I moved to Portugal due to family reasons. I stopped playing drums due to not being able of finding guitar players willing to take this project seriously, and so everyday I play the strings I think that as a musician it's a path to take, and always keep on fighting and evolving! Besides being able to play the songs the way they are!
In the beginning the band was supposed to be a continuation of Seges Findere, keeping the name, wasn't it? Why then did you adopt the name Opus Draconis?
The story goes like this: Strigoi, the mentor of Seges Findere, was looking for a drummer after they recorded a tape with a drum machine. They invited me to join the band, and so I got in with full dedication in 2001. After some problems (Strigoi decided not to go on so that he could finish his studies) I kept on working with the name and spreading the band's sound. The guitar player Wotan presented me as the new drummer of the band, I did a website, I spent money publicising the band, and when we were becoming a well-known name in the underground, Strigoi came back and said he'd go on with the band, and since I was already here in Europe I told him there was no need to spread rumours that I had stolen the band's name! I thanked him for his lack of character and formed Opus Draconis, and all those who supported Seges or not took my side and Seges Findere descended into oblivion while we are getting stronger and stronger inside the scene due to doing an honest work in dedication to Metal!!
How did the decision to make a split CD with Oligarquia from Brazil come up?
Panda and Alex are friends of mine since the time when I was playing in Durst and I shared the stage with the guys several times. They're a big name in the Death Metal scene of Latin America and previously I had always thought about doing something with Panda and now that both our names are doing well in the underground, it's a great time to do a work together and show that there is no place for ridiculous prejudice inside the scene, and that a Death Metal band can do a release with a Black Metal band!! Besides being a work of great friends who don't care about rumours, because we have personality and our unity is not vulnerable to people who have nothing better to do than spread bullshit to divide the scene. Let those who want to believe them.
The Black Metal scene in Brazil was always very strong and characteristic. What do you think about bands such as Sarc�fago or Mystifier and the Brazilian scene in general?
The Brazilian scene is in fact very strong; there are excellent bands, and about Sarc�fago I have no words!! They're a band I carry in my heart!! Despite the fact that in Brazil, as in any other place without exception, there are always people trying to fuck everyone else up, one just has to see how they keep growing!!
Opus Draconis' sound is very raw and aggressive.
I usually compose all the music in Opus Draconis, and we have been getting only great reviews, except for Loud magazine that didn't even mention the music and only the sound quality! Magazines are very used to that very clean sound some bands are doing! Black Metal used to be a dark, extreme and raw sound, with attitude. These days I believe it's being just a way for marketing and merchandise by big labels! Once there wasn't money to be made out of it, now it's just another commercial item; the real philosophy is dead!! For some!
You already started playing live. What gigs did you play? what was the experience like?
We played live twice but the best gig was the one in Santar�m together with Signum. The guitar players made a mistake in the second song 'Disciples of Affliction' and it became a total chaos and everyone loved the show and called us back, it was weird and funny! I believe that in every show we'll gain more stage experience and get to know more bands and the scene in Portugal. We're in touch with very few bands, and some like Lux Ferre and Nephtys we want to see live to clear up some anticipated ideas they created! And to make the Lusitanian underground scene to be recognized and more united because union may change the awareness of the country we're in! Because many people don't know anything about Portugal except for Moonspell and Azagatel.
What do you think about the Portuguese scene? Any bands you particularly like?
We really like the sound of Bleeding Display, Lux Ferre and Filii Nigrantium Infernalium, and we're trying to set up live dates with them except for Lux Ferre; there are still some things going on that we have to solve with them! About the scene I cannot make any comments, but I think it can be more united and that soon with the Opus Draconis gigs everyone may show up and who knows someday play together.
What bands have you been listening to lately?
I've been listening to all that goes on in the underground... like Lux Ferre (Pt), Nigrescent (UK), Detrimentium (UK), Mutilation (FR), Malefactor (BR), the new one by Darkthrone, Besatt among others...
What is going on with the band? What can we expect for the near future?
We are going to release the split CD with Oligarquia, we have two gigs in Barreiro next November but still no certain dates, but we expect as stage brothers My Enchantent and Filii Nigrantium Infernalium and we hope to sign a deal with a new label soon because we believe that Dark Profanation is not going to continue its activity, or so are we being told by the head manager!
Thank you for answering my questions! Good luck for the band!
We thank you for the support and we wish to invite everyone who reads this interview to get in touch with Opus Draconis. To arrange gigs send an e-mail or make a phone call to our manager (Margarida): 914821039 or [email protected]. Opus Draconis new domain is http://www.opusdraconis.cjb.net
