Metal
Rules!! Interview With Esko Salow of PATHOS
Interviewed
by DethHead
Pathos are a creative band from Sweden. As the name
indicates this band describes emotions in their music with heavy breaks
and beautiful harmonies. A lot of people are trying to put PATHOS in
various genres of metal, everything from doom to death metal. But the
members of the band has decided to call it Open Mind Metal. Consisting
of Stefan Carlsson - vocals, Daniel Antonsson - rhythm
lead and bass guitar, Lennart Specht - rhythm guitars and Esko Salow -
drums. Pathos have released the following albums:
PATHOS - 'UNI VERSUS UNIVERSE' (1998)
PATHOS - 'HOVERFACE' (1997).
How is the response been for the HOVERFACE album
(a personal fav)?
The
response we got was great, we got lots of mail/e-mail, from all over the
world. And it feels great to know that people got the album in spite of
Black Marks poor work.
How are Black Mark Records treating you guys,
considering everyone else they signed are literally pissed of at them,
so what's the story?
Actually we are not on Black Mark anymore, our work
together stopped right after the release of "Hoverface"
we discovered that B-M wasn't interested in promotion, tours or spending
money on their bands in anyway.
Can you tell about Pathos's involvement with
Yngwie Malmsteen tribute album. The song is called "I am a
Viking." How did that come about?
Roffe at GOTHENBURG NOISEWORKS asked us if we were
interested of playing on the album, and we didn't have anything to do
for the moment so, we thought it should be nice (having some true Yngwie
Malmsteen fans in the band). We decided to do something different, so we
started to rehearse the song (I am a Viking, from Marching out, Thomas
& Daniels choice) as it is on the original album and then change it
into a more metal and "Pathos" sounding song.
What bands do all you guys come from or used to
play in?
Nothing big or famous, Stefan played with Momento Mori
awhile and the other guy's played in different small underground garage
bands not even worth to mention.
How are Swedish label Liphone Metal treating you?
Liphone Metal is great, but to small to actually help us
or to reach out to a bigger audience.
What material (songs) was lost on that 3rd ADAT
tape you said was destroyed on Sep.6th-7th and for what album?
Actually I don't remember for sure but I think it was
the songs "Rest Your Mind" and "Under the
lence" from "Uni Versus Universe."
Define the Uni Versus Universe album for us here
at Metal Rules - what it represents.
Uni
versus Universe is a true Metal album, telling us about our drive to
evolve and to destroy anything in our way if its necessary. That's the
human race!! The song "Under the lens" tells the story on
"Uni versus Universe."
I find that your sound is influenced by Death
metal generally (WHICH I FUCKING LOVE), Slayer, old Metallica. I
find that your sound is similar to that of Fifth Reason, Illwill,
Memento Mori, Hexhenhaus what do you have to say about that?
We are trying to find our own sound and I believe that
listening to a lot of different Metal makes the sound similar to lots of
bands or genres.
Michael Semprevivo did your new album cover for
UNI VERSUS UNIVERSE - how did that come to be?
Michael Semprevivo didn't make the cover for "Uni
versus Universe". He was supposed to do it but when we left Black
Mark that deal was off. Stefan Carlsson our singer did the "Uni
versus Universe" cover.
What influenced the writing on the new album, who
writes the material?
Its really hard to find something specific that
influenced us in our writing, probably everything around us and all the
music that we heard in that period of time, and we do all of our
material together when we rehearse.
What was Stefan reasons for not being in Memento
Mori anymore?
Artistic freedom I think, I believe that Memento Mori
didn't give Stefan the space he needed to feel good.
Will
you ever come the USA or CANADA? Arch Enemy did just recently?
Hopefully we will manage to get there, its our goal to
get out and play live as much as possible so.... in time we will get
there.
As being a drummer myself, are you influenced by
Watchtower or Mekong Delta or Seige Even maybe SEANCE (Mikk is a
awesome drummer). Obviously you must love DEATH the band or DARK
ANGEL and of course Destruction / Sodom / Coroner / Kreator?
I have been listening to all of the bands mentioned and
I believe that you pick things up from these guy's whether you want or
not, (you know, good things sticks to you like glue) but they are all
great drummers playing in incredible bands and of course they influence
me.
What do you listen to before you record to hype
you up?
The best thing to do (for me) is to see a great live act
the night before you start recording, and try to catch all the energy
and use it the next day, the next best is to listen to your fav band,
whatever it might be for the moment.
What are your top 5 albums your listening to now?
Right now??? this is a tricky one. Dimmu Borgir
(Spiritual Black
Dimensions), King Diamond (Abigail & Them), Dream Theater
(Metropolis pt.2: Scenes from a memory), Mekong Delta (The Music
of Erich Zann) and a "demo" with our new songs, that's some of
the things I listen to now.
Do you hate Korn, Deftones, Coal Chamber like most
other TRUE METALHEADS? (Editors Note: I certainly do!)
I don't hate them, and I don't listen to them
Will you guys ever appear on any more tribute
albums?
It depends on the band to tribute, but I don't think
there will be any more tributes for us. We said when we started this
band that we would play our own songs and not a bunch of covers, but who
knows, there's a lot of bands that I would like to tribute for what they
have done for me and my progress.
What's it like playing in a terrific band?
It's terrific!! hahaha somehow it doesn't feel as
terrific when your in the band yourself.
Do all you guys get along great?
Yes, I think we are all good friends and hang out in our
spare time, we have our fights but I think everyone who spends as much
time together fights sometimes.
What's your fav Canadain Band?
It really depends on the mood I'm in, sometimes I love
to listen to Primus (ed.note they are not Canadian), or to listen to my
old Voivod vinyls but for me the all time Canadian fav is Rush.
"What Now" Is my personal fav off of
HOVERFACE what is yours?
Personally I like Mask of Fear best or Scorned.
The New Album "Uni Versus Universe"
- do you think is going to do just as much for the band as what
the first one did?
Hopefully, we have some trouble getting the album out,
but when everything works as its supposed to I believe that Uni versus
Universe will do more for us then Hoverface cause its the better album.
Did you ever record any demo's?
We recorded one demo (never released) when Stefan joined
the band, 5 songs - Scorned, Up stream, Hoverface, Act on Impuls and
Wake up call. Stefans vocals on that tape is really incredible, it gives
me the chills every time I listen to it.
Lastly how did PATHOS get their name and what does
it mean to the band?
Pathos was actually Depict Pathos from the beginning,
and it means something like describe a feeling or reproduce a feeling
and that is something that we try to do with our music so, I think our
name is really important to us and the way we play.
What are you or your label trying to do to promote
Pathos in NORTH AMERICA - anything at all?
As it seems now I would have to say nothing at all, but
hopefully that will change. We get lots of mail from North America
and I personally try to do everything I can to let people know that we
still exist.
Well thanks for doing this interview any closing
comments for all us PATHOS fans here at METAL RULES?
Thank you for your interest in the band and to all our
fans, don't lose faith, we'll reach out to you in one way or another.
Thanks.
For more info on Pathos visit the official webpage of
the band at http://hem.passagen.se/upstream/.
©2000 Metal Rules!!