Payam Doryani, bassist for Canadian Melodic Death Metal band Chariots of the Gods.
Chariots of the Gods Interview
1. How was the writing process for the new Chariots of the Gods album Tides of War done? Mat (guitar) came out with the basic core of all the songs, and we made the arrangements together; Dim (guitar) composing his solos, Rich (drums) his own drums and myself with my own bass parts. The riffs and the songs structures are from Mat for the most part, but he’s always open about us giving our input and bringing some add-ups. There were some changes made during and after the pre-prod since ideas kept being thrown around by us and by Glen (Robinson, producer on ”Tides of War”).
2. Where did the concept for the album title come from Tides of War? The album, as a whole, has a theme which is the ”Tides of War”. Lyrically, all the songs can stand on their own, but they can all be linked together with this common theme that binds them. In each song you can find this theme; this ongoing battle that comes and goes, humanity’s need for war.
3. What were some of Chariots of the Gods influences in making this album? The big names that are brought up by people are Children of Bodom, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Trivium, Annihilator… We all listen to different types of music, and that brings an extra something to our sound as well.
4. What type of gear was used, guitars and equipment? On the album, most of the guitar work was done with a Gibson Les Paul Standard, upgraded with EMG pickups (81 and 85). We wanted to get that fat chugga, and both LP’s and EMG’s have proven throughout the years that they can deliver the goods. Since he’s a lefty, Dim couldn’t use the same guitar, so he recorded his parts with his two LTD Eclipses. As far as amps are concerned, we used an Engl Invader 100 combined with a Peavey 6505, both played through a Mesa-Boogie Rectifier cab with Vintage 30 speakers. Since we recorded the drums at Studio Martin Deschamps, we used pieces of different drumkits, Martin himself being a drummer and letting some gear around the studio. For my parts, I used my trustworthy Esh Various 4 bass. It went through one of Glen’s preamp that he had in studio.
5. What do you think of promo videos nowadays, with everything going on YouTube? It’s definitely a great way for artists of every genre to display their skills and talents to the world. You always hear these stories about people making money, or getting some recognition because of it. It’s a tool that we all must use. With the Internet nowadays, everything is so easy to access at all times. The downside of it is that everything happens fast, and doesn’t stay around for too long…
6. Any Chariots of the Gods tours soon? Of course, live gigs are what we live for! We’re in talks with a few people as of now, and we got a couple gigs planned for 2013. Stuff is still to come, so follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/
7. What were your earliest influences? The first metal album that I bought was ”Master of Puppets”. I told myself that I’d buy a bass on my following birthday, and I did. I really liked what Cliff Burton was bringing to the music as a bass player, and I’ve been (and still am) really influenced by his style.
8. What could we find interesting in your music collection at home? Many old school rap albums from artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Notorious BIG and Dr. Dre. I’m also a fan of Neil Young, Jamiroquai, Extreme, and obliviously, lots of rock and metal.
9. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour? Fast food drive-thrus, packing/unpacking gear and other crap, horrible weather conditions (it seems to be our curse), meeting new people, building fan base, and discovering places that we sometimes never heard about!
10. Where do you see Metal in 100 years from now? There will be some robotic killing machines involved, Austrian-style hahaha, but I’m nonetheless pretty sure that the horns, the hair, the headbanging (whatever if robots or humans are doing it) and all that other good shit that makes heavy metal so unique are there to stay!
Extra Questions for Payam Doryani from Chariots of the Gods
Life without music would be: a mistake
Favorite movie: Don’t really have a single favorite one, but the last one I saw that I really liked was ”The Raid: Redemption”. Holy fuck was that movie violent!
Favorite sport: Football
Favorite food: Shawarmas, steak, and basically anything else with meat.
Favorite drink: Banana-strawberry shakes and Bloody Caesars.
Favorite saying: Hope is a mixture of cowardice, inability to act and self-betrayal. Confidence is a certainty based on the faith to be on the right path.
Favorite car: These big old 50’s convertible Cadillac Eldorado
Favorite book: Zombie Survival Guide
Favorite band: As I Lay Dying
Star Wars or Star Trek: Star Wars
PC or Mac: PC