Tunisian progressive metallers Myrath released a new album, ‘Karma’ in March 2024. We spoke with the band’s frontman, Zaher Zorgati, about the record, performing at Sweden Rock Festival and touring with Symphony X.
Text and photography: Anne-Marie Forker
Why is ‘Heroes’ the first single release from the album?
The album Karma is very special for us. Besides the writing process that allowed us to be much closer and explore new things, each song addresses very serious topics such as the loss of free will, discrimination, climate change, but also self-confidence. ‘We don’t need heroes, we are the heroes’—as simple as it may sound, every person can be their own hero. Many people today suffer from a lack of self-confidence and hesitate to take action. The song ‘Heroes’ is an ode in honour of all the forgotten people who need that little push to gain confidence and succeed. The song ‘Heroes’ is direct, both in its composition and its meaning, and we believe it was the right choice for a first single.
This is the band’s sixth album, and sound has evolved. ‘Karma’ sounds more rock / metal and less oriental than your previous album. Why did you choose that path?
We didn’t choose anything because we are trying not to intellectualize our writing process. However, there is a major difference between the writing process of this album and the previous ones. Due to the lockdown and technical reasons, three of the musicians couldn’t return to their countries for nearly 6 months. We seized this opportunity to compose together, which had never been the case in the past. Indeed, before Karma, the composition process was ultimately quite digital, mainly due to geographical factors. Kevin would send me an idea, and then I would send back an idea via email. The lockdown allowed us to do what all bands should do: be together in the same room. Having musicians in front of you for 6 months allows for much quicker exchange, trying out new ideas in real-time, and feeling the emotions generated by these exchanges in real-time. This allowed us to take a more minimalist approach since the ideas didn’t require tons of arrangements to come to life. I think it’s this very direct approach that allowed us to evolve and offer something different.
The album takes you on a journey through myth and legend. Do you feel that albums are still important, in an era where singles dominate?
It’s a very good question, and it’s quite complicated to answer. Firstly, I think that Metal fans are very attached to albums and physical formats. It’s also much simpler for a band to offer an album for logistical reasons. Regarding sound and production, it takes almost as much time to create the ‘overall’ sound for an album as it does for a single song. So, it would be a real logistical challenge to go into the recording studio every two months to compose and mix a single song. However, I am aware that it’s a format that works in a certain context, and it’s somewhat the format that record labels now prioritize in the context of an album promotion where the promotion will span several months with particular attention to promoting each track. In conclusion, considering the growing interest in formats like Vinyl, for example, it’s safe to say that true fans will remain attached to the physical formats of albums for a long time.
What was the inspiration for the single ‘Into the Light’?
It all started with an idea from Kevin. I think he had the idea of something very open, very orchestral that gives the sensation of soaring. I know he worked a lot on this song, especially on the instrumental piano part, which was hell for him to work on. Before thinking about the lyrics, the music inspired me to think about light and the elevation of spirits, and we created something along those lines. It’s one of my favourite pieces.
You played some of the new songs at Sweden Rock Festival. How were they received live?
It’s very important for us to test new songs live. We had already done this exercise for the previous album, and it clearly gives us the opportunity to start working on the live rendition. There is a world of difference between live and studio interpretation, and sometimes, certain songs sound good in the studio but not live (and vice versa). So, we wanted to test this song, which is quite challenging to play, to quickly gather feedback from the people in front of us. As an anecdote, Kevin was quite nervous about playing that famous piano part because playing it in the studio is one thing, but live it’s completely different. You don’t always have time to warm up, and the conditions are not always optimal. But for me, the challenge is met, and this song will be part of our setlist for a long time.
Why did you part ways with keyboardist Elyes Bouchoucha?
On a personal level, Elyes is a great guy, and it’s always difficult to part ways with a member you’ve worked with for years. That being said, there was also a desire from the band members to share the stage with Kevin, who, behind the scenes for many years, contributed phenomenal piano parts to the albums. I think we all wanted him to take his rightful place with us on stage. Regarding Elyes, we had some differences in terms of the musical direction of the band, and as everyone knows, a band is a bit like a couple—sometimes the best solution is to move forward.
You provided guest vocals on several albums, the track ‘Code of Life’ on the Epica album ’Omega’, and also on ‘The Source’ by Ayreon. How did those guest appearances come about?
We did it quite naturally, in the end. The guys from Epica called me and said, ‘Could you do a Mawel (a typical Tunisian chant) on the intro of our song, it would bring a special flavor.’ Being friends with them, I didn’t really think twice and said yes. We were working in the studio with Kevin at the time, and he recorded me, and we were able to deliver the tracks within 24 hours. Apparently, everyone is happy with the result. For Ayreon, it happened in a similar way. Arjen contacted me on Facebook, saying he had a role for me on his album. He gave me carte blanche for the interpretation, and we were able to do it in the simplest way possible.
Is there anyone you would like to work with or tour with that you have not yet?
There are plenty of bands with whom we would like to share the stage, but I think we first need to focus on our own gigs. There are always stage limitations when doing an opening act for another band, and we really want to offer our fans the most unique experience possible. I am convinced that this comes through headline shows.
What are your favourite memories of touring with Symphony X?
Touring with Symphony X was fantastic. SX is one of the bands we discovered when we were younger, the kind of band that managed to prove that it was possible to offer an alternative to Malmsteen with a musical approach more focused on vocal melodies while still delivering something extremely virtuosic. So, we were all proud to tour with a band we were fans of when we were younger. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed; we partied with Russell during the days off. In short, an experience that allowed us to introduce our music to fans who had a strong affinity for progressive music and were open to discovering new things.
Any plans to come to Norway some time?
We look forward to touring in Norway, and it will most likely be part of a tour in Northern Europe. We have management working on it and are extremely excited to come back to your country. The venues are great, and the fans are super cool.
What comes next for Myrath?
We will now focus on the writing of the next album and kick off the stage performances with festivals this summer. After that, we plan to tour in Europe and organize other tours worldwide. A band exists thanks to, and only thanks to, the fans, so it is very important to meet every person who enables a band to make a living from its music. We are also eager to return to Latin America and explore Asia.
Interview originally published in Norway Rock Magazine 2024 Issue #1 – SUBSCRIBE HERE