Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary is a band from Italy and one of the first signings to Cradle of Filth bassist, Dave Pybus' new label SixSixSix Records. They play a Goth Metal punctuated by singer Aldebran's deathly detached vocals --- sort of like a warmer Peter Steele. Their debut record is full of heavy melodic songs that ring in your ears long after it's done. I spoke with lead singer Aldebran recently about their debut record "Blood 'n' Roll".

antiMusic: Can you sum up the essence or mission statement, as it were, of Bloody Mary into one or two sentences?

Bloody Mary: Can we sum up Bloody Mary in one or two sentences??? If only we could!!! At the moment we're drowning in thanks - thanks to the people who have helped us, to the people who have believed in us…..and thanks to the people who have continued to serve us beer after the bell has been rung. We're lucky to have such people around. Bloody Mary isn't just a group of musicians; it's a group of realisers.

antiMusic: How did the band come to be an entity? 

Bloody Mary: Well, in all honesty, the band isn't an entity per se - it's more of an ENTIRETY. No pun intended, but it goes back to the previous response - it's taken time and patience on the part of many people to realize what we have together. Patience and beer, that is.

antiMusic: Can you give a line or two about each song --- either the idea behind it or something special about its recording?

Bloody Mary: A line or two about each song, eh? Christ! Is it not enough that we slave away for five f***ing years and NOW have sum them up in one line??? Give us a break, man!!! Ok fine, have it your way. We'll try, but we don't promise to clarify (in short, we're Italians and we refuse to explain things in a simple way).

Icy Blue (excellent song by the way): Go to the bar.

Drops (equally awesome): Go to the bar; get a drink.

I won't be unfeeling: Go to the bar; get another drink.

Cease to Burn: Apologise to the girl you've just insulted; get another drink.

It's too late: *see previous explanation - work it out from there*

Judas Spite (another excellent one): In seriousness, a hard-worked piece. Took much of our patience and power to create, based on the way we felt in that precise moment in time - we entered a period in which the Bloody Family was getting used to the inability to be together always. The family was growing out of our hands.

The Second Chance: Err….we don't really know. We'll leave this one as a gift. Of sorts.

Learning to fly: Get back to the bar; get a drink.

Little sister: aaahh….take this one as you please.

Before the rain: Our most developed piece. A track that shows progress (in our view) that reflects the whole group mission - all-changing and never lessening. The ONLY way to finish our debut album.

antiMusic: Why did you choose to sign with SixSixSix Records? Did the inclusion of Dave Pybus have any attraction, considering his background?

Bloody Mary: The reality here is not that Dave Pybus is "that guy from Cradle of Filth", but instead he is a man who has impressed us with his belief and presence. He is someone we consider as a friend an craftsman, one who has worked hard not just for his own position, but for his knowledge of the whole idea of music into the new century.

antiMusic: Aldebran, you, obviously, have a Robert Smith/H.I.M. quality about your voice. It is one of the most discerning features of your band. Is this an affected style or do you naturally sound like that?

Bloody Mary: The voice? Well, the voice is the voice. I'd love to say I got it from the local video shop, but in reality it's simply my own voice. The aforementioned singers are great and all that stuff, but at the end of the day it comes from my simple love of singing. It's what I love doing. 

antiMusic: I like your lyrics very much. Are you one of those people who bangs out lyrics on command, or do you have to be truly inspired to do so?

Bloody Mary: Lyrics don't just come from nowhere, as any competent musician can tell you. The lyrics come from the same place as the music - it happens when things in life arrive in a headspace in which I feel I can express myself clearly. It depends on the moment; I have to feel compelled to do it.

antiMusic: There is a mature quality about your band which is rare for a new group. Do you agree and if so, what do you attribute it to?

Bloody Mary: We've been together for some time now (well, five years actually) and we've always taken heed of the things we need to do to grow as a group. Obviously we have a hell of a long way to go, but we're happy with the way we've started.

antiMusic: Considering the band was formed in 2000, has the band deviated from your initial idea of how it would sound?

Bloody Mary: There was always a sound we wanted to create, and we've been fortunate in finding such collaborators who helped us to realise our ideas.

antiMusic: What effect does coming from Italy have on your sound or does it make a difference? Is there an Italian "sound"?

Bloody Mary: Look, we're not flying the 'tri-colour' flag, and for this we don't go around saying 'hey, cop a load of us - we're Italians!' We don't consider our sound to be of any particular nation, and that's what we feel about this whole genre of music - it should not be a case of nations introducing nationalism through music. That serves very little. So no - there is no difference!

antiMusic: Is Bloody Mary a band built for the stage, the studio, or both?

Bloody Mary: Both, in honesty. There are things to know about Bloody Mary from what we produce in the studio, and then there is the 'other side' we create on stage. We like to think that we have diverse things to offer, from the CD to the stage.

antiMusic: What interesting little incidents happened while recording your record? 

Bloody Mary: Incidents in the studio? Nothing of great significance. Oh yeah, the sound engineer is making fantastic progress after his psychotic episode. Now he can stay outside for a whole hour, and we can feed him fish sticks too. A great story for the Telethon. Wasn't our fault, see. He never told us that he was of a nervous disposition, though maybe Aldebran took advantage of his issues. 'Nuff said!!!

antiMusic: Who would you most ideally like to tour with?

Bloody Mary: We'd love to tour with some gypsies. Maybe dancing monkeys too. Could be a good collaboration, no? Well, in seriousness perhaps The Cult.

antiMusic: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Bloody Mary: The highlight of our career so far would be the 'police chase' after a concert in Reggio Emilia!!! No, ok. Playing live in England was pretty damn good. It brought us many new possibilities, so it's something we don't forget.

antiMusic: What are the plans for the next year or so?

Bloody Mary: For the next year we would love to tour "Blood 'n' Roll", as is being organised by our never-tiring label Six Six Six. And then? Another album!

antiMusic: Thank you so much for taking the time, guys. We really appreciate it. I look forward to hearing from you and to perhaps seeing you live on your first North American tour, hopefully soon!!!

Bloody Mary: We thank you so much for support, patience and opportunities. We'd love to get to meet you...on stage!!!

antiMusic would like to thank Bloody Mary for this interesting interview. antiMusic would also like to thank Dave Pybus from SixSixSix Records for facilitating the interview.
 

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