Episode 13
I have to admit that the Turkish extreme Metal has quite a few references, but Episode 13 seems to be the most important one since a while, amongst Carnophage, Decaying Purity, Neverland or the well known Cenotaph, probably the best combo ever raised from the other side of the Black Sea! But let's see what is all about with this one, and here you have the answers received from Ozan!
Arcana Noctis: Hello guys! What's up new for Episode 13, now that your second opus called "Pitch Black" was released since a while?
Ozan: Ave. As you mentioned we released our second album last year and after that we have been busy with touring, playing at festivals and writing the upcoming Episode 13 album.
Arcana Noctis: Please try to introduce us band's history, starting with the very beginning back in 2001! Also, tell us if you were involved in some other projects at that moment?
Ozan: Before Episode 13 itself, Can (drums), Murat (guitars) and I had been producing extreme music together since we were little kids at same high school. Things took a more professional turn when we decided to properly form the band. Our drummer also plays in another Turkish Black Metal band called Zifir. The rest of us have no other side projects.
Arcana Noctis: Band's 2 first releases were a 2 track demo CD "Expected Damnation" and a split 7" EP with Sadistic Spell, both recorded in 2002 and 2003! What can you tell us about the 2 releases and what were the reactions that you received on?
Ozan: They were really first steps to introduce our music and show the band's attitude. Both were sold out in a short time. We then focussed completely on recording the debut full length album "Tabula Rasa".
Arcana Noctis: You released "Tabula Rasa", the first full length, in 2005! Present us this first opus, and tell us a few words about the lyrical content of this material! And don't forget to mention about the general opinion that you received on it!
Ozan: We recorded the album during the fall of 2003 but decided to release it in 2005. I was interested in the Pagan history of Anatolia and with its spiritual revival within the art of Black Metal. So I dealt with those subjects in the lyrics. We've moved a long way from that album now, both musically and conceptually, but that album gave us the strength to keep on producing Black Metal. We were nominated for, and won, a lot of awards with "Tabula Rasa" (not that we gave a fuck really). I guess people embraced us with that album.
Arcana Noctis: Very soon you recorded a song called "Forlorn... Till Dawn" for the "Metal Message Vol. III" compilation and you started to work on your second full length! Tell us a few words about this song, and don't forget to add a few things about the working process on "Pitch Black"!
Ozan: "Forlorn... Till Dawn" was actually on "Tabula Rasa", and the original version of the song appeared on the compilation. After recording first album back in 2003 we started to prepare "Pitch Black" in early 2005. The first thing we did was to remove keyboards from our sound. We wanted to head towards a harsher style of Black Metal.
Arcana Noctis: Your second opus was released in 2008, but I found no infos about your activity since that song recorded in 2006! Could you please reveal us a few aspects about what happened with Episode 13 between all that period I mentioned here?
Ozan: I myself took a temporary leave of absence from the band from summer 2006 when "Pitch Black" was ready to record. The band kept forging ahead with a new vocalist and toured a lot.
Arcana Noctis: Please, tell us a few technical details about "Pitch Black", and don't forget to mention the differences between the second opus and "Tabula Rasa".
Ozan: All the epic elements and the keyboards that were integral to "Tabula Rasa" were ditched. "Pitch Black" is a much more aggressive album and represents a milestone for us and our anti-human/anti-religion manifest.
Arcana Noctis: What were the reactions on it and how you promoted "Pitch Black" in that period?
Ozan: We did the usual things: played live, gave interviews and promoted our music through various channels but we were very badly let down by the label, and "Pitch Black" never received the kind of promotion it should have done.
Arcana Noctis: You replaced Ozan (v) and Meric (b) with Tolgahan and Sermet (b)! Why you changed your line-up, and how did you found the new members? Also, in what did they improve the musical content of your band until now?
Ozan: Sermet fitted perfectly into the whole ethos of Episode 13. Tolgahan did his job while I wasn't around. Actually Episode 13 goes beyond individuals. It's important to keep the band's spirit whole and alive.
Arcana Noctis: "Forlorn... Till Dawn" was soon released as a video track, and it was played on various online televisions! Besides, it was very often played on radio stations around the world in countries such as Canada, France or Argentina! It seems that this song is your best ever recorded, am I right? Should we take it as a hit?
Ozan: Maybe yes. But it's just a song, and we've moved a long way from that one!
Arcana Noctis: If I'm not wrong you replaced Tolgahan (v) with the former member Ozan, but all this between the release of "Pitch Black"! What's the main reason for his departure, and why Ozan decided to play again with Episode 13?
Ozan: I was having a break from the band, but I was always in close contact with the guys and was being kept informed about what was going on. I really returned because I felt the time was right for me to continue spreading my plague with the band.
Arcana Noctis: What could you tell us about the reactions on "Pitch Black", and what was your fans' attitude concerning this second opus?
Ozan: I would say that the majority of our original fans stayed very loyal to us. They understood that a band has to keep developing and were happy to progress with us. We also picked up a large number of fans worldwide, which is quite hard for a Turkish band, so we must have done something right with that album.
Arcana Noctis: When you started the promotional campaign, where did you play live and how did you manage to join the Norse Inferno Festival this year?
Ozan: We really started to increase our presence worldwide after we signed with our manager Patricia Thomas. She manages and works with bands and artists like Maniac, Carpathian Forest, Shining, Nattefrost, Vrangsinn – legendary names in the Black and extreme Metal world, people that we have respected for as long as we have been listening to Black Metal, as well as awesome and original new bands like Slagmaur and Pantheon I. She put us forward for the Inferno Festival, and we were offered a slot, which I think is every Black Metal musician's dream. We were all amazed by the welcome we received in Norway; the audience was really interested in the music and in us as a band and as individuals. We came away not only having had an incredible experience, but also with new friends and fans.
Arcana Noctis: As I can see, although for me, I must recognize, you were an unknown combo, your live acts are fuckin' awesome and mostly in a great company, with bands such as Vader, Gorgoroth, Samael, Cynic, Kreator, Paradise Lost, Arch Enemy, Moonspell, Udo, Rotting Christ, Marduk, Slayer and with many to be mentioned here! And I could say that you are one of the leading bands from the Turkish underground at the moment! How do you feel playing live, and what show would be the most important one?
Ozan: Playing live is a very important aspect of Episode 13. It's how we communicate directly with people. Playing live involves totally different factors, and adds a whole new dimension to the music. Every single live performance is the most important one for Episode 13.
Arcana Noctis: You played at one of the greatest festivals and you were invited to join a Russian fest too! What was the crowd's reaction on your gigs, and how an Episode 13 show looks like?
Ozan: It's difficult to really define what an Episode 13 show looks like. Things can vary depending on the size of the venue and on the length of the set that we play. But it really comes down to me being able to vent my anger and hate and communicate all that to the audience, and let them feel the music to the depth of their souls.
Arcana Noctis: A while ago you signed a deal with Dmitry Ulybin from the Russian Booking agency! What is all about, and what do you expect from this person in the future?
Ozan: The same as from any promoter really. Some gigs, tours, festivals!
Arcana Noctis: I know that you confirmed to play at the Danish "The Nordic Black Metal Fest" this year in Copenhagen! What interesting details do you have about this meeting, and who are the other bands that will play out there?
Ozan: We're just looking forward to playing in mainland Europe again. We want as many people as possible to get to know our music. I don't know if the line-up is complete yet, but as far as we know the following bands have been confirmed: Ctule, Moloch, Holmgang, Vardlokkur, Ravensort, Cause of Death: Suicide, Strychnos.
Arcana Noctis: For a band mainly influenced by very important extreme Metal combos such as Misanthropy, Chaos, Blasphemy or Hate, what should we expect from your band in the future, concerning the musical content of course?
Ozan: Being hostile and provocative is our full time job! But with Episode 13 you should always expect the best. And get it.
Arcana Noctis: Because you worked on "Pitch Black" almost 2 years, I assume that you have a few ideas for a future material! Could you please reveal us a few things about your future work of Episode 13?
Ozan: We're planning to record the new album during the winter. We revealed a couple of tracks we were working on at the Inferno Festival, but for those who weren't there, they'll just have to wait.
Arcana Noctis: In the end, reveal us your band future plans, and end this interview properly! Thank you very much my friend!
Ozan: Our future plans involve spreading our disease to all of humanity. We hope to infect you along the way.
Arcana Noctis: Hello guys! What's up new for Episode 13, now that your second opus called "Pitch Black" was released since a while?
Ozan: Ave. As you mentioned we released our second album last year and after that we have been busy with touring, playing at festivals and writing the upcoming Episode 13 album.Arcana Noctis: Please try to introduce us band's history, starting with the very beginning back in 2001! Also, tell us if you were involved in some other projects at that moment?
Ozan: Before Episode 13 itself, Can (drums), Murat (guitars) and I had been producing extreme music together since we were little kids at same high school. Things took a more professional turn when we decided to properly form the band. Our drummer also plays in another Turkish Black Metal band called Zifir. The rest of us have no other side projects.
Arcana Noctis: Band's 2 first releases were a 2 track demo CD "Expected Damnation" and a split 7" EP with Sadistic Spell, both recorded in 2002 and 2003! What can you tell us about the 2 releases and what were the reactions that you received on?
Ozan: They were really first steps to introduce our music and show the band's attitude. Both were sold out in a short time. We then focussed completely on recording the debut full length album "Tabula Rasa".
Arcana Noctis: You released "Tabula Rasa", the first full length, in 2005! Present us this first opus, and tell us a few words about the lyrical content of this material! And don't forget to mention about the general opinion that you received on it!
Ozan: We recorded the album during the fall of 2003 but decided to release it in 2005. I was interested in the Pagan history of Anatolia and with its spiritual revival within the art of Black Metal. So I dealt with those subjects in the lyrics. We've moved a long way from that album now, both musically and conceptually, but that album gave us the strength to keep on producing Black Metal. We were nominated for, and won, a lot of awards with "Tabula Rasa" (not that we gave a fuck really). I guess people embraced us with that album.
Arcana Noctis: Very soon you recorded a song called "Forlorn... Till Dawn" for the "Metal Message Vol. III" compilation and you started to work on your second full length! Tell us a few words about this song, and don't forget to add a few things about the working process on "Pitch Black"!
Ozan: "Forlorn... Till Dawn" was actually on "Tabula Rasa", and the original version of the song appeared on the compilation. After recording first album back in 2003 we started to prepare "Pitch Black" in early 2005. The first thing we did was to remove keyboards from our sound. We wanted to head towards a harsher style of Black Metal.
Arcana Noctis: Your second opus was released in 2008, but I found no infos about your activity since that song recorded in 2006! Could you please reveal us a few aspects about what happened with Episode 13 between all that period I mentioned here?
Ozan: I myself took a temporary leave of absence from the band from summer 2006 when "Pitch Black" was ready to record. The band kept forging ahead with a new vocalist and toured a lot.
Arcana Noctis: Please, tell us a few technical details about "Pitch Black", and don't forget to mention the differences between the second opus and "Tabula Rasa".
Ozan: All the epic elements and the keyboards that were integral to "Tabula Rasa" were ditched. "Pitch Black" is a much more aggressive album and represents a milestone for us and our anti-human/anti-religion manifest.
Arcana Noctis: What were the reactions on it and how you promoted "Pitch Black" in that period?
Ozan: We did the usual things: played live, gave interviews and promoted our music through various channels but we were very badly let down by the label, and "Pitch Black" never received the kind of promotion it should have done.
Arcana Noctis: You replaced Ozan (v) and Meric (b) with Tolgahan and Sermet (b)! Why you changed your line-up, and how did you found the new members? Also, in what did they improve the musical content of your band until now?
Ozan: Sermet fitted perfectly into the whole ethos of Episode 13. Tolgahan did his job while I wasn't around. Actually Episode 13 goes beyond individuals. It's important to keep the band's spirit whole and alive.
Arcana Noctis: "Forlorn... Till Dawn" was soon released as a video track, and it was played on various online televisions! Besides, it was very often played on radio stations around the world in countries such as Canada, France or Argentina! It seems that this song is your best ever recorded, am I right? Should we take it as a hit?
Ozan: Maybe yes. But it's just a song, and we've moved a long way from that one!
Arcana Noctis: If I'm not wrong you replaced Tolgahan (v) with the former member Ozan, but all this between the release of "Pitch Black"! What's the main reason for his departure, and why Ozan decided to play again with Episode 13?
Ozan: I was having a break from the band, but I was always in close contact with the guys and was being kept informed about what was going on. I really returned because I felt the time was right for me to continue spreading my plague with the band.
Arcana Noctis: What could you tell us about the reactions on "Pitch Black", and what was your fans' attitude concerning this second opus?
Ozan: I would say that the majority of our original fans stayed very loyal to us. They understood that a band has to keep developing and were happy to progress with us. We also picked up a large number of fans worldwide, which is quite hard for a Turkish band, so we must have done something right with that album.
Arcana Noctis: When you started the promotional campaign, where did you play live and how did you manage to join the Norse Inferno Festival this year?
Ozan: We really started to increase our presence worldwide after we signed with our manager Patricia Thomas. She manages and works with bands and artists like Maniac, Carpathian Forest, Shining, Nattefrost, Vrangsinn – legendary names in the Black and extreme Metal world, people that we have respected for as long as we have been listening to Black Metal, as well as awesome and original new bands like Slagmaur and Pantheon I. She put us forward for the Inferno Festival, and we were offered a slot, which I think is every Black Metal musician's dream. We were all amazed by the welcome we received in Norway; the audience was really interested in the music and in us as a band and as individuals. We came away not only having had an incredible experience, but also with new friends and fans.
Arcana Noctis: As I can see, although for me, I must recognize, you were an unknown combo, your live acts are fuckin' awesome and mostly in a great company, with bands such as Vader, Gorgoroth, Samael, Cynic, Kreator, Paradise Lost, Arch Enemy, Moonspell, Udo, Rotting Christ, Marduk, Slayer and with many to be mentioned here! And I could say that you are one of the leading bands from the Turkish underground at the moment! How do you feel playing live, and what show would be the most important one?
Ozan: Playing live is a very important aspect of Episode 13. It's how we communicate directly with people. Playing live involves totally different factors, and adds a whole new dimension to the music. Every single live performance is the most important one for Episode 13.
Arcana Noctis: You played at one of the greatest festivals and you were invited to join a Russian fest too! What was the crowd's reaction on your gigs, and how an Episode 13 show looks like?
Ozan: It's difficult to really define what an Episode 13 show looks like. Things can vary depending on the size of the venue and on the length of the set that we play. But it really comes down to me being able to vent my anger and hate and communicate all that to the audience, and let them feel the music to the depth of their souls.
Arcana Noctis: A while ago you signed a deal with Dmitry Ulybin from the Russian Booking agency! What is all about, and what do you expect from this person in the future?
Ozan: The same as from any promoter really. Some gigs, tours, festivals!
Arcana Noctis: I know that you confirmed to play at the Danish "The Nordic Black Metal Fest" this year in Copenhagen! What interesting details do you have about this meeting, and who are the other bands that will play out there?
Ozan: We're just looking forward to playing in mainland Europe again. We want as many people as possible to get to know our music. I don't know if the line-up is complete yet, but as far as we know the following bands have been confirmed: Ctule, Moloch, Holmgang, Vardlokkur, Ravensort, Cause of Death: Suicide, Strychnos.
Arcana Noctis: For a band mainly influenced by very important extreme Metal combos such as Misanthropy, Chaos, Blasphemy or Hate, what should we expect from your band in the future, concerning the musical content of course?
Ozan: Being hostile and provocative is our full time job! But with Episode 13 you should always expect the best. And get it.
Arcana Noctis: Because you worked on "Pitch Black" almost 2 years, I assume that you have a few ideas for a future material! Could you please reveal us a few things about your future work of Episode 13?
Ozan: We're planning to record the new album during the winter. We revealed a couple of tracks we were working on at the Inferno Festival, but for those who weren't there, they'll just have to wait.
Arcana Noctis: In the end, reveal us your band future plans, and end this interview properly! Thank you very much my friend!
Ozan: Our future plans involve spreading our disease to all of humanity. We hope to infect you along the way.