Ardeat Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band/

Hi, thank you for the opportunity!

The band was formed in 2021 in Brescia from the ashes of other black metal projects from northern Italy. Our style tries to blend the atmosphere of black metal with the aggression of old-school death metal and the melodic approach of the NWOBHM, especially Iron Maiden.

We released an EP called "Exitivm" in 2021 and our full-length debut "Apotheosis "will be released on December 20th 2024.

2.You have your first full length coming out towards the end of December, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

Some songs on this album were conceived even before the Ep. "Exitivm" at first was meant to be included on this record but it expanded in a 20-minute monolith and we decided to release it separately.

Musically we would say "Apotheosis" is an expansion of the sound of the EP, it's both faster and more aggressive yet more melodic and atmospheric as well.

3.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?

The concept behind "Apotheosis" essentially deals with the transience and immanence of man, compared to the supernatural forces that determine his destiny in the face of which man is powerless, by taking as reference the mythology and tragedy of the Archaic and Classical Greek Ages, through the portrait of some divine figures or war episodes. In this vision, the Apotheosis represents a desperate attempt to escape man's chains, in order to rise to a higher plane of existence and broaden his knowledge of the universe. But in the end, mortals remain mortals, and the realm gods is still unreachable.

4.The band has also been inspired by the myths, legends and tragedies of the classical Greek and Archaic eras, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

The inspiration breeding the lyrics of the album was mostly provided by our singer Enrico, who's deeply interested in classical history, philosophy and literature ever since he was a student. Years later he continued his studies on his own. The fascination with the whole matter also comes from an attempt to "escape" nowadays materialistic and collapsing age to find an ideal shelter in ancient times when the life of individuals was oriented to something "higher" and sacred, may it be a cult or an ideal.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ardeat'?

"Ardeat" is a subjunctive verb in Latin meaning "(may it) burn", referring to the fire. It was chosen to underline our determined attitude towards life, which we try to represent through our music.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

When we conceived the artwork, we decided to represent metaphorically the concept of the Apotheosis. At the forefront a warrior is fighting with an army of statues, which represents the divinity and what goes beyond the passage of time. At the same time we see that the warrior, after committing the deicide, is becoming a statue himself, because his act of hybris can't remain unpunished. In the back we can also see references to the lyrics of the album, such as the tower of Danae and the eagle of Prometheus.

We worked in strict contact with the artist, the talented Samuele Cittadini, discussing the concept with him but also providing visual references and ideas, resulting in something we are really proud of.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Well, we started playing shows under the name "Ardeat" in late 2023, but we already had the pleasure to share the stage with some really important bands from the Italian extreme metal scene, such as Mortuary Drape, Opera IX and Darkend.

We try to be as "real" and genuine as possible on stage, we don't use any click track or pre- recorded base, we just try to express raw emotions and aggression.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We have a show planned on the 25th of January, alongside our friends Ulvedharr, where we will be finally able to perform the new songs.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

So far the reaction has been pretty positive, we've received really nice reviews from various webzines and good feedback from fellow musicians. We can't wait for everyone to hear the whole album!

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Musically we will always try to evolve and never stick to a pre-determined formula, also adding more elements from genres outside of black metal, such as death metal or even post-rock.

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?

Some of the projects that mostly influence us are Dissection, Mgla and Spite Extreme Wing, but the personal taste of the single members of the band varies a lot, and we don't shy away from music outside of metal, such as Pink Floyd and The Cure.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We hope everyone's going to enjoy "Apotheosis" and come to our live shows in the future. Your feedback means a lot to us, so thank you for your support and time!

Thank you for the opportunity!

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