Masterful Magazine - Death Metal and Black Metal Magazine

Hour Of Penance

Wywiad przeprowadził - Wouter Roemers

After two records on Spain's Xtreem Music Italian death metallers Hour Of Penance are set to release their Unique Leader Records debut "The Vile Conception" in late February 2008. Building upon the promise of 2005's "Pageantry For Martyrs" this new album sees Hour Of Penance expanding their compositional range and flexing its technical muscle while setting a new benchmark for the Italian scene to follow. Masterful Magazine caught up with guitarist Giulio Moschini and drummer Mauro Mercurio to talk about the band's latest offering, their new label, the multiple vocalists that have fronted Hour Of Penance and the state of the Italian extreme metal scene. First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time to speak with me today. Congratulations for releasing such a great album! How are things going now? Are you receiving a good response?

Giulio: Thanks a lot Wouter for giving us this chance for talking about our new album "The Vile Conception". Well, technically the album is not released yet (it will be out in late February) but we're already receiving a good response. Before it was recorded, we posted on our MySpace profile some "preview" songs of the new album and the response was definitely huge. People seem really excited for the release of new the album, and this can't make us happier. Receiving a good response means that you have made the right choice that you worked in the right way... That's really satisfying. As "The Vile Conception" will be released we will obviously trying to promote it the best we can, booking some shows in Italy and in Europe as well, and trying to jump on some tours.

Your previous two records, 2003's "Disturbance" and 2005's "Pageantry For Martyrs" were released through Spain's Xtreem Music. This new album "The Vile Conception" comes to us by way of Unique Leader Records. Are you happy the way they handled the record, regarding promotion, distribution and marketing?

Mauro: Xtreem Music has helped us a lot in jumping on the worldwide scene, thanks to his great work in promoting the band. Dave Rotten did a great job. If today Hour of Penance has achieved so many good results it's also thank to him. As for now, Unique Leader is doing great for us: promotion, tour offerings, etc. We could not ask more.

How has Unique Leader Records been accommodating the band's needs?

Giulio: We're totally happy about the way Unique Leader is working for us. When we released "Promo 2007" - since our contract with Xtreem Music expired - we received a lot of offers from many labels, but our decision ended up with Unique Leader Records. Their tradition in keep releasing awesome death metal albums is something that makes the label unique. Erik [Lindmark, label owner] is always ready to help you if you need anything, trying to support you in every way. Signing with them is definitely the best choice we could have done. Be part of the Unique Leader roster is something that makes us really proud.

"The Vile Conception" comes with stunning artwork by the much in demand Par Olofsson. Is the artwork in any way tied to the album's title?

Giulio: Yes, Par is definitely one of the best artists around. We were looking for an impressive artwork, something that could be easily remembered, so we decided to contact him. Nowadays he's working with a lot of bands. Anyway, as you said the artwork is tied to the album's title. The awful woman that is raising the dead child to the sky is the personification of the Mother Earth, while the dead newborn represents our current century already doomed to an inevitable end.

The title has three meanings. The first one is related to our music and to the songs of our new album, music conceived and played in an extreme form. The second one is related to our lyrics. The concept behind the lyrics represents a deep analysis of historical and political events and matters, concerning the causes that are leading humanity to an inevitable end. An anti-Christian meaning. The Vile Conception is the exact contrary of the Immaculate Conception one of the biggest lies in the history of humanity.

Is there an overall theme to this album, or how would you say "The Vile Conception" is different from your other albums?

Giulio: "The Vile Conception" is basically a concept album. We like to describe it as a "death metal manifesto against those who rule the earth through the power of lies and lead humanity to an inevitable end". Lyrics are focused on the negative consequences caused by politic choices and the power of words of the religious association (as the Catholic church, the Muslim church etc.).Since the beginning, Earth is ruled by the dualism between state and church, politics and religion. Both give power to few tyrants to betray and use us in order to achieve their filthy interests. I would say that this is more than an actual theme, considering the enormous numbers of wars on our earth caused by economic interests hidden behind holy words. In some ways "The Vile Conception" is deeply different from our past albums, mainly because Enrico [Schettino] - our old guitar player - used to be the main writer of the lyrics of our past albums.

Is there a particular song that you prefer that you feel really stands out on the new album?

Giulio: I dig our new album a lot. Normally that didn't happen when we released the past two albums. You know, it's hard not to be bored after you work on your own songs, play them before the recordings, recording them and then play them again in your rehearsal room with the band before you start to play them on your shows. Anyway, I love every song on the new album. There's obviously some songs which I like to play more than others as 'Hideously Conceived' and 'Liturgy of Deceivers'. I would say that every song has its own particular driving force. I'm curious to see once the new album will be out what song you will prefer.

Mauro: As Giulio said this time we're totally happy with the new album. We're satisfied with every single song on it. The songwriting was more than meticulous. We have selected only 10 songs of 15 that were written because we wanted the best for this album. If someone asks me "what song you prefer on the new album" I would say "the album!"

It seems that every Hour Of Penance album has a different vocalist. Is Francesco Paoli here to stay?

Giulio: Yeah, you're right we changed a lot of singers. There were some problems with the old singers. Alex [Manco, Necrotorture Agency owner] for example lived too far from Rome, so it was impossible working with him. We've finally found the perfect singer for Hour of Penance in Francesco. Francesco is a great singer. He has a unique style and his approach on the new songs is one of the main features of our new album. I must say also that nowadays it's not easy to find such a dedicated person to the music. With fingers crossed, I can easily say that he will be in the band for a long time.

A special mention must go to drummer Mauro Mercurio, his drumming style is quite something. He seems very inspired by Derek Roddy, Tony Laureano, Tim Yeung, Kevin Tally and the likes?

Mauro: Thanks a lot for your cool words! Being compared to my influences makes me really enthusiast! This time I did my best to improve myself, you will hear my work on the new album! I worked more on every single part of the songs since the drums this time have more presence than before. In the previous albums the drum parts were exclusively based on the structure of the song, while on "The Vile Conception" you will hear some catchy fills and "particular" parts.

Giulio : We're very proud to have Mauro as drummer. I think he's one of the fastest and most precise drummers here in Europe. As you mentioned in the question, he's highly influenced by Tim Yeung, Derek Roddy and George Kollias.

The album was recorded at 16th Cellar Studios with Stefano "Saul" Morabito. This particular studio seems very popular among the Italian underground death metal scene. Is it the only decent, professional studio around for this brand of extreme metal in Italy?

Giulio: I don't know if there are other studios that can be compared to the 16th Cellar Studio here in Italy. Stefano has a particular music background that's basically what makes the studio stand out from the others. Since the beginning Stefano has always worked with metal bands, improving recording by recording. We meet him on a regular basis since we're friends and since we play together in a thrash/death metal band called Eyeconoclast and each time we meet him and we talk about music, he has learned something new recording-wise.

Stefano "Saul" Morabito used to be in Hour Of Penance, if I'm correct. It seems he has built a modest career out of producing death metal in its various forms and incarnations. Is he becoming the Italian answer to famed Tampa, Florida genre producer Scott Burns?

Giulio: Yeah, he used to play with Hour of Penance some years ago. He left the band to focus on his studio. He's getting really famous here in Italy thanks to his works and that is something that he really deserves. Maybe one day he will be better than Scott Burns, who knows? Meanwhile we wish him a big good luck.

In March 2006 Hour Of Penance has been playing shows in Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy with Brazilian storm commando Krisiun. Seeing as how Hour Of Penance takes influences from both the US and the Brazilian scene, it must have been great. Tell us something about that.

Giulio: It was one of our greatest experiences. Touring with such a professional and cool band helped us to grow up a lot. It was of our first real tour, so we had some problems here and there caused by our lack of experience in touring. I can easily affirm that it was something we can't forget. We had a lot of fun with Krisiun. They're really cool guys. Never before seen such dedication to music. They're proof that death metal is not only music but a real way of life.

In our first interview with the band in March 2004 we compared you as being the European answer to American genre acts such as Hate Eternal, Nile and Morbid Angel. With this album you'll surely solidify that reputation. Any thoughts/comments on that?

Mauro: I remember that interview and I was almost shocked! What can I say? This is absolutely great.

Giulio: Thanks a lot for those cool words, man! The bands you mentioned are some of our biggest influences and being compared to those gods is definitely a great compliment! Anyway, I hope the new album will not disappoint you!

Will you be touring Europe in support of this record? Either on your own or as a support to another bigger act?

Giulio: We had already some tour offerings that unfortunately we missed. Unique Leader is doing its best to let us jump on a professional tour to promote the new album. Can't wait for that.

What do you think makes a good death metal song? Is it the speed, the extremity, the catchiness or something entirely different?

Giulio: Nice question. Well, there are lot of factors that make a death metal song a good song. From my experience I can easily say that catchiness is something that every death metal song should have both with a good mixture between music techniques and nice guitar riffing as the fathers of this kind of music (Morbid Angel, for example) teaches. Having the right dose of these features you mentioned in the question is the right way to compose a good death metal song.

What would you say sets you apart from the majority of other death metal bands that are out there?

Mauro: It's all about our new music formula. A violent fast death metal yet technical and catchy, based on a big work behind the songwriting and arrangements. It's not only speed and gore lyrics. I think that also those who are not so much in brutal death metal will like "The Vile Conception".

Giulio: There's loads of bands nowadays based only on extremity. Other based only on their technical ability, which has totally forgotten that they're playing something called music. I think Hour of Penance has still the capability to make good music yet to impress the listener with a right dose of death metal.

How is the death metal underground doing in Italy these days?

Giulio: If you shot me this question some years ago I would have answered you by telling that Italy totally sucks. Finally, I can tell you that we have some good bands here in Italy. To mention a few: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Onirik, Septycal Gorge, Vomit the Soul, Blasphemer, Necrotorture, Putridity, Imposer and Cfa. Anyway, even though we have some nice bands the so-called "scene" is still poor. We don't have venues where to play this kind of music and really few people attending at the shows. Not to mention the overwhelming number of scene kids and emo's... That's the real Italian cancer.

Anything else we might have forgotten to mention? The last words are yours.

Thanks a lot again, Wouter for giving us this chance to promote our new album and for your great words on Hour of Penance. For those who are reading this interview, be sure to check out our new album "The Vile Conception" coming February 2008 on Unique Leader Records and to support Masterful Magazine! Pre-orders of our new album will be posted on www.myspace.com/hourofpenance ! Cheers!

Booking: info@hourofpenance.net
Site: www.hourofpenance.net

Hour Of Penance

Wywiad przeprowadził - Wouter Roemers

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