Not a bad start for any band, however, bear in mind that ‘Cataclysm‘ was simply a tasty entree to what the band have lined up in the coming months. We spoke to guitarist, Mó Sheerin, drummer Damian Dziennik, and vocalist, Hytham Martin about all things NEBULARIS…
OD – First, let’s go back to the start and briefly tell us how the Nebularis concept came together, and what inspirations would you consider to be key?
MO – It was originally set out to be my solo album with quite a lot of collaborations throughout the record. I had asked Terry McHugh to fill in for bass for the songs, as I’ve known him for years, and know that he’s outstanding, and a total professional at what he does.
Damian joined as drummer and we quickly realised we both had similar aspirations with regards to music and the overall theme of the album. When a majority of the metal community came together to work on The Aisieri Project, (see below) Damian, and Hytham worked together on a song, and he convinced me to get him to try out vocals for one of our earlier demos.
Safe to say, it all melded together extremely well. I’m incredibly lucky to be in a project with three of the most talented and loveliest lads ever.“
OD – With the first single ‘Cataclysm’ released last month, there has been a great amount of interest in the band. Was it very daunting to be working on something for so long, and then releasing it into the wild?
MO – “Extremely, especially when you’ve just been this ProTools goblin hiding in your cave for months, and months on end recording these ideas and concepts that might not just be everybody’s cuppa tea, that, and releasing various small snippets, and teasers to the socials. I’m so glad that people seem to enjoy it so far, quite taken aback by the feedback if anything, and very grateful for all who have supported us in our endeavour, it means the absolute world.”
OD – I understand that there’s a full album completed, [or near completion]. Can you give us some insight into the overall concept of the album?
HYTHAM – “So, the overall concept of the album is the story of a future humanity, and its struggles. It focuses on the loss of Earth, the disastrous event at the core of the story; and the subsequent attempt, of the remnants, to find a new home in the stars. However, it is so much more than that, and we can’t wait for you to hear it!!!“
OD – There are a lot of tags that are surrounding your sound, but how would you describe it for someone that has never heard you before?
MO – “Proggy, Sci Fi, Goodness.”
OD – Your debut live show will be taking place on Saturday, April 1st in Dublin, as part of Metal 2 the Masses Ireland. When considering the translation of recorded music to live, have you has there been any changes to the music, as there is always a different feel when playing live and also, having to consider the set list and what works best for the track-listing etc?
DAMIAN – “That’s right. We’re absolutely stoked to perform live for the first time with Nebularis. As for translating recorded music to a live environment? We’ll keep it as close to the original recordings as possible.
We’ll be running backing tracks for synths, orchestration, bass, and backing vocals on the night to give the audience the full experience of what we’re about as a band. The only things that are likely to change would be drum fills, and the delivery of certain parts in a live environment. Even though we use backing-tracks, we still like to sound organic to an extent. The human aspect of playing, and delivering an emotional, relatable performance is very important to us.”
OD – There is a second single on the way, can you tell us about that and is it a continuation [of sorts] from ‘Cataclysm’, or is it something very different all together?
Artwork by @mainstagedesign
DAMIAN -“Yes, our second single ‘Subnautica’ is due to be released in May. It still sounds like us, but it’s a lot more proggy, and laid back. Our goal with ‘Subnautica’ was a bit different. We wanted to achieve something soothing, groovy, and epic.
Guitar-wise, the song is filled with great rhythm playing along with Mo’s phenomenal guitar tapping, and a heart-grabbing guitar solo. Vocally, the song has everything Hytham is known for, along with a few surprises.
Drum-wise I wanted to keep things simpler. My goal was to make it groovy, fill it with ghost notes, and a few embellishments on the cymbals to support what’s going on structurally, and instrumentally. Synth-wise, the song has a combination of ambient synths, and industrial sounds, giving it a perfect balance between the meditative and mechanical approach.
We also used plenty of strings, choirs, and piano to give it a more epic vibe. I think this one will show variety in our song writing.”
OD – With regards to the sound of Nebularis and the overall concept, which you’ve already discussed, where do you see the music evolving towards? More progressive or heavier?
MO – “Progressive AND heavier! We have a tonne of ideas in which direction we want to take this concept-wise. I’d personally love to engage, and play with more synths. We have plans for a second album which will be part 2 of the Nebularis “dorklore”.“
OD – After your live debut on April 1st, are there any other shows that you have planned that you’d like to share?
MO – “I’d absolutely love to play more gigs in Dublin, and head up north to Belfast. I have a couple ideas lined up in regards to that, and of course, would love to travel to Liverpool/Manchester/London, and test out the waters there.”
OD – If you could change one thing about the current music scene in Ireland, what would that be?
HYTHAM – The Rivalry! If Aeseri taught us one thing, it’s that we work better together as a community, rather than as lone competitors trying to grapple each other to the top. Helping each other out is the name of the game. A rising tide lifts all ships!!!
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2023
