Interview - Lyria: Symphonic/Alternative Metal With Potential and Maturity (Plus Album's Review and Free Listening)

Founded in 2012, Lyria is a brazillian band that has a great potential and maturity,  with their Alternative/Symphonic Metal tempered by influences ranging from Thrash to Gothic Metal and Industrial, with creative arrangements and good ideas, showing a strong personality and competence. (Leia aqui versão em português)

With the beautiful voice of the mezzo soprano Aline Happ, combined with the double Eliezer and Thiago Zig, the group now wants to continue promoting their debut album, "Catharsis", released late last year, through a successful crowdfunding campaign, attended by fans from different countries, showing that the band has already raised interest also in other territories.

We talked to the founder Aline Happ to know a little more about the band's debut album and plans, and plus, in the end of the interview you can read our review of "Catharsis"! Check this very special interview with this promising band!

RtM: For those who do not know  Lyria, you could make a brief history of the band?

Aline Happ: Hello, thank you for the interview! We are an Alternative an Symphonic Metal band from Rio de Janeiro. I founded the band in 2012 and in 2013, Eliezer (drums) and Zig (bass) joined the band. In 2014, we launched our first album, "Catharsis", through a crowdfunding campaign. =)

RtM: And about  the album "Catharsis", did you already measure the impact of the album? The return is going well, or in a proportion that you was expected? You have already have a return which songs are being more acceptance among the fans?

Aline: If we had some kind of advertising, I know that we could spread the word to more people and faster. But the response has been great, many people have bought the album, especially the physical and we have received very good feedback. Hard to say which songs stand out more because each person speaks one thing, hehe. But I can say that the video for "Jester" has pleased enough, even spent on TV, PlayTV =) channel.

RtM: Personally, I liked a lot of the songs "Jester", "The Phoenix Cry" and "The Phoenix Rebirth", and would like you to comment a little bit more about them, concept ... lyrics.

Aline: "Jester" is about a person who when asked by a lack of attitude, was very angry and preferred to isolate and not review their attitudes.

"The Phoenix Cry" and "The Phoenix Rebirth" are interconnected. The first shows us someone who sacrifices himself for the world, who are tired of so much violence and chaos. The second is the continuation of the first, shows this tortured soul and the desire and the will power of her rebuild.

RtM: The band plays a Symphonic Metal merging more melodic moments, but also with heavier songs, remembering the style of icons such as Nightwish, Within Temptation and Tristania of the first albums. Wich are the main influences and inspirations that helped to shape the sound of Lyria, which bands or artists would you cite?

Aline: Many! Nightwish with Tarja, Epica, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Metallica, After Forever, Black Sabbath and many others.

RtM: And in this competitive scenario, what you believe to be the Lyria's differential to stand out?
Aline: We enjoy what we do and invest time in it. We put truth in music and I believe we have compositions that will please the public, both the Symphonic Metal niche as in other styles, just for not being "pure"  Symphonic Metal . We like to keep in touch with fans to keep them up to date and entertained.

RtM: I noticed that, the band has this concern to present news, and even released an official video with a good production, and some other actions, such as the sale of some products, such as lyrics handwritten and with dedicatories. Cool idea, even remember that Anneke (Van Giersbergen) did it too. How has been the return of these actions?

Aline: Thank you! The fans have liked a lot and is always a pleasure to introduce innovations to the public. I love writing lyrics and autograph Products.

RtM: Could you tell us a bit more about the production of the album "Catharsis", and also how works the writing process within the band?

Aline: Well, the album was recorded in a week!!! haha. We went every morning to the home of producer and went out of there late at night. But all the effort was worth it. Our producer did a great job. In relation to the compositions, most part of me, I come with the melody, sometimes with the melody and the lyrics, sometimes with a lyric and then created the instrumental and then the melody together.

RtM: And the stage for independent bands, mainly, which improved, which worsened? Including the fact that it is difficult to cover expenses only with CDs sales, and get live shows can also be rare, new bands have more dificulties to get support for it, that is some thinghs that i see on the scene, and many bands complain.

Aline: Some producers want you to play for free or even pay to play in horrible places, some do not want to hear your stuff if you say it's authoral, and many people prefer to hear covers of already know the songs. But fortunately also have a lot of people doing good work, helping in the dissemination of authoral bands in whatever way is possible, and an open public to know the new bands.

RtM: And you Aline, what your personal influences, and when you began to sing and who encouraged you in the beginning?

Aline: Evanescence, Epica, Nightwish with Tarja, After Forever, Sarah Britghtman ... and many others. I always liked to sing, when i was a child watching Disney cartoons, where the princesses were singing and I wanted to do the same. At age of 13, I started singing lessons for encouragement of my mother.

RtM: And the influences of the other members? And how they started in the music career?

Aline: Eliezer (drums) plays since his 13 years, and had several bands and played at night clubs. Always liked rock and metal. Zig began playing bass between 13-14 years and had metal bands, has played in the church and in party bands. When he started playing, had many influences of Progressive Metal

RtM: Aline, Thank you for your attention, the final space is to you send a message to the readers!

Aline: Thank you! I hope you have tanned the interview! If you want to know more about me and Lyria, follow the links here:

facebook.com/alinehapp

Facebook.com/lyriaband

www.lyriaband.com

www.youtube.com/lyriaband

Interview: Carlos Garcia

Album's Review and Stream

"Catharsis" - A Promising debut that shows a potential band

Created by singer Aline Happ in 2012, Lyria brings a sound with Symphonic Metal elements of bands like Nightwish and Epica, but also a more modern and alternative side of bands like Evanescence, where we can hear these traditional symphonic elements merged the industrial/alternative passages, with various effects on the guitars and synths, lower tunings are used too, plus a few doses of Thrash Metal and also Gothic in some more introspective and melancholic arrangements.

Released in 2014 through a successful crowdfunding campaign, where participants from various countries contributed, the album "Catharsis" has received good reviews and favorable public acceptance.

The merit of Lyria is not falling in the common place, with an interesting balance of those influences and elements, using intelligently and without excesses, not being repetitive in the arrangements, something we commonly perceive in bands who go on that side more "modern / alternative ", see the cited Evanescence.

Then, you will find a good variation in the compositions, showing a new band that have sufficient maturity, resulting in a safe execution of their instruments, catchy songs and well constructed arrangements. "The True War" is a good opening, with heavy guitars, while "Revenge" has a very modern sound, with various effects and synthesizers, showing the side more "alternative" (the effects reminded me a bit tthe band The Birthday Massacre) . Their side most Symphonic Metal is latent in the excellent song "Jester", with great balance of heavy sound and melody, good guitar work, and a catchy chorus; softer and melancholic moments, with flutes that give a special touch, can be found in "What do You Want from Me".

A very good debut, with maturity and showing excellent potential.

Album Streamming

Text: Carlos Garcia