Interview With: Kimaera

Interviewed by: Wissam Abboud

Posted by: Wissam Abboud

Date: 2011-09-29

Kimaera is one of the biggest bands in Lebanon. They have managed to become an international band and put Lebanon's name on the map.

1-      You were part of Masters of Rock 2010 in Czech Republic, Unirock in Turkey and Rock Festival in Lebanon. What did it feel like playing alongside some of the biggest bands? And did you receive any feedback from them?

            Okey, think about how you might feel when just watching your favorite or biggest bands ever, now try to imagine what you'll feel sharing stage, and backstage with them. This is what I'm talking about.

            We didn’t receive any feedback from the bands themselves, we just enjoyed meeting them and having small talk and sharing a beer or two.

            The feedback we got were from the press and the audience, and they were all extremely positive and simply awesome!

2-      Kimaera has released two albums, "Ebony Veiled" and "Solitary Impact", which one of the two albums do you think was more successful and why?

            Let’s put it in another way... Ebony Veiled was our first effort, and introduced Kimaera to the worldwide metal scene. It got us fairly big and growing international fanbase, as well as the attention of our record label. However, Solitary Impact was the second big step and the long awaited album by a lot of fans around the world. Reviews of both albums were great, they were praised by the international media for the effort, uniqueness and musicianship combined in them. Other than that, it all depends on the taste of the listener.

             So It is more of a complementary work rather than a comparative one.

3-      Kimaera's line up has changed a lot, how does that affect your progress?

           Well we went through a lot of it, it is true. At some points it has caused us setbacks; it was out of our control. And it is not that easy to find dedicated and talented metal musicians around here.           

            In other cases, the lineup has changed to prevent any problems with the band's progress.

4-      The Name of Kimaera has rose high and gone to the farthest in comparison with the other Lebanese bands, what advice can you give to those bands? And which Lebanese bands do you support and think they have a promising future?

            A very simple one actually... Just work hard, keep evolving, promote your music as much as you can and stay focused on what you are doing and not on what other bands are.

            It is not that easy, but it is not impossible.

            We have always supported the bands that are worth it. And by that I mean the bands who are dedicated to their music, which don’t have any inferiority complex and who respect what we have achieved for the local scene throughout the years, whether new or old bands, they know who they are without mentioning them.

5-      What is the greatest moment the band members had shared, and what is the worst?

            We have many great moments to remember, but one of the best was definitely being on stage in front of more than 10 000 people and seeing their reaction towards the band, and of course headbanging on stage with Katatonia.

            The worst was having to deal with 13 kg overweight at the airport, that was expensive as hell. Hehe!

6-      In the beginning of any band's journey, the first goal would be becoming an international band. After achieving that, what goals do Kimaera aim for now?

            To have more releases, more touring and definitely more exposure.

7-      What issues do you mostly quarrel about as a band? And how do you reach reasonable solutions?

            Well, as you know in our country it is hard to live only out of music, everyone of us has priorities wether it is work or academic. So this is our main major issue, but we are managing to have enough time for the band, and giving it as much as we can.

8-      How was the making of your music video "The Taste of Treason"?

            We started planning for the video and preparing 2 months before the shooting that happened in 2 days. We wanted to include something extra on the second album, and we got the chance to do a video and so we did.

            We worked with talented people, who are into metal music, so it was easy for us to convey our ideas to them and make them visually work.

            We got a great historical location for most of it... and a lot of friends to help out in different things. I think the outcome was pretty satisfying, taking in consideration it is our first official video

            The song itself is pretty diverse, it has almost everything... From heavy death riffing to soothing mellow parts, and the meaning behind the lyrical concept is pretty powerful and fits well for a video.

            So all in all, it was a great experience, we had lots of fun, and we produced something new for the fans worldwide and the local metal scene, and we are quite proud of it

9-      Is there anything you would like to add?

            Thank you for the interview, and we hope to see you soon!!