HMT: Greetings Guh Lu! In recent years you have been involved in a number of bands such as Impiety and Divine Codex apart from Xeper. What’s going on in the Xeper camp in recent days?
Hails! Xeper is a project I’ve been bringing on since late 2007; it’s a ”new” project but we already released 2 albums and we’ve just finished to record a new EP... so far so good I guess!
Before we move on, tell us a little about the history of Xeper. Under what circumstances did the inception of Xeper come about, and what is the significance behind the band name?
Xeper (pronounced Khefer) is an Egyptian verb meaning "I Have Come Into Being". Xeper is the experience of an individual psyche becoming aware of its own existence and deciding to expand and evolve that existence through its own actions. Xeper has been experienced by anyone who has decided to seek after his or her own development. Xeper is the extension of existence to a further level of Being. Set, the Egyptian god of Darkness, is the Divine origin of the Word. Set's name ultimately means the "Separator" or "Isolator." The Left Hand Path is a quest to Become an immortal, potent, and powerful Essence. It was something obvious for us to bring on as project and write music as well, we have the same ideas about many things so...
Since the formation in 2007, the band has released two full length albums, 2008’s Void and Chaos and last year’s Matrix Divina Satanas. How have reception been for the two albums, and is the band satisfied with the reactions?
Absolutely not dude! You see, the first album was self-released in only 100 copies, the second one went out under Undercover Records Brazil, but it’s still a little promotion for us. We could write an album in 1 week, but that’s pointless unless we find a serious label to work with.
In 2009, you formed Divine Codex along with Atum, and in 2010 you joined Impiety as their guitarist as well. How have the experiences in these bands led to the growth in terms of music writing of 2011’s Matrix Divina Satanas compared to 2008’s Void and Chaos?
I wrote MDS before joining Impiety, I just recorded that album during the first Impiety period. Of course playing in Impiety gave me more inspiration for writing music, indeed!
What about the playing style? While Divine Codex and Impiety often utilise more aggressive guitar segments, there is a notable variation on the different tracks on Matrix Divina Satanas, especially on songs like the dark and almost broody Through Dark I Become. Which, in your opinion, is a more challenging style to execute personally, and why?
You know what? I won’t play in 3 bands playing the same shit, no sense for me. Of course the dark feeling in my music is pretty strong and always present, but I guess this is better in different ways. I am working out in a dark-ambient project too, with a close friend of mine. For me it would be very boring playing only 1 style: always extreme metal, btw.
Compared to other projects that you have been or are involved in, Xeper presents a more straightforward style of black metal, though the technical aspects are still extremely obvious on Matrix Divina Satanas. How was the songwriting process for Matrix Divina Satanas different from say, writing the songs for Divine Codex?
With Xeper we rehearse sometimes, especially when our drummer who moved to Rome comes back home here in Northern Italy ; with Divine Codex we never had a rehearse all together, we only meet at the studio recording or few days before a show, if we have time. Honestly the songwriting process is really simple: I take my guitar and I start to play whatever I have on my mind untill I have a good idea to work on...
There are certain moments on the album that remind me of aggressive acts such as Marduk, like on Alienetere, yet songs like Through Dark I Become remind me of the bleak sounds of bands like Satanic Warmaster. What are some of the influences that have been included by the band when writing Matrix Divina Satanas?
Well, I like old school black metal so I have inspiration from Scandinavian black metal of course. Honestly I don’t know so many bands, I am not a cd or vinyl collector. Black metal is a lifestyle to me, not a collection in my room, so I really don’t care if someone can hear influences in my music.
Also, tell us more about the lyrical concepts that underlie the songs on Matrix Divina Satanas. There seems to be a certain fascination with darkness, with songs like Through Dark I Become and Dark Night’s Soul constantly referring to a certain darkness…
Of course, totally right! The title can talk alone with no further explanations, it’s a journey into the dark side seen from our minds. There is a strong essence taken from the science of the matters, we don’t follow any kinda Dogma, religions are for feeble minds who cannot see the real world further the end of their nose.
How did the fascination behind the lyrical concepts and themes on the album come about?
It becomes out from ourselves, after years and years of studies into many books and personal life experiences.
The album artwork is also captivating, featuring a sigil/symbol. Tell us more about the album artwork of Matrix Divina Satanas.
The cover artwork was made by Murihel and Ahrin. It’s a blackhole which swallows all and everything. His/Her hunger is eternal, and soon everybody will know who/what is it, who first, who after...
Despite the band being Italian, Matrix Divina Satanas was released under the Brazilian record label, Undercover Records. How did the collaboration come about?
We contacted many and many labels to release this album. Zulbert from Undercover Records Brazil was the man who gave us his support and we started this magical collaboration with him.
Between Void and Chaos and Matrix Divina Satanas, there was a 3 year wait. After the release of Matrix Divina Satanas, what are the near-future plans of the band, and can fans expect new material soon?
Of course pal, we have just finished to record a new EP called ”Eleventh Omega Revelation”, and we hope to find a label who can release it. We also want to release a DVD recorded in December 2011 and I already have tons of ideas for the new album too, but this will depend on if we’ll find a serious label to work with.
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