AMPLAM UMBRA INTERVIEW!

Welcome to the interview Raem! So, Amplam Umbra has a sound that feels both haunting, aggressive and thought-provoking, blending black and death metal with elements of philosophy and personal reflection. To start things off, I’d love to hear about the journey that led to the creation of Amplam Umbra. What was the spark that made you want to channel your creative energy into this project, and how did it evolve into what we hear today?

Raem: Thanks for having me! This journey began around 2019 when we decided not to continue with our metal/hardcore band, Enemies, anymore. We had a solid run together for almost ten years, so after the split, it was obvious to me that I needed to start something new to fill the musical void in my life. My primary passion has always been death metal, so the direction was clear. However, finding like-minded musicians nearby to exchange ideas, jam, and collaborate with has been quite challenging. Since I’ve always been a project-oriented person, I eventually realized that starting my own death metal project would be the best way to directly channel my ideas into music. The only problem was that I had no experience playing guitar as I had always been a drummer. So, I decided to buy a guitar and start with some really simple chugging riffs to get familiar with the instrument. Long story short, I spent a couple of years learning guitar and recording demos, which I also mixed myself. Then, in 2021, I felt ready to take things seriously, and that’s when Amplam Umbra was born. For the first release, my goal was simple: to create the heaviest album I could possibly imagine doing at the time. That vision became the driving force behind my creative energy, ultimately leading to the first official release.

Let’s dive deeper into the sound of Amplam Umbra. Do you find it challenging to blend death metal and black metal elements together? I’m curious, what are some of your primary musical influences, and how do they manifest in your sound? And when it comes to your music, do you find yourself more inspired by death metal or black metal? Of course, I know it's likely a mix of both, but I hope you get what I’m asking! Haha.

Raem: I definitely find myself more inspired by death metal. I actually got into black metal relatively late in life—about six years ago—but it has been an amazing discovery and has had a positive impact on my songwriting, making it richer and more diverse.

When it comes to blending death metal and black metal, I haven’t found it to be particularly challenging. When I write songs, I try to avoid rigid or overly methodical thinking—like, "Now I should do this, now I should blend that," you know? I’ve realized that I achieve the best results when I let song structures emerge naturally from within. As a result, some songs end up sounding more death metal-oriented, while others have a more distinct blackened vibe. I’m not too fond of rigidly categorizing music into specific genres or subgenres anyway—to me, it’s all just extreme metal with different nuances. That said, I do understand the usefulness of genre labels, as many people today are searching for a very particular sound, and having clear prefixes can make that search easier. I probably can’t give a definitive list of my musical influences since there have been so many over the years, but bands like Abhorrent, Brodequin, Defeated Sanity, Krallice, The Faceless, Akhlys, Vitriol, Disentomb, Cosmic Putrefaction, and Vertebra Atlantis have definitely played a stronger role in shaping my style.

Well moving from the musical influences. Your lyrics delve into philosophical and introspective themes. (if I'm not wrong) What drives this focus, and how do you approach lyric writing?

Raem: When listening to other people's work, I have always loved when the music and lyrics have multiple layers—where the more you listen or read, the more you discover. It’s a fascinating feeling when you think you’ve grasped the message or the big picture, only to later realize that there’s even more to uncover.

The same applies to music. Some songs or albums are crafted so ingeniously that everything truly unfolds after the sixth or seventh listen. But when it does, it’s one of the most fulfilling feelings. These moments have definitely influenced the way I approach writing lyrics. I like them to be thought-provoking and somewhat shrouded in mystery. They are usually not meant to be interpreted literally but rather symbolically.

Well talking about more of the lyrics and philosophical themes. Once again, correct me if I'm wrong. Your music often touches on suffering and despair. Do you see suffering as a necessary part of human existence, what role does it play in shaping one's identity or understanding of the world?

Raem: This is an interesting question. I think we could spend hours upon hours discussing this topic and working through its details and nuances. However, I'll try to keep my answer concise and straightforward here. I'm assuming that the type of suffering in question is of mental/spiritual origin. I believe this kind of suffering offers the greatest potential for personal growth—if it is approached in the right way. Simply put, when we suffer mentally/spiritually, we are essentially suffering from the contents of our own minds. More precisely, we are suffering from our emotional reactions to those contents. Ultimately, it all comes down to the definitions and interpretations we hold in our psyche about events in the world.

For example, one person might find politics utterly repulsive, while another might be deeply bothered by the way someone else uses their words—even if that person has the most benevolent intentions. Although these are simplified examples, they still illustrate the core of the issue. Negative interpretations lead to negative emotions, and when these reactions occur repeatedly, they can create an overall negative state of being. As these negative states deepen, it becomes increasingly difficult for an individual to break free, as they attract and reinforce further negativity.

This, in turn, leads to a vicious cycle in which most actions, words, behaviors, or events are perceived through a negative lens. The world becomes a distorted illusion—a hall of mirrors—where every situation reflects back in accordance with a person’s negative beliefs. In other words, confirmation bias. This process can snowball into a state where people no longer understand one another, bridges are burned, and constructive dialogue is no longer tolerated. People then form groups with others who share their distorted perspectives, and these groups spread hatred and wage wars against others, all in the name of their own confusion. So yes, I definitely see suffering as a necessary part of human existence, as we all grow and learn from it. However, I believe it is up to the individual to recognize and learn the lessons of suffering—sooner or later. The key lies in self-mastery -mastering one's mind and emotions. By piecing together the fragmented mirror within oneself, one gains a clearer perspective of the world. Although this explanation is quite simplified, I believe we can see the effects of this dynamic everywhere, all the time, with varying intensity of course.

About satan, muahaha, yesss of course. In many forms of metal, Satan is portrayed not necessarily as a literal figure but as a symbol of rebellion, freedom, or defiance against authority. How do you view Satan in your music or life—does he represent something beyond evil, or is he a metaphor for human nature and struggle? Something totally different? Or are religious themes out of Amplam Umbra’s interests?

Raem: There are definitely religious connotations and symbolism in Amplam Umbra's lyrics, but they don’t necessarily follow the most typical or generic biblical interpretations. In the context of Nausea's lyrical themes, satanic or Luciferian symbolism is indeed present, but it serves as a metaphor for humanity’s struggles and its juvenile, bellicose nature. It represents a fall from grace, but it also symbolizes an individual's passion and inner strength to overcome their personal hell and attain spiritual wisdom. In my personal life, religious concepts are mostly irrelevant, but I still find them fascinating to study. They can add depth and vibrancy to storytelling, enhancing the overall thematic impact.

Funny question, but are there specific philosophers, writers, or thinkers whose work has influenced the thematic direction of Amplam Umbra?

Raem: Not really any specific that I can comfortably name. I mean, one could definitely find concepts that might be linked to particular philosophers, but I didn’t write any of the lyrics based on a specific school of thought. Some ideas may be actual philosophical concepts that surfaced from my subconscious, while others are purely my own thoughts (if such a thing even exists—but let’s just pretend it does for the sake of simplicity!).

The point I’m trying to make is that Nausea's lyrics aren’t intended as an ode to any philosopher. Rather, they’re a collection of philosophically oriented thoughts and themes drawn from human history, along with some of my own reflections

Well I think we can move on a little bit from these, and start to wrap it up. After listening to your music, what is one thing that you would like the listener to get out of it.

Raem: Hmm, a tough one. Maybe a refreshing feeling that not all the metal made in our country sounds like your typical Bodom, but that there are actually some fresh winds blowing in the underground.

Let's lighten up the mood a little, shall we. I'll give some quick fires, answer as fast as you can or/and the first thing that comes to your mind: (Yes i know this is stupid)

-Death Metal

Cannibal Corpse

-Black Metal

Emperor

-God

Dog

-If you could collaborate with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be?

Gabriele Gramaglia from the Italian underground scene! Everything that man touches somehow becomes gold.

-Hamburgers

Naughty Brgr

Allright, moving on…. So as a one-man project, how much of yourself do you feel you put into Amplam Umbra and is it difficult to do stuff alone or do you prefer it that way. Do you see this project more as a reflection of your personal journey, or do you aim to keep a certain level of separation between your art and your identity?

Raem: I’m currently putting a good amount of my free time and energy into this project, and I feel like that pace will continue as I focus on writing new material. I have to admit, doing everything alone is quite challenging, but it’s also extremely rewarding.

In the beginning, I spent countless hours just banging my head against the wall, trying to learn how to mix all the instruments properly so the tracks were even listenable. Then, once I started discovering all the different ways to tweak the sound and shape the overall master, it became an endless rabbit hole—I could spend hours upon hours listening to a single song, adjusting just one parameter by a tiny increment.

Nowadays, though, after learning the basics, I can set up a project much more quickly and focus on the songwriting itself. There’s still so much to learn, but now I feel like I’m at a point where learning new things is actually fun rather than overwhelming.

As a musician, I enjoy both working alone and collaborating with others. Amplam Umbra is purely a solo project, so at least the writing process will always be done by me, but I don’t rule out the possibility of playing live with other musicians in the future—if that’s where things end up. I’m also open to starting new projects with people who might need someone to handle the drum parts.

Amplam Umbra isn’t a personal journey in the sense that I’m not pouring my own hardships and struggles into the songs. Even though the lyrics have a somewhat narrative style, it’s not the “real” me speaking—it’s more like I’m taking on an imaginative role, playing a narrating character. That said, the thoughts and concepts are, of course, my own, and many of them are based on real-life observations, even if they’re expressed in a somewhat harsh or cynical way. So I guess the answer is both yes and no—it depends on how one chooses to define it.

You have released your debut EP in 2024, looking at it now, what are your own feelings about it?

Raem: I think it was a decent release. I feel like I managed to capture and convey relentless aggression quite well, which was my initial goal. Of course, as with any project, there were plenty of choices I would make differently now, but thankfully, those decisions don’t haunt me too much in hindsight.

So, I let the EP be what it is and focus on appreciating the parts that worked well. All in all, I’m quite happy with it, and I see it as a valuable practice project that’s now paving the way for what’s to come in the future.

By the way, have you worked on any other projects than AMPLAM, feel free to give them a shout out too. And talking about projects and the scene, how do you see this music evolving, is it dead or growing. Anything new you have been enjoying. Do you even care?

Raem: No other projects aside from the local metal/hardcore band Enemies, where I played drums. It’s been more than six years now since we ended that project.

I think there’s still plenty left to explore in extreme metal, so it’s far from being dead. I think interest in blackened death metal has been surging in recent years, with dissonant death metal also gaining traction and the revival of old-school death metal continuing strong. It’s also fascinating to see so many small labels emerging to support the thriving underground metal scenes worldwide.

When it comes to metal, I’d say this is actually one of the best times to be a music nerd. Lately, I’ve been digging into underground labels from around the world—especially the Italian metal scene.

Well it's been a pleasure to work with you once again, to wrap it up. I eagerly want to know what’s next with Amplam Umbra. You are a new band, one release behind, and we need more! So what is the next move, any upcoming releases or collaborations we should look out for? Record deals? And tell us where fans can also find and buy your stuff, music etc.

Raem: There’s definitely more on the way. The writing process for the first full-length album is currently underway, and things are progressing smoothly. No collaborations or record deals on the horizon just yet, but I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for opportunities.

Right now, the Nausea EP is only available in digital format, but I’ve been considering releasing it on CD, LP, and cassette in the future. As for the upcoming full-length, I can already say that it will be available in all those formats once it’s finished.

If anyone wants to support what I’m doing, they can purchase Nausea digitally on Bandcamp or grab some merch from your brand, Mindisca! I highly recommend checking out their website—their merch is seriously awesome.

BIG THANK YOU Raem!