Interviews

Devangelic Interview

Our partner Kanlı Teneke Fanzine made interview with Italian Death Metal band DEVANGELIC! Enjoy!

  • Hello Mario! Can you please introduce us your band Devangelic?

Devangelic are a brutal death metal band born in Rome in 2012. Current line up is me (Mario) on guitar, Paolo Chiti (Antropofagus / ex-Putridity) on vocals, Marco Coghe (Posthuman Abomination) on drums and Alessio Pacifici (Dr. Gore / Buffalo Grillz) on bass. We released 2 albums “Resurrection Denied” in 2014 and “Phlegethon” in 2017 both for Comatose Music. Early 2019 we opted for a label change in favor of a better contract and we signed with Willowtip Records for the release of our next 2 albums, 1 of which is Ersetu, that is released on May 15th.

  • In recent year finding a short and hitting name has become too difficult for a band but you have succeeded this. What is the meaning of Devangelic and how did you decide on it?

It was hard at that time because we don’t wanted to have a too simple and superficial name for our new band. After a long search our former bassist, David, proposed the name and I must say that I loved it as soon I’ve heard the sound, is simply perfect; is brutal and philosophical at the same time and goes very well with the concept of the band (past and present). I love single band names as they are simple and easier to remember. Talking about the real meaning I can say that the name comes from the union of two terms “Angelic” and “Devastation”. I think it’s the first time, since our born in 2012, that I’ve been asked the meaning of the word Devangelic!

  • Your third full-length album ‘Ersetu’ will be released on 15th of May with Willowtip Records label. Could you please tell us what has happened in preparation process of the new album? (When were the tracks written, recording and mix completed etc.)

I’ve started to compose the first drafts of the new songs around November 2017, immediately after the release of Phlegethon (October 2017); song after song and after many changes we arrive around September 2018 with more than half of the new album already written (at least as regards the instrumental part), but we felt we needed to change something because the new songs didn’t fully satisfy us. So we decided to keep only some of the parts of the tracks already written and practically rewrite almost everything with a different compositional approach from the usual. After a short break, full of this new compositional spirit and with many new different ideas born Sigils Of Fallen Abominations, practically one of the best songs of Ersetu. That’s why we have chosen that song as the first single because it represents the transition point between the old and the new Devangelic.

Continuing with the composition, rearrangement of the old demos and starting to writing of the lyrics, we arrive in June 2019 with the new complete album. The recordings begin in October 2019 at the Ex Oblivion Studio (Oristano / Italy), where we already recorded the Phlegethon’s drums, with our friend Fabrizio Sanna. Once the drums were completed we recorded guitars, bass and vocals in November, all at the same time at our home studios and then entrusted everything to the expert hands of Stefano Morabito (16th Cellar Studio) in early December. The mixing of the album goes on until early January 2020 when we sent all the mixed tracks to Hertz Studio in Poland for the final mastering.

  • When compared to your past two albums “Resurrection Denied” and “Phlegethon”, we see that Devangelic has evolved a lot and ‘Ersetu’ is certainly your most brutal and mature material to date. When you compare your latest album to the previous two albums how do you evaluate your progress?

Ersetu represents a significant step forward in terms of composition and our first single ”Sigils Of Fallen Abominations” is proof of this as it has already met with considerable success and interest even from those who may not have been a fan of our sounds. When we started thinking about the new album, we knew we wanted something different, more mature and certainly more personal. It was not easy because initially the songs written were totally different from those present on the album today, we almost rewrote everything because we were not completely satisfied and still wanted something more. Stylistically we have inserted new elements; in Ersetu we can find double voices, solos, arpeggios and different solutions both of guitar and drums that we had never used in the past in the previous 2 albums. We also wanted a better and more professional production and it is no coincidence that we opted once again for Stefano Morabito (16th Cellar Studio), with whom we had already worked for our first full length Resurrection Denied (2014). His work on the mix was excellent. Final master was handled by the well-known Hertz Studio in Poland (Decapitated, Behemoth). We are very satisfied with the final result.

  • Your general concept and lyrics has an attitude against Catholicism and Christianity. This attitude should be difficult or even dangerous in a Christianity capital like Italy, is that right?

Well not so much, we started with that topic but for this new album we wanted something different, more mature and personal. The third album usually represents a turning point for a band and therefore we also wanted to opt for something different starting from the main concept. There are tons of bands talking about gore and anti-religious things so we wanted to change also our lyrical direction. I think this concept fix perfectly with the band and we want to deepen the topic with our next releases.

  • Ersetu’s concept is upon Sumerians, who were the roots of divine religions. A voyage in Mesopotamia on Annunaki myth, DNA of extraterrestrials, human slavery, Enki and two of his sons Ningishzidda and Marduk. Can we also hear the concept from you, Mario.

Basically the theory is that the Anunnaki came down to our planet and built their first base in Eridu, an outpost located in the far south of Mesopotamia. The Sumerians tell us that the Anunnaki involved in the arduous excavation work to find the precious gold, after a few tens (of thousands) of Earth years, rebelled and asked to be dispensed. After several attempts to compose what had all the air of being what we would call a real union dispute, ENKI managed to hypothesize and develop an alternative solution that proved to be truly decisive: not only for them, but also for we can say now!

During his stay in that territory, the commander Enki had in fact had the opportunity to observe some small hominids and thought that they could have been suitably transformed and used to replace the Anunnaki, tired and in a constant state of protest and revolt. The Sumerian myth tells that the gods, forced to dig and pile up the earth, complained about their lives and believed Enki to be guilty of their difficult situation.

Thanks to their scientific knowledge, these Anunnaki thus carried out a series of experiments genetically manipulating hominids with the grafting of a portion of their DNA and so  he Homo Sapiens were born.

  • What I heard in the middle of “Sigils of Fallen Aboninations” was sound of Azan, did I hear right?

Yes! I always loved the sounds coming from the minarets and I thought it could be a good element or sample to use for a special part and I think it worked perfectly on that mid part of “Sigils” songs.

  • Ersetu has recalled me Disentomb partly with its sound and especially with its artwork. In fact it is normal, as visual part of the album carries Nick Keller’s signature and he has again done a job in the same way with his previous works. Recently which bands has effected Devangelic?

We wanted to work with Nick Keller since Phlegethon’s era but due for a lower budget at the time, we chosen Ken Sarafin. He made also an amazing piece of art for Phlegethon and we are very happy about the result. Now with our 3rd album ready, with a different label, a new musical style it was time to have a Keller’s masterpiece to complete the visual part of our album. I think the final result talks himself. He worked at this artwork for over 1 year but the wait was totally worth it! I think Disgorge and Disentomb are still two of our main influence in Devangelic but for the new one we opened to different sound influenced mainly by Nile and Hour Of Penance (The Vile Conception / Paradogma era).

  • Vulvectomy, Corpse Fucking Art, Unbirth, Devangelic, Kyterion, Bloodtruth, Hideous Divinity… even if it is not so big, you have a remarkable extreme metal scene, especially in the last 15 years. We would be glad to hear your comments on Italian and Roma metal scene.

Italian metal scene (especially extreme metal like death and brutal) it has had excellent growth in past years, both from a qualitative and international growth point of view. Many death metal bands are now part of international roster of big labels, just think of the Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hideous Divinity, Hour Of Penance, Putridity, Antropofagus, Unbirth, Demiurgon, Bloodtruth and many many others! Even in genres not purely death metal we have important internationally recognized bands such as The Foreshadowing, Stormlord, Novembre, all amazing bands.

  • I know you are acquainted with Batu Cetin from Cenotaph. Even he had shared your first promo track‘Sigils of Fallen Aboninations’ when it was released, you remember. I don’t know if you have friendship between you two but I want to ask if there are major persons from Turkish scene which you are in contact or get to know?

Of course! Batu is a great guy and a friends of us in Devangelic! His bands Cenotaph, Drain Of Impurity and Molested Divinity are amazing and so fucking brutal; he needs all the support from the people because I think he’s a true icon on the turkish metal scene. Well, you have also other great bands over there like Burial Invocation, Decimation and Decaying Purity.

  • My questions are over, thank you for the interview Mario. What do you want to say as interview’s last words?

Thank you so much for the spot! First time on Turkish magazine! What to say, keep following and supporting the band buying our newest record “Ersetu” through Willowtip Records and stay brutal!

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