1. The band started around 2018. Why did you decide to form the band? Why did you choose the name Sonum and what does it refer to?
The band is an evolution of a previous band called Sinatras, since the songwriting was changing from death ‘n’ roll to dissonant death metal we decided to change the name. We wanted a simple and short name, Sonum refers to “sound” in latin which is the essence of the music.
2. You'll soon release your second album. However, your beginnings were rather underground, with the release of a couple of EPs. What led you to start your career in a more measured way without having to face the release of a full first album? Perhaps COVID had something to do with it?
No, it doesen’t depend on covid, it was just a natural evolution, a transition between Sinatras and Sonum and we had to face some line changes as well so it was better to start experimenting with some EPs at first.
3. The new album comes almost three years after your previous album, "Visceral Void Entropy." Have you exaggerated some aspects of the sound of the new album? What was the writing and recording process like? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
I wouldn't say that we exaggerated some aspects of our music, I would rather say that we are more focused on the song writing now. Basically, the guitarist and I put ideas together, proposing entire songs that are then reworked and rearranged working a lot from remote, sharing files and at the end recording own parts at home. Mix and master We made all toghether with nthe producer. I used a Sonor drum kit, Zildjan cymbals and Pearl pedals. For guitars they used Jackson & Ibanez guitars, Laney Stack Amp and an artisan Bass.
4. This new album, "The Obscure Light Awaits," maintains the death metal sound that has characterized you. However, there are elements, such as the melodies and a deeper, darker sound that open up the offering to more black elements. Would this be an accurate definition of the new album's content? How would you define it? What bands and styles influence you when composing music for Sonum?
Yes I think it’s a good way to define it, we like to be dissonant but not cacophonic, we always look for some sort of melody in our compositions. We are mainly death metal, but we also like some black metal music so it surely is an influence for us. We are 3 musicians with different background and infulences, personally I like bands like Cynic, Death, and progressive music from the 70s like King Crimson or Genesis but at my bandmates like so much to stay updated on the best underground bands. One of us also organize gigs and festival on our country and this this implies a certain knowledge of even the most unknown musical world..
5. Suffering and destruction populate the lyrics of your songs. Why do these themes appeal to you? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
The lyrics adapt to the music, because we start writing from the music which is always very obscure so that’s the kind of themes that comes naturally when writing lyrics.
It must also be said, however, that the themes of the lyrics are not an end in themselves but hide meanings and messages that must be discovered and interpreted.
6. Although the cover, digitally created by M. Marchesini, is full of details and a certain symbolism. What interpretation and concept really does this cover have, and how does it relate to the album's content?
“The Obscure Light Awaits”: The representation of darkness through light is already a difficult concept to convey, but on the cover you can see a portal beyond which something dark awaits its course. Through that portal, three messengers (a reference to the band's three-piece formation) witnesses of this dark force brandish a torch, a witness of what awaits the world. The cover features the alpha (beginning), the cross (symbol of earthly death) and the omega (the final state towards which everything is destined to flow). The mood is dark and complex like our music.
7. Dusktone will release the new album. You already collaborated with them on the vinyl reissue of the previous album. How did the opportunity to work and release your new album with them come about? Is vinyl going to die of its own success? What do you think of formats like cassettes?
We got in touch with guys at Dusktone at some of our gigs and we became friends, they really were into our music and they proposed us to reissue the first album on vinyl. It was great and it was natural to talk about thr second album as well. Music is now avalilable everywhere online, so if you wanna support the bands you like you can do it buying physical media like vinyls, cds and merch. There was also the idea of printing cassettes in the plans but honestly it is a format that we don't like...maybe because when we were young with the walkman we suffered a lot having to rewind tapes on our way home from school. Ahahahah
8. Who is Luca dal Lago, the one who handled the mixing and mastering process for the new album? Why did you decide to work with him?
Luca is a great producer and we knew him very well since every one of us workend with him in the past with other bands. We chose him because, over the years, he has always shown that he understands our needs on the fly and also, his musical culture that is not only relegated to extreme music but also ranges from pop and more commercial rock, helped us a lot to create our ideal mix, natural and dynamic but at the same time aggressive and powerful.
9. With the imminent release of the new album, I assume you've already planned a live presentation. What dates do you have planned in the coming months to present the album live? What can the public expect from a concert from you?
The live component is very important for a band like us and so this is also an aspect that we try to take care of. After the release show that we will hold at a festival in our city, we are already confirmed at some national festivals and we are working on a European tour that will presumably take place at the beginning of 2026. Contrary to the will of many bands that focus exclusively on the brutality of their shows, we try to give our concerts an atmospheric flow, with wide breaths within the songs, ambient tracks that act as interludes and a scenography that recalls a sort of sacredness, never too exaggerated. The best way to understand all this is to participate in one of our shows.
10. What can you tell us about the extreme metal scene in your region, Veneto? Are there venues where you can play shows, or do you have to find a way to find a way to live in other regions or larger cities? What bands would you recommend from your area?
There are some venues, but fewer than in the past. We like playing here, but obviously the important thing is to bring our music to other cities, make ourselves known to new people and make friends with new bands. Italy is a country that has always struggled to make its way into the international scene but over the years many quality bands have managed to gain appreciation and now our country seems to enjoy a good reputation and the respect it deserves. Maybe on a mainstream level Italian bands are not as numerous as in other countries, but in the underground there are a lot of very high quality bands that deserve to be discovered and supported. If I have to name a few I can't help but mention our friends Ad Nauseam or Messa, who are already quite popular. Among the lesser known ones I would mention the Feral forms, the Gorrch, the Unviar, the Pyra, the Sum Herald and the Membrance.
11. How did you get started in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your life inspired you to become musicians?
I personally got into metal music thanks to my older cousin, I started listening to Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and some rock bands like Aerosmith, Guns ‘n’ Roses and AcDc. The first cds I bought are Fear of the Dark and Appetite for destruction and I decided to start palying an instrument when I saw some live gigs by Metallica and Megadeth in the 90s.
12. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What recent albums have you bought?
Probably Nemesis Divina by Satyricon but one of my favourite is Storm of the light’s bane by Dissection. I recently bought Paracletus by Deathspell Omega.
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Sonum fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
Thank you very much for the opportunity of this interview and thanks for all the fans supporting our music. Keep in touch with us and come to our show....we wait You under the stage and after the show for tons of cold beer at the bar.
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