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Thro’ the ghoul-guarded gateways of slumber
Under sinister grey-clouded skies
I have drunk of the fog-foetid fountains
Where jokulls loom snow-clad and drear
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Ever heard the name Marcos Martins? If you haven’t, you should – the man has put his name to some of the finest work in underground Portuguese black metal and beyond. With names like Tod Huetet Uebel and Vaee Solis behind him and many more like Devil Worshipper and Torpe ahead, his impassioned and disturbing vocal performances in particular are always memorable – the way he approaches his work is true art. Now, it’s time to add another one to the list: avant-garde entity PALIMPSEST.
Based in death metal, debut EP Thro’ and under, I have drunk of the fountains, where jokulls loom is not what we would usually hear from Marcos, but the gibbering, mind-warping leviathan horrors thrashing within these four short emanations is the perfect match for his madness. Together with kindred NZ spirit RM a brief yet impossibly powerful vortex is created, barely over five minutes long but with enough vacuum to create a tear in the very fabric of our universe itself and let in unspeakable, incomprehensible terrors from beyond. Crazed dissonant blades swirl frantically, slashing at the tethers of your sanity until it threatens to be ripped into the gaping abyssal maw… then before you know it, it’s over; leaving you breathless, wondering what the fuck just happened, and desperately wanting more.
Indeed, something so death metal aligned is also not what we would usually cover here at BMD, but the very nature of the project sits nestled in close enough proximity to black metal to exude a darkness that will be more than familiar and enjoyable to our readers. Plus, it’s a fucking incredible EP that everyone should hear – so when the opportunity fortuitously presented itself to have an in-depth discussion with Marcos himself about it, naturally we jumped at the chance. We even managed to sneak in a few quick questions about all his other projects, too. So read on below, open the void… Palimpsest is here.
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Greetings Marcos! It’s a pleasure to speak with you today, I hope you are well. Now, you’ve recently put your name to a rather intense release, alongside an enigmatic being known only as RM: Palimpsest‘s Thro’ and under, I have drunk of the fountains, where jokulls loom, which I can only describe as some seriously warped experimental death magic. I have a million questions, but I’m going to start with the most obvious: are you both utterly insane? What on earth inspired this release, and your performances on it?
– A shared feeling between RM and I is that this project is about exploring the dark corners of cosmic awe and what to some would be summed up as “horror”, through more perceptible earthly mediums – sounds, rhythmic sequences and imagery that attempt to somewhat resonate with the innermost primal instinct. Having a unified, yet varied approach to painting a tiny fraction of something indescribable, yet present, for both of us, is the backbone of this release; and future endeavors to be unleashed.
Whilst you are already known for your excellent work in your previous and current musical expressions (which I will ask about later!), Palimpsest is something outside of your usual wheelhouse, to say the least. How did you come to be involved with the project?
– I’m always looking forward to collaborate on new art; hence I’m usually attentive to like-minded individuals that are looking forward to work on something meaningful. For me Palimpsest is quite close to the type of work that I would normally be involved with, but I would assume by your question, that you are referring to the fact that this release isn’t as easily associated with the “black metal” tag as some of the work I’ve shared in the past.
Material that would seemingly fit a more “death-metal” oriented tag (as others) is part of the spectrum of topics, feelings and primeval instincts that fester in every being, which is something I usually approach through my work. Given my usual stance of drifting on a sea of creative minds to find like minded individuals, I came across RM – our ideas flowed naturally and everything was weaved together in a tight knit, after all –
“mīlle viae dūcunt hominēs per saecula Rōmam”
The title and track names are particularly fascinating; quite poetic and almost like they are spoken in an archaic form of the English language. What does it all mean? Were they lifted from any literature, or did you pen all the lyrics and titles yourself?
– Usually I use a mix of content that I pen myself, along with quotes and references from other writers to convey a frame to the deeper purpose of the meaning of the work at hand (what better way to sow ideas, if not through familiar concepts? these references serve the purpose of what one could consider a plot device/mechanism in a broader narrative); some are more metaphorical and allegorical in nature, others more poetic.
For this particular release, I decided that passages from the poem “Nemesis” by H.P. Lovecraft would be suitable and appropriate. The 4 track titles form a short stanza using phrases from the lyrics (first track title is the first phrase in the first track, second track title is the second phrase of the second lyric and so on); the whole purpose of this adaptation was to sort of lay the initial colors on a canvas for the future; this “aesthetic” also fits together with the artwork (inked by Jodie McLay, transfiguring to perfection the awe and “horror” we manifest) and the name of the project itself “Palimpsest” (The word “palimpsest” derives from the Latin palimpsestus, which derives from the Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος (palímpsēstos, “again scraped”), a compound word that literally means “scraped clean and ready to be used again). In the future of the project, the lyrics will again be a mix of quotes & references, along with my own penmanship, now that an initial frame of reference is set, one can further dabble in psychography, laying words upon the shifting sands.
Another intriguing element is the dialogue samples. I can’t quite make out exactly what is happening, but it sounds extraordinarily disturbing. Could you tell us a little about this?
– These go hand-in-hand with the remaining purpose and dialect of our labor; hence it is up to each individual to grasp whatever they feel it conveys to them.
The EP is remarkably short – the listener is left at the end wondering what exactly it was that they just heard. Will there be more Palimpsest? If so, will you stick to shorter song/release lengths, or are you considering a full-length assault of this madness?
– Some of the best human experiences are those that leave one wondering what just happened – they fester the need for more and become the vial one drinks from sip upon sip, getting inevitably inebriated without conscious awareness.
The release we are currently working on, will lengthwise fit the definition of a full-length.
Have you had any label interest to date? Is there likely to be any physical copies of Thro’ and under, I have drunk of the fountains, where jokulls loom available in future? It would make a great 7″, in my opinion…
– The future is as “unto the ages of ages”, uncertain; but so far we have received quite a positive feedback from our labor, hence it is up to causality.
Now, while I’ve got you I’d like to also take the opportunity to ask about some of your other work, if you don’t mind! You recently began a new project entitled TORPE, released a killer single ‘Ardo, Perpétuo, Maligno’ – and I believe we will soon be seeing the debut album! So tell us: what is Torpe, how and why did it form, and what can we expect from the debut album?
– “Torpe” – it is a Portuguese adjective that encompasses several meanings – “depraved; insulting morality: unworthy, loathsome; that causes disgust; that is disgusting, tainted”, so this may convey a sound initial tact to approach the concept of the ordeal, even more so when the name is considered along the title of the aforementioned single track (“I burn, perpetual, malignant”); this is but verbal representation of the first step on the Penrose stairway, a boundary on the further reaches of human experience and expression, it inherently limits and bounds what humankind tries to understand when addressing the unnamed god or Nomen Nescio, the deus ignotus.
The aforementioned first release (an EP) is mostly recorded. There is also material written for a follow-up full-length release, which will feature artwork from the master Néstor Avalos.
TOD HUETET UEBEL was one of my favourite projects, but what has been happening with it lately is confusing. I originally thought the band had split, was no more – but then last year a new THU album surfaced with yourself on vocals, entitled Nomen Nescio. I know you’ve explained this elsewhere and may be sick of repeating yourself so I apologize in advance, but for those who may not know, could you shed some light on exactly what went on there?
– Well, the project split for a number of reasons that are better left in the past (this was always the explanation, there really isn’t much else to be said that wouldn’t be anything but petty gossip).
Regardless, the album itself was fully recorded by the time the project had ceased (given I had decided to part ways with the project in a definitive way) and Daniel wished to release something instead of keeping what he did tucked away; as a result he made a proposal which I agreed to; although I didn’t know what exact iteration of the album would be released until it actually happened.
Since I’ve been asked about NN a couple of times, I think I can give some context to what was released, starting with my only statement so far about this work, even before it was released:
“If this is a brilliant album, it will be because of him. If it is the opposite, it is also due to him.”
This phrase was uttered with the utmost sincerity and respect I have for Daniel and his work and willingness to collaborate with me; even more so since I personally hardly consider this release among part of my work. Any praise and positive feedback the album could receive wouldn’t be due to my own diligence; and the very same is to be said if this was the worst and most unoriginal thing THU ever released during my time with the project.
The album in the released iteration features vocals from Daniel mixed in with some of my own, I only became acquainted with the current manifestation of the album when someone told me it had been uploaded to Bandcamp.
Since there seems to be some curiosity on if NN would be different from my perspective I suppose I could share some insight, since it is nothing more than than food for thought.
The artwork was originally going to be handled by the extravagant and highly talented Maxime Taccardi, who did the art for our EP N.A.D.A. – Maxime and I were very much in sync with the ideas I had for the artwork prior to my departure and I can only say that I am saddened by not having these materialized; I can only assume there was no further interaction with Maxime once I had notified him of leaving the project.
Regarding material that wasn’t used or explored on NN since I left – Most of what I recorded wasn’t really used, or was modified; my original interpretation consisted heavily on an approach rooted in Sprechgesang – it was a very emotive and theatrical performance, as personally I felt these were some of the most heartfelt lyrics I had committed to this project, I attempted to convey some of that intensity to the performance; there were also sections where I had recorded myself humming melodies too; all in all, the vocal approach was something that would be considered very experimental and I was very proud of what I had done, unfortunately none of this is reflected or kept on what was released. We were going to have a guest invited to participate with some guitar solos too, I’m not aware why this wasn’t included or what happened on this topic. I also proposed some piano sections (and did actually record a few), none of this was ever used and was completely discarded. Personally hearing to what was actually released, feels rather odd – it is as if the very ground we were sowing was salted.
As I said in the past, and that remains true – “If this is a brilliant album, it is because of him. If it is the opposite, it is also due to him.”
Oddly enough, Metal Archives lists you as returning THU vocalist with no end date, “2019-?”. Is there any chance of you reuniting with Daniel to continue THU in future?
– That listing exists given that I had left the project once and was convinced to join again… deciding to leave a second time before the album was released.
In spite of what happened with THU, there is something we did agree upon – that we both would refrain from any musical collaboration in the future.
Another entity you are involved in that in my opinion doesn’t get anywhere near as much attention as it should is the incredible VAEE SOLIS, in which you play guitar. What is the status of this project, will we be hearing more from it anytime soon?
– Metal-Archives is outdated as I am no longer a part of the project. I’m not up-to-date on the current state of affairs with VS. I had written some material for a second release, and I know they were working on some new material as well a while ago but I’m not sure on how things are progressing. I do expect great things from every single one of them – they are a really creative and driven group of people that I am very proud to have collaborated with, and hopefully we will hear more from Vaee Solis in the future.
Which then brings us to DEVIL WORSHIPPER, your collaboration with Matron Thorn of Ævangelist and Erethe of Vaee Solis. What’s happening with Devil Worshipper? And aside from all that, what else do you have in the works?
– Devil Worshipper recorded their second album last year titled Eternally Yours, it is fully mixed and mastered. I feel that it is a much more refined and mature venture than what we accomplished with Music for the Endtimes and this is a feeling that is shared between our triarchy; we’re all very proud of what we have accomplished together on this release, that is 2 minutes short of an hour. We are working on sorting out an exact date for the release, but you should expect Eternally Yours to be available this year through I, Voidhanger Records. I would also take this opportunity to announce that henceforth the project will continue under the name HEX ARCANA, know that we have also commenced our work on the material that will follow the second opus.
In the meanwhile I have been venturing on several fronts, and I suppose now would be a good time as any to mention a few of these names:
LABOR OF THE NEGATIVE – the first full-length is already concluded and in the mixing/mastering process – featuring members whose work you may be acquainted with from different projects such as Decoherence, Pensées Nocturnes and Posthum.
INFANTS OF THE AFTERLIFE – in league with one my accomplices in Labor of the Negative; we have our first full-length ready, and are looking forward to wrap a few minor details to assess how soon we can unleash our first work upon the world.
THROAT OF THE MAD KING – a solo venture that will be… quite different; heavily inspired by the piece “Eight Songs for a Mad King” by Peter Maxwell Davies and several conversations I had with Luciano (I, Voidhanger Records), whom I have to thank as the driver for the creation of this project.
I’m also very happy to have had the privilege of collaborating with some other masters of their craft as a guest on material that is yet to be released, and some other ventures that are being arranged – expect further news.
Now, to finish this interview I’d like to get a little more personal, if I may. What were your first steps into the world of music, and what path did you take that would eventually lead you to the more extreme side of the arts?
– Starting on a perhaps more relatable tone – Pink Floyd, The Doors and Dire Straits records were spinned at home by my father ever since I can remember, this probably made a lot of the foundations for a defining moment in my musical path; moving to another town and getting to meet my older cousin. I was around 7/8 years old when he gifted me 3 vinyls that I still have in my possession – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and Killers by Iron Maiden, and Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe, he also got me into stuff such as Slayer, Metallica and Napalm Death.
A few years later, I got acquainted with another cousin that moved in with my family for a few months, who was curiously also into metal – she introduced me to stuff such as Kataklysm, Sepultura, Marilyn Manson and Cannibal Corpse… Eventually since I was introduced to this spectrum of music so early, I got acquainted with Black Metal dabbling by my own volition trying to find a musical expression that would resonate the most with me on a deeper, more intimate level.
Other than that, for a number of different reasons I ended up being captured by what would be considered part of the more “extreme side of the arts”, by becoming fascinated by works regurgitated from Cabaret Voltaire and the Dada movement, along with the performance art from the likes of Marina Abramović and Hermann Nitsch; literature that span from Sade and Baudellaire to Bataille and Sartre, to literature from Portuguese authors such as Fernando Pessoa and Raul Brandão; music birthed upon the world by entities, from Diamanda Galás to Karlheinz Stockhausen and Arnold Schoenberg, from Death Grips to György Ligeti and Deathspell Omega to Wojciech Kilar and Iannis Xenakis. These names might convey a narrow window to the diorama of my musical landscape.
Here’s something I only recently learnt – you were also a writer for the Shrine Of Mad Laughter review site. I’ve read a few reviews on there, and they were quite considered and insightful. How much did you contribute to the site? Is this something you will continue doing in future?
– Well, actually if you are referring to https://shrineofmadlaughter.blogspot.com/, all currently available articles/reviews were written by me. Originally the blog was going to be a collaboration with different people participating, but it never took off… About a year or two ago I made an attempt at getting back to writing, but I didn’t move forward since I was lacking a meaningful medium for this and an actual drive since these “reviews” which act as a sort of mental exercise and reflection on music would require more than a trivial approach… I’m open to suggestions if someone reading this would like to do something meaningful.
And finally, something you may or may not enjoy talking about – your incredible and unique approach to extreme vocals. How on earth did you develop your vocal stylings and the way you tackle each performance? Did you have any particular vocalists you admired or were influenced by when you were starting out?
– Well, you just made me think about something that I never gave a solid consideration to. I guess that given the aforementioned early introduction to the more extreme spectrums of music, I suppose my “vocal development” started when I did what most young children do – I attempted to mimic what I heard. In a broader sense, the older I got the more I’d listen to a lot of stuff outside of metal too, and that kept pushing the “experimentation” further, as a sort of means to an end. The way I see things is – the more one becomes acquainted and accustomed with a language, the more elaborate the terms, phrases and metaphors used to convey one’s ideas will become, this is the same with other forms of expression – such as singing.
I’m always striving for a struggle and challenge, hence I’m always trying to approach things I’ve never attempted before, and push my own boundaries. I’ve studied music for a few years (as an adult), and as a result was part of the choir of the academy, which further helped cementing some vocal techniques and concepts, which also helped.
When I was starting out, I suppose some of the earlier vocal performances I heard that stuck with me, to name a few, were those of – Dani Filth, RMS Hreidmarr, Chris Barnes, Dead, Attila Csihar, Garm and Legion; each for very different reasons.
Later, there were other names that I became acquainted with, sometimes because someone that was acquainted with some of the things I did would tell me that I sounded like and/or had ideas that were similar with something they heard from “x,y,z”. From here I became introduced with names that would supply me not only with a great wealth of inspiration but also with the certainty that there were still those pushing the boundaries of what one can achieve in their craft; names such as Mike Patton, Philippe Jaroussky, Barbara Hannigan, Anna Varney, Mr. Doctor and Rainer Landfermann, again each of them for a number of different reasons.
And that’s it. Sincerest thanks for taking the time to speak to us Marcos, it has been a true pleasure and I’m looking forward to more of your work, as always. Any final words or wisdom you’d like to leave us with?
– May we all continue to live in ever more interesting times.
Thro’ and under, I have drunk of the fountains, where jokulls loom is available now.
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Purchase Thro’ and under, I have drunk of the fountains, where jokulls loom digitally from Bandcamp HERE.
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