Interview: Skaphos

French extreme metallers from Skaphos bring to light a new album entitled Cult of Uzura via Transcending Obscurity Records. Band’s vocalist and guitarist, Stephan ”Valross” Le Lepraux, discussed the new album, its concept, influences, and touring plans.

Welcome to Antichrist, nice talking with you, Stephan, and congrats on the new album entitled Cult of Uzura. First, what is the story behind the album?
Hello Carla, thanks for reaching out! This album will be the third from Skaphos. For this one, we choose to leave the abyss to take a more lively point of view. This album is more about men and oceanic cult than the first two, which were focused on the deep-sea horror.

While listening to Cult of Uzura, I could hear some differences, sound-wise, than the previous album Thooi. What’s your first approach when it comes to the sounds, and of course, the use of the dark elements too?
With this album, we change the sound a lot, first with the arrival of our new drummer, Nathan Faure, who came with a lot of recording and mixing skills, and second with the will to render something more savage, tribal, and well-produced. We wanted drum, human choir, samples, something feral, and lively. We did a lot of tests and through our learning we found something that pleased us. Even tho it is not perfect, as we are still learning, we are really glad with the album we ended up with.

So far, how’s the album response from fans, media, as well as the public response during live shows?
For now, we got excellent response from the label, webzines, and fans. We have just returned from an European tour supporting Vader and the public answer was really great.

What does “uzura” mean?
„Uzura” is the object of a cult, led by the madness of mankind and the natural fear of the sea. Might be a god, a concept, a calamity, it is up to everyone’s interpretation, as each song in the album is a different way and story about Uzura and a way to worship it.

What does extreme metal mean to you?
Extreme metal, for us, means the capability to tell, play, and show extreme emotion.
If we can share, through live performance, the anger, the fear, the madness that the sea inspires in us, that’s a win. When we get off stage, covered in sweat, tired and dizzy from the intense performance, and the public understands that it was not only about music but also emotions, that’s extreme metal.

The French metal scene has evolved more and more over the years. Gojira is one of the most well-known metal bands from France, but I’d like you to tell me other French bands which people should try, and why not, being your influences too.
Of course, Gojira is a big inspiration, but there are also some great bands that we like, inspire us, and that need or needed more attention.
We can think of:
– Svart Crown: devilish black death metal, one of our teenage inspirations.
– The Great Old Ones: might be the biggest French black metal band about the Cthulhu mythos. Great mood and ambiance.
– Necrowretch: fucking amazing to see live, it was the first show we went altogether with the guys of Skaphos, I think something happened in our mind at that time.
– Benighted: love their violence, and Kevin Paradis is a beast.

 

What are your plans regarding touring in order to promote the new album?
We just went back from touring, so for now we are focusing on the soon-to-be-released album, and we are booking some shows in France for September and some festivals next year. Also, there is an unannounced surprise.

 Let’s imagine your upcoming tour, and please name 2 or 3 bands that you’d like to share the stage and tour with.
The dream lineup for us would be something like Behemoth – Hate – Skaphos. An evilish black death metal night!

Thanks a lot for your time. Until next time!
Thanks for the interview, and I hope we can meet again in Bucharest! Cheers!

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