Genoa's extreme metal masterminds Necrodeath have been infesting the underground with violence and occult subjects for the last 40 years and to this day they have kept their highly respected status as one of the finest bands that hail from Italy. The word came out recently about their upcoming final album Arimortis and their farewell tour in 2025, which is quite unfortunate for all the Necrodeath fans around the world, but on the brightside, the band will definitely go out with a bang. Before the album's release, I managed to get some words from the band's guitarist Pier Gonella and bassist Gianluca Fontana, regarding their upcoming album Arimortis, as well as their farewell tour in 2025 and the overall cult status that Necrodeath has maintained for the last 4 decades. I hope you will enjoy this interview and support Necrodeath on their final year in 2025, hopefully keeping the flame burning after the band's candle lights out.

Vladimir

Greetings Necrodeath, heartwarming welcome and hails on behalf of MetalBite. How are you doing lately?

PIER: Hello! Thank you for this interview. We're doing well, we're receiving great feedback on the two new singles we've released, and everything is going smoothly.

I have recently received your new album Arimortis, which is due to be released on January 17th, 2025. In my eyes, this is yet another heavy banger of an album which showcases how Necrodeath managed to uphold its extreme and relentless attitude 4 decades since its inception. How did the work on Arimortis come about?

PIER: Most of the work was done during the summer two years ago. Peso came up with most of the riffs and wrote the lyrics together with Flegias. Then, in the following months, we worked on the arrangements and also on the graphics.

Although this album is just two years apart from the predecessor Singin' In The Pain, the heaviness and the energy of the band is still present and the energy is just as strong, if not even stronger. Were you guys looking to improve on some significant aspects from the previous album or did you just take on this new album with a straightforward approach?

GL: Since this album can be considered a bit like our testament, so we approached it with a direct approach and without particular arrangements, to bring out the essence of Necrodeath. We have always been a very direct band that transmits its energy and passion both in the albums and live, so we wanted to transfer this into the latest work too, we are happy with Arimortis because it represents what we are.

In some aspects, I felt like Arimortis has taken on an even more atmospheric and death-defying work in comparison to Singin' In The Pain from 2023, and this is what got me so hooked right away in the first place, even though I think both albums are great on their own and should not be compared by any means. Was this something you've wanted to incorporate on this album or would you say it came out naturally that way?

GL: I think we can distinguish the two albums you mention, because Singin' in the Pain is a concept album inspired by Anthony Burgess' 1962 book "A Clockwork Orange" so the lyrics and atmosphere of the album are inspired by this book. Arimortis, on the other hand, is the album of our farewell to the scene, therefore it represents our legacy to future generations and a thank you to those who have always supported us, so I would say they are two different albums although with the same Necrodeath sound.

What really surprised me about this album is that you included a re-recorded version of the song "Necrosadist" from your first album Into The Macabre, but you also made a part 2 of "Metempsychosis" from your second album Fragments of Insanity. Even though I am a firm believer that some classic songs which were great firsthand should not be touched or reworked, I would actually make an exception in this case and say that this is by every right justified since the final output came out so great in the end. What's the story behind the re-recording of "Necrosadist" and also writing part 2 for "Metempsychosis"?

PIER: I agree that re-recording tracks from the early era, which have a very distinctive sound and riffs, is a delicate task. We had this experience a few years ago when we re-recorded the entire album Fragments of Insanity. We simply replayed the tracks with the current lineup and a more modern sound, but we didn't want to alter the structure of the songs. The same approach was taken this time. Necrosadist is a track we always perform live, and we aimed to record it with the same live energy. As for Metempsychosis, the idea was to start from the final riff and continue with a long improvisation, similar to what Venom did at the time with "At War with Satan".

I personally think that this album is a great way to celebrate the band's 40 years of existence, but unfortunately for us fans, Arimortis is said to be Necrodeath's swansong and that the band will disband after embarking on a tour in 2025. Could you tell me what is the main reason behind Necrodeath's plan to cease activity?

GL: Basically we have said everything we could in recent years, we have had fun but also angry, we have received great satisfaction but also disappointments, always facing all this firsthand. For a few years we have felt the need to end our career, having done everything we could with our own strength, so 2025 seemed like the best date to end a career that has lasted 40 years. We have no remorse or regrets, but a lot of experience that makes us end with a smile.

On the other hand, I think that Arimortis as a farewell album would not only be a testament to the band's great work throughout the years, but also an example of the band going out with a bang, alongside the planned farewell tour. Are you guys satisfied to some degree, knowing that Necrodeath's chapter will be ending on such a high note?

PIER: Our idea is exactly this: to end our career in the best possible way. We are closing the Necrodeath chapter, but that doesn't mean we no longer feel like playing. That's why we wanted this album to be a final chapter worth remembering for its significance, and the same goes for the final tour.

So far, what are the plans for this upcoming tour in 2025? Can we expect any shows in Eastern or perhaps even Southern Europe?

GL: Arimortis, the latest Necrodeath album, will be released in January 2025, after which we will no longer produce anything. While for the last live shows, we are planning for 2025 with several concerts and festivals already scheduled, while others are still being confirmed, both in Italy and in Europe. We hope that requests will also arrive from Eastern and Southern Europe, we would be happy to come and bring our sound and greet all the fans.

In my eyes, a band such as Necrodeath is a very rare example of a band which still upholds its qualities and core values in their music, because not so many extreme metal acts manage to stay as strong such as yourselves, while still remaining highly influential to the masses. Since you guys are highly experienced and faithful to your cause, does that sort of mindset keep the engine rolling for the entire band when working on new material and going forward in general?

GL: Thank you, nice words thank you, we have always been consistent with our artistic path. Fortunately we have never been influenced by record companies and we have never followed the fashions of the moment. In all these years it has always been us who choose which direction to take and how to take the next step.

The fact that we had no outside influences or pressures definitely helped maintain our integrity and I think you can hear this in our discography.

We have remained anchored to our underground roots partly because no one has ever elevated us further, partly because it is the territory where we feel most at ease.

I personally consider Necrodeath to be a crucial band in the overall development of extreme metal subgenres such as black, death and thrash metal, and I think you are one of the most important bands that have come out of Italy alongside Death SS, Bulldozer, Mortuary Drape and Sadist. How do you guys feel about the fact that you played a big role in the development of Italy's metal scene and that you are still keeping your legacy intact?

PIER: Necrodeath were born and raised under the influence of bands like "Slayer," "Venom," and others from that era. When we write an album, we always look for new ideas, but it's natural for us to stick to our style because that's what we love, plain and simple. Passion is what drives us, certainly not money.

GL: The bands you mentioned are still on the road, so I think the driving force behind all this is the passion that binds us to music. We consider ourselves part of a scene and for many we have been a source of inspiration, this makes us proud and makes us understand that music has no boundaries.

I still look back when I first discovered Necrodeath with your cult classic debut Into The Macabre back in 2015 when I was still in high school, and I am proud to have your patch on my vest as an important memory of that love at first sight, but also the joy of discovering such a hidden gem at the age of 17. Fast forward almost ten years later and having this album remain so important to me, I still consider the discovery of Necrodeath to be one of the turning points in my musical journey and I just want to say thank you for the great music you have delivered. Did you have many fans reaching out to you and saying that your music played a big role in their lives?

GL: We're happy that a young guy like you approached metal thanks to us too! This is what makes us proud after all these years, having inspired new generations also thanks to our music. Over the course of all these years we have met many people who have thanked us for our music and even now during the concerts the same people continue to follow us, this is beautiful, because it makes you understand how music can unite people and create bonds thanks to the same passion. In fact, the new single "Storytellers of lies" is dedicated to our fans and the puppets you see in the video were created by one of them.

Thank you so much for this interview! Just as closing words, I'd like to say that I am highly looking forward to the release of this album, and I wish the best of luck to all of Necrodeath in 2025 with this awesome swansong of an album and the farewell tour which will bring down the curtains to close such a strong band chapter. Are there any final words?

GL: Thanks to you and MetalBite readers! we are ready to face the last year of the band, which is not intended to be a sad farewell but a party to celebrate our last birthday! So we invite everyone to listen to Arimortis and come to our concerts for a final farewell.