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1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We completed recordings and mastering in January, than we had a few gigs here in Italy, both headlining or festivals, all with a good response in performance and audience participation, then we practiced live version of the new album songs, now we are planning gigs in Europe and Italy, and starting creating new tunes of decadence.
2.In September you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I think it keeps our shadow metal trademark with an improvement, we have grown in these years. as men, musicians and composers, our style is recognizable, and keeps the mark we left with "The sum of all fears", keeping our style alive.
3.The band was broken up for 17 years, what was the cause of the split up and the decision to reform?
We splitted one year after the release of The sum, stress among us was too high, the pressure in creating a new album better than previous damaged relationships among us, so we decided for a quit, even if keepin in touch among us, in fact, in 2018 during a talk between Federico (guitars) and me we spoke something like "do you know ? I am writing new stuff" ... "me too" , "ok, why dont we create a new album ?" and here we are.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
The main theme behind lyrics is the failure in life, all these lives going on day by day in the deeper grey, without passion, with poor relationships and no intentios; in my opinion this is one of the greatest tragedies, dont you agree ?
As lyric composer I wish my pen blade is sharper, and creates deeper wounds, as musicians we are imroved, and more closer among us, we rehearse weekly, so our understood is better, both as musicians and as friends, besides our life engangements as full time jobs and families we try to hang out together in order to share new ideas and for our friendship.
5,Most of the band members have been involved with underground metal for more than 3 decades, do you feel metal has changed a lot from the early era when you first formed the band?
It has changed a hell of it ! when we started back in '93 bands got signed to labels due to the quality of their demo tape, great songs and being original, now bands got deals due to the number of followers, and music in not a main point of choose, speaking music wise, and being a fan before a musician I see main events being a sort of "Best of 80ìs or 90's metal revival", and the bigger problem in music is the dramatic failure in records sales.
6.Your music also stood out as being very different in the 90's, do you feel that you were a huge influence on the later black, dark and doom metal bands that came out in the past 3 decades"/
Yeah, back in early 90's bands like us, Deynonichus, Bethlehem played a weird mixture between dark, black and doom metal, mixed with a jant dose of insanity, something that had influence and got extremized into funeral doom or dark metal, some bands admitted our influence in their music, and this is for us a pride , I think that this happened because when we started of course we put our influecies in our music , but we never tried to sound like a particular band.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
We always had weird artwork, dark and funeralish, all the images in "Dust once alive" were taken by a great friend of us, they have been shot in an abandoned mental hospital in Parma,
Artwork for us has always been really important, it must drown the listener deeper into music and lyrics, and in my opinion this one reflects our music.
8.Out of all the shows the band has played over the years, which one stands out the most?
We have in our memory some great shows we had the opportunity to play, in the past I remind with great pleasure back in 2000 "Darkness upon Italy" festival with Carpathian Forest, Mortuary Drape, Opera IX, with a huge audience and all great performances from all the bands, among last ones we had a great show at Rock Hard Festival in Milan.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We are planning shows for the new album right now, so if some promoter is interested is welcome, we are planning a release party near Milan, and we will play the whole new album for that special gig, besides this we are already confirmed for some festivals in Italy and Europe. We cant plan a propher tour due to our full time jobs, but if someday will arrive a good opportunity we'll consider it
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, dark and doom metal?
I think we are appreciated by fans of all these genres and also disliked by fans of all these genres ah ah, because we cant be recognized in a single genre, we dont have a defined audience, or not ? fans into REAL dark metal without gentle vocals or arrangements.
11.In 2021 you were also a part of a split with 'Black Oath', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?
Personally I love Black Oath ! they are a great band and first of all great people, I know them since 1995, and we are friends , we played a great gig together last year and personally I wait to share stage with them again, if we can we hang at each other gigs, I also had the opportunity to do guest vocals in their last great album. IN particular that tape is a limited tape we did for that show we did together and was sold out at the show.
12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Into a doomer, darker, weirder form, we are far from reaching the perfect funeral sound, so await new albums, we want to give a sound to the smell of tomb.
13.What are some of the bands or musical styled the band members are listening to nowadays?
Above all for me there are Celtic Frost, Devil Doll and Christian Death, then also Death SS,Bathory, Paradise Lost, Depeche Mode, Current 93 and Slayer, a strange mixture that maybe gives a picture of who we are.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all thanks for this interesting interview, was a pleasure to reply, drown yourself into suicidal dark metal thru "Dust once alive"
Joe F/Cultus Sanguine
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