1.Hello Mario how are things going in Italy these days? Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Ciao Patrick grazie per avermi qui per questa intervista. Qui Mario chitarrista dei Devangelic da Roma/Italia.
Things are going great. We’re about to release our new album "XUL" so me and my band mates are busy with the release, promotion, practicing for the upcoming live gigs. We’re excited to release this record and we are very proud of it!
Can't wait to read the feedback of our friends and supporter.
2.When did you first discover brutal death metal and what is it about this style of metal that you love so much?
I started listening to metal in genrale in the mid-90s when I was at school.
My first Death Metal album was Vile from Cannibal Corpse and I still remember the reaction haha It was like "wow, what the hell I'm listening here? It's totally insane! Love it!". Then I've started to have interest and discover new extreme underground bands, especially brutal death bands, like Putrilage, Disgorge, Amputated Genitals, Cenotaph and tons more!
I like death metal for the extreme atmosphere, the brutal vocals on it, the intricate guitar riffs; I think Death Metal is the best genre in Metal, is like a slap on the face.
3.Who were the first bands that you discovered and who are some current bands that has caught your attention?
First bands which I've listened when I was young at school was Metallica, Sepultura and Cannibal Corpse as I wrote before and year after year has been a continue discovery of new incredible bands underground and not.
The quantity of the new bands nowadays in incalculable,it's really difficult to be able to listen to everything that comes out every day on the various record labels and social platforms. Some of the current extreme bands I'm listening on repeat are An Abstract Illusion, Mithridatum, Antropofagus, Hath.
4.Devangelic was formed in 2012 what gave you all the idea to start this band? Are you all satisfied with how things have progressed over the years with the band?
The idea of forming a new brutal death metal band came together with our former bassist David, when we were touring the USA with our other old project Coprophiliac. When we came back from the tour, around September 2012 we started writing the first 2 songs which then became our first promo released in November of the same year. We wanted to create something brutal, a bit unusual at the time for the city of Rome. In our city Hour Of Penance had already existed for several years, but stylistically they were already more refined, we wanted to create something truly brutal with Disgorge, Condemned influences and let's say that at least our first 2 albums (Resurrection Denied and Phlegethon) fully reflect that desire. Anyway I think that album after album the progression on the songwriting has definitely been more and more mature up to Xul, which we think is our best album.
5.What is the current line up of the band?
The current lineup is the same as our previous album Ersetu.
It is composed by Paolo Chiti on vocals, me on guitar, Alessio Pacifici on bass and Marco Coghe on drums.
6.XUL is the bands fourth full length to date how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?
How long does it usually take the band to complete one song?
I started to compose the first drafts of the songs around March 2020 when our previous album Ersetu was not released yet. I had very clear what I wanted with the new album and where to go. The writing process lasted about a couple of years between music, lyrics and various arrangements, everything went very smoothly and natural. To write a song depends on several factors, you can have ideas all together that allow you to have a song written in a few days or it can even last a few months to have a song ready.
7.How would you say Devangelic's music has changed over the years and releases? Who would you say are the bands biggest influences?
The band was born in 2012 and in these 11 years of activity our style has changed a lot album after album. At the beginning of our activity we were more oriented towards sounds like Disgorge, Condemned, Disentomb but over the years, as we also matured from a musical point of view, we had a natural evolution towards a more classic Death Metal, certainly always brutal but more mature stylistically. Let's say that with Xul the "new" musical direction of Devangelic seems to go towards typical sounds of Nile, Hate Eternal, Hour Of Penance.
8.What have been some of the bands most memorable shows and tours over the years? Who are some of your favorite bands to share the stage with? Have you all had the opportunity to play outside of Italy?
We are not a touring band but we had great memories from what we did in the past. Almost all of our past shows and tours were outside Italy, it seems strange and absurd but it is true haha, in Italy we played very few and limited events. The most exciting experience till now for us is the long trip to Indonesia to play the Hellprint Day in Bandung supporting Dying Fetus. It was insane to playing that huge stage in front of thousands people. About the tour I remember with pleasure our first European tour back in 2014 with Antropofagus and Bloodtruth, it was extremely funny also because we were all friends on the same tour.If I could choose a band to tour would be surely Cannibal Corpse, would be a dream comes true for me.
9.Are there any upcoming tours or shows planned in support of XUL? If yes where are will the band be playing?
The first live support to Xul will be in May in Colombia at the Bogota Grind Death Fest haha incredible!
However we already have some confirmed dates in Italy, in August we will be at Deathfeast Open Air in Germany, furthermore our current Booking (Grave Sin Bookings) is working on our European tour towards September; we will announce the dates and the related cities shortly. Our intention is to promote Xul as much as possible also considering that our previous album Ersetu has not been played live at all, due to covid.
10.What is your opinion of Italy's brutal death metal scene over the years?
In Italy brutal death metal had golden years mainly around 2004 and 2015, there was a long span of time in which from North to South there were really interesting bands, from Septycal Gorge to Exhumer, from Blasphemer to Deadlystrain just to name a few. Today in 2023 many of these bands are unfortunately no longer active but some still continue the activity and their musical ascent. Currently, Hour Of Penance, Antropofagus, Hideous Divinity, Blasphemer continue their studio or live activity, also releasing albums for major record labels such as Century Media, Agonia Records, Candlelight Records. Then we certainly have several new realities to discover.
11.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Italy and are there any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
I can definitely recommend the following bands Antropofagus, Hour Of Penance, Hideous Divinity, Electrocution, Corpsefucking Art, Ade, Demiurgon, Bloodtruth, Vomit The Soul, Posthuman Abomination, Patristic, Golem Of Gore.
12.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
I understand the underground as a stylistic approach free from the schemes and "rules" imposed by the mainstream music market, more genuine and let's say even natural. In the underground there can be much more real support both among the bands and among the listeners, there is often an almost obsessive search for the unknown band and this is surely the best part because there is a real interest in the research and in the I listen.
3.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Going out with friends, travel, read books.
14.Thank you Mario for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thank you so much for this interview! Be ready for XUL which comes out 7th April via Willowtip Records and see you around! Devangelic https://www.devangelic.com/ https://devangelic.bandcamp.com/music https://www.facebook.com/devangelic.official https://twitter.com/devangelicitdm https://www.instagram.com/devangelic.official/ WillowTip Rec. http://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx https://willowtip.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/willowtip https://twitter.com/willowtip https://www.instagram.com/willowtiprecords/
