Choria. Interview with Choria

Interview with Choria

I n t e r v i e w b y A n d r e w S t a n t o n

Hello and welcome to Inside the Darkness.

- Can you tell our readers a bit about your history, please?

Ave! Choria was formed on December 17th, 2016 in Indonesia. Started as a jamming project between Rsharsh (vocals, guitars) and Jou (drums) playing various music such as Hardcore, Punk, and some Black Metal hits. We agreed to form a band to brought such landscape, history, and nature-themed music under the name of Choria. We released our debut song entitled "Nature Teaches" in 2017 following the recruitment of Zardlord (guitars), Steew (keyboards), and Vakh (bass) on the band.

- What bands influenced you?

We are highly influenced by any Black Metal, Post Metal, and Darkwave musicians. Furthermore, we love how they put a theme in their works that relate to the condition where they're living.

- What is the Indonesian Metal scene like? Do European bands ever play live there?

To assess what Indonesian Metal Scene looks like can be watched from how many extreme labels and bands emerged in the last two decades. Indonesia has the biggest Metal fan in Southeast Asia. Every city in Indonesia has its own communities, bands, and some hidden gem if you digging it well. Of course, there are many bands from Europe such as Switzerland, Sweden, France, Germany, etc. who have played and toured in Indonesia since the last decade. Most of the shows were organized by communities, tour organizers, or labels in each city they were played in.

- Is the Black Metal scene growing there, or getting smaller?

Black Metal has always grown along with the emerge of Thrash Metal and Death Metal bands in Indonesia since the 90s. We thought that today’s black metal has huge fans and there’s always a new gem that came out of nowhere and attract the public’s attention. We don’t really care but actually, we are friends in the real life.

- What can fans expect from your new album?

We received so many reviews and appreciation from our latest release. Most of all give positive critics compared to our debut and we don’t really care about what people expect from us or our next release. As far, we create our music based on what we love and listen to.

- Can you tell us about the song ‘Sermon of Demise’? Who sings on it?

Our second opus is a concept album and put a lady named Maria Van De Velde as the main character. The song, “Sermon of Demise” is a song about regret of her.

- What is the story behind ‘Maria’s Tale’?

“Maria’s Tale” split into two parts and the song tells about Maria Van De Velde's life journey of love, death, and her cruelty in the name of Ashtaroth.

- What does your album cover represent?

The album cover represents our lady, Maria, chained under the Oak Tree in an isle called Onrust. Created by an artist and also our drum player, Jou. The isle now becomes a tourism object and national museum of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia.

- Will you always make this kind of music? Some bands change their style.

We love to play this way. To create such gloom riffs and minor scale. We want to keep our pattern as we already fit with it.

- What other Indonesian bands should our readers check out?

All the music released by Vallendusk, Pure Wrath, Dusk In Silence, Exhumation, Deafness, and Enssena are always on our favorite list.

- Do you have a message for our readers?

Our second full-length "A Dismal Repertoire" can now be streamed on all digital platforms. Support us by purchase our release through bandcamp or Interlude Records. Stay safe!

Thank you for your time.

Hail, Choria.