Femme Metal WebZine

About Melissa from Minnesota (USA).

Since I’m from Holland, is there any Dutch connection in your family? Because Ferlaak sounds like a genuine Dutch surname.

You are absolutely right. My great grandfather immigrated from Holland by way of Belgium to Minnesota. I am 1/4 Dutch.

A lot of female singers are described ‘with opera voice’ but you have done real operas. What are the main differences between Metal and Opera for a singer? Because with an opera you are more ‘acting’ and with metal more ‘entertaining’ the audience. Besides, I do not think an opera audience will start a moshpit or something like that.

I’ve heard operatic used very liberally within the symphonic metal genre, even for singers that don’t sound like they would sing on an opera stage. It’s a bit weird, to be honest. I think what most people seem to think is that if someone sings in a classical style or with a bit of vibrato, that makes them operatic. The truth is, that makes you a classical singer. You are an opera singer if you sing opera repertoire. In that way, I am an opera singer. But when I sing metal, I consider myself a classical metal singer. It would be cool as hell if an opera audience would start a mosh pit too! Haha, that has been my main reason for not dedicating as much of my time to opera…I love the way metal audiences get into their music. It is so refreshing!

And, if you had to choose: which genre do you prefer? Metal or opera?

If it came down to the music only, I would have to say I love them both equally, but I feel that metal is more in my heart than opera. Metal is exciting and original and has more energy than most opera (though Wagner among others do have that energy too!). I have always considered metal to be very much a classical genre of music, because metal is virtuosic, prolific and dramatic. It takes a great amount of musicianship and skill to play good metal music. Look at some of the fast metal guitarists in the world and you may see that many can trump professional violinists in how fast and skilled they play!

You have study opera in Boston. Most young people wants to play and not spend years in a class room learning stuff. I do not know how things are in the United States but in Holland we have official licenced schools for pop and rock / metal musicians. Do you think a study in opera gives you an advance compared to singers who have to learn everything themselves?

I’m a huge supporter of education. I think if someone is interested enough in music, they should GIVE themselves the gift of an education in it. Yeah, it’s expensive, yeah it’s hard as hell, but what better gift could you give yourself than knowledge and a good challenge? For me, I needed to study classical music. I saw myself as a classical singer and I wanted it. So I struggled financially, mentally and emotionally, almost giving up countless times for six years, but I ended up with something I would never trade for anything and that is a GREAT education.

To what kind of music do you listen yourself?

Everything. I don’t really prejudice music. I don’t prefer music that has a negative message like rap or pedestrian like modern country or pop. But I listen to everything from classical to metal to blue grass, to it all. There is so much good music out there if you look for it and give it a chance, even if it is something you typically would listen to.

The early years: Aesma Daeva.

Was Aesma Daeva your first band?

Yes. I met John Prassas when we were both in school at Wisconsin. He had started AD with another singer as a studio project, enlisted me for work on the 2nd album and then it turned into a band, by the time I was out in Boston. I actually had to travel back and forth to play with AD, like I did with VoA.

You have done three albums with Aesma Daeva and then you left the band. Can you tell us why?

It was just time for a change. I had been with them for four years (six since first recording with them), through some band member changes, through some battles and some differences of opinion. It was time to start fresh.

From the other side of the Atlantic Ocean: Visions of Atlantis.

How did a Minnesota girl end up in an Austrian band?

I was expressing my need for a fresh change of musical environment to Ashmedi (singer of Melechesh) who put me in touch with Napalm Records. They said VoA had been looking for a new singer, and we clicked. I liked the direction they wanted to take and that I would be an active part of the music process.

Are there any differences between the metal scene in North America and Europe? 

Definitely. The US (for Mexico, South America and Canada are more in line with European tastes) is interested in US metal, mainly metal core and nu metal. Radio metal. Europe and the other parts of the Americas are more interested in symphonic, black, interesting metal and music. In the other countries, you actually get a large audience for metal shows, but when European bands come to the US, they get a very small audience in comparison.  But we are trying to change that!

On Trinity you wrote the lyrics of only two songs, ‘The Secret’ and ‘Return to You.' Can you tell us the story behind these two songs?

The Secret was written before Wolfgang and I started dating. Actually, it was written after I first met him face to face and fell in love with him, but felt nothing could happen because of the band. It just sort of poured out of me and he became my muse. A few months after that when I saw him again, we started dating after Mario basically said we just needed to do it because we obviously are both in love with each other. So blame Mario. Haha! Return to You was written as a memorial to my niece Teagan who was tragically killed in 2001. It was written with the voices of all of my family members in mind and is more of a song of looking for the hope in a tragic event. If you are interested in learning about what happened, just Google Teagan Ferlaak.

Visions of Atlantis had signed for a tour with Kamelot (as Epica and Leaves’Eyes before VoA) and then we got the news you left the band. Once again, for what reason?

I’m glad you asked….I think you are the first to actually ASK that question rather than make assumptions. First, I have to say thank you to all those who have been supportive and understanding of the decision to. I had to make the very very hard decision to either drop my job which I love and pays me well so I can afford to eat and pay my bills OR stay with VoA and quit my job, living on debt with band members who didn’t care to work on their music, thus questioning whether the band would even stay together beyond the Kamelot tour (just look at the facts of missing band members from previous tours). THIS was 90% of the reason I had to quit VoA. It’s not about the money or about my relationship, it is about the sustainability and the real dedication.  I quit the band 6 months before the tour, because that would have given them enough time to find either a permanent replacement or a guest vocalist for the tour. The decision to quit the tour is one people should hold THEM accountable for, not Wolf or I.

The future.

If you look back at your time with Aesma Daeva and Visions of Atlantis, what are the highlights and what would you have done different?

Always the thing that sticks out in my mind as the main highlight was the people from so many different places and cultures I have gotten to meet and form friendships and acquaintances with.  I’ve gotten to work on music that I feel proud to have been a part. I found the love of my life from my time with VoA. Honestly, I wouldn’t have done any of it differently.

What are your plans for the future? Are you looking for an existing band or will you do what Tarja Turenen did and start your own band?

Well, as maybe some of you know, Wolf and I are getting married in May. He is moving here in two weeks finally. We have some songs already actually.  I don’t know what will come of it, but it will be music that we can make without any limitations or directions placed on us. So far it’s shaping up pretty nicely! So, you will hear of something with that within the year we think. And well, I am putting a bit more time into my classical work, but not shifting completely out of metal for it.

And, the last question, are there things the reader should know that I haven’t asked?

Nothing that I really know of. But if anyone is interested in every asking anything or just chatting, you can find me on myspace. I’d love to hear from you!

Who REALLY is Melissa?

Ha ha! I’m just a regular girl from Minnesota who loves life and people and music. We all have hardships in life, but the trick is not to dwell on the negativity, but look at what you have to be thankful for.

Discography.

With Aesma Daeva:

• Ex Libris (2005)
• The New Anthems Ethos (2002)
• The Error of Frigid Beauty (2000)

Guest vocals on:

• Beyond the Veil of Mortality from Withering Soul (2007)

And with Visions of Atlantis:

• Trinity (2007)

Once again, thank you for your time,

- Erwin van Dijk