Hi everyone! Today in Black Phoenix Rising we have Marko Despot Miranović, vocalist of the Serbian band NUMENOR, who released their new and surprising work “Draconian Age” last Friday, March 5, an album composed of 10 incredible songs with a very fresh, melodic and heaviest sound.
First of all Marko Thank you very much for granting us this interview and my sincere congratulations on this new work from Numenor!
Well, I would like to thank you for your interest and nice words. It really means a lot when you learn that there are people who listen to your music for hours and that they are having their thoughts,imaginations and inspirations when they are listening to my music. And yet Numenor's music/message is very specific.
1) The first question is directed above all for people who do not know you: How would you define your sound? What are your influences?
Influences are different but they are coming from the 90s mostly: Luca Turilli, Blind Guardian, Domine, Rhapsody, also there's Iron Maiden or Kind Diamond (one could obviously hear that). On the other hand there are some moments from Norwegian or Swedish black/death scenes from the 90s like Covenant and Arcturus.
Our style is epic metal, I like to call it sword and sorcery metal since we employ different styles in order to build something strong and unique and different from other fantasy bands. I think that we stand truly in contrast to Gloryhammer, Powerwolf or Wind Rose and such bands. I am completely unable to get into this stuff. The problem is that even Madonna sounds more dangerous than these bands if you get what I mean. I was raised first on Motorhead and Iron Maiden, then on Type o Negative and Paradise Lost so all this sounds/looks quite weird to me. Perhaps I have become too old.
2) “Draconian Age” as I was saying is your new and fourth studio album. I think it is your most solid album in terms of sound, composition and consolidation of the project. How has the creative process of the album been and how much has the pandemic affected-contributed to its elaboration?
There was more or less no effect at all. This time we tried to make more direct songs with less experiments like we have done many times before, and yes it worked at the end. I do not think that we have been more creative on this record, it's quite the opposite, we tried to be more more simple.
3) What does the chosen title "Draconian Age" refer to?
Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost once told that Draconian means something hard, like harsh times. On the other hand Draconian Age to me means something from an ancient time (before as we knew it) or from different world if you like. I like the idea that there are parallel dimensions and worlds. I strongly believe in that. But, yes it was inspired by Dragonian Times since I grew up on that particular record.
4) The good Hansi Kursch from Blind Guardian opens the disc majestically. How did the idea for him to participate in the album come up? As always our favourite wizard is amazing hehehe.
Its a long story but I will make it short. Hansi and I have been friends for such a long time. Now, I am part of their biography and I am writing stories for their upcoming books and CDs/LPs. So, we are in contact more or less each day. You can already check out some parts of the upcoming bography that Mark Fosternas and I did on Imaginations live CD and LP. But, yet this is just a small part. The entire story has become such a huge project.
So, since we are friends for such a long time we just wanted to have one song together. Is more about friendship than anything else.
5) The cover chosen for the album is the illustration by the artist Dobrosav "Bob" Živković for the 1984 Serbian edition of "The Lord of the Rings". I personally love the different international covers made for the master Tolkien's work beyond the big three: Ted Nadsmith, Alan Lee and John Howe. I'm searching the Soviet edition of "The Hobbit" that a friend from Moscow will send me when the situation will be better...
Why did you decide to use this cover for your new album?
Since I grew up on this book and this particular cover so it was like a dream come true. It was like when Hansi made a decision to sing for me. So, yes the full circle is completed. I was raised on this book and Blind Guardian, and now everything has returned to me Anyway, I really like the cover artwork since it goes well with the title Draconian Age and its perfect old-school work. On the other hand I really dislike all these digital shiny artworks.
6) What plans do you have from now on taking into account that all the concerts, festivals and hopes are deposited in 2022?
I have no plans at all at this moment. I have to say I am just observing the situation. Well, we will try to use it as much as we can. Perhaps I will try to finish at least my part of Blind Guardian's biography/story. At this moment I am just focusing on At the Edge of Time period.
7) I take this opportunity to ask you Marko: how has this pandemic year been in Serbia?
Nothing special. I am spending more and more time on Skype with friends of mine just talking, playing DND or doing some interviews.
8) Serbia is a very unknown country for my compatriots, as I told you I have been pending for a long time. Any advice on visiting Serbia for an enthusiastic metalhead and traveller like me?
There are not so many metalheads in Serbia, I guess the old-guard still has the most people. But, we are now in our 40ties so we are veterans. But, it was different since there were a lot of people between 2000-2005, but most of these bands are vanished now with only one record behind them. I have heard that metal in Serbia was also quite popular during the late 80s, but it was a long time ago. Anyway, Serbia is quite strange and isolated.
9) I know it is difficult to address it here in a few lines with so many questions, but what can you tell us about the metal scene in Serbia? (Bands, bars, initiatives, festivals, movement in general... (Always speaking in "normal" circumstances, without a pandemic, of course.)
There are no festivals, in terms of metal festivals like in Germany, there are no metal bars, but there are rock ones and I think that's cool since I do not like to listen to metal in bars. It will be too much for me. Most of the people that I am in contact with from the metal world are older, they come from like 20 years ago. Some people left the music but still I met them on the streets and we are talking about how successful Numenor has become because I have made a great delay of around 10 years compared to them all. I like some bands from Serbia but they don't play metal. It was always like that.
10) Taking into account that our channel-blog is essentially about literature and Heavy Metal and that it is a fact that Numenor (you just have to see the name hehehe) and you specifically like fantastic literature: what are the works that do you like them more and do you think that every metalhead-lover of fantasy should read? Do you have any fantasy writers in Serbia that you can recommend to us?
To be honest there are fantasy writers in Serbia but I have not checked out their stuff, actually the main problem is that I completely lost any interest in fantasy literature like 15 years ago. I've recently tried to read some stuff but after a few pages I gave up. Actually, Hansi recommended me some books, but I completely failed. He is still digging all the fantasy stuff while I really cannot do that anymore.
I am now more or less only into works of Tolkien and Moorcock. Actually if I need to recommend one it will be Robin Hobb. But I love more historical stuff since it is more vivid, more real, but still speaks about something different (romantic?) compared to modern times.
11) Thank you very much for your time and I hope we can see you very soon on tour in Spain, festivals and Belgrade (Once the pandemic is over, why not?)
Of course I would like to thank you for your nice words and I also do hope to meet you somewhere or in Belgrade.
If you want to dedicate a few words to the people of Spain and Latin America who read us, go ahead, this is your moment!
Well, since I am quite aware that lots of people from Latin America or Spain really listen to Numenor I would like to send my deepest greetings to them all. I salute you all :) !!!
Rafa Black Phoenix
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https://numenor-kingdom.bandcamp.com/
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