1.What Inspired the name of the band and the sound of the band?
First of all, thank you for the opportunity allowed to us to speak about Mascharat. The name of the band derives from the Arabic language and means “joke, prank, trick” and “immoral and chaotic situation”. Mascharat traces also the origin of the Italian term “maschera”, in English “mask”. We are strongly inspired by the concepts of carnival, masks and by their rich and various meanings and symbols which can be related to philosophy and religion. In that sense, we do not consider the mask to be just as a mere ornament.
Particularly, the name of the band mainly fits with the feeling of freedom connected to the use of masks in the carnival tradition, when masks were used to attempt a sort of emancipation (even just for a little period) from the rules of society and religion.
We’ve tried to find a sound that could give the most suitable bond between the lyrics and the atmosphere that inspired us.
- Where do you seek inspiration for your music and lyrics?
As we said, we are primarily inspired by the masks and traditions of carnival, even if we are not focused in reproducing it in a folkloristic way. Besides, we take also inspiration from various other sources concerning literature, religion and philosophy or other forms of art whose elements we try to incorporate in our message in a way that is coherent but also unique. This does not exclude the fact that in future we could embrace also different themes. What inspired us the most about carnival is its principle of overturning of moral and social aspects even if it is, at the same time, a part of the same society that it tries to subvert. We like the fact that this incoherence shows the weakness of human nature and of the catholic religion specifically.
Our musical inspiration is mainly the second wave of black metal, especially the Norwegian classics, French scene, and so on. We try anyway to use our stylistic approach to forge pieces that have proper connections between lyrics, rhythm and atmosphere.
- How do you approach writing and recording? Was this process different for this album?
We do not like to force the creative process and give us deadlines, we prefer instead that spontaneity and instinct cooperate with the research in our sound. While making the Demo we were focused in starting, tracing and developing our concept, whilst in the album we’ve spent more time and attention also in finding a sound that could fit better with our ideas and atmosphere. In the Demo we were also searching for a drummer, which we’ve found during the writing session of the album. This enabled us to get better sounding rhythmic parts and a more thorough overview of the dynamics of the tracks.
- What songs are you looking forward to playing?
At the moment we don’t plan to do gigs for personal reasons, however we would be delighted to try our material in a live context. We don’t really have a favourite track, because every song has its place and its meaning and everyone in the band has its personal feelings about them. Besides, the intensity of the tracks may change in realtion to the mood of every component of the band when played in the rehearsal room.
- What plans do you have for the future?
We would like to release new material we are working on and it would also be nice to introduce it to a live audience, as soon as there will be the right conditions for that. After the first CD release under Seance Records, we are also planning a limited cassette edition of our album with Morbid Chapel Records.
We want to thank you for the interview and also everyone that spends their time in listening and supporting us.