The singular identity that is the collective known as Thumos defy all expectations. Their music is challenging, intellectual and borne of the need to pursue and create. Thumos are a musical behemoth with crushing walls of sound that are as beautiful as they are heavy and brilliant. Atmospheric, rich in texture and completely unwavering in its conviction.
To quote the definition of Thumos where it is breath and motivation , is this the credo in which you create your music? Or is it wrath?
‘’Motivation. The drive to create and improve. There are a lot of interpretations of the term, but this is the aspect we prefer. The idea behind combining extreme music/ metal with philosophy?
‘’Being an instrumental band we felt like we needed a theme or concept to help keep the music focused. Once we decided on philosophy, and Plato specifically, everything really started coming together more smoothly. It gave us a goal with plenty of material to draw from.
Using instrumental as a train of thought and inspiration? Is this to allow personal interpretation and allow freedom of thought/ expression?
‘’Absolutely. The music can tell the story completely on its own and the listeners can find their own meaning and interpretation. We lay out the ideas we’re trying to convey and let the audience work it out on their own. If they want to just listen as instrumentals without deeper meaning that works fine as well.
Is extreme music the fertile ground for the continuation of philosophical concepts? Where there is no boundaries or perceptions?
‘’I wouldn’t say our music is extreme. We have some qualities of extreme music for sure, like doom and even some black metal, but we also pull from post-punk, post-rock, and sometimes classical elements. We are generally drawn to heavier sounds but we won’t limit ourselves to having to work exclusively within “extreme” genres. I think Symposium is a good example of that. We just let the songs go where they go and in that sense we have no boundaries.
Has modern society shunned deeper thought for instant gratification? Should this be redressed and is it worth the effort in an age of instant gratification?
‘’I think it’s just the natural progression of a society with advancing technology and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that since it’s all part of evolution. You don’t hear much of anything about modern critical thinkers because those people are now focused on developing technology and improving science. In most aspects humans are virtually unchanged throughout history. It’s the world around us that changes and we adapt to it. When somebody grew up two thousand years ago they had to be sharper with math since there wasn’t anything around to do the computing for them.
‘’They had to be more observant, more creative in problem solving, and more patient in developing theories and finding answers. As much as I don’t love certain things about our modern world like the need for instant gratification with social media it’s just where we are now and it must be accepted. We’ve gone through a lot of changes really quickly the last 30 years or so with the rapid development of technology. I can’t even imagine 30 years from now but there’s no fighting time and the journey we’re all on together.
You thoughts on the fundamental nature of existence and its state across the physical and perhaps spiritual planes?
‘’Personally I have a lot of thoughts that don’t always agree with each other. When I’m depressed I have to hope that there’s more to existence than what we know on this earth. As an atheist that’s difficult to imagine but the sadness and brutality of life can be overwhelming. Losing loved ones and searching for meaning while time just keeps marching forward.
‘’On the other hand sometimes I truly feel like this may all be a simulation because nothing makes any sense. The size of our universe, the amount of time it would take to get to literally anything at all not on this planet, the idea that I’m answering these questions on my phone talking about creating music based on philosophy from over 2,000 years ago and that’s all part of the same experience of existence on this planet, none of that makes any sense. It feels more like my experiences playing video games.
Your thoughts on art and the way it affects and influences societies. Is music the best educator where others systems have failed?
‘’ The arts and music are of the utmost importance to every society throughout history and that won’t ever change. The arts are like a universal language and they are ageless. In terms of music specifically, whether it’s instrumental pieces, bands singing in English, bands singing in other languages, none of that matters. People feel the energy and atmosphere and find what they want in it. It’s the same as painting, sculpting, film, books, poetry, any form of creativity.
‘’The creators pour themselves into their work and even if they can’t guarantee the observers connect in the way they intend for them to they’ll still connect on some level even if it’s negatively. Everyone on this earth appreciates art to some degree. The designs of buildings, the layout of roads, the way we form our sentences. These are things we all experience every single day and they are all forms of a creative mind crafted with intent, so in a way that makes them art.
https://thumos.bandcamp.com/