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Reviews from "Solaris"

INTERVIEW: Via Noctura (PT) 18.01.25 - Posted in Solaris reviews Interview by Pedro Carvalho
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Hi Adriano, thanks for your availability. What have you been doing since the last time we talked, back in 2021?
Hi Pedro, thank you for your interest. Well, after the release of “The Final Stage” we wrote, recorded, and released the new album. In between we had the best gigs of our career, playing festivals in Germany and opening for important acts.

Now, congratulations on the release of Solaris! Could you share the main inspirations behind the album's concept and how it evolved during songwriting?
T
he concept of “Solaris” is from the novel of the same name by Stanislaw Lem from 1961 and the film from 1972. I had this song about the subject and wanted the album to be called “Fugitive of Tomorrow” and the Song “Solaris”, but I found a very interesting fan-made book cover, so I wanted this to be the front cover, so obviously I changed the titles and ended up not getting the wanted cover, but our trusted Cover Artist Tomaz Moranski created something in that vein. And he came up with the whole graphic concept, with the bandmembers in the cryogenic chambers. He is from Poland, as is the novel “Solaris”, they must read it in school there. In the end, it all fits well and if someone discovers the story in a film or book because of our album, we’ve done our work!

In our 2021 interview, you described The Final Stage as a rebirth for the band. How does Solaris build upon that rebirth, and in what ways has the band's sound or vision evolved since then?
It’s a continuation of this. We worked on the new songs very early on, some we played live for almost 2 years, before doing the record. Of course, the collaboration evolved,
and we all contributed to the songwriting and knew each other way better. But in terms of sound and vision, we also wanted to continue the path and stay true to our sound, bringing some variation to the concept.

One of the hardest changes must have been the close of Pure Steel Records. How do you deal with that and how did this shift impact the production of Solaris?
Yes, you are right. But in retrospect, it all went very well. Our contact person at PSR quit, so it would have cost a lot of persuasion to stay on the label. But before we had to think about that, AGR appeared.

And when Art Gates Records appear on your path?
They were looking for an Old-School Metal Band for their roster and wrote to us. So, it was a smooth transition. We were very lucky and are very happy with the hard work and dedication that Art Gates has shown us.

Can you walk us through the songwriting process? How do you collaborate as a band?
Usually, I write the song alone or in collaboration with a member, then I record it with a program that lets me add drums and guide vocals. Then the guys learn it and we start to play it in the rehearsal space and start to work on it. Everybody is welcome to bring their ideas in. Some have many ideas; some have no ideas. But I always want to soldier on and will step in if there is no solution to be found.

The Final Stage brought a more traditional heavy metal sound with less progressive elements. Does Solaris continue this trend, or have you incorporated new stylistic influences into this album?
The Final Stage brought us a new audience with more focused and simpler songs. So, we just wanted songs in the same vein. Still having some frisky moments and some variations, but we very much wanted to do a similar record. No experiments, just a simple old-school Metal Album, that you can hear from start to finish.
The album title, Solaris, brings to mind space exploration and existentialism themes. Is that what you bring in this new album?
It was always the intention to be more science-fiction in the themes, so “Solaris” very much hits that mark. It’s an intelligent, thought-provoking story, so it’s not your “laser battle in other space” Science – Fiction, but a sophisticated tale with a lot of depth. In the past, we released songs on “The Omega Man” and “World on a Wire”, both more than average movies, with a lot of morale and philosophy. No wonder they are both based on a book. And now we have a whole album concept based on a Sci-Fi movie, that’s based on a book. But again: Only one song deals with this subject matter. It’s sad that in the time of streaming, you’re not getting to see the whole artwork for this cd….

The band’s lineup remains solid, with each member bringing their unique contributions. Could you highlight any standout moments or collaborations during the making of the album?
Apart from the fantastic reception at our live gigs and the collaboration on the songs, there were some song ideas that the guys brought in, and we worked as a unit on
them. That was very satisfying, and we still have more ideas that didn’t make the album.

The last time we talked, you mentioned that the new members brought fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the band during the making of The Final Stage. How have these dynamics continued to influence the creative process for Solaris?
Again, the ideas some members brought were fantastic. But the dynamics have sadly changed from “Let’s contribute” to “I now know better what we want”, so we had some struggles, as all bands do. But the goal was always to make the best album possible. And testing the song on the road was a way to do it. But not all agreed on this decision.
Looking at your career so far, how does Solaris represent Distant Past's journey and evolution as a band?
Never thought there would be vinyl for a Distant Past Release, but here we go. It is another pinnacle that we climbed, and we came so far with this line-up. Now that the tables have turned it remains to be seen what the future has at stake for us. But the album will always remain as ours, if not the best album to date.

How do you envision Solaris' live experience? Are there any specific songs you’re particularly excited to perform for audiences?
As we played a lot of the songs live before, we only added 2-3 new songs. Apart from that we are sadly not in a position to add new stage props or anything new. I’m excited to play “Fugitive of Tomorrow” and “Speed Dealer” to the audience.

Are there any plans for an upcoming tour or live performance to promote the album? If so, how are you preparing for it?
Unfortunately, we did have some lineup changes and are now rehearsing the songs with new guys, so that will take some time. But we have some gigs planned for 2025 and I’m excited and a little nervous too.

Thank you, Adriano, once again. Would you like to send any message to our readers or your fans?

I hope you like our new album “Solaris” and check out the CD, as we, as always, take the album art very seriously. We have a shop up at https://distantpast.myshopify.com/ so if you can, support us. We won’t be able to play live abroad this next year, but you can always enjoy the music – it is immortal. Rock forever!