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NIGHTSIDE is a young promising Death Metal act hailing from Italy. Their debut album, "Shadows Weaver", combines a great mix of melodic yet progressive elements on the basis of the well-known Swedish-type Death Metal. It was Matteo Calautti (guitarist) who shared with us all the news and facts about NIGHTSIDE!
Hi Matteo! How are the things with NIGHTSIDE going on lately? You went through different line-up changes from the period of 1999-2001. So please introduce us in details (age, interests, etc.) the current line-up.
- We changed the 2 original guitarists Simone and Luca during these two years, they left the band cause of their intentions to play some different music. We remain in friendship and Simone helps us in the recording sessions. The new ones Marcello and Alessio were NIGHTSIDE's fans and they were happy to play in our band!! They followed NIGHTSIDE since the beginning and I consider them as the natural substitute....... They are very skilled musicians and introduce new ideas and influences in our songs. They love melodic and technical styles like OPETH and DREAM THEATER, Alessio has a guitar classic preparation and I'm very curious to make new material with them.......
"Shadows Weaver" is your first CD and it is a self-produced one? Are you pleased with the final result? Musically I would say it is more mature and complex as your previous "Oneiric Reign" demo '98. How do you see it?
- I think we made a good work.... You must consider that songwriting, recording, production and all the things about "Shadows Weaver" was made by ourselves, and we hadn't a great budget. About songs I'm very pleased cause they are the synthesis of our different influences and you can find death, power, melody, jazz and more in our music, in a mature and coherent style. I think we have tried to make an original and personal way to play death metal.... The listeners can't be bored by "Shadows Weaver"...
How is the response to "Shadows Weaver" been like? Are you going to self-finance your next release as well? Do you get any serious label offer so far? If so, tell us a bit about it.
- We received very good reviews from metal magazines ("Shadows Weaver" is top demo on GRINDZONE ITALY) and from metal fans. We are waiting for serious label's answer; we received many compilation proposals.... Of course if nobody is interesting in financing we will self-produced the next NIGHTSIDE CD!!
The Gothenburg Death Metal scene influenced you guys very much; I mean especially the old bands, namely AT THE GATES and DISSECTION. What can you tell us about these influences and musical parallels in your stuff?
- Certainly Gothenburg scene, especially AT THE GATES, DARK TRANQUILLITY, DISSECTION were important for the beginning of the band. We started playing covers from these bands and also from SLAYER, DEATH, IN FLAMES and EDGE OF SANITY. But after the first demo "Nightside" in which you can find old-death and Swedish influences we started enriching our music with many other elements as clean vocals, melodic parts, arpeggios, keyboard and electronic arrangements......... Nobody of us has some parallel projects, we concentrate our energies to NIGHTSIDE!!!!
I've noticed some progressive and jazz-like fusion elements in "Shadows Weaver". Where these elements are come from? Do you like progressive music (e.g. DREAM THEATER, ATHEIST, NEVERMORE, etc.)?
- We don't listen to only metal music.... We love all kind of music if it is played with great ability and if it gives you some emotions. During these years we enlarged our personal musical tastes, and we learned to appreciate jazz, fusion, progressive 70's bands (PINK FLOYD, GENESIS, YES...), ethnic music, and now we love bands as ATHEIST, CYNIC, AMORPHIS, DREAM THEATER, OPETH..... We try to mix these influences with technical death metal and "Shadows Weaver" is the first step of the band's evolution....
I know that there's a lot of cool Death Metal bands in Italy such as MIND SNARE, DEVASTATION INSIDE or NEFAS to name a few. What new/old worthy ones can you recommend for us?
- I think Italy has a great band that can well represent our nation in the world.... NOVEMBRE! They make magnificent music. I can recommend bands as NATRON, MORNINGRISE, CORAM LETHE, ARKENEMY, ENDLESS, DAMMERCIDE, GLACIAR FEAR.... Italy is growing up about death and black even if many bands don't try to make a personal style.
Let's talk about your live performances. Do you play a lot of gigs lately? What is the fans' reaction on these gigs? Do they like the overall Death Metal movement in Italy?
- We will have many live shows during summer-autumn 2001 above all in north Italy. The fan's reaction is good cause of the Shadows Weaver's songs can satisfy even people that like different kind of music.... We receive compliments even from people that don't like metal music and I'm happy about this fact! I think in Italy there are more Power-metal fans than death ones and metal-fans are very closed-minded........ You must listen only metal or you will die!!!!! We can't understand this kind of mentality.
Back in 1998 you played a gig with GRIP INC. How was it? Do you have any exciting concert stories?
- Oh, it was a great experience! We learnt how a professional band as GRIP INC. work after, during and post live shows.... I can say that I played on the same stage with Dave Lombardo.... It was a dream for me. During his show I could observe his technique and his patterns, I had a free lesson. I don't remember any particular concert story.... Of course the show with GRIP INC. was the most exciting one!
By the way, is your new stuff in progress yet? If so, tell me more about the new tracks. Are those tracks will be a logical continuation of "Shadows Weaver" album?
- We are re-arranging three tracks with new guitarists. I can say that these tracks are the logical continuation of "Shadows Weaver" even if we make more "experiments". Some songs will be longer, more melodic in the melodic parts, more powerful in the powerful parts....... They will be a surprise!!!!!!!
Well, I guess that's all for now. Keep up the good work with NIGHTSIDE! Last shadowy words are yours.
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