(Daniel Barkasi has brought us a fantastic interview with Enrico Schettino from the Italian death metal powerhouse Hideous Divinity, whose newest album, reviewed at NCS here, is out now on Century Media Records.)
Some have been calling recent times a sort of death metal renaissance. It’s true that an enormous amount of quality releases from bands old and new have been laying waste to our eager ears in the last few trips around the calendar. Hell, the sheer volume of new bands churning out innovative metal of the deathly variety alone has been inspiring. Death metal’s future is indeed strong. Ever leading the charge of the upper echelon is Rome’s Hideous Divinity.
Ever since their first foray Obeisance Rising in 2012, the band hasn’t slowed down a whole lot, dropping four albums that have continuously set high standards for both themselves and their peers. On to album number five, we have Unextinct, which stands out as their most ambitious, from a band who haven’t quite sat still record to record. It’s a massive album that goes straight for the throat, all while displaying multiple layers of intricate craftsmanship that adds significantly to the whole.
We got the opportunity to have a chat with lead vocalist Enrico Schettino on a myriad of subjects. From the obvious regarding all aspects of Unextinct, the absolutely wild “Against the Sovereignty of Mankind” throat cam video, what’s next (including a hint of an upcoming tour), and an odd question to attempt a practical joke on their incredibly cool manager Tito. We hope you enjoy – and pick up the damn album!
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Unextinct has been out for a little while, and by my accounts, reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. How proud are you of the album, and how does it stand out for you in comparison to Hideous Divinity’s past works?
Indeed, the response has been very positive, and it was not something I was taking for granted. Songs on Unextinct are longer, the texture is more complex, thicker, there are elements that are not immediate for the listener, but this is what HD is today. We’re a creature seeking for constant evolution, and evolution is a bitch. It may take you to weird places. We decided to take the risk, and do everything that we didn’t dare to do with Simulacrum. I’m happy with the final result, and I’m twice as happy that people understood where we’re trying to go.
From Eugene Thacker’s In The Dust of This Planet to Nosferatu and a horrific shipwreck, there are multiple themes within Unextinct. Tell us about how those all converge, and how the implementation of these motifs came to be.
It all starts – as usual – with a movie reference. Then, I basically work to make it less obvious. Let’s take Nosferatu. Another metal album about vampires? In 2024? We needed something more. Don’t know who recommended me the book from Thacker, and as soon as I got into his “philosophy of horror” manifesto, I thought about the undead as a representation of nature, of the “world-not-for-us.” Unextinct means unextinguished; still burning. Something that exists, regardless of the world built and abused by mankind. The world of predators, impersonal and horrific, but above all, unaware of human presence. Tornadoes and pandemics are violent acts of rebellion of a world where humans are not the rulers.
Speaking of themes, are there any that you’re really itching to cover for future releases?
Already? Yikes, my head still hurts from the current release! I guess cinema will bring us inspiration like sleep brings dreams. Who’s thinking that cinema is a dying art should watch The Zone of Interest; it might change their mind.
Having listened to this album many times, it’s noticeable that this record has more layers and depth than anything the band has created, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. How difficult was it to write an album with this level of complexity, yet retaining such a focused coherence in the finished product?
I feel the same about layers and depth. We have the responsibility to push the envelope with each new release. It’s not easy, but I guess we’ve never been the band just writing songs starting with a guitar riff and then jamming on it. Complexity is achieved, according to my – if I can use that word – method, by a simple Galilean process: trying and trying again. Writing, listening, re-writing, re-listening. Then vocals come along and the song structure changes again. It’s a long process but it’s required. The other guys hate me because I’m the slowest composer on the planet, it must be really frustrating for them. Sorry guys.
Having followed the band since Obeisance Rising, there’s been a constant evolution in your sound and approach to death metal. Could you elaborate on the creative process for Unextinct, and how you see Hideous Divinity expanding its sound profile in the future?
Each HD album has been a mirror of its own (musical) time. When I wrote Obeisance, I just wanted the band’s first release as something brutal and technical at every cost. Cobra Verde made room for some creativity, and I felt the influence of death metal bands changing the game like Wormed and Defeated Sanity. Adveniens was the turning point for HD while my obsession with modern black metal bands was becoming pathological. Then Simulacrum and LV-426 were a natural consequence of those new listenings. I guess if you are a hungry listener, there will always be something that will amuse you and will eventually become part of your writing style. Yesterday it was (Hate Eternal’s) Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, today is (Akhlys’) Melinoë.
Death metal in general has seen a metric ton of new bands emerging, from the more old school styled acts to the more progressive, forward-thinking ones, to which I’d place Hideous Divinity definitively in the latter category. How do you manage to stay ahead of the curve and creatively fresh with such a volume of new music out there?
I ask that question to myself on a daily basis. Perhaps the only answer – even if the cheesiest – is try not to think about it, stick to what you know and love. I couldn’t see me doing things differently, the result will be horrible. Can you imagine us trying to do something in the vein of Lorna Shore? It would look like a 50 year-old guy trying to use TikTok to get laid.
I’d like to ask about the stunning cover art by Adam Burke. How was working with him, and how did the design come together? What are your favorite aspects of it?
We knew that the artwork would’ve played a crucial role in the whole album concept and vibe. It’s not simply about the subject, it’s about the style, and that became clear for us once we saw the final result. We understood only then how big the break from the past was. At first we were a bit worried, but then when all the elements came together – to answer your second question, the landscape is my favorite part; the sky melting with the waves, let’s call it “a sea-not-for us” – we were like, “ok, this is awesome.” Burke is a great artist. Communication with him hasn’t been the easiest thing, but we’re happy about the final result.
Another important facet of Unextinct is the production. That was handled by Stefano ‘Saul’ Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios, which is who you’ve worked with from the start, if I remember correctly. The whole band sounds more imposing and ominous, while also adding a touch of discordance this time around. Also, that guitar tone is simply nasty. How did the recording and production process work this time around, and did you do anything differently?
Stefano outdid himself this time. I truly believe this is our best album production ever. We tried a different approach for the guitars, with the good ol’ Dual Rectifier that worked so well from the beginning, I couldn’t believe it. Usually we try different amps for days; this time the whole process was done in an afternoon. This left more time for things like guitar layers and other things that are there, but you don’t know what is in there. I just love to work on these things.
The video for “The Numinous One” is a nice combination of performance and a running narrative. Dive a little into the story behind the song and said video if you can, and how did the process of creating it come about? Nice to see Nosferatu’s appearance at the end!
We tried our best not to fall into the gory vampire video trap. That’s why Mr. N only shows up at the end. More like a cameo, haha. All the other elements in the video are the representation of recurring themes: the shipwreck, the horde of rats, etc. We went for a surrealistic minimalistic approach because we believed it was the only way to avoid cheesiness. Good editing and post-production made it possible, thanks to the work done by Eclypso Studio.
Another video was made for “More than Many, Never One” which used real blood in a very existential and hypnotic way. How did this concept come to fruition, and what kind of techniques were used to create these one-of-a-kind visuals? Also, whose blood was it?
Again, all credit must go to Dema Novakova and Eclypso Studio, who had this video in their mind for a long time. Honestly, I thought our previous music would not fit the idea in the proper way. We needed something more “majestic,” and when we finally had songs like “More Than Many, Never One” or “Leben Ohne Feuer” I thought ok, now we can do it.
The best thing about the video is how simple the idea is: what you see are chemical reactions of liquids and iron powder “stimulated” by a powerful magnet; the whole thing happening in a petri-dish and filmed with a macro lens. Eclypso filmed these reactions like if they were following the mood of the songs in waves, literally “exploding” when the song explodes, and retreating like low tide when the song comes to a peaceful intermezzo.
Note: Oh, and Enrico H gave his blood. Easy for him to handle a syringe, he’s a doctor after all.
Having been a pioneer in the death metal scene, are there any acts in the genre that have had a profound impact on you and your choice in musical direction?
Rest assured, I would never consider myself a pioneer – other bands, more talented and sometimes less lucky, deserve this title – I’m feeling this “impact” on me all the time. I’m still the most enthusiastic fan. What I admire about these bands is their ability to change the game in 2024; after all these years, there are artists out there able to say something new. Unbelievable. I never thought music could reach a new level of brutality, until I listened to Vitriol. I never thought death metal could still be so creative, until I listened to Dormant Ordeal. I never thought an entire extreme metal niche could be born again and rise like the most glorious phoenix, until bands like Mgla, Akhlys, Funeral Mist, Misþyrming came along.
I’d be remiss if the throat cam video for “Against the Sovereignty of Mankind” wasn’t mentioned. Other singers haven’t been able to last very long with that camera, but you pulled it off for the entire song. How difficult is it to sing with that in your throat, and what can that viewpoint tell you about vocal technique and how a singer is utilizing their instrument? Being a Phoniatrician, you obviously have a uniquely vast purview of how to best utilize one’s voicings.
Thank you for the question! Videos like this are usually seen like a freak show; like something fascinating and gross, which is true, but there is much more! As a Phoniatrician I’ve always been used to analytic laryngoscopy’s of the most peculiar vocal techniques, and I provided to the medical community a lot of studies about extreme singing, but most of the time you analyze a single long growl or scream, or whatever. It gives you a lot of information, but it’s like looking at a lion sitting in a cage. Cool, but that’s not what lions do.
Singing a whole song, singing it with aesthetic intentions, it’s different: it’s the real thing. You can see the real speed of the transitions, and this gives us research from a totally different point of view.
I don’t know why some people find it uncomfortable. My patients usually can sing during the procedure, and recently I worked with Matt McGachy from Cryptopsy on his throat cam video. He did one perfect shot with my fiberlaringoscope down his throat without complaining at all. Probably it depends on the hand of the doctor; you have to work gently and respectfully on your patients, and that’s what I try to do.
Let’s ask something a little off-course – any hobbies or interests outside of music that you think would surprise your fanbase?
I could watch videos of hydraulic presses crushing random stuff for days. Maybe weeks.
Tell us what’s on your playlist recently, and if you have any band recommendations that we may not have come across.
Dormant Ordeal, Outre, Odraza, Ad Nauseam, Ruim. If you don’t know them, time to do yourself a favor.
As a mutual friend of your manager Tito (Vespasiani, of Everlasting Spew Records), I have to ask how the band ended up working with him and what kind of impact has he been able to make on the band? I know that he helps in a multitude of areas – notably booking shows and tours. Also, I have to make a suggestion. With him being such a rippling mass of muscle, I believe it would be a great idea – even if just for one show – to create a stage backdrop of a flexing, shirtless Tito. Talk about a crowd pleaser! If I can help conspire this into a reality, please let me know.
We’ve been working with Tito for the past 12 years and some. We owe him so much it’s hard to quantify it. Like every long-term relationship, there are ups and downs and lots of stress and endless discussions, only because we all care about what we built over the past years.
Thanks for your suggestion! And no, it’s not gonna happen!
Interviewer’s note: I tried, Tito.
Thank you so much for taking the time to deal with my nonsense. What does the near future hold for Hideous Divinity, and do you have any tour plans in the works? Selfishly, preferably in the US. Feel free to add anything you’d like here. Thanks again!
Not sure if when this is out it will all be official, so for now let’s say that… we will see you soon, US fans, and we just can’t wait. Thank you for your interest and your endless support at NCS, see you soon guys.
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