Interview with ABYSMAL GRIEF

by Vpower

The Band: Abysmal Grief

Country: Italy

Answers by: Regen Graves (guitars, synths)

Two years after their last album Italian dark sound's masters ABYSMAL GRIEF uncover their dusty coffin to reveal the 5th album of their haunted career. Another Italian dark artcraft by these guys that continue to grow wih every step. We talk about it Regen Graves.

Hello Regen, your new album "Blasphema Secta" will be out on January 13th, what can you tell about it?

R.G.) Hi, yes the new album will be released on digipack CD and Tape by the Italian label Terror From Hell, while the LP version will be out for Sun & Moon Records on the same date. This albums carries on the same mood and concept we started  on the previous “Strange Rites of Evil” (even if we don’t like very much the idea of a “concept album”), and it is basically focused in a deeper way on Witchcraft and the Black Arts.

You have been more than 20 years around now, a new album is a good way to celebrate it, isn’t it?

R.G.) We already celebrated our 20th Anniversary in November 2016 with the limited edition box set including, among the others, the “Reveal Nothing…” CD, a collection of all our singles, EP’s and so on. This new album is just another step in our Path.

Paul Chain, Death SS… Doom metal has always been a strong force in Italy and you carry on that tradition in you music

R.G.) Yes, I am absolutely convinced that the Italian Dark Sound  is a trademark, and we proudly bring the flag of that tradition: it’s almost time that people start to respect a music style impossible to copy for those who live far from this shitty catholic bigoted country.

How was the composition and recording process of "Blasphema Secta"?

R.G.) The phase of composition came quite fast this time despite the songs structure was more complex, while the recording was a little more problematic and long, because we decided to record and mix the whole album not in our usual private studio after more than 10 years, and some details were not directly my control, causing some stress.

Five albums and several Eps in almost two decades, I guess some fans of yours would prefer you visit the studio more often hahaha, but every album of yours counts and that is the important, isn’t it?

R.G.) I think our discography is wide enough to represent what we have to say, and it’s undoubtedly far better than a lot of Major-bullshit around  nowadays. To have an underground attitude means first of all not to be obsessed by presence and exposition, and it’s quite coherent with our esoteric vision about extreme music as well.

Comparing your new album with previous releases you would say that…?

R.G.) This is probably our most mature and conscious work since the beginning, and at the same time the most problematic and  ill-fated of all our productions.

"Blasphema Secta" can be considered your most sinister album to date?

R.G.) Well, I think people should say this if they feel it. Not me. For us it’s just another honest, well structured and concrete step.

What are the lyrics about?

R.G.) Lyrically I developed in a more blasphemous way what I already started on “Strange Rites of Evil”: a conscious and extremely personal offense to the catholic religion and its dogmatic fears overlying a even more explicit dedication to the Black Arts.

Cool by all means. Great dark riffs and growling and high pitched vocals, not to forget the keyboards, which is the most representative element in your music?

R.G.) I think the real strength of Abysml Grief is the perfect union between all these elements, lead by a personal and very effective use of the right sounds in the right context. Our personality comes mainly from our complete carelessness of musical styles or labels, and our indifference towards trends.

I would say Witchlord is the more psychedelic and with 70s sound track, what do you think?

R.G.) 70’s sound??? Have you ever heard about the black metal band Evol??? I suppose not…

Homework for Hombre Rancio coming… I would like to call the attention also on the work on drums in this album, and good work by Lord Alastair?

R.G.) Yes, I agree with you. Both Lord of Fog at drums and Lord Alastair at bass played a very remarkable performance. As I told you before, this album is probably the most mature of our discography, regarding both the composition and the level of execution. I am very satisfied of their work and the final result.

Any tour dates scheduled for next year?

R.G.) Of course! In May we will start the first Chapter of our European tour, mainly focused on Eastern Europe, while in October we will tour the North-West. Really hope to come to your country because we never played there and we look forward to it!

It would be great news, because such bands as Abysmal Grief are not so often seen in Spain. What are your plans for the future?

R.G.) We already have some new material we’re working on, so maybe something new will be released after the summer or before the end of 2018. But now it’s really too early to talk about it or to make plans. We are just curious to see how this new album will be received by our fans.

Thanks and congratulations for your great new album!

R.G.) Thank you for the interview and support. In Death.