Arma Gathas – Ché Snelting

Arma Gathas biography:

Metal Obsession: Arma Gathas have recently exploded onto the metal scene with the release of “Dead To This World”. Could you explain to our readers how the band was first formed?

Ché Snelting: Well Simon and I knew each other really well from our former bands, Cataract and Born From Pain respectively, and we used to play shows together all the time throughout Europe. You can say we were friends. After I quit Born From Pain I didn’t do anything for 2 years, up until the point where Simon sent me an email just asking how I was doing and if we were still going to do this project thing he and I used to talk about all the time. He sent me two songs and I knew I had to part of this thing.

We started “recruiting” the band members and started practicing,  Simon had so many ideas lying around, we had a record ready in no time. So we took the risk of going into the studio without having ever played a single show or being officially signed to a label. We were really confident  with out written songs.

After the recordings we went shopping for a label. With a network as big as our it was easy to find the right openings. A couple of labels were really interested, we decided to go for Metal Blade, which wasn’t the biggest label, but the label which gave us the best feeling. Here we are now. Dead to This World came out more than a month ago. I’m very proud of the result and product as a whole.

MO: What lyrical influences does the abum “Dead To This World” hold. Is it a political album, religious or personal form of expression?

CS: I was influenced by a lot of things. You can say it’s a mixture of personal, political and socially critical lyrics. Lyrics and writing is always a form of expression. I see it as an art form. The lyrics to me are just as important as the music itself

At the time I was writing the record I was influenced by conspiracy theories and the Maya view on the end of the world a lot. I took those views and I saw a lot of resemblances with the current state of the world, which made me worry a lot. The record is about the dark side of humanity. It’s about us not learning a single thing from history. After all these years of destroying our world we still haven’s learned anything. We’re one of the only species able to make choices, and we decide to live our lives the way we’re doing.

To me that doesn’t make sense. We still ruin our natural resources the way we have always done. We still start wars for the same, wrong, reasons. We still want more power, and the poor still get poorer. I have just lost hope in humanity. This record is my view upon it. No sugar coating, just the way I see it. Just the way it is.

MO: There seems to be a lot of musical influences on “Dead To This World”, including Machine Head, In Flames, Arch Enemy and even Heaven Shall Burn. What has been the biggest musical influence for the band behind the release of “Dead To This World”?

CS: From the bands you mention one band was an influence to us, and that is Machine Head. I never listened much to In Flames or Arch Enemy. Musically you can say we’re influenced by anything hard, dark and grooving. From Machine Head to Integrity to Bolt Thrower. We weren’t limited to any style of music. We just did what we wanted to do at that time. No limitations, no boundaries. Just 5 dudes doing the thing they love.

We still have a lot of ideas in store. We’re already in the process of writing the second album. I’m looking forward to create another killer album.

MO: Thomas Ewerhard was the artist behind the “Dead To This World” album layout. How important is album artwork to you. Do you think its as important as the music you create?

CS: It’s not as important and the music and lyrics but it definitely contributes to the record. With this record Simon and me wanted to a concept record. From beginning to end. From the music and lyrics to the lay-out and the approach on stage, Thomas was the perfect guy to get the message and concept in the lay-out. I love what he did to the record.

MO: Where did the design of the album artwork come from. Did you and the other guys in the band have a set idea of what you wanted the album cover to look like?

CS: Simon took a lot of pictures on his travels around the world. We took a lot of those to be used in the layout. Simon was the mastermind behind the whole layout thing. He and Thomas Ewerhard were in close contact for this record, which makes it really special.

MO: The album has been out for just under a months now and is doing quite well. So well in fact that Bruce Dickinson played a track on his BBC radio station. You must have been quite excited when you found this out?

CS: When I heard about it, I went to listen to it online. The feeling I got was surreal. Bruce Dickinson saying our name and telling it as it is. That was awesome. I mean come on, Bruce Dickinson one of the best frontmen ever…

MO: I heard that the “Dead To This World”  album contains members of Metal Blade staff from the German office.  Is this true?

CS: Simon works for Metal Blade Europe that’s true. Alex works for Road Runner though. Marc tours with the bigger hardcore and metal bands as a guitar tech and Max plays for a couple of Dutch Rap Artists amongst others. That just doesn’t make it special.

We all have lives next to Arma Gathas. Our professional careers are more important than our musical careers. That is water under the bridge. We’re too old to set unachievable goals for the band. The other guys are just lucky they work within the music scene.

MO: Who had the idea to include Metal Blade staff on the album?

CS: [Laughs] It was Simon’s idea to start this band. Brian (Slagel MB US) just likes the album and wanted to sing us.

MO: I’m assuming there will be a tour to coincide with the release of the new album. Could you give us a run down of the band’s upcoming tour dates?

CS: Besides Arma Gathas I have nothing to do with the music scene, and that is more important to me than to be working in the music industry. I have been pushing my life forward when I still played for Born From Pain. That is why we decided we were only going to play shows we wanted to play.

Shows of any importance. There a couple of shows coming up. A couple of shows with Heaven Shall Burn, some with Bleeding Through and a couple with As I Lay Dying. This gives us the chance to promote the record in front of  500+ audiences instead of playing a show somewhere in front of 20 people. Our time is too valuable for that.

MO: Any chance Arma Gathas would come to Australia in the near future?

CS: We would if we could. Bring us over!

MO: Do any of the band menbers follow the Australian metal scene. Are you familiar with any underground or well known Australian metal bands or musicians?

CS: Day of Contempt, ACDC, Airbourne and Gabriella Cilmi.

MO: Would you like to say anything to our readers before we finish up?

CS: Thank you for reading this interview. Check out our CD out now on Metal Blade Records. If you like your music to be loud, aggressive, dark with a lot of groove and a message, you won’t be disappointed. Check out “Dead to this World”.

Q’s: Anwar Rizk
A’s: Ché Snelting
Band: Arma Gathas
Date: 17/06/2010
www.armagathas.com
www.myspace.com/armagathas