Hi! What inspired the creation of “Beyond Frozen Heights,” and how does it differ from As Cold as a Stranger Sunset?
Hi everyone! Daniele here (Vocals). Initially we were thinking about another full album, but we decided to cut it short and focus on 4 tracks in order to release new material in a shorter amount of time. “Beyond….” follows “As Cold…” trademark but with more emphasis on speed, guitar work and with a slightly cleaner production.
Can you share the main themes or stories behind the EP and how they influenced the music and lyrics?
As usual in Huronian universe, most of the lyrics have a literary source of inspiration. Both “Over Frozen Heights Pt.1” and “Pt.2” are about H.P. Lovecraft’s “At The Mountains of Madness”, and the freezing atmospheres depicted in there were also the foundations for the cover I painted. The other two songs “Torturer’s Creed” and “Blazing Bolt of Hatred” are respectively inspired by Gene Wolfe’s “Book of the New Sun” and the immortal “Paradise Lost” by Milton. These stories help me finding a way out this material world and support music’s dark and emotional melodies with a proper imaginary.
How has growing up in Italy influenced your music, and what aspects of the Italian metal scene do you incorporate into your sound?
I don’t think we incorporate anything Italian in our sound, there were never many bands here interested in playing this specific kind of stuff. We grew up in a Death Metal environment and played in many Brutal/Technical/Old School bands before me and Umberto thought it was time to explore a darker side of extreme Metal.
What sets “Beyond Frozen Heights” apart within the Italian metal scene, and how do you think it resonates with fans worldwide?
As I told before there are not many similar bands in the Italian underground scene, but we do not make comparison… there are a lot of killer bands! We just do our own thing. Worldwide scene is what every extreme Metal band should belong now, I hope we’ll attract some more interest in the coming years.
Balancing technical skill with emotional intensity is crucial. How do you ensure both aspects shine through in your music?
Umberto writes the majority of the music and he works super fast. He can write and arrange a track in a few hours and I think this is the secret: the approach is spontaneous and emotionally driven but he is a very skilled and educated musician and knows what he is doing. After that we check the stuff together and I sometimes ask him to adapt the music to my lyrics a bit, in order to have a full synergy between instruments and vocal lines. Glad you consider our music “Balanced”, somehow.
Can you share some insights into the recording and production process of “Beyond Frozen Heights,” and how you captured Huronian’s essence in the studio?
I followed drums and vocals (obviously) recording processes closely (done at Art Distillery Studio here in Modena), but the rest has been done/directed mostly by Umberto in his home studio. We try to be autonomous in many aspects, and recordings/mix/master are among them. I think we balanced clarity and rawness well this time, I hate modern sounding albums and I always push for something organic and natural.
Were there any collaborations on the EP, and how did they enhance the overall sound?
No external collaborations, everything you hear has been recorded by the members of the band.
What’s the story behind the EP cover art?
As I mentioned before, I wanted something that could bring the listeners into a freezing “Lovecratian” territory and, at the same time, I was eager to try a more spontaneous and rawer painting style in order to take distance from current hyper polished digital (and in some cases AI generated) images. I hope it grabs viewer’s attention and also accompany him/her during the album listening session.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Huronian? Thank you for your time!
In 2024 we’ll try to do as many shows as possible, possibly also mini tours… We are also working on new music so don’t forget to keep an eye on us! Thanks for the interesting interview!
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