Interview with OBLIVION VORTEX
!!!HEAVY DOOM METAL FROM ITALY!!!
We had a conversation with Andrea (Vocals) & Claudio (Drums). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about OBLIVION VORTEX (Members, Starting Year etc).
Andrea: We are a classic four-piece band, made up of Andrea Marchisio (vocals), Marco Campanati (guitars), Stefano Sofia (bass) and Claudio Rostagno (drums). We are all musicians with a huge musical background, but, quite curiously, none of us had ever played doom metal before. The concept of the band started in 2021, but the line up was defined when I joined in at the beginning of 2023.
You have recently released your EP ''Into Oblivion''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
(A) Honestly, being an independent band and having released our debut EP as a self production, spreading the news is not so easy, notwithstanding our personal backgrounds, but all the people who have listened to it so far, be them doom fans, reviewers, whatever, have expressed enthusiastic opinions about “Into Oblivion”, which helps us finding the will to carry with this project.
Label or DIY and why?
(A) At this starting point, Oblivion Vortex is a self produced band. We mean to use our debut EP as a way of introducing our music, a kind of business card to get ourselves known to labels, promoters, and whatever insider.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
(A) I can’t speak freely without pissing off some people we sometimes we could work with, but sometimes the unprofessionalism of some so-called technicians can reach ridiculous heights... except your performance depends on their work, of course!
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Claudio: Being a good old old school metalhead, I exclusively listen to music on physical format, but I understand people (especially young fans) who enjoy their listening on digital platforms: I think it’s some kind of evolution we can’t avoid...
Your music style is Doom Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
(C) We have a lot of influences, during the composition process we don’t exclusively draw from the doom standards. We obviously have some tastes in common, though, bands such as Candlemass, Black Sabbath, Solitude Aeturnus, Paradise Lost, to name some.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
(A) As cynical as it may sound, in this historical moment a band has to spend a lot of money to emerge. In the saturated underground scene, you are given a “chance” only if you can invest good cash in your activity, money that might or might not come back in return after you’ve played all your cards. On a personal level, the only thing I’ve sacrificed for music was my time (I spent my 30th birthday in a recording studio, to let you understand), but I don’t really consider it as a sacrifice, since making music is what I love the most in my life.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
(A) For Oblivion Vortex, since doom is a very poignant genre, it’s a feeling just as much as it is a musical style, I’d like to make our gigs a visual performance as well, that has to match perfectly with our music. We have some ideas to think about, setting the stage in a more theatrical way, and so on: time will tell if we’ll be able to turn them into reality.
What attributes do you think that a new Doom Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
(C) I am quite certain about this: being a real band! A lot of rehearsing, writing music as a whole, playing and sweating together, with a strong human connection. First of all, we are four friends, we keep each other in high esteem and we back one another up all the time. I strongly affirm this: less PC work and more rehearsals, without mental conditioning, playing what makes you feel fine and satisfies you the most. Everything else will come as a consequence.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Doom Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
(A) Doom is probably the only heavy metal subgenre that never achieved a real commercial success, so I guess it is its destiny (or doom? Hahaha) to remain underground. This will inevitably prevent it from having a great exposure to the fans, who I guess still keep a researcher/pioneer mindset: in this sense, digital platforms are helpful to reach a wider audience. The reverse of the coin, as in any other genre, is a scene that is overpacked with bands, making it harder to emerge among the others.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Italy (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
(A) It’s maybe too early to get to conclusions about the whole scene, but I think there is an emerging interest in our country towards our subgenre; new bands are rising and becoming successful (such as Messa, Ponte del diavolo, ecc...), and new festivals, totally dedicated to the scene, are being organized, so from my point of view things are getting better. I wouldn’t say the same about the fanzines, that seem still interested in more widespread genres.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
(A) I am a fan of some extreme bands, such as Septic Flesh and Rotting Christ, because in my opinion they are capable of bringing fresh ideas into a subgenre that mostly revolves around the same ones: I am not very well aware of the Greek doom scene, though, any names to suggest?
What are your future plans?
(A) We have just begun, so anything has yet to be done to bring Oblivion Vortex to the general attention. We have just released our second lyric video from the EP “Into Oblivion”, and we are busy contacting bands and clubs to book as many gigs as possible (a very important one will be revealed very soon, I hope). And we already wrote enough material to record a full length album... well, maybe two, keeping in mind that doom songs tend to be long, hahaha! But before releasing another self production, our intention is to find out if some label is interested in our music and can come up with a good deal.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
(A) We want to thank you for giving us this opportunity and all the readers of Filthy Dogs of Metal. Follow us on our social pages, and support us by purchasing our music on Bandcamp or contacting us directly: it will mean a lot, and you will help us to keep our band alive and kicking! Doom on and... Get Oblivious!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
OBLIVION VORTEX CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/oblivionvortexdoom
https://www.instagram.com/oblivion_vortex_doom/
https://oblivionvortex.bandcamp.com/album/into-oblivion
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/oblivion-vortex/1752227709