With:	Aldebaran [Guitars]
Conducted by:	Jeff (e-mail)
Published:	02.04.2008
Band profile:	Artefact

- Hi guys, this is Jeff of the webzine Metal Storm. I'm glad to do this interview with you and present to our readers from all around the world one of our most promising French band, Aretfact. So first, can you please briefly introduce the band and its members?

Artefact is a melodic black metal band from Nice which was created in year 2000. Inspired at that time by bands like Emperor, Arcturus, Marduk and lots of others... We have recorded three albums under Rupture Music label (Destinity, Otargos, Aabsinthe...) and played in Wacken in 2004. The band is nowadays a sextet with the arrival of Sephiroth on keyboards and Olwe Telrunya as a second guitarist.


- How did you choose the name Artefact, and despite its original signification what does it mean for you?

I think the name came to us for the sound that we found very cool and appropriate for what we were searching at that time. It has some connections with the role playing universe but contains also a dark and mysterious meanings.


- How do you describe the music of Artefact? Some people talk about Black Metal, I think that it's not so right, you're more like a real Metal melting pot with Folk, Death and even Progressive influences. Am I right?

It's true that Artefact doesn't display a 100% traditional Black-Metal and conservative purists can hate that kind of sound. But I think however that the core and the basis of Artefact came from that scene even in an evolutive way. Nevertheless, I don't think Death-Metal, Folk or progressive scene are major influences even though there can be a few elements here and there.


- What are your lyrics about? Do they only tell about myths and mythologies or do you want them to send messages about our society to your audience too (maybe through some metaphors and comparisons?)?

Basically, they deal with Medieval topics, fantasy stories and history. But you are right it has some universal meanings as well, and can be understood with differents senses. Runenlyd who wrote the lyrics is also inspired by paintings like Bruegel's work for instance. "Catharian Ruins" for example deal with intolerance human beings can show.


- Your last album "Ruins" got a lot of positive reactions from the press. What does it mean to you and what are you expecting now?

It's obvious that an overwhelming reaction like this comes right from the heart, when some people understand our dark arts. I also guess that some others don't like our stuff but it's also a natural reaction. I'm glad to see Artefact became a recognized name in the underground Metal scene. Our very next goal is to play live the more we can in France, but a great event would be a an international distribution and to have the opportunity to play outside our country.
Then, naturally, we will record our fourth opus that will sound more brutal I imagine.


- What are your musical influences? What do you to listen to nowadays and with which band would you like to play live?

I think we have in common some great bands like Emperor, Arcturus or Dissection. But, we have some very diverse and large tastes in music in general. It depends on the members, some can prefer experimental things, Death-Metal, Heavy Progressive music, but the first I quoted are the mains I think that influence our music.
As for me, I'm very much into brutal Black-Metal melodic bands like Setherial or Cirith Gorgor but I can listen to varied music, classical to medieval tunes or jazz.
It would be great to play with bands like Keep Of Kalessin, Dimmu Borgir or Enslaved and many others...






- The artworks and cover are simply amazing? How did you choose the designer and how did you come to this idea and general ambiance?

Thanks to Metalex, our official graphic designer. I think he is the right person for Artefact because he knows the band personally since a long time and understands exactly what we are looking for. He is both fascinated by Metal and medieval era so, all became evident.
The cover is taken from Gustave Doré 's work, a famous French artist that inspired a lot of Black-Metal bands... We think, it fits really well with our concept under "Ruins". We work together with Metalex, he is closed to the band aspiration so it was okay.


- Can you talk a bit about your new label Rupture Music? How did you find this deal with them?

Rupture Music is a young label which is located in Marseille. It is Edouard, the label manager who called us after we've recorded our first album "Son Of Solstice". Even if we haven't signed for this album, it worked well since "Magic Spellcraft", our second effort. Since that time, the label have grown constantly, several people take part of Rupture Music nowadays and we are 100% satisfied. Now, it is a well-known label here in France, and several bands in there are quality bands I think like Otargos, Destinity, Aabsinthe or Fornication.

- I know that some members of Spherical Universe Experience play with you now. How did you meet them and why did you choose to work with them?

Spheric Universe Experience are friends of us, even though their music don't have nothing to do with our genre, the participation of Sephiroth became obvious because we needed a keyboards player during our shows thanks to his ability for recreating the atmospheres of Artefact.


- Since they're from Nice, like you, what can you say about the Metal scene of the city? It seems that it's more and more active with bands like you but also Kragens?

The scene here is very creative and prolific in differents genres of Metal. Kragens is just a part of the ice-berg, we have also Svart Crown (Death-Black), Cliché Boys (Power-Metal), Etheryäl (Doom-Black), Assacrentis (Black), Necromantic (Black), Continuum (Dark-Prog), Nohellia (Black-Death) etc... The list is long. Unfortunately, we haven't decent structures here to promote our bands due to a lack of venues and maybe a lack of fraternity between the musicians.






- What are you doing now? Any tour or festivals already booked?

We have some gigs planned in the near future in France, check out our websites (www.myspace.com/artefactmetal and www.artefact-metal.com) for more information. For the moment, no tour, nor festivals booked.
I'm working on new compositions for a next album, I hope it will be in a more brutal vein than our previous works, so let's see.


- I know that you have played at Wacken some years ago. How was this experience and when will you play there again?!

It was a great experience, you guessed. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to spread our music to a new audience. We met lots of people there (bands and Metal-heads) and the will to play again here become bigger...


- What can we wish to Artefact now?

Some gigs in France, I hope we tour and play in festivals sooner and especially outside our country.
Then, a new album will normally come, stay tuned.


- Thank a lot guys for your answers. If you have anything to say to our readers, that's your turn now!

It was a pleasure, thanks for your interest. Just listen to our productions.