The Concept behind "Cantara Anachoreta"

Question: Is "Cantara Anachoreta" a concept-album? And could you explain the title?

Sid: "Cantara Anachoreta" is a latin-portugiese term meaning "The Chants of the Hermit".

I've chosen that title because "Cantara Anachoreta" chronicles the last hours in the life of Ariman, the anchorite, who is aware that his time has finally come: Darkness embraces him ("Prologue"), and while he's on the threshold of twilight, he recollects occurrences of his present life and past incarnations.

Thus he relives the dark age of witch hunt ("The Endless Dance") as well as the tremendous distress of losing the one he once loved ("Requiem ex Sidhe").

He also remembers a little girl he once knew who committed suicide after being abused by her father, and Ariman's still able to sense the rage, anger and fury her ghost emanates ("Goodbye to Jane").

Images of long gone days do arise, and the anchorite recalls the moments when he had to withstand to remain true to his principles and beliefs ("Baleias"). It wasn't always easy to follow the path of the Goddess and to obey her advice, but whenever he thought that she might have left him in the lurch, she was in fact with him for guidance ("Her Orphaned Throne").

So he dreams of her return: a return that'll bring an end to injustice, intolerance and the lies of the false prophets — the dawning of a new golden era ("Descending Messiah"). Thereupon Ariman floats downstream to Cerridwen's realm, the garden of eternal dreams, where his seeking soul will find peace and tranquility at last ("Epilogue").

Future Prospects

Question: Human race has destroyed large parts of nature. What do you think about this abuse? What do you think will the world be looking like in another 10 years?

Sid : It makes me sad to see that most people don't give a damn about environmental problems! We're consequently destroying what we depend on, and sooner or later we will be running out of resources completely.

We have lost our respect for Mother Earth; instead of venerating and honouring her for being our source of life, we're exploiting her until the bitter end. But we do depend on her, not she on us; we are weak children needing HER nourishment, HER shelter and HER fertility, but we have lost this awareness because of our mindbogglingly stupid presumption.

I don't know what the future might bring, but I think quite soon the Earth might just get rid off us like from some insignificant cosmic pneumonia: Earth will bloom and flourish again long after humankind has fallen into oblivion.

Christian Definition of Love

Question: What do you think about the Christian definition of love?

Sid: The Christian definition of love is a contradiction in itself because one simply can't love everyone! You may forgive your enemies if you're able to (which in my book is saintly enough), but you'll never love them for what they've done to you (given that we're talking about real enemies (fiendish ones!) and not just some daft dorks you accidentally happen to have a slight grudge against!).

Really loving someone however is divine in all its aspects, which includes sexuality as well — there's nothing unholy or immoral about it: if love is of divine origin, then our bodies are like temples and making love becomes some kind of prayer.

Death

Question: What comes to your mind when you thing of Death?

Sid: Definitely one of my favourite characters in Terry Pratchett's Discworld-novels. Speaks in capital letters most of the time.

The Sense of Life and Death

Question: What is the sense of life/death in your point of view?

Sid: The sense of life? To love and to be loved. The sense of death? To learn, to grow and to let go.

To live is like being a drop of rain that falls down to earth, and to die is like floating back into the ocean again.

Nighttime

Question: What comes to your mind when you think of the night?

Sid: Quite useful device as it helps to save daylight.


Gifted Musicians

Question: Were you born as a gifted musician or how did you manage to play so many instruments?

Sid: I wouldn't say I'm gifted as I've never learned to play any instrument properly.

Also I'm not at all a "good" musician if it comes to technical skills: All I know is how to hold a guitar (pointed end in the air, right?) and how to play a few basic chords — that's it.

My so called talent lies in writing and arranging songs so that they sound as if one had to be pretty smart to perform them.

Not a Gothic Metal Band

Question: According to you, what distinguishes you from the average gothic-metal stereotype?

Sid: The mere fact that Antichrisis ain't a gothic metal band! Like a painter uses a multitude of colours to create a landscape, I'm using different musical ingredients to form the soundscape of Antichrisis — and Gothic or Metal are just two shades of a thousand and one musical colours of my palette.

Antichrisis can only be categorized by emotional values, not by any assignments of musical styles.