[Shaxul]

Suspect; Leila Rauf
Subject; Saros interview
Interrogator; Shaxul
Concluded; March 28th, 2007

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Saros formed in the fall of 2003 when 4 very different people with a taste for heavy music met in San Francisco upon the common ground of Metal. The band seemed to take off immediately, drawing decent crowds, delivering high energy shows, and playing multi-genre bills. All of this came to somewhat of a climax with the band's debut release "Five Pointed Tongue" on the East Coast label Hungry Eye, one that has previously leaned more towards underground punk.

[SAROS L-R: Leila, The Bloodeagle, Ben, Tim]

The band embodies alot of the unique elements that have composed the San Francisco underground Metal scene for some time. Most notable, a refusal to fit into any specific Metal category. This is a subject I find most interesting and tried to explore in the interview. Even as more people discover Saros and their album "Five Pointed Tongue," the band continues to allude to newer sounds and explorations into different territory. But upon the conclusion of this interview, Saros is a Metal band and I am interviewing them as that. How long they remain under that title is yet to be seen. It will be interesting to watch where the band goes musically in the near future.

With that, here is the email interview I conducted with singer/guitarist Leila Rauf.

Where were you born and how did you come to play Metal music in San Francisco?

I was born in the lower east side of manhattan in a women's free clinic that has now probably turned into a Baby Gap store. I played metal guitar a little before I moved to San Francisco; Columbus Ohio where I was living at one point had a pretty thriving metal scene. I came to SF because Tim (in Saros, a friend of already several years) thought I'd like it, and I was sick of the east coast and midwest and their backstabbing and cutthroat ways. I moved here solely to play music with people who weren't completely insane.

Who thought of the name Saros and why?

I did. It was one of many names I suggested that was not shot down with a sling by the other three members. We were almost called "Worms".

Saros is a greek term used in astronomy to track lunar eclipse cycles. Nonlinearity is something we strive for in songwriting. There is nothing worse than stringing a bunch of possibly random riffs together and calling it a song. We are anti-riff-salad.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences and do you feel most of your riffs can be directly linked to those influences?

Ben Aguilar is one damned inspiring musician to me right now. Since being in Saros, he has flowered into one of the most brilliant songwriters out there.

[Ben Aguilar]

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[past] Metal influences would include early to mid 90s era Death, early Enslaved and Immortal, maybe some early Exodus and Priest. These influences may come across as really generic, but these are the ones we tend to agree on. I also try to inject some vague Cure and Cocteau Twins moments wherever I can. Those first two Lush EPs really kick ass too.

How did you get hooked up with Hungry Eye and how has the album been doing?

Dan (Hungry Eye) was an old friend and roommate of Tim's back in our old NJ days. Tim is excellent at maintaining long distance contact with his east coast buddies, and Dan was willing to help us out in our fledgling phase. The album is supposedly one of the (if not THE) best selling albums on HE records.

There is some interesting symbolism within the lyrics and on the cover of "Five Pointed Tongue." I am sure you have gotten alot of different views from people on what it means. What is the official story/concept behind it and is there a song that sums it up best?

Well, the title came from a line in the second track "F Subzero". You'd be surprised at how few people actually care about lyrics, so no, I haven't gotten much feedback at all. In sum, my lyrics deal with the frightening unknown, the shit that the average person is not willing to confront or think about lest they lose their mind. i like to lose my mind once in a while.

[Five Pointed Tongue]

The members of Saros have deep and diverse backgrounds in the music scene and beyond. It almost seems impossible that you would all agree to create such a Metal sounding project as that heard on "Five Pointed Tongue." Was that simply the main common ground between you, or was it motivated by something else?

B'Eagle and I set out to make it a metal band in the very beginning. So when Tim and Ben joined, "metal" was the starting point. Most of the material on FPT is as old as the material on our first demo from 2004. we probably would not write such an album right now. though we still love to play those old songs live.

How comfortable are you with Saros being referred to as a "Metal Band?"

As comfortable as an oversized shirt- not uncomfortable, yet not totally fitting.

Though "Five Pointed Tongue" (as well as your first demo) are undeniably Metal, your following seems to be quite diverse. Are alot of these people connected to the members of the band personally dating back to pre-Saros days, or do you see alot of unfarmilar/new faces in the audience at your shows?

I'd say most of our following are people we are not necessarily friends with. The following is diverse only because we play diverse bills. We also have kind and open hearts to those different than us.

The album seems really diverse to me; each track stands out from the rest. I'm sure there are people out there who think we're not a "true metal" band, but we don't care about that. These days you have lots of types of people going to metal-ish shows, so the diversity doesn't really surprise me. Especially now that the metal aesthetic has gone the way of McDonalds, or should we say McMetal!

Saros live is undeniably an impressive experience and the music is very flashy in it's own understated way, and indeed fast alot of the time. Yet, you are not flashy in the "80s Metal" sense. Gibson SGs are not typically the guitar of choice for "faster Metal," yet it gives your band a more vintage feel which is appealing. Do you conciously try to understate your music and image so as to avoid wretched 80s Metal cliches?

I have been known to wear leather pants on occasion, and ben has since grown out his beautiful hair, so we are now slowly giving in to such cliches. Though i dig gibson guitars because of the TONE- you can't compare the tone of a guitar whose bridge is physically connected to the body of the guitar, thus resonating beautifully from the wood, to one with a floating bridge. its versatility is where it's at.

[Leila "sporting" leather pants live, while to her left Ben must now tie his hair back, which has been lengthening]

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You recently played a show with High on Fire. How did this come about and how did your injury effect things?

Amanda (Lava Booking) is a friend of mine and invited us on to the bill. My broken ankle seemed to attract many peculiar glances. Some young boy in the crowd yelled out that he wanted to have my baby. our maybe it was the whole band's baby? i thought mine, since he would probably need an egg, and not sperm to do so

Speaking of injuries, correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall that you have issues with your back that can make playing uncomfortable? How long has this been the case and how do you deal with it?

I've had a herniated disc in my lower back for about 10 years. constant lifting of gear while touring throughout my twenties just made it worse. i am a much hated band member due to my not lifting any heavy gear, as we have a lot of it. My back problems tend to come and go. It's weird; some days I feel perfectly fine, and some days I can barely walk. Although right now my broken ankle is dwarfing my back issues. Walking around in the city on crutches really sucks, and so does playing shows in a chair. but at least it's my ankle and not my wrist, so I'm not complaining!

Saros has changed their logo recently and there is often alot of talk about going into new directions. What new directions would you like to take the band and how rooted will you remain within the basic Metal sound the band has had up to now?

There will always be signature sounds in what we do- b'eagle's chaotic and bass-heavy drumming, ben's blazing leads, tim's warm vintage thunder and my extreme androgynous vocal style. but we are never afraid to venture into the opposite realm, i.e., soft and ethereal beauty. more acoustic guitar colorations and string sections to come.

How has your perception of the San Francisco music scene changed from when you first arrived to now?

The scene definitely feels smaller to me now than it did at the beginning. you gotta love all the shit-talking and quiet back-stabbing, but really though, it's not all that bad! We are all a bunch of spoiled whiny children with an excess of goodness around us. don't think so? well, move to central indiana and then you'll agree!

There were rumors that Tim Scammell, your bass player, nearly quit the band recently. Why was this and what changed his mind?

He had decided to focus more on his other project, WhiteOwl, a psych-rock outfit which ended up disbanding several months later. He realized how much Saros actually has its shit together in a lot of ways, despite its imperfections. Now we are like his annoying family he can never get away from.

[Tim Scammel]

Is there a tyrant in Saros or is it strictly democratic?

We are all tyrants in our little adorable ways. Our favorite dysfunctional tactic is the "three against one" gang-up, but we all take turns to keep it fresh.

Who's the "5th Beetle" in Saros?

At one point it was probably Jesse Cueva (embers of euphoria), since he produced both our first demo and FPT. I suppose this will change as we add guest musicians and different producers.

Though Saros has been around for a while now, you are still a relatively new band here in San Francisco. Do you feel like a "San Francisco band," or do you still feel like the person who came to SF and started a band?


SF definitely feels like home to us, however, I've moved around so much that I wouldn't put it past myself nor the band to relocate if the opportunity arose. B'eagle was even thinking of having us all move to the U.K. if he decided to do his graduate degree there...then we could technically call ourselves Euro-metal!

How have the reactions been to Saros outside of the Bay Area?

Just as positive, if not more so. we sold out of all the merch we brought when we played in canada. we didn't even lose money on our very first tour, which is surprising considering we had to pay for two vehicle rentals.

You are involved with at least one other project. Tell us about it/them and explain why you feel the need to do it and how far you intend to take it.

I am have various levels of involvement in 4 other projects in the ambient, classical and experimental realm, but they all primarily revolve around Kris Force and my boyfriend Eric Wood. I contribute guitar, voice, piano and synth to Frozen In Amber, Amber Asylum, Bastard Noise (only voice so far) and Ion Channel. The three of us are involved in some or all of these projects and have a very flexible idea of how to execute them = ultimate creative freedom! FIA, BN, and IC are the most experimental/electronic sounding. AA and BN have been around for over a decade and a half, and I am their newest member. I feel the need to partake in other genres to keep my ideas as fresh and open-minded as possible. the last thing i want to be is some burnt-out aging metal chick, you know? only time will tell how far these projects will go.

What are some of the bigger goals Saros has in mind right now?

More extensive touring, but first a new album. We are brimming with such new ideas our audience has yet to hear, and they need to be communicated.

How do you feel about the current world events? Do you tune them out, or are there certain issues that really concern you? What news sources do you follow, if any?

News is so depressing nowadays i don't even follow it that much. it's the same crap over and over again- the innocent and hardworking are enslaved and tortured and some ignorant asshole - individual or institution - has too much power and money that perpetuates it. as far as news sources i trust, they would include NPR, indymedia.org and those frontline specials on PBS, those kick ass! only because they delve deeper into news than just some cheesy bullet headline.

Your lyrics are pretty trippy. Do you smoke grass while writing them?

No, caffeine. And tons of it.

What do you think about drugs and how much direct experience have you had?

Not a whole lot, just the typical grass and alcohol. lately though it's been a lot of vicodin. I am actually pretty innocent and overly sensitive to chemicals so i don't partake often. A little bit makes me lose my mind, which like i said, is only OK once in a while.

Who is the most attractive chick (besides you), and dude (besides me) in the local Metal scene?

This is tough, since you and I are ultra babes, but i'd say my good friend pamela ("agnes young" in AC/D-She) is damn foxy and that jesse cueva is quite the underrated and softspoken stud. Though there is none studlier to me now than Eric Wood, but he has
yet to move to the bay area.

The Blood Eagle has a very brutal name. Do You, Tim, and Ben ever lose sleep over the fact that your names are not as brutal as his?

You might not know about the BRUTAL(ly silly!) stage names- young tim (boi), ben hen and sleigh-ya-later. how 'bout them apples?

[Bloodeagle: The most brutal member of Saros. Also- a rare shot of Ben's x-ray eyes caught in the mirror reflection on the right]

Your music has a brutal sound alot of the time. Do you feel brutal when you are playing?

I have never felt more BRUTAL playing than the time somebody threw sexy underwear onto my microphone, and when some manly stranger grabbed by feet and kissed them.

Do you see yourself recording many albums with Saros, or do you see yourself recording a few and then on with the next project?

Saros will keep making albums as long as it keeps making sense to. i have no idea how many this will be, nor does it make sense to predict that, as long as humans remain mortal.

Have any bald fellows named Garen ever accused you of not being brutal enough?

I don't think Garen and I have ever gotten past the introductory "hey, what's up", but he seems like a cool guy. maybe if i joined the earth-dog discussions we'd be closer.

[our friends] Those Hightower boys like to throw ice cubes and yell "more ponytail in the monitor." Though Ben scared them so they stopped. I'm not one for tons of stage banter, for the most part I think it's pretty cheese. Maybe I've gotten heckled for that, I can't remember.

Saros plays very demanding music, and you all seem very disciplined about it. Do you ever feel trapped on stage? As if the music is too involved to allow you to fully "let loose?"

We all suffer from a mild muscular condition that prevents us from full range of motion in our larger extremities. it's the glue that keeps us together. Too much movement, and it would all fall apart.

[upon further prodding by me...hehe] Are you trying to say we're a bunch of tight-asses? Well I guess that is partially true. The more we drink before we play, the looser it is for sure. But we're all mellow people for the most part so we're not the type of folks to be jumping around all Angus and shit. I think it's more our personalities than the level of playing difficulty in our songs.

I have not known many female Metal guitarists. You write great Metal music that is on par with the best out there. What do you think holds alot of women back from picking up the guitar and, not just SHREDDING per say, but being a great Metal guitarist like yourself? What are some of the challenges that must be overcome?

Well, I didn't start playing metal until my mid-twenties, so in a lot of ways I don't feel totally metal in my playing. metal is challenging music to play, maybe slightly less so than jazz or classical, and that makes it fun. What holds women back? some say it's the lack of testosterone. some say it's the narrow-mindedness of the metal scene. the bay area is definitely an exception- there seems to be at least one woman in every good metal band here. as time passes, the boys club seems to be going the way of the roman empire and soviet union. one day a new generation will wake up and never knew it existed.

Thanks to Leila for doing this exclusive Earthdog interview and thanks to Saros for kicking ass. Please visit the links below and check their music out if you haven't already.

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...

Related links;
http://www.saros-metal.org/
http://www.myspace.com/saros
http://www.hungryeyerecords.com/
_________________
As you perish I shall live...

www.shaxulrecords.com
www.myspace.com/passiveaggressivesf

[The Autocrat]

Leila/Saros just rules.
_________________
A.C.A.B.

[Schindler's Pissed]

Nice interview and read. to Shax and Leila.
_________________
...you're so cool, I'm going to call you culo.

[drtboi]

Good interview.
_________________
Your favorite god sucks

[Wagnerian]

Nice one!

[Electric Savage]

That was great Stone!
_________________
Hellhunter!

[nrg_vampire]

Nice job, man!

[shootitinthehead]

Stones interviews rule.
_________________
KING GHIDORA LIVES IN MY PANTS!!!!

[Mad at the World Records]

Sick interview for sure.

[Judas Priestess]

Excellent interview, Stone! It was a great mixture of being serious and informative and also making me laugh and spit out my breakfast oatmeal. It's been a while since I've seen Saros live but I will make the effort to see them soon after reading this--and to get their album too!

[The Autocrat]

Shax, I really enjoy your interviews. I know you are a busy man, and I know I have said it before, but when are you going to do a zine? The Bay Area needs a good metal zine, you seem like the man for the job.
_________________
A.C.A.B.

[ifdead]

[Shaxul]

Right on guys. Well first, there is a good Zine called Killdren already. She is more open minded and includes different types of bands, but has that underground spirit. Support it.

Second, if I did a zine the way I wanted it'd be WAY opinionated and half you people would end up hating my ass!

Third- I am just too goddamned busy. Maybe when I am retired!


_________________
As you perish I shall live...

www.shaxulrecords.com
www.myspace.com/passiveaggressivesf

[The Autocrat]

[shootitinthehead]

MAKING ENEMIES 101 would be the title of my zine.
_________________
KING GHIDORA LIVES IN MY PANTS!!!!