1. Can you tell us a little bit about this project for those that have never heard of you before?
Hello, first of all thanks for the interview. Ah Ciliz started in 2008 as a solo project. I shared some of the very early material with a few friends and got positive feedback so I decided to continue recording and invested a little in some gear. In 2009 I put out my first demo “Reawakening Ancient Sorrow” and in 2011 it was officially released with a few bonus tracks and with added drums on 2 tracks by W. of Grimlair. This would become the first full length and it was released by Selbstmord Kommando Productionen (Germany). Soon after this release Bon Vincent Fry (Lamentations of the Ashen) joined the band and we recorded “Led Astray” late that year. Unfortunately Bon could not continue with the project after the release by Le Crepuscule Du Soir (France) and so Marco Ceccarelli (Deadly Carnage, Nostalgie, Dark Paranoia) took on the role. Marco and I have been recording a lot of material and just now some of it will be released. This release will be a split with 2 great bands Griefthorn and Final Thoughts titled “Old Withered Lands” through No Remorse Records (Gibraltar).
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
I think the best way to describe our sound is melodic atmospheric black metal with depressive tones. But to keep it simple we play atmospheric black metal.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
I have always been enamored with beautiful landscapes, bodies of water, and the woods. So it’s no surprise that many of the lyrics praise the beauty of the land and recognize the need to preserve what’s left of it. I have a fascination with ancient civilizations
from all over the world but especially from Mesoamerican indigenous cultures (Maya, Olmec, Aztec and the Incas). This can be due to the fact that I’m from El Salvador. Some lyrics are inspired by legends and mythology such as legends of lost cities.
Astronomical events, factual and historical or a day dream I may have had. In the beginning some lyrics were associated with depression and the themes commonly used by dsbm bands. However, this is something I am steering away from nowadays since I have another project (KLÄR) which was created to pursue a more atmospheric bm approach with Ah Ciliz and concentrate the depressive side of my creativity with this new project.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
As I mentioned I have a fascination with ancient civilizations including the Mayan. Ah Ciliz is the Maya god of solar eclipses. He is actually a servant of the Sun and occasionally devours his master resulting in a solar eclipse. A little weird I know.
5. Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?
There have been no live shows as of yet, mainly due to geographical limitations. I live in California and Bon was living in New Mexico, a few states away, when we were working together. Marco is from Italy and I have never met either one personally. Recently I have been playing live shows helping out a friend of mine. The band is called Shores of Melancholy. I can predict a live show in the future but for now it is just a project.
6.According to the Metal Archives page, you are signed to Schattenkult Produktionen, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
This label is Selbstmord Kommando Productionen renamed. This label was great to me, they believed in my music and actually contacted me to release my first album. Check them out they have great bands in their roster.
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I’ve gotten great feedback from people from Russia, China, Europe, South America, US and just about everywhere in between so I guess it’s safe to say that part of the black metal community has accepted my music and enjoyed it at least a little, which is great!
8.Are there any other musical projects going on these days?
Sure I mentioned KLÄR already. Also I worked together with Marco and members of Unending Hate and Lost Inside in a project called PAINFUL DEPRESSION. Another solo side project of mine is ENTRE LA NIEBLA which is an experimental project mostly instrumental (post bm not quite shoegaze but similar).
9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
I plan on playing atmospheric black metal for a very long time. This is what I love to play and since my playing abilities limit me to this anyway I shall continue playing atmospheric black metal haha.
10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Empyrium, Himinbjorg, Agalloch, Sargeist, Burzum, Dissection, Hate Forest, Judas Iscariot, Summoning just to name a few. The list is too long. For many years I was obsessed with discovering new bands and I got to know so many great bands some of which were very influential. Nowadays I find myself listening to old time favorite albums and occasionally there will be a release from a new band that sounds like they waited a decade or two to release their masterpiece. I’ve been listening to a lot of progressive/power lately which is my other passion.
11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
No, I like to keep it simple.
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