In His Own Words

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Lead volcalist Fernando Ribeiro of Portugal's Moonspell has written this overview of the band's new album, Memorial (Out now on Steamhammer/SPV). In this piece he calls "In My Own Words," Ribeiro describes each song on the album in detail.

Finisterra

It translates from Latin as the end of the Earth. In the Middle Ages, Portugal stood on that position as it was, geographically, the end of Europe, and, by all means, the end of the known world. From Portugal on, across the Atlantic, there was darkness, mystery, fear and curiosity (Sapere Aude-Dare to know). I think this position still, to the day, haunts us and when mixed with personal stories and feelings, created a song that simply represents someone at the end of the world looking further down, not knowing if he wants to go or to stay or to come back. This will be the first single for the album, and beware! It is a very surprising song.

Memento Mori

Curiously enough, the album ended up by starting with two Latin expressions/sentences which relates a lot to more traditional aspect of the lyrics, getting their characteristics in classical sources. Memento mori is something like the moment of your passing, the moment of your death. We tried to write a song that could capture that moment and all that gravitates around it. It contains some killer riffs and a pulse that won’t let you breed just as if you were on that very (unique) moment of your life. For it does just take one second, really, to change everything.

Sons of Earth

Is the first instrumental piece of the record. There will be some more punctuating it further on. We wanted to do that in order to recreate the vibe of some old Metal records that allowed people to “travel” around the record while bridging the songs. Sometimes it reminds me of Classical Death by Testament which would be more than a compliment for us. It has also a touch of Do you dream o me? by Tiamat. All in all it is a pause on an otherwise intense album and something that fits really well in the general picture of Memorial.

Blood Tells

Is one of my favourite songs and lyrics as it deals with how I feel being on a band and all that comes along. It is a tribute to my band members, to this strange kind of existence and a tribute to our fans. It can also serve as an affirmation of self-belief and strength to the many people who have been putting us down and ignoring us for years. If someone is curious and wants to know about how I feel being in a band, I advise the reading of this text. I love the final sentence What the soul hides, blood tells! and I am considering tattooing it. Favourite song from Waldemar Sorychta!

Upon the blood of men

Recovers the theme of the human race, or genre, as one being destined for perdition, for hating, for war and how they try everything to deceive their destiny of power wolves so to say. The tricky thing about this is that hate is the most used word on it but I do not at all t do an apology of hate, much rather to expose its unavoidable and innate nature and the fact that we all fail to learn from the blood wasted on the sands of war and fights. Musically it’s a fast song, rich in harmonies, in message, with fine riffs and great drumming, I love its drive.

At the image of pain

I thought about this title; imagine that, on an Anthony and the Johnsons show and I spent all the show roaming that expression. When I came home and started to feel more comfortable with it, I reckon it was a meaningful title, catchy and defining of the “born to suffer” mentality we all have in a given time of our existence. The expression reminds me of Voltaire, an author I praise immensely. The song has a quote from Machiavelli as well as a guest appearance by Big Boss from the Czech band Root, one of our all time favourites. Musically I think it fits like a metal glove after Upon the blood…I love the initial riff (reminds of the greatly missed Death) and the chorus. There is a very cool underground vibe about this song.

Sanguine

Thankfully, a typical Moonspell song. It has the dark drive and vibe of Irreligious all over it. It is a wolferian love song dealing with the things that love bring along: complicity, challenge, trade, personal warfare. Reminds me of the Company of Wolves by Neil Jordan (the movie), it was that images I had in mind and passed on to the others. The b part with the staccato brings me the chills and you can feel many times the wolves roaming in the darkness, making love and fighting until death.

Proliferation

It started as an experience we used for a contemporary dance piece we wrote in 2004. Pedro come up with an orchestration based on Stranvisky’s Rite of Spring, which is a very powerful piece taking you into a Pagan atmosphere almost. Then Mike and Waldemar started to fuck up with the song a little and the result, for me, is fuckin insane! It adds a new dimension to the album, it is evil and dark as few and one of the best pieces of music written by the guys. I love it!

Once it was ours!

Finitude and loss all the way incarnated in a song. It was, I believe, one of our first composed themes if not the first. It endured all stages of the composition, changing here and there but staying very close to the original always. It has a Celtic Frost vibe into it, crazy blackened vocals, and a superbly wicked violin B part. It speaks about what we lost and why the fuck we can not get it back. We are to blame.

Mare Nostrum

A simple instrumental piece to round up the message from Once. Reports into the sea and its mysticism, of the things we can expect from it be it the miracle of salvation or the blessing of destruction. Portugal springs up in our music again.

Luna

It stands totally out of the album because it is smoother but Waldemar did a great job putting the song together. It is the catchiest, more gothic song of the album and some people called it a hit which always makes me laugh. The story about it is around a lunar breed, cursed under the sign of Luna but I tried to make this simplicity working for us that is not to be dull and to go by the (gothic) book. It has a cool Type O vibe about it and might remind you of assorted bands from the Eighties and even some early Moonspell, here and there. Brigit Zacher stars on it with her beautiful voice, a great comeback of female vocals into our music. Since Sin that we haven’t used any.

Best Forgotten

Is the song surprised me the most. It combines a weird waltz tempo with Sabbathian riffs and even tough is the most disperse song in the sense that it has so many different parts, they all came together in the end in a very interesting manner. I love the verse and the bridge with its tiny progressive feeling. The lyrics are a dialogue between two lovers. A dialogue of shadows.

Fernando Ribeiro, Moonspell