1) How would you compare "Mind Suicide" with your first demo?

They're 2 different planets, so impossible to compare! The first demo was an experiment, our first studio-experience, instead Mind Suicide is the end of a frenetical work...everything was perfectly studied so you can understand that we can't compare them.


2) How was "Mind Suicide received in the underground?

Mmmh...we can say that Mind Suicide was received very well in the underground; a lot of people like our music, as many sign our guestbook to encourage us...we didn't think it but now we can say that Art Of Darkness have a lot of fans in the world


3) Why did you choose to record "Mind Suicide" at Nadir Studio?

Cause we hadn't a very big budget and Nadir Studio offered us cheap prices but best quality in terms of production


4) How were the songs in "Mind Suicide" composed?

All our songs grow up from guitar riffs, then we add rhythmic section (bass and drum); so when song's finished we try to put some vocal lines and at last we add samples. At this point the the game is over.....anyway we'll generally use a tipical song structure, verse-bridge-chorus-bridge in order to make the music more catchy and easy to listen and remember.


5) What are "Mind Suicide"´s lyrics about?

Our lyrics talk about life, death, position of individuals in the society, man's depraved soul, etc....in fact our attitude to a problem is never pessimistic...is realistic!


6) Why did you choose Dries Leysen to do the "Mind Suicide" artwork?

Cause we have taken a look to his works on web site and we loved it....just for this reason.


7) How important are this things in your music: melody, brutality, speed?

Well...it depends by our states of mind...there are times when we want to compose more aggressive songs and times we want to stress melodies...so it's a variable thing.


8) Which are your plans for 2003?

At this time we're working on our first album which it'll be relaesed by Catharsis records at the end of next summer.


9) Which is your equipment live and in studio?

In studio we used Ibanez guitars, Esp Bass, Marshall and Line6 amplification, Boss effect and Shure microphones, Premier Drums, Paiste, Zildjan and Ufip cymbals and Tama pedals but now, as AOD-line up and our equipment have been changed, we use Ibanez guitars, Esp basses, Marshall amplification, Remo drums (double bass-drums) and Camco pedals, GHS and D’addario strings.

 

Interviewed by Federico Marongiu