With their unique brand of psychedelic sludge/doom, the Italian power trio Ufomammut have gradually grown over the past decade to become one of the leading acts of the genre. Mixing heavy, fuzzy riffs with often dark ambient passages, the band has produced such brilliant and expansive records as Snailking (2004), Idolum (2008), Eve (2010) and the double-sided ORO (2012). Now, they have returned with another masterpiece, Ecate, their most straightforward and streamlined effort. Before embarking on a European tour as well as crossing the Atlantic for the first time for an extensive North American trek, Vita, Poia and Urlo took some time to answer a few questions for Sputnik:

Hello! How are the preparations for the new album release and following tour going?

Urlo: Everything is good, we’re rehearsing a lot lately to play Ecate in the best way possible. It’s a new path for us in terms of music, so we’re very curious to see how it’ll be live. In the meantime we’re getting mad with all the US visas issues and preparation of the American tour… but we’re very excited to be in the States. And we’re preparing the limited edition vinyls at Malleus headquarters, a very precious version of the LP of Ecate that will be out at the end of March.

Vita: This is a busy period, we have to practice the new record and get all the documents we need to travel stateside.

Poia: This is the second step, after the recordings. We listened to the record again and we are working on its version for the live performance. The third step will be to play it on stage. Only at that time, after some gigs, we’ll start to understand the hidden soul of Ecate.

Let’s talk about your latest LP, Ecate. How did it take shape? Describe us a bit the writing and recording process.

Urlo: We recorded Ecate in the same place where we did Snailking, Lucifer Songs and Oro, the building where we have our rehearsal room. It’s been a great process, we recorded into this big hall (it has a fantastic natural reverb) and we had a great time with Lorenzo Stecconi at the desk. Ecate was born as a collection of different songs, we built them to work all together, like a continuos sonic wave, like we always do in our works. It’s been a process more difficult than usual, the songs, the riffs, the drumming and vocals are more focused to the point and more complicated than what we were “used” to do in the past, so we found ourselves in a different challenge while recording parts. But it’s been a very cool thing to do and we’re happy with the result.

Poia: We also worked more on the sound of the single amplifiers, on the microphones setting, on the choice of effects. We’ve been more accurate and still free to change mind during the recording. Mixing process in Rome, in Lorenzo’s studio, has also been an intense, creative and fun process.

Vita: In regards to the recording process , personally, it was harder than the previous albums because of the different structures that the songs have. The drum beats are more metal, so I needed more time to play it.

As each album of yours has a central theme, what was the main inspiration behind Ecate? How did you come up with the title?

Urlo: Ecate is the most powerful goddess humanity has ever created and believed in. The ancients thought of her as a goddess able to move from different worlds, the one of the living, the one of the dead and the one of the gods… then, little by little, with the coming of Christianity, she became a minor entity, queen of the witches and black magic, something to fear… because she was the goddess of life, something pure. We’ve always explored the idea of rebellion in our records, we’ve always been attracted by characters like Lucifer, Eve, the alchemists, also the primordial serpent of Godlike snake or the snailkings are in some way losers… So, Ecate and her powerful light came to our mind as the perfect goddess for this new path.

It must be hard to pick one favorite record out of such a consistent and expansive discography. However, which one/ones do you guys hold closest to your hearts?

Urlo: All our albums are important, they’re steps to reach what we’re doing now. In every record there’s a memory that makes it very important.

Poia: I also don’t have a particular favorite, but there are three records that I consider as milestones for our personal growth as a band: I think about Snailking, Lucifer Songs and Eve.

Vita: This is not easy to answer. It’s something like asking to a mother which is her favorite child… Maybe Godlike Snake, because it’s the first one but I’m not sure.

You have been playing together for 16 years now. How much do you think have things changed over the years inside the band as well as around you?

Urlo: We’ve more focused on what we’re doing and we’re more friends, we’ve been so lucky to meet each others for giving birth to Ufomammut. I hope it’ll last even when the band won’t be anymore. Also, with the other people we’re very thankful for what Ufomammut is today, I mean Ciccio (our live soundlord), Lorenzo Stecconi (our studio soundlord) and Lu (for the visuals she does for the band). We’re a family in the end. Vita always says we’re like in a marriage, but I prefer the idea of family, there are no contracts and everything comes from the heart. And of course, lots of things changed around us. I don’t know if there’s been an evolution or an involution… but we’ve to live in the present, so better to accept things…

Vita: In the beginning we were younger as people and musicians. There is more feeling and connection between us. We have especially improved as musicians and we are more tuned into each other musically because that’s a normal process in a band.

Poia: I’ve never accepted the idea of “trend”, or “what’s cool today”. Someone who decide the next big thing. I think that Ufomammut has never been part of all this, and we have always tried to follow our inner voice and go deeper.

You have released an anniversary DVD, XV, documenting your first 15 years as a band. How did you guys feel looking back at all the live footage and old interviews?

Vita: Watching those videos and seeing those old pictures on the DVD made me feel old and at the same time proud and happy. It’s life and if you don’t die young you have to get old..

Urlo: I think the best part of the DVD is the end when a lot of different guys from all around the world say something about us. Surely it’s been great to meet friends we were not seeing since a lot of time, but the end part is my favorite one. I think we’ve never been where we are if it wasn’t for the great people following us!

Poia: It’s been strange to see again a glimpse of our past life as a band. All the XV project, together with the concerts, it’s been a way for saying thanks to everybody who made all this possible. We grew up and had our evolution thanks to all the people who joined Ufomammut crew during the years and to all the listeners and fans we met at our concerts.

What do you think is your biggest achievement over the years?

Poia: Maybe the fact that we’ve been stubborn and we’re still here doing what we love with even more strength and pleasure.

Vita: I think my biggest achievement is being a part of the grander scheme of things…stuff like playing on all the albums that Ufomammut has released over the years and playing on the many tours and festivals we have had the honor of being invited to play. Those kinds of things are what make being in a band worthwhile and I will continue to strive to achieve these things in the future.

Urlo: Everything we have reached is a great achievement. But I hope it’s not finished and we’ll have more to take.

You are about to embark on a European tour and for the first time on a US one. How do you feel about the US tour? Are there any particular cities or venues you guys are anxious to visit/play in?

Urlo: We’re very excited even if the preparation of the tour is something really wrecking: visas, flights, backline… everything is a pain in the ass… But I’m sure that when we’ll be on stage everything will leave our minds. I’m looking forward to travel through the States, visiting a lot of cities and see things I’ve never seen before.

Vita: When we are on tour most of the time we don’t have any time to visit those cities where we play. In 1994, I lived in NY for seven months and I left a piece of my heart there, so I’m really excited to go back there after 21 years.

On the upcoming treks, you’ll play two big festivals on both sides of the Atlantic: Desertfest Berlin/London and Maryland Deathfest with a myriad of great bands. What acts are you excited to witness live and/or share the stage with?

Urlo: It’ll be great to meet Acid Kings after years! Then, like usual…, all the bands I’d be interested in are on another day…

Vita: In general I love to play festivals because I can see and meet a lot of musicians. That’s the most important thing for me, the excitement of the gathering.

Poia: True, they are a myriad and some of them were part of my personal story as a listener.

What can we expect from the upcoming live experience?

Urlo: We’ll play Ecate and we’ll have visuals and we’ll see…

Poia: We’ll do our best for the creation of a perfect Ufomammut show!

Vita: We’ll play Ecate in its’ entirety, plus some old songs that we could call “hits” hahaha…

What countries/cities have taken you by surprise in terms of audience and reception?

Urlo: Every country is different and it’s great to see how much a crowd is different from the other. Personally, I love to play in Belgium, Finland, Portugal and Germany. But we’ve had great experiences everywhere.

Poia: during the years we expanded our ideal tour area from the “easy-to-reach-with-a-van”” geographic centre of Europe where we have the fan base roots, to more distant places. We discovered in person new countries devoted to the heavy rock and we shared music waves with new people from different cultures. Every time it’s been a very good surprise to see how much Ufomammut is appreciated.

Vita: Usually I love to play in countries with a prevalent rock culture because people pay attention at your show just as I do when I go to see concerts.

Official Site: http://www.ufomammut.com/

Supernatural Cat Merch Store (Ufomammut’s very own record label) (Europe): http://supernaturalcat.bigcartel.com/artist/ufomammut

Buy Ecate at Neurot Recordings Store (US): http://neurotrecordings.merchtable.com/

Sputnik’s Ecate Review: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/66537/Ufomammut-Ecate/