1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Answer: Hi John! First of all, I would like to thank you for give us the opportunity to share a little about our work and ideas. So, since we defined the digital and physical formats of our newest material “Black Sorcery Devotion”, we have preparing the all the promotion related to it. Unfortunally, the pandemic still affecting everything, but, we have been fighting to keep the flame and the production. We are joing forces and resources to touring when it can be possible. We have been doing rehearsals and investing in merchandise (CD, MC, LP, T-shirts, etc). And of course, we already are preparing our next material.
2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous demos and ep's?
Answer: Yeah, the new album has a more mature composition. I loved the demo and EP. Regarding the EP, we recorded it two months just after we formed the line-up. Those songs are very raw and obscure. Pure blackened feeling. However, the songs of the album were naturally evolving across the time. It is natural evolution with more violent and darkened than the last one. We worked almost a year in those songs. So, we had more time to construct and re-construct the tracks and lyrics to achieve the final result. Moreover, we from band and the co-producer Bruno Borges (Uzomi/Baga) were better prepared and structured to extract a better quality of the recordings.
3.A lot of your lyrics also cover satanic and occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
Answer: Regarding the lyrical themes, I can tell you that this it is much more than empty words of rampant hate. I really believe on it. It is not just music, it is lifestyle and a science. Naturally, all of the band members are involved in occultism, magic and knowledge concerning the darkness since our very youth. The occult forces of the universe are inside and nearly involving us.
4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
Answer: Regarding the lyrical themes, we are very direct on this issue… we emanate hatred, darkness, black magic and Satanism… so far, no more than these topics. We live for darkness, freedom and Satan!
5.All of the band members are also in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Obscure Relic' that you are not able to do with your other groups?
Answer: Spite of they play in different extreme metal bands, the sound of Obscure Relic is completely different from their other bands / side projects. We played, in Obscure Relic, a very fast and brutal black metal spiced with minor chords melodies, a well precise and harmonic as I believe. Our influences pass through swedish black metal such as Dark Funeral and old Marduk as well as a mixture of norwegian black metal such as Mayhem and Emperor without keyboards. Some of their bands or side projects, that are black metal (such as Velho, Lápide, Cold Night, Bloody Lifeless Castle, etc…), I can say that their sound is more raw, it is more linked to the first wave of black metal found in the final 80’s and earlier 90’s (such as old Bathory, Darkthorne, old Mayhem, old Gorgoroth, etc). Other bands / side projects are death metal, black/death metal, trash metal, or even, doom metal (always with anti-christian, anti-religion or even satanic lyrical thematic). I believe that play in other bands/side projects is a good thing and helps to be creative. You can contribute to strength the metal scene and improve ourselves as musicians by doing that. It helps to increasing it in diversity. By doing that, the members don’t add any (maybe strange) elements that could alter the essence of Obscure Relic’s music. And on the other hand, the same is going for their other bands. They won’t mix the sound of Obscure Relic’s black metal elements on their songs.
6.Some of the other band members also have experience playing other styles of metal besides black metal, how would you compare this genre to the other genres that you have worked with in the past or present?
Answer: I believe that me (Deoarsprofanum), Hellmaniac and Splatter already played in different extreme metal bands that are not essentially black metal. For example, Hellmaniac played the death metal band called “Disfigured by Hatred”. Splatter is a very active musician and played in many, I mean it, many bands. He played in splatter (e.g. Anopsy), noise (e.g. Moléstia), traditional death metal (e.g. Poem’s Death), trash metal (e.g. Arma Nuclear), stoner (e.g. Lua de Pultão) and doom metal (e.g. Pombajira) bands. He is a very active and versatile musician that always learning and developing something different. And me, I played in the death metal “Gutted Souls” that still active and death/black metal bands called “War of Feelings and Escrófula”. Splatter and myself work together on our black/death band called “Feretral” and traditional death metal called “Convulsive”. I love extreme and underground metal. I grew up in a transition between late 80’s and early 90’s, so, I always involved with traditional metal. When you are young musician, usually, you always looking to be more technical than ever. To show everything you got. You can observe that in the old material. Now, when we get older, I believe we are changing our attention more the roots of metal, more feeling, rawer. You can see this in our newest projects, including Obscure Relic. Black metal is my passion. But I also enjoy some old death metal and black/death metal.
7.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Obscure Relic'?
Answer: Regarding the name of band, I can say that this came from our vocalist, Caronte. Later, Splatter and myself enjoyed the idea. We believed we are like a past relic that it has been unearthed to resurrect that black metal essence from the second wave in 90’s and bringing that back to these modern times. We hope to contribute to have those feelings back again.
8.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Answer: The cover artwork was developed by the Brazilian artist Marcio Blasphemator from Blaphemator Art. I believe symbolizes something rising from the depths. It was perfect for us. After the first black communion described in the previous EP, now, we have the born/rise of the occult forces like you can see the cover of “Black Sorcery Devotion”.
9.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Answer: Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to do that because the breakout of COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, we accumulating all merch related to our new and past releases to distribute them when the situation becomes possible. We all love to play live. We had playing live with other bands before this apocalyptic disease. We can’t wait to spread our words and hymns again with Obscure Relic as soon as possible.
10.So far the band has worked with 'Hellprod' and 'Blizzard Records', do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?
Answer: That’s for sure! We had and still having a good and healthy partnership! They accomplished their proposal and we our part as well. Blaspher and Helldprod. Rec were very professional with us. They spread our last EP “First Black Communion” in European soil. We received good reviews in many European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Poland, Netherlands, Ukriane (some those that I remembering right now but that’s more for sure). Helldprod Rec released that EP in different formats such as digipack CD and cassette formats. In addition, a T-shirt with the EP cover was release and distributed. Moreover, we had a digipack CD edition released in Brazil by a partnership between Marcelo from Kingdom of Darkness Prod. and Gil from Cianeto Discos. They are very serious labels that they have being already working with us in our other bands/side projects and other friends’ bands. Marcelo and Gil are easy-going persons that they having being working hard to strength the brazilian underground scene since a long time. Regarding Blizzard Recs, we are not just working with them. The release of our album “Black Sorcery Devotion” are having different formats: 1) the digipack CD edition in Brazil is being released by a partnership between Kingdom of Darkness Prod. and Marcio from Blizzard Recs. Marcio is also super cool and pretty serious on their work. The vinyl edition is being released by Julio and Culto Obscuro Productions which is having been supporting us a lot this period. And a cassette edition was already released by the chilean label Mobid Ways to Die Prod. Morbidealer, manager of the label, has also be well supportive to us. This cassette edition is already available for distribution.
11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Answer: I believe it was good. I am basing this statement in the positive reviews we received this last year along with number of metalheads from different countries that we’re seeking us to get the material. But, it still early to determine the real public response to our music. Let’s see. Only the time will say that. From my previous works from previous bands, Obscure Relic’s EP and album had the better response so far. Maybe, this could involve different factors such as maturity in songs and promotion. I don’t know. But, of course, we have plans to do some touring, where can be possible, to better spread our work. As I mentioned earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a true obstacle in front of us to do that. Meanwhile, we are making the best we can.
12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Answer: As the world crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic give us a break, I see the band make some touring and getting in direct contact with the blackened souls spreading the Earth. In the current scenario, we are still doing some regular rehearsals to composing new songs for a future material. I can say that we are very productive without lose all the essence of our art. So, the production will not stop. Stay tuned.
13.What are you currently listening to nowadays?
Answer: I am still listening the same old stuff as Sarcófago, Sepultura, Mystifier, Slayer, Bathory, Venom, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Marduk, Emperor, etc. Sometimes I am listening some older stuff from my childhood like Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden, etc. Sometimes I listening a newest material like Azaghal, Mgla, etc. Well depends of the day… In relation to underground bands, I am always open to know, listening and buy merch from different bands. Recently, I mean this week, I have been listening the band Vazio, last Djevel, last Sargeist, etc.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Answer: I would like to thank you for open a space so I could tell the readers what we did and what we are doing or planning to do. I’m hoping that this world crisis could be solved shortly enough, so we can meet all the true blackened brothers in the road. Stay safe, stay metal, stay tunedl!!! HAIL!!!
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