Makshoof Music Profile - Smouldering In Forgotten (Bahrain)

Following on from the recent chats we've been having with regional acts, we catch up with Smouldering in Forgotten, one of a few great metal bands out of Bahrain that triplew.me has come across in recent times.

If the bands we've been hearing are anything to go by, there's a healthy underground metal scene in Bahrain that is beginning thrive and slowly see the light of day, albeit within a very underground environment, with some difficulties in performing and being accepted by a wider audience within the small Gulf Kingdom still preventing a lot of music getting heard.

Smouldering In Forgotten were the first metal band from Bahrain that was profiled on Makshoof Music and we've been impressed by the production and sound quality that they achieve on the tracks An Elegy For Tomorrow, Bloodied Hands, Spiritus Nes Sancti, I, Devourer all taken from their latest album I, Devourer. The album is a heavy exploration in metal, as the riffs and growls curl out of the speakers with a tight rhythm section backing them up to a tee. The technical skills that the band demonstrate point towards a fantastic live set, which seems like it may just be around the corner.

We caught up with drummer Busac talking about their music, getting it made and out there and where to next for Smouldering in Forgotten.

Check out their profile here, and tell us what you think by leaving a comment on their profile page (please register first).

We’re liking your take on black metal, tell us what are your influences?

It’s tough to specify influences because we tend to incorporate a lot of things into our music. It can be emotions, mythologies/stories, imagery, bands we listen to. The music itself may not even strictly be categorized as black metal anymore because we also add in elements from death metal, some technical, thrash. It’s basically just an extreme form of metal in general.

The production on your tracks, as shown in An Elegy For Tomorrow and Bloodied Hands, is amazing. We see you got your album mixed in the US, how important to your sound was that process?

When you’re talking about a band who lives in a country with hardly any support for metal, the band’s sound is pretty much all we have to show for our hard work. It’s not easy for us to back it up with a tight live show to balance it out. Especially with this album, “I, Devourer”, we felt that we set a new standard for ourselves as musicians, as individuals, and as a band. We didn't want to compromise any of the quality that we felt the music deserves so we decided to go all the way with this one by dealing with many great people from different countries in terms of logo design, album artwork, and of course the mixing and mastering. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to get that type of production quality if done here (Bahrain) because of the lack of resources and equipment.

Where did you record your album? A follow up – are there good facilities in Bahrain that can capture your sound?

All music was recorded at our home studio AKA Distorted Studios, which is essentially a bedroom with lots of amps. This was the only way we could get it done because there aren’t any recording studios here that are suited for this type of music. We knew the sound we wanted more than anyone else so we just decided to build our own and learn how to do it ourselves.

You’ve had a few releases, including a record deal. What are the band's aspirations next, a bigger deal, more releases, something else?

We will always continue to aim higher, that’s a rule we’ve set for ourselves. We hope to get recognized and get a bigger deal of course. We also realize that it is necessary to hold live performances; it’s an important part of being in a metal band, so we’ve done some adjustments to the band lineup in order to make that possible; we hope to achieve this very soon. And of course finally we will always continue to make music no matter what the circumstances are.

What do you guys think of the Metal bands in the Middle East, and in particular, Bahrain?

We feel that bands in the Middle East are really stepping up now and becoming a powerful force. Bahrain itself has seen a large improvement in just these few years when it comes to bands. The metal scene is very small and the community we’re in is not supportive of this music, but things happen when people struggle to do the things they love to do, and the results speak for themselves.

What are your thoughts on the Metal scene in the Middle East in general?

The Middle Eastern metal scene is certainly growing up to be a brutal force. Call it a wave if you want to, but we believe that there are lots of bands that are emerging from this part of the world these days and they deserve to be recognized for their talents. Many bands are overlooked simply because the Middle Eastern scene didn’t produce that many bands in the past and also due to the fact that this region is still pretty conservative. However, this will all change soon and the Middle Eastern scene will finally be able to show its talents and prove to the world that metal has no boundaries!

What's the next step for the band?

It’s difficult to be specific because our lives are always busy with other things such as full time day jobs, family commitments, social issues… etc. However we would like to state that we have no intention of stopping. We are planning to introduce the album to a larger audience if we’re able to get a good record deal, and hopefully by performing live if possible and will follow it up with another album.

Who is Smouldering in Forgotten listening to at the moment?

We listen to all kinds of metal bands that include Marduk, Meshuggah, Slayer, Overkill, Behemoth, Immortal, Bloodbath, Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore… etc; but also other genres of music such as Classical, Ambient/Atmospheric. Anything that’s good basically

Finally, any shows planned?

No specific shows at the moment but we’re aiming to perform outside of Bahrain in as many places as we can soon.

Smouldering In Forgotten's profile is here, check them out & leave comments for the band to read.