NOVEMBRE - Carmelo Orlando

Rome’s NOVEMBRE are a band that has made a solid impression upon both the death metal and atmospheric metal scenes with equally strong results. Ever since their inception back in 1990, word about the group has spread among the underground scene on a worldwide basis. Metalzone.gr had the chance to do an interview with Carmelo Orlando- Guitars/Vocals- about their latest album The Blue, their aspirations, their upcomming tour, the chances of releasing a DVD, the impact they’ve had to the media and the impact on Metalzone.gr. Read on as our Italian friend unfolds his thoughts. \r\n

\r\nFirst Of all I would like you to give us a brief bio of the band as you are now beginning to make a buzz in Greece, and many people are just getting to know you.
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: We’re actually active since 1990, under the name Catacomb, releasing a demo tape (“Unreal” 1991) and a 7” EP (“The Return Of The Ark”), but the real NOVEMBRE beginning is to be dated in ‘95 with the release of our first album “Wish I Could Dream It Again…” through the Italian indie, Polyphemus Recs. With them we released “Arte Novecento” and then we got signed with Century Media Recs, through which we did “Classica” (’99) and “Novembrine Waltz” (’01). Then we broke the deal with them, getting signed with UK’s Peaceville Recs through which we released “Materia” (2006) and THE BLUE, which came out two months ago. Many tours have been done during these years, with bands like Kreator, Moonspell, Opeth, Katatonia, Lacuna Coil, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost.
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\r\nYour most recent release is The Blue tell us a few words about it. It’s context, production, theme, influences, aim, effect to the fans so far, feedback you’ve received.
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: THE BLUE, just like all our other albums is a collection of pure music. No themes, no concepts behind it. Just music. Hard to talk about lyrics, as they’re always written in the flow and very quickly. As if they come straight from some deep hidden place, with no interferences of sort. It’s made of 12 songs, one of which is an instrumental (“Zenith”, maybe my fave song!). They’ve all been written very quickly and easily. No big troubles on song writing, recording, mixing, packaging. Just the opposite of what happened with the other albums. A sort of miracle :) Fans and press just loved it. We never saw so much enthusiasm before. Average ranking was 9 out of 10 and the album is gonna be issued in Japan. We’re quite surprised from all this.
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\r\nOver the past two releases, you’ve received a huge promotional urge, you are in a new label, you are touring with Paradise Lost, how was that like?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: I dunno. I guess they liked and believed in our music. That’s what it’s all about after all. That’s why we left the Germans; they didn’t believe in us. PV does, and they push us totally. That’s how it should be.
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\r\nWhen you released Materia you received some criticism for having Italian lyrics, will you do that again? Do you feel that singing in Italian would be a obstacle for a band to become famous?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: I dunno about any criticism about it. Maybe ur referring to something we’re not aware of? We’ve always had Italian small parts in our songs. As well as German, French and Latin words. That happens since day one. Don’t think anyone has ever complained. On the contrary, many fans expressed some disappointment for the lack of it, in THE BLUE. But that’s something that can’t be controlled. As I mentioned before, lyrics are written in a week or so, and I can’t predict what I’m gonna write down in such a hurry.
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\r\nHow easy is it to make an international record deal if you’re a band from Italy?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: It depends if you’re broad minded band with big aims or just a time wasting wanker. But it also all depends if you’re a good band or a lousy band. Just like everywhere in this world. Music is like a gas; it just can’t be stopped. We have many great bands in Italy, who got signed with International labels, but many others just suck and they always complain about prejudice against us or Southern countries in general.
\r\nWell I think they just suck, no other reasons.
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\r\nAre you satisfied with the course you’ve had so far? What more would you wish for yourselves?
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\r\nCarmelo: We’re totally happy with everything that happens. We don’t wish for anything else but what actually happens. Obsessive ambition drives u crazy. It’s not for us. Let’s be the music to run its course!
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\r\nWould you change your style in order to be more commercial should the record label ask you to do so?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: Nope!
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\r\nHow easy is it to put a record out every year?
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\r\nCarmelo: It is easy for us. We’re sort of an invincible team :) I continuously pour our music and the others in the band do the rest. Max is an amazing guitarist. Maybe the best in the world (not fuckking kidding!), and his abilities as an arranger and performer are simply out of the ordinary. My bro puts all together in the studio and he’s arguably one of the best drummers around and Luca is heck of a bass playing motherfucker. My music would be wasted without them. And with them it gets concretized in no time.
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\r\nDo you feel illegal downloading and internet in general helps promote your music or not?
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\r\nCarmelo: Yes, although I still think someone will come out with a solution to this or we’ll really have to say goodbye to labels, magazines, journos, reviews, etc… Just free on-line music. I dunno, I think they’ll hardly give it up.
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\r\nWhat’s your opinion on the thousands of bands in myspace?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: It’s cool. As u said they’re thousands and thus impossible to listen to them all. So the only way for a band to emerge is the mouth to mouth rumors. I think it’s the most genuine way. Traditional ways are total Mafia. U get spot on the magazines only if a label buys ads. Journos obey to this Mafia rule and the result is we have shitty bands on the cover of the mags. Unfortunately, the ones who still buy CDs are the kids, and kids’ minds are maneuverable by definition. That’s why the bands on top of the charts mostly suck!
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\r\nDo you use your own myspace in order to promote your band?
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\r\nCarmelo: Yup!
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\r\nWhat musical influences do you have?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: Everyone is influenced by anything he might have heard since his birth. Just some days ago I realized I subconsciously took a melody from a TV-advertisement of a grape-wine, which was last aired when I was 4 and never aired again since then. I had obviously forgotten the whole ad. Only its music-theme has emerged in my mind after 30something years, under a slightly different form. To see it again on TV and realizing this whole thing was in one word, a SHOCK!!! But if wanna know what I like to listen to, well hope u don’t mind if I copy past some of them from our Myspace:
\r\nParadise Lost
\r\nThe 3rd And The Mortal
\r\nBathory
\r\nBlack Sabbath
\r\nIron Maiden
\r\nMetallica before the madness
\r\nSlayer
\r\nVoivod
\r\nDestruction
\r\nKreator
\r\nSodom
\r\nSchizo
\r\nNecrodeath
\r\nPestilence
\r\nGrotesque / At The Gates
\r\nAutopsy
\r\nNapalm Death
\r\nRepulsion
\r\nBurzum
\r\nDarkthrone
\r\nMayhem
\r\nImmortal
\r\nRadiohead
\r\nSigur Ros
\r\nAmina
\r\nNoir Desir
\r\nKings Of Convenience
\r\nKaki King
\r\nMogwai
\r\nGod Is An Astronaut
\r\nDead Can Dance
\r\nPink Floyd / Roger Waters
\r\nDepeche Mode
\r\nLudovico Einaudi
\r\nCCCP / CSI
\r\nFabrizio De Andrè
\r\nThe Police / Sting
\r\nU2
\r\nThe Cure
\r\nThe Smiths
\r\nREM
\r\nKate Bush
\r\nTori Amos
\r\nSuzanne Vega
\r\nBjork
\r\nDuran Duran and most of the music of the 80’s...
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\r\nIs there any artist that you would like to work with? Any artist you idolize?
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\r\nCarmelo: Many! I my dreams I’d love to work with Robert Smith, or Morrissey, or Thom Yorke. More concretely, I think co-working with Katatonia guys would be interesting :)
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\r\nWhat music do you listen to? Does it influence you?
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\r\nCarmelo: Look at the list before. Everything can be an influence!
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\r\nWhat inspires you to write music?
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\r\nCarmelo: Strong emotions. Whenever one occurs, a tune comes out! That’s from ever since.
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\r\nWhat are your plans for the immediate future? Touring around Europe, releasing DVD, writing material for your next album?
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\r\nCarmelo: We’re gonna have a few gigs with Within Temptation and we’re arranging another tour. After that we’ll be writing new songs.
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\r\nWhat do you have to say about what happened between Metalzone and NOVEMBRE, concerning the review we did on your latest album? Have you had similar reviews on your new release? What is your attitude towards bad reviews?
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\r\n\r\nCarmelo: Luckily we don’t receive many bad reviews but as long as you don’t insult us and defame us, we don’t mind band reviews. How could anyone? Regarding Metalzone, I guess there’s not much to say, am I right? It was a stupid misunderstanding not worth to be even mentioned. I asked the guy an English translation of his very bad review, maybe the only one THE BLUE has got so far, and he kindly gave it to me. I thanked him and I meant to write a funny thing, but it was late at night and I unfortunately miswrote something like “thanx mate; Greece is not our fave place lately”. I obviously meant “Greece is not our lucky place lately” but I was tired and English is not my first language, so the shit happened… The guy got totally mad at me and even though I explained him WE TOTALLY LOVE GREECE, ITS FANS AND ITS METAL he never got back to me. No big deal at all! Speaking of that, hails to Rotting Christ, Warathron and Thou art Lord, true Metal gods…
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\r\nYou mentioned having had bad reviews on Metal Hammer too, tell us a few words about that too.
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\r\nCarmelo: Got no idea! We’ve simply heard we got a bad review from them. That’s all. For this one we got 8/10.
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\r\nIs there anything that you might want to add?
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\r\nCarmelo: That’s pretty much about it!
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\r\nSend a message out to the Metalzone readers.
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\r\nCarmelo: Hope to play in your wonderful country real soon guys. Plz come visit us at: http://www.myspace.com/novembre1,
\r\n\r\nhttp://www.novembre.co.uk/
\r\n\r\nhttp://peaceville.com/novembre/
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\r\nThank you for the interview Carmelo, I hope we get the chance to see you live in Greece soon, and all the best for your release.
\r\n\r\nCarmelo: Thank you!
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\r\nElena Mihailidou \r\n

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