Interview with GEOMYTH
I interviewed Vancole, the main artist of the GEOMYTH band from Ireland. The interview deals with the band story and their flourishing discography.
01 Hi Vancole ! First of all, when was founded the band and how did you all meet?
There was no defined starting point for the band. The idea for this project probably would have come-about in the late 90’s and early 00’s. At that point it was only a daydream. I could never have envisioned getting a big Symphonic Metal production at that time with such a small budget.
Around 2009 I was the keyboardist on vocalist Colin Callanan’s Melodic Metal’s project KARUNA and I saw how Colin produced Karuna’s ‘Neitherworld’ EP, mainly from a home studio. Also, around that time, I was being introduced to some of the latest sampling technologies and started to wonder if I could create a grand, cinematic sound using these tools. I started accumulating a large stock of sample libraries and through their use, I began to realize that getting that huge Symphonic Metal sound from a home studio was possible. I am sure this was case with so many Symphonic Metal artists.
I had always wanted both clean and harsh vocals and so Colin, who also at the time was the Lead Vocalist of UK Power Metal legends, Power Quest and UK Melodic Metal outfit Memorieve, introduced me to vocalist Rónán O 'hArrachtáin.
Ronan is the vocalist of the hugely popular Irish Sludge/Groove Metal act TEN TON SLUG who are really gaining momentum on the international scene. He is also part of the up-coming Irish Folk Metal act CLAGARNAC.
Both Colin and Ronan are so versatile in their respected vocal styles, that it really gives so much scope for experimentation in the songwriting process for Geomyth.
02. What is the meaning of your band name, for you?
The term Geomyth actually means a lot to me, as it encompasses so much of my interests in life. The term Geomyth, is short for Geological Mythology. I am fascinated by the story of the human race, along with all our histories, cultures and belief systems and geological mythology seeks connections between ancient stories and geological events.
I am at an incredibly busy stage of my life right now and so I can’t get the time I need to get music out as quickly as I would like to. The album sound is going to be huge and as you might expect it is time consuming to get all the layers to fit. I also wanted to learn as much as I can about virtual orchestration to really have the feeling of an epic orchestra on the album. The album is sonically such a huge step above Untold Visions, and it all takes time.
I also decided to release Untold Visions in digital format only, because from previous releases, I found no one was really buying CDs anymore. If there is a demand for physical release of the forthcoming album when it comes out, maybe we can look into it when the time comes.
04. The debut album set for 2025 but when?
I have learned that these things always take longer than planned, so I don’t want to commit to any specific date. Also, with Untold Visions, I have spent months creating the videos, pictures, social media accounts, joining the music platforms and online networking, so I am beginning to see so much work to get the album out. I might release one or two singles first. But I hope to do regular album updates for anyone who may be interested.
05. Will your debut album be named “Geomyth”, “Sword Chant”, “The Beginning”, “Éire: Myths and Legends”, “Keltia”? …So, what is the title for that forthcoming album?
I quite like Keltia actually 😊…I will definitely be announcing the album name in the coming weeks. Once all the EP marketing/Promo finishes up, I am looking forward to getting back to work on the completion of the Album.
06. What bands and movies influenced Geomyth music, and topics for lyrics?
I have been a devoted Metal fan for over 30 years. So many bands have inspired me.
The 90’s was pretty much Thrash/ Death/ Black/ Doom/ Gothic Metal
The 00’s was pretty much my Symphonic/ Power Metal decade
And after that, it has been Epic/ Pagan/ Folk and Melodic Death Metal.
In the last few years my favourite band has been WINTERSUN. Jari is simply a genius. Following that, it has to be Ensiferum, Equilibrium, Vanaheim, Atavistia,
For movies/TV, it would have to be Lord of the Rings, Lost Kingdom and Vikings series. But also, it can be sci-fi stuff like Stargate and Contact.
07. Will the tracks from the EP be available on the album?
No, the album is all completely new tracks.
08. How many tracks will be in the forthcoming record? Can you reveal the track listing?
This is a 10-track Album, I am not sure of the time, but it should be about 1 hour long. There are still about 4 of the tracks in which their titles have not yet been decided, so I am holding off putting out the full track-list just yet. But hope to be post this in the coming weeks.
09. Will the record be released under the banner of a label?
As of now, it is planned to be released independently.
10. Do you have some favourite Metal bands?
In addition to the above names, Metal bands that have really inspired throughout the years are, Emperor, Nightwish, Kamelot, Eluveitie, Rhapsody of Fire, Anathema, Finntroll, Tristania, Saturnus, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative, Dimmu Borgir, Sonata Arctica, Arcturus, Megadeth, Metallica. That’s just the tip of the Iceberg.
11. Do you have some favourite Folk bands too?
So many great artists and groups in the Irish traditional and Celtic genre that I have been influenced by. Here are but a few
Kíla, Lunasa, Beoga, Solas, Michael McGoldrick, Flook, The Barleyshakes, Afro Celt Soundsystem, Loreena McKennitt, Delerium, The works of Bill Whelan and Shuan Davey and Planxty.
I also should mention that I am a devoted fan of Cinematic and Classical Orchestral music, particularly modern hybrid-cinematic music. My favourite composers are Thomas Bergersen (2 Steps from Hell), Hans Zimmer, Vangelis, John Williams and Ivan Torrent. Just to name a few.
12. Did you or do you also play in a Folk band?
I am very active in the Irish traditional music scene here in Ireland. I play in weekly Irish traditional music sessions and have done so for over 15 years. I have been involved in many folk bands throughout the years. I also have released two releases under my own name Vancole, in which I label as Epic Celtic Folk/Rock/Fusion
13. Now “Untold Visions” EP is out now, have you got positive feedback for the record?
Yes, I have been delighted with the feedback. I released this EP to try and build some form of an online platform/following, to prepare for the album release in 2025. It was also to see what I could learn about the whole music marketing world before the album release. I have made contact with some really wonderful curators and bloggers, such as Sword Chant, who have been really supportive. It’s fantastic to meet new like-minded people online from all over the world, this is one of the reasons I wanted to do this whole project.
14. You said “it was decided to release only 3 tracks as a Demo/EP first. These 3 Tracks were ready for release in 2018/19 but it was decided to wait until the full-length was almost ready…” Amongst your discussions, did you think to release one track in 2024 and the two other ones in 2025 before the full-length release and then to make these songs available for free download once the full length released?
This would also have been a good idea for sure, but I think now the plan is, in order to keep the momentum going, would be to release one or two singles from the album prior to its release. This would be building on the platform that the EP has already built.
15. Do you think or plan the EP to be available for free download for Christmas 2024, for 2025, or later?
I had not thought about this, but would definitely look into it.
16. Is Geomyth also a live band ?
Not yet, I have mentioned it to Colin and Ronan, and I think the best thing to do, is to wait until the album is released, and then see if there is any interest out there in seeing the project brought to the stage. I certainly can say, this would be no easy project to get on stage, particularly with everyone’s busy schedule.
But lets hope it can happen!
Thank you for the interview, Vancole !
Thanks so much to Keltia and Sword Chant for all the wonderful support and encouragement. Best Wishes.
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