DE PROFUNDIS

Interview of Orias Ablivïan (guitars)

After Dark Sanctuary, De Profundis is the new French band signed by an Italy’s label, Nocturnal Music. First contract for the band and we can think they will have the full gratitude that they must obtain. Their first album has really great qualities to be considered like one of the best black-metal band in France.

Q - Could you present De Profundis ? What is your past musical ? I believe you are started in an other band called "Artemis" ?

O. A. : Yes, we have started in 1995 the dark wave, in 1996 I had a band called "Artemis". We did doom/death but with a lot of mistakes... A little time after, "Artemis" is became "Sustain my Misery" and in 1996, "De Profundis"... We are now 5 in the band, me on guitars, Sadneth to vocals, Haborym to drums, AST to the orchestration and Lord Caedes to the bass. Now, I think we won't change the line-up again...

Q - In the beginning, you were only 2 members in De Profundis, you and In Vein, but few times after, new members have joined the band. How have they integrated De Profundis ? Why have you chosen to include others members and not to stay with 2 members ?

O. A. : Absolutly, we were 2 at the beginning and we wanted to make a symphonic doom project but we have realised that it was an stupid and unrealisable idea and we have begun to search for members... Haborym was the first and then Sadneth, AST and Lord Caedes. But there were many musicians who are played in De Profundis. The integration has been very difficult because me and Invein were very implicated by DP and we wanted to make all, all alone, me on compostions and him on lyrics, but we have changed... Then the members have been also implicated rapidly and DP is really birthed. Now, Invein has leaved the band and we are 5. I will never deny Invein because it's with him that I have created DP...

Q - Personally, how do you describe your music ? Many persons called the De Profundis music "orchestral black-metal" or "progressive black-metal". In your opinion, what name do you give to the De Profundis music ?

O. A. : It's a difficult question I think. Because "Orchestral Black" is a good term but too general and we don't think that we do true black metal like Burzum or the first Emperor. It's so simple to qualify a band as "Black Metal" but I like the term "Orchestral". I think that we could say "Orchestral & Progressive Black". I think it's the best choice... Even if there are many ambients tracks on our album... Anyway, guys who listen to true black metal will say that DP is an ambient project, and guys who listened to ambiant will say that DP is a black metal band!! Really, I think that the best term is "Orchestral Progressive Black"

Q - As we said, your music is very influenced by the theatre music (with the use of the keyboards) and the more actual black-metal music. What are the bands who influenced De Profundis ?

O. A. : At the beginning, we were influenced by bands like Limbonic Art, Emperor, Gehenna... But actually, (even if we still like those bands..) we are influenced by different things. Personnaly, I love the ambients bands like Raison d'Etre, Arcana... My keyboard player also. I am the only composer and I think my influences reflects on DP. But, to answer to your question, I could say that we haven't any influences by the actual black metal scene because we don't listen to it anymore... We think that there are too many bands which copy the others and it's a bad thing so we try to get our own influences from our imagination, our dreams, our nightmares... We don't like the actual bands which mixing electro and black metal. This marriage had to stopped after one or two bands, but now there is all the black metal scene which wants to play this kind of music, I think that only "Arcturus" has made an original project with it "Masquerade Infernale"...

Q - In May 1999, you have released your first demo CD very good appreciated in the French underground. What have been the reactions of "Severence" ? What has it brought to De Profundis ?

O. A. : "Severence" has been our first release and there were many mistakes, on compositions and on production. But I think that when we have released this demo, the black metal scene was growing up and and it was great that a young french band releases a black metal demo. We don't think that it is a great first release but it was our beginning and we are proud of it anyway!!

Q - One year after that is to say, now you will release your first full studio album "Siècle Des Cendres". Could you present us your first album ? What do you wait about it ?

O. A. : It's our first album and we have tried to make our best even if the time has been our worst enemy... I think it's a great release and I hope that the black-ambiant-dark fans will love it because on this album, there are all our feeling, all our hate, all our pain, all our oblivion... When I have composed the songs of "Le Siècle des Cendres", I was very crazy, in a total depression and now, when I'm listenning to the album, I can feel thy pain... I hope that at least one person will feel this thought...Lyrics are composed by Sadneth, and I remember that it was very difficult for him to tell what he had on his heart... This album has a special concept for us and which is to be discovered... For information, the total playing time of it is 66,6 mns!!! Please contact our label if you have something to say against that!!!

Q - What has been your musical progression between your 2 demos and "Siècle Des Cendres" ? How have you evolved ?

O. A. : Absolutly, we have grew up, we have learnt a lot about our life, about our musical aspects...I think that the album represents now our life, our religion... "Severence" and "The Winter of Oblivions & Pain" were a little too influenced by our musical visions. The album is influenced by ourselves now. I think that we have evolved because we have used our feelings and all our pain to make our compostions and we had very implicated on our works. Personnaly, I'm always working for new songs, I am constantly playing guitar and music is my life and surely my Death... I am sure that we will make better on our next album because the new songs are more "doom", more depressive and more worked again.

Q - For the moment, I think the cover isn't available. Could you tell us more about it ?

O. A. : Yes, it is "Peppe", the wonderful designer of Nocturnal who is designing our cover. He has shown us an example and we are very satisfied of his work. The cover will represent an angel who is dying, killed by the war of religions. It's exactly the concept of "Le Siècle des Cendres"... It means that it's better to die than facing the ideas of the Gods and to live again a century of ashes... We are fascinated by the Death, we are sure that it's a beginning of a new existence, a new world...

Q - Your lyrics seem to be influenced by the darkness... Could you tell us more about it ? What are the things which influenced you for the compositions of the lyrics ?

O. A. : Personnaly, I don't write, only a few lines on severals songs, but I am very interested by the lyrics of the album. As I said on the last question, there is a special concept about the war of religions. I think that Sadneth is influenced by the dark side of the Christianism, the Satanism... We won't tell our religion but we make a story about all of its. But I think that you should listened to the album to understand...

Q - We notice the album's title is in French language "Siècle Des Cendres". Why a such choice ? For those who don't speak French, could you explain the signification of the title ?

O. A. : We have prefered to write a french title because it's our own language and the lyrics are for the most in french also. We like this language and we found that the english wasn't appropriated to our concept. About the title, it's a good representation of our lyrics. For us, we have lived until now centuries of ashes, of pain... due to the religions.

Q - "Siècle Des Cendres" will be released by the Italian label Nocturnal Music. How have you contacted the label and how have they reacted to your music ? Don't you think it will have more easy for you to sign on a French label ?

O. A. : We have been contacted by NM in the beginning of December 99 because our first releases were great for their. Last year, I worked at Season of Mist and I didn't want to be signed on a french label because a lot of people said that it was too easy for me... I wanted to be signed for our music and not because I worked at SoM!!! I think that NM is a good label and an honest label also...

Q - After many years, the French bands start to be sign by foreign labels, I think to Gurkkhas (Massacre Records), Dark Sanctuary (Avantgarde Music), Penumbra, Forbidden Site... How have you seen the evolution of the French extreme scene ? In your opinion, in the past, what are the reasons for which the foreign labels don't sign French bands ?

O. A. : I think that people waked up those last years and have seen the evolution of the french metal bands. Now, you haven't to come from Norway to be a great black metal band. For example, Seth is for us a very great band, and Dark Santuary also. Forbidden Site is one of the best dark / poetic band and their style is very special... It is a good thing that french metal is so rich because we have there many good musicians. Anyway, France is a country where there are many stupid bands which are believing that it's easy to grow up, that you have to copy an another great band to go on... Fuck, it's not the truth, we don't make pop-rock, if you copy anyone, you will be killed in one hour and your name will be buried 'til the end of time. Black metal is a difficult law and it's a good thing. That shows that the bands which succeed to grow up from the underground are really good bands.

Q - What are the future of De Profundis after the release of "Le Siècle Des Cendres" ?

O. A. : We hope to release a great second album. I think we will record it on December because we have already finished songs. I don't know where we will be signed for it, I don't know if we will re-signed for NM. We will see. For the moment, we have to make the promotion of our album by playing on gigs, festivals... For information, we will play on Switzerland with EnigmatiK and Yyrkoon the 31st of June and the 1st of July and with Undertakers and maybe Let Me Dream on August in Italy. It's projected that we will play in a belgium festival on September and in Finland on October. For the moment, we're still playing in France.

Q - Set the last words....

O. A. : I hope that guys will listened to our album will understand the meaning of our thoughts... I would to say also that De Profundis rejects any political and satanic connections. Thanx to the Dark Wave's readers and thanx to Fabrice also... Bye