With their latest album „Blasphema Secta“, the Italian doom metallers ABYSMAL GRIEF have stepped up their game by darkening their characteristic occult sound even further. In the following interview with guitarist Regen Graves, you can read more about the reason why the record is more coherent than their previous releases, which bands are the most representative of the Italian extreme metal underground and why ABYSMAL GRIEF are combining their blasphemous lyrics with elements of church music.
The music of your band ABYSMAL GRIEF is really dark doom metal. Who are your musical role models and do you also take influences from outside of the doom metal genre?
We take influences almost totally from outside the doom metal genre. Personally, I am much more into electronic ambient music nowadays, but with a background well rooted in the punk and Italian dark sound. I still keep considering it very curious to understand where our doom sound comes from…
The Italian metal scene is mostly known for its progressive metal bands, isn’t it? Do you think that there are also enough more extreme bands in your country that are worth checking out?
Progressive? Well, I never listened to that shit, man. Prog metal is just pop-metal for me, and I totally reject your statement, sorry. The real Italian metal comes from bands like Mortuary Drape, Bulldozer, old Death SS, The Black and so on: That’s the typical Italian sound people from abroad should learn to consider and appreciate.
Your lyrics are always dealing with occultism. Some bands sing about similar subjects, but while some of them do it seriously, others only use it for entertainment. What is your opinion on this matter?
It’s ok for me, both ways could be enjoyable when they are pure and honest, but artists must be clear from the beginning about their purpose, and possibly try not to pose or pretend. We always took occultism seriously in our private lives, but many times I used grotesque and surreal imaginery for my lyrics because I think it’s also very important not to take ourselves too seriously. And the kitsch component in our music is also functional in this regard.
You also make use of church-like choirs, even though your lyrics are quite unholy. In which way, do you think, does this contrast still work out coherently?
Church calls to your mind essentially fear, punishment, racism and hate, so I don’t see any big contrast when using elements of christianity to express something eerie and evil.
Your recent album is called „Blasphema Secta“. Lyrically, you once more deal with the macabre and the occult. What exactly is it about and how is it connected to the title?
Yes, we deal with the occult but in a slight different way than before. The lyrics and the whole concept of „Blasphema Secta“ are a direct continuation of what we started on the previous album „Strange Rites Of Evil“, but while it was following the mood of „anti“-christianity, on this album we wanted to step completely into satanism and blasphemy (this also explains the title). Compared to our past discography, on this work you will find less graveyards and more horns… (laughs)
How did you approach the songwriting for the new record? Did you do anything different than before?
No, our songs were born from my guitar riffs as usual, and in a second time came the keyboards and the lyrics. It’s the same way since the beginning and it worked very well so far.
In my opinion, „Blasphema Secta“ is an even more coherent album than its predecessor. For example, there’s an intro and an interlude and the tracks are connected by the sound of burning flames. Did you intend to create the album as a whole instead of just separate songs and if so, why?
Yes, we wanted to create a „unique“ piece of atmospheric art, in which the listener is led by the music through a whole journey without really considering breaks or changements. „Strange Rites Of Evil“ was somehow more direct and aggressive because the lyrics and the mood were focused on sarcasm and mockery, while this work was supposed to be really dark and sinster, and definitely more evocative. It’s probably our most evocative work since „Misfortune“, I suppose.
„Behold The Corpse Revived“ starts with a sole dark violin, that continues throughout the track. Why did you decide to use this certain instrument that isn’t usually part of your style and was it recorded with a guest musician?
We used the sound of violin in many other songs from the past, so it’s not something unusual for us, but only from the recording of „Dies Funeris“ for the split 12“ with Epitaph we finally could use a real guest musician, and the result is absolutely awesome. It was almost the time to try… Anyway, our dream would be also to record a real church organ some day, and mix it with the sound of guitars and drums. At the moment, I consider it quite impossible to realize, but it would be absolutely cool.
Which one of the tracks would you consider your favorite and why?
I know it’s a trivial answer, but for me all the songs on this album are absolutely perfect and at the right place. We couldn’t do anything better than this.
The clean vocals on „Strange Rites Of Evil“ were often sung in a vibrato style, this is no more the case in your new record. Why did you take a different singing approach this time?
Oh, I really didn’t notice this difference at all. I will go to take a fast listen to „Strange Rites..“ just for curiosity, but probably it could be connected to the different approach we were talking about above, about being more „evocative“ on this album.
There are also some female vocals that seem almost like an incantation. Who is speaking those words and why did you choose a female guest singer instead of handling all the vocals on your own?
The spoken part on the intro has been receited by the great Sandra Silver (lovers of Italian dark sound remember her performances on Paul Chain’s albums), while the vocals on „Witchlord“ are from Katrien De Wolf of Saturnine: The original version of „Witchlord“ was sung by a woman, so we decided to record it in a faithful way, in order to keep its deeply evocative mood.
I also feel like the guitars are little bit more in the background, while the keyboards play a bigger role in the new songs. Was this on purpose or did this just happen naturally? What’s the reason for this?
No, I think it happened naturally, and maybe you are right, I could have mixed them a couple of dB louder, but the keyboards are really cool on this album and they make it very enjoyable anyway.
The artwork looks really dark and iconic. What exactly does it show and how was it made?
Thanks man. It is a canvas of mine made with mixed technique: Honestly, I’m not thinking about an exact meaning when I create these compositions. Tell me what YOU see in it!
What have you got planned next for ABYSMAL GRIEF?
At the moment we are waiting for the first chapter of our European Tour in May, then I would like to record something new (but not an album, of course). And then again the second chapter of the tour, in October.
Now, moving on to our traditional Metal1.info-Brainstorming:
Batushka: Probably the best and most convincing black metal act today, together with The Committee.
Tourism in Italy: More exhausting traffic on the streets.
Occult literature: 80% is just crap for children.
Facebook: Central Intelligence Agency
Favorite album: Death SS – „The Story Of Death SS 1977-1984“
ABYSMAL GRIEF in five years: Hopefully dead?
Thank you once more for taking the time for this interview. The final words may be yours:
Thank you for these interesting questions. See you on tour! In death.
2. März 2018 Stephan Rajchl