Interview with Fornace done by Patrick
1.Hails how are things going in Italy this week?Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Hell¥o! Possessed here! I'm the founder and only original member of Fornace.
Beyond appearances and common places the north of Italy where I live is really a sad place with sad people this week as always!
2.When did you first discover black metal and who were the first bands you listened to? Who are some of your current favorite bands that you listen to?
It was 1996 and a compilation tribute to Venom was my first impact with black metal even if I listened heavy and thrash since 1993 you know classics stuff like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth..then my interest focused on extreme bands and an album like "Morbid visions" by Sepultura changed my life and I went totally crazy..Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Bathory, Possessed suddenly became my daily bread.
Some months later I discover norvegian black metal with album like "Battles in the north" by Immortal and "Filosofem" by Burzum: these was my firsts album..
During the years I kept listening and discovering extreme bands (they were other times, internet did not exist..)
Currently I consider the best of what I could hear bands like Mgla, Peste Noire, Baptism, Forgotten woods, Joyless, Denial of God, Amezarak, Sargeist, Horna, Sacrilegium, Mutiilation, old Katatonia..
3. Fornace was started in 2000 when did you first get the idea to start this band?How did you choose the name Fornace for the bands name?
To be honest my first drummer/vocalist Gnoll has the idea to create an extreme band..we were close friends and I started to play after him just to form Fornace! I always like Fornace in itself, moreover near our first rehearsal room (Gnoll's house) there is a beautiful Fornace (the artwork of our third demo "The awakening..) so the choice of the name was a must!
4.How would you say the bands musicial style has changed over the years since the beginning?Who would you say are Fornace's biggest influences?
Yes, I know we aren't the same band of the beginning and not just because line up changes but basically because life changes: much anger turns into melancholy, into awareness, there is a need for solitude, of refinement and this you can hear in our last 2 albums especially...what has not changed is the spirit and the purpose of Fornace: create inspire quality music able to satisfy us.
About influences I could say hellenic black metal in our demo era, and finnish black metal for our last 2 albums..but everything you listen influenced you.
5.Deep Melancholic Wrath is the bands third full length release how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
Not so much time, when we have the ideas or riffs they come automatically, maybe some arrangements or third guitars lines needs more time but the base s really direct. What made us waste time (as always) is some line up problems and all about sounds in studio: we are never satisfied and we want to take care of every detail.
6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics for the music and what are some topics written about on the new release Deep Melancholic Wrath?
Me and Sadomaster, topics deals with introspective thoughts, the passage of time, memories and depression..nothing new but everything real and lived!
7.Are the bands previous releases still availible to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise availible if yes what is availible and where can the readers buy it?
Yes I still have copies of our "Pregnant is the night" album, especially Autodafe edition and few copies of "My journey is ending but the torment will be eternal"
The 3 demo tape are (of course) sold out. If someone is interested in ours albums (trade are welcome) can contact me at robertoiviglia@gmail.com or ask to our label Paragon records.
8.Has Fornace played very many live shows over the years or do you prefer working in the studio?If yes what have been some of the bands most memorable shows?
During the 2009/2011 we were a live band and we had many shows, some of them with bands like Taake, Azaghal and I have beautiful memories of all shows we had, but when line up problems arrives it's a waste of time to start over again, even the live situation in Italy is scandalous too so I decided to dedicate Fornace to "studio". Currently we have a new drummer (Stefano) so I want to write new songs, I cannot waste my time: when you have good line up you have to get the best out of it! Shows pass but the albums remain!
9.Are their any shows or tours planned in support of Deep Melancholic Wrath? if yes where will the band be playing and who are some bands you will be sharing the stage with?
See the answer above :)
10.I know over the last few years alot of underground metal bands have been making videos for some of their songs.Is this something you and the band have ever thought of doing? If you had the opportunity to make a video for any song off the new release which song would you like to see made into a video?
We live in a period in which there is a desperate need to be noticed, even before understanding if anyone is interested. They want to seem important, famous and even "influence" the choices of others.
Luckily I belong to another generation where support and respect earned it with sweat, with fatigue, with obstinacy and passion. The videos I saw when I was a kid were from seminal, historical bands: they were not bands who wanted to become famous because they already were..this fashion of making videos, being "social" does not belong to the underground spirit and many bands that belong to this circuit are not worthy of being part of the underground because they are the first ones that would not want to be part of it with their attitude.
11.Fornace comes out of the Italian black metal metal scene what is your opinion of Italy's black metal scene over the years?
I'd say Fornace comes out of Italy..I don't know what you mean for "scene" but this word for me it means cooperation with bands, sector employees and this is utopia in the scale of a nation, it could exist some little reality but it's not enough to talk of a scene...
What I often see are some usual bands (rather useless) play in important festival or bands that play for paying..it's really sad!
There are valid bands but they do not always have the attention they deserve.
Returning to your question I noticed how fewer people go to concerts even for important black metal bands and how the interest has decreased compared to 15/20 years ago; there is consequently a decline of pubs, that organize black metal show. This is a consequence of the internet age: people can watch concerts, listen to music comfortably at home so it comes without the magic of the past, in Italy as in the world.
12.Who are your all-time favorite Italian bands and are their any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
To be honest I haven't some "all time favourite italian bands" but I recognize we have very important and cult bands that I really appreciate like Mortuary Drape, Necromass, old Necrodeath, Death ss..during the 2000/2010 also came out some interesting and underground black metal bands but the only name I can do (not only for the immense value but also because I played there) is Movimento d' Avanguardia Ermetico.
13.What does black metal mean to you?
Beyond a fantastic kind of music where darkness, melancholy, introspection, epicity coexist, black metal is individualism, is being a wolf among the sheep, is awareness of own's destiny, is wisdom, is elitism.
For sure is not facebook, is not twitter, is not "social"..fuck off!
14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thanks to you for your interest and I apologize for delay..we are writing new killer songs for next album so maybe we'll talk again..stay evil & underground!
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