INTERVIEW WITH VIC ANSELMO

Vic Anselmo’s debutalbum “Trapped in a dream” can’t be described in just one word only.
Obviously it will be categorized as goth metal but not the kind of goth metal you heard before as this artist from Latvia succeed in mixing old school goth metal (think the early outputs by All About Eve) with a wide range of unusual non-European influences and a result that sounds like some weird fairy tale. sounding
Something that can’t be described, perhaps can be better explained by the artist herself…

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

It’s emotional and bizarre adventure to the world of fantasies and mystic – the world of dreams. Which sometimes can be tender and melodic, but sometimes horrifying like a nightmare.

VIC ANSELMO…HOW DO I HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT?
IS THAT YOU OR IS THERE A WHOLE BAND INVOLVED?

Vic Anselmo is the stage name of me – singer and songwriter, but I also have a band, which is the part of my project.

I UNDERSTOOD YOUR NAME IS LINKED TO PANTERA, BUT SOMEWHERE I DON’T HEAR THAT MANY METAL-INFLUENCES, OR AT LEAST NOT SOMETHING LIKE PANTERA….

I’ve always been a big fan of Pantera and Phil Anselmo music indeed. ( I was talking to my friends about Pantera and Phil’s powerful vocals all the time, I had a nick “Anselmo” in chats, and as a result one day all my friends started to call me by his surname, sometimes they even called me Victoria Anselmo. That’s how it became my nickname in a real life and later it became my stage name.)
Talking about influence in my music : Except Pantera, I also listen to a lot of various music that is so much different from my own – from blues to grindcore. But all the inspiration I get from very different music in some magical way transforms into something of my own.


IF I HEAR YOUR MUSIC, I CAN’T ESCAPE TO THINK : THIS PERSON ESCAPES THE WORLD…

Reality without dreaming is boring; I don’t escape the world, I am just trying to colour it up with different colours, so it would be more fun to live.

IN FACT, IS IT SUCH A SANE THING TO ESCAPE THE WORLD?

I’m not the person to answer this question. I think insanity is a part of artist’s blood.
YOU’RE FROM LATVIA, IN ALL HONESTY, I KNOW NOT MUCH ABOUT THE LATVIAN MUSICSCENE?

Check out Neglected Fields and Preternatural. Really nice bands ;)

YOU SOON WILL BE PLAYING IN WAREGEM GOTHICFESTIVAL,
IS THAT PART OF A TOUR AND IF SO IS IT PART OF SOME EUROPEAN TOUR?

Not really Currently I am working on the next album with my band and for real we weren’t planning performing much during this time. But we couldn’t refuse such a nice offering from Waregem Gothicfestival

I MEAN THIS IN A FLATTERING WAY, BUT IF I HEAR YOUR MUSIC, IT’S LIKE YOU’RE NOT THAT MUCH AFFECTED BY EUROPEAN TRADITIONAL SOUNDS…..

Great :D

A LOT OF YOUR SONGS ARE ABOUT CHARACTERS AND THAT ARE LIKE LITTLE NOVELS ITSELF, NOT?

My album “Trapped in a dream” and songs on it – can be called novels dedicated to dreams (my biggest inspiration) – they’re representing people emotions, fears, loneliness, desperation, as well as secret fantasies that can appear as symbols or revelations in a dream.

MANY PEOPLE CAN’T LABEL YOUR MUSIC, NEITHER CAN I? I SUPPOSE THIS MAKES YOU LAUGH…..

It doesn’t make me laugh. Because I think it is not possible to fully describe and label music itself in the right way, especially if it has many different style elements in it, as one artist told:” Writing about music is like dancing about
architecture".

SOMEWHERE YOU’RE JUST LIKE SOME TIM BURTON-CHARACTER IN THE SENSE THAT YOU’RE OUT OF THIS WORLD, PERHAPS TO FRAGILE FOR THIS WORLD?

I am in and out of this world, and this transitional state is the most inspiring. So I am fragile and strong at the same time, I am ready to fight for my dreams!

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN WAREGEM?

Let it be a surprise...

THE LAST WORD IS YOURS…..

Enjoy your life!:)