Misanthropic Greetings! Here I leave ye with the interview to Antiquus Scriptum made by Misantropia Extrema, wordpress of my friend Fernando Reis (Ex-LOUD), for which he makes the following entry... Thanks to anyone whom reads this! Humbly: Sacerdos Magus \m/ O \m/
. For those unaware, Antiquus Scriptum is not only one of the oldest black metal entities in Portugal, as one of the most active in the underground, with various albums, compilations and minor releases since 1998. "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis...", the new proposal, refreshes the approach of epic pagan, folk and thrash influences of the project, confirming the group's leadership in the traditionalist side of Portuguese black metal. The mentor, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sacerdos Magus helped us to understand the whole situation surrounding the band.
1 - This was the first release that you did in this project with a complete "official" formation. Why left Antiquus Scriptum being your solo project and officially became a band?
This was not the first release with a formal formation simply because A.S. is not, and will not be in the future a conventional band... In all records of studio musicians were invited to participate, as is the case of the brothers Vieira which are a constant presence in all recordings and other friends, but the project is actually my personal one man band and I don't want to change it! I take the handle design, compose and write everything on a personal basis, pay the bills, help to promote, etc... Only count solely on the presence of musicians and friends in studio to enrich the musical parts and help me reach fields and ideas that alone I don't dominate 100%. I make no distinction in the data sheet of the CD, for example, in consideration of thanks to them, but actually A.S. was born to be my personal project, not a band, and so shall be through the time...
2 - Thou knew the brothers Vieira from other bands, right? It was difficult to convince them to participate more actively in the band and in this record?
Yes, I know the brothers Veira since I was 19, when I played with Paulo and Gustavo in Firstborn Evil... Today Ricardo Veira, the youngest brother, is also active in my records. It is not difficult to convince them to participate in the albums, because besides they love to composing and recording music, like me, they are also somehow connected to the musical Underground. Paulo Vieira, is a producer as well and is whom record and mixes the albums for me, in addition to participating as a musician, for example... Kiding around, we play together almost actively since 1995, year we tore with Firstborn Evil. After that I got out in '98, but they were always with me, leading up to the people to think that they are integral members of the project, ahah!! 18 Winters of music together is a lot of fruit, especially in this kind of music, always with the same persons... Gustavo is perhaps the hardest person to convince of something... He does stand up comedy besides music and acts from north to south of Portugal and A.S. still behind some good months of intensive work during the composition / recording... Everything has to be spoken and combined but we always come to fruition because we embodies all the characters when it has to be!
3 - Now, with this formation, there is some possibility of Antiquus Scritpum ceases to be a mere studio project and give some concerts? Something "one-off" and special, at least?
Like I said we will not do it, it's not only me whom thinks so... The other members are also invited as well and so we will continue. I really like the spirit of projects like Bathory, Burzum or Darkthrone that have this philosophy, I did this project thinking about it and I want to respect this feeling ever! They will be for the sake of having their lives, their bands and do not want their personal commitments to anyone. I respect that, so we're good! Was once thought an appearance "one-off", a birthday or so, but A.S. is very complex and demanding musically and a live concert with the ideal conditions of a live appearance, would require months and months of effort for that same concert/s... Was left behind... As I say, A. S. has a different charisma.
4 - What are your main influences and inspiration for the music of Antiquus Scriptum? Changed much since the project began in 1998?
Well, the starter of this project on a musical level and statement was undoubtedly the second wave of black metal in Europe in the 90's. However saying this is vague, analyzing the amount of musical influences that are found in the sound design... The rib Thrash was never forgotten, for example, the joy of Folk is always present, not too much, but enough. The symphonic aspect is also highlight, the pagan spirit and uncompromising of the lyrics, the almost punk attitude that characterizes the project so well, these are all pillars of strength of A.S. and no, the influences have not changed... I still living in the musical past, although it I'm always acquiring new material, but still are the same old classic albums that make me want to take a project and record music!...
5 - There are some most epic folk influences in this release. This approach is somewhat limited in this work or do you foresee or have more influences of this kind in future editions?
Folk and symphonic influences are already almost a hallmark of A.S. and are used since the beginning, not only in this work... The difference is that in this new record almost all the Folk parts have the presence of Zeto Feijão on traditional instruments such as bagpipes, banjos, violins and flutes tin whistle, giving another dimension to the quality of the "Folk" without being that thing only made by a keyboard... I'm always open to contributions, whether folk, classical or whatever. When I meet someone whom can bring musical contribution to the project, do not hesitate to invite him into the studio, so, I hope so!...
6 - Your vocalizations are one of the things that turn Antiquus Scriptum into something truly unique, especially the tone cleaner, epic and heavy metal. Your musical influences of this "side" come in a natural way to compose music or is there some kind of strength and balance in its use in this context?
Hey man, thank you! Look, I remembered to do what had not occurred to anyone to do, a Black Metal project with Thrash Metal vocals of the 80's... I took the risk of putting a vocals more Thrash and youthful, like the bands I used to listen with my 16 years old and mix a BM sonority, that fascinates me as well!... I actually have a Black Metal vocals a little slightly to whom would like to do and how I have a good Thrash register, like mid-Kreator, Destruction, etc, I decided to mix everything together in a cake, as I said, Folk, Ambient , Viking, Pagan, and why not Death Metal, Grind or Punk?! I put everything on the stove with the proper quantities and looks out Antiquus Scriptum!...
7 - The track "In The Kingdom Of Superstition" is a recovery of a theme of the first album from The Firstborn, with another lyrics. Why recover it and why have you changed the lyrics?
This theme is the "Titans" the first album of The Firstborn, now modified... It is a track that I made back in 1996 and that The Firstborn used in their album "From The Past Yet To Come", after my departure from the band, and now I wanted to resurrect... I wanted to revisit the track, only that, and for it I count with the mastery of Paulo Vieira that has fourth part in the composition of the music and that helped me recreate the track, but I felt like I didn't wanted to be singing the lyrics "Titans" that Bruno Fernandes made for The Firstborn, seeming to make a cover of my own music... So, I decided to give it a new look similar to perhaps Dave Mustaine of Megadeth did with "Mechanix" in "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!", which is "The Four Horsemen" of Metallica's "Kill 'Em All", also with another lyrics. Dave probably did it for the same reasons that I did...
8 - What are the thematics in general terms, of the other lyrics of the songs on the album?
Antiquus Scriptum is permanently immersed in a medieval pagan world, archaic, obscure and epic in everything we do, but there is room for more introspective and personal lyrics, cosmic theories, legends, mythology and everything that fits in the lyrical universe of the project, not only this album, but in others too... I can perfectly write a historical theme, an epic battle, for example, and then write another one about mental illness or a personal point of view, the excessive pollution on the planet, etc... In A.S. thou find everything in the right size, effortless. Music and lyrics intertwine each other around a particular subject, may be it modern or ancient. Again here the strands Black Metal and Thrash go hand in hand...
9 - "Art is long, life is short" is an excellent maximum. You often occurs when you are composing and recording music, the resulting document is something that you will survive, and people will appreciate - and therefore judge you for it - many, many years after you've gone physically?
I now give myself happy by be able to hear things from when I was 15, 17, 20 years old, not need to die, ahahah! I do not know, man... I do not think much of it, although I have the consciousness that it goes like this... We musicians have this awareness, yes, and Black Metal long this certainty of eternal presence, the assertion by the times... It was perhaps why I've written a theme called "Remember Me The King"... That come this judgement, but in life if you please, I want to enjoy the status of star alive, ahahah!!
10 - Can we expect any release of Fangorn for this year? What can we expect from it musically?
Fangorn was an embryonic project of Black / Thrash / Folk that I would I do with Paulo Vieira, but which we had to abandon the idea because of internal barriers and mishaps that we can not pass to put the project in activity... I regret to inform, but Fangorn don't have legs to walk, at least for now... Let's see if one day we can do something, now it's complicated! Also, I've already set his sights on a new onslaught of Antiquus Scriptum, which shall naturally lead me to a journey of two or three years working hard in the record until it exits, and then promote it around the outside... Apart from personal issues, there is no large room for projects B currently! ...
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