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After the incredible Matt Smith’s one-man band debut album,
Theocracy has actually became a real band thanks to the drummer
Shawn Benson and Seth Filkins at the bass coming. The band,
immediately became leader of the worldwide melodic white metal
scene, is now working at the second album. To check out something
about this upcoming sure new masterpiece we have interviewed Matt, a
very helpful and nice person.
First of all, congratulation on your debut album! This one man
project is really one of the most remarkable albums I've ever heard,
absolutely perfect. When did you conceive Theocracy project?
How long have you take to realize it?
Thank you very much for the compliment. The project was conceived
years and years ago. I always wanted to have a band, and I started
writing songs
 in
high school, but I can't really say when it became Theocracy...some
time in college, I think. The album came out in late 2003, of
course, so I guess that was the "official" start in a professional
sense.
It’s really amazing, besides the shocking melodic and compositive
inspiration in the songwriting, the instrumental mastery and programmation work at the drum machine it seems a real drummer!
When did you begin studying music? Which is your favourite
instrument?
I pretty much got into music as soon as I was born. From what my
parents tell me, I was obsessed with it before I could even speak. I
didn't really have much training; just a few piano lessons and a
couple of classes in college. Aside from that, I just taught myself
(which is probably painfully obvious, haha). My favourite instrument
would be...vocals. ;)
Vocals as well are exceptional Did you attend a singing school? The
idea of creating chorus with your voice is absolutely mad! ;) but
the final result is really incredible. I can imagine how it has been
tiring, hasn't it?
It was a lot of work indeed, but I had it down to a science by the
end of the process. I can knock out those choir sections pretty
quickly now. No, I haven't taken voice lessons, but I
would like to do so eventually, to learn more about proper
breathing, endurance, etc. I listened to the album the other day for
the first time in a long time and was shocked at how bad I thought
the vocals were in spots...almost demo-like at times. I didn't
realize I had gotten better at it since then, but I guess I have. I
hope the difference will be obvious on the next album.
You've been involved in the production and in the mixer too; the
sound is perfect,
 clean and well-balanced. Many big bands would envy
this kind of production. Congratulation!
Thank you. The mastering engineer really saved me in a lot of ways,
because I didn't know what I was doing very much when I did the
album. I think it came out pretty good, but he deserves much of the
credit. I've done so much work since then to get better at the
production side of it, to the point of obsession (as if I can do
anything any other way). So hopefully that will be another obvious
improvement on the next album as well.
Which are you favourites bands, in other words the bans you listen
to with greater pleasure and those who have inspired you?
Iron Maiden, Edguy, Dream Theater, Queensryche, Metallica, Megadeth,
and many others. I like so many bands, but those are the ones that
have probably made the most impact from when I was an impressionable
youth.
Orchestrations and symphonic elements are remarkable too. Which
classical composers do you love most? The epic intro draw on some
notes of norvay master Grieg in his "Peer Gynt Suite", exactly in
Solveig's Song, isn't it? Why did you choose this composer?
Honestly, I have never even heard that piece, so any similarities
are completely coincidental. I'm not surprised though; that Prelude
is so simplistic that I'm sure others have used those melodies
before. I actually wrote it in a matter of minutes as a joke. My
friend was looking for some background music for a commercial for
his pet store, and I thought it would be funny to do something
really epic like that as a joke. But I liked it so much I decided to
use it on the album. I do like some of the typical classical
composers, but my orchestral influences draw more from movie score
composers like James Horner, Hans Zimmer, etc.
Theocracy has now became a real band thanks to the
 drummer
Shawn Benson and Seth Filkins at the bass coming. How did you get in
touch with them? What did they have put in the Theocracy sound?
Seth is my cousin, so I was in touch with him since the early '80s.
;) He knew Shawn and put me in touch with him. So it all came
together perfectly.
They both add so much to the band's sound. Shawn completely added an
entire new dimension and life to the band with his drumming. He will
blow you away! And Seth does a great job holding down the low end,
and his back-ground vocals are becoming an essential part of the
band's live sound. He's very musically talented, so I don't have to
spend a lot of time going over harmonies, etc. with him. I wouldn't
trade either one of them for anyone!
So now it's possible a live tour. Do you like live dimension or do
you prefer a studio one?
I love playing live; that's what it's all about. I love how
everything is so stripped down and raw...just a big mess of sweat
and hair and energy. Metal! It's been said many times, but anyone
can sound good in the studio, but the live show is what makes a
great band great. I was never interested in just being a studio
musician. We haven't played many shows yet, but hopefully we'll
continue to improve as we do more. We aren't playing out much yet
until we get a second guitarist. Our music lacks such an important
dimension when we play as a 3-piece. We have a local show coming up
this weekend, and we're using a guest guitarist for that.
New album will be released for Metalages Records? It's really a
shame that such an extraordinary band stay underground. You deserve
a great stage and only a great label could guarantee. Have you ever
had a similar contact?
We're not sure who is going to release the new album yet.
Your debut "Theocracy" is a symphonic heavy/power with epic, prog
and folk moments, wonderful melodies, ultra catchy refrains. Where
do you find the inspiration for these incredible melodies, so passionate and
touching?
They just pop into my head, usually. Or sometimes, I'll just stumble
on something good when I'm fooling around on the guitar or the
keyboard. The vocal melodies are the most important aspect of the
songs, so we try to make sure that's where the focus is.
New upcoming album will has the same sound? Its title? Date of
release? Please give us some preview! ;) (P.S. I really got a shock
with your fool's trick!)
Haha, I think a lot of people were pretty shocked about that!
Hopefully they realized it was a joke... I can't say too much about
the album at this point, but I honestly can't imagine anyone being
disappointed. I'll say this: I'll be surprised if I'm ever able to
put together an album this strong again for the rest of my career.
This just feels like one of those once-in-a-lifetime albums. But
we'll see how it comes out. As for direction, I don't think there
will be any big surprises. It has maybe some heavier and more
aggressive elements at times, but overall we're not trying to make
any big changes.
Lyrics are another small masterpiece, they express a mature and deep
faith. Could you tell us something about that?
Thank you. They lyrics are very important to me. I try to be poetic
enough to not be boringly straightforward, but down-to-earth enough
to not be too abstract to understand.
Why do you express your faith through metal music? What do you
think about white metal movement?
There's no deep reason. Music is just what I do, and believers are
supposed to share the gospel, so
 it's
a good outlet to share what I believe with others. I've always been
better at writing than talking, and I think a lot of other people
have been able to relate to the hope in the lyrics, and a lot of the
struggles as well. To me, it's important to present a total human
experience if you want your words to strike a chord with listeners.
Do you listen to extreme music too? Which are your impression about
un-black scene or black metal band with messages and Christian
lyrics?
I do like some extreme Metal, but it has to have something melodic
for me to latch onto musically in the guitar work at least. I'm not
a fan of death or black metal vocals, but there are a couple of
bands whose instrumental work I like enough to not be bothered by
the vocals. Everyone likes something different, and if you get
something out of it, then it's good! I respect anyone who has the
guts to not be ashamed of their faith nowadays. So many bands shy
away from it and downplay it.
What does represent for you Theocracy? It's more a dream or a
mission?
It's a bit of both, I guess. It's definitely my dream, but I try to
use the talents I've been given to talk about what's really
important in life. That's my responsibility. Our response and
support from the Christian Metal scene has been outstanding, which
is great, and there have also been many people who aren't Christians
but are able to get something out of the album and enjoy it anyway,
which is great. If we can encourage someone and maybe make them
think a bit, then we've succeeded.
Thank you so much for this interview, and thanks to every fan
reading this for your support! Check us out at
www.theocracymusic.com to stay
updated. We'll have a new album before long!
Valerio Mei
(with collaboration
of Ilaria Ricci)
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