Interview by Kris Peters
Italian symphonic metal outfit Temperance have foregone convention with their new album Hermitage - Daruma's Eyes Pt. 2.
While many bands are basing their albums around conceptual themes and/or ideas, Temperance have decided to flesh that out even more with the addition of several characters and a narrator, each given life by guest artists.
Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) acts as the storyteller for the album, setting the scene and guiding us through a myriad of wonderment, sci-fi and excitement, while Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade), Laura Fella (Faun) and Alessandro Conti (Twilight Force) all contribute to the sonic journey by playing different characters across the story arc.
It is a unique and ambitious release, with guitar player and creative mastermind Marco Pastorino joining HEAVY to tell us more.
"This is the first concept album of the band," he explained. "The opening process was very cool and funny also. Difficult, I would have to say, because when you have to follow a script or story it's totally different. I finished the work and the story of the album almost two years ago, and then I started to collect ideas here and there. It was a very cool journey. On this album we have six characters who decide to have six singers. In Temperance we have two singers but since there are six characters in this album we use (other people)."
In the full interview, Marco talks us through the concept of the album in greater detail, the three singles released and how they tie in with the story line, the guest artists and why they were chosen for their specific roles, the accompanying book and how much extra insight it gives, whether the concept will continue, upcoming shows and more.