Updated 12/09/98
Pathos is from Gothenburg, Sweden, the Heavy Metal capital of the world. The band plays music in the grand tradition of Dio and Iron Maiden and are currently in the process of recording a brand new album. We recently e-mailed one of the members to see what was up and asked him a bunch of questions. The answers start now...
Highwire Daze: Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Pathos.
Esko Salow: Hello, I am Esko Salow and I take care of the drums in Pathos.
HD: Describe the music of Pathos to someone who has never heard it before.
Esko: Personally, I think our music is quite hard to describe, but I've heard from a lot of people that our new album sounds like a mixture of NWOBHM (like old Iron Maiden with Bruce) and Slayer, and that is a description that fits me.
HD: Where is the band from and what is the music scene like there?
Esko: Well, Pathos comes from the Gothenburg area and that's a big scene. We have a lot of good bands here -- The Crown, In Flames, Hammerfall and Haunted, just to name a few. And the scene is still growing, new exciting bands pop up everywhere.
HD: What is the new album going to be called and what are some of the songs on it? And when do you expect it to be released?
Esko: Our new album is titled UNI VERSUS UNIVERS (One Against The Universe if you say it in English) and it's about the mankind, the human race and our urge to evolve at any cost. We don't care about anything except for ourselves and that will bring us to our fall. The expected release for the album is set in mid December here in Europe. For the States, I don't have any release date yet but you might be able to order it from us (pejtos@hotmail.com) if you don't want to wait.
HD: Describe what a live Pathos show is like for those of us in the States who have never seen one.
Esko: A live Pathos show is very powerful and energetic and I have to say well performed -- a kick in your face!
HD: Has the band ever played in the States and do you have any plans to perform shows here?
Esko: Pathos has not played in the States, but hopefully we will. So if there is someone with a booking agency around who can offer us a deal, we'll come right over.
HD: HOVERFACE was recorded a few years ago. How does that album compare to the new one?
Esko: If I should compare HOVERFACE with UNI VERSUS...I'll have to say that we've grown more as a band and found a style that fits us well on the UNI VERSUS... album. The first album was a bit shattered (my opinion) due to the fact that we only played together for about nine months before recording HOVERFACE. So I find the new album more compact, tighter and heavier than the first.
HD: Are there any other early recordings that we should know of?
Esko: Well?? We did a recording on a promotional CD for our label (Liphone) with the song "Hoverface." We are also the only Metal act on that album, and except for that one we haven't done anything more than some recorded rehearsals with songs that didn't make it to the albums. We are doing a song for a Yngwie J. Malmsteen tribute album right now, but I don't think it will be released in the States. I believe it's a Japan only release.
HD: Do you think Heavy Metal music will become more popular in the future or be driven further underground?
Esko: Metal music has always been pushed aside, not getting any space in the media. Those who think they can kill Metal by ignoring it are wrong, and they will soon be aware of it. In the early eighties, people said that Hard Rock and Metal music is dead, but it's still alive and kicking. As long as we are alive and people breed, there will be Metal.
HD: What do you think sets Pathos apart from other Heavy Metal bands?
Esko: We play what we feel and we really mix all our influences. You can listen to a song and clearly hear that it has "things" that remind you of, say Judas Priest, but you can't put your finger on it and say, "Hey, that's a rip off." It is the mode of the song that reminds you of something, not the riffs, and Pathos captures that mode/feeling. And I think that's what makes Pathos stand apart from other Metal bands.
HD: If there was one thing you'd like someone to remember after hearing a Pathos CD, what would it be?
Esko: Just to buy it, and the next, and the next and so on.
HD: Any messages for Heavy Metal fans here in the States?
Esko: When you feel that you are ready for some Swedish steel, Pathos will deliver. Visit our Homepage, ask your own questions, or buy a t-shirt.
Don't forget to check out the Pathos Home Page for more info on this thrilling Heavy Metal band. And coming soon in this space will be reviews on HOVERFACE and UNI VERSUS UNIVERSE!
PATHOS is...
PATHOS LINKS
PATHOS OFFICIAL HOME PAGE
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