[Zero Tolerance Webzine]

Chaos-Forum : How are you doing?



SD : Great & excited

Chaos-Forum : Above all can you give a small history of your band ?



SD: Well its in no way a asmall history. Aghora is now more than 10 years old. We have been doing this for a while now. The only difference is that now the members in this band are more geared towards performance and being a abdn as oposed to a "project". We started in 1995. It was really just me writing all the music and then getting the musicians to record for me. Then in 1997 it became more of a band and we started recording demos ("transitions 1997-99 demos available at http://www.aghora.org/). We have had members come and go and in the last 10 years i have learned how to maximize band relations, organize things so they actualy become realities. A band is not easy to have. You have to really treat it like a family and structure it with foundations and focus so everyone stays interested. The members we have now, Alan, Diana, Giann are all very hardworking and very much into their instruments and their musical expression. They want to do it. They want to be in the band. Before people either wanted money to do it or where to impatient to see results. Its a tough business. Aghora is better than most of the bands out there and we have had an ongoing upstream battle with the industry standards and labels. I remember lables like century media telling us we are good but female fronted bands wont go anywhere. Look 10 years later Lacuna Coil is there top selling artist.
Aghora has been doing it before all those bands with the exception of the Gathering. I have strayed from the original question but the history of aghora can be heard in its music and in our performances. It has taken hardship, diligence, constant forward pressure and maturity to make aghora what it is.
To me its one of the nest bands ever. I knoweveryone thinks their kid is always the best but in this case as i look at it from the outside looking in, there is no other band like aghora.


Chaos-Forum : Who decided on the name Aghora and why did you choose it?

Santiago: I chose it. It is a way of life in mysticism. Aghora is a tantric path of transformation and alchemy. It is to take the bottom of the shit in the pit and turn it into gold.

Chaos-Forum : I think, to say that there is a strong influence of prog-rock/metal/jazz.



Santiago: Yes aghora is a mix of all styles of music. There is a lot of Fusion, world music, world rhythms, and intensity of metal in this music. You hear it in the new album especially.
Alan: I LIKE JAZZ FUNK METAL TECHNO, AND 80;S AND CLASSIC ROCK

Chaos-Forum : How did you first come into contact with Sean Malone and Sean Reinert ?



Alan: AT A CLINIC AND AT CYNIC WAREHOUSE SEAN R

Santiago:I met them when cynic played at the plus 5 in ft.lauderdale. I became friends with Sean Reinert and Paul Masvidal and have been friends with them since 1994.
So when i needed to record I called Sean Reinert and asked if he wanted to be involved. Sean Reinert is recording 6 songs on the new album.

Chaos-Forum : How was it to play with the Cynic Members once again?could you see an evolvement of musicianship when you played together?

Santiago: It was great. They are great musicians.
Alan: I deffinetly learned a lot.

Chaos-Forum : What are the future plans of your band?



Santiago: TOUR TOUR and more TOUR
Alan: TOUR RECORD DOMINATE

Chaos-Forum : Tell us about your Discography .



Santiago: We have the debut album that came out in 1999. A set of demos I just released called "transitions". And our new album that will be released sometime in 2006-07.I am also working on some good dvds with live footage.



Diana: "Formless" The album's titled is I believe derived from the different components involved in the sound of Aghora. There's no especific shape or sound to categorize us under a precise scope. There's much more to Aghora's entity, transforming into a void.

Chaos-Forum : What extent do the other band members contribute to the writing process?

Santiago: Before only a bit of arrangements where colaberated. Now We have the idea that if anyone has anything good to offer we use it and we write around it.



Diana: Vocals, lyrics (4 tracks off of the album "Formless.")

Chaos-Forum : Were the band members in other bands before Aghora ?

Santiago: Yes everyone in the band has had other band experiences.Except Diana. Alan was in Madsic. Giann was in Sattiva.
Alan: MADSIC, ATM, ABSTRACT, THE AGENCY , TRASH
Diana: No, never.

Chaos-Forum : To what bands do the band members listen to, is it mainly metal or also stuff like Jewel, classical music or jazz? By what bands is Aghora influenced?



Diana:I listen to everything I can get my hands on. Anything that gets my attention and that's well constructed. I pretty much give everything a chance and try to stay open minded.

* Alice in Chains
* Tool
* Peter Gabriel
* Ronnie J. Dio
* Death
* Black Sabbath
* Bach
* Judas Priest
* Opeth
* Iron Maiden
* Pantera
* Cynic
* Dokken
* Deathbringer
* Arch Enemy
* Portal
* Maria Callas
* Kiri Te Kanawa

* Aghora has of course derived from different sounds, but it has an essence of its own and stands alone in terms of sounding like something else when carefully thought. Cynic's a crucial part in the way Aghora evolved, and many people relate our sound to that of Cynic's, but their sound and ours remain unique.



Santiago:

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Cynic
Death
Carcass
Racer X
Pantera
Athiest
Alarum
Tool
Peter Gabriel
Sting
Led Zepplin
Extreme
Van Halen
Everything Alan Holdsworth does.


Chaos-Forum : What's your opinion of the music industry, especially the way people gravitate towards what's popular?

Diana: Find it misleading to see how some people aren't able to find their own identity, and instead they become part of the flock. It's very much centralized and lacks broadness.It's a brutalized perception, that avoids giving the chance to other sounds from being received. Many people are induced into what's popular now adays and so they make remarks about the underground or unheard. Again, if they decide to remain in the same place or remain locked, it makes it hard for them to have an actual opinion.
People's ears seem to be satisfied with whatever the industry selects to feeds them. Sometimes, it's disturbing to see how they let it go through. In a way, most people are brought up inside a certain line, but music shouldn't have a boundary, specially that which happens to be good.


Santiago: Its ridiculous. Labels don't really have a clue as to what the kids and musicians want to hear and support. So many bands are considered good simply by default cause really good music is hard to come by these days. The internet is starting to prove to be a huge assit to the artists out there trying hard to deliver good music. Lables just can't keep up with the amount of talent that is out there.Aghora has survived with out the help of labels. We are still considered by many labels as a waste of time. But in that "time"I have seen bands come and go while Aghora continues to do its on thing.


Chaos-Forum : Can you explain the last AGHORA album in your own words? Maybe you can describe some of the songs so we can get an idea of what to expect?

Santiago: The first one was a huge spiritual message for me. It was also like me cleaning out the closet of my entire musical history and influences. That album has a lot of sides to it. I listen to the debut now and I am like "damn what was i thinking when I wrote that?" there are a lot of mistakes but there are also a lot of incredible moments in musical history. As for the new album. It worth the wait. It is a really mature sound for us. I am exited to see the reaction of people when they hear it.


Diana: The last and upcoming album "Formless" is very well developed. The sound of shredding guitars are impecable. The bass is phenomenal and the drums execute.Vocals are different from the first considering the change in lineup, and so they bring both soft melodies as well as solid character.


Chaos-Forum : How do you see yourself as part of the metal scene?



Diana: I think that's a broad question, but generally I think we're and will be doing a lot better in terms of writing, fan base, exposure, etc. It's all a process in which we're constantly growing and expanding.

Santiago: Aghora has made a huge impact on kids and bands that are expolring their own way of doing things and not doing what the "industry" thinks is correct.


Chaos-Forum : What albums made the biggest impact on your life?

Diana:
Black Sabbath - Paranoid/Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Mob Rules
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Joni mitchell - Blue
Lorenna McKennitt- Book of secrets
Beatles - Revolver

Santiago:

Steve Vai - Passion & warfare
Allan Holdsworth - Secrets
Cynic - Focus
Pantera- Vulgar display of power
cowboys from hell
Tool - Aenima,Lateralus
Meshuggah- Destroy Erase Improve
Dream Theater - Images And words
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Metallica - And Justice For all
Extreme - II, III, IV
Carcass - Heartwork
Pestilence - Spheres

Chaos-Forum : What was the favorite band you toured with?

Diana:Even thought we haven't toured since the lineup of the band was recently established, I do have to say we have had several shows, one in which we met Alarum, Arsis, Necrophagist, Neuraxis as well as The Absence. Seeing what they had to offer live was a great experience. Hopefully we will be touring the States, Europe, and South America.

Santiago : Best shows where with Sonata Artica, Amorphis, Necrophagist, Alarum, Arsis, The Absence.

Chaos-Forum : What kind of festivals have you played ?

Diana: None yet.

Chaos-Forum : Tell us something about your gigs.What was the best live experience.



Diana:I think the best live performance was the first I ever had with the band. It had been approximately less than a month since I had joined the band when we had our first show at the Culture Room in Ft. Laurerdale, Florida.By then the lineup hadn't been established. The crowd was very possitive. A few weeks back we had a gig at two venues, The Factory and Starshooters with the new members of the band, where we met national acts.

Santiago: We get on Stage and we play a non stop ass kicking set of full of balls. The best show was with Necrophagist and Alarum.

Chaos-Forum : When did you start playing and how old were you when you became interested in metal?

Santiago : 11. I think I first wanted to play metal when i discovered the pinch harmonic!

Diana: I started taking voice and piano lessons when i was seven, & began taking music seriously when I was about twelve. I became interested in metal when I was thirteen.

Chaos-Forum : Which bands are on your list of favorites?

Diana:

* Alice in Chains
* Boston
* Nevermore
* Communic
* Tool
* Pain of Salvation
* Deep Purple
* Judas Priest
* Pantera
* Damage Plan

Santiago:

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Pantera
Cynic
Death
Tool
Extreme
Van Halen
Aghora

Chaos-Forum : What are your touring plans?

Alan: LETS GO SOON AS POSSIBLE

Chaos-Forum : Are you involved in any other band/project besides Aghora?

Diana: Before meeting up with the band I was working on a personal side project, but Aghora is now my focus. I still write and get ideas that aren't generally meant to become part of Aghora, but pieces of it end up falling underneath it.



Santiago: I have my solo album I am working on and also I am doing an album with Derek Roddy called "NAGA".

Chaos-Forum : Are you working outside of the band? Do you have your own families?

Alan: MOM ANIMALS, GF , TREE SERVICE AND RESTAURANT KITCHEN JOBS

Diana: Yes, I work and pay the bills. So far I've had three jobs and two which I haven't been able to stay in. Families? yes, I believe most people have those.

Santiago: I have 3 kids and one on the way. I am married. I teach Martial arts (Silat) and Qi Gong, also I teach Guitar, and I have a recording studio.

Chaos-Forum : In your opinion, why was Florida the center of the death metal scene?

Diana: I don't know, maybe the weather was responsible for bringing different cultures together becoming a melting pot of different ethnicities & influencing each other's sound. The support they received back then from local venues gave access to recognition.

Santiago: Supposedly 90 miles of the coast of Florida are remnants of Atlantis and a killer vortex of energy. This could explain why florida always has had the best bands and the most brutal sounds.

Chaos-Forum : Any special greetings or last words to fans?

Diana: Thank you for the unmeassured support, and hopefully we'll meet you all in many parts of the world once we begin touring rigorously!

Santiago Dobles: Thanks samir for this interview and Thanks to all our fans be patient album is on the way!

Chaos-Forum : Thank you for all of your time

Diana:Thank you!


Genre(s) :

Progressive/jazz metal

Members :

Santiago Dobles - Guitar

Alan Goldstein- Bass

Diana Serra - Vocals

Giann Rubio - Drums

Sean Reinert - Studio Drums

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/aghora
www.aghora.org
http://www.myspace.com/santiagodobles
http://www.myspace.com/seanreinert
http://www.myspace.com/alangoldstein
http://www.myspace.com/megabyteoldspice

Albums:

Demo Demo, 1998
Demo 99 Demo, 1999
Aghora 2000
Dual Alchemy Demo, 2005
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http://zero-tolerance.110mb.com

http://www.myspace.com/alorchi

http://zero-tolerance.allgoo.net/index.htm "Forum"

[Griffith]

Here is another excelent Technical band that includes Female vocals.The Sound of Aghora is Progressive, fast changes and experimental on the mixture which is primarely metal but includes elements of fusion, electronica and classical guitar .This is a new invention, I think.
Their record "Aghora" is quite different and unlike anything else I've ever heard, however the lyrics sometimes seem to be a little bit too "mystic" and deep. I'm expecting big things from this band in the future

......Thank You All for taking the time to answer us. We appreciate that
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http://www.myspace.com/chaos_music

[the lord of the flies]

they are so geniuses ,aghora is the mariage of a lot of kind of music in a perfect harmonie they do stuff like atheist and cynic but they are so original I have just discovered the band and im feeling that a love story will begin


thanks Santiago and Alan don't forget our land come shin our univers
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I'm the king of the night generation
I'm anything my mama don't like
PLZ ALLAH let me comming from the rain

[black-rainbow]

hi! guys, awesome music!, you are one of the best band in the world, cheers and support from Chaos Music Forum!!!!!!
thanks for taking the time to tell us a bit about the band,keep us informed of how things are going ,we love your music here on the board.
keep it coming!!
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[Bulldozer]

good job guys thanks for this precious interview specially with a band that we all respect

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Old TestAmenT