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