Combining the haunting sounds of dark symphonic metal with the lovelorn energy of gothic rock, Blue Mountains music machine Carmeria have upped the anti significantly with their recently released sophomore album Tragédie D'amour.
While their 2021 debut album Advenae announced the arrival of Carmeria it was also somewhat of a tease, showcasing a sonic temperament and direction that was fresh and vibrant without tipping its hand too far in any given direction. As such, the follow-up album was especially important for the band. They could either deliver more of the same - which would have been an acceptable outcome - or they could continue to traverse a more diverse path on the open highway of musical ability.
They chose the latter, with the sound on Tragedie D'Amour taking on a more energetic gothic rock approach than its predecessor.
To celebrate the recent release, Carmeria are preparing to hit the road for a run of dates with melodic death metal masters Orpheus Omega dubbed the Embers Of Tragedy Australian Tour. HEAVY spent some time with frontman Jordan Von Grae to get more information, starting with last-minute preparations before hitting the road.
"Really it's just rehearsals and tweaking bits and pieces of the performance," he offered. "So coming up with specific set lists for each show, things like that. Obviously, with these kinds of shows and tours, you have different set lengths for the different shows. One of the sets is 40 minutes and I think another is 50 to an hour, so you're kind of picking and choosing which songs you feel would fit best and of course having to axe some that you might not wanna axe (laughs), But the last couple of weeks before a tour is really about tightening everything up. There's been a bit of work. We've pretty much only had one rehearsal (smiles) so far since being back, and we've got two more planned for the next week. Off the back of that it will be just about tweaking little production things and coming up with some additional ideas for additional performance pazazz."
In the full interview, Jordan discussed the release of each band's new albums. He expressed relief and satisfaction with the positive reception of Tragédie D'amour, which took on a more energetic Gothic rock approach. Jordan explained that the change in sound was a deliberate choice to explore different themes, such as love and loss, and to delve into influences like bands like HIM and Lord of the Lost.
Jordan discussed the lessons learned from making the band's debut album, which they carried over into album number two. He mentioned that the process became more streamlined, allowing them to produce the second album in half the time. Jordan also talked about his role as producer for this album, stating that it allowed for a more natural sound to the songs but also required him to learn temperance to avoid overdoing it. He expressed excitement about the upcoming tour with Orpheus Omega, stating that they both appreciate each other's work and are looking forward to playing together.
We also surprised him with our new Photo Bomb segment, plus plenty more.