The theatrical metal experience
New guitarist and composer Mads Sørensen and vocalist and songwriter Sofia joined DEN TUNGE TIME via phone connection to talk with Tue Frank about new lineup, new songs and new directions for the project.
We also discussed the METAL AID pt. 1 show at Amager bio
Air date: 15th of June 2021
After the show at SLAY HOME SLAY SAFE, our vocalist SOFIA had a talk with DEN TUNGE RADIO. Live and raw from the backstage lounge at FORBRÆNDINGEN, we talk about the visual and theatrical elements of Ethereal Kingdoms, how to deal with being a band during a pandemic and what’s next for Ethereal Kingdoms.
How does it feel to play again, but without an audience?
“Being back on stage is like an out of body experience!”
– SOFIA SCHMIDT
“A concert is a transformative space, a symbiosis between the audience and the performing artist. Suddenly, I can’t see and feel the audience. It feels like we play more internally with each other in the band like this.”
-SOFIA SCHMIDT
KASPER asked about the importance of the visual elements in Ethereal Kingdoms live performances:
“It’s like a complete aesthetic. (…) We have a theatre theme, so we incorporate those elements. We use video backdrops, light design (…) We create a universe you can enter. The music can of course exist on its own. When I watch a concert, I want to see something larger than life. The visuals make the story clearer”
-SOFIA
“Music and art can be a place of escape in this time, where ____ (…) we try to create such a space, which people can enter.”
– Sofia Schmidt
Explore DEN TUNGE RADIO on Facebook, Instagram and Mixcloud
In 2019, Sofia also visited the studio of DEN TUNGE RADIO for a Symphonic metal special show. Find it in the archives here:
How do you go from playing shows to being stuck indoors? How do you deal with your entire industry being on lockdown along with the rest of the world? What’s the next move for a band under these circumstances?
Vocalist SOFIA SCHMIDT spoke with reporter VLADIMIR CINCOVIC from DEMON REPORTS about life and livemusic during the ongoing corona crisis.
In this interview, Vladimir and Sofia talks about priorities and how to deal with missing the live feeling and your loved ones.
”Playing live and being close to those I love is equally rewarding in two distinct fields. (…) If I have to pick one, I would have to pick giving my loved ones the longest hug in the world!”
Sofia shares her survival tips on how she didn’t go crazy during the lockdown period.
Try to stay sane by working on that painting you always meant to draw or learning to cook really well, work out or even play an instrument.
-Sofia Schmidt, DEMON REPORTS interview
The interview also touches upon the subject of livestream festivals and how live-streaming could affect the future of music:
”It’s a nice way to connect with your audience and to experience a live performance from your living room. I can definitely see this being a thing in the future too, combining live shows with streaming tickets for those who cannot attend for one reason or another just like the Olympic Games or eurovision or whatever. We have done one stream event and are already scheduled for the next and we can’t wait to perform again! some of our friends played at Nordic Noise Streaming For Vengeance, a streamed version of the Danish Nordic Noise festival. Of course, it was not like “the real thing” at a venue, but it was damn good!”
-Sofia Schmidt, DEMON REPORTS interview
Sofia also shares some playlist recommendations, that you can find here on her personal Spotify playlist:
Read the interview in full on the DEMON REPORTS website.
Journalist Lukas Schärer of Legacy magazine reached out to us for an interview in their 122nd issue.
We talk about Hollow Mirror, our view on our unique take on symphonic metal, our show preparations for our Wintersun support show, our inspirations as well as our hopes and plans for the future.
Excerpts from the interview:
“(creating Hollow Mirror, red.) was a very emotional and intense experience. We hope that this energy reaches the listener. We can not wait to share the album with the world.”
Sofia Schmidt, interview with Legacy Magazine
“We focus on the contrast between beauty and brutality.
If it’s only brutal, you get desensitized, it’s the twist that makes it interesting”
The theme of contrasts on Hollow Mirror is apparent, when we shift the topic towards our music video for Heartchamber:
Sofia Schmidt, interview with Legacy Magazine
“The video shows a love couple being torn apart. Both are recurrent characters on the album. We use quite brutal images, such as when the heart is ripped from the chest. It underscores the balance between the beautiful music and the rather gloomy lyric theme of loss and pain in the soul.”
We elaborate on the connection to our single Endings.
Read the entire feature of this Legacy Magazine interview in their issue no 122.
Besides this interview, you can also find a 12 of 15 scored review of Hollow Mirror in the magazine’s review section.
Explore other interviews and reviews in the archives here on our website.
Hollow Mirror is out 11th of October 2019 via Mighty Music on Vinyl, CD and digital. Pre-add and pre-order links can be found in the shop section the official Ethereal Kingdoms website.
How do you create a symphonic metal album from scratch?
What is life on the road like for Ethereal Kingdoms?
And what is it like to sign with Mighty Music less than a year after your debut EP?
We spoke to journalist Hell(e) in this Metalized magazine interview, the oldest metal and rock magazine in all of Scandinavia
Excerpts from the interview:
“We try to create the music we feel is missing out there. We draw our inspiration from a lot of different places, and always strive to create something extraordinary”
“For me (Sofia, red.) the growl is the 6th gear of my voice, it’s for when what I want to say can’t be said with intense high notes. I need to scream and roar it out, it’s a raw masculine energy that I like to work with in my voice”“(Signing with Mighty Music, red.) has opened up a lot of opportunities to get our music out to those, who want to hear it”
“Especially live, we sometimes take big chances and experiment in the intersection between show and concert”
In this issue no 124, you will find a review of Hollow Mirror as well (10 of 10 stars, thank you so much!) as well as articles with Baest, Mayhem, Soren Andersen and many many more!
We have also spoken with Metallian, the largest French metal magazine in print (and even made it to the frontpage of their September/October issue! Thank you so much!
Explore our universe at instagram, facebook, Spotify and youtube for more adventures in Ethereal Kingdoms.
Metallian – the largest French language metal mag – have honored us with our very first foreign print magazine feature! And our name even made it to the front page!
The editors reached out to us for an exciting interview about Hollow Mirror, our music and our creative process. Christian and Sofia goes into detail about the theatrical aspect of our music and the concept behind the stories on our very first album. We also talk about our inspirations and dreams.
Read it in in this September/October issue.
We are featured alongside our heroes of Jinjer, Lacuna Coil, Killswitch Engage and our Mighty Music label mates Tygers of Pan Tang and Blood Red Throne.
Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Besides this interview, Metallian also awarded Hollow Mirror a grand 5/6 stars in their review of our debut album!
Other magazines have shared their thoughts about our music as well:
‘A perfect balance of brightness and darkness’ – Metal Temple
‘A very deserving debut’ – Arrow Lords of Metal
‘A complete range of voices’ – musica.be
Have you entered the theatrical metal experience yet?
Have you dared to step into Hollow Mirror?
Get a glimpse into our soundscape with our three first singles:
Heartchamber – Endings – Distance
Three stories of torn fates, bitter hopes, loss, love and unbreakable bonds.
Follow us on Spotify and be among the first to hear our new album
September 20th and 21st 2019 something new happened in the Danish metal scene. We were among the lineup for the very first installment of Copenhagen Metal Fest – a new festival focusing only on Danish metal bands.
Heavymetal.dk reached out to us for an interview before the show, where we talk about our inspirations, the state of the Danish music scene and how it feels to be part of starting up something entirely new.
“We’re not afraid of taking chances and creating shows, that extend beyond just being a concert”
With Claus Ljørring for Heavymetal.dk
“Expect something intimate, something intense – with surprises! (…)
We’re playing on a theatre stage, (…) so there’s space for getting up close and personal when the intensity and emotions are peaking. “
“Our format is flexible. Theatrical metal can be a lot of things. We’re gonna have a blast regardless”
Read the rest of the interview at Heavymetal.dk, who have also awarded our debut album Hollow Mirror an 8/10 score in their latest review.
How did our intimate performance go at the dark theatre stage of ZeBu?
Three metal journalists shared their experience here:
“A show of the grandiose kind” – 4 of 5 stars – Metal A Day
“The vocals are impressive as always!” – Devilution.dk
“Impressive!” – Metaltone.dk
Ethereal Kingdoms have been granted a very special time slot at Royal Metal Fest 2019. A unique opportunity to bring our theatrical metal visions to life. A space to experiment in the intersection between show and concert.
Each year, the Metal Royale Foundation, Dansk Musikerforbund and Dansk Artistforbund offer a grant for a band, that wants to do something extraordinary with their performance.
For 2019, we had the honor of being chosen – Showtime is 6th of April at 17.00 at the Radar venue at Royal Metal Fest.
Journalist Pernille Randrup reached out us to learn more.
We spoke about what’s happening behind the scenes, our ideas and concepts for the show and how to make ghosts come to live on stage.
“It’s not a concert, it’s not a musical, it’s not theatre. It’s something different where we think stage-oriented. A show”
“Ethereal Kingdoms is about experimenting in the intersection between show and concert. The balance between the grotesque and the beautiful. Contrasts, quick shifts, sudden flows.”
“We bring dancers to coporealize ghosts and (…) bring a choir to be a living part of the stage, to make everything more vivid – and it’s just nicer with live voices!”
“We’re experimenting with video backdrops and to assist in the lights we have Martin Lundholm, the light tech of MØL”
Article in Danish 🇩🇰
So how did the show play out?
Various media outlets witnessed our performance and shared their experiences here:
9 of 10 stars – “I witnessed something unique” – heavymetal.dk
4,5 of 5 stars – “Refreshingly ambitious” – Revolution Music4 of 5 stars – “Death, love and ghosts” – metaltone.dk
Explore other interviews and learn more about our theatrical metal universe
Finntroll. Sylvatica. Vanir.
A sold out venue. Special guests.
A broken violin.
That was the ingredients of Ethereal Kingdoms’ night supporting Finntroll at Gimle 21st of September 2018.
Fresh off stage with the adrenaline still rushing, Sofia spoke with journalist Davide Bonavida of Heavymetal.it
In this very first italian magazine feature, they talk about musical influences for Ethereal Kingdoms, the creative process and performance.
A few excerpts from the original interview in Italian 🇮🇹
“We wanted to create something unique that differentiates us, not just copy other bands. We don’t just make music, we create stories”
Sofia Schmidt with Davide Bonavida for Heavymetal.it
“I study as a classical singer (…) whereas Christian comes directly from death metal. The funny thing is that in our compositions it’s me who brings the chaotic part and the growling while he brings the nostalgic melodies.”
“(…) those who spend time listening to us cannot get that time back. So I want to make sure they have a good experience.”
“(…) you can’t wait for something to happen by itself, you have to do it yourself. We took initiative to organize this show. I contacted the club while Christian called the bands he already knew personally. (…) we needed a prominent name (…) so we contacted Finntroll, explaining our project and … they said yes. I could not believe it!”
Portrait by Gaia Micatovich
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with us, Heavymetal.it!
About the performance, the media said:
“They can write new pages in the history of this genre” – Heavymetal.it
“A sense for great melodies” – Blastbeast.dk4 of 5 stars – “Flying pieces of a violin” – Metal A Day
Explore our performance of Endings from this night in this live video:
60 minute radio show with special symphonic metal theme and interview with Ethereal Kingdoms vocalist SOFIA SCHMIDT about the Danish symphonic metal scene, her view on composition in the genre, the band’s recent signing with MIGHTY MUSIC and her unique vocal technique.
Podcast in Danish only.
With: JEANETT ANDERSEN and KASPER BEHRENDT
Den Tunge Time via Den Tunge Radio
Published: 9th of October 2018
