Hi, Oz. Greetings from Germany! What are you up to these days?
Oz: Hi guys! Greetings right back at you from Israel. So, it’s been a very interesting period of time for me promoting Road to I since releasing it and I honestly can’t believe it’s March already and that it’s been almost six months since releasing the record.
These days I’m slowly getting back on the inspiration train and writing new material for Obsidian Tide and Avneya as well as planning on filming some videos of the material for both.
Would you please introduce Avneya to our readers who are not aware of your music?
Oz: Sure, Avneya is a solo project of mine which I have been cultivating slowly for years in order to shed light towards additional artistic narratives in my personality. I wanted to create something different from what I create in Obsidian Tide, whether it’s with the musical style, motifs and the overall vibe.
While the music is still somewhat progressive, I would say the melodic sense as well as the intensity and ferocity of things are very much present than usual but both at the same time mellow and calm at times.
Could you give us a little insight into the formation of Avneya? When and how did it happen?
Oz: I started to flirt with the idea of creating this record and having a solo project back when I got my first 7 string guitar (PRS SE 7 string) back in 2016. I started to write riffs and soon enough I had song structures to build upon and add depth, atmosphere and more instrumentation and parts. I had the demos of the songs and the vision for the project ready for a very long time yet finding the right session musicians for the project was a real task, one which put the production process on hold until Covid19 erupted.. It was then when I said to myself I really have to start move things forward, so what I did was teaching myself how to program drums due to the inability of finding the right drummer for quite sometime but eventually I decided I want the record to have real drums and it was only after when I finally got Dan Presland (Ne Obliviscaris, Vipassi, Black Lava) on board that wheels started to really get in motion, from there finding the right personnel was faster and things moved forward.
At what age did you start playing instruments, and since when have you been into metal music?
Oz: I was around 12 years of age when I first picked a guitar. It belonged to my brother-in-law's father, it was a Costa Rican made nylon string he once brought with him when he came for a visit. After that encounter, I borrowed a fender steel string acoustic from my sister’s best friend and then I got my actual first classical guitar as a gift from my sister and brother-in-law. Soon after, I got my first electric guitar, it was an Ibanez kind of replica which my father bought me as a gift and this was also the time when I discovered metal music and getting more involved with it, I was maybe.. 15 or 16 years of age. I remember both Metallica and Children of Bodom as my portal for metal music; they were the very first Metal bands I discovered back then.
Avneya recently released Road to I. Could you tell us something about it and walk us through all the track's lyrics and meanings?
Oz: The record revolves around motifs and contrasts. Life and death, purity and defilement, hope and despair.. There is not a specific concept to the record where the songs follow, but more of a theme (contrasts) and the feelings accompanied to it and which are infused through individual topics discussed on each song.
The topics (and lyrics) vary from Immortality in its most initial stage in humanity’s evolution, as to planetary migration of mankind, societal degeneration and decay, emotions, mourning..
I invested a lot in writing the lyrics (usually I focus myself around composing and creating the music) and I would really appreciate you and everyone else who might get to my music through this interview to spare a minute or two and read them.
How has the response been so far from listeners? Have you started working on new songs?
Oz: I got some really good responses to the record in the form of reviews as well as mentions on websites and magazines as part of their albums of the year lists, etc’. This is really heartwarming.
Of course, not everything is pure gold and I encountered some less positive responses here and there but at the end of the day, I think this is the best I could do as far as it comes to the production and composition due to the back then timeframe and mood during which the music was created, a thing which makes me feel complete and fully content.
As far as it comes to new songs, yes. I have started to work on a new song out of 7 / 8 sketches of riffs and ideas, but it will take time and I actually think about releasing Road to I in an all instrumental version before releasing any new material.
If asked to differentiate Avneya from other bands in Israel, how would you respond?
Oz: Well, I think each and every artist has its own fingerprint and style and I truly believe mine is unique.
I believe I offer something fresh with Road to I, both in terms of personal and collective standards.
Which bands/artists do you draw your influences from, and which are your favorite local bands?
Oz: Honestly speaking, when it comes to music I am all over the place.. I enjoy a lot of different artists and genres. It can be mainstream pop/disco, post rock, folk music, fusion and all the way to prog and technical metal in all of its wide spectrum and subgenres.
I would say Opeth, Meshuggah, Mastodon, Steven Wilson, Dream Theater and Agalloch are amongst the artists who really made an impact on the way I think about music.
As far as local bands I like , I’d mention Subterranean Masquerade, Winterhorde and Orphaned Land.
Avneya is a very promising formation. Looking at your future, where do you see yoursef in 3 years?
Oz: I am happy to hear you think so, because I honestly believe this project can achieve great things.
Road to I is just the beginning, looking forward I can tell you there will be another record. In addition, a dream of mine for this project will be playing the material live sometime in a festival somewhere with Dan and everyone I took onboard so if i will be able to accomplish these targets in the near future I will be very pleased.
Well, that’s it. Thanks a lot for your time. Could you speak out to all your fans and supporters?
Oz: Thank you so much for having me! I hope your readers will get a taste of who I am as a person and what Road to I is about and maybe go give it a listen and recommend it to friends and family.