Argentines Mortuorial Eclipse are a Black Metal act that has just released their 2nd album“Urushdaur”, which is based in a strange secret ancient ritual. Nefass, the band’s vocalist and mentor, presented the new album and their plans to Metal Imperium. Find out all about it.
M.I. - “Urushdaur” is the band’s second full length, released 5 years after the debut "The Aethyrs´Call". Why the long wait?
Our first album was recorded with a completely different line up and between a very intense “Creation Process” of the band. After the CD was released, the band strengthened and developed live what had been recorded. After that we started the composing process and the new album has been ready for a long time ago since 2016. We recorded everything and released a promo track but after some tours we decided to change some tracks and add others so all the album was recorded again in our own studio. In early 2017, it was ready to be mixed and mastered, process that was delayed due some compromises of the engineer, that finally gave us the album in March 2018.
M.I. - “Urushdaur” is a strange secret ritual which consisted in extracting the soul from one body and putting it on another. Why have you used the title “Urushdaur” for the new album?
The ritualistic concept is present in all the tracks of the album. URUSHDAUR is a process where the weakened flesh is left behind to incarnate into a new body and keep the knowledge and wisdom everlasting beyond the doom of mortals. The music of this work is meant to dig in this idea.
M.I. - “The Aethyrs’ Call” was inspired in ancient wisdom and lost cultures and the same happens with “Urushdaur”. Is ancient wisdom and lost cultures an endless source of inspiration?
Personally, I feel very connected with this ancient essence of forgotten cultures, there is a lot to rescue from the depth of time that the propaganda of organized religions and dogmatic dominions enforce to hide.
M.I. - Ever since the debut, Kobal has left the band and Radna and Verin have joined in… has this line-up change affect the band somehow?
Every change affects the band, it´s very challenging and we are so proud of the results as we believe that this kind of moment makes us stronger. Musically the band is at its highest level since the beginning and it doesn’t come easy, it takes a lot of work and effort.
M.I. - On a post on the 10th March, the band wrote “End of a fucking long and agonic process!” How painful and complicated is it recording an album?
As we recorded 100% of the album in our own studio, we spent a lot of time and energy on that, once finished the recording and edition process it was supposed to be released in June last year but the schedule had to be reprogramed and this time kept us really anxious.
M.I. - The album comprises 9 tracks… in your opinion, which one is the most powerful and why?
The Power of “Cult of the Carnal Disarray” Is really overwhelming but tracks like “Secrets of the Revenants” and “In Extremis” have a big dose of fast and strong death metal we all need!
M.I. - Is there a track that kicks in at first listen? One that is very addictive and one has to play it over and over again?
I have this problem with “Arcane Legacy of Astral Numina”, a song composed 100% from keyboard and then arranged by the band. “Ophis Martys” is another track with addictive riffs and a very deep and mesmerizing atmosphere.
M.I. - Who wrote the lyrics this time around?
In general, lyrics are written by me, but in this album there is a huge cooperation of Baal Herith and some songs were mostly written by him, it made the lyrics writing process very fast and organic.
M.I. - You played the track “Ophis Martyr” live for the first time 2 years ago in Russia. Have you changed anything in the track ever since then considering that the recording was done more recently?
The recording sessions happened really close to this tour, all tracks changed after “Southern Stigma Tour” in 2016 in Russia and Europe of over 30 gigs in 36 days, specially Lyrics and Orchestra, It was a brutal experience that made us grow a lot professionally and like a team as well.
M.I. - "Urushdaur" has been produced by Mortuorial Eclipse, recorded at Vermin Studios (Argentina) but was mixed and mastered at Sound Division Studio (Poland) by Arkadiusz "Malta" Malczewski as the previous album. Why cross the Atlantic Ocean and come to Europe to master and mix the album?
The results we obtained with the first work really was beyond our expectation. We knew we could get more and that some things needed to be changed to go beyond, so after trying some studios locally we decided to keep working with the people that have mastered “The Aethyr’s Call” to develop in this line and take our music a step beyond.
M.I. - A new video was released some time ago. Why have you opted for this track in particular?
“Secrets Of The Revenants” video has just been launched. We liked the energy that this track has live so we decided to capture it during the last tours and make a compilation of what the band transmits while it is being performed.
M.I. - “Urushdaur” is already available on several digital platforms… how’s it being received? What are the reactions to it thus far?
We were really surprised with the huge crowd of fans that were waiting for it and we are very thankful, critics let us know that the path was correct and this new album is a very big step in our musical career. As an independent production every choice is very important and we were able to take the time and change everything to our will as many times as we wanted. The South American metal scene is growing day by day and it´s very inspiring and challenging to reach a final product that pushes this barrier beyond!
M.I. - Why have you released the album digitally before the release of the physical format? Do you believe it will help boost sales?
Even though the digital world is upon us, the physical CD is still a strong element in the cycle, fans still await the moment to meet with the hold the material in their hands. Nowadays technology has revolutionized art and the way it is created and promoted, we hardly think that the people who buy our work have first listened to the band somewhere else.
M.I. - The band wrote that this was “An eccentric journey that forced us to explore new ways of composing, a different kind of arrangements, instruments that we´ve never performed before, featured artists and a very ambitious concept that kept us very busy for the last two years.” Tell us more about it all. Who are the featured artists? What instruments are used that you haven’t played before?
We approached some of the compositions in a different way, starting from the orchestra´s concept and adding the “metal band” after that. We have been here for many years and we are very proud of the friendships we bred with artists of many music styles. In this album we found the way to collaborate and integrate traditional instruments such as violin and acoustic guitars with ethnic percussion and santoor for example getting unique results and opening a new dimension in our music.
M.I. - Also the band mentioned that “To achieve our mission the band crossed the limits of Metal and embody into Orchestral and Ethnic music generating a dynamic and mesmerizing inheritor of "The Aethyrs´Call"”. Do you think fans will appreciate this embodiment of orchestral and ethnical elements into Mortuorial Eclipse’s sound?
These elements are used in our style, adding more personality and expanding the album. I’m sure that fans will not be disappointed when, song by song, they´ll find unexpected resolutions and sounds that strengthen the experience.
M.I. - What are you currently listening to, apart from your new album? When you record a new album, do you listen to it non-stop or do you just put it aside because you’re “tired” of it?
We are listening to music constantly, it´s something that really enriches us, especially when we do it with non-metal music. After the release we need some time without hearing the CD to breathe from the composition and recording process. Only after that are we able to enjoy our music again.
M.I. - Mortuorial Eclipse are from Latin America which is considered to have one of the wildest metal crowds in the world. Do you agree?
We felt at home in western Europe, because we found out they have the same hot blood that Latin Americans have. Every place has a very different crowd but the “metal world” is like a big brotherhood, we enjoy and appreciate it really a lot, take our music to the most different places is something that inspires and motivates us. In South America big cities are overloaded with shows as in Europe or main cities in North America, that’s why, for us, playing far from big cities gives better results than in the metropolis.
M.I. - The band has played in Europe, Eastern mainly… are you planning on coming here again to tour?
Of Course! We are working on a tour in central Europe and Iberian Peninsula next year, but that’s a very expensive quest for an Argentinean band in these days when exchange is very harmful for us and the movements must be very well done.
M.I. - Some bands complain about the lack of budget to tour… how do Mortuorial Eclipse tour so much? Help from the label or do you pay for it yourselves?
We carry on by ourselves. Despite the great support and exposition that our label gives us, the money for tour still comes from our pockets, we spend a lot of time and energy to get the resources needed for each tour. Locally is a bit different as promotors make a big effort to move the band but to cross the ocean we need to spend a huge amount of cash. We will never regret this!
M.I. - Are you familiar with the Portuguese underground scene? Would you like playing here?
Not too much beyond the popular ones, only a few of them visited us in Argentina. We definitely need to play in the peninsula; we are working to make it happen next year.
M.I. - When I interviewed the band 5 years ago, Nefass told me that “the mentality of the Argentinian people is not ready for the ideas of extreme music in general, that’s why the scene is growing so slowly here”… have things changed ever since?
At the end we are always the same… people came in and out from the metal scene but the faces that keep working hard haven’t changed. It’s good because those who are onstage really “feel this” but it’s a bit sad that all the potential that bands have cannot be powered by the growing support of a bigger crowd every show.
M.I. - Did you ever think about giving music up? Is it complicated being a musician in Argentina?
Extreme Metal is not an option to survive in our country. If we do this is because we totally enjoy and trust in our material. We cannot give up music, this is what makes us breath every day, we can experiment with others styles and try to find different paths but We Are This.
M.I. - Leave a message for the Portuguese metal fans and readers of Metal Imperium.
For all those hungry beasts reading Metal Imperium “URUSHDAUR” brings fresh meat to raven!
Enjoy and let us know your verdict!
Brutal hug from the southern lands beyond the sea.
NEFASS
For portuguese version click here
Questions by Sónia Fonseca
