| 1. How did the band get started? How did you meet
and how long have you been together? Davide: The project Ephel Duath born in february '98. The originary formation was composed by Giuliano (vocals, guitar, synths and programming) and me, Davide, (guitar, synths).We will start our collaboration to put in music the fusion of our different and ambitious sensibilities through a complex union of melody and dissonance using two different guitar's level, synths and a drum machine. In june 2001 Giuliano left the band, and now I collaborate with a human drummer and a bass player jazz-prog addicted and a new singer. 2. How would you describe your music? Davide: At the roots of our project there is the strong will to be out from every movements to be free from the typical restrictions of the musical genres. It will be easy to understand that I prefer to not describe with words our musical style, but, at the same time, I accept every label that people create for us, usually "progressive black metal", "avantagarde metal" or "sperimental black metal". 3. What are your biggest influences? Davide: Emperor has been an influence for the band especially for the first period (98-2000) and it could be noticed in particular in our demo tape Opera. Usually people connect that work with Limbonic Art and Solefald too, but in my opinion it has been Emperor being the main influence, for the use of voice and for the complex guitar lines. Now the band's sounds are really more various: every movements, bands or genre that fasinate us could become an unconscious influence (in this period in particular jazz and the '70 prog). 4. What influence do you think your bands has in music and metal today? Davide:We want to innovate with our music, the sperimentation is basilar for our will to compose: this could be considered the Ephel Duath's contribution to the metal scene. 5. What made you want to be in the band? And if you weren't in the band what would you be doing now? Davide: Creating music is the best way that I've found to fully express my inner feelings. Without my music I think that I would search another way to fuse my sensibility with art, maybe through photography or the cinema. 6. Are any band members in side projects? If so what are they, and explain a little about them. Davide: No there aren't side project. I'm completely concentrated in Ephel Duath's music, in the future, if there will be the occasion, I will be honourated to take part as guest in other band's compositions... 7. How would you feel if a band took their sound from yours and became very well known? Davide: It will be quite strange...I don't know what kind of reaction I would have...Maybe frustration and incomprension... 8. What current bands do you like or respect? Davide: Ulver, Opeth, Katatonia, Diabolicum, Aborym, Void of Silence, Rakoth, Rammstein, Arcturus, Dodheimsgard. 9. How many demos/albums do you have? Tell me about them!! Davide: "Opera" (october '98) is our demo tape. It contains 6 tracks of extreme metal. The basilar presence in this work are the classical atmosphere created by the synths that dominate the compositions. "Phormula" (july 2000 on code666) is our debut full length album. It contains 8 tracks that show our sound in a more experimental way, changing, above all, the approach to the synths sound, more electronic. Guitars are more present and powerful thanks to the insert to bass parts too. "Rephormula" (January 2002 on Elitist/Earache) contain Phormula, two killer remixes and the first three songs of Opera. 10. What demo/album do you like the best? Davide: Every Ephel Duath's work is born in a different period of our life and represent our deeper expression of that precise moment: so you will understand that I can't answer your question... 11. What is the meaning behind the songs? Davide: Our will to create, using spontaneity and an open mind. 12. What are the bands favorite songs? Davide: I'm completely satisfied with every Ephel Duath's song but I think that the fusion between text and music in "Phormula" the more electronic passage of our debut full length has created a really great result: the combination between the more intimate text that I've wrote combined with the more outrageous passage that we've never compose. 13. What does the future hold for the band? Davide: The preproduction of the new album will begin in April, the recording sessions around July, August, so it will be probably be out in November. It will contains 10/11 new songs. The new material is really more and more sperimental, is ambitious rich and more human in the approach. 14. If you could play with any band who would it be and why? Davide: Without doubt: Opeth, they are "the extreme metal band"... 15. Who writes the majority of the music? Davide: Originary Giuliano was the principal composer, now he left the band for personal and musical reason and I compose all the music and words. 16. Who has been the favorite band you've played with and why? Davide: It has been impossible to play live show till now, for technical and economic reasons. Now the line up is right for a live gig and we will start to play around December. 17. Where did you get the band name from? Davide: Ephel Duath is taken from the Tolkien's mythology: it means "Mountain of Shadows." We have choosen this name for its sonority, so mysterious and ancient... 18. Describe what the band is like live? Davide: We will use visual expedient, and we will pose a lot of attention to the partecipation of the public. I can't say anymore at the moment! 19. If you are gonna do any kind of video what would be in it? Davide: We will create a video for "The Embossed" and it will be available around March/April. We will recreate the mood of the Rephormula's artwork, sovery dark images in white/black with a lot of disturbance. It will be ambient in the 1920, and it will create a short and conceptual story. 20. Are there any touring plans made; if so tell me about them? Davide: Probably after the exit of the new album we will start to play in the United Kingdom, in our second time we will start an European Tour. 21. Where do you think the band will be 20 years from now? Davide: Here to compose new songs! |
