1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Earthwomb is an atmospheric black metal project formed in Lima-Peru by Giancarlo Melgar (vocals), Eduardo Yalán (guitars) and Pedro Zamalloa (guitars & programing). We are relatively new to the scene since we released our first demo-single “The Fractal Phenomenon” back in October 2019 but our full material couldn’t see the surface until 2021 because of the pandemic. That period of time though gave us the opportunity to refine and retrack our songs. Currently we are promoting our EP “Becoming Immanence '' which was self managed (from demo, through mix and master, to Cover Art) and was released independently on October 7th 2021.
2,Recently you have released an EP, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
The creation of Becoming Immanence sort of started at the end of 2017 with the first few riffs created by Eduardo, those ideas would then bring our project to life and would lay foundations to our musical identity. Actually they end up becoming “The Gathering”, which was the first single taken from our EP released this year. We wanted to mention this because definitely our true north has been in a constant state of adjustment since we started, and that is something that we can perceive when we listen to each song of our EP. In essence our sound has noticeable black metal patterns with influences from both the first and second wave, finding an interlink between that spectrum and our immanent need to experiment and explore not only in our musical approach but also through the sound of modern productions of the genre. And all of this ends up merging with our own personal musical backgrounds rooted to other genres such as death metal, electronic and post rock, allowing our sound to be brutal, atmospheric and cinematic.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
We perceive the creation of our music as an evolutionary process that mutates, fed by experimentation and the relationship with our immediate context, history, mystique and socio-political upheaval. Nature is important for the conceptual and sound construction of each piece in Becoming Immanence, because it is used as an analyzing device of topics such as energy, war, time, space.
These concepts were also the starting point in the writing process, in the search for harmonies,
melodies and rhythmic patterns that are built upon the same thematic foundation.
4.All 3 of the band members where previously a part of 'Craneotomy'. what was the decision behind leaving that band and forming a new group and also the decision behind going into more of a black metal direction?
We actually met each other because of Craneotomy back in 2007 and it led us to forge this great friendship we have, which is for sure the main reason we’re able to keep working and creating together. The band then came to a permanent halt around 2014 with no other particular reason that just personal and professional matters to each member. It was after a few years that we decided to get back to make music together again. This time in a different direction, one that was always part of our influences since the Craneotomy days and even in later projects that never came to fruition. That darker vibe and nuances were always part of our backgrounds as we grew up loving and listening to bands such as Bathory, Mayhem, Hellhammer, Gorgoroth, Emperor or Darkthrone. Their music was a strong influence to us as well as death metal or thrash metal and other subgenres. But in the end Earthwomb became a platform for us to materialize that yearning to focus all our energy and creative strength in the creation of a dark and heavy musical experience.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Earthwomb'?
In the Peruvian cosmovision nature is a fundamental and transversal aspect to all pre-Columbian cultures. This respect and love for natural spaces remains relevant to this day and manifests itself through rituals and celebrations in different regions of our country. The womb of the land is a simile to Quechua word/expression Pachamama (“Pacha” means land, world, universe, time and “Mama” means Mother), and this is a significant part of our vitalist thematic. The land is an entity full of energy capable of providing life to its dwellers, but it can also be relentless and powerful enough to eradicate any human trace as a punishment to those who don’t respect and love this vital space.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
We wanted to portray the journey of an entity that crosses a sudden dark threshold in the middle of an imposing natural landscape. The body formed by light, apparently charged with a mass of energy that, indefinitely, flows spilling itself onto the earth. Nature in this piece is not reduced to an object of mere contemplation, in this case the wild scene wants to challenge and violently embrace everything that stands in its way. Our approach materializes in this relationship between natural spaces and the possibilities of existence that expand while entering them: in the fragility or temporality of the body destroyed within immanence, in the fragment of the ancient and infinite essence of the mountains, in the encryption of mystical wisdom living in the simplicity of the elements configuring infinite places and in the eradication of this vital geography by the action of industrialization and socio-political conflicts. We believe that nature invites us to unity, to the indivisible and complementary unity that springs from this immeasurable source of immanent energy.
7.Has the band done any live shows or are open to the idea?
We haven’t played live yet because of the pandemic but we can’t wait for the opportunity to show up and play our songs in front of an audience, making them part of the experience in a much organic way. We’ll hit the stage as soon as the circumstances allow it, hopefully next year. For the time being we’re prepping some audiovisual content that includes a live performance and will give the fans at least a virtual experience with us.
8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We’ve really enjoyed the DIY logic and way which has allowed us to develop some essential skills such as music production, graphic and audio-visual design and of course marketing and promotion strategies. That said, it would be amazing to have a strategic partnership with a label that believes and wants to invest in our musical growth with care and freedom. We haven’t had the chance to talk to any label yet but we are certain that in the near future some opportunities will come up.
9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Awesome! In fact this great response has taken us by surprise. Of course we thought we would be able to connect with some people but the reception has surpassed our expectations and we’ve received great comments from people not only in our country, but from different parts of South America, the US, Europe, Australia and even folks from the Asian lands. Something that also caught our attention was the connection we’ve had with different types of “blackers”, from classic to modern black fans, and even non black metal listeners at all. That’s freaking awesome and fills us with an ever growing gratitude.
10.What is going on with 'Aliaga' these days, a band that also shares a couple of the same members?
Actually all three of us haha. Aliaga is a side-project of blackened grindcore formed by Eduardo and Giancarlo at the beginning of 2019. Pedro was the producer at the beginning but he then also became part of the writing and creating process. So far we’ve had the chance to release a self titled Demo, be part of a split called The Virus of Lies Manipulating All Lifes with bands from Argentina and Brazil, and a single. Through the first half of this year we were able to write a few songs for our debut album but for the time being that process is sort of on stand-by because we want to focus our efforts in closing hard this year with Earthwomb and Becoming Immanence camping. Hopefully in the near future we’ll be able to go back and work on Aliaga.
11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’re already working on that but with a darker and more dissonant twist, of course without loosing the brutal essence. We’re thrilled with the idea of going back to the studio. Hopefully it could see the light in mid 2022 but we’ll see the process go, we don’t want to push something just for the sake of it, we want to make music that we love and feel like is something greater to us and the audience. The creative process is something that we really cherish in each and every step, from creating and setting the theme-concept, the aesthetics of the sound and songs and the recording itself. The idea is to end up with something that has coherence between the narrative and the sound.
12.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?
To be honest we love music as a whole and metal is not the only thing we listen to everyday all the time. Our influences within the genre can come from styles and bands like Cadaver, 1349, Leviathan, Wolves in the Throne Room, Akhlys, Los Males del Mundo or Der Weg Einer Freiheit just to name a few. But inspiration for writing, arranging, playing or singing can sometimes come from music quite far from metal like Drab Majesty, Soft Kill, Pescado Rabioso, Kammarheit, Franz Schubert, Akira Yamaoka or Gustavo Santaolalla.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Yes. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us and for the support and interest you’ve shown towards our work since we first spoke. Thanks as well to all the people that have been listening to our EP and are constantly writing to us and tagging us on their posts. That just makes us feel all pumped up and inspires us to keep making music. For those who have been asking for physical copies, just bear with us a little more, we’re about to close a deal with a distributor and hopefully we’ll be able to make a formal announcement before the year ends. If anyone reading hasn't listened to our music yet, you can find us on our bandcamp and on every major streaming platform. You can check us there and also follow us on our socials.
Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/2YRmziH
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2YRKU8rApple Music: https://apple.co/2YXES64
Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3AQAXol
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