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| This interview was made in collaboration with Last Cathedral Records |
For The Final Witness, I spoke with Pim Blankenstein of Officium Triste about the band’s contribution to the compilation, their melancholic Doom Metal sound, songwriting, and what continues to inspire them after more than three decades.
Asmoth: “Behind Closed Doors” is your contribution to The Final Witness. What made this particular song the right choice to represent Officium Triste on the compilation?
Pim Blankenstein: Michael of Last Cathedral Records contacted us to see if we were interested in participating. He also requested this specific song. Considering the proceeds of the compilation go to a good cause supporting people affected by sexual, psychological, and physical violence, makes the choice even better. The song is about real life horror loosely based on actual crimes committed in the recent past.
Asmoth: Your music has carried a strong melancholic character for decades. Do you think that melancholy comes more naturally with age, or is it something you deliberately preserve in the band’s music?
Pim Blankenstein: I’d say that melancholic vibe we have has been an integral part of our sound from the day we formed the band. Of course it differs from song to song, but we always try to settle for this vibe. When we started we had a clear vision what we wanted to achieve musically, based on music that inspired us. And we have stuck to our ideals ever since.
Asmoth: When you create a long Doom Metal composition, how important is the sense of progression? Do you see a song as a journey that needs to take the listener somewhere?
Pim Blankenstein: Songs tell a story and we basically do not look at the length of a track. It all comes down to the arrangement of the music and what is needed to achieve what is needed to tell that story. For instance, we have a couple of songs in which we repeat a riff for quite a long time, where you could follow textbook schemes of four bars. We extend those schemes on purpose to create a certain vibe which suits the song and its lyrics. So yeah, when writing a songs the progression is important to us.
Asmoth: Officium Triste has experienced different periods throughout its long existence. Do you think the band’s history has become part of its musical identity?
Pim Blankenstein: Definitely. Like I said our initial idea is still the same, but you grow as musicians and as persons. You pick up different influences along the way you somehow incorporate in the music. Changes in the line-up have an effect on the cohesion in the band and thus the musical output. All these things impact the band and our identity. And I think it shows. Within this genre we have our own sound and identity.
Asmoth: There is often a contrast between beautiful melodies and extremely heavy passages in your music. What makes this contrast work for you emotionally?
Pim Blankenstein: I think that has a bit to do with the story telling we like to achieve in the music. Sometimes fragile parts can go hand in hand with harsher segments. Like two sides of a coin so to speak. That also gives room to express yourself lyrically. For instance the song that was used on the compilation we talked about in the first question contains different aspects of the matter we address in the lyrics. It’s both from the perspective of the perpetrator and the victim and together it makes up the story. This is what freedom of expression is within the art form music. So within the actual music of a song you can put in various emotions too like sadness or anger. And when it comes to the heavier parts; we’re still a metal band after all.
Asmoth: Your discography covers more than three decades. Is there a particular song that you feel represents Officium Triste better today than it did when you originally recorded it?
Pim Blankenstein: That’s a difficult question. I think all songs we ever recorded represent us back then and now.
Perhaps a song like Your Eyes from our 2009 album Giving Yourself Away might have sounded a bit odd back then due to the repetition used I mentioned earlier. I suppose that was one of the earlier songs where we decided to step away from the more conventional patterns that we used more often in later songs too.
Asmoth: Being active for so long also means witnessing several generations of Doom Metal musicians. What do you find most encouraging about the current underground Doom scene?
Pim Blankenstein: I think it is really cool to see younger bands that manage to create a personal sound or a original take on doom metal. To be honest within the boundaries of the genre you are fairly limited. Some bands however have the gift to do something newish. Like incorporating influences from other genres into their songs that make it sound fresh. This happens in other genres of metal as well of course. But that’s something I like a lot. Bands with a fresh take on things and not simply rehashing what’s already been done.
Asmoth: After so many years, what still gives you the feeling that there is something new to say through Officium Triste?
Pim Blankenstein: Life in general I’d say. There’s so much happening in the world but also our personal lives that we can use as an inspiration to create new music. We still have plenty of ideas and like I mentioned before, within our set framework od esthetics we have room to create new exciting music. As a matter of fact we are currently finishing up/arranging the material we have written for our next album. So hopefully a new album will be ready next year.