Interview with Ramon Soeterbroek, Eternal Solstice

- Hey Ramon! First of all, let's talk about the your reunion. In 1997 the band split-up, so when exactly did you decide to bring Eternal Solstice back? What was the key-moment that made it happen?
- 2010. Decrapitaph asked us if we wanted to do a split 7" with them so we did. Dark Descent Records was interested in doing more releases and Misha wanted to take place behind the drumkit again. The rest is history.

- Alright, let's talk about your new album, "Remnants of Immortality". First of all, how could you comment on the title? What kind of meaning is behind it?
- It sounded good and I like the contradiction in it. Like all our lyrics and titles people are free to have their own interpretation.

- Where did you record it? Who produced and mixed it? How long did you spend in the studio?
- For the most part we worked at home, after we recorded the drums all guitars and vocals were recorded at my place. I don't know how much time I spend but it was a lot, more than we were used to spend in a studio and pay by the hour. We produced it ouselves with help of Erwin Hermsen of Toneshed Recording Studio who re-amped and mixed the record. He did a great job.

- How long did you work on the album? Was it important for you to bring something new to your music or rather the opposite, get back to your roots and do it the old-school way?
- Well, I wanted to go back to our roots but finetune the whole thing, we always had melodic and slow parts but now I wanted to do it propperly, writing good solos and play 'm in key hahaha !!! So thats new to our music I guess. We started jamming early 2013 and recordings were finished fall 2014.

- How cooperative are you as a band? Do you work all together on the new songs or is rather an individual process for you?
- We are writing new songs as we speak and it's the first time with this line-up so we're not quite sure how to do it this time. We have a lot of basic ideas from both me and Ardy the Jong, we have to find a way to mix our ideas, but it all depends on the song. Remnants I wrote with Misha, we started jamming and let the songs come to us, I like that way of writing but I also find it important that every member has some input, that's what makes you a band.

- Already recording in the studio, do you usually come with everything set-up and finalized or does it happen that you can do some changes in the music or lyrics during the recordings? How was it this time?
- This time we made a few pre-production recordings so most of the songs were pretty much finished before the final recording. Only some of the solos were recorded multiple times because I like to improvise a lot and that does not always work out the way I want to hahaha !!!

- How could you describe the new album? Do you think you managed to bring back the old-school Death Metal with this record?
- I think we did, however the production is more modern so to speak, but we tried to write "songs" and not a bunch of riffs stuck together. That's how I remember the old days and bands.

- What would be your top 3 tracks from the new CD and why?
- Hard one. I really like the intro track "Remnants of Immortality" How it builds up.
"Walk in Darkness" is a good song too, I like how it keeps on going and never looses it's energy. Hard to choose the last one but I go for "Subconscious Burial Ground" because of the atmospheric part at the end of the song.
 
- Who is the artist of the cover? What can you say about it? Is that how the remnants of immortality look like?
- Yes, those remnants are not a nice to look at, hahaha !!! Paul de Werd did the artwork. He did most of our covers. This was his first and last computer drawing he normally works with oil based paint. But I must say I really like the cover.

- This CD was released by Dark Descent Records, how did you get in touch with them? Looks like they are doing a great job and pretty active. What can you say about this partnership?
- Wayne from Decrapitaph contacted Matt from Dark Descent for the 2010 split 7" and Matt was interested immediately. After the double split 7" with Pentacle he asked us to do a full lenght, so we did. It's a cool label and we are happy with this release.

- Ok, let's get back in time and talk about the very early days. The band was formed in 1989, tell us how did it happen? How did you meet other guys?
- That was a long time ago, we knew eachother from the scene and other bands. We just started the band and after Sempiternal Deathreign split up we asked Victor and Misha to join Eternal Solstice. After all those years Misha is still part of the band.

- Your first release was the split with Mourning. Could you recall how did it happen? How did recording sessions go?
- Misha played in both Mourning and Eternal Solstice and he wanted to record with both bands so he booked two studios for the recordings in 1990, We recorded  in the Reel Studio in Nibbixwoud, two days if I remember correctly. First Deaf Records was interested but that deal didn't happen so in 1992 it was released on the Midian Creation label from Wim Baelus

- The first full-length, "The Wish Is Father to the Thought", was released in 1994. I would like to ask you about the meaning of this title, because it sounds really cool and deep.
- It’s a saying really. It means something like you think that way because you want it to be that way, but it does not necessarily have to be that way. If you know what I mean.

- Looking back now, what can you say about the album in general? How do you like the music? Do you have some favourite riffs from it?
- At the time it was cool. It could have been worse but hey it was 1994. I love the song “Dragged down to rot” we still play it live.

- All your first 3 albums were released by Poseidon Productions, and you were actually the only signed band. Could you tell us a bit more about this label?
- No, hahaha !!! I know it was a sublabel from Displeased but that's all I know.

- Alright, that's it from me. Thank you for this interview, Ramon. In the end, would you like to share some of your plans for the future? Do you have any planned concerts and maybe any Tour?
- Thanks for the interview. Our next show is December 19th in Rijssen Holland with a lot of old school Dutch bands like Sinister, Pentacle, God Dethroned etc. so we're very exited.