We are based in Mexico City. The band’s current lineup consists of Mario (LG), Andrés “Huachi” (RG), Antonio (B), Natalia (V) and Oswaldo (D). It all began in mid 2014, because of the desire to play together and make our own music. At first, the band was planned to be a full on Black Metal act, but it was Mario who disagreed. His proposal was to have flexibility to incorporate various elements and sounds, so that our music making process could flow naturally without necessarily having to stick to a specific genre’s aesthetic. We are glad to have agreed collectively on this, because we have created material that has different colors, moods and swings. Over the years we’ve had various lineup changes due to personal or circumstantial reasons, until we came to the current one, which has been together since mid 2017.
2019 has definitely been our busiest year so far, and we want and are looking for more. Locally, audiences have enjoyed what we’ve presented to them and we hope you do too.
2.So far you have released one ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
We wanted a good production value in the quality of the sound but we also wanted to avoid that everything sounded over processed. Therefore, we decided to embark on the adventure of the DIY path. Our bassist, Antonio, was in charge of the recording and mixing; the attention to detail he showed in all 4 songs was quite admirable. He really wanted to accurately represent the sound that the band has developed over the years and we really think he nailed it. If anything, we had a fun but also emotional time while recording the EP and it shows…every song has an honest feel to it.
3.Your lyrics cover misanthropy, introspection and the darkness of the human condition, can you tell us a little bit about your interest in these topics?
We believe that our interest in these topics come very much as a consequence of the society that we currently live in. These are brutal, dark and senseless times where one’s hope and peace of mind one can easily be shattered. Be it by witnessing how most people, in a small or large scale, only care for their own interests and will step on anyone who gets in their way…be it by the self-abandonment in a world that favors technology over humanity and the inner conflicts that arise in one’s mind when being subject to that scenario. Be it by the constant overexposure to media, information of any kind, consumables, etc., that mire the mind and desensitizes us. It’s kind of inevitable not to talk about something that you are currently witnessing in the flesh. To sum things up, we are one sad bunch.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ferentes Tenebris'?
The band’s name comes from Latin and it stands for “Those who bring/carry the darkness/shadows”. As the name states it, the inspiration came from the dark reflections of our world, which we embrace and show, so that the darkness can be seen, felt and acknowledged. We also thought it sounded evil.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
The artwork was created by our talented vocalist, Natalia. Her work in the band has been remarkable, not only as a musician, but as a designer as well. She’s also the responsible for the band’s logo and name design. She’s got a great eye for visuals and concepts. The aesthetic is based on the German Expressionism Movement because we thought that it’s exaggeration and/or mockery of real-life elements go well with the songs and the lyrics contained in them. We also have other surprises related to this concept which we’ll announce via social media. Stay tuned.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far, the best shows have been two. One we did in Puebla alongside Kai Flood, a Mexican Black Metal band that has opened for Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Sekhmet, etc. It was a small audience but a dedicated one, nonetheless. The reactions were amazingly positive, plus all the organization and staff did an excellent job the whole show.
The second was here in Mexico City alongside Nuclear Chaos, who have played in major metal festivals like WOA and Metaldays, and Healing Harm, who just recorded their second album at Studio Fredman. We played to a full venue and the audience were down right awesome.
Our live performance has been classified by fans of the band as hypnotic. The reasons they give is the atmosphere and power we create with our music and Natalia’s presence, which they call theatrical and raw. This makes us happy.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We do, at the moment we are booking several local shows ‘til the end of the year. We would love to play abroad someday.
8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We’re not actively looking for one, but we’ve received a couple of local invites as well as international invites, one of them being from Chicago.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of progressive black metal?
We wouldn’t really know how to respond to that since worldwide fans rarely interact with us, but we’ve seen that we appear in various sites on the internet, mainly from US and Europe, as well as having a profile at Encyclopaedia Metallum that was created by a couple of people from Russia and China, so you could say it’s been positive.
10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We hope it can be soon. There’s more than enough material for a full length…regardless, we haven’t stop writing new music. We don’t really know what the future holds for us and the sounds we make, but we’ll make sure to keep growing and evolving.
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?
The answer can become so broad because we have different tastes overall. Influences range from Opeth, Immortal, Dissection, Black Sabbath, Bathory, Darkthrone, King Diamond, Katatonia, A Perfect Circle, Kent, Death, King Crimson, Camel, The Melvins to classical music such as Vivaldi, Rajmáninov, Schubert, Holst, Tárrega, Taméz…even jazz like Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Coltrane, etc. There are many other musical styles that we as band and as individuals listen to and are influenced by.
12.What are some of your nonmusical interests?
Many things that go from programming, art in many of its manifestations, many forms of comedy, audio engineering, psychoanalysis, philosophy, nihilism, anarchy, coffee, beer, many kinds of food, cigarettes, etc.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
To everyone who reads this, thank you for making it this far. Keep creating, keep resisting. Art is truth. If you would like to keep track of what we do, you can find us at Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Bandcamp. Our EP is available in all music streaming services. Thanks to OccultBlackMetalZine for taking the time to listen and rate us and also, for the space given for this fun interview. We greatly appreciate it. Fucking Methüüül!
| Bandcamp |
| YouTube |
No comments:
Post a Comment