What's the band been up to the last couple of months?
Filipe: Well...we are composing new stuff, preparing a new album and working for the right line-up. You know, it's not easy to find suitable musicians for this kind of sound here in Portugal.
João: Yes, that's a problem that we're used to dealing with since we started this band. It's not a simple matter of having the technical skills. We think it also takes a will to compromise with our identity and have a serious and professional attitude. All these requirements have been hard to find in just one person. If we lived in Finland or Los Angeles, we'd find a potential musician on almost every corner (and labels would look at us in a different way too), but down here, at the westernmost Southern Europe, things are different.
In April you parted ways with your keyboardist Richard Simoes. Have you found a permanent replacement?
João: When we made the decision to proceed without Ricardo, we immediately started working with a substitute, a person who had been working close to the band in the last year as a sound and stage technician. We knew he was also a keyboardist and was very much into DL sonority and identity. He began rehearsing with the band. As we've decided to put all our efforts on studio working and little or none on stage or promotional "appearances", we haven't announced him officially yet so we can't say he's a permanent replacement, but we hope he eventually will be. Since we have no big compromises in the near future, we think it's wiser not to rush things.
Are any members of Divine Lust involved in any other musical projects?
João: Yes, only Jorge is. He has played bass with us since the album recordings and has an underground hardcore/thrash metal band called "Sweet Flame". We can call it his project, since he already had that band before he started recording and touring with DL. I played for two years in a traditional heavy metal band as a keyboardist. However, when the DL album was released I decided it was time to focuse 100% on it and left that group.
I'd like to ask a couple question about your self-titled album. Tell me a little about the recording process and how everything came together.
Filipe: We have a special way to compose our songs. Me or João comes up with the main idea and everybody gives their opinion, but the core of the theme is already there. So I think it's not a kind of anarchy, you know. And so we don't spend too much time on it. So, after some years together we have had a lot of stuff which we had the opportunity to play in our shows, testing how it worked in a live presentation. After much good feedback from the press and our fans, we decided to get in studio and record a full-length album. And that was pretty easy. At first, we recorded a demo of the album songs. Then we started dissecting every detail just to do the best in every way on the recordings. Of course, some things didn't come out exactly as we wanted but I think that's normal in every work, isn't it?
Do you have a favorite song on the album?
João: There are a few I prefer but that changes from time to time. If I had to stand out one, it would probably be "Alone In The Dark".
Filipe: To me I think it's "Where Only The Weak Survive", although I think it's not a song made to be played live.
Who provided the female backing vocals on the album? Did the same person provide both the angelic passages and the more "lustful" ones?
Filipe: No. In "Alone In The Dark" and "Your Cruel Thirst", the female backing vocals are from Dalila Marques - who also played the violin in "Embrace" - and the "lustful words" spoken in the interlude "Scarlet Room Of Passion" are provided by Rita Dourado. Two different guests for two different atmospheres.
Your sound has often been compared to your fellow countrymen Moonspell. How do you feel about that?
João: Moonspell had their share of influence on DL, as well as other names such as My Dying Bride, Anathema (bands we've had the honor to play with), Type O Negative, Amorphis, Fields Of The Nephilim, etc. We assume those and other influences very naturally, as we definately do not copy any of them. About Moonspell, we've always been much more excited with their first albums than with their latest ones, although these are not bad at all. Anyway, their recognition is more than deserved and, today, they are worthy representatives of Portugese metal worldwide
Filipe: Yes, their last album is really good stuff. I've the same opinion as João. They're a great band which makes a sound close to what DL does but Moonspell is Moonspell and we're walking our own path.
Have you begun work on a follow-up album? How do you expect Divine Lust to progress on the next album?
João: Sure. As before mentioned, since we finished the album touring we've decided to concentrate our full efforts on writing new material. I can say that a new album is almost completely composed and half of it is ready to be recorded. We strongly believe that the new songs are a serious step ahead for DL. Recording a debut album was a worthy experience for us and, today, I'm convinced that we're better and more effective songwriters and musicians. Some of the new songs have quite heavier riffs than what people are used to in DL. We passed through many difficulties (as you know, "Divine Lust" was an independent and self-financed release) but, at the end of the day, we learned a lot and that will hopefully be clearer on our next effort.
Are you actively seeking to sign with a label? If so, what are you looking for in a label?
Filipe: Well, at this moment - no, as we've already finished our album promotion and we're now much more interested and focused on writing new material. After that, when we have achieved a concept for the full work, we will most probably record a demo and then we will try to find a record label that fits our needs as a band, and for that, the label must first of all be competeent!
Any final thoughts for our readers?
João: Find more about Divine Lust by visiting our site and feel free to contact us. Add Harvest Moon Music to your Favorites!
Filipe: Thanks to all for your support and stay tuned 'cause we're preparing a new assault of Melancholic Melodic Metal. May sorrow be with you...always!
Interviewed 11/07/2003
