24th March 2022
Exclusive Interview: Obscurcis Romancia talk “The Bringer Of Light”!
Wandering the wilderness, lost and fearing death we stumbled upon Obscurcis Romancia, a Symphonic Black Metal act from Longueuil, Quebec, Canada who paint in lyrical themes of Black Romance, Darkness, Anxiety, Depression and Suffering conjoined to flamboyant and virtuoso musicianship and yet have released material with decade long absences over the past 25 years. Following the unveiling of their latest offering “The Bringer Of Light” we spoke to mastermind and multi instrumentalist Frederic OR (Guitars, Vocals and Orchestrations) who is stoking the fire and keeping the hellish dream alive…
How have you found the reaction to “The Bringer Of Light” so far? “The album just came out last March 1st 2022, but reactions from fans and reviews are amazing so far. “The Bringer Of Light” is limited to 200 CD and 200 Vinyls. For those who did not already have their copies visit our Merch Store over at bandcamp.”
It’s been a decade since your last album ”Theatre Of Deception” which begs the question, just how long have you been working on “The Bringer Of The Light“? How do you feel you’ve changed your approach over those years? “The concept of ”The Bringer Of Light” came around 2016. At that time, some members left the band for lack of time or professional and families reasons. Me and Jean decided to finish the work that we began at that time. For that reason, the approach was totally different than the usual jam sessions with a full formation”
The band is officially comprised of multi instrumentalist Frederic Le (Guitars, Vocals and Orchestrations) and drummer Jean Rufiange with a trio of guests appearing on this new material with vocals from Mathieu Brunet, bass from Daniel Daris and piano from Guillaume Martineau; what made you decide to use guests or session musicians rather than form a fully fledged new line up for the new record? “We didn’t really know exactly how far we wanted to push the band since more than half of the members quit. We were 6 musicians since 1997 and now 2 of us. We just decided to accomplish everything on our own and invited friends/sessions musicians to complete the project and then see where all this leads us”
We’ve described your music as being almost theatrical with flamboyant performances from everyone involved; how do you feel you’ve progressed in terms of musicianship over the years? “Mastering our own instrument and expressing our deep thoughts is still a challenge. After 25 years, we probably mature in some way, finding a better balance in our writing. In the end, we just put out our guts into what we created”
You’ve previously shared stages with the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, Kataklysm and Despised Icon; are you hopeful of touring again at some point in the future? “With the pandemic situation, we are not in a rush to gigs again. Sooner or later, opportunities will show up”
What’s next for Obscurcis Romancia? “We are still passionated by what we are doing. You will hear from us again. But creating all that music need time, sacrifice and commitment. If you like what you heard, you know what to do. As an independent band, we still need you to spread the word about us”