Interview with Nephelium

Nephelium was one of the first Extreme metal bands from U.A.E. I first heard them on on a UAE band compilation (featuring a couple tracks from their first EP “Archiac Manovlent Sorcery”) a decade ago. It was a bit strange to hear black metal in a country where it’s always warm and sunny.  They later started playing death metal and released another EP “Ignite the Wrath of Silence” in 2004.

Last week they finally released their debut album “Coils of Entropy” after shifting base to Toronto in 2006 and a few line-up changes.Find out more about the album, why it took so long to be release and their future plans in my interview with founding member and guitarist of the band, Alex Zubair.

Top L-R: | Florian Ravet (Bass) | Devlin Anderson (Vocals) | James Sawyer (Guitar)
Bottom L-R: | Alan Madhavan (Drums) | Alex Zubair (Guitar)

Hi Alex, Congrats on the release of your long awaited album “Coils of Entropy”. Tell us a bit about it.

Thanks!!!
It’s like one of your crazy dream come to reality and believe me it wasn’t that easy at all but at the end of the day it’s paying off!!!

The album has been in the making for over 5 years, where was the song writing done – UAE or Canada?

Well “Merciless Annihilation”, was an old song from our last E.P “Ignite the Wrath of Silence”, revamped off course and “Malediction” was the last song Alan & I wrote right before we moved to Toronto. The rest of the material of the album was written in Toronto, Canada.

What is the concept behind “Coils of Entropy”?

This is a thematic manuscript that revolves/gravitates around one executive thesis – a recession of all life and a attainment of entropy. All relocating army in a star eventually mount still and all matter dissolves behind into quarks. And it is in such conform that all life comes to a halt. According to a Second Law of Thermodynamics, a sum entropy of any removed thermodynamic complement tends to boost over time, so entrance a limit value. Therefore, a entropy in a star as a whole increases in a solid duty of a several thermodynamic components. Entropy is a usually quantifiable force concurred by a earthy sciences, that “picks” a sold instruction for time, infrequently called an arrow of time. As we go “forward” in time, a Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that a entropy of an removed complement can usually boost or sojourn a same; it can’t decrease. If life is noticed as a sound wave, afterwards entropy is a spoil after a inflection has died out.

The album was recorded at Rouge Valley Studios (Toronto) and produced by Darius Szcepaniak. What was the recording process like?

The recording itself was an adventurous and intense moment that we will never forget! We got the actual taste of professional recording process, which made us better as musicians and it was tremendously meticulous. The end result was mind blowing and the record sounds Fuckin’ Heavy & Metal as Fuck! Darius did a sick job!

Alex, you and Alan are founding members of the band, how did Florian, Devlin and James become part of the band?

Well the boys in the recording of this album are not in the band and they left the band due to their personal interests which we all do respect. Alan and I were back to square one when the album was done tracking and then it was another journey to find the right fit in the band. That’s how the other members came to the band and they were proper fit!!! Not only it’s about compatibility, but it’s also about feel, dedication, commitment and passion which they all do have and they are getting stronger as a team and as a band or shall I say an establishment.

I know you are a Sound Engineer and Alan is a Professional Strongman, do the other members have day jobs?

Jobs are jobs, as you know people work hard in North America compared to Dubai cause we have bills to pay. I can’t complain about it cause that’s how the system works and its matter of time when the band hits the road things will change for better.

Nephelium changed from black metal band to a death metal one, what was the reason behind the change in style?

Nephelium wasn’t a completely a Black Metal band, infact we had both Black/Death feel in our music and that’s the time we were experimenting and blending different genre of extreme metal to see which was the right fit. We couldn’t resist or hold ourselves off not playing Death Metal because it was not only our cake but the perfect way of expressing our inner content.

Did moving to Toronto have an impact on the band and its music?

Of course as you know how underground and small the music scene was when we left Dubai (U.A.E), so many restrictions, hard to find a proper jam space, shows, access to proper selection of music, gear etc. That’s when Alan and I planned to move to Toronto being one of the biggest metropolitan cities in North America. The scene is way bigger here and it was a challenge for us in the beginning to start from scratch but that entire struggle is finally paying off.

Plans for the rest of the year? Any tours being planned?

Well the album just got released independently and we are planning to tour Canada and States this summer and hopefully Europe in the end of the year. It’s under process now.

Any plans to perform in Dubai?

Hell Yes!!! Dubai, Dubai, Dubai!!! The soils were it began, I can’t tell you how much Alan and I am waiting for that moment. It will be soon, very soon and we will make history!!!

Any Final Words?

Thanks Peter and your “Zine” for giving us a chance to spread our music all around the globe and I hope you enjoyed the album!!! See Ya in Dubai in the near future!!!

Listen/Download  “Coils of Entropy” @ http://nephelium.bandcamp.com