Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
Line UP:
Tato On Vocals
Sandro On Guitars And Drums
Patrizio On Bass
Spiral Wounds!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions,the interview 138 of the Aristocracy.We speak with an Italian extreme metal band that focuses on the devastating search for the reasons for suffering and discomfort that intersect with visions of death and despair that are leading to the progressive decline of humanity.We're talking about the band Spiral Wounds and they're going to show us at the end of next month, their first full-length album titled Shadows.We must thank the band very much for agreeing to talk to us. Thanks done, interview now!
A1:Talking about the composition work in Shadows?
Sandro:In this pandemic/post-pandemic times,we were forced to develop our music ideas mostly at home, working with DAWs and plugins. It was not the first time for me, since I was pretty much used to this kind of workflow having played in bands with members scattered everywhere else in Italy but my hometown.So,no rehearsal,no productive jam,instead songs are built piece by piece, brick by brick, adding whatever ideas we think we can fit in.That's it. There are pros and cons for this method, but I can definitely say that I like it.
Patrizio: We worked remotely like in the previous EP. In that work I played all my bass parts in one single take without any pause. On Shadows, on the other hand, I adapted to Sandro's "way of working" and everything was much simpler. Our songs are really like little pieces of a puzzle that build a bigger picture.
A2:What daily dramas inspire this new job?
Patrizio:There are several examples that inspired the writing of the lyrics.Big themes like war, murderous death and despair.In most of our lyrics,there is somehow the transcription of episodes that really happened and lived in person.
A3:Some literature or film inspire the band?
Sandro:As an avid movie devourer,I admit that cinema is one big source of inspiration for me. Both visually and musically: I just love to listen to movie soundtracks, John Carpenter is definitely a master in both sides of the coin. Jerry Goldsmith is one of my fave soundtrack author too.
Patrizio:Personally, I love all of Blake decadent literature; Poe; Baudelaire; Lovecraft and many others. I grew up with their writings. I really like cinema, but I don't like horror movies.They are absolutely trivial. If I have to choose I like more Sci-Fi movies and series.
A4:I think it's wonderful that you unite Death with Black. But do you believe that one of the styles is above the other in this album and in the band as a whole?
Sandro: I grew up listening mostly to early death metal late 80's to 90's era.It's not that I didn't like black metal then I loved early Bathory, Dark Throne.But, I considered the death style to be more variegated and multi-faceted back then. But lately, there has been some sort of plot twist to this thought, with black metal exiting from its narrow limits and embracing all sorts of variations and contaminations; a clear manifest of creativity. Now I just think both styles are equally important to me as a songwriter: take death metal as the backbone, the structure of the song and black metal as the atmosphere, the aura that flows out of the speakers, the feeling that crawls to the listener.Patrizio:Musically, Sandro and I were born around the same time and we have more or less similar influences. Many years ago we also played in the same band, in the same role as bassist, but in different periods. Personally, I don't think the two genres are better than the other. Instead, I believe that they can be complementary and Sandro's musical writing of the Spiral Wounds music should prove it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Qk5gywsE8
A5:Why is the suffering of man in the species sense so fundamental to you?
Patrizio:We have all had a loss, an enormous sorrow, a grief,a lack.We all feel pain for the things we care about most.I don't think there is anything more important than dealing with these topics.
A6:Is working in a trio faster or more practical?
Sandro: Well,I don't think that the number of members in band is directly related to the ease in working/playing with it. It's just a matter of which individuals are part of the band, you know, there's always the problematic kind of guys that usually mess around the inner balance of it. By the way, this is my first time in a trio, and I definitely like it,but just because Patrizio and Tato are two awesome partners in crime.Patrizio: I don't think there is any benefit. In the band each of us has the role. Over time we are more and more close, but it does not depend on the number of band members for sure I think.
A7:How is Spiral Wounds different from your previous bands or other projects?
Sandro: Pretty much different, for example: we never met in person since the formation of band. At times it feels kinda weird and off, but once you got used to it, once you learn how to relate to the distance, then it's not too bad.
Patrizio:I played in bands that did a lot of different genres. I've been through punk, ska, electronics, concrete music, blues, hardcore and thrash metal, but honestly Spiral Wounds are a real separate thing. It has a very specific identity different from everything I've done and I like it a lot.
A8:Can we say that the fourth song is an Italian song?
Patrizio:Yes, it is a song whose lyrics were written in Italian by Tato.We noticed that it was not necessary to translate it because it was fine and it has not been changed.The rest of our songs are all written in English from the beginning.
A9:How band arrive to Great Dane Records?
Patrizio:I don't know the real story behind that.Someone tell us a lable was lookin for new bands, but at first, honestly we didn't believed that much.Tato instead pursued the hint and we're here now.
A10:In the sixth song, can we see references to the pandemic?
Patrizio:Absolutely not. We haven't touched the Virus topic cause is already abused and fully debated and discussed elsewhere.Human Plague talks about racial discrimination, minorities and civil rights.The real Human Plague in my view is that prejudice and racial discrimination are still the real scourge of humanity. It is basically the fear of what is different from us.You know, usually humans destroy everything they don't understand and they can't profit of.
A11:What would Spiral Wounds 2022 say to Spiral Wounds February 2021?
Sandro:Honestly, I didn't think we could release anything,let alone a full album, back in 2021. So, I really hope we can reach as many music enthusiasts as possible during this year.Patrizio: We started, it can be said, to pass the time and have fun. Then we got the urge to continue and the first EP came out. From then on, new songs and new lyrics came out. And now our first album for Great Dane Records. What can I say to the Spiral Wounds of February 2021? To continue even if it is a niche music and there are very few that may be of interest on this kind of art. I would tell them not to stop. I'm still incredulous that in less than a year we are already at the first album. Thanks Raph for giving us this chance.
A12:What kind of subject don´t deserve a Spiral Wounds song?
Patrizio: Basically we are a band of peaceful people,but with a very vast and varied background of experiences. Certainly in our lyrics themes that praise hate & hatred, the perpetration of violence, abuse, nationalism and war will never appear.This is taken for granted. Into our music it is not easy to understand the lyrics, you know,but Tato manages to make himself understood and I invite those who wish to read the texts included in the Digipack booklet.
A13:This album is conceptual?
Patrizio: There is certainly a common thread that tries to connect each of the lyrics of our songs. And they are the themes that I have already listed. But what in my opinion gives another major characteristic note and creates a sense of continuity is Sandro's compositional ability and writing which is absolutely defined by his style.
A14:Where is the progressive decline of humanity most blatantly happening?
Tato :The inexorable decline of humanity is happening in every context, relationship and very essence of our species, we are now unable to feel subjective emotions, to have personal opinions, and to speak and listen according to our conscience, everything is induced through various systems of administration, and we are the ones who wanted it, there are no higher entities or phantom powers and strong world leaders who have a precise design, none of this, we are the ones who have changed over the years our every instinct,Adapting to a progress that has totally dumbfounded us, now we are starting to pay the consequences, our ego has taken over abandoning all forms of empathy and sociality.
A15:Because of social media, do we live in the most lying time in the world?
Sandro:I don't blame social media, but I'm convinced that every kind of media manipulation for whatever purpose like political propaganda, advertising, government agenda, etc is one of the biggest cancer spreading in the world today.It's not a matter of how much truth versus lie is brought by the media, it's more like how are you telling that truth. Sometimes things are shaped in deceptive ways.Patrizio:You can see it with your own eyes. It's all a farce. A lie artfully created to sell weapons and start new wars. It's a dog chasing its own tail.The lies are there for all to see, but most people just seem to notice.
A16:Who would be the best listener for Spiral Wounds. A witch or a religious and why?
Patrizio:I have no idea what kind of music these hypothetical characters might like.I met a priest who loved Venom and black metal very much and a witch who drooled for a young Korean pop star, so I don't know. I would like this record to reach those ears who have a real interest in our music. In our texts we don't talk about politics, occult sciences,religion or unbridled sex. We write texts that explore the diperation of the human condition.
A17:Usually, Freud said that his problems were demons. Does the band sing about their internal or external demons and why?
Sandro:Internal or external demons.Sometimes, it's not that easy to tell the difference. Every now and then you find that external demons are just mirror reflecions of the demons that lurks inside yourself. And it's not a pretty sight.
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