Sipario Power Metal Act (English Interview)

English Interview via e-mail (10th May 2016)

(Interview with Daniele, keyboardist (and harsh vocalist) of the band - first on the right)

Hi there! Thank you for according this interview! I will ask questions about the new album which will be released very soon (15^th May, on Underground Symphony label), and of course questions about the band and others things…

 

 For people who don’t know you, could you introduce yourself? (Band members, music style…)

 

Sipario: Sipario is a female fronted Italian Symphonic Power Metal band. Mæg Raheena is the lead singer. Then there are Valerio Specchio as rhythm and lead guitarist and me, Daniele Tari, as keyboardist and for additional harsh vocals.

First, let’s speak about the band. This one exists since 2007 and if I don’t do mistakes, it’s you (Daniele Tari) who’s the founder of the band. Why did you want to found the band? Do you practice music since such a long time? How do you know Valerio and Maeg? 

Sipario: Yes. I founded Sipario in 2007 with the purpose to unify different kind of arts in a single great project: from drama to opera, from poetry to visual arts. I played piano since I was 7 years old. My first piano concert was at 9. In this year (2016) I celebrate 24 years of careers, ahah! Valerio and Mæg joined the band in 2013. I knew Mæg since a long time because we studied at the same University. Valerio proposed himself as new guitarist for the band when I was in search of musicians for the EP “Screaming Against Oblivion”. 

By my research, I found something very surprising. In fact, you are officially three members of Sipario (Valerio, Maeg and you Daniele), but you don’t consider others persons who work for band’s music (Stefano Lauropoli, Domenico Sibillo, etc…) as official members of Sipario Power Metal Act. Why this choice? Is it willing or not? 

S.: A band member is someone who creates music for the band, who shares his true passion with the other members, who makes sacrifice not for himself but for a common dream. We are three because Valerio and Mæg are the best friends and musicians I could find to dream with. Anyway, Stefano and Sandro are two great friend of us and honorary member of the band: Stefano is a writer and he will follow us on tour as guest actor; Sandro Iovanella is our bass player in studio, our co-producer and sound engineer since we recorded the album in his own studio “Sound.Lab”. Domenico Sibillo is a session drummer like the other musicians for our previous album and EPs. 

After releasing two EP, you released your first full-length “Oblivion - Dark Thorns” in 2014, which were a great success. Did you were surprised by this success? 

S.: Since it was a self-produced album, we couldn’t believe in such a great success. Of course, we loved that songs and we tried to do all the best to make “Oblivion – Dark Thorns” a great album. I think that fans love what is done with passion so they believed in our work. The only thing we can say now is a great thanks to everyone who listened to the album and supported us.

Actually, you build your albums with stories you write. For the first album, the story was the novel “Primavera di Aithea”. And you also write a story with Valerio for your upcoming album. Finally, could you say that Sipario’s music is and will always be a story to tell? Do you always want to produce conceptual albums? 

S.: Actually, I don’t know! Concept albums are our passion and the way to carry our listeners into 
a parallel world from which everyone can meditate on the real world and understand the many 
facets of human soul. I hope that Sipario’s music will always be a story to tell but not always in the 
same manner! Maybe the next album will be something different...

Where do you find your inspiration? (In movies, books, life in general…?)

S.: Everything can be a source of inspiration. Books, movies, classical music and obviously, our experiences of life.

Let’s speak about the next album “Eclipse of Sorrow”. I noticed that it’s the first album you will release via a label (Italian label Underground Symphony). How do you succeed to have a deal with a label? Did the band contact the label or was it the reverse? 

S.: A mutual friend presented us to Maurizio Chiarello, the owner of the label, in 2014. At that time we were already  promoting “Oblivion – Dark Thorns” so we preferred to start working together by the new album “Eclipse of Sorrow”.

So you released the first single “Carnage”, last Friday. I heard a more different sound than next time: darker, more symphonic and of course with a better quality. Could you say that Sipario is taking a new way to become a “symphonic metal” band?

S.: Maybe but we don’t like genre definitions. Simply, we would like to experience something different from the previous album. We are always in search on new ideas! In this album, Valerio joined me as writer and composer: there’s much of him in Eclipse of Sorrow. Finally, Mæg is really loved by fans and many people asked for her as lead singer: she did a great job on the vocals giving new facets to a genre used to more classical female voices.

After releasing your album, did you plan any gigs in Europe? Do you want to come in France?

S.: We hope so and absolutely yes!! We hope to give you more news in the next months.  

Are there any other projects after touring? 

S.: We are growing faster but we would like to go further step by step. We will promote the album also with an acoustic tour and maybe with a theatrical version. Then, we will start to work on a new album. 

One day, if anyone says to your band “Ok, you can tour with a “great” metal band next month”, which great band would you like to tour with? 

S.: Oh, man! Contemporary ones? Kamelot, Epica and Avantasia…but there are too many bands we would like to tour with.

Now, let’s finish with informal things. Last time, I spoke with your fellow countrymen Oniricide (from Torino). They told me that they like France in any aspects, as lavenders fields, hospitality, cakes…But what about you? Do you like France? What do you find interesting in our country?

S.: Obviously yes, we like France. We loved Paris and we were totally shocked of what happened a few months ago at Le Bataclan. Damn! By the way, we would like to tour Les Chateaux de la Loire, then you should remember that we come from Caserta so we love our Vanvitelli’s Royal Palace and obviously Versailles.

Are there any French artists or bands do you like? (And maybe inspire you…?)

S.: Since we studied classical music we have to say: Ravel, Debussy, Gounod and Satie. Returning to metal and more contemporary artist, we like Heavenly and Gojira. Besides we have to thank two French artist who worked with us: Raphael Lacoste, the senior art director of Electronic Arts/ Ubisoft (Prince of Persia and Assassins’ Creed Franchise) who gave us one of his own works as cover art for “Oblivion – Dark Thorns” and Pierre-Alain D. of 3mmi who realized the wonderful cover artwork of “Eclipse of Sorrow”. 

Do you want to say a last word to fans before conclusion?       

S.:  Firstly thanks to you, Matthias, for this beautiful interview. Then we would like to thank all fans and friends who like, listen, buy and support our music. Love and passion for music  and hard work are the keys to realize your dreams. Stay tuned, stay metal…stay Sipario!!

So thank you for answering my questions. Hope “Eclipse of Sorrow” will be as good as “Oblivion-Dark Thorns”, but I’m feeling very comfortable. See you next time! ;)