Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (https://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
A: As a band we don’t want to fit in under one genre. If something sounds good, we will fit it into our music. That’s why we consider ourselves as a Progressive Power/Thrash Metal band
Our main influences are Thrash, Power, Speed with a touch of Progressive Metal.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
A: ANIMAMORTUA is a metal band from the island of Malta. Formed in June 2015 by ex-Relicuia members Juan Xerri (vocals), Clayton Cini (guitars, also Thy Legion drummer) & Josef Bray (drums), they rounded out their first line-up with Steve Azzopardi on bass and began to write material and quickly found their own style where they incorporated melody in the guitars and topped it off with powerful melodic vocals. By the end of 2015, the band assumed a stable line-up, which saw the addition of guitarist Emanuel Portelli from Victims of Creation, Hemplifier, Thy Legion and Pilgrimage.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
A: We are influenced by a lot of artists such as Nevermore, Symphony X, Helloween, Ronnie James Dio and many more!
Lyrically, we like to vary it from release to release. Our EP “State of Chaos” was more politically inclined, whereas for “Gods Among Us”, we wrote about space, ancient gods and mythology with elements of sci-fi.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
A: Our aspirations as a band/artist is to continue to grow and reach out to a bigger fan base while creating beautiful memories between us and other bands and artists from around the world! It’s nice to have stories to tell!
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
A: We have some honourable mentions, like for example when we supported the mighty Blaze Bayley and Entombed AD! We’re very proud of what we’ve managed to achieve in general even recently since we got signed with Underground Symphony Records for our upcoming new album!
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new
artists emerging from bedrooms in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
A: Not bad actually…. It’s tough though yes… We just got in the MDPR roster… We’ll see how that goes!
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
A: Usually, we are either asked to play a show or we organise them ourselves with other bands and artists. We have our debut album launch on the 20th of October at The Garage, Ħaż Żebbuġ Malta. Plans for 2024 are ongoing as well.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
A: We think that it’s important to build a presence on streaming services nowadays, especially if you want to get recognised. The disadvantage is that it’s a big pity that physical media is slowly becoming obsolete.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
A: Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor.
This song gave us a perspective on music which we didn’t really get through many other songs. The way it starts off with that delicate and melancholic intro, how it transitions into the sludgy riffs, and the overall voyage of technicality, yet retaining a highly melodic and aggressive vibe is just next level. A modern day masterpiece if you will.
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
A: Not really no… We have to adapt with the times we’re living in.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment we are preparing for our debut album launch and soon we will start working on our second full length album!
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
A: You can find us on our socials.
These are the links:
https://www.facebook.com/animamortuaMT
https://instagram.com/animamortua
Animamortua.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6nNvsKsWvx8r6kaa7kAeJk?si=xgjvQoj6RjSPyC1yY1QQBQ
Animamortua links:
Band/Artist location – Malta
Facebook – You Tube – Soundcloud – Bandcamp – Merch –
Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – Bit.ly –
Check our page for Animamortua
