Anja Irullo, Tony Tomasicchio, Larry Ozen Amati, Marco Monno, Luca Basile

Elegy of Madness

Fans of music can attest that 2020 has been an eventful year. There have been numerous new metal releases in this first quarter of the year alone that have exceeded the expectations of many fans. "Invisible World" by ELEGY OF MADNESS out of Taranto, Italy dropped on January 24th, 2020 and has dazzled fans around the globe with their beautiful and heavy symphonic metal sound. Personally, I have not put this album down since I first listened to it and it currently occupies the top spot for 2020 releases. ELEGY OF MADNESS have achieved a unique and engaging sound by combining elements of Middle Eastern culture, the beautiful voice of Anja Irullo with an impressive backbone of heavy metal and orchestra. They made a bold and successful artistic choice by performing the album live with the GOJ Symphonic Orchestra in Italy and will hopefully be able to release the performance this year as a live CD/DVD package.

And yet, with all of the momentum gained with the release of "Invisible World" and a few live performances on the calendar, the band was thrown off by an event that has shaken the entire world: COVID19, a virus that has grown to pandemic levels. ELEGY OF MADNESS is not alone; bands around the world were forced to cancel tours in the middle of their runs and flee to their homes to live in isolation for the time being. However, the band has responded with positivity and have taken to their Facebook and other social media accounts to engage fans and keep our minds off the terrible situation. Metal Temple writer Joseph Brewer reached out to them for a formal interview to find out more about the members of the band, their history, and their thoughts behind "Invisible World".

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By Joe Brewer
April 8, 2020
Anja Irullo
Please start off by giving a history of the band. How long has Elegy of Madness been around? What does the name "Elegy of Madness" mean?

Anja Irullo: We chose the name Elegy of Madness in 2006. Elegy refers to a sad and ancient composition      written to remember dead people. As time goes on, elegy became one of the most important forms of literature for its ability to express feelings and emotions and we would like to do the same in our music. We chose madness for the will to pursue this strong path called music and to experience something strange in our compositions (tempo changes, strange influences, etc.)

"Invisible World" is an amazing album with a lot of symphonic and heavy elements. What are some of the themes of the album? And can you speak about the writing process for the album?

Larry Ozen Amati: the Leitmotiv is the introspective analysis of our ego. There are many faces of the being we have talked about in this album… some songs can sound differently because each one expresses a peculiar mood.

Marco Monno: I found the writing process really interesting: everyone had an idea and wrote a song, then it was arranged with everyone present in the room, sharing suggestions and working as a band to overcome personal limits.

Luca Basile: Each member of the band put all his own influences on this album, I think it's the best way to say something as a band. Different minds, different stories, different musical influences mixed together, can create something new.

My personal favorite track is "Es". The whole song has an amazing energy and killer chorus. What is the meaning behind this song in particular? What were some of the favorite songs for the band to write for this album?

Anja: Es is one of my favorite songs. The vocal part is far from the classical singing to reach a new strong part of me experiencing a different way of singing. I tried to do this because Es (part of the second psychoanalytic theory by Freud), expresses the most hidden, unknown and uncontrollable aspects of the human soul and I needed a more powerful voice.

In February of this year Elegy of Madness performed a live concert to promote "Invisible World". At this concert you performed with the GOJ Symphony Orchestra. Please talk about how the idea to perform with a live orchestra came about. What was it like to perform the album from start to finish alongside a live orchestra?

Francesco Paolo Caputo: Oh well! That night will be impressed in our heart and memory forever! It has been a great release party for our new record "Invisible World". I have to say that the band had the idea to perform with a symphonic orchestra since a long time and the chance to perform in a theatre has been for us the right moment! Playing our album with a live orchestra has given another thickness to our live performance that our public seemed appreciate!

Luca: It was like a dream: classical music met heavy metal and electronic. Working with the GOJ Symphonic orchestra was great! Maybe we will do it again? Who knows?

Marco: It was an incredible experience, full of energy. Playing live with so many musicians had a great impact on people's mind: on the stage we were excited and vibrant more than ever.

Of course, right now is probably not the best time to ask about touring with all that is happening in the world. But once life goes back to normal what are your plans for touring to support this album?

Larry:  yes, it is an hard time for all of us in the world, when our life goes back to normal, we would   like to start touring in Europe as we planned before the spreading of Covid19. It won't be easy because festivals and booking agency has suffered an economic harm so we wish it all can be resolved as soon as possible.

Francesco: It is always important remaining with your feet planted in the present and looking towards the future! In this hard time we have to face this emergency doing all we can do and at the same time working and planning the return to our live concerts!

Luca: I hope this bad period will finish soon to come back on stage, we miss the tour life and our fans. Anyway we would like to spread our "Invisible world" to all the world!

On the topic of touring, what places of the world would you love to perform in the most? And are there any other bands that you would like to partner up with to tour?

Larry: I would like to perform in America, it would be great! Touring with symphonic metal masters as Nightwish, Epica or Within Temptation would be a dream!!

Tony Tomasicchio : I'd like to play in Japan and in the United States, but I think this won't happen in a short time. In the meantime I fortunately I played with some of my idols (Amorphis, Therion, Sabaton) but playing with Iron Maiden would be one of the maximum peaks of mine and our career! But it is known that it is almost impossible!

Luca : Japan! I love oriental culture, but all the world has got something special. It would be cool touring with Fleshgod of Apokalypse, Epica, Nightwish.

What are some ideas for themes that you are interested in for future albums? Are there any particular musical styles or sounds that you would like to include?

Anja: I'm listening a lot of different musical genres and I'm very attracted to the northern part of Europe's music. I don't know the main themes for next songs, yet but I think they will be connected to what we are living now.

Tony: My musical inspiration comes to me thinking of this very hard period that we are facing and from my personal experiences. So, I would like to write a song that made people reflect on how much reaching the power is not an important and overwhelming goal in our lives. In a blink of an eye you can lose everything, so be happy for what you have and reflect on the goals you already reached. I think this could be the solution to live quietly giving us the strength to make our dreams come true.

Luca: I listen to different kinds of music: I really love epic orchestras, emotional moments, groove and electronics so this is what I would like to include in the next albums.

When you are not making metal music what are your hobbies?

Larry: I like reading but I dedicate much time and attention to my children, so I need 36 hours a day!!!

Anja: I love cooking, reading and traveling. My family is sacred!

Francesco: I love cooking simple traditional dishes, but I link experimenting in the kitchen, too! I love reading a lot and getting more information about another great passion of mine that is the History of Mankind, because I am also an archaeologist!

Marco: Does a musician have free time? By the way, I spend lot of time studying music, reading and enjoying everyday life with my girlfriend.

Luca: I like cooking and enjoying family

Last question: You just finished your set at a concert and a fan wants to buy you a drink. The bar is fully stocked. What is your drink of choice?

Larry: my favorite drink Is Tequila or Vodka

Anja: Gin lemon or tequila.

Francesco: Usually I drink a lot of beers after the concert, but sometimes I use to drink a glass of whiskey without ice!!

Marco:Beer for sure!

Luca: Beer!

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