Interview with Rhiannon from the now defunct SOMNUS by NOX
bring up a comparison to CRADLE OF FILTH. You
definitely were not a clone, but the combination of gothic
backing vocals, keyboards, ambient touches & black metal bore some similarities. What were the influences that caused you to create such a quality sound?
RHIANNON: I think that all of us in the band liked a wide variety of music. Someone once dubbed SOMNUS "MY DYING CRADLE OF SAMAEL" because of our blend of different styles, & those were all some of the bands we like. Some of us weren't into Cradle at all, but the minute you have female vocals & blast beats, you're going to be compared to them. But hey, they're one of the biggest bands out there doing that sort of thing, so it's not a bad thing I guess!
REAVER: SOMNUS's sound was definitely progressive & musical, not the garage-y "recorded in a toilet" or 100mph sound of so much underground black metal. SOMNUS was very classy & both CDs featured, dare I say it a great deal of musical taste. Do you feel such a quality of sound & musicianship is missing in the current black metal scene? I do.
RHIANNON: Thanks so much for the kind words! Yes we definitely had a progressive sound & that's one thing that I think set us apart from bands like CRADLE. At leats I thought we came across as classy. Many of our reviews said that, which is a fantastic thing. And yes, I agree that there are not enough bands bringing classical & progressive yet very heavy stuff to the scene right now. I'm a fan of OPETH, ORPHAND LAND, MY DYING BRIDE, those bands have great musicianship!
REAVER:SOMNUS was one of the few openly pagan non-satanic bands in black metal. Within gothic & earth based music, Wicca is very openly represented but I can think of only a handful of Odinic bands much less Wiccan bands on the scene. Odinism is respected as the true religion of our pagan ancestors whether we are Scandinavian or not but Wicca is fequently ridiculed, even derided. Have you ever received any hostility from tough guy satanic musicians or fans because of your pro-Wiccan stance?
RHIANNON: Not really. The Satanic people mainly didn't like us because we didn't play blast beats the whole time. Sometimes they are as close-minded as Christians, not all, but some sure are! It's too bad that more people didn't pay attention to the lyrics because I thought they were beautiful. Our old bass player & singer did a helluva job.
REAVER:Since you're open about your Wiccan views, I was wondering exactly what tradition you follow; Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Celtic. Your last name sounds Polish or Slavic. Are you a follower or believer in the Slavonic gods? Do you feel SOMNUS properly expressed pagan views within the music?
RHIANNON: Yes, my name is Polish (& Rhiannon is my real first name - Celtic of course!), but typical of many Americans I am quite a mix-Polish, German, Italian, Russian. I don't want to disappoint you but I'm not in the business of being a poseur so I won't lie. I don't really practice any pagan religion. If anything, I have studied Buddhism the most, & Druidic texts second most, & I seem to like these types of readings best. I do have some beliefs centered around astrological movements, a "force" that vibrates through all things, the fact that all things in existence are a product of the mind (a very Buddhist concept), & I meditate daily. The meditation is a practice much like magic, as it helps me channel my energy purposefully, which allows me better personal/business relationships as well as talent development. I don't think it matters what religious practices you keep, it's what they mean to you, & it's how you act that counts. With that being said, although I'm not a practicing Wiccan, I certainly support Wiccans & I share many of their beliefs!
REAVER: Some of the bands lyrics like "Lair of the Wendol" ( obviously based upon "Eaters of the Dead") seem more mystical or fantasy-based. Will any musical projects you work on in the future be more open lyrically in terms of paganism or will you continue in the fantasy vein? Also, being a keyboardist, do you have any plans on working on any earth-based folk-oriented music like
GAIAS CONSORT etc. or will it be strictly metal?
RHIANNON: There you go. I would say 90% of our lyrics were fantasy/ mythology based & only a small few were pagan. It's just what interested us & seemed natural to write about. I absolutely love folk music, & I really don't have any limitations as far as what I'd work on. I like everything from DEAD CAN DANCE to RAMMSTEIN to FRANK SINATRA to old blues & jazz to thrash metal! I'll work on many different things as long as it's with the right people. In fact I just started an electronic-based project with a talented Cleveland-area guy, very ethereal & movie-soundtrack-ish. He's got great rhythm & timing & I'm more of an arranger & melody person so it should be a great collaboration.
REAVER: While SOMNUS was still together, you toured & played with some of the genre's best & most famous bands. Everyone from CANNIBAL CORPSE, EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, KING DIAMOND, to the mighty IMMORTAL. You wouldn't by any chance have any stories to tell about touring with these gentlemen, would you?
RHIANNON: The most interesting thing that happened was when we opened for SATYRICON. They used up a lot of the sound equipment at the club. Consequently, we didn't have enough channels for me to run my vocals, so I had to do the show with keyboards only. While that sucked, I accepted that these things happen, & when a band comes from Europe, we should be gracious hosts & try & get them the best sound possible. Well, when they played, their keyboardist had problems & she had no sound. Some idiots spread rumors that I had tampered with her stuff which prevented her from playing, because I was the only other keyboardist there that night & supposedly the only person who knew enough to "sabotage" her. My motivation was supposedly to "pay them back" since I couldn't do vocals that night. I would never do such a thing. I wanted them to sound good, because I like them, & it was such an insult that anyone would think that of me. I'm not petty! So dispel the rumors now, anyone, I would never have sabotaged Satyricon's keyboardist when they played at the Flying Machine! I believe that whatever you do to wrong someone comes back at you, so the people who said that crap about me probably have their own reputations to spare.
What else? I did help DIMMU's Nick Barker & Vortex put on their corpsepaint backstage before they played. I spoke French with the guys in SAMAEL & they were super cool. That's all I can conjure up.
REAVER: SOMNUS recorded two very good critically acclaimed albums, put nearly eight years into the band then suddenly broke up, to-as your website claims- pursue different paths. It all seems somewhat vague. As a fan, I've always wondered- what was the real reason for the break up?
RHIANNON: Well, we argued alot over musical direction towards the end of our run. Since we all liked such different things, it was often tough to compromise & get songs written. It was painfully slow & draining. That's when I decided to leave. Then, the drummer's wife wanted to move back to California with their son, so off they went. Eventually the singer moved to Massachusetts. So we're all over the place, which prevents us from getting back together.
REAVER: Your version of Seasons in the Abyss on the SLAYER tribute Gateway to Hell was a genuine standout. I've heard rumors that Dwell Records, the cd's distributor, scammed everyone involved, & SLAYER nearly got the record permanently shelved with a very real lawsuit. True?
RHIANNON: That's partially true. Apparently SLAYER's lawyers didn't approve of the first name "In Slaytanic Blood". Dwell couldn't use the word Slaytanic. So when Dwell changed the cover art & name to "Gateway To Hell", it was ok. It had nothing to do with a scam at all! All the bands got paid as per the contract, & that comp helped us to acquire many fans!
REAVER: Being a keyboardist & back up singer, how much lyrically & musically were you able to contribute? No songwriting credits appear on your cds, so I'm assuming all band members contributed?
RHIANNON: Well, we had many discussions about songwriting credits. Because I wrote a majority of the music, of course I wanted credit! I wanted everyone to know that the female in the band was all about metal & into writing sick metal! Others in the band felt that we should strip our individual egos for the good of the band, which was a VERY valid point, so that's what we did. To address your assumption, I would say I wrote 2/3 of all the music, including bass & guitar arrangements. I've been playing guitar longer than keyboards in fact & I can shred! Hardly any chicks shred which sucks, but I try! And I barely wrote 10% of lyrics. I still play guitar, bass, & sitar in addition to keys. I went to India last year & bought a sitar. 18 strings! Beautiful instrument with a very rich sound.
REAVER: Another question about your faith. As we move forward into this century, Middle Eastern religious oppression increases daily. The Taliban, the war in Iraq-all because of religious fanaticism. I feel a unity must happen now between Pagans, Satanists, Ceremonial Magicians, etc. to protect us from universal oppression. From your personal experience, do you think that this would be possible?
RHIANNON: I feel that religion is something that people are highly passionate about & thus most are very unwilling to compromise. Because I'm not a religious person,these things don't necessarily concern me so much. I think that all religions are man-made constructs & can be created, destroyed, & changed as men see fit (mostly for manipulative purposes). To me, it's too bad that there is any war at all & that man hasn't evolved passed this sort of needless violence. I will agree though, that those of us who aren't Christian or Muslim need protection from oppression so that we retain the right to practice whatever faith we choose or don't choose! Religious persecution really comes down to power. Mindless sheep flock in large numbers to try to have a voice & eventually to take advantage of the smaller groups or eat them whole. I wish everyone could just be rational & define what is right for them individually rather than following others blindly as so many Christians choose to do. "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth"?? Sounds more like something that old religious leaders would write down to oppress the masses!!! Total nonsense. The strong inherit what they want out of this life!!!
REAVER: What are your views on the modern pagan movement? New Witch Magazine is in most Borders' stores, Waldenbooks is filled up with new age & Wiccan texts weekly, even Teen People recently printed an article on teen Wicca & it wasn't remotely negative, all while Harry Potter cleans up at the box office. Wiccan book companies protest (Ithink you know which company I mean) but I stil enjoy seeing our faith being promoted among the youth. How do you feel about such mainstream promotion? Is it helpful or hurtful?
RHIANNON: I think that promoting any alternative to Christianity is a good thing. It forces the more open-minded people, especially the young, to think for themselves & consider other options than what their mostly misguided parents choose for them!
REAVER: Being an occultist, I wear pentacles, pentagrams & various occult jewelry. I get confronted, sometimes daily, by Christians but I refuse to remain in some kind of locked closet. I deal with small-minded fanatics with a knowing, insolent smirk. Do you feel Christianity should be abolished or have you found a way to make it tolerable?
RHIANNON: Well, I sure wish that Christianity could be abolished because it causes so much suffering in the world, but that's not going to happen! Although, I said I was not a practicing Wiccan, I do have some mystic tendencies & I wear pentacles & such all the time, to my office job where I am in upper-level management! So, the way I deal with those Christians is quite simple-I don't give a thought as to what they think of me. The fact that they have to look themselves in the mirror each day is punishment enough, in my opinion. That's how I tolerate them & their miserable hypocrisy. Things have a way of working out in due time. That's for them to deal with, not me, for I am above such dogma, much like you.
REAVER: And finally for all our online readers who aren't familiar with your great band, could you give us a little history of SOMNUS? What did SOMNUS stand for & mean to you artistically now that it's gone?
RHIANNON: First off, check out our website, it's still up. "Somnus" was the Roman god of sleep & dreams, & because we dig mythology & the ethereal, we thought this was a cool name. We jammed for over 7 years in the Midwest (particularly Ohio) & had 2 CD's which are available by emailing me at rhiawiz@gmail.com I definitely miss writing music & performing, & those years meant an awful lot to me. I really appreciate anyone who enjoyed what we did, & I encourage any fans who are still left out there to write me! I hope that my new keyboard project will give me some pleasure & pride, & I think that it will. I love dark & moody keyboards & that's what I like to do. I also hope to play guitar with a group someday, who knows. Keep a lookout for me I guess!
