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Satan Arise

In late January saw the light the third album of Skydancer, Winterkiller, a self-produced work that reflects the evolution of this band from Vigo and his quest to have their own sound without wanting to take refuge in a particular style, Skydancer is Galician Metal.

We begin with a question as often as necessary to place our readers, tell us a little about the history of Skydancer, dating back to 2005. And we always have a very personal curiosity, to know the reasons behind the bands to choose your name, what is the origin of Skydancer?

We started in 2005. We meet here in Vigo, first to play covers. Many people pass the first time by the group down to who we are today. For 4 years we had almost the same formation they were the first 2 albums, and the new are now turning to the ¨ ¨ Winterkiller.

The group's name no-brainer really. It is the first album by Dark Tranquility, and that he listened a lot, so I put it.

You will define as a band of dark and melodic heavy metal, a very classical definition at a time when everything is labeled in increasingly convoluted styles have you not thought of using any such label is now so fashionable?

If we put something contrived to get attention. But it really is like telling people who are stupid. I find it funny how some groups get novice thousand labels to look super original and different, then the listeners and the usual. When people hear the album, they themselves will say what we do or what not.

Heavy metal is all that we can put without equibocarte. Not think we have so many influences, if we appeared at the beginning of the eighties no one would call attention to the disc by its genre, the move was much more open now. Everything is too box.

Groups here that have a similar sound, we have agreed to denominarnos Galician Metal, nothing more. The genus and the area where we are to identify the scene, which is very different from the rest of Spain.

You started using the Castilian in your first album, then you started to introduce English and now you have opted for English only, is due to increased diffusion that can be in English or due to other reasons?

No, really has nothing to do with the dissemination by any means. In fact in our country is rather a huge handicap against, as there is a conservative mentality with the metal sung in Spanish. Ours is a question of influence.

90% of what I hear is English European metal, just listen to national groups fashion style here. If almost all of my influences are foreign not find much meaning in the songs then integrate a language that is foreign to me, at least in the musical field. I also think that whatever they say there are styles that sound better in Spanish language Saxon, by the sound of words, accents ... a thousand things.

Skydancer began to get his true personality and be recognized for what it is from the second album, so we continue in that line. My group and I like the sound, but do not waive any language. English is the most suitable for this record, but who knows, mergers are so interesting ... I like something in Spanish, Galician ... depends on whether it manages to sound good.

You are now deeply involved in promoting Winterkiller, an unconventional album. Many different influences have taken place in the eight items that comprise it, what was the composition of the disk and the choice of these eight tracks?

I compose music almost always stuck at home, except letters, that depends a little bit of time and place. The recording and I retocanto and directly into the computer, without previous steps. This process is lengthened and repeat as long as necessary.

When mixing the album showed the subjects the group to see if they give the ok or if something very bad you should know. It was necessary to choose the topics as I am not discarding. I wanted to do an album of median and focused songs to have a defined duration and a certain amount, then there is no song left over.

Winterkiller remains as previous self-produced disc, How is running the promotion and distribution of the disk, and the acceptance by the press and public?

Well, everyone says as positive development and production, but it costs a lot to move and come to light. A band independiende need much more support and word of mouth from people that it has the support of a label with guarantees for minimum they are.

The promotion we are doing it little by little every month, but it seems that the disc has moved relatively well and has reached the gentebastante faster than before.

The criticism of the press are still excellent, but those who pass judgment are the kids who caught or descargen the disc and listen. About it is more difficult to have a clear feedback. Everyone tells you that your album is fantastic and so and so ... but if cove or not people, only time will tell.

From the album surprised me especially three very different sections including showing the great wealth that has the disk in the variety of styles, such as Absinthe, Living Hell, Orpand Of The Dark. Few groups would dare to put these three themes in their albums ...

Do not tell the truth. It is also about a bit with the previous answer, now all very box. No one expects a power-metal piano in the middle of a rock record, that's ok. But is that genres and labels have killed both the music, to listen to some modern drives me and I find it tedious, and new generations take longer to assimilate this kind of thing.

On these three cuts, like others, if they are well embedded within the disk and the genre, then great, but I guess that's a personal opinion more than anything else.

Recently re-hear the 666 ¨ ¨ Aphrodite's Child with Vangelis and co. They called themselves symphonic rock, but here you could find everything, and never crashed anything. His mind and his generation was fully open. I do not think that we never have that level, but I would get something like that, without ceasing to be Heavy Metal.

Honestly I think you're having a visible evolution from your first album until this recent Winterkiller, I guess the answer, but ... and what remains, right?

Yes, you have said, what's left.

Always one step further, in composition, production, refining the style ... whatever. You can always go further. My goal is now to give it another twist on all the sound of the discs, without going to the people always to mix or master. That would make us sound generic.

There are no perfect records, so you always have to be a little better. Grown is not a good solution.

Do you have dates and to take to the stage? Festival Any views?

This Saturday we played in Orense in the second edition of the festival Live For Madness and March 30 in Vigo. Soon there will be more dates. We hang all the latest information on the web.

Tell us about the metal scene in Vigo, we interviewed recently and are now Dark Eternity with Skydancer ...

I guess it's like every scene, and there are specimens of all types for good and ill.

In our club there are some good groups are not too many but if you are working hard on it enough. With own Dark Eternity I have another project with any member in common.

Between 3 or 4 sets of this stuff we are, we are all musicians mixed in the same bands. Not many scenes, but they are making the usual noise, and hopefully have some luck.

Imagine you have to do a TV commercial Winterkiller, how would you sell the album?

If you're tired of hearing Spanish power metal, download hehe

Internet is a topic that is generating much discussion of the music environment, and depending on the level at which the message is made very different, big bands and the music industry are trying to control seizures and without emerging bands that move independently use it to disseminate their material. What is your opinion?

My review is negative overall arrivals to the current point. This thread has gone. A lot of groups autoproducen today. That's good, but it is much harder to stand out from everyone, whether or not you quality.

Also very difficult, if not almost impossible, for a strong seal bet on you and that's essential to do things really well. Contracts as we are we have puestro on the table, forced to pay almost all the band, but who will put money into something that is not generated? Only the band.

I'm generally in favor of downloads, but not indiscriminately. I hate to get off a disk and then not have it there to listen, it seems an insult to your work.

We must also see the other side, the music reaches more people quickly and without intermediaries. But we, for whom takes some more time and want to take this a little seriously, it has become very very difficult.

From Satan Arise, we want to please you the steal a little of your time and wish you good luck with Winterkiller. If you want to add something, this is the time!

That thank you very much for your time and for reading. They have all the updated information on the web band www.skydancerband.com and there you can hear the whole album.

Interviewed by Sergi "Helloween"
Questions tranlation by Naga S. Maelström