Surma: An Epic Refuge

Viktorie Surmøvá has a voice tailor made for symphonic metal. It’s delicate and ethereal while putting off an air of power and assurance that the top voices in the genre exude. Though by her own admission, she’s unexpectedly hard on herself. “To be very honest, I’m really critical of myself and my own vocal abilities,” she explains. “I went through some hard times in school and I lost my voice. I was studying classical singing and it was really hard for me.” That only seems to make Surmøvá‘s symphonic metal project, SURMA, along with Heri Joensen of TÝR, all the more triumphant.

The debut record from the pair, The Light Within, is a striking statement in a genre where the ground has been trodden well. It has all the soaring melodies and lush instrumentation expected, but what sets it apart are the moment to moment tempo changes and unexpected turns the record takes from song to song, as well as the record’s undertaking to compress the epic nature of symphonic metal and compress it down to songs that are five minutes or less. “I really wanted to put progressive elements in, but keep the songs short,” Surmøvá says. “I love to play with rhythm and key changes and so does Heri. I had all these vocal melodies already and we stuck to those ideas that came to me out of the blue.”

The record also has one of the most unique sources of inspiration seen in the genre in some time: sculpture. Each song on The Light Within save for two was inspired by a piece of sculpture that inspired Surmøvá and Joensen. The concept first arose while Surmøvá was studying in Prague and working late nights as a barmaid. “I would walk home at 4am and I would pass by a memorial to victims of communism,” she explains. “It was always beautiful and emotional when I would pass it, as it would be lit up in the darkness of night. I thought that this is what art should do. It should inspire just like this. I thought it would fit great with the music I was planning, so then I looked at more sculptures online and chose the pictures that gave me the strongest reactions.”

From there, Joensen and Surmøvá began to construct the record. Symphonic metal, by its very nature, is a delicate dance of intricacy and power. It’s truly the most dualistic sub-genre and perhaps one of the most fascinating as it captures the brightest light and darkest shadow in equal measure. The key in any great symphonic metal record is to balance the music so that no one element outshines the next, and to its credit, The Light Within certainly accomplishes that task, and Surmøvá gave insight into that high wire act.

“It’s just all about feeling,” she says. “Heri is very technical and he thinks about how everything is working and how it all comes together, and I come in to listen and comment about if I think something is working or if there’s something I would add. But I tried to challenge myself for the vocals. Years ago I learned to add harshness to my vocals so I wanted to add that to the record to show I could do it. I always want to add something more expressive.”

She went on to explain that working with Joensen was a totally natural experience, and since the band has a three record contract with Metal Blade, she’s looking forward to working with them more. “We are not conflict based people, so when we want something we just do it. But it was so natural for us to work in a harmonic way.”

Behind the stories encapsulated on the record, there is a deep emotional resonance from Surmøvá to the listener. The way the melodies are constructed and in how they are delivered, there’s both a narrative purpose as well as a drive to connect on a gut level with anyone listening who may be struggling in their own problems. There lies another great duality with The Light Within. The record is excellent at balancing wrenching tales with very personal expressions, and that is reflected in the vocal and lyrical performance of both Surmøvá and Joensen.

As for the personal side of the lyrics, Viktorie channelled her moments of pain and struggle within the epic nature of the record and hoped to strike a chord close to the heart. “It can be difficult to survive life without damaging yourself psychologically, and I was hoping to help people feel better, no matter how they do it or what fantasies they escape to.”

And at last, there is the final and greatest power of symphonic metal. In its very DNA and origins is a genre that has long whisked away fans to imaginary deep forests and mystical mountains; deep dark oceans and magical lands full of spells and wonder. What SURMA has done is take that magic and condense it for everyone to enjoy. The runtimes of certain bands can be intimidating to listeners, especially for those discovering metal for the first time that may be captivated by the vocal prowess and soaring melodies that symphonic metal provides. SURMA as a project welcomes them in with relatability and song structure that can appeal to a broad base. Though Surmøvá has her doubts, she remains hopeful her band can truly cross that barrier.

“I think you have to have the love of symphonic metal, but you never know,” she says. “It won’t work for everyone, but people are really different. Sometimes I’m surprised, and I get so many different reactions with each song release. It’s not so clear, but then again nothing really is.”

The Light Within is out now via Metal Blade Records. 

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