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| Powerhouse metal/hard rock vocalist Margarita Martirosyan of the Edge of Paradise took us on a cool trip into their music and forthcoming new album, ALIVE. Breaking through the LA scene and gathering attention among top metal and hard rockers, the vocal prowess of Margarita melts rock to the core. |
BANGS!: Edge of Paradise sound is
more than just metal. In every track, there seems to seep a story.
Would that be a correct assumption?
Margarita Martirosyan: Thank you so
much, that is very cool to hear as we do try to make each song have
its own life. On this album Alive, every track carries a story
that makes up the underlying meaning of this project.
Musically as well, I feel like the
sound of each song really reflect it's meaning and that was important
to me as I want people to feel the words!
Alive is about us humans, being so,
caught up in the digital world, obsessed with convenience and
monetary gain, we have begun to sacrifice our humanity. We are
becoming corporate-led consumer machines!
We want to encourage people to break
away from the constant bombardment of advertising, social standards
and the never-ending race with time, and just breathe! Be part of
nature, remember what it's like to feel alive!
BANGS!: With the joint forces that
make Edge of Paradise who they are- in the world of metal where do
you feel you fit or do you think you are pretty capable of hitting
all forms of metal and hard rock?
Margarita Martirosyan: I consider us
a hard rock band, at first it was hard to pinpoint what we are, but I
do not think it's a bad thing anymore [laughed]. We definitely do not
fit with the death metal crowd, but anything else rock or metal I
think we can be a part of that.
Our music is diverse, the older
stuff is definitely more classic heavy metal with a symphonic and
theatrical edge. And the new music is more industrial, more modern,
so I think we could hit a lot of forms of metal and hard rock. We
just try to create the best music we can, something that can stand
the test of time!
BANGS!: Margarita,
it cannot be denied your vocals are unusually
haunting/charming/comforting and disturbing all at the same time.
Margarita Martirosyan: Thank you! I
try to put my heart and soul into every word so if that comes through
then I feel like I've done the song justice.
BANGS!: The first
time I listened and watched your video for some reason Nina Hagen
came forth. Not that you sound like her, but there is something in
your presence.
Margarita Martirosyan: That is a
compliment, thank you! She is pretty fierce [laughed]! I love her
theatrical style!
BANGS!: Is this
world ready for a breaking out of 'uniform' when it comes to music?
Margarita Martirosyan: I think so!
It's not easy because of how things are wired in this mechanism of
our society, but I think people yearn for something a bit different!
And I think it's only natural for music to take up different forms
over time, it's part of our evolution as people, as creators and it's
important to allow it.
I do not think we nurture art as
much as we should, I understand putting money into new technology and
science, and that is the evolution of our mind, and we have to make
sure we evolve our heart and soul too and music and art are a way to
do it!
BANGS!: 2015 was
your last album release, Immortal Waltz and it received
accolades for its unique sound. Now 2017 has found your newest album,
Alive due out March 10th. What is this last album bringing to
the diversity found in Edge of Paradise?
Margarita Martirosyan: I think
Immortal Waltz really introduced us as a band and solidified
our existence. Also, having Michael Wagener produce the album was an
incredible and very inspiring experience.
Now, we have grown as musicians, as
people, as a band, we toured over 30 states, we have been together as
a solid lineup for over three years now, and that all reflects in the
music and I am excited to say that Alive is definitely our
best music to date. It explores the heavier more industrial sound of
the band. Also, I've evolved as a vocalist, and we introduced new
sounds that you would not hear on Immortal Waltz.
We brought the energy up a notch on
Alive as well, it features faster tracks, with sweet grooves
that will get your heart pumping, every song has its own personality.
Overall it's edgy, heavy, emotional, energetic, dynamic, modern, I
cannot wait for people to hear!
BANGS!: How did
working with Chuck Johnson as producer come about? What was it you
think that he brought to what you envisioned?
Margarita Martirosyan: I think Dave
got in touch with him over Facebook and we have been fans of his
work. We all began talking, became friends and started working
together. He is super cool and great at what he does. He was the guy
behind first Korn and Slipknot records, he is worked at the legendary
Indigo Ranch studios for many years!
With the new songs, we wanted to
bring forth a heavier, thicker, more modern sound, and he was great
at guiding us and bring these songs to life! I think having a
producer is so important, cause when you write the songs, you are too
close to them so sometimes you need another perspective, someone who
understands the vision and what you are capable of, to hear what the
song needs and bring it to its full potential. So Chuck has done just
that, and we are all very proud of the outcome!
BANGS!: When the
band turned the mixing over to Jay Ruston, Mike Plotnikoff and
Michael Wagener- what role did each of them play?
Margarita Martirosyan: The songs on
Alive, all have their own personalities in a way, and every
mixer has their own style. Jay Ruston mixed the tracks “Alive”
and “Shade Of Crazy,” those songs are thick, heavy, in your face,
and he made them sound just like that!
Michael Wagener mixed “Mystery,”
it's our epic piano ballad of the album and Michael are the king of
ballads, he really breathed the life into that song, it sounds huge,
yet personal, very dynamic, it will give you chills!
Mike Plotnikoff mixed “Dust To
Dust” and “Humanoid.” These songs have very interesting sounds,
they are modern, industrial, edgy, and Mike is so creative, every
part of these songs has its own place, leading you into the next one,
really takes you on a sonic roller coaster. We have so many layers,
especially on “Dust To Dust,” it's an epic song, but still sounds
crystal clear.
They all really did a phenomenal
job, we were extremely lucky to have worked with these amazing people
and could not be happier with the outcome!
BANGS!: Is there a
particular track of this up and coming album that speaks to you
personally Margarita? If so, which and why?
Margarita Martirosyan: That is
always the hardest question, these songs are like my children
[laughed]! All of them carry a meaning that is equally significant to
me! I would say “Mystery” and “Dust To Dust.” I really cannot
pick one over the other, they really bring home the message of this
album, that our life here on earth is a true mystery, we basically do
not know anything about our existence, but I believe that there is
more to life than just our physical form, there is more than what we
see.
In a way I justify all the pain and
suffering in this world by accepting that it is a beautiful mystery
we live in, and we are very lucky to be experiencing that on this
earth in our human forms, and without the darkness, we would not
appreciate or even recognize all the light and love we experience. I
am not a religious person, but I am definitely spiritual and if you
listen to the words and the melodies of these songs, that is really a
piece of my soul right there!
BANGS!: Choosing
as the first video/single "Alive" from this album who did
you work with on creating the video story concept?
Margarita Martirosyan: I had an
idea for the concept for this video. I wanted to have this
artificially created humanoid that wants to feel alive and what it
means to be alive.
It's a music video so much of it is
portrayed through the emotion of the performance and the visuals. We
had a lot of fun with it!
It was filmed and edited by Val
Rassi, he did a really great job with what we had. I wish we had a
big budget then we would go all out! So I hope soon!
BANGS!:
What was it about this song's lyrics that connected the visual and
audio so well do you think?
Margarita Martirosyan: We tried to
create a think that this humanoid was made in a lab, and it's
confined to space but wants to break free and taste the life.
The words in the verse, "Inside
my darkness, find my soul, you are in control..." The message we
are trying to send through the song is that life in a way, is built
around human connection, and without that, we might as well be
robots.
I think when you film a video it's
really up to feeling the song and just knowing what you want to say
to the viewers, and it all comes together through the performance!
BANGS!: Margarita
touching on the side of you that is the pianist. Are you a classical
student? How do you incorporate and still feed this side of whom you
are?
Margarita Martirosyan: Yes, I grew
up playing classical piano since I was four years old, that was my
whole life and I continued that through college, I went to NYU for
theater and music.
Honestly, I never imagined I would
be fronting a band, let alone a heavy metal one! But everything
happens for a reason I think, and when Dave and I started this band,
we really found our sound by figuring out a way of how we could blend
our two styles together.
Without my musical training, I do
not think I would be writing the songs or coming up with the melodies
that I do, everything kind of lead me to this and I really love what
I am doing now. I'm lucky to have gotten the skills to do it! I've
always been a performer growing up, this band allows me to do what I
love, create something I am proud of and show the world who I am!
BANGS!: Would you
say that you and Edge of Paradise guitar player David Bates are the
Yin/Yang of EOP?
Margarita Martirosyan: I guess so,
we started the band together and our sound is a blend of our styles,
we write the songs before showing them to the rest of the band. But
we definitely not Edge Of Paradise without our drummer John Chominsky
and bassist Nick Ericson.
We have a great dynamic as a band
and are very lucky to have found those guys! We went through a lot of
members and crazy stories until the lineup was finally solidified!
BANGS!: After the
album, when can we expect the next video release?
Margarita Martirosyan: End of March
or early April, so subscribe to our Eyes
Of Paradise YouTube channel so you do not miss it!
BANGS!:
In the land of social media, where has the band found most success
and which do you as a band focus on the heaviest?
Margarita Martirosyan: I mostly
handle our social media and at times it can get, overwhelming. Our
fans are very important to us and I try to answer everyone and it's
really cool that we have built some amazing relationships with our
fans through social media, and then meeting them in person at our
shows are the best thing ever!
We started with our Facebook,
so that is our strongest bass currently, but a year ago, I started
our Instagram page and we are already at 14K, it's growing fast! It's
a bit of a different audience which is good, cause we need to expose
the band to as wide of a demographic as we can! And Twitter is cool
too!
We also have a YouTube channel where
we post behind the scenes stuff and live videos and our Vevo channel
where our music videos/lyrics videos live!
We are very social, we love hearing
from fans, metal and rock community is composed of really cool, kind,
passionate, interesting people from all kinds of backgrounds, and
it's awesome to be a part!
BANGS!: Looking at
your continued tour schedule on the website you have a few places
marked here in the states this year... then one in the Netherlands? A
female metal event. Do tell?
Margarita Martirosyan: We are still
booking more tour dates, and will be announcing them soon for this
spring/summer! And yes we are very excited to bring finally the band
overseas! We are playing at Female Metal Event in Eindhoven,
Netherlands September 23 alongside Delain.
Pre-order of the new CD starts March 3 and everyone that pre-orders the digital link can get a signed postcard of the album cover, mailed to them,
it's one of the giveaways
Eyes Of Paradise is having!
Eyes Of Paradise is having!
New CD Alive! Up for Pre Order! ON Amazon
"Alive"