Interview with Renato of Silent Saga

January 29, 2021

Interview with Renato of Silent Saga

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, Renato and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Renato: It's female fronted metal with very strong and catchy melodies, symphonic elements, thrash and modern metal guts. It's heavy metal on the edge!

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
Renato: We believe strongly in this connection. There's no one in the world that's unreachable today, and art is all about feelings and their expression, so it gets very personal and very intimate, very fast. We personally love the interaction we have with our fans and we do the best we can to encourage it, by writing about subjects we know are very relevant for our fans, by interacting with them in every way possible…we answer every email and every message personally, and by even letting them take part in our creation processes, through Social Media, actions, events and even fixed, strong partnerships.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Renato: Definitely! I personally think that it's not only inspiring, but it gives more and more soul to the music we write and play.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
Renato: It's hard to make sure that the limits are clear and remain intact, but we know that having our personal space is very important for every individual. We try our best to keep these protected, which also protects the personal space from our fans, so it's a win-win philosophy.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Renato: It definitely is, and not only around the world but also within specific regions/countries, depending on the person's lifestyle, influences, philosophical and political orientation. In terms of a worldwide view, I think that the biggest split happens when you look at places that consider music more of a product and places that consider more like art. I like to think of it as both.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Renato: We have a lot of people from the US in our Audience, and honestly we have sold more than we expected to the US. In our case, I don't think that the origins of the band matter that much, but the sonority itself. I think that although we target a very specific niche, we have learned that this niche is quite large in the US, probably because the number of metal fans and the general population overall is larger than in any European country.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Renato: The lines of what is considered an artist are blurred. What a real artist is, is very clear to us at least. But that's what technology is all about, and not only the arts are affected by this. Technology changes everything. In the same way, digital technology has "made everyone" able to operate machines, drive any size vehicles, fly drones and shoot aerial videos, create websites... but that doesn't mean you'll beat the real professionals at it. You wouldn't let a drone pilot fly the airplane you're in, would you? :) The same goes for all the others. We rely on a real web designer to take care of our site, the same way we write and perform our music. Anyone can record music using an average computer and free software, but you cannot replace talent with technology…at least not yet.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
Renato: The artist who creates the trend is an explorer. They are probably the bravest out there, even if they are not the best at it. Whenever you create something, it's a version 1.0 concept. It's groundbreaking, amazing, astonishing for everyone, the artist and the audience. And then other people come and contribute to it, and make it better and better. So I like to think that they are equally important, as the trend wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the explorer, and it wouldn't be as good and beautiful if it wasn't for the trend followers.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Renato: To the first question, absolutely not. Music is unlimited and the artist should always be free to write whatever they want. The creation of labels for these sub-genres also can be used in a positive way, to help people find out bands that sound the way they like the most. The problem starts to happen when the fans…all of us, start getting emotional about something that is there to make our lives easier, and attribute subjective values to them. This generates an unnecessary competition between genres, bands and people that makes absolutely no sense. So I think it has weakened the impact of music in every sub-genre, however considering the amount of bands out there nowadays, good bands included, I cannot think of a better way to make this content findable than labeling it.

CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
Renato: We are releasing a series of 4 EPs containing 3 songs each, and they are named after Empedocles 4 classical elements of nature. Fire, the first one, contains 3 explosive, intense, provoking songs that match the EP's name: Fire Alarm, FireStar and Ashes. The first song, “Fire Alarm,” is a fast paced tune full of energy that talks about being trapped in a situation that you know it's toxic, but you cannot break out of. The second song, “Fire Star,” is about finding hope again and breaking through. This is a very interesting song, as it was written by our good friend and very skilled songwriter Peter Förg. The last one, “Ashes,” is the darkest one on the EP, and is about reinventing ourselves.

CV: Thanks again Renato for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
Renato: Thanks for the opportunity and also thanks to all readers for checking this out!

Check out Silent Saga at:
Official: www.silentsaga.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/silentsagamusic
Instagram: www.instgram.com/silentsagamusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/silentsagamusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/silentsaga

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.