Gothic metal meets traditional Japanese music in Belle Morte’s latest single, Jorōgumo, a mesmerizing fusion of dark, symphonic riffs with the haunting sounds of koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi. In this in-depth interview, the band discusses the inspiration behind the track, their creative process, and the collaboration with master Japanese musicians to bring the story of the spider demon to life.

By Sandra Pinto

From exploring the delicate balance between authenticity and experimentation to crafting immersive visuals inspired by Noh and Kabuki theatre, Belle Morte offers a glimpse into the artistic vision behind Jorōgumo and the eclectic, globally-influenced world of Pearl Hunting.

Jorōgumo combines gothic metal with traditional Japanese elements. How did you decide to explore the legend of the spider demon and integrate instruments like koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi into your music?
Belle: It all actually started with the shamisen. I’m a huge fan of this instrument, and I’d been obsessed with the idea of featuring it on Pearl Hunting. The catch was that none of our existing material felt right for it, so it became obvious that we needed to write a brand-new song. Around that time, I heard Sirens – Of Blood and Water by Epica, which reminded me of The Little Mermaid fairytale and its tragic “kill someone you love or be killed” dilemma. It made me wonder whether other cultures had similar stories, where a character must choose between love and survival. That curiosity sent me down a rabbit hole, and that’s how I discovered Jorōgumo. I had never heard of it before, but the moment I started reading, I was captivated. It felt like a story that deserved to be shared, and at the same time, it was a perfect thematic match for a Japan-inspired track. Once the concept was set, adding koto and shakuhachi became a natural continuation of the soundscape.

How do the different traditional Japanese instruments influence the dark and immersive atmosphere of Jorōgumo?
Belle: They really shaped this atmosphere. Each of them added something we simply couldn’t recreate with guitars or orchestral parts.
The shamisen has this sharp sound that immediately creates tension. The koto brings a softer, slightly unsettling elegance, almost like a web slowly being woven around you. And the shakuhachi has that breathy, ghostly tone that makes everything feel a bit otherworldly.

The track is part of the album Pearl Hunting. How does this song fit within the themes and overall narrative of the album?
Belle: Pearl Hunting isn’t a concept album in the traditional sense. It’s more like a collection of short stories. The big thing that unites the songs on this album is the use of ethnic instruments and the idea of exploring the beauty of different musical traditions. Jorōgumo brings the Japanese part of that journey. It adds another colour to the palette and expands the world we were creating throughout the album.

What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from this song, considering the story of seduction and deception by the Jorōgumo?
Belle: Don’t go to creepy places alone, kids (smile) But beyond the joke, I guess I want people to think about how deceptive appearances can be. Sometimes the things that look the most beautiful on the surface carry the biggest risks.

How did the idea to fuse gothic metal with Japanese musical traditions arise? Was it a natural process for the band or an experimental experience?
Belle: The whole album was kind of a bold experiment for us, honestly. Jorōgumo was actually one of the last two tracks we wrote for Pearl Hunting, so by then we already had a really clear sense of what direction the album was taking. We’d been mixing symphonic/gothic metal with all sorts of ethnic instruments throughout the process, so it felt natural to push that idea even further. And we really wanted a Japan-inspired track on the album. So it was a mix of intention and experimentation: the idea felt right, and by that point, trying something unusual had become the norm for us.

What creative challenges did you encounter when writing and arranging music that blends such different styles?
Sergey: The biggest challenge was diving as deeply as possible into the essence of each culture and really studying it. We spent a lot of time analyzing authentic folk music and traditional compositions to understand their mood, their melodic language, and the way those musical traditions actually work. Only then could we bring those elements into our own songs in a way that felt natural instead of forced. You also have to understand the instruments themselves: their specifics, their range, their limitations, and the techniques used to play them. Even at the demo stage, the parts need to feel organic for the performer, at least as much as that’s possible for someone outside the culture. Of course, the musicians usually add their own touch later and sometimes rework the parts quite a bit for authenticity. That was absolutely the case with the amazing Japanese musicians we collaborated with on Jorōgumo – Hisashi, Reigen Fujii and Souzan Kato. But the main shamisen riffs from the intro and the choruses stayed exactly the same as in the original demo (smile).

What is your composition process: do you start with the metal elements or the traditional Japanese instruments?
Sergey: It really depends on the song. For example, in Exorcism the writing process for the metal and ethnic parts happened almost in parallel, and in some sections, the Mongolian instruments were actually the main driving force. With Jorōgumo, it was different. First, we wanted to understand the overall shape and feeling of the track, so we began by building the core using the metal instruments. After that, the traditional elements were woven into that metal foundation. At the same time, a lot of the ethnic ideas appeared in parallel or even right at the very beginning. The main shamisen riff is a good example of that, since it was there from the start.

The Jorōgumo music video features stunning visuals and a strong narrative. How did the visual ideas come about, and how do they complement the music?
Belle: The visual concept grew directly from the Jorōgumo myth – a Japanese yōkai who appears as a beautiful woman to lure men into cave-like lairs where they meet their fate. Since there are many theatrical interpretations of this creature, we drew inspiration from traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki’s expressive makeup informed the intensity of the characters, while the Jorōgumo’s porcelain “human” face was represented through a Noh-style mask traditionally used for idealized female roles. This led to the main visual contrast: Seroguke as an ordinary man in natural tones, and the Jorōgumo echoing the real Jorō spider with a black kimono lined in yellow and a touch of bright red.
We filmed in and around a natural cenote cave: layered, atmospheric, and full of real spider nests, which made it the perfect setting for the creature’s domain. No living spiders were harmed; the burning webs belonged to long-abandoned nests. The narrative follows Seroguke drawn deeper into the forest and into the cave, where he encounters the Jorōgumo and must try to escape her maze-like lair. Whether he truly finds an exit or just another illusion is left intentionally uncertain.

How do you view the evolution of Belle Morte from your earlier works to this fusion of gothic metal and traditional Japanese music?
Belle: I think the evolution of Belle Morte has always been about curiosity. From the very beginning, we were experimenting within the borders of symphonic and gothic metal, but with Pearl Hunting, things shifted a lot. We allowed ourselves to explore influences that went far beyond what we had done before. So this evolution is not about changing direction completely. It is more like expanding the world of Belle
Morte, adding new colors, new stories, and textures that make the music deeper and more immersive than before.

What future musical or visual projects can fans expect from the band after Jorōgumo and Pearl Hunting?
Belle: Right now, we’re working on several things at the same time. First, we’re part of another collaborative project, but this time the roles are switched, and we’re the guest musicians. We’re also preparing a series of acoustic tracks where we completely rethink the arrangements and strip the songs down to a more raw, intimate form. And of course, we’ve already started sketching ideas for new material. It’s still very early, but if everything goes well, we hope to share something new with you in 2026.

Hisashi, how has your koto training and international experience influenced the arrangements for Jorōgumo?
Hisashi: For this arrangement, I aimed to bring variety and energy to the track by weaving a wide range of traditional techniques throughout the music. Since I perform not only the koto but also the shamisen, I had a broad palette of techniques to draw from, and that experience proved very valuable in shaping the arrangement.
I also have experience performing as both a drummer and a composer in a metal band, which helped me a great deal. With a strong understanding of how to blend Japanese instruments with metal, and a deep familiarity with both traditional music and heavy music, I was able to create an arrangement where the strengths of each style enhance one another in a natural and exciting way.

What challenges did you face adapting the koto to a gothic metal context without losing the instrument’s authenticity?
Hisashi: One of the biggest challenges when arranging traditional instruments for modern music is balancing traditional scales with the harmony of the piece. Choosing notes that preserve the original character of the instrument while still fitting the melody and chord progression requires a very delicate approach. I constantly have to stay focused, and there are many details to consider, especially to ensure
that everything remains playable on the actual instrument. This kind of work is only possible when you have a deep understanding of both Japanese traditional instruments and Western music theory. It is precisely where my strengths come together, and that is why I find this process so exciting every single time.

Reigen, how did you develop your approach to the shamisen to create a sound that blends with heavy riffs and gothic vocals?
Reigen: For this track, I performed almost the entire part using purely traditional Tsugaru-shamisen techniques. By staying true to the classical style without altering it, the shamisen naturally blended into the metal sound. As a Tsugaru-shamisen player, the fusion felt so seamless that at times it seemed as though the music itself was reaching toward the shamisen, rather than the other way around.

Were there any specific shamisen techniques you used to heighten the suspense and mysterious atmosphere of the song?
Reigen: I relied heavily on traditional Tsugaru-shamisen playing techniques. The purity of that style, when combined with the metal arrangement, naturally brought out a sense of suspense and mystery in the music.

Souzan, the shakuhachi has a very expressive and atmospheric sound. How did you decide to use it to evoke the spider demon narrative?
Souzan: In traditional Japanese ghost stories, instruments like the biwa or flute often create a dark and eerie atmosphere. For this project, however, I wanted the shakuhachi to sing clearly over the band sound — not only to convey that eerie feeling, but also to bring a strong, gusting intensity to the performance.

What aspects of the shakuhachi help create the fusion between Japanese tradition and the energy of gothic metal?
Souzan: In Japanese music, even elements outside of pure pitched sound — what some may call “noise,” such as wind noise in the shakuhachi — are considered part of the musical expression. At first glance, that raw texture might seem far from the polished sound of gothic metal. But in this piece, I felt that the wild, organic character of the shakuhachi actually worked in a powerful way, standing out boldly against the refined metal arrangement.

How does the collaboration between the three Japanese instruments and the gothic metal foundation influence the band’s creative process?
Sergey: When you blend something as specific and culturally deep as traditional Japanese instruments with a gothic metal foundation, the first thing you need to do is really immerse yourself in the music. You have to study the instruments, understand how they’re played, what they can and cannot do, and what feels natural for them. And of course, no matter how much you read or listen, you can’t fully grasp every
nuance unless you actually play them yourself. That’s where our Japanese collaborators become absolutely essential. They help us navigate that line between creativity and authenticity. Sometimes they say, “This part is great, keep it exactly like that,” and sometimes we hear, “Yeah… no one is going to play this like that in real life, we need a more realistic and authentic approach.” And then ideas start flowing, like doubling the shamisen with koto an octave higher, or reshaping a melody so it feels more natural for the instrument while still fitting the metal backbone. So it’s a very collaborative process where the cultural knowledge and experience of the guest musicians directly influences the final shape of the song.
Belle: Oh, and we also did a lot of cultural immersion while preparing the visuals. We watched a number of Noh and Kabuki plays to get a better feel for the atmosphere, aesthetics, and storytelling traditions.

Each of you brings distinct influences from traditional Japanese and modern music. How do you balance these influences to create Belle Morte’s unique sound?
Sergey: I think at the core, we just create the kind of music we genuinely enjoy, the kind that gives us that spark of excitement and euphoria. Each of us has our own influences, both from traditional Japanese music and from modern metal, but instead of trying to force a balance, we let those influences blend naturally while we follow what feels inspiring in the moment.
Belle: When something from the traditional side clicks with something from the metal side, we keep it. If it doesn’t, we reshape it until it feels right for all of us.

When composing, do you discuss each part together, or does each member work individually on their lines before merging them?
Sergey: Usually, at the initial stage, Belle and I work together to shape the first draft of the arrangement. Once we have a clear structure and direction, we bring it to the rest of the band, discuss everything in detail, and refine the song together until we reach a version that feels right for everyone.
Belle: Yeah, that’s basically our formula, and it works really well for us. Keeping the core writing stage between fewer people helps the process stay focused, and then the full-band feedback phase makes the arrangement stronger and more balanced, because everyone gets to bring in their perspective and make the song their own.

Which aspect of Jorōgumo or the album Pearl Hunting do you feel best represents each of you as musicians?
Sergey: For me, it’s pretty straightforward. Since Krew is the song for which I wrote the music myself, that one probably represents me the most as a musician. And both Jorōgumo and Krew are the tracks that feel closest to me as a vocalist, they let me show very different sides of what I can do, and I love that.
Belle: The growling parts in Jorōgumo were such a blast to record. I’d been waiting for a chance to do something like that, because in most of our songs there simply isn’t space for that kind of expression. And Willow probably represents me the most overall. I’m very attached to storytelling, creating a little universe inside a song, filling it with imagery, emotions, and tiny details that make it feel alive. The dark, gothic, vampiric atmosphere of Willow is exactly what I love diving into, so that track feels especially “me.”

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