Metal Roots From Sound To Sustainability
This project by the Chasing The Light Art photographer Iuliana Pasca is born from her desire to explore the intersection of metal music and environmental sustainability. Through stories and photographs she is hoping to inspire you to rethink how you can contribute to a more sustainable world. Her unique website is Metal Roots / From Sound To Sustainability and you can also follow her on social media to keep update
Apocalypse Orchestra interview ~ Iuliana Pasca
Introduction to Apocalypse Orchestra
Apocalypse Orchestra, the medieval folk metal band from Sweden, brings a unique sound to the metal music scene. Blending traditional medieval instruments with modern ones, their music offers a fresh narrative with a historical side – reminding of the bards and troubadours of old – and contributing to the cultural heritage as a form of sustainability. In this interview, I spoke with Erik about the meanings of the band’s name, their storytelling approach, sustainability challenges when touring, the nature’s importance, for “we are from nature, so nature resonates with us”, and much more.
A powerful imagery
The name Apocalypse Orchestra evokes a powerful imagery. Does the band see its music as a reflection of humanity`s path toward an apocalyptic destination?
Well, not necessarily. To begin with, the word apocalypse for us means several things, from the classic interpretation of “the end of days” all the way to the etymological origin of the word. It derives from the ancient Greek word apokalupsis or apokálypsis, which means ‘to uncover’ or ‘to reveal’. This could give the word a meaning of enlightenment, and new beginnings. Of course, a new beginning is not seldom associated with the biblical apocalypse… and at that, it’s not hard to draw parallels to current events.
New beginnings
How do you think the existential themes in your lyrics and band name resonate with the current global environmental and societal issues?
At first glance, and probably deeply rooted in the emotional side of a great many individuals’ minds, things could indeed seem quite dark. I am neither an expert in the state of current affairs, nor a scientist, but I do indeed hope that we will see both some technical advances in many areas, as well as a change of behaviour from people in power. Then it would be really nice to have the ‘enlightenment’ and ‘new beginnings’ aspect of our name resonate instead.
Debut album
Your debut album The End Is Nigh shows themes of humanity’s origins and ending. Do you see these narratives influencing listeners’ perceptions regarding our relationship with nature and our responsibility towards it?
That is very hard to speculate on. We do not have any outspoken themes surrounding the environment, or nature in that sense. But we do explore many thoughts surrounding life and death. One can only hope that anyone who can become more aware of one’s own mortality, may also ponder on the repercussions of one’s choices, and that this will further inspire that person to strive to leave this world a better place for all.
Medieval music
Apocalypse Orchestra blends medieval melodies with doom metal, fusing modern instruments with traditional folk instruments. What inspired you to combine these elements, and how does it compliment the storytelling and atmosphere in your music?
Some of us have played together in other bands before AO, playing a combination of folk music and rock. When we suddenly found ourselves between bands so to speak, Mikael approached me with the idea of trying a blend of folk music and metal. We both have a past in and a love for both folk music and historical music, as well as metal, but we had never played in any bands with that combination. He also had the idea of focusing on medieval music as a main inspiration. I immediately found the idea exciting, so we just started writing music. We also felt we wanted to do something different than many other metal bands with folk elements, going slower, avoiding the party style folk metal that has become quite common. We simply felt that music like this was missing, music we would want to listen to ourselves. And when we had a couple of demo songs written, we felt we were really on to something!
We can only hope that this fusion augments our storytelling. But it is not just the sound, it is also in combination with how we compose our songs, the structure and melodic feeling. We love storytelling, and it also has a historic relationship with the bards and troubadours of old. Medieval ballads are a favourite of ours, and they can be found in many countries’ musical heritage. We hope to evoke different feelings in the listener depending on the theme, and all aspects of a song or uses of our instruments can be different tools and play different parts in achieving that.
Wonderful moments
What has been the most defining moment for the band and how has it shaped the way you approach your art today?
I think it is impossible to say just one. We have been lucky to have several wonderful moments so far. To mention a few; playing live with Gavle Symphony Orchestra and Forsbacka Chamber Choir was indeed a highlight. Also, some years ago we were the last band out on a big festival in Germany, and we were set to “close” the festival. It had started to rain during the headliners show, and when we got on stage it was a real downpour. But many in the audience remained, and together we had a real unique and powerful midnight experience! Finally, releasing our albums, with all the lovely words from listeners all over the world, is also something that we have been very fortunate to do.
Sweden
Sweden is known for being a leader in sustainability. Do you believe your country’s values regarding the environment influence the metal music scene there, and how does this reflect in your own personal practices and as a band?
Well, yes and no. Technically and mentally, Sweden maybe has the capacity for being leading in this field, but we also reach our annual overshoot day very quickly each year. So, we do not always live like we learn. Sadly, I am not sure that even the sustainability mentality has had that much influence on the metal scene. Yet. But change is hopefully to come. Other areas of the entertainment business have made more progress here, but I will get back to that later. I don’t know if it affects us directly or indirectly, but in Sweden the environment has become part of our everyday life and a common topic of discussion since decades ago. We try to do our best and be aware of our choices in every aspect of our lives, and I don’t think we differ between our band practices and our private practices.
Sustainable lifestyle as a band
What do you consider to be the biggest challenge in adopting a sustainable lifestyle as a band within the metal music scene?
Traveling of course, especially flying. This is always an issue of thought when we get offers to play all over Europe, but even domestically this can be a challenge, since Sweden is over 1500 kilometres long. We have often chosen to travel by road when we play abroad. It is of course much more time consuming, but often the cost is lower. As far as the environment goes, we all know which method is better and worse. Train would of course be even better, but it is sadly not realistic when traveling as a band with all the instruments and equipment and so on. It is sad though, to hear people in the entertainment world (not just music, and absolutely not just metal) talk about air travel as a status symbol. Like it’s not worth traveling if you can’t do it by plane. Of course, the world is a big place, and sometimes there’s not an option, but other times, there absolutely is.
Environmental footprint
Do you think the metal scene could evolve in terms of sustainability? What steps would you like the community to take to make the music industry more eco-friendly?
In many ways I personally think the metal scene is in the forefront in several areas. I think catering quite often is somewhat sustainable, with green disposables and reasonable variants of food at certain venues and festivals. But of course, more can always be done. I would like all of the entertainment business, not only music and metal, to take a look at the world music scene. I visit several venues and events every year, and they all throw equally good festivals as any other, but the environmental footprint always seems a lot smaller.
Another issue is the sheer amount of audience traveling to concerts and festivals. I know of a few organizations working to try and measure this phenomena, and see if it would be better with more and smaller but more specialized events, or fewer bigger ones. It’s probably not easy math to do this, so many factors, but I am glad some people are looking at this. Some bands also ponder these issues, for example Massive Attack, whom have thrown several concerts that only people living in a certain area can buy tickets to. This is of course quite extreme compared to what we are used to, but a very interesting thought nonetheless. This would probably work poorly for the underground scene or niche festivals, but for huge mainstream events it really does beg for many new questions to be asked.
The importance of nature
What would you say to your fans about the importance of nature in their lives, both as metal fans and as global citizens?
That nature IS important. But we all know this. The question is, in what ways can you participate for a better future, and how can you personally benefit from interacting with nature? Nature is what gives us life, gives us food, and gives us shelter. Trees build homes, plants give us oxygen, and both trees and plants prevent flooding, landslides, maintain biodiversity, and much more. Also, fresh air, a walk in a park or forest, sitting by a lake or river, anything really, can be almost therapeutic on its own. We are from nature, so nature resonates with us. But you don’t have to go hiking up a mountain to feel it, many of us live in cities, but nature is still all around us.
Lastly, one thing I personally think is important to remember; no one person can save the world. All we can do is the best we can, and no one benefits from having environmental guilt, whether it is something you have (involuntarily) given yourself, or something you have been imposed. But together, our actions, and especially our voices, will be billions strong. If we all can do just 1% “better” everyday, that’s great. And if we all also use our voices in every area change is really needed, change will hopefully come.
Thank you Apocalypse Orchestra
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your story for the Metal Roots project. It’s a pleasure to learn more about Apocalypse Orchestra and your unique approach to music and our environment. Wishing you all the best in all your future activities!
Thank you for inviting us, and thank you for keeping a very important topic of discussion active and alive.
Check out & keep up to date with Apocalypse Orchestra the medieval Folk / Heavy Metal band from Sweden on Social media. Check them out and listen to them on Youtube
