Artist Spotlight
In this month’s artist spotlight we bring to you Hungarian one man metal act, Faded Remembrance!
Jen Kendra: Hello Tom, it is so nice to interview you today for Black Noise magazine! Let’s start right in by asking you how you came up with the name Faded Remembrance.
Tom Albert: Thank You for the great opportunity for an interview for Black Noise Magazine! There were some ideas about the name of the project, and Faded Remembrance matched perfectly for all requirements: - Unique name, not used before with any band; Meaning of the name is close to the doom/gothic genre; It represents the lyrics and music of what Faded Remembrance is about.
JK: You are from Hungary. What is it like there and how has being from Hungary shaped you and your music?
TA: Yes indeed. It is a small country, and it is not generally the “cradle” of the doom/gothic/death genre. However, there are many metal fans who are eager to listen to this type of music. Generally, the music is more personal than “Hungarian”. The themes are inner struggles, emotions, faith, nature, etc.... However, the music has some impression from Hungary (using trombone and trumpet which is also in Sear Bliss’ Music), the foundations of Faded Remembrance lies in the gloomy and hard 90’s which is represented by the “Peaceville Big Three” – Anathema (early), Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.
JK: Have you traveled to the USA and if so where and what was it like for you?
TA: I had an opportunity in the past to travel there, but unfortunately it has been canceled at the last minute. It is very sad as it is a beautiful country in general. Hope I will have a chance to visit USA once.
JK: Faded Remembrance was founded in 2020. So many people had the urge to do something creative and start projects during the pandemic. What was that like for you?
TA: Yes, there were motivations to many people to start a band / project at that time. However, in my case it was different. It was not exactly due to the pandemic, but at that time, my desire to play music peaked, so I made the final step.
JK: As a one-man band, you sing and play different instruments on your albums which is amazing! Can you tell us about all the things you do for Faded Remembrance?
TA: Thank You. To operate in a one-man band level has some advantages and disadvantages as well, however for me as a lone wolf, it’s a perfect way to operate. I have creativity and many, many ideas. The challenge is to be more critical to myself as others could be. I can say the great feedback I have had in the past years helped a lot as well, and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who gave me detailed feedback!
So, in instrument level: guitars and bass, synth (including brass instruments); I also created the drum patterns / drum programming. Lyrics & amp; vocals and of course, mix and master. For non-music level: creating the artwork, covers and advertisement, music videos, etc.... basically, everything.
JK: What are the challenges of being a one-man show?
TA: Mainly the things I mentioned above. You have to be a “jack of all trades”. You have to be on a great level of playing on instruments, you also must have a great voice; you also need to be creative and good at writing lyrics. And if you are very good at those, you can still do a bad mixing and horrible mastering (as I also did in the past). But on the other hand I am handling this as an opportunity to develop. I don’t want to be perfect, but I am looking at this as a development process where you can be better and better in all aspects. And the outcome can easily be you are professionalizing yourself in all of the above mentioned skills, what you can use in your next album for instance.
JK: Do you have any desire to collaborate with other artists in the future, and if so, who?
TA: At the moment I am not planning this, but I also don’t want to say I am totally against any collaboration. Let’s see how it goes in the future.
JK: Are you self-taught or do you have formal training to do what you do?
TA: The only instrument I learned from a teacher in the beginning was the guitars (it was approximately 6-9 months in 2017). All the rest is self-learned.
JK: What made you want to make music?
TA: It was an internal need of self-expression. Before that for around ten years I wrote novels and short stories, but after that I realized I wanted to do something else. In the secondary school I was a vocalist of a metal band, so I believed the vocal parts can be the basics and I can learn the instrumental side and the other things which were needed.
JK: Do you have family that is also musically talented as well?
TA: Ha! Not at all. None of my family played music at all. But on the other hand, I played football (European) for sixteen years in a team, and none of my family members played sports at all. So I am an apple that fell far from the tree.
JK: What type of music would you consider Faded Remembrance to be?
TA: I would describe this type of music as atmospheric, melodic, doom metal with gothic and death metal influence. Of course the categorization is very hard nowadays as many subgenres can also divided to others, etc....
JK: What other music do you consider to be your greatest influence?
TA: Definitely progressive metal, which I also use for my other project Embertears. However, Faded Remembrance music also has been categorized as “avant-garde” metal as well. The hardest thing sometimes to discover your influences, especially if you are listening to music from death metal to grunge and groove metal.
JK: Let’s go way back – do you remember what the first albums you ever listened to were?
TA: Of course! The very first album was “The Number of the Beast” from Iron Maiden. Great album, indeed! In the first years (about twelve-fourteen years old) I had listened to Kreator, Slayer, and Metallica. Later, I listened to bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Overkill, Megadeth, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Anathema, and The Blood Divine. Later I discovered bands like Celtic Frost, Moonspell, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and Slipknot. And there are many more, it is very hard to list them and even remember them! So sorry if I missed any of them!
JK: What music would you bring with you on a deserted island?
TA: It is a great question indeed. If I feel depressed, I like listening to doom, death, or black metal. But for the deserted island it wouldn’t be a great idea. I would prefer Iron Maiden full collection!
JK: Your lyrics are about human nature, inner struggles, faith, existence, emotions and nature. Please tell us more about what you write about and what interests you?
TA: It is very hard in general to understand our internal emotional processes. Sometimes I also don’t understand myself how I am reacting in some situations, and trying to understand it. So, this is one motive to dig deep and understand. But I am also interested in our world in scientific ways: physics, quantum mechanics (I am an engineer in my civil life), but also in the spiritual way: soul, life after that etc.... and these are reflected in the lyrics.
JK: What is your greatest message to convey to people through your music?
TA: It is not an easy thing to listen to. Hard and deep, filled with emotions. But if someone similar than me wants to understand the motives described in the previous answer, it is a good opportunity to think about it.
JK: What albums have you released and where are they available?
TA: - 2021 – Age of Emptiness – self release – available only in my YouTube channel. It is really a rudimental album in my music, recording, vocals in general. The quality is quite poor but it was a great step for the development of Faded Remembrance.
- 2023 – Delusion of Silence – self release – first breakthrough album. In spite of the raw recording quality, it has been selected among Albums of the Month by The Metal Observer magazine. Available on many platforms digitally as well as on Bandcamp.
- 2024 – Dying Age – first album released by Bitume Prods (FRA) on CD and digitally. Available on all music platforms. Received many great reviews. Recording quality improved, however still had some more potential.
- 2026 – The Blessing of Downfall – second album released by Bitume Prods on CD and digital. Received many great reviews already. Available on all music platforms.
JK: Do you perform live and if so, where?
TA: Unfortunately, I not. Due to personal reasons Faded Remembrance cannot perform live events. I hope in the next ten years it will be possible.
JK: What other creative outlets do you have?
TA: I also run a sludge/progressive/stoner metal project called Embertears, which recorded three albums (all concept albums) and two EPs since 2021. The third album “Songs For The Rain God Pt. 2” has not been released yet. The theme: Spanish conquest in Mid-America (Aztec) during 15th to 16th century. Currently I am looking for a record label.
JK: What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?
TA: Persistent, creative, lonely wolf type, hard-nut, autocrat.
JK: Do you have any causes that are especially important to you?
TA: Truth, honor.
JK: What advice would you give to other up and coming musical artists?
TA: Perseverance, perseverance, and perseverance. It needs time. Never give up.
JK: What is next for you in both life and your music?
TA: I am working on the fifth Faded Remembrance album, which I expect to be the best of all previous albums. Embertears - it would be great to find a record label to release the third album.
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