ABSENTIA LUNAE is a young and promising Black Metal band form Italy, they attack the underground with their first opus called "Marching Upon Forgotten Ashes" and it was like a mouthful of fresh air... Their highly original "Avant-garde" Black Metal is taking the attention of the world's underground. They only have one released work, but their talent is undeniable. Their first album sounds like anything I have heard before… and that’s quite strange (…I have listened to many bands…). So it was our duty to contact this band to know what are in their blackened minds and hearts… Ildanach (vocals) accepts to answer all our questions…

BB: First of all thanks for giving us this interview and congratulations for your debut album. Can you tell us about the bands beginnings?

Ildanach) The beginning was three black souls looking for their merging in a project of total darkness. We was very scared of the mediocre attitude of so many acts around and our strong idea was to create something that made gods of somber destiny proud. This could be our inner devotion, I think that a part of my darkest essence has been unleashed with Absentia Lunae, same goes to Climaxia and Krahel. Soon Sephrenel also joined on the bass and the band worked to the creation of the first opus “Marching Upon Forgotten Ahses” that is the result of this primordial instinct. Apart of that there was many previous experiences on the same field. For sure we’re not one of those fun of fans band around who start to play their instrument and the same year comes out with a demo. This is the reason why some person was surprised of the fact that our first outfit was an album, to me it’s normal being our path started far away, many years ago.

BB: I was really impressed by the quality of Absentia Lunae… How was the reception of “Marching Upon Forgotten Ashes” worldwide?

Ildanach) There are 2 plans, magazines generally appreciated very much “Marching…”, a part of them sadly evaluate it like a demo and I think there’s not so much in common, but the reaction has been quite positive. On the web-zine we got also some excellent result apart of some, fortunately few, exceptions mostly due to their aprioristic ideas. No problem from my side they will understand in a second stage and if not it’s not really something to care. I think that the most important demonstration of the underground understanding of our proposal is that the first 500 cds press is gone very fast. We’re not going to do a repress in the near future, we’re already growing further material and soon we’ll be able to spread a new disease, name still to be defined.       

BB: Accord with your info, you haven’t any work before “Marching Upon Forgotten Ashes”. Why you decide to start your discography with a full-length album?

Ildanach) Like I’ve previously told the demo matter is from my point of view one of those surpassed underground “rules”. I mean if you’re still not sure of your proposal you can go this way, it’s not really my problem but if you think that your music can stand the outside scene why not go with an album? Yes there’s the problem of the budget but I know that many label doesn’t cover them. Probably some persons don’t have the courage to go forward, we’re there to present “marching…” and don’t fear whatever is told, at the end music speaks itself.    

BB: How was the composition process of “Marching Upon…”?

Ild) Moved by instinct, we’re thousand year far by those faggots who use to think how a songs have to play to be cool or how the external audience could appreciate their “creation”, we’re tried to find an aesthetic dark vision. We think darkness to be the main essence to glorify and move to accomplish this goal. No matter what are the methods..

For sure we all have a background on the genre and have personal preferences but Absentia Lunae act as an energy that is more guiding us, instead as to mean how to.  

BB: The lyrics are mysterious and twisted… Can you tell about the lyrical concept?

Ild) Yes they’re mysterious because there’s much alchemy. The meaning is surely partially hidden. Without creating legal problems to you and also to me I think it’s better to not unveil every aspect in their deeper form. For sure each song has it’s conscious and unconscious understanding. Take for example “Marching Under the Apocalypse Flag” it speaks of how humanity is running to its own ruin, few consciously, and the majority unconsciously. The true meaning is the darkness is all around us, the moving and triumphant force, sardonically the last one. It’s the song that wish those who care to look above the appearance and common points of view. Honestly I see time running quite fast, the somber shadow is getting near. “Burning a candle” is an aesthetic transfiguration of darkness, a never-ending torrent of inspiration and hallucination. I don’t care how personal or collective are some visions, but this is the bloody prevailing inner force. “Engraved by Fathers Nightmare” is a reflection of the past and about how common is the present, apart all the distortions, an evolution so intense to bring forth an epitaph carved in stone, where everything become immortal.    

BB: You are the only lyrical composer, am I right? What are your sources of inspiration?

Ild) I never though about inspiration because it’s something unconscious, void is everything and we’re part of it. I’m fascinated by mass hallucination, propaganda and distortion. I think ideas are stronger than reality from an human point of view. Also I’m interested by phenomenon above human influence…science is what I abhor, the worst form of modern slavery, I use to go beyond    

BB: The album art is really good… Was made by some of you? has it some special meaning?

Ild) Yes Climaxia is the main mind behind that, she use to be very interested in art and its most original and obscure forms, I think it suits perfectly to our music and the imaginary of our music. I think that it’s very claustrophobic, depressive but gave also an idea of isolation in hallucination. I think it can hide many different aspects of dark forms of life and privation. Black Metal you know is not an easy thing, also to be totally devoted to this misery is a very hard path.   

BB: Accord with your info, the music is mostly composed by Climaxia, and the compositions are complex and brilliant…did she have some “formal” musical studies?

Ild) I know she surely has some study on the guitar but I think she evolved and matured by an extreme point of view, playing the music she cares, and this is very good in my opinion., this because usually guys coming from massive theoretical inputs on music create too many borders around them in how to develop extreme music.   

BB: One thing that takes my attention was the inscription “Modern Middle Age Terror” in your Cd… Can you tell us about it? Do you think we are living a second Middle Age or something? Why?

Ild) Yes it’s some partly related to the lyric answers. We’re living a middle age, this is clear, ignorance is the strongest power for the tyrants, a succubus. Moreover there’s not any universal law to follow, apart from appearance. I see this horizon in a very clear way.   

BB: Do you think the humanity is condemned to cyclically make the same mistakes and aberrations eternally? I read in your info page about the “(…) sinister shadows that cyclically come back to remember where’s truth and hypocrisy” and I that words stay rounding in my mind…

Ild) Yes I appreciate you’re going very deep with the matter, yes you’re right, this was the meaning. Apart al the sureness that weak people create around them there’s always the haunting darkness, the harvest that never sleep. Modernism, socialism and democratic hypocrisy is a pathetic drug for the masses, surely they’re going soon or later to discover reality, they will regret this day. Another time the truth is biggest then human pretentious idea to dominate instinct and so nature…how pathetic they are 

BB: Does Absentia Lunae have some special ideology or belief, politically or religiously? Do you think Black Metal is a good way for proselytism?

Ild) No any kind of political affiliation for sure, I hate all those mentally limited social animals, they can shoot themselves, we believe in energies not in social compassion. I think Black Metal is a genre that is surveying apart of all the bad promotion that is running around the narrow-minded metal politeness. We’re stronger than time this is sure and there’s a reason, because the genre is bloody real and in spite of the ancient feelings of its sound there’s this music all around us…can’t you hear it?????????????   

BB: I haven’t heard something like Absentia Lunae before, what bands influences your music? your influences seem to be pretty unclear…

Ild) Absentia Lunae have a general connection with this Black Metal but also a very personal touch in its interpretation, this is why you cannot point any particular influence, and directly there isn’t in fact.

BB: How will be the next opus? Will be more aggressive, melodic or will stays (or evolve) in the same way? When can we expect this new opus?

Ild) It will be a new step for sure, partly different, with less thrash and death metal recalls, more focused on the feeling but more blasting at the same time. Another time we’ll put together aggression, desperation and a dramatic feeling but in a slightly different way. Some say that we play Black Metal with a very dark touch, I find this perspective agreeable.

BB: What can you tell us about the Italian Metal scene? It seems to be particularly prolific these days, producing “high caliber” bands… Do you think Italy could forge a big Metal scene like Norway, Swedish, US and England (in minor proportion)?

Ild) We have few bands but they are growing, the situation is surely better than before…Norway? At today is an over-ground scene that is living on the shadow of the past, surely they’re cooperative enough to help themselves, a thing that in Italy doesn’t seem to be the same, but that probably because of the roots on the early ’90 of Norway Scene. Swedish is actually the best one for underground Black Metal, see: Craft, Shining, Watain and many other killer acts. US is more a death metal reign and I don’t know how it can be compared but it seems that apart the distances they cooperate together very fine. England is quite commercial and I think haven’t what can be meant a scene.

BB: Do you think Black Metal is still marked by the acts occurred in early ’90 in Norway? I mean, like murders, burning churches, desecrations, etc… Has Absentia Lunae some of that?

Ild) I prefer to talk about music, acts done by childish to impress are not what we seek. I think music can be a more impressive vehicle. You can shock and sell more copies but more important is to impress with the ideas…

BB: What are your five favourite albums of all times?

This is a very difficult question, don’t take it like a sure answer, because in some weeks I can change 1 or 2

1)      Emperor-In the Nightside Eclipse

2)      Darkthrone- A Blaze in the Northern Sky

3)      Immortal- Pure Holocaust

4)      Dark Funeral- Secrets of the Black Arts

5)      Celestia-Apparitia

BB: Do you play live? How are your shows?

Yes we play live but are not of those live addicted. The shows we done in Italy have been appreciate, soon we’re going to play also in other places in Europe, it’s all a matter of time. We’re also try to give a visual plus to the show, this is very important when you play a music with a vision.

BB: What do you think about the following things?

CORPSE PAINT: A dangerous weapon if not presented with attitude and the right feeling, many have tried few have been able to

GOTHIC METAL: One of the most boring metal genre around, it’s much better to hear Dark-Goth if you look for this kind of feeling. But this is a hybrid that cannot give the same feeling. I think it has been a very bad idea to mix the metal “raw energy” with it’s feeling. You can see today that the bands ended to say everything after the first, or at the best the second album. There are label loosing money with this…how enjoying.
”TRUE” BLACK METAL: Is a word too many times over-spoken, true means special to me, not common, you have to evoke darkness in its purest form, too many “true” bands are only boring, fortunately there’s an elite that can be proud to bring forth the flag.  

DRUGS: music is our bitter drug

BEER: I prefer quality instead of quantity

BB: Thank you very much for your words. Is there anything you want to add to this interview?

No thanks I think much has already be told, thanks for the true support!