We had the pleasure of interviewing Ebru from the Turkish Symphonic Metal band, Orpharion. The band has released a new single from their upcoming album. What does Ebru have to tell us about her band’s new single and music? Find that and a lot more in this interview with Ebru from Orpharion.
Interview
Hello Ebru! How have you and the other members of Orpharion been doing?
Hello there! We are doing great, very excited about our upcoming album! How are you doing?
Doing great! You’ve recently released a new single, The Broken Seal, taken from your upcoming debut album, ‘A Faraway World’. Is there a release date for the album yet?
We don’t have a release date yet, but we are working hard to make everything right. We will release more songs before the actual release, and then we will announce the date. Orpharion is a concept band and our theme is epic fantasy. I’m writing the story of a distant planet, hosting many events and characters. The debut album songs narrate different stories and they will develop with upcoming songs in time.
How did you feel about the reception The Broken Seal got from the fans and people who listened to it?
We got positive reactions about The Broken Seal and I’m so happy about it. My gamer friends got excited about the atmosphere a lot. I hope our album gets similar or better reactions.
Without using technical terms, how would you describe the music of Orpharion?
For me, our music is epic and expresses deep emotions with melodies and lyrics. I wanted to create a concept world that reflects my character in our music, and my bandmates loved the idea. All of us have different styles and personalities, and we used this to create our music. You can hear heavy music and my soft vocals with legendary tales in the songs.
To get our readers to know you better, and in a fun way, how about we play a game? I will give you a scenario in an alternate universe and you’d have to react. Ready?
I love playing games! Yeah!
In a universe where you’re the lead singer in a Jazz band, what would the band’s name be?
I would make up a name that doesn’t have any meaning because I enjoy creating unique things, like my stage name ‘Imtholiel’ inspired by Middle Earth. Maybe I could use the same name with my Jazz band.
In a universe where humans are ruled by aliens who tax them with objects they like most, what object or thing would the aliens take from you?
They would probably take my books. I love reading fantasy/science fiction and don’t like to give my books away. The other one is my dreams, but I’m generous to share them because they’re endless!
In a universe where the senses of taste and hearing are mixed up, what would Orpharion’s music taste like?
Salted-caramel chocolate!
Yummy! In a universe where time travel exists and you can go back and forth in time, what era or year would you like to visit?
I would like to see the Jurassic period first because I was in love with dinosaurs when I was little. I kept reading about them all the time. They are magnificent creatures for me. I had a skeleton T-Rex figurine and many dinosaur magazines. I also love dragons as legendary creatures, but I have no chance to see them since they do not exist, at least in our world.
Then I would travel into the distant future. I want to see the future of our planet and I wish Earth stays strong for a long, long time. And, if humanity visits other planets one day, I should be there to witness it!
In a universe where instead of money, the sense of humour is the currency, how rich would you be?
Not so rich, I suppose. I have a sense of humor, but only my inner circle of friends knows it. I’m a shy person in public. To be honest, I talk little.
Thank you for playing, Ebru! Hope you enjoyed answering these questions.
I enjoyed it a lot!
What is your most treasured music-related memory from your childhood?
I’ve been interested in music since childhood, and I was seeking to find the right genre my soul wants. I started listening to metal music when I was young and immediately fell in love with it, yet something was missing. Then, one day, I saw epic album covers of a band while wandering at the music store. They were looking like the fantasy book covers I was reading. That band was Blind Guardian, and I discovered power metal with them. The day I found them is precious to me. I’m a big fan, still I keep my old cassettes of them. I enjoy exploring the story a song tells. At last, I had found the powerful music and stories I wanted, found my soul food in the heroic style of power metal. Later, a friend of mine suggested Stratovarius. He said, “If you like power metal, you are probably going to love this band”, and sent me two songs of them, Black Diamond and Phoenix. It was breathtaking, and I felt the strength hiding in my soul. Even if I’m a quiet person, my inner self and dreams are stormy and loud. Those two bands became my favorite bands of all time. After that, I discovered symphonic metal with Nightwish, charmed by their dreamy style. I learned so much from Tarja that she became like my vocal teacher. I’m not a trained vocalist but still trying to do my best to improve myself.
Thank you for sharing these awesome memories. We have been moving forward as humans in so many domains. However, in 2021 we still see sexism, racism and other forms of discrimination in many places in the world. Have you ever been treated in a sexist way? How would you face sexism?
I hate discrimination. I encountered this problem a few times, but not very often. Some people who didn’t know me well believed I wouldn’t be successful in fields such as metal music, computers and video games because those fields are male-dominated, but I’m chasing my dreams, and I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. If you love something, listen to your senses, not the words of other people. I see some people try to demoralize each other for their greedy needs. They forget everyone has their own path, and greed wastes their time.
What advice on how to deal with discrimination would you give young ones reading this article?
You should be confident and believe in yourself. Remember that no one can stand in your way. Only you can forge your path, but of course, this won’t be easy. If you know what you want, you can overcome obstacles with tenacity. It is my key against inequity. I failed many times in my life and some people enjoyed it, but I didn’t stop because I’m not living my life for them. Not seeing them helps me to move forward. Don’t fill yourself with hatred that weakens you. Delete the errors in your life, if you lose an opportunity, know that there will be others.
Thank you for the interview, Ebru! It was a pleasure.
