acheron, it seems that the whole musical content and melodic lines are closer to Benediction/Bolt Thrower! So what's the truth behind this statement in the end?
Affliction Gate: Well, there were already obvious Bolt Thrower and Benediction vibes on the "Severance..." EP, if you ask me. Our influences are still the same since the beginning.
Arcana Noctis: If I'm not wrong you told me that you have finished the mixing process on "Aeon Of Nox..."! When will this material be released and what should we expect from it in the end?
Affliction Gate: Our debut album "Aeon Of Nox..." was released since 2 months now. Expect an album created by fans for fans, as simple as that. We have not the pretension to set new standards or be the next sensation in the Death Metal scene. We just want to contribute to keep the ancient flame alive!
Arcana Noctis: What do you prepare for the promotional campaign on it, and what do you expect from your label concerning the promotional activity of your band from now on?
Affliction Gate: Metal Inquisition has a cool distribution network for the underground scene and some more "mainstream" labels. They also got us some interviews in magazines as Metallian, Grind Zone or Terrorizer + they spread lots of promotional CDs for reviews in zines, web zines etc. Metal Inquisition really supports us and does a nice job without any doubt.
Arcana Noctis: In the end I'd like you to tell us what will be your future plans concerning Affliction Gate, and what we should expect from your band from now on?
Affliction Gate: We will play live again in May to promote "Aeon Of Nox...". 3 dates are planned at the moment: France, The Netherlands and Germany. Now, we are also working on new material. A cover of Death/Massacre "Corpsegrinder" will probably be recorded as bonus track on the limited LP version of the album to be released during 2010 still on Metal Inquisition.
Arcana Noctis: As you can see the end is very close my friend! See you soon and good luck in your future activity! If you have to add something in the end use this space properly!
Affliction Gate: Thanks for the support my friend and all apologies for the fucking delay!!! All the best to you all and keep up your great work with Arcana Noctis webzine!