We got to speak with Italian death doom metal band Burial!
MPM: First off, it’s my pleasure in doing this interview. Secondly, those unaware of who you are could you introduce yourself and your contributions to Burial?
B: It’s also a pleasure for me to take part in this cool interview! I’m Leonardo, guitarist from the band Burial and other bands like Coexistence, Vexovoid and Haphazard
MPM: Inner Gateways to the Slumbering Equilibrium at the Center of Cosmos is scheduled to be released on the 29th of October and is the debut full-length by the band. Could you go over the writing process and how the album title came about?
B: The writing process of the album was started right after the pandemic hit the world and this allowed us to concentrate more on every detail of the record.
We’ve try to introduce more doomy and athmospheric elements and blend it with our previous style, more focussed on the swedish and finnish death metal
Regarding the name of the album, it’s the core concept of the last track. “Inner” is a take on a key character from the Lovecraftian pantheon. But I suggest to read the lyrics and get your conclusions, it’s funnier that way!
MPM: Burial is signed with Everlasting Spew Records specializing in death metal and other subgenres. How does it feel being apart of a label like Everlasting Spew Records and how has the chemistry been since joining?
B: Being part of the Everlasting Spew roster is really insane, there are a lot of valid bands and the label works really hard for every release, investing money and promoting them in any way possible! I’m a friend of Tito from way back before the deal, he’s also worked with my other band Coexistence and I already know how he and Giorgio work, so it was knida natural to ask them if they were interested on new Burial material. We’re extremelly happy to work with them for this record and hopefully for more than this one!
MPM: The band is residing from Italy and been around making music since 2012. And Italy is one of my favorite countries when it comes to extreme metal. How does it feel being apart of the best bands from the country ranging anywhere from Fleshgod Apocalypse, Lacuna Coil, Hour Of Penance, Devangelic and many more?
B: It’s like being part of a very big and talented family, we try to support each other as much as we can. I don’t really think we’re among the best but surely we’re cutting our little space in the scene, and that’s exactely what we wanted.
MPM: What makes Burial so different and unique musically that other bands don’t sound like you guys?
B: Honestly I think it’s the capability of blending two different style of the same genre that are similar but really far away, regarding the songwriting aproach and the athmosphere that every each one creates.
MPM: You guys got Paolo Girardi doing the album artwork for Inner Gateways To The Slumbering Equilibrium At The Center Of Cosmos who in my opinion is one of the absolute best artists in today’s music scene. How did that connection started and what was it like working with him in the making of the record?
B: I totally agree on what you said, I was following Paolo for a long time and every artwork he release I was like “man, one day I want one of his artwork for my music”, so when the record was almost mixed I’ve asked him to do the artwork, I felt that he was the right one for this. Working with him was really smooth but also weird, in a good way. Because at least for my experiences, giving some basic indications of the core concept and having our minds blew at the first try and with THAT piece of artwork, was rather unusual. He captured immediately what we had in mind without explaining too much. It’s in moments like that when you know that a true artist is making true art
MPM: Since some shows across the world is slowly making a return, what bands would you guys open for once everything becomes normal?
B: Some of them would be Spectral Voice, Krypts and Blood Incantation, but also Mortiferum, Un or Hate Eternal, maybe one day.
MPM: When making Inner Gateways To The Slumbering Equilibrium At The Center Of Cosmos, was it a difficult process in the making of the record during the pandemic?
B: Not so much really, we’re distant from each other so in any case we have to work from distance. The recording process was a bit difficult because Enrico had to come in my studio to record all his parts twice and Samuele had to record the drums in his rehearsal room, but with some good will we’ve reached the end.
MPM: What song off on the album would you say is the most favorable in terms of musical professionalism and consistency?
B: Definitely the title track: it has everything that’s in the album. Fast and crushing riffs, doomy sections with lots of atmosphere, we’re really proud of that track and it’s already released as the second single of the album, it’s available on Spotify, YouTube and Bandcamp as well.
MPM: When not making music, what hobbies do you find yourself enjoying to do that fans may not know about?
B: Other than music my first hobby is trekking into the mountains, Samuele, the drummer, paints outstanding artwork, Enrico read a lot of insane books and Morgan is a movie maniac.
MPM: What would you say has been the best experience about being in a band when it comes to making extreme music?
B: Pretty much every aspect: from the songwriting to the work needed to the recordings and the few live shows we had, especially the first one with Fulci!
MPM: Do you prefer festivals or clubs when it comes to live performances?
B: Both are cool experience but festivals are much better, especially when they last for more than one day. We also can’t wait to play at De Mortem et Diabolum in Berlin this December and we can’t wait to hit the stage!
MPM: Do you follow the extreme metal community closely when it comes to new bands signing with labels and releases or is that something you’re not really huge into?
B: Sometimes yes but I’m not really fond of it. I follow some bands more closely and I try to stay updated but that’s all really.
MPM: If you had to pick between physical media like buying hard copies of CD’s, vinyls and tapes versus digital downloads like Bandcamp, what would be your preference and where do you see the future of music in the next decade or two?
B: We’re huge fans and collectors of vinyl so we’ll go with physical copies and we truly believe that this is a media that will never die, because when you have it in your hands it’s so much rewarding than just listening to an MP3. I mean, just to look the cover and the stuff inside it is so much satisfying.
MPM: We know death metal has becoming such a huge force in the last 20-30 years when bands like Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Deicide, Napalm Death, Nile, Immolation, Incantation and Dying Fetus are the most well known bands for their legacy and influence. What bands would you say in the modern-day era has been the most surprising and what is your stance on today’s scene compared to bands in the past?
B: The current death metal scene is a huge force, like in the 90’s there are a lot of cool bands around and in our scene is still present a nice characterization of the music which everyone propose. Listen to bands like Noxis, Mordom and Perilaxe Occlusion and you will hear all the similarities AND all the differences. Not to bash on anyone but, for example, in the New Wave Thrash wasn’t much prevalent this differentiation, as is in this revival wave of death metal.
MPM: Before we wrap the interview, I want to thank you for your time doing it. Is there any upcoming information you like to discuss about the future of Burial and what fans can expect?
B: Thank you too Jake for the interview, it was fun! At the moment we’re focused on the release of our debut album, that will happen on October 29th but we’re also working on gigs around the Europe and maybe the US as well. As more merch designs and store deals are popping up, you’ll see what I’m talking about!
Interview by Jake Butler
