Good afternoon, thank you very much for answering these questions. How are things going in Sicily?
Hello, all is good! Aside from the hot summer.
1. Esox was launched around 2023. Why did you decide to create Esox? Why did you choose the name Esox, and what does it refer to?
Esox: I started writing the music for what would’ve become Esox around 2020 when the “vision” for a black metal Project centered around the underwater world came to me; since music and marine biology have always been my main passions.
As for the name, Esox refers to the genus of the scientific name of the pike (Esox lucius), a fish I have always felt a connection to, I think it’s a very noble animal and as a name perfectly sums up the sound and visión I want to achieve with the band.
2. In 2023, you released your first EP, "...and the Ocean Will Swallow Us All." A couple of years later, "Watery Grave" was released. How did you approach the composition of this first album? How do you think the sound has evolved compared to "...and the Ocean Will Swallow Us All"? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
Esox: funnily enough the EP was written and recorder after Watery Grave as I had it planned as a second reléase, but I preferred to switch the order because I felt that debuting with a full length would have been riskier.
This gave me the chance to work better on the production of Watery Grave and I think the production is much better overall on the álbum.
From a songwriting perspective “…and the Ocean” is one long song so it has a more cohesive feeling despite the many genre changes, but I feel that the sound in Watery Grave is more mature and polished.
As for the instruments I play everything except the drums, which are programmed.
3. The sound of "Watery Grave" lends itself to different interpretations, from an undeniable weight of atmospheric and ambient black music. However, I think it's much richer in nuances and styles. This description could also include styles such as shoegaze, folk, or even doom, each of which knows how to occupy its own space and ultimately shape a truly unique sound. How would you describe the sound of this new album for those who haven't heard it yet? Which bands and styles have been an inspiration to you when composing the album?
Esox: Watery Grave is an Atmospheric Black Metal album that draws inspiration from many different genres of music; I’d say picture Agalloch if they went on more fishing trips.
All jokes aside they are my main inspiration as they are my favourite band of all time; other bands include Deafheaven, Oh Hiroshima, Death in June and Ahab; non-musical influences are movies such as Werner Herzog’s “Grizzly Man” or documentaries like “River Monsters” with Jeremy Wade; which have been also sampled in the album.
4. Following the thread of the previous question, some reviews mention the influence of two bands, Agalloch and Alcest, on your sound, both in those parts that have a more shoegaze tone and in those where the atmosphere becomes rawer and darker. What is your opinion of the legacy of these two bands? Have they been an influence on you at any point, not only for "Watery Grave," but also in your development as a musician?
Esox: Definitely. Agalloch especially, as I mentioned, since they are my favourite band.
I have always been fond of acoustic guitar in metal récords ever since I listened to In Flames’ “The Jester Race” and upon listening to The Mantle I found the perfect mix of acoustic and electrical instruments, and as many other people that álbum changed my life.
5. Another notable aspect of your music is the themes, all of which are related to bodies of water and the mysteries they hide in the depths. Where does this theme come from? Perhaps being an islander has something to do with it? How did the theme of the new album develop, in which a person decides to commit suicide by throwing themselves into the water? Have you adapted the music to the lyrics or vice versa?
Esox: I have always been fascinated with the underwater world, especially with fish and the other animals that dwell in the depths; definitely being from an island helped with that, as I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember. But definitely getting into nature documentaries when I was 3 or 4 and then watching Jaws cemented that.
Now I am a biologist studying for my master degree to become an evolutionary biologist and I try to turn my whole background into the music I make.
Concerning “Watery Grave”, I always write the music first and then the lyrics so the concept came at a later pase of the writing process. I was in a pretty dark place when I wrote the álbum and I think it reflects the lyrics; for the future I plan to move away from “depressed” themes and move more into a more objective approach to nature, sort of like a scientific paper, but turned into music.
6. The new album was again self-released by you, as was the case with your first EP. On that occasion, it would be more understandable. A single track of more than twenty-five minutes doesn't quite fit the industry's needs to secure the support of a record label. However, "Watery Grave" would be more suited to a physical release. Why did you decide to move forward with self-release? Do you consider releasing the album in another format in the future?
Esox: Because I want to stay independent, at least for time being, but I do not deny the possibility of looking for a label in the future.
Concerning the physical release, Watery Grave was printed on CD as well.
Maybe in the future there will also be a vinyl version of the album.
7. Was the mixing, recording, and production process done exclusively by you, or did you collaborate with someone? What was the most challenging aspect of this process?
Esox: Yes, I did everything by myself; I would definitely say the mixing aspect was the most challenging part and what took me so long; and I also think it shows and gives the álbum that homemade feeling. I will definitely work with a producer for my next release, because I felt that by listening to your own stuff time and time again makes you lose tracks of certain details that a fresh ear can pinpoint immediately, as well as benefitting from an exterior feedback I feel will improve the quality of my future works.
8. The cover art depicts the depths of the ocean or a river. What's the story behind choosing this cover art, and how did you work on it until it fit your purpose?
Esox: the artwork is a painting called “Pike and Perch in an aquarium” by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof; I found it when I was looking for inspiration for cover because I wanted an original artwork, but as soon as I laid eyes on it I did not need that anymore, as I think it fits the concept and feeling of the album.
The layout was then worked on by Luca Macerata, a close friend of mine who has helped me with the graphic layouts of all my previous works.
9. There are several acknowledgments on the album, such as: R.M., G.B., N.R., M.dM., G.C., G.P., D.G., F.I., A.B., A.K.K., C.B., also M.S., who I believe is your father, and a special one to Agalloch. Who are all these people, and what do they mean to you that they ended up being included in the album's acknowledgments?
Esox: those are the people who have been closest to me during the making of “Watery Grave”.
Yes, M.S is my father who also contributed to the album with spoken words on some of the tracks.
10. What's the black metal scene like in Sicily? Is living on an island a handicap when it comes to enjoying live music? Do you plan to perform your music live sometime soon?
Esox: I would say almost nonexistent, but I have been living in Tuscany for a few years now.
Unfortunately, in Italy, to experience more “extreme” types of music live you have to travel to the northern parts of the country.
Even in Pisa, where I am living now, there are no metal venues, but at least I get to experience many experimental, post rock and shoegaze concerts.
In Sicily it was mostly AC/DC or Iron Maiden cover bands, who I couldn’t care less for.
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 a musician?
Esox: I’d say I have always been in love with music from a young age, all genres of music, so I don’t recall a particular event. I inherited from my parents the love for 80s electronic/pop music as well as Italian songwriters, that’s why my first concerts were Madonna and Ivano Fossati in the 2010s.
The first album I remember buying intentionally was Queen Greatest Hits 1, they were the first band I properly listened to, I then got into metal through Ghost and then immediately got into black and death metal.
I have been playing music since 2011.
12. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What recent albums have you bought?
Esox: even though The Mantle is my favourite album of all time I wouldn’t consider that “just” black metal, so I would say Lord Belial’s “Enter the Moonlight Gate” as it was, no pun intended, my getaway album into a more melodic style of black metal, which I prefer more compared to the raw second wave style of black metal.
My last purchase I think was Coil “Love’s Secret Domain” on vinyl.
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