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Interview with pulchritudinous heavy, eschew crushing, bleakest Spanish Death/Doom dealers Onirophagus


I enjoy prototypical brooding doom band. Death/Doom metal is a style that remains untapped and it is hardly swallowed by Metal fans in general. When someone tells you about Death/Doom metal at first a delineation will click automatically in your imaginary such as excruciatingly slowly, most hauntingly beautiful, graceful, down-tuned, slow-motion soundscapes of drifting, floating, dreamlike music, groovy riff moving in gentle transitions to vaguely shift perspectives of mood. Feel yourself decay, gaze helplessly, thoughtlessly as the preternaturally odious head over the horizon, blotting out the last scarlet gasps of a moribund sunset, looming over the eerily tranquil and temperate ocean like an antediluvian menhir - massive, silent, mysterious and unspeakable journey, alone in a darkened room, lighting a few candles, unsealed some good wine and settling in for an uninterrupted hour of beauteous doom sound driven by feelings and thus creates immense power and resonate overpowering as it is a purely exquisite voyage of yielding passion. That's probably just me and my definition. While some excellent, underrated and mostly overlooked band attempting to sell their flavor of the month band to potential listeners, there are some that simply exist outside of pre-existing molds. Some challengers exist, such as Onirophagus, a phenomenal addition to the Death/Doom metal roster.

1. Hello Paingrinder, how are you doing today? Warm greetings from India.

Hi Souvik, here Paingrinder, singer of Onirophagus and Estertor. All good for Barcelona! How about India?

2. Yeah all fine here,  So you have involved with plenty project. since death/doom metal is in your forte, So Can you give me a brief history of your previous and how can you manage all extreme bands together? Had you been in any bands or musical apparition before aforementioned all bands?

Being in several bands at the same time takes a lot of patience and time. The trick is that none of them match or overlap the other. My story began singing in the extinct band Paintone. There I learned to sing and move around the stages in the underground scene of Barcelona. Later I got involved in the grindcore band Empanadilla de pus and then in Decapitated Christ with which I recorded 4 albums.

3. What bands inspired the direction that took and motivated you? Writers? Visual artists? Movies? Books? 

In the case of Onirophagus the influence is very clear. On the one hand the old school of Death / Doom: Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema, old Katatonia, Winter, etc. And in the Death Metal side everything that has to do with the classics like Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Obituary, etc.
But not only do we suck that scene but we are also influenced by bands like Candlemass, Iron Maiden, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate or Primordial.
I was always in love with Giger's art. To such an extent that I have tattooed a whole sleeve with his work, a mixture of Biomeckanic, Alien and the cover of the Eparistera Daimones of Triptykon, a record that marked me a lot and also one of the triggers to form a band like Onirophagus. Also artists like Goya with his black paintings, Gustave Doré, Joel Peter Witkins, Beksinski are part of my love for dark art. I consider myself a great lover of Stephen King's literature, from which I have read almost all his books. Lovecraft is also one of my most contemporary inspirations, Poe or writers like Bret Easton Ellis. As for the cinema one could say that it is a passion that I have been since I was a child. My brothers tortured me with horror movies from the eighties like Demons, Evil Dead, Re-Animator, etc. And thanks to them my passion for cinema was growing over the years. I am not stuck in a single genre since in one day I can see Serpico and then see The Room or Borat. From directors like John Carpenter to Polanski, from Spielberg to Jarmusch. A life without cinema or music makes no sense!


4. There are two basic ways of looking at music. In the first, there is a mechanism for the arrangement of certain tones, musical style.in the second, a narration occurs where a story is told or a poetic function completed. In your view of compositions, which is more important? Where were you when you first thought the project had the longterm potential for you? 

I think both paths are important. There is not one without the other. When composing, we are already clear about what these riffs transmit to us and what we want to narrate in them. But not everything is so obvious, perhaps in a rotten riff we are expressing a beautiful and sincere feeling and yet in a sad arpeggio, we are throwing up all our anger. Onirophagus was created in 2011 with Moregod on guitar and Uretra on drums. They needed a singer and contacted me since I was currently in Decapitated Christ. I went to see them at a rehearsal and after exposing my idea of ​​creating an old-school Death Doom band, this little beast was born. So, I have been present at birth and in all the progress and advances that the band has been giving little by little. I also hope to be the day of his death! But calm, that will be in a long time!

5. What for you is the significance of your all bands name? Especially "Onirophagus"? 

Paintone was a pun, Decapitated Christ was a blasphemy against Christ and all organized religions. Empanadilla de pus, let's say it's a kind of pus cake, a funny name since we made grindcore of sexual content, psycho killers, etc. Onirophagus means dream eater. The name says everything. A beast, a carnal or spiritual entity that ends all hope, that destroys everything it encompasses. Pure desolation.

6. If you could tour with other bands in metal, who would you pick if you were looking for bands similar to your acts?

There are so many bands that I would like to do a tour with, but especially with My Dying Bride since I think our music is similar to what they did in the early '90s with their As I flower wither or Turn loose the swans. A more current band that we also venerate is Ophis.

7. If I choose "Onirophagus" Since starting year Onirophagus released two successful full-length albums till date and shaped the style of music. How do you maintain this consistency yet keep developing with each release? How do you write your riffs, songs? What is the most difficult part of composing songs as you do? As well kindly give a brief for your other projects too. 

When we meet to compose new songs we always say the same thing: we must maintain a balanced balance between the most rotten Death metal and the saddest and most depressive Doom. As long as that balance is balanced Onirophagus will continue to maintain that consistency. In Endarkenment we have added other elements that in the previous albums were not, such as current Black metal dyes such as Mgla or Svartidaudi and more than the Swedish Black / Death school as Dissection or Necrophobic. All these strokes are thanks to the inclusion of Shoggoth and Desecrator to the guitars.
When composing a song we let the riffs flow in the rehearsal room and from a riff that transmits something we are preparing the song. We are all contributing ideas and I am structuring where each element has to go. Perhaps the hardest part of composing, then remember all the riffs and where each one goes. We usually make paper structures, but with Endarkenment it has been particularly complicated since the songs were much longer than the previous works. In the rest of the bands, we do it the same when creating new songs. In Estertor I take care of the lyrics since they are all related to classic horror movies.


8. Do you have a preference for the type of equipment? In your mind, how important is equipment to the production of music?

It is very important to have good equipment when recording a disc. And above all have a good producer. That's why we always have Javi Félez from Moontower Studios. A dude who has been on the scene for many years and a fucking metal bible. It also depends on the style of metal you want to do, that is, with Estertor we do Thrash Metal at Sodom, Celtic Frost, Kreator, etc. In the next album, we want to sound darker and dirtier than in the first job, but for that, we can't go recording with cheap crap combos.

9. Well, now I’m going to the main point. Already on this year, Onirophagus released their new effort. So is there any new official video coming near future? As well again how can manage 
your other bands consistently this is still mysterious to me and highly cite your versatility.

Unfortunately, there will be no more Endarkenment videos, nor a video clip since our songs are very long and we don't like video clips either. Maybe in the next job, but for now we want to stay true to our ideals. Well, I handle it as I can and when I can haha, a few days of the week with Onirophagus and the others with Estertor and always watching that no concerts or dates of either band coincide. It is hard work but not impossible.



10. What's going on as far as lyrical themes on release and if you are potential, insisted kindly unleash the forthcoming incantation name of your other projects too? 

 Well, 6 months ago Endarkenment has gone on sale and for now, we have not thought about the concept of our next album since it is still very soon and we want to present the album live. Yes, I can say that our next work will be very dark and perhaps more rotten but without losing our essence and beautiful places in our songs.
With Estertor we are fully involved in the composition of our second album. There is still no title for the album, but it will follow the trail of its predecessor in terms of lyrics. Musically it will be more violent, fast and dirty like the old Sodom with "Persecution Mania" or "Show no mercy" by Slayer!

11. In my opinion, all of your projects musical style is packed with hideous that the mere sight of one is enough to drive a person insane. The harrowing lead guitar that swirl like the vortex of a tornado ripping through the blackest of tar pits and tuneful vocals adds a new dimension to the template, often replacing the usual cocooning brutal riffs and rhythms, Hallucinogenic with a healthy dose of paranoia. would you agree with this though death/doom stalwarts, its purveyors willingly eschewed publicity? 

 Totally according to your description. Let's say it's like a Lovecraft story. It puts you fully into chaos but let your mind imagine the horror behind it. There are times when I listen to Endarkenment and I feel like crying and other times I hit something hard! There are many feelings in this album and I think we have reflected it perfectly.

12. I’ve categorized all of your projects significant and signature style.so, How did you get into this style of music and explain about this music genre? 

 When I was 10 years old I discovered Heavy Metal thanks to the old Italian horror movies. I had a neighbor older than me who was passionate about metal and thanks to him I discovered Thrash and Death metal. Over the years I met friends who taught me Black metal and Doom. That was when I wanted to cover all those sounds. I have to say that I hear almost everything, even until the Gothic Rock of the eighties as Sisters of mercy or The mission. The first Death / Doom band I heard was Katatonia, specifically the “Dance of December Souls”. That record left me shattered. At first, I did not understand very well since it was something much slower and more agonized, especially coming from hearing things like Sepultura, Accept or Obituary. When I knew how to understand every note and every stanza of that Katatonia record, it was when the doors opened to everything else: Gothic of Paradise Lost, Pentecost III of Anathema, Turn loose the swans of MDB, etc. It is a genre that shows you many feelings at the same time, just like what we try to do in Onirophagus. It can sink you into the most absolute misery as well as make your day. It is hypnotic and hopeless in equal parts and perhaps therein lies its charm.



13. How would you describe the sound of aforementioned all of your project to someone who hadn’t heard it, and what distinguishes your music from any other act in the same genre? 

It could be said that we pay tribute to the school of the early '90s and something that distinguishes it from other bands is that we don't try to copy or imitate the sound of any of our influences. Onirophagus simply practices old-school Death/Doom. Sometimes it may remind me of Lost Paradise and other times of Black metal with a more modern cut, but always adding to it the essence that I think we have achieved in these almost 10 years of existence. 

14. Do you have any playthrough videos coming out soon? 

 No, at the moment there will be no videos until our future release and there is still a lot of time left for that! But on youtube, you can listen to Dark River and the Full album.

15. Who came up with the predecessor releases cover? I personally cherish all of your projects each and every released artwork because those are truly indelible, remarkable, appreciable and meaningful too. Kindly explain about this. 

 On our covers, we have always wanted to express the absence of animal or human life. We base ourselves on the primitive, on returning to the primeval mud from which everything arose. Not life, just desolation. In Endarkenment we wanted to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors but adding that amorphous, androgynous figure with a crown of illumination. Beneath her feet lies a lotus flower that in other cultures may mean life, but here it withers. Illumination through putrefaction or putrefaction through illumination. That's our message and the music I think perfectly reflects the work Adam Burke has done for this album.

16. Let's talk about your early memories. What's the first gig you ever went to? Have you been to any killer live shows lately? Also as per my understanding, you were also a part with one of my favorite band "Decapitated Christ" so, there is no news regarding their upcoming release. The band is dissolved or still active kindly confirm. 

Well, my first concert was Metallica on Load's tour in 1996. I was 11 years old and for me, it was incredible to see a band that influenced me so much. I recently attended the 25th Anniversary Party San, probably the best extreme metal festival in Europe. I have seen bands like Svartidaudi, Mgla, Nekrovault, Slaegt, Taphos, Deicide, Bloodbath and many more. As for Decapitated Christ, I have no news on whether the band is still active. I left the band after the recording of the last album and later they toured Europe together with Graveyard. Desecrator, our guitarist on Onirophagus is still on Decapitated Christ but they've been down for years as he also has another band called NECRORACLE.  

17. In before you performed a lot of gigs so, Which show was the most memorable to you so far? Do you get a good crowd response? Did you get offers to play in other countries or anything like that? 

We have played in many places and every concert has its charm. For example, the first time we played in Madrid together with Avulsed, Purtenance, and Dissect was the host. We were treated like kings and the response from the audience was spectacular, we even got to sign autographs. 
But I think the concert where the public response was massive was a few months ago in Barcelona presenting Endarkenment with Saturnus and Helevorn. We hadn't played in years, people were waiting for that album and we gave a dark show, ritualistic, very cold, without speaking to the audience, just sounding samplers between songs. When we left the stage people screamed like never before. We sold a lot that night and we sold out several boxes of Endarkenment doing even sold out on t-shirts and CDS. 

18. Do you study other bands music to come up with ideas? 

I'd be lying if I said I don't take ideas from other bands. It's obvious that when you hear something new you say "Fuck, I want to do something like that in our next job". But as I mentioned before, they're just influences, we're not trying to copy anyone, we're trying to pay a tribute to underground. 
In Endarkenment we have added touches of more current bands like Mgla or Svartidaudi, bridging a lot of distances. But if you look at a more accelerated melody, there are punches and arpeggios that can remind you of the new wave of Icelandic Black metal.
19. How do you prepare yourself before the studio or especially for live performances? Did any band, in particular, inspire you in the shrieking department? 

I don't have any protocol or any kind of preparation before the studio or concerts. I can only say that 5 minutes before I go on stage my heart looks like it's going to have a fucking heart attack. I have a lot of nerves, but as soon as I pick up the microphone and look at the audience everything fades away and I fall into a trance.  Many are the singers who have inspired me from James Hetfield (from his first three albums) to John Tardy from Obituary. But my greatest exponents are Aaron from My Dying Bride, Karl Willets from Bolt Thrower or John McEntee from Incantation.  

20. Is there a difference in the band’s sound as compared to the Full length, EPs you’ve released in the past? 

Yes, there is a difference in the sound, especially because of the equipment we use to record in Defiler. Personally, Defiler Of Hope is the most spectacular sound we've released to date. It's rotten, dense and dark. It's a mix of the early Hypocrisy and Ophis. For the future, we want to go back to those more primitive roots. 

21. You are from Spain, so how much have you discovered about the extreme metal scene and how much of it were you aware of before aforementioned all of your band started? 

Spain has a huge scene when it comes to the Underground. From classics like AVULSED, HAEMORRHAGE or FERMENTO. In Barcelona, we enjoy a very strong and overwhelming scene. The vast majority of bands know each other from going to concerts, playing together and many of us are friends. To name a few: ERED, GRAVEYARD, NECRORACLE, LUX DIVINA, BARBARIAN SWORDS, OSSERP, VIDRES A LA SANG, KORGULL THE EXTERMINATOR, MORBID FLESH. Etc. Outside the Catalan scene, we have friendship with great bands and friends like LÓSTREGOS and BALMOG (Galiza), EVADNE (Valencia), HELEVORN (Mallorca), DEVOURING (Mallorca), ATARAXY (Zaragoza), etc. 
It's a pity that few of these bands have repercussions outside this country, as we have quality everywhere!

22. There is some imagery with your lyrics, theme. Is this just an image or something you believe in? 

 You could say it's something we believe in and in which we've also created an image. We talk about real fears, diseases, the mind, madness and we mix it with our inner monsters, our anger, and all our feelings. All mixed with the Lovecraftiana madness and its primitives. 

23. What do you do as individual band members to relax, when not working on music? Do you have jobs or business? 

I live with my wife in the mountains, so we take advantage of nature to make excursions with our dog. We go to the cinema, to concerts, we meet up with our friends and family. We go to the normal in a human being moderately sociable hahaha. 

24. What albums are you listening to lately or just the bands and albums, in general, you're really digging right now and tell me about your anticipated album of this year?

I think the two best albums of the year are undoubtedly ATLANTEAN KODEX "The curse of empire" and MGLA "ages of excuses"!Lately, I am very involved in the Icelandic Black Metal scene. At the moment I think that one of my favorite albums of the year is Algleimi by Mysphirming and the last one by Sinmara. In our visit to Party San we were able to discover a great band called NEKROVAULT and their EP, Obscure is spectacular. Pure Death metal! 

25. Last one question, what are your future band goals & tell us something about an upcoming tour. Lastly, lots of teenagers aim to be full-time musicians. Many of them might be without any proper guidance, any words of wisdom for them? 

One of our next goals in Onirophagus is to play some dates outside of Spain, but the thing is very fucked up since we don't find promoters that want to take us outside. 
We will give a presentation concert in Barcelona and another one in Valencia. At the moment it's the only thing I can say about it because the dates haven't been confirmed yet. 
Well, I don't think I'm the best one to give advice to those teenagers, but let's go if they're Spanish, they'd better dedicate themselves to something else because Metal isn't something that attracts a lot of attention here. In countries like Germany, it's different to sing, because they live differently and have thousands of competent promoters. The problem here is that there are only a couple of legal promoters, the rest is filthy trash, scammers, or people who do not even bother to answer a fucking mail. But there is always hope! Anyway Metal in all its variants should not be seen as a way of making a living but as a passion! If you can make a living from it, for fuck's sake, but above all, it's a pure and unique passion for what you play and for what you express with your band. 
People like SLAEGT right now are pumping it all over Europe and they are 20 years old kids! I was able to talk to them at Party San and it shows that they are young and they are freaking out with people's response. They deserve it and I hope they go far because they are the best I have heard in many years. 

26. That's all I've got right now.best of luck for the future. Looking forward. Thanks a lot for enduring this torture haha. Any final thoughts, comments for the readers? If I forgot anything, please insert it in here.

Thank you very much for your time! Sincerely it is the most elated and longest interview we have ever had and it is to be thanked. Nothing more on my part. 
If you like the Death/Doom of the 90's listen to our latest album "ENDARKENMENT: ILLUMINATION THROUGH PUTREFACTION". We are ONIROPHAGUS!

Interview done by Souvik Basu. Published on 04.09.2019



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