Interviews About Albums: Stained Blood - Nyctosphere (2019)

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD? 

This new CD is the return to the roads after 4 years (since Hadal came out) where there have been changes in the line-up and an evolution in our music; keeping death metal base and garnishing it with subtle hints of black metal 

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name? 

The name of the album is for self-interpretation, as long as long as we’re talking about the most dark and existential of the human being. There are things we will never understand, but they unsettle us. They bring us an uncertainty that amplifies our fears, making us go through a ‘viacrucis’ until we get to a compulsory acceptance to keep us firm and not get dejected by a nihilism that couldn’t contribute in any positive way to our existence, already dense and complicated per se. Now that I reread this answer I’m concerned that I might have a severe issue with drinking. 

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP? 

We are a team. Everyone contributes to it the way they can or want. And we end up composing songs that have the essence of the 5 members of the band. We work this way: 

Raul (bass) and David (guitar) bring a draft of riffs without structure to be analysed altogether. 

I, Salva (drums) sit down to beat the shit out of my drums and see what beat can go best with the music (85% of the times it will be a blastbeat) 

Narcís (voice) writes his epic lyrics and looks for a melodic way for all the syllables to find their comfort zone inside the music 

Miquel (guitar) gives it further arrangements, and the fun thing is that he always comes up with ideas that come far from the extreme metal. This kid is a hell of a jazzy boy. 

4. If you have to pick one song, which one would you pick? 

This is one very personal question, but as I’m the one answering… to me, the one I like the most is the one to close the album, ‘Drowned’. Still gives me goosebumps every time. 

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD?

If there is what it is? We are a bit psycho in this matter, and we come from a culture of kids’ recreation groups where we were lobotomized with eternal gymkhanas. Obviously, there is a occult message. If you take the fifth letter of every three- syllabus word in odd order, the third letter (every 5 words without counting monosyllables) of the pair words, you divide that by the sum of the album minutes, and then you insulate the letter ‘y’. You will find yourself with an adaptation in Persian of the musician and poet Abdolqader Maragheí of a paragraph from the book ‘El libro del fin’ written by Ramon Llull, 1305. 

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share? 

I would like to share many things with you, but never this albums’ lyrics. People who read out loud any of its fragments, started having alopecia issues. And as you have seen in my long mane, I won’t risk being laughed at in the heavy music bar where I pay a visit every night to have some ‘cervesitas’. 

7. Which inspirations haven been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thanks specially? 

My biggest inspiration is nature itself. The infinite vision angles of an idea illuminated by the sun and fermented in the virginal freezing waters of the mountain. Observing and absorbing everything that can’t be seen, but can be perceived. Like the sensation of being observed and not knowing if it’s paranoia, or the neighbour front door is watching you get out of your house for you to pay the community fees. Day to day happenings are the best mental stimulant you can consume legally. Hollywood has done a lot of harm to our society (along with porn industry). Simplicity is key. We will lose ourselves looking for an inexistent perfection just to end up swimming in an ocean of frustration. Is this of any use then…? Bing well is easy, what’s difficult is finding a good spot for watching the ‘Mercè’ pyro-musical. 

8. Something to add? 

Yeah, that we can’t wait to get on the road again. We’ve been a long while sitting in the cavern, biting our nails and writing this album… and now we want to prove how the live show will be at the same level as the record. So from the 22 nd of March on (day that Nyctosphere is out), be warned, that the day you less expect, we could be playing at your village’s local fair. See you soon, Salut!