CAPILLA ARDIENTE - Where Gods Live and Men Die LP HRR 948LP, ltd 750, 300 x black, 350 x transparent beer ciolored + 100 x electric blue with grimace purple splatter vinyl (HRR mailorder exclusive), gatefold, insert Felipe Plaza Kutzbach - Vocals Julio Bórquez - Guitars Igor Leiva - Guitars Claudio Botarro Neira - Bass Francisco Aguirre - Drums 01 Envenomed 02 The Hands of Fate Around My Neck 03 Now Here. Nowhere. 04 As I Lie on the Summit October 18th

The epic doom metal band Capilla Ardiente (a Spanish expression translated as “burning chapel”) was founded in Chile’s capital Santiago in 2006. Up until now, they have issued one EP and two albums, »Bravery, Truth And The Endless Darkness« (2014) and »The Siege« (2019), both for High Roller Records. Their brand new album »Where Gods Live And Men Die« was once again recorded by Felipe Plaza Kutzbach (vocals), Julio Bórquez (guitar), Igor Leiva (guitar), Claudio Botarro Neira (bass) and Francisco Aguirre (drums). Felipe Plaza Kutzbach is also singing for Procession (sharing duties with Claudio Botarro Neira) as well as the reborn Scald (from the Russian Republic). »Where Gods Live And Men Die« was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by the band’s guitar player Igor Leiva, at Atomic Noise Studios in Santiago de Chile. Drums were recorded at Equinox Studios (in Rancagua) and the vocals at Audiocustom Studios (Santiago). Just like its predecessor »The Siege«, the new album once again contains four very long song, which is not a coincidence, as bass player Claudio Botarro Neira points out: “It’s the way we have developed to tell the stories contained in our lyrics. If our songs are long, it’s because they have many different passages. We tend to see our songs in a sort of ‘cinematographical’ way, where the music has to provide the proper background to tell our tales.” Consequently, »Where Gods Live And Men Die« has a very specific lyrical concept as well: “In a way, it’s the closing story to our two previous albums and our first EP. Again, it’s a solitary journey, but this time it’s the final chapter, a tale of departure. It deals with personal loss, wounds from the youth, disease and the need to overcome and transcend by willpower. To die as a human being, but with the mission to keep on existing through your legacy, which is art. The lyrics have a subtext and its own symbolism, so I guess the listener can interpret the words in their own way.” It seems as if »Where Gods Live And Men Die« has more Bathory »Hammerheart« era and death doom vibes than the band’s past work. It’s not a pure epic doom metal album, is it? “You are not completely wrong about that,” smirks Claudio Botarro Neira. “Since the story is harsh but epic, we brought all of our artillery of references that can fit the lyrical mood. A lot of 80s thrash and heavy metal too. I think besides the Bathory and Manowar influences, below the surface you can hear some of Autopsy’s »Severed Survival« and »Mental Funeral«, Asphyx’s »The Rack« and Cathedral’s »Forest Of Equilibrium«, together with Sacrilege’s »Within The Prophecy”«, Voïvod’s »Dimension Hatröss« and »Nothingface«, plus Helstar’s »Nosferatu« and Memento Mori’s »Life, Death And Other Morbid Tales», together with Memory Garden’s »Tides«. Plus our obvious worship to Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Trouble, Black Sabbath and Motörhead.” Quite a long list that is, showing that Capilla Ardiente are way more than an orthodox epic doom metal band. As the bass player explains, the music of the band has developed over the years: “I think that since the first EP, and due to the limitations brought by being just two musicians on a quest, we have been moving from a more traditional and in your face doom riffing style to a more epic/broad sound, which can be noted in the progression from the »Solve Et Coagula« EP to the first album »Bravery, Truth And The Endless Darkness«. We have become better musicians, I guess. With »The Siege«, and as a five-piece band, that also has the privilege to happen to be friends for decades now, I think Capilla Ardiente has finally found its own, unique style. And I don’t think our future songs will differ much more in terms of heavyness or complexity.” Working hard and releasing high-quality albums has given the music of Capilla Ardiente an international appeal. Their biggest fan base remains in South America though: “We have a very strong following in Chile and every time we play here, it’s always a sold-out gig. Every record or merchandising item we put out sells really fast, and I think that after the last European tour, our name got into the overseas metal underground for good. Most of the people asking for albums and merch from abroad got to know about the band through that specific tour, mostly people from Sweden and Germany, too. Let’s see what happens with »Where Gods Live And Men Die«. One of the most popular epic doom metal bands at the moment are Sorcerer from Sweden. As it happens, Capilla Ardiente once shared a stage with them: “Yes, on our European tour in 2015 we played together in Stockholm, when they were supporting their debut album »In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross«. We were floored by their playing, and as fans we were amazed to have the chance to share a stage with one of our big influences. The albums that followed have been even better, at least in my opinion, specially »The Crowning Of The Fire King«, with an amazing guitar and vocal work. Sorcerer are one of the big influences in our sound.” MATTHIAS MADER