IL SANGUE Interview conducted by HsinaV (answered avril, 2004)

Hi Neil. Would you speak about Il Sangue, starting from a bio of your band, if you have any interest about a similar question (in the booklet of the cd’s you’ve sent me there isn’t a minimum presentation of the band, so I have this doubt ahah)? And then, what about your discography until now? 

Hello Alex! Hmm… Il Sangue started in 2001, from the ashes of the now Defunct Disembalm. Both Pyxosis and I just kind of lost interest… No other way to explain it. I liked Disembalm’s material, but didn’t really want to carry on in that vein of music. Simultaneously I was getting heavily into bands like Anathema and early Paradise Lost, so I thought it might be kind of cool to go somewhere down that path. Anywho, I threw spent some time writing, and in a few days I recorded three tracks of gritty, rough death doom which was simply called ‘demo 2002’, although most people have come to know it as the Prophecy of Doom demo. A got some good reviews and a few tracks were on some compilations… Overall I guess people liked it. About a year later I recorded two tracks, slapped together some artwork and called it demo 2003 (which is better known as the Reprieve demo). Despite it’s gritty production, and if I may say so myself, shitty artwork, the response to it was overwhelming. Word of mouth spread, and orders came in from places on earth that I really didn’t even know existed. After that I wrote and recorded two hefty tracks that never got around to being released. A few months passed and I recorded the drone release entitled Sleep (which I licensed to NULLL records in Belgium) and then recorded two new tracks for a split CD with Arizona’s doom metal gods Fall of Empyrean. Later that year Brian (Thalidomide BBBQ/ex-Woods of Ypres) came into the picture, and in November we collaborated for a week and recorded the upcoming full-length, …In Still Desolation. As of now, the full-length is about to come out, as well as a 2CD discography of all the demos and unreleased tracks.

Why you adopted the name Il Sangue (The Blood)? Why you choose an Italian name? 

Well, to be completely honest, ‘The Blood’ was a bit too cliché for metal by itself, so I thought I’d translate it. And there’s always been a strange doomy quality to the Italian language (due to Cultus Sanguine perhaps? Hmm…), so I thought I’d see what it was in Italian. And it turned out to be Il Sangue, and I thought it sounded fitting. Thus, Il Sangue is born.  

I have listened to the “Reprieve” demo over and over again… I got intrigued by the strong aura of darkness, sadness, dismal and sorrow which your music makes me breathe… anyway which are the main emotions you have when you write your music? Do you want to communicate anything to the listener? 

Well thanks! I guess write with the same esoteric emotions that the music evokes in the end. Music is a way I can turn my intangible emotions into something that everyone can experience. Even if the listener doesn’t see eye to eye with it, they still experience it in one way or another. In terms of communication, I’d like to communicate the things inside my head to whoever may be listening.  

Is there any kind of vision behind your way of composing? 

That’s kind of a hard question to answer! I suppose it’s just a vision of my own. I can’t describe it with words, but I know what it is. Damn, sorry, I hate sounding that vague. But it’s true! 

I know it may can sound like a boring question: what about your influences? Can you name any doom metal band for which you deserve a great admiration for and/or which influenced Il Sangue? 

Never a boring question! In terms of influence, I separate it into two subcategories: Music that affects my music, music that affects me in the role of a musician, and music that affects me in the role of a person. In terms of music that directly influences mine, I’d have to say Anathema, and lots of it. My later material has been heavily influenced by bands like Bethlehem, Cultus Sanguine, Avernus, etc. Music that affects me as a musician would be bands like Anathema, Worship, Sleep, Boris, Pungent Stench, Electric Wizard, Khanate, etc… Way too many to list!! And last but probably foremost, there’s the music that shapes me as a person… Which is way too much to list!! But I can squeeze out a few. Anathema, Codeine, Julian Cope, Nasum, Mira, Pig Destroyer, Depeche Mode, Disembowelment, Earth, The Cure, Slowdive, etc etc… Way too much good music! 

I have to told you that I have never been involved so much in the doom metal underground scene… so except for great names like Solitude Aeternus, Saturnus and a few others, I don’t know so much about the Us doom metal scene… can you help me in finding good bands, ahah? 

Pungent Stench!! And lots of it!!! Ha! Well, they’re neither doom metal, nor American… But I still can’t get enough!! Now, to answer your question and quit being a jackass, there’s a ton of worthy doom metal to check out from the states!! Off the top of my head: Avernus, Funeral for Rosewater, Grief, Saint Vitus, Morgion, Graves at Sea, Soulpreacher, Tusks of Blood, Orodruin, Penance, Unearthly Trance, Greystar, Warhorse, Aghori, 13, Sleep, not to mention most of the shit on Southern Lord. I’m forgetting so many, I feel bad! But, there are a ton.  

What about the lyrics? I read some lyrics which are not included in the booklets, as you know, and I’ve found them of a certain interest… Who in the band write them, usually? How much importance you give to the lyrical side, in your art? 

All lyrics, up until the full length have been written me. Brian took over lyrical duties for …In Still Desolation, which made me extremely happy!! I hate writing lyrics!!! To me, I write lyrics with the music that I create… So putting my thoughts into words just seems like an extra nuisance. So, phew! Thanks for doing my dirty work for me, Brian!! Usually in terms of the significance of good lyrics, it’s always good to have well written verses, but it ultimately depends on what the music is. Sometimes the music simply speaks for itself. 

Look/Not/For Love… why do you wrote that? Maybe you think Love is negative? Or self-destructive? 

Well, both of those philosophies can easily be derived from the lyrics of Reprieve… Although the lyrics of Reprieve form somewhat of a loose narrative. It’s based on a story of a man who is thinking about the love he received from his deceased significant other in retrospect. The verse that you chose to me represents the feeling one would get after losing such a loved one; the feeling that there will never be anyone who can measure up to that degree ever again, and they look not for love anymore in their life. 

What’s your (personal?) definition for the word “art”? Do you define youself an artist? In which circumstances the music is not art for you? 

To me, art is anything that receives some sort of reaction to any degree when viewed or thought upon. So, art is everything. Many times I become frustrated with the thin lines that art tends to draw, but that is the reality: Everything in this world is art one way or another. Even when taking a literal standpoint, everything inorganic has been designed by somebody at some point in time, and everything organic has somehow designed itself through growth and evolution. I guess I’m an artist. Artist is pretty hard to define these days, as most visual arts in the present day are almost completely devoid of any movement… In terms of music, it’s always art to me, because it always gets a reaction from everyone. Music always has an almost-immediate reaction from pretty much everybody. 

What’s your definition for the word “talent”? Do you think you have got talent, as musician/artist? 

A hard word to define! I guess talent is when one has immense knowledge and skill in whatever they are into… There are really too many opinions and preconceived ideas in the world to judge what some people do as ‘talented’. A lot of people find Steve O’Malley one of the most talented musicians in the scene, but I sure as hell bet his work sounds more like a blender than talent to someone who’s into country music. Talent is a variable that changes with every person. 

You told me you have just recorded your debut album titled “…In Still Desolation”. What can you say more? I guess it will feature the songs which your site shared the clips (Prophecy Of Doom, Sacrifice of the Winterlong, etc.)… anyway how it will sound? Are you satisfied with the whole work? But mostly, when it will be out?! What about its vinyl version? 

Yep, we finished it a few months ago! It’s set to be released in June on Parasitic Records. 12” vinyl, which should be awesome!! Those clips were actually from the Prophecy of Doom demo, which will be again available on the 2CD Discography, entitled Eulogy. A good way to explain the new material is a good combination of all the previous demos. It has a little bit of each, along with a few different concepts. I’m totally satisfied with the final product!! Everything looks fucking cool, and Parasitic is a sweet label to work with!! Can’t say enough good things about them and the things they release. Check it out, you’ll either like it, moderately like it, or dislike it! Ha!! More information can be gathered at www.parasiticrecords.com! 

What point do you want to reach with your music and/or Il Sangue? Where do you want to arrive? 

When I can evoke onto the listener the exact same emotions that I feel, then I’ve reached success. 

Just a recicled question: Why do you write music? For a self gratification, or just because it is “cool” to do that? Would you write any music for the entertainment of the other ones? 

I guess all people write music for a little bit of each! I know that I write music for myself, but I also love to have people listen to it! And I also think what I do and what others in the same genre do is totally cool!! So, it’s a toss-up… I’d say 40% of me does it for myself, 30% of me does it for other people to hear, 10% of me does it because it’s cool, and 20% of me flat-out LOVES buffalo wings!! So I’m pretty torn up!! Do I do it for myself? Do I do it for others? Do I do it for the buffalo wings???? Who knows. Either way, I do it. And it happens. 

Ok Neil. Thanx for the interview… hope we’ll meet again in the future… The space below is yours…. 

Thanks for the interview Alex!! If anyone wants anymore information they can contact me via email at pathology_stench@hotmail.com. Give unconditional love to everyone, but don’t be afraid to be realistic!! Never be afraid to laugh and have fun in life, because you’ll be totally fucked in 70 years either way!!! Think for yourself, as 75% of your world is made up anyways!! And most importantly… Tune down, turn up, doom on!!!!!!! CHEERS!!

Discography:

- Prophecy Of Doom demo Cd-r 2002

- Reprieve demo Cd-r 2003

- Sleep Mcd 2003 (NULLL Rec.)

- split Cd w/Fall Of Empyrean, 2003 (self-produced)

 upcoming: ...In Still Desolation Lp (Parasitic Rec.)

  2Cd Discography including all demos + unreleased