So what has been going on with In Tha Umbra lately? What are you guys doing these days and what lurks in the near future?
After the release of our homemade EP 'Pentagramma' we've been playing live on a more or less regular basis. Also we've been writing new songs to be featured in our next album, tentatively titled 'Nigrium Nigrius Nigro'.
Where do you draw inspiration from for the carefully wrought aesthetic ambience that is such a distinct feature of In Tha Umbra?
Even though it is such a complex aesthetic, our music comes natural to us sounding as it sounds... I won't say it is easy for us to write our patterns, as our new songs have been going through quite a long process, but we developed an identity as a band that has surpassed us as individuals. In Tha Umbra has its own aesthetic ambience, which has grown with us, and so it weaves itself into what I personally call 666% Death fucking Metal Art.
Do you consider yourselves to be closer to the Black Metal scene or to the Death Metal scene
(if any)?
I must say that although we always considered ourselves as a Death Metal band, it is hard to draw a concise line between the two genres, but I believe we are even deeper than that, and as I've said in the past, everything good or bad that happens around us is an influence and even though our music will always be harsh, cold, dark and heavy, we are not closed within genres; if anything at all, we are bounded in concepts.
I know you, Br�n, also do a lot of artwork, logos, etc., as seen in http://www.diaboliih.kom.pt
What have you been doing in this front lately? What software do you use?
I've always been into art, and I'm now finishing a degree in Communication Design. I've recently finished the layout for GoldenPyre's �Decrepidemic�, done a couple of logos, and will start a large website for a festival in the near future. Also my work as an artist dwells through 3D modelling, and I'm at the moment working in video editing.
What is your opinion about the scene in Portugal these days as opposed to what it used to be like in the late eighties/early nineties?
I believe it has improved a lot in quality, when talking about musicianship and sound, but I don't agree creativity has been up to that level yet. Of course there are some very good bands in Portugal, and even though I don't like the sound of some bands, I respect them and give credit for their good work. A good musician doesn't make a good writer just for the sake of it, and music is much more than just technique, it has to do with feelings and ambience and concept. I was trying not to focus in the negative part of our national scene, but it disgusts me that it has become almost a clich� that when you criticise or give an opinion about a band, if it is not praising the band, the band members use the ridiculous defense of saying that they are being criticised out of jealousy. I won't go deeper in talking about the scene, as it would take us ages and it would have material enough to write a book about it.
I hear the Algarve scene in particular is alive and well. Is that so? What are your views on this?
I always had that opinion since the early 90's. Not that there are many bands, but for some reason that I don't know, the quality of the bands coming from Algarve has always been quite high. Whether you like the bands or not, you must recognise the writing and performing qualities among most of the bands, and another thing which for me is far more special, there is always an identity to bands coming from Algarve. Just naming a few, Teasanna Satanna, Arachula, Sortilege, Necrokult Of Kronos, the deceased Inhuman, Bellwitch, Fungus, and some others.
Looking back at your old bands, Dark Tales, Sepulchral, Disembowel, Bowelrot... What are your feelings towards each of these projects now? How do you remember those times, what do you most miss about them?
The other day I found myself listening to those old demos, and it is my belief that we did some very interesting things... of course that looking back from now, there are things we would not have done, but in some demos I have the conviction we were a little bit ahead of our time. And it makes me proud to realise that in 1988 I was already playing Death/Black Metal, and although not being mentioned about it [except one issue of Guardians Of Metal zine back those days], we were one of the pioneers of the genre in Portugal. The fact of having the chance to be updated with the Death and Black Metal scene worldwide through its beginning also helped, as while most people here in Portugal were listening to Metallica and Iron Maiden, me and a group of friends had access to Mercyful Fate, Possessed, Slayer, Celtic Frost, since the early 80's.
What bands have you been listening to lately?
I listen to a great variety of music, although most of it goes to the most extreme genres. Well, Morbid Angel, Shining, Opeth, Naglfar, Enslaved, Ulver, Katatonia, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Dark Tranquillity; Mot�rhead, are some of those bands which have a regular airplay in my stereo, but I listen to far too many bands to be mentioning here.
What can we expect from your forthcoming release 'Nigrium Nigrius Nigro'? Do you indeed view it as the final chapter of a trilogy?
As it will make three, it will indeed become a trilogy, as all our albums are some sort of conceptual albums without story... as anything with this band, it is quite complex. But with a fourth album, it will no longer be a trilogy, if you understand me. Musically, and for what the new songs are becoming, I must say that In Tha Umbra has never sounded as progressive and technical as now, but melody and aggressiveness are there, and I have a strong feeling that this will be our most brutal release to date. It is getting shape song by song.
What is your favourite In Tha Umbra Song?
Not that I have indeed a favourite song, there are some songs which we always play live, perhaps as they are the most accomplished songs we've made, but there are many songs that I would like to be playing live... but we can't play them all!!!
Thank you for this interview! Best wishes for In Tha Umbra!
My greetings to your project and for your time dedicated to build something relevant, always count with the support from In Tha Umbra!! Hope I've been informative enough about the band's activities, and we appreciate the interest in our project!!! Hail & Kill!!
BKD.
