Interviews About Albums: Aphotic - Abyssgazer (2023)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Italian Blackened Death Metal/Doom Metal band Aphotic to ask some questions about their latest album "Abyssgazer". 

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

‘Abyssgazer’ comes as the first statement of long-brewed alchemy among the involved musicians, aiming to pursue unprecedented darkness by expanding death metal boundaries towards the creation of profound ambiances and filling them with the dense layering of guitar arrangements and synthesizer exploration.

The album concept, enriched by multiple allegorical meanings, deals with the entropic death of the Universe according to modern cosmology, resolving in the ultimate irrelevance of time.

Courtesy of Chilean abstract painter Rodrigo Pereira, the album artwork depicts a vision of the abyss which seals this eschatological journey towards the eons to come.

The album was crafted under the experience of audio engineer Greg Chandler (of Esoteric fame) at Priory Recording Studios, UK, and mastered by Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice) at The Thousand Caves, NYC.

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

The album title track reflects on how, in remote times and places in Cosmo, inert matter can shape into living beings, then evolve into sentient creatures who might become able to stare into the unknown and wonder about the true nature of time and space – by gazing into the abyss. This is a sort of self-consciousness of the Universe. We are the abyss gazes.

3. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

Possibly ‘Cosmivore’, the first single of the album which premiered last 3rd February.

4. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

‘Abyssgazer’ is a chronologically structured concept album, whose narrative deals with the evolution of an ever-expanding universe, as modern cosmology depicts ours. While under an astrophysical lense, this topic is nothing but an instance of one of the most ancient ways humanity has developed to explain its own finiteness and the inevitability of death: the eschatological tale, in other words – the history of eons to come, the end of everything that exists and the ultimate irrelevance of time. The most absolute Omega possibly conceivable.

5. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

While consisting of musicians with a consistent extreme metal background, Aphotic’s debut album showcases a palette of diverse suggestions, also dragging inspiration from genres such as post-metal, industrial, post-rock, avantgarde/experimental music, infusing some of the essences of Neurosis, Swans, Godflesh, and Triptykon into death metal to enhance captivating structures and riffing through the recurrence of obsessive crescendos and physically engaging explosions. 

6. Something to add?

‘Abyssgazer’ will be released worldwide in every format (both physical and digital) on March 24th by Sentient Ruin Laboratories and Nuclear Winter Records and is now available for pre-order. Our first international festival appearance will be announced before the release of the album. Thank you for your time, N. // Aphotic