1. Hey Davide, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.
Hi there! Thanks for having me,it's a real pleasure! Everything is fine here, apart from the usual London fog that envelops autumn, everything is fine!
2. Let’s start with the boring basics. Care to explain to the unknowing precisely where in the world you emanate such an aura of evil from?
So, although I am Italian, precisely Sardinian (Sardinia is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean) I have been living in the UK, London, as a permanent fixture for more than 10 years now! And I have to say, a quarter of my life has been practically English!
3. Cogas has been active for over 9 years now. How has your sound evolved over the years, and what has kept you inspired to continue creating music?
Yes now we are approaching 10 years of life! The sound thanks to the continuous dedication to extreme music and not has definitely matured and I must say Changed in a clear and natural way, listening to a lot of music, seeing underground shows and not, I think it has helped the development of ideas, concepts increasingly specific to the Cogas world, especially regarding riffs and melodies, but remaining faithful to the aura of melancholy and violence that has always distinguished us.
4. Davide, all music is composed by you. Before becoming a musician, were you self taught taking private music lessons at a young age or did you fully learn and adapt on your own from there?
I started at the age of 13 thanks to my older brother Dino who I greet, a huge fan of rock, blues, I mention bands like Pink Floyd, Queen, Doors, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins etc but also the greatest Italian singer-songwriters. It was him who helped me with the guitar,same when I started to play and learn the first chords, after which I began to develop my ideas and do exercises with music books, and study the instrument for 10 hours a day.
Path that led me to even write my first riffs!
5. Can you name some of the bands who you first really admired and helped shape your future in music?
For those who know me, know very well that for me Dream Theater are part of my life, I still remember when I was 11 years old they passed me Images & Words, my life changed dramatically. I am a huge fan of Opeth, Cannibal, Fetus, Deicide, even though I entered through the door of thrash like Pantera, Metallica and many others... I believe they have formed me 360 degrees, and without these influences I doubt I would have been able to develop a musical idea with the guitar!
6. Your music has been described as black metal with elements of death metal. How do you balance these both influences to create a cohesive sound?
Cogas is also the result of my passion for Black Metal, but it is only thanks to Piero (singer and founder of the band together with me) that we were able to develop an idea and perfectly mix death with black metal, making the project solid, creating the atmospheres that we like the most, melancholic, extreme, violent and fast!
7. Can you give us a glimpse into the creative process behind your music? How do you typically approach songwriting and arranging?
The creative process always starts from various meetings, where we always exchange ideas on which path to take regarding the themes, to then move on to the musical lines, a very natural thing but which really helps us to always create something different compared to the previous albums!
8. Are there any external influences on the music? Anything you were listening to at the time – or reading, or watching – which you feel had an effect on the writing process?
Absolutely yes, I spend a lot of time watching movies, I listen to a lot of underground music and I am surrounded by many fantastic friends with whom we exchange ideas about music, life in general, which is very important to me. And I think it is an advantage because it helps me think and write down ideas on some concepts that could then be part of the music of Cogas!
9. What do you consider the strengths of Cogas as far as musicians and your Black death metal craft?
Cogas has always had a very heterogeneous lineup. All of us come from different shades of extreme metal. When one of us is facing a phase in songwriting where they are stuck at a dead end, we come together to find a solution. It always happens in a fast and natural way because, even though we have different backgrounds in extreme music, we speak the same language when it comes to music violence!
10. The themes in your music, such as Witchcraft, Necromacy, Satanism and Sardinian Folklore, are quite intense. What draws you to explore these topics and how do they manifest in your lyrics and sound?
When we initially formed the band, we wanted to explore topics related to our culture, especially Sardinian folklore, to share a bit of ourselves with the English metal scene. However, after almost a decade of activity, we find these topics a bit limiting. That’s why we are at a turning point for our new album, where we will address a real issue affecting Sardinian youth—an ugly truth that the Sardinian metal scene has yet to confront. Suicide and depression stem from a land that offers us nothing. This anger and dark thoughts are reflected in every aspect of our music. We can be extremely harsh in terms of sound because we are one of those bands that truly mean what we say in our lyrics
11. You´ve released 2 EPs and one album until date. How has the reception been for your music so far? Have there been any standout moments or memorable experiences you'd like to share?
We believe that over the years, people have realized we are true to ourselves. The effort we put into every release and live show is evident. Nothing is left to random decisions; everything has meaning, and you can see that easily. This year's shows are definitely my favorite. We noticed that the audience was hungry for Cogas and wanted more and more, which means we are delivering quality extreme gigs. Nothing is more important to us.
12. Your next full-lenght is coming soon. Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from this second album? Are there any particular themes or influences that you're exploring on this new opus?
The new album is really violent and complex musically. I can say that all of us pushed ourselves in terms of composition, and we are very proud of the final result. As I mentioned before, the new album addresses the plague of youth suicide on our island, a problem that has persisted for a long time. This is a topic that people tend to avoid when discussing Sardinia, but it is the truth: our land is not a pleasant place for a future, especially for those of us who think outside the box. We want to break the hypocritical silence that we Sardinians have held in our hearts for so long and speak this ugly truth.
13. Do you face any problems recording your music or finding studios/rehearsal rooms in London?
I wouldn't say it's difficult, but it's a huge waste of energy. London is a huge city with a vast choice of studios and rooms where you can rehearse with the band. It's certainly quite expensive, but you do this and more for the Cogas, after all, money is just an illusion, isn't it?
14. Between recording music and performing live shows, which would you say is more in your favor or do you think both have their own significant ways?
I think the two things are extremely fantastic, but different from each other, on one hand you put your time and concentration into recording the album, clearly seeing the birth and development of each single song, on the other hand when you are on a stage you show all your work to people who are there listening to you, with a different concentration around you and the band!
15. How do you define “underground” and where do you see yourself and your band in it?
Let’s put it this way: the reason extreme music exists is the underground scene. If you think about it, we metal musicians work our whole lives, putting in long hours, yet we still have the time and energy to challenge ourselves by making music for nothing. This passion and energy are the strength of extreme metal. The underground grit is the primordial force that will never be defeated, and we make sure to keep posers out of it.
16. What can fans expect from an Cogas live show? Do you have any particular routine before hitting the stage?
If you want to come to a Cogas show, know that it’s going to be loud and violent. We take no prisoners and love to interact with the audience. Building that connection makes our shows memorable for both us and them. So, come and see!
17. I want to thank you, sincerely, for your time. Before we end our conversation, is there anything else in particular you’d like to share?
Well thank you for the time dedicated to Cogas, we are about to finish the recordings of the new Full Album, soon we will make an important announcement plus two new concerts in December.. so stay tuned, we never sleep and never rest.
Salludi et Cunnu.
Cogas MMXXIV
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