Most of the time I write about bands from Europe. But now I have the opportunity to write about a band from South America, Chile. A country which is complete new for me when we are talking about metal music. So let’s find about it. The band ‘Imperium of Vanity’ will tell us all about it. So Thank you very much Victoria and Nick for being so kind to answer all my questions. I learned a lot about your band and your music and of course the metal scene in your country.
Before you start reading I have to tell you it’s a long story this time. So make yourself a coffee or take a beer, sit down and start reading.
The story will be told in two parts. The first part will tell you all about the band and the two band members Victoria and Nick (you can find the article on this website, choose “Bands”). And the second part is the interview I had with the band.
The band is called ‘Imperium of Vanity’. What can you tell us about then name you choose for your band?
The name of the band was born while we (Nick and Victoria) were driving by car. We were questioning various situations where vanity takes over most people, so Victoria proposed to call the band ‘Vanity’. But further talking about it, we noticed that we needed a complement to this name that would give us to understand a more critical message about how to identify the current world. For this, Nick proposed ‘Imperium’.
The name ‘Imperium of Vanity’ for us represents an underdeveloped world, still stuck in pride and envy, which prevents it from advancing on even basic but essential issues for life, such as respect, acceptance, equality and freedom. “the right to live in peace”.
Despite the radical changes compared to ancient empires, we still follow the same logic of dominating our environment, no matter how it is done. Destroying lives, ecosystems, and confronting women and men daily.
‘Imperium of Vanity’ is the awakening of an unruly universe.
Are you playing in ‘Imperium of Vanity’ only or are you playing in other bands also?
Our energies and focus are totally concentrated at ‘Imperium of Vanity’. As parallel musical activities, Victoria is dedicated to lyrical singing and seeks to perfect herself in opera. And Nick is dedicated to classical guitar.
How will you describe the kind of music you make?
We define ourselves as a symphonic metal duet, which rescues divers elements and of others styles. Like heavy metal, power metal, industrial metal and alternative rock.
We want to deliver a message and identify each song with a distinctive musical element.
Your from Chile I think (I hope I’m right?). Is this of any influence on your music? And is metal music in your country different than in other countries? This might be a difficult question, but what I mean is, different than in other countries in South America?
Yes we are from Chile. Our musical influences come mainly from abroad, as from North America and Europe.
Musically, Chile has not an influence for ‘Imperium of Vanity’ in terms of style, since there are no exponents that represent an inspiration or motivation for us. About the difference between metal in Chile and other countries, is a question a bit difficult to answer for us, because we don’t know the whole metal- and rock scene in the rest of South America.
However, we know that there are distinctive bands from our continent like “Sepultura”, “Rata Blanca”, “Angra”, “Pentagram” and “Massacre” (and several others). But there are no great exponents in symphonic metal yet.
I think this question will be difficult but is metal in South America different than metal in Europe?
We believe that metal in South America is less polished and worked than in Europe. It’s not usually focused on melodic aspects but it is very direct. It is based more on the message than on the sound and how to deliver it. So there are usually trash metal, death metal and black metal bands. Not like in Europe, where there is a great variety of styles, such as the melodic and the progressive. We have noticed that there are a very few instances of encounters and identification with the South American metal.
What can you tell us about the metal scene in your country? Are there many metal bands and is it easy to get gigs and things like that?
Chile does not have a metal scene, despite the great fanaticism and audience for the foreign metal. Unfortunately we have lived the experience where producers and agencies focus primarily on the development of urban music, Latin American folklore, dance music and pop. Due to the limited space for the development of artists and national bands. The scene is very complex and only reaches the small bars. The big places to give concerts are reserved for bands with a big production behind.
Did you make you any records so far? And if you did, can you tell something about them?
Our first production was completely self-managed, because Nick was selected as winner of a fund where he could obtain the financing for his home studio. So we could given life to our first 6 songs , available on our own YouTube channel and one not yet released (of course we have more, but they are waiting for their moment).
Who is responsible for the music and the lyrics?
Victoria composed and recorded all the voices of all the songs, including the choral voices and orchestrated most of the songs, while Nick composed and recorded the bass guitar, (lead) guitars and the drums. And he did the mix and the master.
With respect to the lyrics, most of them were taken from the poetry book written by Victoria entitled “Premisas de un Universo Alborotado” that will be released soon.
Is there a message in your songs?
Of course! The message of each song is direct related to the name of the band, since it is in each of them where we can appreciate the great problems that ate present in an imperious and vain world.
We believe that music can contribute to reflection, in addition to the adrenaline typical of metal. We have addressed very important issues such as the hatred of war, the blindness that generates power, the cruelty of femicide, depression, the pain of the loss of a loved one and the importance of believing in oneself.
Is your music influenced by other bands?
We are more influenced by the style itself than by any particular band. And our interest in symphonic metal began due to our taste for classical music, rock and metal. We always try to add elements that make’s us different but without losing the essence of symphonic metal.
Which music do you like?
Talking about this aspect we have a very large musical taste. Nick is a big fan of ‘Phil Collins’, ‘Simply Red’, ‘Jim Croce’, ‘Mr. Big’, ‘Congresso’, ‘Metallica’, ‘Iron Maiden’, ‘Kiss’, ‘Disturbed’, ‘Linkin Park’, ‘System of a Down’, ‘Bullit for my Valentine’, ‘Hammerfall’, ‘Dragonforce’, ‘Slipnot’, ‘Mago de Oz’, ‘Los Prisioneros’, ‘Heart’, ‘Scorpions’, ‘Ska-p’, ‘Dio’, ‘Lynyrd Skynyrd’, ‘Aerosmith’, ‘John Williams’, ‘J.S. Bach’, ‘Fransico Tárrega’, and ‘L v Beethoven’.
But on the other side, Victoria is a faithful follower of ‘Guns ‘n Roses’, particularly ‘Slash’, who has been her idol and main motivation in the path she decided to take in music. Her musical taste goes also from bands like ‘Linkin Park’, ‘Evanescense’, ‘Rammstein’, ‘Tarja Tururen’, ‘Nightwish’, ‘Myrath’, ‘Therion’, ‘Within Temptation’, ‘Europe’, ‘Bon Jovi’ and ‘Iron maiden’, up to artists and classic groups from the 80’s. Bands and artists as ‘A-ha’, ‘Whitney Houston’, ‘Cyndi Lauper’, ‘Madonna’, ‘Rick Astley’, ‘Soda Stereo’, ‘Los Prisioneros’, ‘Journey’, ‘’ The Smiths’ and ‘Depeche Mode’.
Her taste goes also through the Classic Opera and Spanish composers and singers as ‘Mozart’, ‘J.S. Bach’, ‘G Verdi’, ‘Rossini’, ‘J Haydn’, ‘Puccini’, ‘Enrrique Granados’, ‘Anna Netrebko’, ‘Andrea Bocelli’, ‘Sarah Brightman’, ‘Pavarotti’, ‘Maria callas’, ‘Montserrat Caballé’, and ‘Diana Damrau’. This last one is her best reference of the operatic singing lately.
Can you tell us something about your audience? And is there much attention for your music?
The audience we have has been increasing in a short time due to the expectations that our music has generated both nationally and internationally. Our fans often ask us about the upcoming movements of the band and possible tours.
The public is frequently foreign, due to the proximity to this style and the attention generated by a new band. In that sense, there is a lot of respect and appreciation for our music, which is very grateful to us.
What was your most remarkable gig so far?
On November 16, 2018 in Santiago de Chile we gave a great concert in theater with full production, where we released our EP. That day we noticed the energy that was generated between the audience and our performance. There was an inexplicable connection that we would always like to experience in all our future shows. We live in its maximum degree, the commitment and feeling of our followers in Chile.
What are your future goals in music?
Our future goals are:
- Release our acoustic video of the theme “Missing You”
- Release the lyric video
- Make the recording in the studio with a prominent producer in the scene, to realize the project won by the government of Chile
- Get a deal with a record label so we can expand our music and followers
What is special about ‘Imperium of Vanity’?
We believe that being a symphonic metal duet makes ‘Imperium of Vanity’ special, reflecting the big work behind it. In addition, each musician who accompanies us on this path contributes with his own essence on stage.
Our lyrics have been inspired by real situations and experiences.
Music seeks not to be monotonous, since we never do the same verse twice in the same way, and as we said before, we rescue the style, but adding elements that makes each song unique, for example the song “Alone”, which take some elements of alternative rock and was born as a result of the unfortunate death of one of our great musical influences, ‘Chester Bennington’ (Linkin Park).
When I ask you “where is the band in about three years”, what will be the answer?
As musicians we are ambitious, and we believe that everything we propose can be achieved, one way or another. This is why we are doing tours in America and Europe, launching our third album and who knows we play at big festivals like “Dynamo”, “Download’, “Hellfest”, “Bloodstock” or even the great festival “Wacken Open Air” in 2022. And maybe making a deal and work together with other great artists.
So thank you for this interview! Is there something you have to tell us which I haven’t ask or is there something you want to say to the readers?
‘Imperium Of Vanity’ is emerging as pioneers of this style in Chile and Latin America, so we ask you to help us create networks of contacts and thus get interviews, concerts at festivals with or without emerging bands, manage promotional videos, acoustic and photographic sessions , generate promotion dynamics with the public, highlight in networks, advertise and among other things necessary to give value to what we have been building all this, to extend and increase the possibilities of contacting the record labels and thus materialize the work that We have done it with great seriousness, responsibility, professionalism and projection.
Thanks for the chance! From the end of the world: ‘Imperium of Vanity’.
Photocredits: Ricardo Byr (instagram @fotograforicardobyr)
These are our Social Networks:
Youtube Channel: IMPERIUM OF VANITY
Instagram profile: @imperiumofvanityofficial
Facebook page: imperium of vanity
E-mail: imperiumofvanityofficial@gmail.com
Phone numbers: +569 77802900 Nick Abarca
+569 71363036 Victoria Parodi
ONS NIEUWS MUSIC 