Ruben Arevshatyan, the guitarist of the UNAESTHETIC metal music band, about the challenges of metal music in Armenia
The metal music bands in Armenia began to be formed in the 1970s. But the international festivals were held since the mid-2000s thanks to the ZHESHT organization. We know 5 metal music bands in Armenia with various trend: INFECTED CINEMA, which presents a progressive metal, AYAS – a sympho metal, DIVAHAR -a black metal, UNAESTHETIC – a dark metal and DOGMA – a folk metal. The fans of metal bands, which must be said are not the majority, but they always express willingness to have the state care for them in Armenia following the example of the metal music bands that have a great demand in the world, as well as to expand the scope of the international festivals.
Once, in the conversation with “Aravot”, the author of the texts and of the compositions of UNAESTHETIC metal band, also a guitarist and vocalist Vladimir Melikyan said that they are suggesting a black humor, romantic, depressive, even cynical, as well as philosophical texts with DOON / INDUSTRIAL metal trend: melodic, extensible, and saturated music. The first overseas concert of the band took place in 2013, in PLUS ONE OPEN Festival held annually in Georgia, in the summer of this year, they attended the festivals held in Finland and Estonia, and recently, in July, in the INNE BRZMIENIA festival held in Poland. The band members are: Ruben Arevshatyan – guitar, Georgi Pirumov – bass guitar and Harut Keshishyan – drums.
In the conversation with “Aravot”, Ruben Arevshatyan noted that they were impressed with the festival in Poland that lasted for one week, especially noting that it was organized by the Ministry of Culture of Poland, which covered all the expenses. To our inquiry of who were the organizers in Finland or the Baltic States, our interlocutor only mentioned that they have certainly received invitations to these festivals, but they attended with their own funds. And as to the question of why they have not contacted our Ministry of Culture, the guitarist replied, “Frankly speaking, we wanted to apply to the ministry at least to cover the travel costs, but since the metal music is not so popular in Armenia, we were sure that they will refuse us…”
The concerts of the metal bands, let’s say, in Yerevan, are mostly taking place at the Puppet Theater. We asked our interlocutor whether the open-air spaces are not preferable for such music rather than the concert halls. “Thanks to the sound technologies of the Puppet Theater we get a wonderful acoustics, and generally, you are correct that overseas, the metal bands play in open-air stages,” said the musician.
To the question of why a large audience for metal music is not formed in Armenia, Ruben Arevshatyan found it difficult to answer, a short while after, he said, “The Armenian audience on listening to the metal music first of all perceives the rhythm, whilst our band, and I am sure others too, pay attention both to the melodic line and, certainly, the texts.”
Our interlocutor informed that Yerevan will host the next international festival in September entitled the “Progressive Yerevan”. He also noted that the metal bands only from Yerevan and Norway will attend because like the previous ones, this event too does not have a state support and the organizer is again the «ZHESHT» organization, and the concerts will take place, as usual, at the Puppet Theatre.
Samvel DANIELYAN,
“Aravot” daily
