Well, my personal opinion of the underground of my homecountry, to be sincere, has never been so much good. Too many hobby bands, all with the same childish attitude and so on. In the last times I had to change, in part, my point of view: between all these shit romantic keyboard oriented groups, or wannabe "true evil" children, I found some really valid bands, that without any big proclamation or the usual words suitable for the occasion, create a really valid music proposal. Some of them have already passed through this pages, many other I hope to find and bring you here. This time is the turn of Beatrik, another project of the main composer of Tenebrae in Perpetuum (already seen on this pages). For the description of it's music, I invite you to read the review i have made, for now I want to tell you simply that I consider this band one of the best underground acts my musical tastes have meet in the last times. This is the interview I had with F.G.Smara...

First of all, I’d like to start telling you that I’m very good impressed by your last Lp. I consider it really a cool work and a very good release for the Italian underground.

            Thank you for your words and for the support you give me. Yeah, I’m very satisfied for this release and I hope it will be appreciated by everyone that will listen to it. I’ve read several good reviews in the Europe and I’ve received many good words also from those who bought the album.

I think that the decision to realise it in vinyl is a very good idea, ‘cause the vinyl format is yet one of the last things that leaves out a part (unluckily only a part…) of the wannabies and stupid trendy worshippers that continue to prefer the Cd format, and maintains the “imperfect” quality sound that gives a more obscure touch to the music. Anyway, it’s very well released and it has a good artwork, who did make it?

            There is no comparison between vinyl and CD. I’m crazy since a long time for vinyl, ‘cause I’m very fascinated by its cult and mystic aura. I haven’t any doubt, vinyl It’s the best format for Cult Black Metal and for extreme metal in general. Maybe I will release also CD in the future but I first want the vinyl version. For the artwork, the front and retro covers have been painted by a friend of mine that believe in Black Metal philosophy. He’s a very good drawer so it has been easy for him to create two masterpiece of total darkness for my album.

Why the decision to release it on a limited number (500, ndA)? Do you want that your musical proposal remains just for a niche of listeners, don’t you?

            I’m not interested in sale of thousands records. I’d like that my music would been listened only by those who can understand and appreciate it. I think limited editions can increase the cult around Black Metal.

How did you get in touch with Serpent Caput production, and what do you think of the work they have made for your bands?

            I meet Moonblood of Serpens Caput when he bought some copies of the first demo-tape of my other band called Tenebrae In Perpetuum and he proposed me to release a 7”, ‘cause that demo made a strong impression on him. I was very satisfied of that deal, so it began our collaboration. I think he made a very good work especially in this last album. It’s a true killer artwork. And the fact that it has been released on vinyl… the top, for me!

Let’s talk about the song “Journey Through the End of Life”: I think it has a really obscure and oneiric mood, do you agree? What has inspired you creating this track?

            That’s the most depressive songs of the album and it has been composed few days before the recording session. To many people like that song. During the writing of that song I have been led by my most desperate and depressive feelings and I’m very satisfied for the final result.

Taking a look to the lyrics, I noticed they are also very “dark”, talking about autumnal sceneries, sadness, obscure sensations and so on. Are they a sort of concept related to the title of the Lp, or simply they follow your mood within the album? Tell us why did you entitled your Lp “Journey Through the End of Life”…

            This isn’t really a concept album, but all the songs describe my visions and my emotions about death, mourning and desperation so I thought “Journey…” was a good title to reassume music and lyrics into a phrase. Also the paint on the cover’s front is well bound with the contents of the album. It’s a beautiful cover painted by my friend Schrei for “Journey…” exclusively.

Can you analyse the songs, underlining the most important meanings of the lyrics?

            The first three songs and the title-track describe my feelings and vision around the times before, during and after the end of life, very depressive, for me. “Beatrìk” tell the tale of the origin of this name and “Last Dawn” describes the feelings before the last battle. These last two have been written by Berserk, while the others were written by myself.

Talking about the song “Beatrik”: inside the text, it appears the phrase “…the infernal wolf is still haunting…”, which, if I’m not wrong, was the title of one of your demo tapes. Can you tell us what’s the relation between these two aspects of the song and the band’s name? What is Beatrik?

            “The infernal wolf…” is the title of my second demo-tape. I didn’t know how to call that demo so, reading the lyrics, I saw this phrase and thought it was a good title. Beatrìk comes from a very old tales of the place I live. It was an abominable hunter accompanied by to hundreds of infernal dogs that wandered among the woods to kill all the humans he could find.

You are a very prolific individual in the Italian underground, having two bands in which you are the main composer (Beatrik and Tenebrae in Perpetuum). How can you find inspiration for both this projects, considering that they aren’t similar and that both of them are real valid?

            I would prefer to be remembered for the quality of my music than for the quantity of my projects (it seems that not too many individuals think in the same way... ndA). Yes, I consider both my bands valid and very important for me because through them I can express all my feelings and emotions. Maybe I’m quite prolific because I don’t like rehearsing and playing live, so I can concentrate on creation of my music only. I take inspiration by my obscure feelings, moments of solitude, readings and in walking on the mountains, into the forests that surround my life.

What do you consider as the most important differences between Beatrik and T. in P.?

            Now Beatrìk is the manifestation of my sad and melancholy emotions while T.I.P. represent my darkest and most violent feelings through raw song writing and recording. In T.I.P. I sing in Italian and the most obscure bands of the early ‘90 inspire me. Beatrìk’s music is a bit more complex and melodic with a better sound recording but not too clean and arid, I hope. The two bands are very different, from my point of view.

Give me your opinion about our homeland “scene” and tell me some bands you consider valid and some others you’d like to drown in the shit…

            There isn’t a wide scene here, maybe ‘cause I leave in a small and quite isolated village among the mountains where there aren’t many people. Probably all those who live here don’t know the existence of extreme music so to meet some black-metallers I must drive half an hour towards where Vidharr, Ferghus and few other friends live, where they sometimes play live with their band called Chelmno.

Tell us something about the other two members of Beatrik: are they just session musicians or have they a concrete part in the creation of the music?

            I’m the only one composer of Beatrìk and Tenebrae In Perpetuum’s music so Vidharr and Ferghuss are session musicians. Anyway I have to thank them for their precious help in the recording sessions.

Why did you decided to cover “Spells of Destruction”, probably the most covered Burzum song of any time?

            I have listened the Nargaroth’s cover only; I didn’t know that this song has been so much covered. I choose “Spell…” ‘cause it’s one of my favourites Burzum’s songs, and ‘cause it’s very depressive and it quite follows the path of the other songs of the album.

Will, you play live with Beatrik, or will it remain a studio project? What are your next projects for your two bands?

            As I told you, I don’t like rehearsing and playing live, so my bands will remain a studio project only. Now I’m working on the Tenebrae In Perpetuum’s debut album that will released next Autumn by Serpens Caput prod on vinyl, of course. I’m working also on some new songs of Beatrìk but there aren’t any release dates for now, but I can tell you that these last songs are very slow and depressive.

Ok Smara, thank you so much for your time and feel free to end as you like…

            I want to thank you for this interview and for your precious support.
I invite the readers to visit my web site at www.beatrik.50megs and to contact me if interested in my work.
Hail and thaks!

Hails and again compliments for your work. Hope to ear more soon!!