Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Hello, first that all thank you very much for the interview, actually im working on some improvements of our own recording studio, we plan to start working on some new songs again for ourselves so we needed a more professional platform, we already have several ideas for our next album and we want to start between January and February next year.
How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?
Well .. all albums in the band have been different, the music began to have a dark sound, melancholic, sad, which was transformed through time in a progressive and death metal sound; To this album, things have been different, this album is very personal, more intimate, Fernz and I were working for 2 years and the result has been most satisfying for me who has had throughout the history of dies irae. The new sound takes many elements that distinguished the band in its beginning, Music turns sad and dark again with many new elements that the time gave to me, we mixed our music with sounds from some of the new influences I had during the last 10 years and this gives a unique sound to the new album which we decided to label as PostMetal.
What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new album?
The lyrics in this album are still very personal, sometimes metaphorical allowing our fans interpret what they want to understand with their own view, the main issue is how life can change or how life has changed when one turns and looks back without have realized the time. We wrote about some scenarios that we imagine about complicated things that life throws along the way.
What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
As everyone knows there have been dozens of groups in the world with the dies irae name, from what I've researched, we were the first in the metal scene in taking this name. It comes from a segment of Mozart's Requiem and the idea of naming the band with this name could be the same as Mozart title idea, making music for the dead in life.
What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
During the tour "etherial" we had great presentations, I remember specially one of them supporting The Gathering in Mexico City with a great audience, I remember very well having played with Enslaved in Irapuato City many many years ago, that was a great gig also. The last gig of Dies irae was in 2002 when we presented the album "Naive", I described the performance as intense, the idea of a Dies Irae show is to connect audiences with the music, trying to interpret the main moments in the songs with the energy that people give us.
Do you have any touring plans for the future?
We are preparing a set list to play live, but now life has made things more complicated, the idea is to go out and do some presentations, maybe few, but we want to have the personal presence and reconnect with old fans.
I have noticed that you took a long hiatus, what where you doing during that time and what made you decide to reform the band after all these years?
As you say, the band went into a shadow of almost 10 years, was long distance. We had a strong situations that forced us to move away. But all the time we were not far from the music. Eduardo and I started a side project called The Ill over Death, with which we get an album called Steric.
After that Eduardo made changes in his life that led him away entirely from the music. I started to write some songs with Fernz who replaced Eduardo at The ill, and the result made me turn back because I felt he was returning to make things as Dies Irae and that's how the band has reborned
Have you recieved any backlash for your new sound?
Of course. I'm very happy to see that the Dies Irae very quickly resuming the place he had in the international scene, almost every day I go to the web and see something new about my band on google that comes from other parts far of Mexico. The album reviews has barely begun, it can be hard with the new stuff now because things move differently, and the new album offers a different style to what the metal offers today. Make changes and offer a different music sound is always risky if your idea is to have good reviews, I know that, one of them compared our Secret veils of passion with Tiamat’s A deeper kind of slumber which in turn was killed by critics and now everyone sees it as a great album .. This to me is very satisfying. I guess we will not get the best grades in the polls and the critical reaction but we are enjoying a lot the moment and we’re very very glad with the backlash.
On a worldwide level how have fans reacted to your music style, that have heard it so far?
The starting point for Dies Irae was very early, from the demo Ab imo pectore the band was exposed to the Critics in other countries like Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, where the main metal scene was concentrated in the 90’s woldwide, each album gaves something new to us and we get more fans from other countries. People received Dies Irae so good, and criticism has been very good. Always positive and motivating.
What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
It is always difficult to talk about the future of music, by the time the new songs are concentrated in a dark way, guitars are now speaking by themself much more than before and are taking their own voice in the music, so the next job could be described as more acoustic, more intense, more warm, but hard when its have to be.
Dies Irae is taking a definitive way in the sound and we are trying to make it perfect.
What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The bands that gave roots to the dies irae music were definitly doom metal and true black metal bands such as My Dying Bride, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Celestial Season, Paradise Lost basically.
Things have changed and the influences which can also be seen in each album.
I'm really far from the metal, I hear very few bands in this genre.
I'm currently really into Neofolk, Dark Ambient, Synth and Martial Pop which has opened an amazing world to me.
Does Occultism play any role in your music?
Definitely not, the church is more and more away from my beliefs and my preferences now, I think the laws of the church are becoming more retrograde and keeps the people blind but I try to find my own answers to my own decisions without flail to see if this good or what I did wrong. The lyrics and the music of Dies Irae maybe offer a little of this claim, but we are not in the occultism. Not for now hahahaha.
Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Well, outside of music I personally enjoy life with my daughter who lives with me, I like swimming, I like to enjoy my friends, I have to work hard to live as I live, I'm a graphic designer, now Im starting an design agency with Daniel HG and that's what I do apart from music. Fernz rebuilt his life and is enjoying the company of his wife and kids, he is working in the footwear industry and that is the real life of Dies Irae.
Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Just thank you for the support you’re giving to us, we thank our fans with whom we've been brought together, thanks for having reopened the doors of their ears, hope you like our new album and hope to see you soon on stage.
And remember, When unexpected things ocurrs…..!
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