1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
After the end of the recording of the new album we took a short break to reorganize the ideas, the pandemic was still in progress and it was not easy to be able to plan what would happen in the year after the recordings due to the still very strong covid restrictions that we have, it was not possible also to plan a return to live shows. Fortunately we have found a strong ally in My Kingdom Music, which has given us a strong emotional boost this year. We have reorganized the lineup with new additions that you will also hear in the upcoming album, we are playing a lot to be ready for the next live season where we hope to play more than ever, and we have also shot an incredible video clip that will see the light soon.
2.You have a new album coming out later in April, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
“Before We Vanish” is an album born in a different way than what we have done before. Musically, to emphasize the concept behind the entire album, the hedgehog’s dilemma, we used alternations of songs that sound very different: for the songs that represent the more physical side, the approach, they sound more raw, with sounds close to post-metal or sludge; to represent the introspective and emotional songs we used softer sounds, closer to the blackgaze, similar to what we have done in previous works.
3.A lot of your lyrics are inspired by the philosophical writings of 'Schopenhauer', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his work?
The subject of this album was chosen as it was felt in a very personal way by some of us. Summarizing, the more two individuals try to get closer to each other, the more this approach will hurt. So we tried to write this concept through our personal point of view. A relationship that drags us on a path of various phases, passing from attraction, pain, addictions, toxicity, but also romance, awareness and acceptance.
4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?
We only relied on what were our moods and our personal experiences. As we matured we tried to write in an increasingly reasoned and less impulsive way, but always trying to be honest and sincere. We learned to route that violent whirlwind of emotions that initially swept everything away in a more disordered way.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘Dreariness'?
“Dreariness” has multiple meanings and above all synonyms, our favorite is related to the "gray" color, "greyness". Gray is a color full of meaning, it is not bright like white but it is not dark like black, even though it is a seemingly very flat and neutral color, it offers so many shades that it completes itself. But at the same time it is a color without color. Perfect to represent the whirlwind of melancholy that we wanted to express with this project.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The whole artwork was created by Federico Rinaldi, who made an amazing work. Completely handmade, it was made after hearing our ideas for the album. The cover represents a coral. Corals, if isolated, become weak, die or grow with fragile structures. A perfect representative for our concept album.
7.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?
Over the last 10 years we played in Italy, we also shared the stage with big names like Deafheaven, Moonsorrow, Negura Bunget or Forgotten Tomb, plus we were also planning our first overseas tour which we had to cancel due to covid emergency. And it is also thanks to our live activity that we have been able to meet members of our current line-up. At the moment we are planning everything in the best possible way to be able to play as much as possible especially at an international level.
8.The new album is coming out on 'My Kingdom Music', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
We are delighted with the collaboration that has been established with My Kingdom Music, it has welcomed us warmly giving us renewed motivation, and also the work that is taking place is very professional, we consider it a great opportunity for us. We have known the label for some time, some of their releases have also been very formative for us in the past, it was a great honor to have this opportunity and we hope to be able to collaborate for a long time and reach great goals together.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post black metal and blackgaze?
Since the beginning of this project, born 10 years ago, we have always received a great support from the people who have followed us. Furthermore, many of them are very loyal to our project from the very beginning, and even if it is not possible to express our affection individually, we are really very affectionate to some of them. We have always tried to make clear the concept of not being related to a specific musical genre, we always try be ourselves and to put ourselves at the center of the work we want to propose, using the way we believe it is more appropriate. For this reason our works often differ from each other. "Closer" is the most obvious example of this concept. A small part of our old fans did not accept it as our work, distancing themselves from it simply for different sounds than in the past. But often after several listens they retrace their steps, because it is absolutely a work that embodies the soul of Dreariness. Except that sometimes we speak different languages in order to express better a certain concept at a certain time. “Before We Vanish” will be, once again, a change of course, there will be very strong contrasts, and we think it can satisfy everyone. But not because it is in our interest to create something that can please certain listeners rather than others. We think that whoever listens to us must fully undergo our creation. But rather because for the work we conceived this time it required multiple faces, so we went from post-metal to sludge without neglecting the blackgaze as well.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We don't know. And this is the key that drives us to always create new things. Based on what we want to express, we will try to use whatever means we deem appropriate to make sure that our feelings can flow as freely as possible into music. Up to now, our soul has always been present in each of our works, and we think that in each of them, however different from each other, we can always distinguish our entity. We will try again to enrich our music with new elements and to continue our evolution, remaining true to ourselves.
11.What are some of the bands or musically styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?
Surely each of us has their own preferences that often result in genres that are also very different from each other. We really listen to everything, and we often find inspiration from the most unlikely things.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you so much for the time and space given to us! Listen to the new album “Before We Vanish” out on April 15th, we hope to see you all live soon!
.jpg)
