1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We just finished a number of concerts in Portugal in order to promote and present our latest album,“Faemin”. The first show was in one of the main national festivals, SWR Metalfest and the last was in Lisbon, just a few days ago. Right now we´re focused on the continued promotion and disclosure of the record, to the public and to the press, while we're in the process of booking a European tour for late October.
2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous recordings.
This time the composition process was different. We started it from scratch, just with the conviction of creating a more intense and oppressive album than the previous ones. It was a more laborious process, but, in the end, it was definitely a more rewarding one. All things were seen in detail, all the composition was thought and performed with more dedication than before. We wanted the final sound of the record to stay closer to what we play live, organic but cohesive at the same time, more “in your face”. We can say that “Faemin” is a more direct and concise album, the songs are rawer and less melodic than the approach in “Erosion”. This time one of our main purposes was to build up rhythmically compelling songs, exploring different dynamics and textures. It's not of our interest doing the same songs or album over and over again, therefore we see “Faemin” as a step forward, a natural evolution in our work, the album that we wanted to do for so long and much more in line with what Process of Guilt is nowadays.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
All our work has our own personal experience as its mainly source of inspiration. We draw our inspiration from everything that surround us, mainly all the brutality associated to that reality and our thoughts about the negativity of this subjects. Therefore, as a result, we try to explore and develop environments and atmospheres related with despair, depression and desolation. I guess the day-to-day life has much to offer in these aspects, and for us is an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
The main subject behind “Faemin” is the concept of starvation, scarcity, in the sense of maximum state of decay of the human being. For us, it represents the ultimate level in which the human being can’t ensure his own subsistence, the failure of mankind as an all, our own personal failure. We use our music to express and deal with our own feelings, anxieties, anger and concerns, what we conceive as our personal vision of what surrounds us, like a kind of “personal catharsis”.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
We consider “guilt” and his process of evaluation as a feeling implicit in much of the things that move us in the everyday life. When we started, the idea was precisely performing music that could act for us as a purge of the day-to-day life. An act of externalization of our anxieties and frustrations before what surrounded us, trying to “expel” those feelings through music. So the name “Process of Guilt” proven to be a good designation for what we wanted it to be our musical expression.
5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
In Portugal I will highlight the concerts supporting Katatonia, A Storm of Light and Minsk and also our participation in some of the the main Portuguese metal festivals, like the last editions of the main underground portugueses fests: SWR2012, Amplifest and Bracara Extreme Fest. In another level the Dutch Doom Days VIII in Holland and Madrid Is The Dark Fest in Spain were also very good shows and very special ones, since we had the chance to present our work to another audience, outside our country. The feedback was very good, contacts were made and we´re always looking for these kind of opportunities. We understand our work as a channel through which we express our most deep and personal feelings, so playing live is, in fact, an opportunity we have to share with the public what we feel when we´re playing our music. It´s an extension of what we feel in the moment and we seek to transmit that in a very sincere and raw way. On stage you can expect a very intense, emotive and honest show. We love playing live, always searching for new places with the adequate conditions to exhibit our work, since our goal is to provide the best show possible, with quality and intensity, for us and the public.
6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Yes, we´re right now in the process of booking some shows in Europe for later this year. We are still analyzing the routing plan, doing some contacts and I believe we are half way there. But of course, for us it would be a big step forward, an opportunity that we aspire for a long time.
7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme music?
Before the official release we had a good number of pre-orders sold, our biggest number for a pre-order so far. The album is a co-edition between Bleak Recordings and Division Records and it was exclusively released in Portugal by Bleak, and worldwide by Division in early June. The feedback has been a very positive one so far, both fans and press seem to like the direction of the album. We had a very positive feedback regarding the release shows, with a very enthusiastic reception by the public, what for us is an important sign of appreciation of what we're trying to achieve in our live performance. “Faemin” was the album of the month in the main metal magazine here in Portugal, “Loud!” and is gathering great reviews among the international press, like in “Pitchfork” or “Rock-A-Rolla Magazine”. Things so far have gone well, but we know that for this phase this is only the beginning, our ambition is to grow much more but always with our feet firmly on the ground.
8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this full time line up?
In the past we all had other projects and we played with other bands, but since some time ago our focus and dedication is only with this band. We started in 2002, the formation is the same since then, “Faemin” is our 3rd full length album but we´re still an underground band with all its ups and downs. We wish we could have more time to dedicate to our music, but with our day-to-day jobs and bills to pay by the end of the month, sometimes things get a little bit delayed. But our musical expression is 100% channeled to Process of Guilt where we concentrate our full energy and therefore we do not feel any need to do other things in music, since we are very happy and motivated with all the work we're doing right now.
9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
As I mentioned before, we are not interested in doing the same songs over and over again. In between albums, many things can happen. We will change and evolve both as individuals and as musicians, and as a result, since we use our music to express and deal with our particular points of view, it's highly probable that our music will also evolve. We don´t feel stuck to a rigid and immutable music style, so we are not afraid to explore other kind of textures and dynamics, like we did in "Faemin. For now we don´t have a concrete idea of how the successor of “Faemin” will be, but of one thing we are sure, you can always expect intense and dark music through strong and honest compositions.
10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
In the beginning when we recorded our two demos we can say that some of our main influences were bands like Katatonia, Nefilim with “Zoon” and Doom/Death in general. But even back then we were all into other kind of bands and music, not only restricted to metal; our background was, and is, diverse and vast. Over the years our tastes, points of view and ways of dealing with all what surrounds us has changed. We can say that Doom Metal is still the base of our sound but our music and expression goes far beyond that. I understand that putting a label in music is a facilitator mode of classify a band to the market and to public in general, but it's also a reductive way of putting things, often misleading. For us more important than belonging to a certain style is to do music with which we identify ourselves and take pleasure with it. Through our music we´re more concerned in creating an intense and emotive experience, with a raw and tense atmosphere, always seeking for the “purity of the riff”, for us the essence of Doom. In some recent “Faemin” reviews, acts like Neurosis and Godflesh are mentioned as influences, what for us is a big compliment, since we really like and respect both bands. Of course, both as musicians and listeners we all have several points in common, bands we all like and consider as references, as the two names mentioned before, but overall I consider us as having an eclectic taste. Personally and nowadays in my mp3 I´m listening the new albums of Tragedy and Unsane, but also bands like Kyuss, Amenra, Trap Them and Acid Bath; and also some good and old Morbid Angel works, like “Covenant” and “Domination”.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
I can speak mainly of my tastes. Besides music, I´m interested in cinema, almost all kind of movies but particularly the dark ones; like in music I prefer those with tough and heavy atmospheres that explore the crudity of reality, the complexity of human relations, with their hopes, fears, ambitions and weaknesses. I love to read books, travel and meet new places, hang out with my friends, things like that. I have a degree in Sociology, so it´s an area in which I also have interest.
12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thank you and Doom To Darkness for the interest in Process of Guilt and for this interview. And just say that “Faemin” is available in full streaming at our internet page (processofguilt.com) and that all news and updates concerning Process of Guilt can be followed through our Facebook page. If anyone feels in tune with some of what I wrote before, please visit us over the internet and support us!
