Lillith

Norwegian LILLITH comprises of four musicians from different genre backgrounds and hence what you’ll hear will escape an easy categorising, they seem to be happy with description of “a black clad rock inspired from 70’s colourful scene”. Listening to them, I feel there’s something of PJ HARVEY, smoky and moody voice, but with more “cracks” and huskiness, of Beth Gibbons from PORTISHEAD. You’ll also know why they’ve been likened to SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES amongst the others as well. Recently they’ve reached a finalist spot in the German Battle of The Bands 2010 that can see them signed by Out of Line, a record company of AND ONE, COMBICHRIST etc.

The music will transport you to a jazzy joint in New York in a bygone era, or a more avant-garde country club somewhere in Cormac McCarthy’s Southern Gothic landscapes with a contemporary heart. They play sassy, sexy, broody music and lyrics that altogether feel rooted to experience and connect with the listener on all levels. I hope that they’ll keep a hold of Camilla Hill because her vocals truly make this band what it is. An exceptional singer, not just in terms of her voice, but in the way her personality and charisma permeates the songs and gives it a very sincere emotional impression and rich atmosphere. The instruments work so well with her vocal, be their gently strummed or picking up tempo harsher guitars, subtle rhythm of the bass, unpredictable cello and unobtrusive drums. Lyrically one can see why they list NICK CAVE amongst their influences; they provide a superbly narrated, cinematic and captivating facet and are a very important part of why they are so impressive even on a first listen.

There are eleven fascinating songs to the album, one of them ‘Sister Morphine’ a cover of a song originally released by MARRIANE FAITHFULL, more known due to the version of THE ROLLING STONES (which after legal wrangles was credited to Jagger-Richards and Faithfull listed as co-writer). It’s a truly superb cover, which has made the song all their own and given it a whole new life. It’s one of the best covers that I’ve heard in some while. The whole album has a compact impression, it has a gift of the listening to each track as a continuous journey of experience – and that’s even with the cover and also two versions of ‘Stillborn Fight’ with the closing being even more beautiful, richly melancholy and layered and leaving one with an exquisite sense of nostalgia.

This is a very impressive album. I can only wish LILLITH to get the record deal they seek; it’d be a travesty if this band wasn’t given a chance it so rightly deserves. If there’s any justice in the world, they will have many more albums and we’ll hear many more songs from them. They’re brilliant; ‘Once I Was Alive’ is an album no one should miss out on!


Rating

Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10 - www.reflectionsofdarkness.com

Getting started, I would like you to tell me a few words about the creation and the development of Lillith.

- It all really began with a book project, between Per-Ch. Frantzen and Camilla Hell. They met at college, where Per-Chr. studied to be a sound-engineer, while Camilla studied to become an actress. They decided on a collaboration, but along the way it became clear to them that it was music they were drawn towards, rather then writing a book. They formed Lillith and recorded their debut - album "Once I Was Alive" in 2009 (released in 2010).

Which are the band members and how each one of you take part in the music composition?

- The band members consists of Camilla Hell on vocal, musical saw and she writes the lyrics. Per-Christian Frantzen is the guitarist and songwriter. Gregorius Grim Knockelkatt joined Lillith after having shown up unannounced in studio when Lillith recorded their first demo. Gregorius plays cello and bass. The newest member of the group is Espen, which plays the drums. To their next album Lillith has some more musicians which will contribute on stage and on recording, including Maria Berge Mathisen on piano and melodica.

How would you describe your musical sound?

- We like to say it's black clad rock inspired from the 70's colourful scene. We are inspired from many different musical genre, and therefore, our sound are influenced by this. Currently we are creating material to our next album and in this process we are exploring some new directions. We have found our musical expression in a haunted wonderland, but are at the same time drawn more and more in the direction of dark cabaret.

Give me some more details about your debut "Once I Was Alive"

- The title of the album actually came before the songs, but in the end it described who we where, the lives we where leading and most important of all, it described the kind of music we where playing. It also describes all the problems a band can meet in the process of making and recording an album for the first time. At some point musicians seemed to come and go relatively frequent and the whole the process tarried out. The album was finally recorded in Juke Joint Studio, the old way; - with analogue equipment.

How has the feedback been to your music so far from press and fans world-wide?

- It's been great. However, it is always a strange thing to be judged by the press, and we see that several reviewers have difficulty to place us in a genre, even if they tried hard. Our music might be challenging for those who want to have a predictable musical experience. But we have been very well received, and enjoyed the feedback, both from fans and reviewers.

You have a lot of live experience. Tell me more about your feelings on the stage and your live show in prison?

- Our feeling on stage, well, it's like we're driven towards our haunted wonderland, where we all seems to thrive and we have become quite addicted to visit this misty fairyland as well. We love playing gigs, and having this contact with the fans. It’s like we are travelling into the unknown together. We have played in many strange places, including a gig in a herb - garden, a gig during a debate of the occult renaissance and in prison. Playing in prison felt like a right thing for us to do. Many may not agree, but somehow people seems to forget that a most of the prisoners are serving their punishment and will return to society someday. So, there we where, picked up by the prison-ferry and taken ashore the jailhouse – island, the prisoners made food, we played our tunes and it all turned out to be an extraordinary experience both for us and the inmates.

What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?

- Lillith has many different influences. It's like a mix of everything, from old to new, from slow to hard, from The Doors to Edith Piaf. Nowadays we're listening to The Black Angels, Tom Waits, The Dresden Dolls and Karen Elson.

Which are the expectations of the band?

- We have great expectations for our next release, which we believe will be a very good one.And play a lot of gigs both here home and abroad.

What are some of your interests outside of music?

- The music occupies the most of our time. But if we do not use our time in our band - room, doing a gig, discovering new artists or watching other bands play concerts, we are into fishing, sailing, art, drinking, diving and building boats.

A message to all the people that support you?
- The support we have got from our fans means everything to us, it really does! Being an independent artist today requires a lot of hard work, but to everyone out there who have supported us, we are eternally grateful for your voice, words and your thumbs up.
Our fans have been the closest collaborators to Lillith and we cherish each and everyone of you!
Cheers!

Kostas Sotiriou - Subexistance Music Production

8,5/10

Mucha atención a este disco porque se trata de uno de esos debut poco
frecuentes en los que de repente se da a conocer a una banda reveladora.
“Once I Was Alive” es un álbum que va más allá de las etiquetas o de las modas, es un disco de música pura, auténtica y con sentimiento. Una forma extravagante de Rock clásico, de Folk moderno, de oscuridad romántica, de underground exquisito. Es difícil encasillar la música de esta banda noruega que toma el nombre de LILLITH y que presenta, de la mano de Intermezzo Productions/Indie Distribution, esta obra casi teatral que es todo un lujo para los oídos e ideal para dejarse llevar por su indescriptible feeling.

A pesar de que se trata de una banda con un fuerte componente oscuro la
música de LILLITH es bastante delicada, orgánica, melancólica y personal, especialmente gracias a la imprescindible labor de su vocalista Camilla Hell, que dota de una gran clase y estilo a los temas. Su forma de cantar podría relacionarse con el Rock de los 70 combinado con el Folk Alternativo, pero lo mejor es escucharla para entender de lo que hablo. El caso es que su gusto por lo retro no es casual, de hecho han grabado el disco en los Juke Joint Studio, con Meter Lundell, unos estudios que están equipados con material de los años 50 y 60. Además la producción se grabó de forma analógica. Esto sin duda hace que el
trabajo al completo tenga algo diferente a lo que se suele escuchar hoy
en día, pero también he de decir que no me ha parecido un disco vintage,
de hecho creo que las composiciones son bastante actuales aunque haya
importantes guiños al pasado.

Un bonito disco que te envuelve por completo, con temas que demuestran
un gran talento a todos los niveles y con una personalidad que hace
falta en los tiempos que corren. Así que si te gusta relajarte con temas
diferentes, melancólicos, oscuros y, porqué no, también animados,
deberías escuchar este “Once I Was Alive” ya que es un disco sorprendente, para escuchar sin prejuicios ni etiquetas previas. En hora de LILLITH, que empiece la función. - Noizz Webzine

"Fronted by the extraordinary vocals of Camilla Hell, Norwegian quartet Lillith draw on the varied backgrounds of the bandmembers to create their own genre. Hell's voice is an instrument that will inevitably divide opinion. Admirers of Marianne Faithfull (there's a cover of "Sister Morphine") will probably appreciate its raw-edged abrasiveness and, while others may take some convincing, most will probably agree that it's unlike anything else out there.

Whether she's in low-key mode, as on "Stillborn Fight", or tearing into rockers like "When Ship Goes Down" with such gusto that you wonder whether she'll actually make it through the end of the song, Hell is a commanding presence. Underpinning the voice are the melodic soundscapes of guitarist Per-Christian Frantzen, bassist/cellist Gregorius Grim Knockelkatt and drummer Espen "Kvist" Engrønningen whose combined musical inventiveness provides the perfect platform for Hell's vocal gymanstics.

Sung in English, "Once I Was Alive" is a strange beast indeed, best exemplified by the twisted folk of "Life For A While" on which Hell's voice transforms from husky whisper to sore-throated roar while the band gradually builds a riff-laden groove behind it" - R2 - Rock'n'Reel - Roots, Rock, Blues and Beyond

I veckans program bjuder norska Lillith upp till en twistad feberdrömsdans. Bandet som framstår som en slags musikalisk släkting till Alice i underlandet och Donnie Darko, kommer från Åsgårdstrand, staden där konstnären Edvard "Skriet" Munch, passande nog bodde och verkade under en period. Vi ringer upp sångerskan Camilla Hell. - P3

Lillith, petit quatuor tout droit venu de Norvège et sans prétention, présente son premier album Once I Was Alive.
Le groupe distille un vieux Rock n' Roll (que n'aurait pas renié Tarantino pour la B.O. d'un de ses films) mélangé à un Rock Alternatif voir Avant-gardiste, sombre et intimiste.
Le résultat est assez efficace, et est fait pour exploser en live.
Les Norvégiens nous offrent une musique d'une qualité exceptionnelle, pleine de vie et de maturité, loin des clichés.

L'originalité de Lillith provient également de la voix pour le moins singulière de Camilla. Elle est enfantine, éraillée et sensuelle. Un petit bijou fragile, mais maitrisé.
Camilla peut à la fois vous transporter dans un slow à vous fendre le cœur (Stillborn Fight, Portrait in Rust qui possède son vidéo-clip, ou Dark Age) ou dans une ballade punchy (When Ship Goes Down).

La basse et le violoncelle ont des places prépondérantes dans l'univers de Lillith, et c'est ce qui en fait son charme (Black Hole illustre parfaitement).
Le titre Dance with Death attire l'attention sur ses inspirations sonores : relents de cabaret à la Dresden Dolls et de cirque version Stolen Babies soft. Un petit bonheur!

Et comme pour confirmer ses appartenances, le groupe fait une reprise nerveuse des Rolling Stones avec leur titre Sister Morphine.

Une fraicheur dans le paysage du Rock.
A découvrir sans plus attendre! - Les Autres Mondes

Lillith kommen aus dem im Osten Norwegens
gelegenen Badeort Asgardstrand, der
auch als Künstlerkolonie und Lebensdomizil
von Edvard Munch bekannt wurde. Extravagant
ist die Band Lillith wohl schon durch
ihre Herkunft. Die Musik des Quartetts ist
eine Art Dark Rock, inspiriert von 70er Rock,
Metal und Alternative Country. Lillith verstehen
es, sich mit dem Cello und der einzigartigen
Stimme von Camilla Hell eine eigene
Nische zu schaffen und wissen durch starkes
Songwriting und düstere Texte zu beeindrucken.
Wie seid ihr auf euren Bandnamen
gekommen?
Camilla Hell: Ich habe Volkskunde studiert
und bin auf die Figur Lillith gestoßen, die
vor Eva die erste Frau von Adam gewesen
sein soll. Als die anderen Bandmitglieder
von Lillith gelesen haben, sind noch eine
Menge andere und vielfältige Lillith-Figuren zum
Vorschein gekommen. Genau so ist das bei uns in
der Band. Wir unterscheiden uns sehr voneinander.
Aber wir mochten alle den Sound von Lillith. Es hat
etwas Dunkles und etwas Helles. Das passt genau
zur Atmosphäre, die wir mit unserer Musik erzeugen
wollen. Die Dualität von Dunkelheit und Licht,
Realität und Fantasie und ein umgedrehtes Bild der
Welt.
Ihr kommt aus mehreren musikalischen
Umgebungen. Wo wart ihr vor Lillith unterwegs?
Wir haben recht unterschiedliche Dinge gemacht.
Espen „Kvist” Engrønningen und Gregorius Grim
Knockelkatt haben in Metalbands gespielt, während
Per-Chr. Frantzen und ich zusammen eine
Novelle geschrieben haben. Doch anstatt Autoren
zu bleiben, haben wir Lillith gegründet. Als
wir unser erstes Demo aufgenommen haben, kam
Knockelkatt plötzlich ins Studio. Wir hatten ihn nie
zuvor gesehen. Er stand da mit Hut und Schlafanzug
und wollte Mitglied der Band werden. Als wir
unseren Drummer verloren
haben, riefen wir Espen, e i -
nen Bekannten von Knockelkatt an. Zuerst lehnte
er ab und spielte weiter in seiner Metalband. Nachdem
er jedoch ein paar Tracks gehört hatte, rief er
uns an und wurde schließlich permanentes Mitglied
von Lillith.
Was bedeutet der Albumtitel „Once I
Was Alive“ für euch? Was transportiert
ihr mit euren Lyrics?
In gewisser Weise steht der Titel „Once I Was Alive”
für Resignation. Ein ziemlich entschlossenes Statement.
Der Titel passt zu den Texten, die sich oft mit
Selbsttäuschung beschäftigen und ein roter Faden
des Albums sind. Wir mögen es, ein Bild von der
Welt zu malen, die auf den Kopf gestellt ist. Eine Art
karnevalistische Betrachtungsweise der Welt.
Wie wurdet ihr von Edvard Munch beeinflusst?
Wir leben in der Stadt, in der Edvard Munch einst gelebt
hat und haben auch seine Bilder zu Hause, natürlich Kopien
davon. Und wir lieben
die Ausdrucksweise in seiner
Kunst. Wir sind auf viele
Arten von Munch beeinflusst,
wahrscheinlich
eher unbewusst, denn
wir denken nie wirklich
daran. Aber seine
Art und Weise, den
menschlichen Geist auf
Bildern zu verewigen,
ist vielleicht die Weise,
wie wir uns mit Noten
und Texten ausdrücken.
Wenn man Munchs Bild
„The Dance Of Life“ betrachtet,
könnte man sagen,
dass Lillith sehr von
Munch beeinflusst wurden,
als der Song „Dance
With Death“ entstand.
Eure Info sagt, ihr seid von 70‘s Rock,
Metal und Alternative Country beeinflusst.
Was ist mit Post-Punk und New
Wave? Manchmal erinnert ihr an
Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Wir haben uns nie wirklich um Genres Gedanken
gemacht. Wir sind aber meist von dunklerer Musik
beeinflusst, auch von Post-Punk. Wir sind beeinflusst
von Bands wie The Doors, Woven Hand, Dresden
Dolls, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, The Velvet Underground
und vielen mehr.
Wie fühlt es sich an, vor Gefangenen in
einem Gefängnis zu spielen? Wie sehen
eure Live-Pläne aus?
Im Gefängnis zu spielen, war eine sehr besondere
Konzerterfahrung für uns. Die Insassen haben uns
mit offenen Armen empfangen, uns die Gefängnisinsel
gezeigt und uns Pizza und Saft serviert. Das
Konzert war ein großer Erfolg und unser Toningenieur
war einer der Insassen. Es gab keine Probleme,
es war einfach ein wunderbarer Gig für alle. In Zukunft
werden wir ein paar Konzerte in Norwegen
spielen, unter anderem auf dem Protest Festival.
Außerdem planen wir eine Tour in Portugal.
- Negatief

"Lillith appear to be a
band without alot of hype surrounding them yet. Debut album "Once I Was Alive" is a bizarre fusion of black clad jazz and soul and a unique
female female voice that could melt hearts or stop them with disgust.
And by black clad, do no expect some kind of Darkthrone lounger music.

Norwegian frontwoman Camilla Hell has a spine chilling, country
influenced voice which is not expected from the band photo as she stands
with a background of cellos,semi accoustic guitar and simplistic drum
kit. For a debut album it shows potential, each song telling a different
emotion and certainly showing Lillith eclectic influences from. There
seems to be alot of alternative crosover genres happening at the moment,
be it Diablo Swing Orchestra's crazily dark swing music or the The
Devil's Blood being the most unexpected candidate for the extreme metal
festival circuit. However, if this is anything to go by perhaps Lillith
could be in the running for a chance as well". - Devolution (Issue 26)

Åsgårdstrand-bandet Lillith er en morsom gjeng. Noe ved dem får meg til å tenke på figurene i filmen ”Alice in Wonderland”. Vokalist Camilla Hell som ”Alice”, Cellist Gregorius Grim Knockelkatt som ”Mad Hatter”, gitarist Per-Chr. Frantzen som ” The Cheshire Cat” og trommis Espen Engrønningen som ”The White Rabbit”. Det er ikke mange norske band man kan beskrive som like originale.

Heldigvis lager de like kreativ og original musikk. ”Once I Was Alive” var en kjærkommen etterfølger etter Lillths demo fra 2008, og i tillegg til de fantastiske demo låtene undertegnede allerede hadde trykket til sitt hjerte så har de her fått med enda ett par nye favoritter i låtene ”Too Close To The Sun” og ”Black Hole”.

Musikken er sexy, rå og sår på samme tid og egner seg godt over ett glass rødvin på sene fredagskvelder. Med en stemme som Camilla Hell, så vil til og med media-favorittene Ingrid Olava og Susanne Sundfør føle seg som småjenter. Camilla Hell kan nemlig sammenlignes med Stevie Nicks og Marianne Faithful på en god dag, og Eartha Kitt og Janis Joplin på en dårlig dag.

Låtene er gode og fengende og bandet låter tight, men dessverre så er nerven man hører på demoen og når bandet spiller live forsvunnet litt i produksjonen av albumet. Lillith kler å låte litt skranglete, og her blir det litt for ”pent” i forhold til hva bandet har bevist tidligere.
Uansett, så har Lillith funnet formelen, og så gjenstår det bare å se om formelen kan få frem litt penger i skranglekassa til Lillith!

(http://www.livecity.no/Anna-Lovinda/?p=BlogDetail&ublid=4858) - LiveCity.no

“(…) Hard to classify, LILLITH are quickly forming a genre all their own. Great vocals and excellent players make LILLITH a must hear (and see!)” - Head Case Radio (US)

En ung dame, alder ukjent, satte seg til rette. Og hun sagde så... Ja, faktisk var det mer eller mindre det hun gjorde. Hun brukte sagen for å lage litt ulyd. Lilliths form for skitten rock, ispedd merkelige sekvenser med interessant instrumentalisering, var er frisk pust i en ellers så ekstrem metal-hverdag / progressiv rock-hverdag. Vokalisten Camilla sang med en stemme som var veldig rå, men også tender til tider. Og det passet meget godt inn i bandets musikk, som du selvsagt kan høre mer av på deres myspace side. Lytt da særlig til "Dance With Death". - www.eternalterror.com

"Probably no one has looked very hard for the missing
link between 70's psychedelica and the black hearted "American gothic"
strain of alt-country but trust us it's a better crossbreed on tape than
on paper, and one well-worth travelling to Norway to discover in the
shape of Lillith. With notes of Jefferson Airplane's vision of a
haunting wonderland, "Stillborn Fight" is an aptly spooky,trippy
introduction to recent debut album "Once I Was Alive"
(...)

"Lillith are a curious act but one quite enchanting for it. Album
artwork borrowed from a Tim Burton Fairtytale, the darkly romantic
touches of cellos and eerie musical saw and the exaggerated warble and
rasps of one Camilla Hell's delicate vocals will endear the Norwegian-
four piece to young Goths, whose parents in turn will be able to track
their dark sound to another generation of strung out music rebels.
Hell's closest reference point as a vocalist is without doubt Grace
Slick, the surrealist Jefferson Airplane stamp running throughout the
ebbing and flowing guitar melodies that underpin her, while the
quivering strings and strain of gutter poetry (picked up again in a
closing cover of the Stones "Sister Morphine") nod to the Velvet
underground. Real black magic and a must hear".

- Bubblegum Slut Magazine