Interview: Ataraxy

Spanish Death Metallers Ataraxy just released their second album, Where All Hope Fades, on Dark Descent Records. Here’s what they had to say about it …

This is your second full length, if I’m not mistaken. Your last release, Revelations of the Ethereal, came out in 2012? Did a lot change in the interim?

There’s been an effort to go further in terms of atmosphere, personality, and emotion. To delve into something deeper, both musically and lyrically. I think we have somehow achieved to find our own sound with both full-lengths, and this new one keeps that natural evolution going. No drastic change, but the next step in the band’s path.

You did a 7” special release a while back … can you talk about that a bit?

Those two songs were recorded during the Revelations of the Ethereal sessions, and discarded from the album because we like to keep our full-length releases around the 40-45 minute mark. Quality-wise though, we feel they can stand up there with any of the album songs. We didn’t know at that time what we would exactly do with those tracks, and we finally decided to release them together in a 7”, each of them is based on a different H.P. Lovecraft tale so they really match each other, and even the titles sound well-paired (“The Festival” and “The Tomb”). This 7” was supposed to come out shortly after the first album, in September 2013, but due to different reasons (mostly a long delay with the artwork) it didn’t come out until September 2016. We would have liked it to come out earlier, closer to the Revelations of the Ethereal release, but this kind of things are usually out of our control.

How would you describe the Spanish metal scene?

It’s not that different from any other country. There are good bands and labels like anywhere else, and a shitload of average to generic stuff. People here either overpraise the Spanish scene or they totally despise it, and I think both positions are equally stupid. I see less and less younger people into it though, but I guess that will be the tendency around the globe for the years to come. It’s starting to be old music for old farts. There have been some good shows lately but most underground tours will skip Spain because it’s easier to move across Central and Northern countries with shorter distances. We all have our very own personal taste, so I can only speak for myself. Some of my fave recent Spanish releases would be the latest outputs by Oniricous, Proscrito, Insulters, Sacrificio, Incorporea, Akerbeltz…

What is your writing/recording process like?

Guitar player SCR is also responsible of the songwriting duties. He writes the main structure, riffs and melodies at home and then we rehearse together and add some minor changes and details. JMA then writes the lyrics and takes care of all vocals and keyboards.

Tell us a bit about the band history. How did you all meet, and how did Ataraxy form?

It’s a small city so we all knew each other from different local shows and pubs. The band was formed back in 2008 to play traditional rotten Death Metal. We have since then evolved towards darker paths as we managed to find our own sound.

What are you listening to lately?

Latest records and CDs I’ve spinned would be Celtic Frost To Mega Therion, My Dying Bride As The Flower Withers, Master s/t, Wind Atlas Lingua Ignota, Joy Divison Closer, Kreator Endless Pain.

What are your plans for 2018? Any tours or live shows?

We are currently busy getting ready to play some live shows. Two shows are confirmed (Zaragoza and Granada) and we will try to confirm more shows but it’s not easy due to our tight day-job schedules. We are also writing some new stuff but that will have to wait.

What is your favorite lyric snippet from the album?

I’d say “The Blackness of Eternal Night” and “A Matter Lost in Time”.

Anything you would like to say to your fans?

Thanks for the support, check out the new album at Dark Descent Records and Me Saco Un Ojo.

Check out on Ataraxy on bandcamp here.

https://www.facebook.com/ATARAXY-281047751876
https://www.facebook.com/DarkDescentRecords