Leo spoke to Doris Yeh, bass player from Taiwanese symphonic black metal band Chthonic, whilst the band was on tour with Arch Enemy in London in 2010.
So how has the UK tour been?
We’ve had a great time playing Manchester, Glasgow, Wolverhampton; the fans have been really excited and we’re very happy to tour with Arch Enemy.
You’ve been the first band on every night, how has that been; a good reaction?
Yeah, as an opening act sometimes it’s hard to get all of the crowd into the venue and for the past three shows a lot of people have been coming to the venue. Also Angela Gossow from Arch Enemy said we’ve played some very good shows over the tour dates so we’re happy.
I was wondering about asking this, but there aren’t that many women in metal and obviously this tour has you and Angela- I was wondering if there had been any bonding going on?
Oh yeah, before we came to the UK I spoke to her via email as a contact for Arch Enemy and she was very very nice. We’ve even been talking about even maybe some cooperation in the future, I don’t know if we’ll get the chance. Hopefully they can come to Taiwan.
Is there a reasonably big scene for metal music in Taiwan?
I think the metal scene in the UK is much bigger than in Taiwan. In Asia the biggest metal market has been Japan. The popularity is much higher than in China, and they’ve been listening to rock music for longer than Taiwanese people.
We just finished playing Loud Park 2010 in Japan which is the biggest metal festival in East Asia, with 40,000 people, so in Japan it’s much bigger but in Taiwan I think it’s gradually increasing.
Are you surprised to come all this way across the world and have people know who you are and really excited to see you?
Yeah, I was thinking the other day when we pulled up to the venue and there were 50 people waiting outside for 3 or 4 hours, we’re thinking; “oh they’re waiting for Arch Enemy”, but they were waiting for us, and we were like “whoa, yeah!”, we were very happy. In 2007 we were in Lithuania and there were fans of ours.
Wow, OK. I didn’t think anyone in Lithuania listened to…music.
Haha, yeah, it’s good to go all over the world and have people know you.
What’s it like growing up in Taiwan as a heavy metal fan?
I think now the environment is getting better, but most of Taiwanese children will learn the piano or violin and their parents will take them to learn that, I learned piano whilst I was in elementary school. But my father is a bass player in a TV station.
That’s pretty cool…in a TV station?
Yeah, the TV station have their own band to write and perform their music, so when I was a child he played the bass and when I was in high school, I don’t know why, but I started listening to Bon Jovi and some pop music and then I had a band and formed a rock band in the high school. Then my band-mate gave me a cassette of Guns n’ Roses, Slayer, and at first I was…wow! And then I had to practise, even though I wasn’t into that kind of music otherwise I’d of got kicked out. Then I started really liking that kind of music and started playing more and more heavy.
You’ve released a cover of ‘Painkiller’ by Judas Priest, was it something you listened to when you were younger?
Actually it was our vocalist and guitarist who chose that *laughs*. But I’m OK with that.
You use and write a lot about Taiwan and Taiwanese imagery, what makes you use it?
I think it’s very natural. I remember the history, the philosophy and the imagery of hell and we used that for our theme for the last album instead of Satanism or anti-Christianity, in Taiwan only 5 percent of people are Christian. There are more Buddhists so it’d make more sense to be anti-Buddhism.
We are also in an unstable political environment so we have a lot of anger.
I assume that’s directed at the People’s Republic of China?
Yeah.
I’m a little ignorant of the history; could you briefly explain the problems between Taiwan and China?
For a long time Taiwan was occupied by Japan in World War 2 and after the war when Japan left there was a war in China between the communists and the KMT. The KMT retreated to Taiwan which was at that time supposed to be independent under protection from the Americans, but America didn’t do anything. So they let this Chinese army occupy Taiwan and the properties and lands of Taiwan. There were some benefits that the Chinese people brought, but 2 million people were moved to Taiwan. At that time Taiwan had 4 million people living there, and then these 2 million people suddenly arrived from China and the Taiwanese were treated unequally. The local Taiwanese party are fighting now with the KMT for independence. Originally the KMT was fighting with the communists but now the KMT wants to be united with the mainland of China.
Are you allowed to play in China?
We only play in Hong Kong and Macau, they’re special districts of China,. We can’t play in China because we’re on the black list.
On you last album Mirror of Retribution you used the imagery of a Taoist hell with 8 levels, what made you choose that?
We thought about it for a long time and thought it would be a very interesting thing because the other idea of hell is just: Fire, fire, fire and monsters!
In oriental philosophy there are different layers and the first layer is called the mirror of retribution. People die and they will fall into the first layer, and in the mirror they will see what they’ve done their whole life, and then the ghost king will send them to the different levels to be tortured.
That’s certainly a lot more subtle and cruel.
Yeah *laughs* Some layers have this big pot they put people in, others have mountains and ice.
Do any of you believe in it?
No, I don’t believe that. It’s like Greek mythology. Actually I don’t believe there are ghosts or a god.
I believe there is something big and fantastical in the world, but it’s definitely not a person. It’s a power not a person.
How do you feel about the album now and do you have any plans for future music?
Yes, we will release our new album sometime in the middle of 2011; we’re going to be recording the new album in March I think.
Can you tell me anything about it?
Our next album, will link with our last two albums Mirror of Retribution and Seediq Bale and there will be a big whole story. It’s a story about the history of Taiwan in World War 2 with the Japanese and the Chinese and Taiwanese; as well as the aboriginal Taiwanese which our other album dealt with. This next album will be about what happens in another time.
I only have one other question…erm, one of my friends asked if you would marry him?
Do you have his picture? I’m kidding. *laughs*
He can add my page on Facebook, I always talk with fans on there.
I suppose it happens being one of the few ladies in metal that you get quite a lot of attention from male fans?
Yeah, definitely. I don’t know, it feels quite natural. It doesn’t bother me.
Sounds quite nice when you put it that way.
*Laughs*
Thank you very much.
OK no problem, thank you!
