Vulpus Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We’re a blackened post-metal band from the northern city of Porto in Portugal! We’re four musicians (guitarist, drummer, bassist, vocalist), all from different academic backgrounds and who share musical tastes that can be completely opposite from each other. We formed in 2013, in early 2014 we released our first Demo that quickly sold out and we went on to do some shows between Portugal and Spain during that time. The formation of the band on the big picture stayed the same with some small changes that didn’t prove themselves fruitful and in 2016 we decided to enter the studio to release our first full length entitled ‘’Certitude’’!

2. So far you have released a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

The demo is only that – a materialization of our roots as a band. We’ve re-recorded the best song for this album and dropped the other two. On the album our approach to black metal reflects our love for other music genres but we never forced anything onto the record, it flowed naturally. The most obvious influences are post-metal and drone/noise, which enhance the mood that’s present throughout the album, simultaneously giving space for contemplation and making the heavier parts stand out by contrast.

3. Your lyrics cover Existentialism and Anthropocentrism; can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

As much as everyone likes to think of themselves as individuals, we exist in relation to the society we live in. Western culture tells us we are above all other species and can do whatever we please with our environment, and our religions typically tell us that either God or the Universe has a plan for us. However, looking at the world through that point of view is bound to cause distress as what we’ve been told and what we see from our own experience does not match. Our lyrics reflect that uneasiness but we don’t try to make it too personal, it’s a way of coping with a problem that has affected Mankind for ages and which becomes increasingly obvious as our knowledge, lifespan and quality of life improve. Hopefully, it will work in the same way for the listeners as well – we want to share that uneasiness, but it’s up to each person to decide what to do with it.

4. I know that the band name represents the archetypal concepts between the fox and wolf in mythological beliefs, how does this fit in with the musical style that you play?

On the broad musical spectrum of what we play we try to put into our songs both the fierceness of the wolf and the ‘’footprint’’ of the fox which is known for its stealthiness. Ideologically speaking it doesn’t deviate that far from it. The wolf may be fearless, but it relies on his wolfpack. It’s both a symbol of individual and collective strength.

The fox, on the other hand, has always been seen as a trickster who sided with pre-classical Divinities and conveyed particular messages onto mankind. Thus, the name Vulpus (Vulpes + Lupus) is a symbiosis of concepts, of stories, and of behaviors that describe us as a group.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Mood setting is very important for us. We respect our audience but there is very little interaction as we try to make the songs flow into one another. As we gained more experience we started to improvise and use noise and drone passages to tie everything together, which ultimately affected the album as well.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

It will all depend on how the album is received. Nothing is planned so far, as we’re entering the season in which so many festivals happen that small shows are largely ignored. However, we won’t discard the possibility of touring in the future.

7. The new album is coming out on 'Pest Productions', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?

We’re very happy our music has struck a chord with such a reputable label, we share the same vision and it was very easy to come to an agreement regarding the release. They have a lot of bands that we admire so we take pride in seeing our name alongside them. Plus, we know that having Pest’s seal on ‘’Certitude’’ will for sure open some doors for us in the near future and at least give us more credibility in the genre.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of atmospheric black metal?

Although some bands draw a line between traditional and post/atmospheric black metal, we believe our audience is diverse as we try to be eclectic as well – labeling ourselves as “blackened post metal” was a short and simple way of making that statement. We’re eager to see their reaction as soon as the album is released, but our single was very well received.

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We have some songs left over that didn’t fit the mood of the album, so we might rework them for later use. We’re also interested in folk music – not the folk metal approach, but we are very impressed by what bands such as Wardruna are able to do, so we might write some non-black metal compositions as well if we feel we have something to say and aren’t simply copying other bands.

10. 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?

We all listen to different styles and bands so any one of us would give you a different answer – from grindcore to stoner metal to electronics. However, all of us would surely mention Mayhem, Altar of Plagues, Neurosis and Amenra as bands that have had an impact in us as musicians.

11. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Our interest in other arts and philosophy is also evident in the album cover art and lyrics. We all have different hobbies, but the passion for knowledge and discovery is common to all.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the support and your interest in our music as soon as we put it out there!

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