Interview with SOMNVS MORTIS - FILTHY DOGS OF METAL

11 Jul

!!!BLACK METAL FROM CHILE!!!

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Tell us a few things about SOMNVS MORTIS (members, starting year, etc.).

The band began in 2018 with Enzo Velásquez on guitar and bass, Hermes Leiva on drums, and J.V. on vocals. In 2019 we released the Demo Rehearsal and the EP El advenimiento de las pesadillas perpetuas. In 2025, we released our first full-length album, Onírica evocación de las auras condenadas, under the label Oratorivm Records. For this album, the band experienced a lineup change: J.V. left the band, and B. Barrantes joined as a session musician on bass and vocals. We have worked with Chilean labels such as Darkness & Evil Records, Kuyen Prod, and Oratorivm Records.

You have recently released your album "Onírica evocación de las auras condenadas". What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?

The response has been favorable. We are thankful for the support of zines like yours—this is what allows the underground to keep growing.

The cover artwork has a killer atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.

The cover was created by our friend Mauricio Bonacic. It is titled Parálisis del sueño III, and he describes it as the desperation of a mind lost with no return in an eternal nightmare. It directly relates to songs from the album such as "Funesta evocación del ensueño astral", "Parasomnia", "Desarmonías de los Sueños Muertos", among others.

And what about the lyrics?

The lyrics revolve around the oneiric realm, with nightmares as the central theme. We also explore astral and spiritual elements, and the mysteries that lie between reality and the unconscious.

How did your cooperation with Oratorivm Records occur? What do you prefer, label or DIY and why?

We’ve worked with Oratorivm Records since 2019. This label released El advenimiento de las pesadillas perpetuas in pro-tape format.

Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?

Truth be told, we are quite serious when it comes to matters involving the band.

Do you prefer vinyl, tape, CD or digital format and why is that?
Physical format. Always.

Your music style is Black Metal. Which are your main influences (favourite artists / bands etc.)

Our main influences come from specific works such as:
Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Grand Belial's Key – Mocking the Philanthropist
Grand Belial's Key – Judeobeast Assassination
Mare – Ebony Tower

Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?

We are adults—we try to find balance between routine and what we’re passionate about.

Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?

Our live show is characterized by being dark, contemplative, and hypnotic. We have been satisfied with our performances so far.

What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?

It is disastrous—it strips away the spirit of the true nature of art.

What attributes do you think a new Black Metal band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?

We believe a band must have a coherent vision that aligns sound, aesthetics, and ideology. Black metal cannot be just a sonic label—it must convey an experience, an atmosphere, a worldview.

Do you believe that digital platforms help the new Black Metal bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?

Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, social media, etc., are good complements considering how globalization works today.

From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell a new Black Metal band to avoid or what to do?

We don’t feel we have the authority to give a statement of that magnitude. People must follow their will—isn’t that the essence of black metal?

Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Patagonia (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)

The scene in our city is dead.

What does Black Metal mean to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.

Black metal is a visceral form of spiritual and emotional expression. It is contemplation, it is darkness, and it is catharsis. Essential albums for us:
Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Grand Belial’s Key – Mocking the Philanthropist
Grand Belial’s Key – Judeobeast Assassination
Mare – Ebony Tower
Celestial Bloodshed – Cursed, Scarred and Forever Possessed
Rotting Christ – Thy Mighty Contract
Dissection – Storm of the Light's Bane
Bethlehem – Dark Metal
Darkthrone – Transilvanian Hunger
Emperor – In the Nightside Eclipse

Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?

We are admirers of bands such as Rotting Christ, Varathron, and Necromantia.

What are your future plans?

We are on the verge of beginning the composition of new material. We let the process flow naturally and converge with the essence of the band.

Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.

Thank you for your interest in our band. A dark greeting from the coldest and southernmost corner of the world.

By Steve the Filthy Dog.