To paraphrase a popular saying about the mountain and Muhammad, when Myrath doesn’t come to Greece, the Greeks go to Myrath. Ever since my fellow comrade Bill Skourtopoulos told me he was planning to go abroad for this very reason, I was more than eager to join him to see a favorite band that might never come to our country. The trip isn’t that long anyway—just an hour from Athens, and another hour (at most, if you don’t know where to go) to get to the hotel next to the venue.
Before we get into the concert, a few words about Joy Station, which has a capacity of about 2000 people. A venue that is far better than the ones that we have in Greece. Every single one. With a completely different layout than what we’re used to—imagine a large rectangle with the merch on one short side, the bar on the other, and the stage in the center. Next to the columns, there were some tables where you could set down your things—beers, drinks, and the like—while there was also an outdoor area with seating for anyone who wanted to step outside to rest, smoke or talk on the phone, for example. The layout was such that you had plenty of room to move around, resulting in the extremely rare situation where not a single person bumped into me during the nearly four hours I was inside. A landmark venue for the rock and metal crowd there, as far as I could tell, since three days before Myrath, Hypocrisy played with Abbath, and we saw posters for Electric Guitarlands, Kamelot, The 69 Eyes, Death To All, Possessed, Yngwie Malmsteen and Swallow The Sun. Overall, it’s a place I’d definitely go back to if I really wanted to see a concert, knowing it won’t let me down.
We had seen them four months earlier in our country, when they opened for Alestorm. I’m talking about the Hungarian band Roses Of Thieves, who served as the opening act for Myrath’s European tour. During their 45-minute set, they delivered their folk metal with characteristic ease and performed songs from both of their albums, with the most recent, “Demons Ascend”, having been released just a short while ago. They showed that they are completely at home on stage and that they are ready for bigger things.
Setlist: Fend Off The Dark, Be The Captain, Synonym For Blasphemy, White Wolf, Not Your Fate, Boys (Sabrina Salerno cover), Blunderbuss, Keep The Night Inside, Can’t Look Back, Once Upon A Time, Taste Of Freedom, Hymn Of Hell, Not Your Fate
So, after the incredibly entertaining Roses Of Thieves—and trying to forget the guitarist’s indescribable overalls, which he really needs to burn it ASAP— the wait for the reason behind this trip came to an end and from the very first moments of Myrath on stage, it was clear what a great decision we’d made. And that’s because the band is on another level. When you choose “Dance” as your third song—which is the second most recognizable track of your career—it means you have great faith in your material and know it won’t negatively impact the rest of the night, which is exactly what happened.
With a sound cleaner than a live recording and a textbook-perfect performance, I don’t know where to begin, as their set was a highlight from start to finish. The now-masked drummer Morgan Berthet made sure to provide a few moments of laughter with his teasing of Zaher Zorgati after he went up to sing when the latter called the wonderful Ivett Dudás of Roses Of Thieves onto the stage for the duet of “Until The End” and handed him a tissue as he introduced the epic “The Clown” that deals with depression, the dancer who joined in on several songs added very fitting choreography to their Middle-Eastern melodies and all the musicians were flawless in their roles. Special mention, however, must be made of Zaher, who was frustratingly good. He did whatever he wanted with his voice, never missed a note and performed all the songs perhaps even better than their studio versions. Naturally, he drew all eyes to him and gave an unforgettable performance, during which he went down into the audience and, after asking everyone to sit on the floor, sang the opening lyrics of “Les Enfants Du Soleil” with a spotlight shining on him. Undoubtedly among the top singer in the metal scene right now. The setlist was primarily based on their latest album “Wilderness Of Mirrors” since half the songs were from it, but they put it together in such a way that it had excellent flow and time went by without you even noticing. As for the fans, they were very enthusiastic and expressive that made the band feel right at home. It’s no coincidence that Zaher considers it their best concert at that venue in 2016. Honestly, the only downside to the whole evening was that it eventually had to end.
Setlist: The Funeral, Born To Survive, Dance, Until The End, Into The Light, The Clown, Through The Seasons, Tales Of The Sands, Still The Dawn Will Come, Breathing Near The Roar, Endure The Silence, Beyond The Stars, No Holding Back, Soul Of My Soul, Les Enfants Du Soleil, Believer
All in all, it was a trip that more than made up for our decision. Myrath are in top form and since we don’t know if they’ll ever come to our part of the world, if you like them and get the chance to see them abroad, don’t hesitate—you’ll experience a concert you’ll never forget. The same goes, of course, for Joy Station. I don’t have the experience to compare it to other venues abroad, but no matter how hard I think, I couldn’t find anything I’d change. Oh, and don’t forget—it’s important that at the end of the night, our clothes didn’t smell like cigarette smoke and weed. It seems like they actually enforce the bans there.
THE INTERVIEW
Three hours before their show in Sofia, Bulgaria, three members of Myrath sat down with us to discuss everything related to the band—and more. And as exotic as their stage presence and music may seem, their views are just as down-to-earth and genuine. Zaher Zorgati (vocals), Kevin Codfert (keyboards), Anis Jouini (bass), the floor is yours.
Interview: Bill Skourtopoulos, George Terzakis
RockPages.gr: Let’s start with the basics. We’d like to congratulate you on your new album, in which we found some new elements, such as of traditional African music, with the overall result sounding more… ethnic? What exactly happened during the production process?
Zaher Zorgati: A lot of people have been saying lately that we changed our style after “Karma”, but we don’t see it that way. We’ve always had the classic Middle-Eastern sounds, but we’re always looking for other sounds to blend with metal. That’s our basic approach and from the band’s inception, we’ve had this idea of highlighting traditional Middle-Eastern music and then incorporating as many traditional elements from around the world as we can. Whether those are from Africa, the East in general, or even Latin America. I remember telling Kevin that there’s an amazing women’s choir from Bulgaria and I’d love to collaborate with them, even if just on one song. That’s the way we want to make music.
RockPages.gr: So, you don’t want any boundaries at all.
Zaher Zorgati: Exactly. No borders ever. And maybe in five years from now, we’ll make an album exclusively with traditional Middle-Eastern music, just like we did on our first albums. For us, it’s always been about the essence—the mix of metal with non-metal music.
RockPages.gr: So, we can talk about a global folk sound.
Zaher Zorgati: Yes, although we don’t think of it exactly that way. We always want there to be influences, but for us, it feels more like a laboratory where we have the opportunity to experiment.
RockPages.gr: Since your last album, it seems like you’ve shifted your sound, even though you already have five albums under your belt and a pretty strong reputation on the scene.
Zaher Zorgati: I’ll be honest with you. I think our style has shifted a bit toward perhaps a slightly more traditional metal with Middle-Eastern elements, but our capabilities and intellectual power go far beyond that. We can easily sing Middle-Eastern melodies now (here he actually sang one such piece a cappella, Ed.), but we can also play heavy metal from India, Africa, Latin America, Eastern or Western Europe and even classic heavy metal from the old days. Yes, we have a very specific sound, but we don’t think only in those terms.
RockPages.gr: But you come from a continent that had never been associated with metal. How did you manage it, and what did it take for your voice to be heard?
Zaher Zorgati: The truth is that a lot of people in Europe, America and Japan were surprised (just like us in Greece, Ed.). Everyone was asking how a band from Tunisia, with French members, managed to make a name for itself. The truth is that the French had taken over our country, and we could now communicate with one another. Now we’ve established the kind of communication we need within the band and we’re moving forward.
RockPages.gr: Let’s get back to the latest album. In what ways do you feel it has evolved compared to “Karma”?
Zaher Zorgati: They’re almost identical; they’re not very far apart, but we feel this one is more mature and we had the chance to work on it more. Also, this album features countless hours of work on the arrangements by Kevin, whereas “Karma” was a bit more rushed in its preparation. And even though “Wilderness Of Mirrors” came out just two years after “Karma”, it has ideas and song frameworks that may date back as far as five years. We went back, gathered all those ideas, and started working on them. The ones we saw that developed and worked out, we continued with; some others we left for another time. Plus, the endless hours with the wind and string instruments featured on the new album.
RockPages.gr: How long did it take you to record “Karma” and how long did it take for “Wilderness Of Mirrors”?
Kevin Codfert: Roughly the same amount of time. When you go into the studio, everything has to be ready in terms of pre-production. For “Karma”, the recording process took about three and a half months, which was roughly the same as for “Wilderness…”. With “Wilderness…”, however, here’s what happened: I lost my previous job, so I devoted myself to creating the album. That took about twelve months.
RockPages.gr: The first single from the new album is your collaboration with Elize Ryd of Amaranthe. How did this duet come about?
Kevin Codfert: Actually, five years ago I thought about writing a song for Elize because I love her voice and the maturity with which she understands music, but I was a little afraid she might reject us and not take us seriously.
Zaher Zorgati: And let’s note here that she’s also a very talented songwriter.
Kevin Codfert: Exactly. So, I thought about it a bit more and finally reached out to her. She said she was a fan of the band and immediately agreed to participate. The only thing she asked was for us to book her a flight and for us all to work on the song together in Jacob Hansen’s studio (where “Wilderness Of Mirrors” was recorded, Ed.), in person. The first thing I did was put all work on the song on hold so she could contribute to the composition and expand its horizons. She listened to the song, worked her magic and the final result took us no more than three hours and we think it’s really great. The fact that we were writing with Jacob also helped because they know each other very well and he knows her vocal range, while she herself knows how to hold her own in the studio and get the best possible result.
RockPages.gr: So, this particular song is an added bonus to the album’s strengths.
Zaher Zorgati: Yes, definitely.
Kevin Codfert: I wouldn’t say that, because the song was built around their duet. It’s not something extra, but rather a part of the whole album, the whole package.
Zaher Zorgati: It’s as if Elize is the soul of the song. And I think Elize is easily one of the best female voices out there.
RockPages.gr: Zaher, let’s go back about ten years to a collaboration that few remember but holds special significance. You sang on Ayreon’s album “The Source”. What do you remember from that time?
Zaher Zorgati: I have enormous respect for Arjen; he’s truly a great composer and musician. I hope to work with him again in the future. Now that the band is gaining traction and I see the support from everyone—more and more fans, but also from you in the media—I hope we can collaborate with him again. I’d do it without hesitation, but even if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be forever grateful to him.
RockPages.gr: As the band grows, do you feel that additional challenges arise?
Zaher Zorgati: I wouldn’t say that. At the end of the day, it’s just music. We convey emotions; we’re neither drug dealers nor arms dealers. We prefer to create hope and peace and, more generally, genuine emotions. The other day, a fan told us he’s a big fan of HammerFall and DragonForce—why don’t we do something similar? Why don’t we do something for Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones? To tell you the truth, I like both of them, but through Myrath’s music I want to talk about everyday issues. About war, peace, cancer, illness, hope and depression. Things that are right next to you and you can touch. I’m not against stories with dragons, but when I sing, I want the person across from me to experience my lyrics personally. And the more they understand me, the more I understand them and a special bond is formed. For me, that’s what metal and rock are all about.
RockPages.gr: What’s next after this tour ends?
Kevin Codfert: Another tour in September on the other side of Europe, with many dates in France, Spain, Sweden and the rest of Western Europe. And we also have other tour plans that I hope will be revealed soon.
RockPages.gr: Are there places you haven’t played yet and would like to visit?
Zaher Zorgati & Kevin Codfert: Indonesia, China, Australia, Ukraine and Russia. The U.S. and Canada, though I see that as difficult with Donald over there…
RockPages.gr: This year you’re celebrating twenty years as Myrath, having started with the name Xtazy. How did this journey begin and what were your thoughts back then, knowing that you come from a country with no tradition in this genre of music?
Zaher Zorgati: When we started, we hadn’t even thought about going abroad. We just wanted to become the best band in Tunisia. That was also the goal of our manager at the time, Mr. Ahmed (R.I.P.), who was also the father of our guitarist, Malek Ben Arbia. He believed in us and invested a lot of money in the band; he helped each of us personally and he’s probably the main reason we’re sitting here talking right now. And besides Mr. Ahmed, I’d also add Kevin, who discovered us at a festival where we were playing as the opening act for Robert Plant. He came over and spoke with our manager, suggesting we change our name and singer and he was ready to take on our production himself, seeing that what we do is unique. So, our journey began that day. We went through a lot as a band coming to Europe from Tunisia to play metal, and to many it seemed unbelievable, but after many sacrifices of all kinds, here we are.
RockPages.gr: What do you think you’ve done differently compared to other bands?
Zaher Zorgati: A combination of hard work, karma and faith. I don’t believe in luck; I believe in faith and destiny.
Kevin Codfert: And maybe the fact that we’ve avoided a few more mistakes. Because when you’re starting a band, you don’t know what to do, but you often know what not to do. That’s my approach. I may not know where I’m going sometimes, but I know that if I make that mistake, it won’t work.
Zaher Zorgati: And think about it: when you start making music, you can’t help but think about money. Imagine a group of young Tunisian musicians leaving the country and starting to play at festivals. It’s a good thing we had Kevin with us almost from the start; he definitely made us more level-headed.
RockPages.gr: What’s the situation like in Tunisia?
Zaher Zorgati: Right now, everything is a mess. Things used to be better; there were people who supported metal and even the Ministry of Culture was supportive of concerts and events, including street concerts. People were much more into it and supported it much more enthusiastically.
Anis Jouini: Now there’s nothing. Even the musicians from back then who wanted to get involved are now playing in small bars or traditional music taverns. Zaher Zorgati: And the younger generation follows the platforms and social media. Whatever YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok promote in terms of music, you’ll find it at events all over the country.
RockPages.gr: So, you consider yourselves the pioneers of the Tunisian scene.
Zaher Zorgati: No. We consider ourselves citizens of the world. Just as we have—or want to have—certain influences, that’s how we see ourselves. Whether it’s Africa, Europe, or the Middle-East.
RockPages.gr: We’d like to thank you for agreeing to speak with us just before your concert.
Zaher Zorgati: We’d like to thank you for coming all this way to see us and chat and I really hope we’ll get to talk in person in Greece very soon.
P.S.: À notre ami Charles: merci beaucoup pour ton aide et ta collaboration. J’espère que nous nous reverrons bientôt!
