The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

As Spiritual Deception gears up for the release of "Semitae Mentis," the band takes us on a journey through the album's creation, featuring insights on collaborations, thematic depth, musical evolution, and future plans.

1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of "Semitae Mentis"! Can you share the inspiration and creative process behind this full-length album, especially considering the guest contributions by Karl Sanders (Nile) and Luc Lemay (Gorguts)?

"Semitae Mentis" was written over an extended period and after numerous lineup changes. The band's stability was found with the EP Oxymoron, from which we began to define our sound, shaping it into what it is today: a modern and melodic yet technical and brutal death metal. The writing of "Semitae Mentis" began in 2018, continued in 2019, but was put on hold with the arrival of Covid19. We couldn't record and finish the album as we wanted, so we limited ourselves to releasing the EP Oxymoron, which was easier to manage remotely. The global standstill of the pandemic gave us the chance to revisit what had been written and refine the songs. From that point on, in 2022, we finalized our first full-length album, "Semitae Mentis." We entered the studio in August 2022 and concluded the recordings in late 2023. The album was ready in February 2023.

Within a few months, we were fortunate to have found two labels of the caliber of Amputated Vein Records, for physical distribution, and Earache Records Digital Distribution for the album release.

During a tour in Italy with Nile, we were lucky to meet Karl Sanders in person, who then agreed to collaborate on our song "Thousand Lives Within." Considering the song's sound, Karl was the perfect guest. The track draws inspiration from Borges' story "The Immortal," where the first half is set in the Middle East and we wanted to recreate those sounds. Sanders was fundamental because, besides singing, he contributed by playing the Baglama in the final part of the song.

As for Luc Lemay in "Dirac Sea," there was a different approach. When we wrote the intro to this song, we had no doubts that Luc could be the perfect guest. The intro of this track recalls some of the atmospheres that Gorguts have crafted in their recent songs. So, I tried to contact Luc, who promptly responded and expressed his full willingness to participate in this song. Once the song was mixed, we sent it to Luc, who was very happy with the result! We are also euphoric and can't wait to share "Dirac Sea" with the world. We take this opportunity to thank our guests once again!

2. "Semitae Mentis" marks a significant progression in your sound. How would you describe the evolution of Spiritual Deception from your earlier EPs to this album?

As previously mentioned, in the past works, the lineup of Spiritual Deception was never stable. It was only with Oxymoron that we managed to solidify it. We can even say that Spiritual Deception truly begins from this EP: in fact, Oxymoron can be considered a kind of "raw product" of Semitae Mentis and quite different from the two EPs preceding it. Semitae Mentis further develops the sounds already explored in Oxymoron and takes them to a higher technical and compositional level.

3. The album's tracklisting suggests a thematic connection with the concept of decadence. Could you elaborate on the overarching theme and narrative that runs through the songs, particularly the "Decadence" series?

"Semitae Mentis" is Latin and literally translates to "the paths of the mind"; all the songs contained in the album indeed deal with philosophy, history, literature, and/or science, which are the highest products of the human intellect. Semitae Mentis is a tribute to the disciplines developed by mankind over the centuries, in their purest and most disinterested form.

The DECADENCE series is a meta-concept within the album. We aimed to address the process of decay from different perspectives. In "The I Swells," the focus is on the interiority of the self, on the selfishness of the individual that inexorably leads to destruction and self-destruction. In "Atavic Future" and "The Days of Sleep," we imagined the decline of human society, describing in "Atavic Future" what could be the remains of our society once destroyed, and in "The Days of Sleep," the possible causes of this destruction.

In "To the Coldest Decline," we wanted to expand the viewpoint as much as possible; we started from a physical theory (the heat death of the universe) to envision and describe what could happen at the "death" of the entire universe billions of years from now.


4. Spiritual Deception is known for its blend of atmospheric, technical, and brutal death metal. How do you navigate these diverse influences to maintain a cohesive musical identity?

To maintain coherence in composition, we always follow the same process. Each of us has different musical influences and skills, which helps us bring diverse nuances to our songs. For instance, Mirko is influenced by death/core/slam, Manuel by black metal, I, Riccardo, lean towards technical/progressive, while Billy prefers death old school.

Typically, Mirko and I do the initial writing, and then, depending on the type of song we aim to create, whoever is more attuned to that particular sound will take charge, ensuring a solid song structure. Once the structure is defined, we rehearse it in the practice room.

5. Your band name is rooted in a philosophical concept from Søren Kierkegaard. How does this philosophy influence your approach to songwriting and the themes explored in your music?

We're very passionate about philosophy and literature, and often, we address themes related to them, albeit never too explicitly or in excessive detail. We enjoy paraphrasing and drawing parallels with reality, adding a tangible touch to disciplines that the audience might perceive as abstract but are, in fact, very concrete. As a general approach to our songwriting, we aim to spark an interest in the listener regarding a particular theme, so that they are encouraged to delve deeper into the subject on their own. In our own small way, we want to serve as a stimulus for knowledge in a society that seems to have forgotten its importance.

6. The album covers themes of philosophy, astronomy, history, and literature. How do these diverse subjects contribute to the overall message you aim to convey through your music?

As mentioned in the response to the previous question, we strive to make culture in general one of our core values! Therefore, we constantly seek common ground among these different overarching themes.

7. Can you share your experiences working with renowned figures like Karl Sanders and Luc Lemay on "Thousand Lives Within" and "Dirac Sea," respectively? How did these collaborations come about, and how did they impact the creative process?

I think I may have inadvertently answered that in point 1 :’)

8. As an atmospheric death metal band, how do you translate the complexity of your music into a captivating live performance? What can fans expect from a Spiritual Deception concert?

In recent years, we've placed a lot of emphasis on enhancing the quality of our live performances, both in terms of stage presence and execution. We've invested significantly in upgrading our equipment, and when circumstances allow, we plan to add a sound engineer to our team. Looking ahead, we'd like to handle our lighting and tailor it to our live shows. Given the scope of the project, this isn't something we can achieve in the short term, but we're confident that we'll be able to accomplish this goal in due course.

9. Since 2016, Spiritual Deception has been shaping its sound. What challenges and triumphs have you encountered along the way, and how have they contributed to your growth as a band?

With each release, we've realized technical, compositional, or production errors that have helped us "fine-tune" the path we wanted to pursue. Simultaneously, we've become aware of the strengths of our songs and their performance, both live and in the studio. We've actively worked to rectify the former and emphasize the latter. I believe that with Semitae Mentis, we've reached a good point. This is the standard we aim to maintain going forward, always striving to improve.

10. Your music often delves into melodic elements, from guitar harmonies to liturgical choirs. How do you balance the brutality of death metal with these more intricate and melodic aspects?

All the members of Spiritual Deception love death metal, or else we wouldn't be here. However, over the years, both as musicians and especially as listeners, we've realized that the songs that stick with most people are the ones with a melody... You know, the ones you sing in the shower ;’). This peculiarity is a bit contrary to death metal, which by definition is brutal, technical, and fast; conceived initially as the 'antithesis' of the melody intended as that catchy tune you sing in the shower. Nevertheless, several bands throughout history have developed the melodic aspect in their songs while maintaining the brutality characteristic of death metal. We too decided to embrace this aspect while staying true to the genre's roots. So, it's not uncommon to find in our compositions fast and chaotic sections accompanied or overlaid with melodic breaks, without, however, veering into a genre definable as 'melodic'.

11. With the release date approaching, what are your expectations for "Semitae Mentis," and how do you hope listeners will connect with the album?

Given the effort and work we've put into this album, our expectations are high because we believe we've created a good product. With two singles released, the feedback from listeners so far confirms what we hoped for, and we're very pleased about it. Several months remain until the release, and during this time, we hope that the excitement continues to grow.

Regarding connection, as in engaging with the album from the listener's perspective, we always hope that people are encouraged to buy the CD and all the merchandise related to it. Unfortunately, we're aware of the current times, and we know very well that purchasing CDs is becoming increasingly rare. Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and YouTube are the main sources of listening and promotion for bands and we're aware of this trend, so we actively push our presence on these platforms to reach as many people digitally as possible.

We'd like to take this opportunity to tell our listeners that what truly supports a band is attending their live shows and buying their CDs and merchandise. This is the real support that a band receives from you to continue making the music you enjoy and thus entertain you at live performances. Without this help there wouldn’t be any, probably.


12. Looking ahead, what are the future plans for Spiritual Deception? Any upcoming tours, collaborations, or new projects on the horizon?

We're currently heavily focused on the album release. We're organizing tours and live shows in Europe and, as soon as we have confirmed dates, you'll see them on our social media. The first announcements shouldn't be too far off. We're eager to perform live because in recent years, between the pandemic and being confined to the studio recording the album, we've had little time for live performances. We'd like to dedicate the coming year solely to playing and promoting this album; we want to understand what the public thinks of this album. People's feedback is crucial to us because it will help us understand how to shape our future work.

 Homepage - Spiritual Deception - Official Website (spiritualdeceptionband.com)

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