Exclusive Interview: Unquiet talk writing and recording “Rest Denied”!

We’ve been screaming the praises of “Rest Denied” by Italian Blackened Melodic Death outfit Unquiet from the mountain tops since we reviewed it so a second interview with the group whose philosophy “Our music aims to balance dark, heavy and haunting riffs together with catchy melodies and unsettling atmospheres” has worked wonders for them is both obvious and logical. Captain. Orientated around the writing partnership of Nicola Donegà (guitars, lyrics, artwork and graphics) and  Fabio Renda (bass, orchestration, lyrics, mixing and mastering), the record also includes vitally important vocals from Nicola Manfrini and drum programming from Matteo De Santis. So without further ado, here it is…

How did your previous experiences writing and recording help to smooth the path of the new record? “When it comes to writing, the fact that the people involved in the crafting of the songs were only two made things easy. We actually didn’t have much to argue about stylistic choices or arrangements. On the other hand, past experiences – above all LP recording in a pro studio – really helped us in fully producing this EP on our own, starting from the choice of plugins up to track layering”

How does the writing process of a new track start? Melody, riff or rhythm first? How does it evolve from there before you consider it the finished article? “Usually one of us comes up with a riff or a chord progression. If we can’t find the next riff immediately, we may start the layering, adding details here and there until inspiration kicks in again. The writing process is actually never-ending! Some of the licks you here in Rest Denied were thought of and added last minute”

The drum programming from Matteo De Santis is very sympathetic; do you envisage using a drummer of flesh and bone in the future? “Sure, a real drummer adds some flavour to the tracks! We’d love to bring out more of Matteo’s proggy style”

If you had the opportunity to work with a guest in the studio next time around, who would you like to work with and why? “Who? Krzysztof Drabikowski from Batushka. Why? Go listen to Litourgiya!”

For us gear nerds out there, can you tell us what you’re using gear wise (pedals, strings, drums etc) to get your sound? “The physical gear we used is actually very cheap – we went for a well-used LTD F-105 Bass and a Harley Benton SC-Custom (both stringed D’addario). On the contrary we decided to aim quite high with effects, mostly plugins from Neural DSP and Izotope. For the record, the drum plugin is EZ drummer. Obviously, don’t forget your beloved Focusrite Scarlett!”

What difference would it make to you as a band if you could land an endorsement from a gear manufacturer? “That would be flattering. Though we are not so gear-focused as a project and basically try to make the best with what we got. Furthermore the raw sound you can get with cheaper instruments is something we think quite suits the nature of the project”

“Rest Denied” by Unquiet is out now and available over at bandcamp.