Summon: How did the band get started?
Riccardo: The band started in late 2012. Me and Roberto had just finished Dea Marica’s latest album and I asked him about starting a Funeral Doom project. The whole idea and shape of the band was thought up that evening and I started writing songs for the album. We soon touched base with a few other musicians and they agreed to join us and the band was born.
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Riccardo: We play Funeral Doom Metal but we seem to be getting labeled to a wider range of genre’s which is good as we are starting to build a diverse fan base.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Riccardo: On the whole the fans responses have been really amazing. We have a really strong fan base across the world and it growing everyday. We have had good vibes about the new album and that is great.
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Riccardo: I came up with name. The term Aphonic means to Be “Without Audible sound” and Threnody is from the Greek meaning “Threnoidia” which means “an ode, song, or speech of lamentation, esp for the dead”.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Riccardo: I myself play guitar/bass and some keys. Roberto: Vocals and lyrics. Zack: Lead and rhythm guitars. Juan: Keys (Hopefully bass and guitar) Marco: Drums/Mixing and mastering Abel: Cello Kostas: Keys (has since left the band after recording last album)
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Rob: Rick writes most of the music or what can be considered the core of it, guitars and bass and some keys. After that we all add on it trying to give our personal contribute. I do write the lyrics.
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Rob: They mainly come from personal life experiences.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Rob: It really depends on which kind of Satanism and Occultism you’re talking about. I personally read and study about certain topics but nowadays it’s quite a silly thing thinking they’re somehow linked to a certain kind of music rather than another. If you can explain what you believe Satanism and Occultism are I think I could give a better answer.
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Rob: As Aphonic Threnody 1 EP, 2 splits and an LP. With my other projects about 15 I think… but it’s been a long time for me singing extreme metal and I’ve lost the count. Counting the other guys releases I think we probably have recorded as a collective a total of 30 or 40 albums over the past 10 or 15 years.
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Rob: My favorites are the opener “The Ghost Song”, because I find it really dynamic and interesting considering the approach to the genre, and “Our Way To The Ground” for its solemn and almost crashing mode. I love the whole album as a whole but picking the trucks one by one I think those two are the perfect head and tail for a record like “When Death Comes”.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Riccardo: I currently have 3 other bands. Gallow God which is Traditional Doom Metal, Dea Marica which is Doom/Death Metal and a new project Arrant Saudade which will be a mix of Funeral Doom and experimental.
Rob: Yes, URNA which is an extreme post metal project, Dea Marica with Rick and I’ve been singing on the last Arcana Coelestia’s album “Nomas”. I’m also the voice of Locus Mortis which is a black metal project on standby right now and I’ve been singing in other four or five bands before.
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Rob: Various indeed! I listen to almost every kind of music and it would be difficult to say but I think probably some of the bands I used to listen to as a kid and other later on such as early FURZE and THE FUNERAL ORCHESTRA made me move onto more doomish territories.
Summon: Which current bands?
Rob: This is a good question! From my country, Italy, I would say on the funeral doom side bands like Echo, Necropoli, Plateau Sigma and also The Undergrave Experience have been great discoveries next to more sludgy projects such as Grime, Fuoco Fatuo and Blood Red Water for example or more classic doomy bands such as BLACK CAPRICORN or FUNERAL MARMORII. After them, I’m actually quite proud of the fact our next split is going to be a 4 ways with some great Italian acts: IN LACRIMAES ET DOLOR, THE BLESSED HELLBRIGADE and Y’HA-NTHLEI! Talking of other bands worldwide, FUNERAL MOTH !!! Their last album has been a great one and I really love it. Origin Of Darkness self titled EP, Frowning first LP which I just bought a few days ago! Eye Of Solitude, The Hyle has been a great discovery too… here in between England and Scotland I there are also some amazing bands and I really like the way the scene here is moving on! But if you really want to know about my taste just check the podcast I’m working with, THE WITHERED HANDS PODCAST at witheredhandspodcast.wordpress.com and you can find more about some of the bands I support in doom metal and not only!
Summon: What is the band like when you play live?
Riccardo: We have only played once live with Esoteric which was great. Our band is heavy sounding with a lot of misery.
Summon: Have you guys ever played in another country?
Riccardo: We got invited to the Doom Festival in Malta which we are hoping to do next year.
Summon: How big of crowd shows up at shows usually?
Rob: Well, it depends on the show and the ticket price hahahahahah There’s a good doom scene here in England right now and quite a lot of great bands! For an underground event in London you can easily gather around 50 to 80 people but it happened for example to go to watch DUSK supported by INDESINENCE and NECRODEATH MORT and the crowd was maybe 30 people. DISEMBOWELMENT have been such a great band in the past and nobody got there for them! That was really shameful and makes me wonder on how many people really are in this kind of music not for trend.
Summon: How is the crowd response when you play?
Rob: The first and only time we did was good! We were not expecting such a good response as we had quite a few issues just before the show. It’s been cool and we hope to make better in future!
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Rob: Love it! I really love some oldies and the mid ’90s black metal scene in the States! Staff like ABSU or later on JUDAS ISCARIOT, KRIEG “Destruction Ritual” era and things like that! Moribund Records and Full Moon Productions or others such as Battlekommand (before all of the scandals) or again Autopsy Kitchen or Ajna Offensive, did a great job pressing and promoting bands from the States! I really was into black metal before! About the Death Metal scene are we talking about modern Death Metal or old school Death Metal? Tampa’s school or more modern staff on UNIQUE LEADER just to understand each other? I think death metal is now living a great moment! Loads of great bands on the new wave scene and old school side too! Profound Lore has pushed the boundaries backwards and got back a great revival on the same way as Sepulchral Voice or Van Records for example did in Europe just one or two years before the “underground major”! And most of the old labels which were pretty underground before that point had the chance to get back on track and keep pushing on good bands which still were almost unknown to the masses! From this point of view I’ve been really happy to listen bands such as Serpentine Path (out on Relapse??? crazy!!!), The Howling Wind, Disma, Encoffination and also did you listen to the latest INCANTATION??? (Gods of death metal!!!). On the modern side I’m a bit disappointed about the new slam trend. I like some things from slam but on the other hand it’s quite a shame the whole situation is turning into an early ’90s copycat. Bands coming out like mushrooms day by day and here’s the thing more or less is happening in doom too or am I wrong?Still there’s some great technical bands and some others which I find great like for example DISFIGURING THE GODDESS! The Chocolate doesn’t fail! And what about some proggy death ala The Faceless or Fallujah or Rings Of Saturn??? Maybe too “clean” but so innovative in the way they make music!!!
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Rob: Well it’s quite difficult to follow the Italian scene from England and the British one from London… So many bands. I let you imagine how difficult it is to follow an “Oversea scene” which doesn’t stop on the more famous names but it’s probably deeply rooted in a multi layered undeground were genres merge with each other. I usually surf bandcamp or the web and try to find the most interesting new bands! I couldn’t say I know about a scene because I’ve got a job and a life beside music so although I listen to loads of bands I don’t know about scenes! I just know if I like what I listen to or not and if I do I try to buy it!
Summon: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Rob: BM Lychgate, <Code>, Null and Vultur’s latest album was great and VIII’s too. Those last two bands come from my region in Italy and I was really happy they got such nice releases out! DM Still I need to get the point about what kind of Death Metal you mean… but I would say Binah catches my attention as I had the pleasure to watch them live with Necros Christos and they were great on stage! The Howling Wind with “Vortex” have been great too! And yeah.. some more “modern and brutal” staff! Infecting The Swarm, Paroxysmal Butchering, Unfathomable Ruinations latest EP was killer too! And well, I said Fallujah before! Their last album is so unique!!
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Riccardo: Work has already begun on the next album and we are pretty far in the development stage. We are already working on 2 splits which will be out soon.
Summon: What does the future hold for the band??
Riccardo: Well I hope we play live more and keep writing great music. We have a video as well to be made for one of the splits so keep yer eyes peeled.
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aphonic-Threnody/527080693991442
http://aphonicthrenody.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/AphonicThrenody
