The field of doom is full of bands that do their best to innovate. For instance, in the last few years we have seen how psychedelia has come to play an important role in the subgenre. But while most of these so-called adventurous bands pepper their music with whatever is hip that day, they can all easily be lumped together in sub-sub-genres. One of the bands that defies categorization is Spain’s Orthodox. Heavy as a mighty fine doom band, but also experimental and weird in the purest senses of the word. The Seville trio recently released Baal, their fourth full-length, and while the record hasn’t received Stateside release yet we couldn’t pass the opportunity to inquire the band about all they are about. Answering our questions was drummer Borja Diaz Vera. Read on and spread the word…  

DS - So let’s start with the new album Baal. It is great. Like with your past releases, it definitely stands on its own, maybe as part of metal, but maybe also, as something much more individual. Compared to previous albums, how do you see Baal fitting in your discography?

Thanks for your words; Baal is our first (almost entirely) album made basically of formal "songs". There is also one instrumental and weird and experimental fragments, but it's above all an album of songs. After we finished Sentencia, the previous album, we were exhausted. That material was the most complex (artistically and musically) effort we have ever develop as a band, and at that moment, we weren't able to play it live. So we started to rehearse, arranging more "normal" songs that kept our essence, with the trio format. The songs off Baal fit well in our set list, and represent an album that condenses our sound and way of doing things in the context of shorter and more direct compositions (that isn't necessary an easy task...)

DS - Please explain what Baal is? Meaning in general and what it means to the band.

We titled the album Baal because of some personal connotations, but also of its powerful meaning and the epic story and concept behind it. Baal its a polysemic word, a divine name whose influence permeated the music and lyrics of the whole album. I think that every person should get his/her personal interpretation of what we try to express. What Baal means for me is quite different from what it means to you, and vice versa. What is important for the fans, to face not only our music, but any form of expression, is to embrace it on its' own terms. Music should shake something inside of you, music should make you think and feel.

DS - I may be wrong, but the recording quality of Baal is very organic and basic. Very pure and unfiltered.  I dig it, I was just wondering because bands tend to change up a little bit, sometimes clean up their sound, why do this many albums into your career chose to take this approach.

You're right, we try to maintain an organic feel in our music, not just in the production, but also in the performances. The basic tracks are recorded by the three of us live in the studio, overdubbing later some guitar or bass tracks, and of course the vocals. Baal is our first album where we played "tight" (speaking in our low standards hehehe). On Sentencia we recorded its core (the song "Ascensión") live in two takes, not just the music (keys, contrabass, clarinet, drums), but also the vocals. That means that Marco sang while he was playing! It has its ups and downs, both positive and negative. We feel sick of modern production's values. I mean, we have been raised listening to music, specifically metal, that has been triggered and compressed to death since the 80s, and its an important part in our habitus as musicians, but it's not our league. We love ...And Justice for All because of its harmonic and progressive ideas, not because of the awful mix or drum production. When I hear an album where the drummer is triggered or the production has a lot of punch, I will like it if the drummer plays with taste and has good musical ideas; if the drummer brings something on the table, if he's on fire I'm going to like it, regardless the typewriter drum sound. If he just plays like a robot, or if he sounds with a lot of punch but what he's doing says nothing at all, that's pure garbage. I don't like to eat garbage, I like to eat nutritive things that make you react and think for yourself. In the case of Orthodox, we love to play music, we love to play our instruments and we love that our music sounds natural and alive; when there are mistakes, there are mistakes; when we weren´t tight, we weren´t tight. That doesn´t mean that we don´t try to do our best, we always do all we can, but we know some of our limits. Anyway, I think we couldn´t do a more professional, major production, our musical skills are deformed after all these years.

DS - Please talk a little bit about the recording of Baal? Was the recording different than in previous recordings?

Well, everything about that information is on the Baal booklet. We recorded the album with Alfonso Espadero, the studio technician with whom we've worked since Gran Poder. We recorded, mixed and mastered in his studio of Sevilla, during 5 or 6 days if I remember correctly, September 2010 AD. Self produced, as everything we have done up until now. Baal was an easier album to record for us, easier than the previous ones. It's made of songs, and when we finished we realized that we played fairly well
(speaking in our terms); there are mistakes and moments of doubt as always, but they're played tighter. What we have in mind is practically what we recorded. I think that the drum sound and production isn't the best for that kind of songs, but it doesn't mind right now: it is done.

DS - Borja, you have said that all your albums are a chant towards primitivism. What do you mean by that? 

Musically speaking, we conceive the primitivism as a way of doing things, and also of conceiving things. We try to make our music based on the most pure and unadulterated form: the IDEA. You have to idolize it, because the idea is your source of power. If you have a good idea, everything is right and fits well in the song: the arrangements, the vocals, the solos, etc. If you have a mediocre idea, everything is going to be mediocre, and if you only have bad ideas in your head. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to speak in dualist terms, I just want to make clear that we try to put the best of us in everything we do, trying to develop musical ideas and concepts that fit and define the Orthodox vision. And that vision implies a certain conception about what is and what not is music. Here enters the primitivism: music is a form of expression, your form of self expression, for yourself. You play something to develop images and create sounds for YOURSELF. You are your idea, so you´re being yourself in your music. It's okay to play for others and it's a gift to find persons who identify with your vision, but it can´t be your main goal. You play because you have something to say, not because the circus rules says you have to play concerts and tours (one of the pillars of the music business). That's a consequence of the paradigm that shapes today's popular music, but it can't be the cause; if that's the aim that drives you you're probably blind inside (and also probably making some money thanks to your unconsciousness). Our music is a chant towards primitivism because we love spontaneity and fire in music, two features that in heavy/rock music have been buried after years and decades of production, aesthetic and commercial artifices. I say buried but not lost, there are a strong tradition of bands and musicians that have been opening the way in this path and we want to open it also. We try to be sincere with ourselves, and play the music we like, based on our hits and misses. Like a mustache once said, "You are what you is". I don't know if the change towards a primitivist state of mind is gonna come, I'm just a fish on a pool full of fishes that thinks that perhaps it's better to be a fish on a sea (full or not of fishes)...

DS - Generally, Orthodox gets lumped with other doom bands, yet there are other facets to the band that are very well-developed. I was particularly impressed by “Heritage”. It is an astounding song. How does the songwriting process differs between that of songs like this one and that of other songs that are more straight up heavy?

"Heritage" it's probably one of the Orthodox tunes that I enjoy most. It's a lullaby for Ricardo's daughter, done in the Orthodox way, with dark and light corners. Marco wrote and structured the bass and vocal lines, as well as the lyrics. That meant that Ricardo and I had a lot of freedom to play. I tried to keep a continuous and subtle drumming, while Ricardo made his awkward guitar wizardry, everything on top of Marco's repetitive bass note and epic singing. Some of our heavy songs have been created in the same way, it's an usual form of working for us.

DS - Do you get to play these more experimental songs live? If so, is it more difficult?

Yeah, "Heritage" enters and leaves from time to time our set lists. We did an Iberian tour with Scott Kelly last March, where we play it along with some of our most experimental material and it worked real well. It creates a mysterious and austere ambience on stage, and I think that people attending enjoy it as much as we do. We have just finished mastering a 2CD set of singles, unreleased songs and demos, "Heritage" is also on it.

DS - A few years ago, Gran Poder was released by southern Lord Records, but then Sentencia and Baal have gotten released through Alone in Spain and I don’t think there has been any formal Stateside releases. Are there any plans to release these records in the States and Was the relationship with Southern Lord a one off?

It wasn't a one off relationship, they also released the North American edition of our second album, Amanecer en Puerta Oscura. With the next albums they lost interest in us, so they're only released by Alone Records, our Spanish label. Right now there are no plans to release domestic editions of them for the States, it's a pity because it's expensive for you to find our records. We don't have label support on North America, and we think it would be great to have some help there. We're open to proposals.

DS - There seems to be a thriving and very creative extreme scene in Spain. I really like what bands like Dishammer and Teitanblood have done. Please tell us a little bit about the scene in Seville?

The scene in Seville is little. There are some bands doing cool things, but there's a lot of superficial and clonic abortions, not only in the heavy metal domain...There are good bands like MonkeyPriest, Mademoiselle or Andhord, and great national acts like Viaje a 800, Moho or Dishammer. The following has grown with the years, but you know, we're talking of underground music in a little country. In Portugal things are different: they are a smaller country with strong and huge following. We praise our Iberian brothers and sisters! We play gigs when we can and when we receive good offers, we prefer to focus on other things (like writing music and our regular lifes) and not just playing live.

DS - When Orthodox plays live, you dress in robes. What is the point of this?

We used the Nazarene robes in the beginning of the band because they fit our musical ideas and image. We were inspired by the strong folkloric tradition of Catholic Church in our country, a tradition where death is celebrated as life, and life is a death continuum. They were pretty important in the beginning of the band, they canceled us as individuals and allowed a better concentration of the public in the music, creating a great atmosphere. But we played a bit uncomfortable with them, and we played some bad shows we like to play our instruments the way we want to, not in a fucked-up situation where we don't have control about what's going on. We usually don't have roadies to help us if something went wrong in a live situation; if you have technical difficulties onstage is a bit ridiculous to solve them dressed in robes, you're losing the effect you wanted. So we play our shows with our regular-guy clothes. Nothing special. It's not the same, but people also enjoy seeing three weirdos playing raw and misty heavy metal.

DS - One thing I love about your music is how free it seems. It is just an impression, but I am wondering what the songwriting process is like? Is there any jamming? Each member coming up with ideas on his own?

We tend to jam from time to time, but usually based on a previous idea. In our music, some of the freer moments are more written than improvised, but we tend to play our instruments with some freedom. In my particular case, I like drums that sounds played by a being/presence, with mistakes and passion. The "correct" drum playing (speaking in a heavy rock context), attached to the drum beat, it's a nonsense for me in this particular moment. It's useful to learn some things at the beginning and understand the language of the instrument and the music, but you cannot limit yourself to just that. You have to say something with the instrument: occasionally the rhythm will have to go tight and bounded, but you need to be able to go against it also. Regarding the songwriting, Marco normally writes the framework of the songs, and we finish them the three of us in the rehearsal room, or Ricardo gave a riff or some rhythm ideas and we work on them. In some songs the process is different, but we always try to make whatever we were doing to sound like Orthodox. And what does Orthodox sound like? Right now we're looking for different strategies and inspiration, so I don't know how we will sound in the future.

DS - I think that with most musicians it is easy to tell who their influences are, but with a band like Orthodox it is not so obvious. When the band started, what was the idea? Who inspired you?

Marco and Ricardo had an idea of heavy doom mantra-like music, inspired by the marches of the Holy Week. When we meet, we had some common musical influences (Metallica, Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins, Electric Wizard) and we saw we had some possibilities playing together the three of us. We also enjoyed a lot of jazz and classical and experimental music, we have listened and shared so much creative and enlightening music in these years. We wanted to restore the experimentation in heavy music. This isn't strange or forced in the context of heavy music, it's part of its essence. Its core is to mutate, constantly redefining its parameters (parameters, NOT limits) to create music of rebellion and discovery. If we play in a band, that's because we like bands and artists that evolve and retain the ability to surprise with their work, that have found the balance between novelty and the essence of their sound. I think that it's possible to find that balance if you're focused (and accepts you're not going to be big and make lots of money). We love Maiden and Motörhead, but they're unique (unique in their rise and fall). We learn from them, but we are not going to be them. You always have models and inspirations, but you're also unique. And that's what you need to know.

DS - I believe the line up of the band has been intact since inception. Do you have musical ideas that do not fit with the band? Does anyone exercise these ideas outside of the band?

We always try whatever idea we have. If it works, it's good for the band. And yes, we have always been the same three of us, with some collaborations, especially Tavo Dominguez, the clarinet player that gave Amanecer en Puerta Oscura and Sentencia some of its particular ambience. In fact, Marco and I are setting up with him a jazz/improv trio, I hope it works. I have another band, Blooming Látigo, a bass and double drumming extravaganza with harsh vocals, we're entering the studio next November. And as I said before, there's a Orthodox rarities compilation coming next year; we hope also to have new material in 2012 but there's nothing sure at this moment.

DS - What records are listening to right now?

Nocturnal Emissions Viral Shedding, Peter Brötzmann/Keiji Haino/Shoji Hano Shadows: Live in Wels and Ved Buens Ende Written in Waters.

DS - Finally, last words…

Thank you for you interest and support for Orthodox. Sorry for the delay and technological problems answering your questions and keep up the good work with the webzine.

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Read our review of Baal here…

Interview by Ignacio Brown