"The more we play live, the less technical our music has become", Atavistia

“The more we play live, the less technical our music has become”, Atavistia

by lookmagpt Março 4, 2026 139 Views

With Old Gods Awaken, Atavistia delivers the first chapter of an ambitious two-album concept, blending melodic death metal, black metal, and Scandinavian folk into a sweeping narrative of history, heritage, and human connection. Drawing inspiration from Norse culture, European ancestry, and the natural landscapes of Vancouver and the North, the album explores themes of identity, memory, and the stories that bind generations.

By Sandra Pinto

In this interview, Mattias Sippola walks us through the creative process behind the sprawling title track, the multilingual lyrics, and the ways in which folk elements, orchestration, and dynamic contrast bring the epic concept to life—setting the stage for a dark and equally intense second installment.

Old Gods Awaken is the first half of a two-album concept. Can you explain the overarching theme and story behind this project?
Sure! The overall concept of this double album is about remembering who we are and where we came from. For too long have we now been lost in a sea of digital noise with no real sense of direction or purpose. We fight with strangers online, break friendships, and have lost Important skills and stories which have passed through generations. To reconnect with nature is to reconnect with history.

The title track runs over eleven minutes with choirs, epic solos, and folk elements. How did you approach writing such a sprawling, cinematic piece?
To be honest, it came as a wild wave of inspiration. I was going through a tough time in my personal life but also had a lot of free time to myself. The album was written in its track list order (except the intro) and one can possibly hear where I was during each song’s creation.

You mix English, Swedish, and Finnish lyrics throughout the album. How do you decide which language fits a particular song or mood?
It comes down to finding the right lyrics to fit certain parts. During the lyric writing process, I found certain sections didn’t work the way I wanted them to in English. My second language is Swedish and I found it just fit the vibe. For “I skogens djup” it was a no-brainer for me to have the entire song written in Swedish. It’s definitely our closest Finntroll-inspired track so why not go all the way? (smile) As for the Finnish parts on “Old Gods Awaken”, I originally composed the lyrics in Old Norse but like English, they didn’t quite fit what I was going for. Although I have Finnish heritage, I unfortunately do not speak the language so I contacted some friends in Finland to help me out with the translations.

The album blends melodic death metal, black metal, and Scandinavian folk. How do you balance these diverse influences without losing cohesion?
I’ve always felt all three of those genres blend flawlessly together but not a lot of bands seem comfortable to experiment with multiple genres like that. We are, even if it hurts our viewership and fanbase. The last thing we as Atavistia want is to be locked into a particular genre.

“I skogens djup” is written entirely in Swedish. How did Mattias Sippola’s ancestry influence the song’s melodies and structure?
The aggressiveness, speed, and song structure was the foundation of the Swedish lyrics. My ancestry is all over the place in Europe but I feel a deep connection with my Nordic history. My mind fully goes to that region when composing songs like that.

Tracks like “Mystic Tavern” and “Raise All Thy Horns” carry both technical ferocity and folk spirit. How do you combine technical metal with narrative-driven folk themes?
Aside from the bridge section being in 6/4 time signature, I wouldn’t say Mystic Tavern is particularly technical at all. It does kind of go all over the place in structure but the main narrative of the song is the story and folk elements.

“Goddess of My Dreams” is more intimate and acoustic. How important is dynamic contrast in your songwriting for storytelling?
Very important. Even death and black metal albums have slower songs to add a sense of dynamics to their albums. Dynamics are in my opinion, the most important element of composing. without it, listening becomes fatiguing.

Percussion, choirs, and folk instrumentation feature heavily throughout the album. How do you arrange these elements to serve the emotion of each song?
Half of the time, I’ll compose the orchestrations while figuring out the guitar parts in my head simultaneously. Sometimes however, I’ll write an entire song on guitar and drums. Usually, those songs have less orchestrations. In many cases, I’ll simply scrap entire orchestrated sections because they either take away from the song or blend the vibe too much. In the case of this album, the traditional elements were composed lastly to add that final touch of folk-inspired instrumentation.

The album was written in less than six months. Can you describe your creative process during that intense period?
Like I’ve stated on the first question, I was going through a tough time in my personal life but also had a lot of time to myself. Creatively, this is where I thrive. I have little to no motivation when I’m constantly on the go with life. Time is an essential component in my songwriting process. When I have it, I can’t stop.

Nature, seasons, and Norse culture are recurring themes. How do the landscapes of Vancouver and the European North inspire your music and lyrics?
It’s easy, they’re both in cold, dark, and wet climates. For thousands of years these regions have a long history of storytelling. It’s very simple to draw inspiration from such histories.

You’ve toured with bands like SKÁLMÖLD, METSATÖLL, and SEVEN SPIRES. How have live experiences shaped the way you compose and perform?
Quite a bit. The more we play live, the less technical our music has become. For Atavistia, we don’t want to show off on our instruments, we want to put on a show people will remember for the vibe, not the technicality of the instruments.

As the first half of a concept, how does Old Gods Awaken set the stage for the second album? What can fans expect next?
Without spoiling too much, it’s a Yin and Yang. Old Gods Awaken represents the light side. What’s to come is the dark.

Bandcamp: https://atavistia.bandcamp.com/music
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAtavistia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atavistia/?hl=en
Twitter / X: https://x.com/atavistia?lang=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwQWMCiFZL1duPSdbdjGyCg
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atavistia
Discord: https://discord.gg/Fj99DHRyc3
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1QoL6PD6QyjdsxvTBacepq
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/atavistia/1287070679

Tags : Atavistia

“One of the trickiest parts was keeping that sense of tension even in the quieter sections”, Beyond the Veil

This interview with Beyond the Veil offers insight into the creative process behind their latest release, Oblivion, highlighting the band’s approach to balancing intensity and atmosphere. Drawing on influences from classic progressive rock and modern extreme metal, the group discusses how these elements are integrated into both their songwriting and their broader narrative vision. By Sandra Pinto The conversation sheds light on a compositional approach built around contrast and cohesion, where heavy and restrained passages are carefully structured to flow as a unified whole. Rather than treating Oblivion as a purely stylistic exercise, the band frames it as a work focused on dynamics, emotional continuity and structural intention. Reflection is described as a journey between melodic calm and extreme intensity. How did the idea of creating such a striking contrast come about? Yoshihiro – Yeah, I’ve always been drawn to progressive stuff since way back. There’s something about how it blends intensity with beauty and emotion—it just feels natural, you know? That contrast really stuck with me, and I think it’s shaped the way I approach writing music in a big way. It’s definitely one of my main sources of inspiration. The lyric video closely follows the atmosphere of the song. What was the process of creating the video like, and what role did it play in the song’s narrative? Yoshihiro – We shared some visuals that really captured the vibe of the track with the label’s video team, and we kinda locked in the direction together right from the start. From there, we just built it up while staying on the same page the whole time. The lyrics mix English and Japanese. What is the impact of using these two languages on the emotional expression of the song? Yoshihiro – This time around we stuck to English for the whole album, but going forward we’d love to start bringing in Japanese too—there’s a certain sound and emotional nuance to it that you just can’t get any other way. I think it could open up a whole new side of what I do. What feelings or personal experiences inspired Reflection? Eric – This is actually a different take on lyrics for a song of the same name that I wrote for a previous band around 2008 or 2009. This version jumbles up the order of the lyrics from the older version to intentionally make the narrative aspect less clear but the overall theme a bit more clear. In essence, it deals with two themes: impermanence and personification, a reflection of human qualities and emotions in places where they do not exist. Reflection anticipates the album Oblivion. What other elements can fans expect from the record in terms of sound and themes? Yoshihiro – Like you mentioned in the first question, a lot of the songs jump between heavy and more stripped-back moments. “Reflection” is actually the shortest track on the record, but I feel like it packs the whole vibe of the album into the most compact form. I mean… it’s still pretty long, though. Your sound blends thrash, death, black metal, jazz, folk, and classical music. How do you manage to balance these influences cohesively in each track? Yoshihiro – One of the biggest things for me was making sure the contrast between the heavy and the quieter parts really stood out, but without it feeling chopped up or disconnected. I wanted everything to flow as one piece, like the whole track just unfolds naturally. What is the central message or concept behind Oblivion? DBK – The whole concept is basically fusing modern extreme metal with the kind of ’70s–’80s progressive rock we grew up loving. On this album, some tracks lean more toward the extreme metal side, while others drift more into prog rock territory—but overall, I’d say it balances out pretty evenly. As for the next album… honestly, I’ve got no idea where that ratio’s gonna land. The album marks a bold step for the band. What differences or evolutions can you highlight compared to your previous work? Yoshihiro – This is the first album as Beyond the Veil, but the next one’s probably gonna lean a bit more toward the extreme metal side. The stuff we’re writing right now is pretty damn intense. I’m really looking forward to figuring out how to layer that ’70s–’80s prog vibe on top of it—should be interesting, so stay tuned. You and DB Karma are the main composers. How does your team-based composition process work? Yoshihiro – I handled most of the songwriting and overall production on the record. DB Karma was involved more in terms of the piano intro, some fragmented ideas across the tracks, and giving objective feedback while things were still coming together. Since he wasn’t too deep in the weeds, he could look at everything from a bit of a distance—and that perspective ended up being way more important than just a supporting role. He really helped shape the direction and tighten up the final result. For the next album, we’re kinda flipping the process—DB Karma’s bringing in the core ideas, and I’ll be handling the arrangements to finish the tracks. That’s the direction we’re working in right now. The band has undergone lineup changes over the years. How have these changes influenced the group’s dynamics and creativity? Yoshihiro – When you bring a different person into the process, the whole vibe shifts—their sense, their energy, all of it. That naturally started adding new perspectives, both in how we work together and in the music itself. What are the biggest challenges when writing progressive and complex music without losing emotion and narrative? Yoshihiro – One of the trickiest parts was keeping that sense of tension even in the quieter sections, so it naturally pulls you into the next heavy hit without losing momentum. At the same time, I had to make sure the emotional flow between the lyrics and the arrangement didn’t feel forced or disconnected. Getting that balance right was tough—but honestly, that’s the part I enjoy …
Sinsal SON Estrella Galicia expande edição de 2026 e liga San Simón, Vigo e Caminho Português

O festival Sinsal SON Estrella Galicia vai apresentar em 2026 uma edição alargada, com programação distribuída entre a ilha de San Simón, a cidade de Vigo e, pela primeira vez, o Caminho Português. A iniciativa reforça a ligação cultural a Portugal e marca uma nova fase na estrutura do evento. A edição de 2026 decorre ao longo de dois fins de semana consecutivos, numa configuração inédita para o festival galego. Entre 24 e 26 de julho, o Sinsal regressa à sua localização habitual na ilha de San Simón, no estuário de Vigo. Na semana seguinte, entre 31 de julho e 2 de agosto, a programação estende-se a Vigo e a outras localidades da região, integrando o Caminho Português como novo eixo territorial e simbólico. A organização sublinha que esta expansão reforça a ligação histórica do festival a Portugal, país de onde provém uma parte significativa do público e onde o Sinsal tem registado presença regular de artistas ao longo das suas edições. O festival mantém o seu formato característico de cartaz secreto, revelado apenas ao público no momento da chegada à ilha de San Simón. Este modelo, em vigor desde 2010, continua a ser um dos elementos distintivos do evento. Ao longo de 15 edições, mais de 30 mil pessoas passaram pelo recinto na ilha, um espaço de elevado valor histórico e patrimonial que já teve diferentes funções ao longo dos séculos. Em 2026, o Sinsal foi distinguido pela Fundação Contemporánea como uma das melhores iniciativas culturais a nível estatal, sendo o único festival galego no top 10. A programação continuará a privilegiar projetos emergentes e propostas de diferentes geografias e estilos, com destaque para a diversidade artística e para a presença de projetos liderados por mulheres. Paralelamente à vertente musical, o festival mantém iniciativas ligadas à valorização do património e à sustentabilidade ambiental, incluindo atividades educativas como a Escola Sinsal. Datas da edição 2026 24 a 26 de julho: Ilha de San Simón + Vigo 31 de julho a 2 de agosto: Vigo + Caminho Português Continuidade do apoio institucional O festival mantém o apoio do SON Estrella Galicia, projeto musical da Estrella Galicia (Hijos de Rivera), que há mais de 17 anos desenvolve ações de promoção cultural e musical. Com esta nova configuração, o Sinsal SON Estrella Galicia reforça a sua posição como um dos festivais mais singulares do panorama ibérico, alargando a sua presença territorial e consolidando a ligação entre cultura, património e criação contemporânea.
MOONSPELL regressam ao Porto com “Invicta Halloween” e apresentação de novo álbum

Os Moonspell regressam ao Porto no próximo 31 de outubro de 2026 para mais uma edição do seu tradicional concerto de Halloween, que este ano terá lugar no Hard Club sob a designação “Invicta Halloween”. O evento marca o regresso da banda à cidade onde teve origem este formato especial, já consolidado ao longo de mais de 25 anos como uma das celebrações mais emblemáticas do universo gótico e metal a nível nacional e internacional. O concerto servirá também de apresentação ao vivo do novo álbum dos Moonspell, “Far From God”, cuja edição é aguardada para o ciclo de 2026. Paralelamente, a banda assinalará em palco os 30 anos de “Irreligious” (1996), trabalho considerado determinante na afirmação internacional do metal gótico. A atuação deverá incluir temas do novo registo, bem como uma seleção do catálogo da banda, num alinhamento pensado para o formato especial da noite. A iniciativa mantém o caráter cénico e conceptual associado ao Halloween dos Moonspell, com uma produção adaptada ao contexto do Hard Club e uma componente visual reforçada. A primeira parte do concerto ficará a cargo dos NÜN, projeto portuense que cruza rock gótico com elementos eletrónicos. Informação prática Data: 31 de outubro de 2026 Local: Hard Club, Porto Abertura de portas: 20h00 Início: 21h00 Com esta edição, os Moonspell reforçam a continuidade do seu Halloween como um dos eventos mais consistentes do metal europeu, regressando à Invicta para uma noite de celebração dupla entre passado e presente da banda.
TONDELA ROCKS regressa a 25 de abril com MASTER e forte presença do metal nacional

A cidade de Tondela recebe no próximo 25 de abril a 9.ª edição do Tondela Rocks, que volta a realizar-se na Associação Recreativa e Cultural Ermidense. O festival mantém o foco no rock e metal em formato underground, reunindo um cartaz que combina nomes internacionais e projetos nacionais de diferentes subgéneros. Com produção da Rocha Produções, o evento reforça a sua posição no circuito independente português, apostando na diversidade dentro da música pesada e na convivência entre bandas consolidadas e projetos emergentes. O destaque principal da edição de 2026 vai para os norte-americanos MASTER, considerados uma das formações pioneiras do death metal. Liderada por Paul Speckmann, a banda apresenta-se em Portugal numa data única, integrada na sua digressão mundial. Formados em 1983, inicialmente sob o nome Death Strike, os MASTER são frequentemente referidos como parte da primeira vaga do death metal, ao lado de nomes como Death, Possessed e Morbid Angel. Ao longo de mais de quatro décadas, o grupo manteve atividade regular, com uma discografia extensa e várias digressões internacionais. O cartaz integra vários projetos nacionais, com os Revolution Within a representarem o thrash metal moderno. Com quatro álbuns editados pela Rastilho Records, a banda conta com experiência em palcos nacionais e internacionais, incluindo participações em festivais como o Wacken Open Air e o Resurrection Fest. Do Porto, os Law of Contagion trazem ao festival a vertente mais extrema do black/death metal, enquanto os Voidwomb, de Viana do Castelo, representam uma abordagem igualmente intensa dentro do black/death metal, com edição pela Avantgarde Music e crescente projeção no circuito europeu. A programação inclui ainda os Mizzura, projeto luso-brasileiro de metal/punk/crust com forte componente política e social, e os aBAND’onados, banda de Coimbra que cruza influências de punk rock e funk rock. A abertura do recinto está marcada para as 16h00, com os concertos a decorrer pela seguinte ordem: 17h30 – Propagandaz 18h35 – aBAND’onados 19h35 – Mizzura 20h35 – Law of Contagion 21h35 – Revolution Within 22h55 – MASTER 00h35 – Voidwomb Bilhetes Os bilhetes estão disponíveis por 15 euros em pré-venda e 20 euros no dia do evento, através da TicketLine e Unkind.
THE TWIST CONNECTION celebram 10 anos com concerto em Coimbra e edição em vinil

Os The Twist Connection regressam a Coimbra no dia 09 de maio para assinalar o 10.º aniversário da banda, num concerto que marca também a edição em vinil do mais recente álbum, “Concentrate, Give It Up, It’s Too Late”. Formado em 2016, o trio construiu ao longo da última década um percurso consistente no panorama do rock nacional, cruzando influências do rockabilly, garage rock, punk e post-punk, numa linguagem assente na energia do rock’n’roll. O concerto em Coimbra assinala um momento simbólico na história da banda, regressando à cidade onde o projeto teve origem. A atuação integra-se nas comemorações do 10.º aniversário e funciona como ponto de balanço de uma década de atividade contínua. Ao longo destes anos, os The Twist Connection afirmaram-se como uma presença regular no circuito de clubes e festivais, com atuações marcadas pela intensidade e pela aposta no formato ao vivo como elemento central do projeto. Em paralelo com a data comemorativa, a banda assinala a edição em vinil de “Concentrate, Give It Up, It’s Too Late”, um trabalho que reforça a sua abordagem direta à composição, privilegiando a energia imediata das canções. O disco surge como continuação da trajetória do grupo, evidenciando uma maturidade artística construída ao longo da última década, sem abdicar das referências que moldaram a sua identidade sonora. O concerto em Coimbra assume, assim, um caráter duplo: celebração de percurso e apresentação de um novo registo discográfico, num regresso a casa que sublinha a ligação da banda à cidade onde iniciou o seu caminho.

“The more we play live, the less technical our music has become”, Atavistia

You May Also Like

“One of the trickiest parts was keeping that sense of tension even in the quieter sections”, Beyond the Veil

Sinsal SON Estrella Galicia expande edição de 2026 e liga San Simón, Vigo e Caminho Português

MOONSPELL regressam ao Porto com “Invicta Halloween” e apresentação de novo álbum

TONDELA ROCKS regressa a 25 de abril com MASTER e forte presença do metal nacional