1.Hails please introduce yourselves to the readers?
I am Pablo bass and vocals.
With me is Hector guitars and vocals, and Joe drums and vocals.
2.When did you first discover black and death metal and what is it about these genres that drew you in?
Hector- we grew up in the era when it all started. In the 80s it's what all of our friends listened to. Death metal was better than thrash and black metal was so obscure and unique that it instantly sparked an intrest in our brains. Metal music has always been a part of us.
Pablo- I first heard this style in like 94-95. It was so different from the heavy metal stuff out there. It sounded so relatable to what I was feeling at the time. The first band I ever heard was Sepultura on my friends cassette. I was hooked.
3.Who were the first bands that you discovered? Who are some of the current bands that you are listening to?
Joe- some of the first bands that i discovered in the 80s were iron maiden, venom, merciful fate just to name a few.
Hector- me and Joe were always together and I discovered the same bands Joe did. We were introduced to bands like possessed, and morbid angel together. Right now there are days where we listen to something classic and other days where we listen to something new. It depends on the mood. Nothing in particular though.
4.When did you first meet the other members of the band? And was it long before you all started Bestemmia Aeternalis?
Pablo- I met Joe and Hector in 1997 through a mutual friend we all had. They had their own death metal band together and I had my black metal band with my high school brother Victor. Around 1999 Hector, Joe, Victor and I decided to start writing a few songs together and we felt this was the logical next step for all of us. It sounded different than what we were playing before.
5.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and for the readers who have never heard the bands musical style how would you best describe it?
Joe- I would say influence comes from all different angles. From Deicide to Morgoth and Morbid Angel to Samael, it's an amazing collection of true metal. In a way, all bands have some type of influence whether it's good musical style or if it's something we know we don't want in our music. We each bring our individual music tastes to the table.
6.Forbearance In Opposition is the bands debut full length that was self-released? Do you plan to self release all of your music or would you like to find a label to work with soon?
Hector- we have self released everything we have worked on. We make a select number of prints and we sell them or send them out ourselves to fans, magazines, zines, blogs, you name it we're sending it on our own dime. We don't think we need a label but we've actually been in contact with a few to see how they can help out. Our goal with them is to get the music to the fans that are farther away. It's difficult to do everything on your own to try to keep the price to the fans low. If a suggested label should happen to show interest we entertain the idea and move on from there. But nothing set in stone yet.
7.How long did it take the band to write the music for the debut does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
Joe- It took approximately 1 year to write this album. We don't all live in the same city and it's hard to get together on a regular basis and bring in our submissions. When we do get together we all have ideas, and for the most part Hector and I write most of the music. We show Pablo what we have about halfway through a song and he puts in his own critique, like "make it sound more like this or try the drums like that". In the end it all comes together to make it sound the way we want. It's a formula that works for us.
8.Where does the band draw inspiration for the lyrics and what are some subjects written about on the debut? Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics?
Joe- Hatred and death seem to have attached one another to the lyrical aspect of this album. Also our own life experiences seem to have allowed themselves to have been projected on to this album as well. Believing in ones self and not following the norm is the true form of inspiration. On this album the lyrics came at the same time as the music. Usually it's music first then lyrics after but during the creation of these songs the lyrics flowed out as the rhythms and beats were being created. I think inverted cross was the exception here. Hector wrote from his near death experience on this one and he sang it in unison with blasphemy.
9.If anyone is interested where can they find the Forbearance In Opposition release to buy a copy? Besides this release does the band have any other merchandise available? If yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
Pablo- the physical CD can be purchased through the big cartel site at bestemmiaaeternalis.bigcartel.com/ or by reaching out to one of us on social media. We have shirts, tank tops, battle flags, girly tops, hoodies, stickers and some other cool stuff on there from all the albums. Live shows are also a great place to get the Bestemmia merch fix. All music is on Spotify, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
10.Has Bestemmia Aeternalis gotten the chance to play very many live shows over the years? If yes what have been some of the most memorable shows so far?
Pablo- We played so many live shows when we started. Now these days we limit ourselves to only a handful of live performances a year. We don't like to oversaturate the fans with our presence or they'll get tired of seeing us. For me two shows stand out as being very memorable. We opened for Therion in San Antonio in early 2000s and the other is when we got the news Victor died. We were all on our way, in separate vehicles, to open for Devourment in Houston when we got word he was killed in an "accident" in our home town. Joe took the lead on drums and we asked our good friend Jorge from immortal remains to join us on vocals. We thought that would be a fitting tribute to our fallen brother and it's what he would have wanted.
11.Are their any tours or shows planned in support of the new release? If yes where will the band be playing?
Hector- we're planning something small for this album. Nothing set in stone yet. We're waiting on a response from several promoters and they're waiting on us also to get the ball rolling and at the same time we're also working on new material.
12.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Joe- underground metal to me means freedom to play what you want. It's also a outlet for the trivial and the mundane. Most importantly it's a way of life, it's my life. It's what flows through my veins and it's what gives me the ability to keep on.
13.Bestemmia Aeternalis comes out of Texas black and death metal scene what is your opinion of the scene in Texas over the years?
Hector- The music scene here has always been outstanding. From Amarillo to Harlingen and from Hell Paso to Houston. There's so many bands that are a brotherhood. It is indeed a family. We've watched it grow so much since the 80s and no doubt that social media provided and aid in that growth. There's always the few bands that think they're better than everyone but for the most part I think everyone has at least some admiration for one another.
14.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Texas?Are their any new bands that you feel the readers should check out soon?
Hector- Dallas has a great lineup coming out. They always have great bands. The Rio Grande Valley also has some great bands that are always worth checking out. And Houston never lets me down. There's a show every week in these parts. It's always a good idea to check all of them out. What’s good for me might not be good to you. Don't sleep on any of the bands coming out of these regions. There are groups dedicated to these cities and bands on Facebook like Houston metal scene and Dallas metal scene groups. Texas metal connection also has great band recommendations.
15.Do any of the members currently work with other bands or solo projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
Pablo- we don't work on any other projects. We allot all our time and effort to this band. Any other projects would feel like it would be a distraction from what we are trying to create. We've all been approached by other musicians but we feel it would be a disservice to our fans to not give them 100%.
16.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Pablo- thanks to all the fans and all the people that have given us a review or response on our latest form of art. We appreciate everyone whether it's a good review or a bad review. The music will always live on.
Hector- if you want us to play in city near you reach out to your local promoters and let them know you want us there. Sometimes the promoters don't always know what the fans want to see and hear. So make your voice heard.
Joe- don't forget to check out our merch and if you liked what you heard on this album please let us know on the social media platforms. We read everything and respond if you have questions. Stay true to yourself and always remember to follow the left hand path because it is the one true road.
Bestemmia Aeternalis https://bestemmiaaeternalis.bigcartel.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bestemmiaaeternalis666 https://www.instagram.com/bestemmiaaeternalis/
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