1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
First of all, thank you for your time. Cruel Life Inside (a.k.a. C.L.I.) was born in 2017 from an idea of Francesco Brisinda. The project was conceived as a one-man band at first, but then Giando Sestito and Angelo Pellicano have been involved. So, now the project is formed by Francesco, the project’s mastermind, on guitars and programming, Angelo on vocals and Giando on bass. In 2018 we started to record our first full length Eclipsis Vitae and in 2019 we released our first single Loricum. Now we are going to release our debut album and we are looking forward seeing the listeners' reactions. We've been working hard on Eclipsis Vitae and we really hope people will appreciate it.
2.In March you have your first full length coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
(Francesco Brisinda) We wanted to start a different kind of black metal project that could combine different music styles and genres, like Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Black Metal and Blackened Doom Metal. It’s hard to say what metal genre our music belongs to, but it doesn’t matter. It’s our own music style and we don’t really care about tags.
(Angelo Pellicano) I think that it would be reductive to consider Eclipsis Vitae as an Atmospheric Black Metal album, or a Post-Black Metal album, or otherwise. In this album you may hear various and different nuances of black metal.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
(F.B.) The lyrics for each track are about a different stage of a journey through a dark time, which can be defined as a “Life Eclipse” (hence the name Eclipsis Vitae - "Life Eclipse" in Latin). This journey starts with pain and suffering and ends with a new hope, a new vision of life, like a rebirth. Also, the album has a sub-theme dedicated to the Calabrian inland and it’s intended to be a tribute to the mountainous plateau of Sila. In spite of that, there’s no direct reference to these Calabrian landscapes in the lyrics. You have to imagine these places as the context of the journey described in the album, like dreamscapes.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cruel Life Inside'?
(A.P.) Francesco could probably tell you more about this. I would, however, like to give my personal interpretation: our moniker sums up the struggle hidden within everyone’s daily life. We all have inner demons.
(F.B.) Yes, Angelo is right. The name “Cruel Life Inside” comes from the awareness that we are fragile and weak. When we started this project, we were going through a bad time and music was an escape valve. This project contains our concerns, our sadness, our rage and the need of finding peace. So, in a few words, there’s a cruel life inside this project.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
(F.B.) The artwork wants to represent the dreamscapes described above. There’s a central window that opens onto the space, with the Stars and the Moon, in contrast with the dark background. It’s the escape from our cruel reality, the border that has to be crossed to find peace. This artwork represents the end of the journey described in the album, the transition from the material dark earth to the ethereal starry sky. Also, all the photos used in the making of the artwork were taken in the plateau of Sila, so these pictures perfectly represent the dream landscapes that we wanted to depict.
6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?
(A.P.) I think that the Cruel Life Inside project works better in the recording studio. I can’t imagine a faithful reproduction of our tracks in a live context. Maybe in the future we will do some gigs, but, for now, it’s not in the cards. Anyway, never say never!
7.The album is coming out on Casus Belli Musica and Beverina, how did you get in contact with these labels?
(F.B.) Casus Belli Musica and Beverina Productions are two of my favourite black metal labels. When we were looking for a label for Eclipsis Vitae, Casus Belli Musica was the very first one that we reached out. They thought the album was worthwhile, so they agreed to work with us. I always thought that working with these labels was the best option for us and I will never regret this choice. It’s also a real pleasure to work with them. They’re very professional and reliable.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of atmospheric and post black metal?
(A.P.) Our first single Loricum achieved a fair amount of acclaim in the ABM community. It was also enjoyed by people who usually listen to more extreme metal genres. That's comforting, considering some black metal lovers don’t really appreciate some “post” influences.
(F.B.) Anyway, we expect more responses after the album release date.
9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
(F.B.) I’m totally new to the metal scene as a musician. Instead, Giando Sestito (our bassist) has a long music experience in his current and past projects. He plays in some great bands, as Bretus (doom metal), Dripping Sin (thrash metal) and Deep Valley Blues (stoner rock/metal). Cruel Life Inside is the very first black metal project in which he has been involved. Despite this, he did a great job with the bass parts. It may be due to his influences from Bretus music.
(A.P.) As for myself, I was part of a local gothic/death metal band called Forgotten Hope. After some years, I’ve started to sing in an acoustic songwriting project. Maybe this shift to a more atmospheric and calmer music style had a significant role in the composition of Eclipsis Vitae.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
(F.B.) We don’t know what the future holds for us. We just want to leave our mark in the metal scene and reach our listeners’ heart. We have some ideas for our future works, but we cannot anticipate anything. Eclipsis Vitae won't be our last album, we promise that!
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?
(A.P.) A lot of people compared Cruel Life Inside to different bands, but I think that each one of us has his own music experiences and influences from the various subgenres of metal and other kinds of music. In fact, as we said before, in our music there are a lot of different shades.
(F.B.) Well, I agree with Angelo. Each of us has different favorite bands and metal subgenres. For example, I listen to several bands and projects, like Mesarthim, Woods of Desolation, Coldworld, Altars of Grief, Deadly Carnage, Ramihrdus, etc. and recently I discovered a really nice DSBM project called Worthless Life. Basically, we listen to a wide variety of music and Eclipsis Vitae could not but be a mix of different styles.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks again for your time. We just want to dedicate this album to all those who are still fighting to bring light in their dark days. Keep fighting and never give up. The Moon and the Stars will shine again!
Digipak CD @ Casus Belli: https://casusbellimusica.bandcamp.com/album/eclipsis-vitae-2021
Digipak CD @ Beverina: https://beverina.bandcamp.com/album/c-l-i-eclipsis-vitae-12-mar-2021
Digital: https://cli-cruellifeinside.bandcamp.com/album/eclipsis-vitae
.jpg)
