Today we dwell on a true Dark Lady who has already been discussed in several DarkVeins forum threads. This is Cadaveria, an overwhelming and diabolical singer who first appeared on the music scene with Opera IX in 1990, then in 2001 with CADAVERIA, a band composed of Frank Booth, Dick Laurent, Killer Bob and Marçelo Santos (Flegias).
Leader of the famous Italian horror/black metal band, she has become a funereal female icon worldwide.
But now let us try to get closer to Cadaveria, whose stage name already makes the hearts of fans of the macabre throb.
A: Who were you before you became Cadaveria?
Cadaveria: A somewhat shy girl, a lover of Rock and Metal but who had also listened to Alberto Camerini, Loredana Bertè, CCP, 1980s new wave and classical music. Sufficiently nerdy student about the subjects that interested me, melancholic but also fun-loving, serious, trustworthy, loyal and very sensitive and with a great sense of duty, divided in the middle between rationality and creativity. All in all, I have not changed that much.
A: What led you to be who you currently are?
C.: Well the path has been long, I would have to tell you about my life to answer you and then as I said basically I am still the same in the sense that my values have not changed. Beyond the facts, that is, the approach with the microphone with my very first rock/punk band Marciume, the militancy in Opera IX and later the beginning of a new path with CADAVERIA, I can tell you that at a certain point I found courage to express myself for who I am, I realized that I have an above-average intelligence and I understood what I want from life and everything came accordingly. So, to summarize in the smallest terms, what has led me to be who I am is awareness combined with the courage not to settle. And that applies to everything I do, not just music.
A: What musical groups have influenced you and which ones do you currently respect?
C.: I can say that I have never been inspired by a particular band, but I grinded a lot of records by Mercyful Fate, Black Sabbath, Holy Moses, Dissection, Death without neglecting the punk scene in my area (Negation, Nerorgasmo, Indigesti). In the 1990s we were writing to each other between bands, exchanging 7", early CDs, I had more time on my hands and really listened to a lot of stuff, early Dimmu Borgir, Samael and Paradise Lost included. Now I mainly listen to Tool, Puscifer, Satyricon, sometimes Rammstein and Ministry. I discovered Karma to Burn, I like Killing Joke, Mastodon and Asphyx. I contaminate it with some Jazz and some Skunk Anansie tunes, and I like movie soundtracks.
A: Why did you choose this stage name?
C.: Entering Opera IX we each decided to adopt a nickname. I wanted one that summarized my fascination with the unknown and the dark, and a term having to do with death, the pallor of a corpse and cemetery imagery seemed ideal. Cadaver came up as a joke, but I ended up carrying it around for 22 years and now I am Cada to my friends.
A: What is your relationship with the occult?
C.: I approached it through music and song lyrics, I delved into the subject and read a lot about it during the Opera IX period, then as I grew up I broadened my interests to 360° or almost 360°, and as a result my relationship with it has narrowed considerably. I continue to be persuaded that darkness is not necessarily bad and light is not necessarily good, I try to interpret reality according to my own beliefs that go beyond conventions. I firmly believe that the mind has incredible potential and that its limits can be moved further and further, and that different minds even physically distant from each other can come together and create a unique energy in communion with nature. But this transcends occultism and any religious practice.
A: You made your debut in occult black metal as the singer of Opera IX. What brought you to be a part of that group? And what memories do you have of that period from 1990 to 2001?
C.: I met Opera IX at a concert, I was with Flegias, we met, they were looking for a singer and a drummer, we did some rehearsals together, it could work out and so we joined the band permanently. Pretty much what happens in all bands and between people who want to play music. I remember immediately taking it very seriously, as I usually do with things that interest me and give me satisfaction. I remember getting by reasonably well with English and I also started doing PR with media and fans and I wrote thousands of letters and answered hundreds of interviews and I remember people started following us amazed by my voice and fascinated by the sound we offered. We had an escalation that culminated with our last album The Black Opera, which sold I think over 15,000 at the time.
A: What are the differences between Opera IX and CADAVERIA?
C.: The stylistic differences to date are very obvious, just listen to Horror Metal, our latest work, and compare it to any Opera IX work, with or without me, and everything will be clear to you. CADAVERIA makes an absolutely personal genre that welcomes contaminations from various strands of Metal and Rock and that has undergone an evolution and maturation in these twelve years, unafraid to renew and adapt to the contemporary, and I can't say it's over, on the contrary we are more creative and productive than ever and next month we will begin pre-production of the fifth album, which will be the spearhead of this journey. Opera IX have stayed true to their genre of the early days, so obviously to date there is a gulf between the two bands. As a musician I can tell you that the approach of the two bands is completely different, in CADAVERIA there is a great freedom of action and expression, we work like crazy and produce music, artwork, videos professionally and in complete autonomy. Each of us has a recognized role and value in the band. Moreover, everything is accompanied by great fun and healthy self-mockery.
A: The names of the members of your group are inspired by the evil characters in David Lynch's films. Why this emblematic director?
C.: I am very attached to and fascinated by Lynch the director and Lynch the person. Moreover, his filmography was the subject of study for my dissertation. You said well, it is emblematic, and that already might be reason enough to adore him. What can I say, I like everything about his films: from the framing to the actors he chooses to the absurd stories he develops. In each of his films a parallel dimension is evoked, a supernatural force, the metaphor of the double. His films do not resolve, they fold in on themselves, the end is the beginning, and the narrative is driven by pure instinct.
A: What is your relationship with horror cinema? What are Cadaveria's favorite horror films?
C.: For me horror cinema is Argento's Profondo Rosso, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Cannibal Holocaust, The Chainsaw Massacre (Don't Open That Door). For me, cinema, like literature and visual art, is a source of inspiration for music, and when I make a video clip of one of our songs I go back to the image and it comes full circle.
A: Have you ever thought about being in the cast of a genre film? If so, what film would you have liked to be in? For which otherwise would you have liked to sign the score?
C.: I don't know, I have never acted either in life or in art. For me, instinct applies and I could hardly adapt to a script written by others. Our next album could be described as the soundtrack to a horror movie, and it may not become one. Never say never...
A: What is the horror film figure that most fascinates you and with whom you identify?
C.:The zombie, the undead. It is a figure that has in it the principle of continuation, immortality and rebirth.
A: 2012 is the year of your latest Horror Metal album released five years after In your Blood. Your fans are hoping not to wait so long for a new work of yours. Is anything in the pipeline?
C.: I think I can say with sufficient confidence that the successor to Horror Metal will see the light of day by the year 2014.
A: What do you think of the current extreme music scene in Italy?
C.: That there is too little cooperation between bands and too little support for each other, and that the crisis means that people no longer go to concerts because they have no money. The reality is this.
A: How do you see the new black metal wave from northern Europe?
C.: New wave of black metal from northern Europe? Meaning. Look I am not for clichés, I can't define Black Metal nowadays neither music nor art in general. For me there are good bands that give excitement and others maybe super technical that give me nothing.
A: What is your favorite genre of music to listen to when you are away from Cadaveria?
C.: Metal or movie soundtracks. I love piano ones. Sometimes I listen to some electronics. Sometimes I listen to silence.
A: During which concert did you find the warmest fans?
C.: The recent tour to Mexico and Ecuador reaffirmed the warmth and affection of the South American fans that we had already tested in 2009. It must be said in fairness that a more northern country like Belgium also has spectacular fans. The Metal Female Voices Fest in Belgium, precisely, which we attended in October, along with the Guadalajara date in Mexico remain the best concerts I can remember.
A: During a live show, have you ever witnessed something absurd or otherwise memorable?
B: It happened to me that some of the people under the stage were more made-up than me, and I happened to find scalpers selling our unofficial merchandise, as if we were Metallica. And I happened to have to be escorted by a security service because of too much fan heat.
The most beautiful thing that happened to me recently, on the other hand, is that I received as a gift a hand-molded and hand-painted figurine depicting me on stage while singing, a kind of really crazy barbie-caddy, precise to the smallest detail. It was very exciting to receive it as a gift from the hands of the person who made it.
A: What are CADAVERIA's upcoming dates?
C.: After two years dedicated to promoting Horror Metal we are now taking a break for a couple of months. We will resume in February. For now I can confirm the date at R'n'R in Romagnano Sesia (NO) with Primordial on February 21, 2014. For subsequent dates I refer you to the "Tour" page of our website. http://www.cadaveria.com
A: Cadaveria as few people know it: what do you do in your spare time?
C.: What free time! If I can I sleep or go to see a concert or a movie.
A: What do you think about this interview?
C.: A little long but enjoyable and interesting!
A: Can you leave a message for DarkVeins users?
C.: If you'll allow me, I wanted to mention that we just released our first retrospective DVD, titled Karma, on Scarlet Records. It is a double DVD packed with live, backstage and making-of footage that cannot be missed in our fans' collection. Enjoy and thank you all for your support.
A: Thank you Cadaveria for your beautiful answers and helpfulness!
