The following interview is with the Italian black metal band OPERA IX. If you want some information (biography, discography, news, merchandise etc) then click here! All answers by Flegias...

Interview by Tony      Official Opera IX page here

Hail! Your second album is out now. I think it`s great, are you satisfied with it?

Yes, we are very satisfied. It is surely our best album, better if compared with "The Call of the Wood" first of all for the production : "Sacro Culto" is better recorded and mixed and its sound is more aggressive and persuasive. Then the artwork, ‘cause "S. C." is a digipack. About lyrics there isn’t a big difference between two albums : some songs from "Sacro Culto" are a sort of continuation of "The Call of the Wood". Finally the music : it can’t be summarized in few words, anyway I can tell it sounds more epic and black, but at the same time celtic influences are more frequent and they are emphasized by the use of melodic voice and acoustic instruments (see, for ex., the track "The Naked and the Dance").

You recluted a new keyboardist, can you tell us more about him. Has he played in any other bands, etc...
Lunaris has replaced Triskent, sent away by us for ideological incomprehensions. Lunaris entered the band before the recordings of "Sacro Culto". We have revisited all the songs with him and, in the rehearsal room we had already seen he was the right person: a good musician with a "good" mind: a guy with our same interests and ideas, the most important thing for us! Now the CD is out we are working on some new material. The riffs, the melodies he’s composing are confirming he has been the right choice (even if he hasn’t ever played in other bands) Now OPERA IX have a steady line-up and have great projects for the future.

Is the band playing live? How about coming to scandinavia?
We are playing in Italy in this period. It isn’t a real tour, but two or three dates each months that will employ us till December 98. Shiver records is getting some contacts for a mini tour in November/December, but nothing is sure now. Maybe we will play in Germany, The Netherlands, France but there aren’t any projects for Scandinavia. The fact is that the big tour organizers prefer to work with big labels... but it is not true that all majors have good bands. I think it would be better to consider the band itself. OPERA IX are ready to go abroad (and the live shows on our official videotape confirm this fact) but we need big organizers trust the band.

How is it to play live down there in Italy? A lot of maniacs at the show?
Not so many. Maybe all maniacs go to Norwegian bands’ shows and then they are too tired to come and see us. I mean, Opera IX are a cult band in Italy. We are alive since 1988, people has continued to follow us and the clubs are always full when we play... but it seems bands who come from the North Europe still have monopoly of teen agers’ minds (while we keep the souls of those who know you don’t need to paint your face to play good music!).

What do you think about people coming to concerts and just standing there like corpses? I think if you are going to then it`s fun to headbang and stuff like that...
I don’t like this attitude. Some people say they are completely absorbed and bewitched by our music that they can’t move. This is a compliment but I always prefer action and vitality then static corpses. It is a fact of energy and adrenaline. Anyway I take comfort ‘cause in these last months I saw some foreign bands’ shows and I noticed the situation is the same. It means it doesn’t depend on us.

There are not that many bands around using female vocalist the way you do. How would you feel if it becomes popular and every single band start doing it?
We don’t worry about this! The fact all bands start to have a female singer doesn’t mean all femal singers are able to sing like Cadaveria. She’s unique!

Your album covers are allways great! Who are the girls featured on them?
The girl on the cover of the 1st CD (who isn’t Cadaveria as many have thought) is our personal interpretation of the horned king, half beast and half human, the one who rules the wood and guides natural spirits. The cover of "Sacro Culto" represents the goddes Ishtar. She is naked ‘cause Ishtar is symbol of Truth and truth doesn’t need veils. In the right hand Ishtar offers the cup, symbol of vital procreation, in the left hand she brings the lotus, a flower that born in the dark underwater abyss but that becomes pure when it emerges to the light. Summarising : ex tenebris ad lucem (there is more light in darkness that light in light !).

The Vatican is in Italiy, So I asume there are alot of christians down there. How is it to live there for people like you? Any conflicts or something?

Well, in Italy christianity is something very strong, but I don’t feel it as a great problem: I trust me, I tell what I want, I do what I want, I go right along my way and I don’t care of what christian people think of me, on the contrary, I amuse myself in shocking christian bigots with my behaviour, clothes, pagan or satanic jewels.

Are there any ruins in your location? How do you feel about been itanlian and how do you feel about the italian past. The great Roman empire? I ask you because you know that scandinavians are proud of the vikings, so I was wondering if you feel the same about your ancestors.
All Italy is completely full of ruins, but if in the center and South Italy there are Roman ruins, in my area, North Italy, where I live, there are still some Celtic rests, and Celtic tradition is the one I am mostly interested in. Christianity has tried to destroy Celtism. On ancient Celtic temples they have built christian churches, they have kept Celtis seals and they have transformed them in christian symbols to adore. But fortunately, many people know the true origins of our civility and ancient traditions are still alive in a person like me, who loves to inquire the past and bring to light what is usually forgotten. Romans, who arrived after Celts and went in war against them defeating them, are the well known population of Italian past (above all abroad). It is impossible not to be spellbound by Roman ruins (as I am each time I go to Rome), but you must not forget Italian past is a mix of different populations that were born or occupied Italy (see, for example, the Etruscans). Among all, Celts are the most interesting from the religious point of view: Druids practised True Magic and, also for this reason, I can’t avoid following their way.

What do you think about the scene in Italy? Do you find it interesting? Can you recommend any cool bands?
In Italy there are many growing bands completely unknown abroad ‘cause they haven’t a contract with a label that wants to invest money on them. The underground scene is dominated by the oldest bands like OPERA IX, MORTUARY DRAPE, NECROMASS, NECRODEATH, that after two good albums had disappeared (the drummer had formed SADIST), will surely come back by the end of this year: and this is a very good new! On the other hand, Power Metal seems to become very popular in Italy (with bans like RAPSODY and so on). If I must recomend a band... OPERA IX, obviously

Now I would like to know about the bands future plans...

We hope the projects for the European tour will go in the right way... anyway we will surely prepare new songs for the 3rd album (three tracks are ready). It would be a VERY long album! After its out, another videoclip will be realized. I think "Sacro Culto" is a good product to intruduce us to a major. We have expressely asked a contract to Shiver Records for one album only. So we will soon be free to send the new material to someone bigger, and we will see what happens...

Time to end, any last words?
I want to thank you for this OPERA IX space on Apostasia (not a boring one: you are the first one who doesn’t ask us what "OPERA IX" means!) and all the fans for their support. To end I remind you the address of our official web site http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Balcony/6345/
The power of Evil be with you so that your souls prepare for Darkness call!