1.Can you give us an introduction to your self and your musical projects?
Well, first of all I’m from Argentina. I’ve played metal for almost 8 years now, although I had the chance to start recording all my music and playing live gigs just a few years ago. Most of the music in all my projects and the bands I have been part of are really old and there are also a lot of ideas that haven’t been recorded yet that were composed when I started to play including pure death metal songs and also ambient/intrumental music.
2.You have 2 solo projects and one full time band, what are the musical styles you play with all 3 projects and also how do they differ from each other?
The oldest one, which is Elysium, is Black metal with a melodic approach to it although I don’t consider it to be “Melodic black metal” but some people like to call it that way. The bands I consider to be a main influence for this project are: In aeternum, Naglfar, Satanic warmaster, Horna, Angantyr, Gorgoroth, Taake and Idjarn.
On the other hand Shemhamforash is oriented to a much more brutal and dark kind of Black metal, mainly influenced by: Funeral Mist, Marduk, Katharsis, Mayhem, Watain, Profanatica, Deicide and Teitanblood. There are also a lot of ambient songs which I have composed exclusively for this project that add a lot of darkness to the whole concept.
Finally, Spiritual Desecration, the band I’m part of as guitarist, plays a style we like to call “Black Death Metal Profanation” and it’s influenced by the old Sepultura albums, Sarcófago, Von, Morbid angel, Mayhem, Emperor, Venom and many other bands. It has a lot of different rhythms and tempos so it’s different from my other projects because its sound is a mix between brutal death metal and the most primitive black metal with very little melody. I’ve also made a few ambient tracks for Spiritual Desecration
3.With Elysium your lyrics cover ancient cultures, mythology and lost continents, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
Well, I have to say that I try to concentrate my lyrics on mythology, ancient cultures (for me “lost continents” are included within both of those subjects) and also myths and stories that I create, which are always set on the past (mostly middle ages).
The interest on these topics emerges from a deep respect and admiration that I’ve always had for the ancient cultures (all of them, without concentrating in just one), their legends and way of life, as I consider them to be much more advanced than most of the societies in which we live in today, mainly because they cared about certain aspects that are not taken into account nowadays, such as the divine, sacred and hidden potential within the human being.
There was also a very interesting connection they had with nature through the myths of their gods that has always appealed to me, as I think most of them have a lot of philosophical teachings and hidden meanings that are very inspiring. In my opinion all of this knowledge has been almost forgotten, with the exception of a few people who still preach and practice most of the concepts found in that ancient wisdom.
4.With your other projects the lyrics are more in the Satanic and Occult direction, how would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
I have studied Alchemy, the Hermetic qabalah, grimoires and treatises related by myself since I was 13 and I slowly became closer to Satanism and the Left hand path knowledge a few years after I started to read those texts, so I decided to practice many of the rituals described on those books and begin to meditate based on the Qliphotic system. I found out that there was a lot of hidden aspects of myself and the reality that surrounds us that can be discovered through these practices and can lead you to see the essence of who you really are and what you are capable to do in this world and beyond.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the names of all 3 of the projects?
Elyisum’s name was taken from a dictionary of greek and roman mythology that I own and, basically, refers to a place that exists only for brave and heroic warriors chosen by the gods. It has some similarities with the Valhalla of the Vikings where only the warriors who died at battle were admitted.
Shemhamforash is a Hebrew term that denotes the 72 secret names of god and is related to his Tetragrammaton or “four lettered” name which was forbidden to pronounce explicitly. It was used to invoke or evoke the forces of light or, in this case, the forces of darkness by the decryption of their names. The concept of this project, based on its name, is to summon those dark forces from other planes and the hidden aspects of ourselves (Macro and microcosm – as above so below), allowing us to create a portal between this world and the greater powers that are beyond our perception and within us.
Spiritual Desecration’s name is very self-explanatory I think, because it expresses what the band’s all about: Blasphemy, Satanism, war and darkness. And it’s also very interesting because, for me, refers to the profanation of the beliefs that forbid the freedom of the human being with their false morality and absurd codes of conduct.
6.You work with a full time band on one project and do the other 2 solo, which one do you prefer, working by yourself or with a full band?
I think that each one appeals to a different part of me and I find all of them very inspiring, although there’s a difference in how I enjoy each one of them, for example, In Elysium I enjoy more when the time comes to compose the music, with Shemhamforash it’s a mix between the time I record the vocals and I can hear the music already and also when I write the lyrics, while in Spiritual Desecration I have the opportunity to play with other people and include all the ideas that don’t fit in the other projects, so to sum up I would say that I enjoy both in its own way, working by myself and with the band.
7.Has there been any live shows with your band 'Spiritual Desecration' and if so how would you describe your stage performance?
So far the band has played a lot of live gigs, and I have been on stage with them in two occasions, in both times I enjoyed a lot while I was playing, the sound was very good and the people seemed to enjoy the music as much as we did, so I have to say that the live performances have been great.
8.Currently all 3 of the musical projects are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Yes, they all have been self – released. Right now I’m promoting all these bands and looking for a serious label to all of them if it’s possible so I can concentrate more in the music and leave the promotion and distribution to people with much more experience and contacts than me.
I have to add that Spiritual Desecration will appear on a split with a Mexican band called “Black Torment” through Misantropic spirit records from Argentina and the first album is planned to be re – released by a Brazilian label very soon, but we are is still looking for a label that could offer us a contract to publish all our music.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Well, as regards the band, the reception has been very good both here in Argentina and at foreign countries too. About my own solo projects they have also received a lot of good comments and support here and abroad, especially from fanzines, radios and other musicians.
10.Do you have any new releases coming out later this year and also where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future with your musical projects?
Yes, I’m planning to release new albums and Eps with all my projects this year and also at the beginning of 2015.
I think that my main goal is to do a tour within my country with Shemhamforash, once I gather enough musicians interested on doing live gigs, together with Spiritual Desecration and maybe playing in other countries or do a South American tour if it’s possible, that would be great.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
About the extreme metal bands, I already answered you by mentioning the influences of each project, but I could name a few that aren’t neither Black metal nor Death metal which are: Candlemass, Danzig, The Misfits, King diamond and Mercyful fate, Iron maiden, Yngwie malsteem, Old Metallica, and Led zeppelin. As regards the musical styles I have to say that punk rock has been important for me, classical music has also been a big influence as well as doom, drone and ambient music too.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I like to read a lot, all genres, from Science fiction to Philosophy and historical books too. I also like and find inspiration in paintings and drawings from different artists (old and new) such as Gustav Dore, Brueghel (the elder), Hieronymus Bosch, H.R. Giger, Goyá, William Blake, Santiago Caruso, Paolo Girardi, Caspar David Friederich among others.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
BECOME WHO YOU REALLY ARE, FIND YOUR OWN ESSENCE!
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