Sothis Interview
by Mark Hensch
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Rather than join the rest of the United States Black Metal hordes, Los Angeles, California's Sothis instead look backwards towards the majestic Norwegian black metal of the Second Wave. Taking cues from Emperor and early Dimmu Borgir, the group brandishes symphonic black metal as a powerful weapon, quickly cutting their way into bigger and better conquests. I spoke with band members Drogoth, Dross and Keres about 2008's De Oppresso Liber, a work of modern darkness if ever there was one.
Mark Hensch of Thrashpit.com: First off, thank you for sacrificing some of your time in order to do this interview. It is greatly appreciated.
Drogoth: You're welcome man. Thanks for your time.
Thrashpit.com: How did you pick the name "Sothis" and what does it mean to you?
Drogoth: Sothis is basically the Egyptian word for the star we call "Sirius" or the "Dog Star." It is the brightest star in the sky and part of the constellation Canis Major. Apart from that there is really no significance. When we were deciding a name each band member wrote down a list of possible names and after arguing it out Sothis was the only one on the list we could get all the votes to go for. We said "pick your top three" and it was the only one across the board. It is cool sounding name and definitely not your typical black metal band name. We wanted to do something that was completely atypical.
Thrashpit.com: I was really intrigued by all the American imagery you use in your show and the music video for "Sinister Nation." What are you trying to convey?
Drogoth: Nothing really specific. There are a lot of bands, especially darker metal bands, who make a big deal about their heritages. In a scene where most of the music in this genre is coming from Europe, there is a lot of national pride amongst these bands.
As for us, we're all patriots and red-blooded Americans and we're proud of it. The music we play has lots of background in European roots just like our bloodlines have lots of background in European roots, at least a few of us anyways (laughs). We just felt it was something we should wear up on our sleeves as opposed to blend in with these European bands. We are an American band, born and bred here, so we want to say that.
If you look at the history of metal with bands like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax, a lot of those bands had very political, anti-government statements in their music. Even though they were probably all patriots, they were very vocal and I bet a lot of the US black metal bands look at it the same way.
Dross: I don't see any reason not to be proud of our country. I think overall people need to be self-confident and proud of whom they are. I also think pride can be dangerous and very negative. How many f*cking times does Nattefrost need to tell you he plays "pure Norwegian black metal?" It's like shut the f*ck up; you guys are cool, who cares? We don't go around announcing it over and over again, it is more subtle.
Thrashpit.com: Your band formed in 1999 but did not release anything until a self-titled demo in 2005. Was it important to your band that you maximize its talents on any release under the Sothis name?
Drogoth: We are lazy (laughs)!
Dross: That is not true; we are anything but (laughs). The bottom line is I met one of our guitar plays Scathe during recording school and we had a lot in common. We were thrash metal kids and we started playing together. We were also in love with symphonic black metal, stuff like Emperor and what Dimmu was doing. We just knew we wanted to do something with f*cking keyboards.
We put out wanted ads and did everything we could. The thing is if you want a lineup that is going to stay together and remain intact you have got to find the right person. They have to have the same vision, talent and drive as you. It is important to find friends.
Drogoth: Finding six d*ckheads to put together is not that difficult. Finding six talented d*ckheads to put together, now that's hard (laughs)! You can only hang out with someone you don't like for so long before it starts to show.
Thrashpit.com: Following that original demo, Sothis had an almost meteoric rise towards greater recognition. Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles even chose it as the "Best Independent Release" of 2005! What is it about your music that draws people in?
Dross: The honest answer is that whenever your record gets reviewed its luck of the draw. I was told by a guy once he took our record for review because he hadn't trashed anyone in a long time and he hated black metal. He ended up liking it, probably because we're more polished black metal and he likes death metal, which tends to be more polished on its own. We got lucky.
I think music is an art. What one man loathes another man loves. We had a guy drive five hours tonight to see us play. I guarantee that there are people outside tonight who despise us on the fact we are so polished.
Drogoth: Reviewing music is like reviewing art. It is simply one person's opinion. I think when a band gets reviewed by a magazine you trust in the editor to give out your album to someone with knowledge of at least the genre you are in.
Here's an example. I grew up in San Jose, California and I went to all the big concerts at the Cow Palace and/or the Oakland A's coliseum. There was this one guy who worked for a local paper that would review all the big shows like Metallica and he just despised rock in general. Of course any review of any metal show he'd write would say this is awful. One of the best concerts I have ever been to was The Monsters of Rock tour with Van Halen, Dokken, Metallica and The Scorpions. It was epic. The fans ripped up the turf at the Coliseum so much the A's couldn't play the next night and they had to postpone the game. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life and all the guy could do is just trash it as dipsh*t losers gathering together to hear unlistenable music.
The moral of the story is you do not put people in charge of reviewing music they do not like.
Thrashpit.com: Let's talk about your debut full length, De Oppresso Liber. What is the significance of the title to you?
Dross: De Oppresso Liber essentially means "to liberate the oppressed." It is tied to the US Army Special forces motto. From our perspective, the oppressor is the general ideology of organized religion, particularly Christianity. In a very general way, we are the liberators from these oppressors. It ties together our American heritage with the general idea of black metal.
Thrashpit.com: They say a musician is his harshest critic. What is your favorite song on De Oppresso Liber and why?
Drogoth: My favorite song is "Defiance." I really enjoyed writing it. For me, it has the catchiest f*cking riffs! It is just not balls-out brutal all the time. It has never been in our live set and so I don't hear it as much as the others as well. It is still sort of new to me. You could also ask me in two different weeks and I would have a completely new song.
Thrashpit.com: Overall, what bands would you say have had the greatest impact on the Sothis sound?
Dross: We're all about the 1990s era black metal bands, in particular Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Limbonic Child and Old Man's Child.
Keres: That stuff is the epitome of really great black metal.
Drogoth: Another thing is that every one of our members is a 1980s thrash metalhead. We all love Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Forbidden and Death Angel.
Thrashpit.com: Your keyboardist Asperia is a woman. How does having a lone female in the group change the band's dynamic, if at all?
Keres: Having a female in the band is great refreshment. It makes it feel more family-oriented.
Drogoth: Asperia is one of the strongest women I have ever met and she is nothing short of one of the most human beings I have ever met.
Dross: No one holds back. We still have guy talk and she is part of the circle (laughs). We don't take gender into consideration; she is just another band member.
Thrashpit.com: Given your hometown, what thoughts (if any) do you have towards the notion of USBM?
Dross: We are on tour with Absu, one of the godfathers of USBM. I think it is cool and I feel it has never had a completely fair shake. Right now is what decides whether or not it will be taken seriously on the same level as international bands or not. I think there is a hell of a lot of talent here in the scene rather it is Absu, Sothis, Averse Sefira or Black Witchery. The fans make or break everything.
Thrashpit.com: How has your tour with Absu and Rumplestiltskein Grinder been so far?
Dross: The tour has been great so far.
It has also been a struggle for all of us. Absu, Sothis and Rumpelstiltskin Grinder have never done a full North American tour so we are all in a sense learning how to deal with the constant traveling and close-quarters.
In general it has been going good.
Thrashpit.com: Last question! Where do you see Sothis heading in the future?
Drogoth: We are driving full-speed ahead. We are writing for our next album and that is our top priority. The bands that tend to rest on their laurels are the ones who will fade away. It is important to us get another album out and continue claiming our stake and presence in the metal world. You can't stop; people's attentions are short.
Thrashpit.com: Thanks again! Best of luck to you and your band!
Sothis: Thank you! We appreciate it!
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