G= Gianmaria,bass player
C= Cristian,singer
1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
G: -Hi! Sure,we are currently promoting our latest EP,Heartworm. It’s been out for almost a year (1 year on April 9th actually) and we are also writing new material for our first full length album.
2.A few months back you released a new ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical of the new recording and also how does it differ from your previous demo?
G: -Heartworm has been a huge step forward from the band’s previous demo,it’s much more mature,meaningful and fresh sounding. It’s obviously been addressed in that direction,but it also came out like that because of the big line up changes that happened in these 4 years.
3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap?
C:- We started as an old school death metal band,playing Swedish oriented stuff like Entombed and At The Gates, we were only 18 years old and our musical approach was really different back then. In four years the genre and the line up had for various reasons, but only me and Mattia (the drummer) have been into the project with honest passion since the beginning. Luckily after 4 years we found the right people and path, and what we are now is what we want to be.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
C: -Our lyrical themes are mainly about loss and the harrowing human condition. I and other guys in the band are really stoked with E.M. Cioran’s philosophy, and his pessimistic words are floating in my mind all the time, so don’t expect any positivity for the new album.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dementia Senex'?
C: - Dementia Senex is derived by “senile dementia”, a pathology which determines mental deterioration in old age; is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions damaged or lost such as memory, perception or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develope personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.It’s the basic concept of what I want to express. The inspiration about that was during an High school lesson about Italo Svevo.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
G: -I’ve been in the band since September actually,and since then the band has been more active than ever. As for playing live,we care a lot about our tone,we want the music to be clear and we play as tightly as possible. If I were to use only a word to define our shows I’d go for “intense”,both physically and atmosphere-wise. In my opinion,our best show has been in a small venue in Bergamo. The place was packed and the guys were really pumped up,lots of physical contact and crowd surfing going on.
C: -In my opinion we didn’t play the best show yet. Playing gigs for me is a sort of ritual and a way to with the “unknown”. I hope for engaging and atmospheric suites every time, but our show isn’t suitable everyone.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
G: -As of now,we are planning to stop playing live for a couple of months in the summer to concentrate on our full length as much as possible. We’re going to play a couple of shows/fests here and there just for special occasion. After the release of our full length we’ll probably start promoting it around Europe.
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
C: -It seems that the Heartworm EP is more appreciated in United States, and is a really good thing for us. Also german and French reviews are quite positive, probably with an european tour we’ll be able to spread our music even more.
9.Are any of the other band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
G: -I am,along with Chris (the singer) involved in LAMBS,a dark hardcore/sludge band where I play guitar and write music instead of playing bass. One of our guitarists,Marco, plays in guitar in his own brutal death metal band Carnality (their second album will be released this year actually),he also plays in Funera Edo and another handful of bands which I don’t remember. Last but not least our drummer Mattia plays in an old school death/thrash band called 7 Steps.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
G: -We are currently writing new material,and even if we haven’t got a lot of new stuff,I’d say it’s the natural evolution of the EP. The atmosphere plays a big role in the songs but there are also big riffs and it flows well. There are moments of chaos and dissonance as well as beautiful melodic sections. I’d say that our main goal with this album will be to craft a piece of experimental music that flows well while expressing what we honestly feel.
11.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
G: -We all listen to a lot of different stuff,ranging from grindcore to post rock,some of us are more into death metal and some into hardcore/post metal kind of stuff,but this doesn’t get in the way when we approach composition. We don’t (nor we want to) write a section trying to sound like Mastodon or whatever,we just have our own background and it influences to a certain degree what we do.I’m very much into The Ocean, Converge and Botch and I guess it translates somehow into my playing. Lately I’ve been listening a lot to Misanthrope(s) by Celeste, Commuters by Coilguns and OMNI by Minus the Bear. The last one is such an underrated masterpiece.
C: - 4/5 of the band enjoyed a lot “Everything is fire” by Ulcerate, we played with them two years ago and it has been an impressive moment for us. By the way I personally listen a lot of different stuff: from Mogwai to Oranssi Pazuzu or Clint Mansell, but at the moment I’m stoked with the latest Artificial Brain’s release (Labyrinth Constellation), it sounds simply extreme and amazing.
12.Do you have any non musical interests?
G: -I really don’t do much aside from music. I’m a student so my time is spent writing music,playing shows,rehearsing,doing stuff that students do (you know what I mean) and trying to earn some money to afford doing all the above on my own.
C: - Music occupies most of my time but I’m into every kind of art, especially visuals and graphic arts. I really like reading or discussing about philosophy and psychology topics and drinking a good red beer in a small club.I also enjoy watching movies and series,lately I’m following Utopia, Vikings and True Dective.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
C: - Thanks for your kindness. We really appreciate it and wish you good luck as well for your blog. Check it out our music here https://thepathlesstraveledrecords.bandcamp.com/album/heartworm and stay tuned with us http://www.facebook.com/dementiasenex .
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