DEAMANTIDE: Metal-Rock From Southern Italy!

Deamantide is a five piece metal/rock band from San Demetrio Corone (CS) in Italy. The band formed when guitarist Santo Gabriele and drummer Davide Salimbeni got together in the spring of 2012. The other members of the band were recruited soon afterwards, as they were found either among friends or collaborators.

Thus Salvatore Fusaro on vocals, Salvatore De Paolo on guitar and Angelo Ferraro on bass became part of the band. Even though each member came from slightly diverse musical backgrounds, the band identified itself in the metal/rock genre, characterized by the Italian lyrics and each member’s peculiar individual musical influences. In this interview Jamsphere had the chance to discover what makes this band tick.

1. How long have you been doing what you’re doing and how did you get started in the first place?

Salvatore Fusaro: I’ve been singing for13 years, I started in 2000 with friends. The meeting was the country home of drummer, at Acri in the province of Cosenza

Santo Gabriele: It’s an old project that we realized in June 2012, after a chat with my friend Davide.

Salvatore De Paola: It all started as a game, but from the first time we felt something so special, so awesome. We didn’t choose to continue the project, it has engulfed us.

Angelo Ferraro: We started to play, after an idea by Davide and Skizzo (Santino), at first we were just a bunch of guys who wanted to have some fun, but after a short time we decided to devote all of ourselves to the DEAMANTIDE project

Davide Salimbeni: It is since ‘94 that I play drums and I started almost by accident. I was inspired by South American and African tribal sounds and then from there I met the wonderful world of percussion and then the drums.

2. Who were your first musical influences that you can remember?

Salvatore Fusaro: I Have various musical influences, from brutal metal to rap, so I can mix the various ingredients creating new merges, which are interwoven well in the metal genre.

Santo Gabriele: when I was a child, my dad took me to the concert of Lord Crucifer, in my country… from there, I took my first inspiration as I was so impressed by their performance.

Salvatore De Paola: I can only say that since I was a child until now Pink Floyd has been a constant.

Angelo Ferraro: I think we have a lot of influences, the first idea was to follow the current sound of nu metal, and therefore bands like: Korn, Mudvayne and Linea 77 to name an italian band.

Davide Salimbeni: As I said before I’ve always liked the tribal sounds but I remember my first felt genres were jazz and acid jazz which then over time have been replaced with blues and then again with the hard rock and metal.

3. Who do you consider the most influential and successful artist(s) in your genre today and why?

Salvatore Fusaro: There are various bands, though, our kind has many nuances that cannot fit in systematically with a strict definition (we know it is “metal” but “not only”). However, I think System of a Down is a successful band. They have created a very diverse sound in the metal genre; every song has shades of the characteristics that make each piece different and enjoyable to listen to.

Santo Gabriele: The best inspiration I’ve taken and I still take nowadays is from the Black Sabbath.

Salvatore De Paola: I don’t think it is possible to label Deamantide.

Angelo Ferraro: I don’t know for sure, because I think, we can’t identify ourselves in a specific musical genre, at the moment. I can say that we are inspired by: Korn, Tool, Primus, Pantera, and so on.

Davide Salimbeni: This is a million dollar question. My answer would be Dream Theater because I think their total sound describes my musical evolution.

4. Describe the first piece of musical equipment that you actually purchased with your own money.

Salvatore Fusaro: I purchased a very powerful Plant voice… with a Professional microphone! (now at rehearsals I am no longer dominated by the guitarist’s amp! 🙂

Santo Gabriele: It’s a secret 😉

Salvatore De Paola: Nothing.

Angelo Ferraro: Actually nothing, we have been helped by some friends with the records.

Davide Salimbeni: My beloved drums

5. Tell us something about your instrument set-up? What brands are you currently using?

Salvatore Fusaro: Being the voice, I use Shure model 58 microphones!!

Santo Gabriele: amp. marshall combo dsl, hughes & kettner half stack, guitar: ibanez jem 777, and artcore series pick: 1.0, d’addario string 09;

Salvatore De Paola: I use a Cort Xseries with 09 Ernie Ball and a Marshall JCM 800 signature Karry King.

Angelo Ferraro: I use a Cort Artisan A4, my amp is a Hartke 2500 head with an Ashdown MAG 414t

Davide Salimbeni: I use Premier drums and a set of UFIP cymbals

6. Live gigging or studio work, which do you prefer and why?

Salvatore Fusaro: I must say that live gives me a lot of satisfaction. Contact with the public is essential for anyone who makes music. Especially when you create an ongoing symbiosis! However, working in the studio excites me too, especially when a set of words (through our synergy)…becomes a song!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro: Live giggin for sure, because we enjoy the feeling-relation with the crowd.

Salvatore De Paola: They are both two essential parts, but I surely prefer live gigs because of the greater feeling-relation with the crowd.

Davide Salimbeni: I prefer much more playing live because I can feel the emotions of the people who listen to me.

7. Which one of your original songs do you feel is the absolute “crowd pleaser” at live gigs?

Salvatore Fusaro: Answering this question is difficult. Every song offers a measure of satisfaction, though Guerriero and Deamantide are the songs with an immediate impact!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: We think it is Deamantide, the song that takes its title from the group name.

Davide Salimbeni: Absolutely, Warrior.

8. On which one of your songs do you think you delivered your personal best performance so far, from a technical point of view?

Salvatore Fusaro: Each song has it’s specific technical characteristics that make it unique, but if I have to pick one I would say Guerriero, where I use the growl technique in some parts of the song!

Santo Gabriele: From a technical point of view, I deliver my best personal performance on Darkness

Salvatore De Paola: I think in Dominio Temporale I give all of myself.

Angelo Ferraro: Darkness, for the many tempo changes and a particular tapping piece.

Davide Salimbeni: I believe its in Darkness.

9. Which ingredient do you think is most essential in making DEAMANTIDE music, sound the way it does?

Salvatore Fusaro: In addition to the music and the energy that we produce, the ingredients that identify the Deamantide philosophy . Do not surrender to passing time, fight adversity by giving voice to your dreams. It does not matter where you come from, because you can always change your Universe, if you want to! Listen to the voice of your wind and find the way “!!

Santo Gabriele: Our basic ingredients are: respect for each other, different influences that come from every one of us and some bottles of beer :);

Salvatore De Paola: Our essential ingredient is the feeling between us. When we play we are just one soul.

Angelo Ferraro: “To many watts” to quote a friend lol, btw I think the understanding between us is the most important aspect, the other things come afterwards.

Davide Salimbeni: I smile in answer to this question. The best ingredient is undoubtedly the fusion of all of us, so Deamantide the Project works because each one of us of is not replaceable.

10. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you day after day to stay in this tough business. Is it joy, anger, desire, passion, hysteria or pride and why?

Salvatore Fusaro: If I were forced to choose … I would choose passion. Passion moves the world. Its history that makes life unique! That makes it worth living!

Santo Gabriele: The emotion that drives me, day by day, is first and foremost, all of the passion for the music, because I’m born with this attitude.

Salvatore De Paola: the desire for creating the perfect melody, in addiction to the love of playing.

Angelo Ferraro: Simply the desire to see what will happen, because in addition to be part of DEAMANTIDE, I could consider myself a fan

Davide Salimbeni: No doubt the joy, because life this far has not given me as much and I wish for more joy than anything else.

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11. What aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most?

Salvatore Fusaro: Being an independent artist means being outside the box , organizing your work and to live the music instinctively. The thing that excites me the most is to live music without limits of time, space and objectives. Music for me is pure soul food.

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro: The liberty of making music in the way we think it should be made.

Salvatore De Paola: The liberty of making music the way we want to.

Davide Salimbeni: I play my music.

12. What aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process discourages you most?

Salvatore Fusaro: There aren’t elements that discourage me. The dream of those who make music is to amplify their thoughts. Most definitely, not already having a bigger the audience, greater music diffusion. The big labels have greater means, but we have big dreams. It is said that this does not become reality! 🙂

Salvatore De Paola & Santo Gabriele: The limited value of the music in the South of Italy.

Angelo Ferraro: The lack of financial support that allows us to dedicate ourselves full-time in our project.

Davide Salimbeni: I have never asked this question but I do not think that there is something that would discourage in making music.

13. How involved are you in any of the recording, producing, mastering and marketing processes involved in the DEAMANTIDE project.

Salvatore Fusaro: I am involved in all the processes 100%. I follow the song from its conception to its completion. Basically every song for me is my son, who must be followed at every stage, otherwise l may miss something! 🙂

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: Actually, we are involved a lot in the recording, production, mastering process, even if the technical part is taken care of by some friends that have a little recording studio, with regard to the marketing, it is handled by our friend and member of the band, Giuseppe Pignataro.

Davide Salimbeni: I am very involved.

14. The best piece of advice in this business you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have?

Salvatore Fusaro: There are no special tips to follow. Yhe only thing is to be yourself, follow your instincts and live the music as a form of expression of one’s being!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: It sounds weird, but we didn’t follow any advice from anyone.

Davide Salimbeni: Everything depends on fortune.

15. At this point, as independent artists, which is the one factor you desire most, and feel will undeniably benefit the band’s future (for example increased music distribution, better quality production, more media exposure, bigger live giggs etc…)?

Salvatore Fusaro: There are many things we want to accomplish, distribution, media exposure, especially live gigging…but we want to continue to express our philosophy of life and our reality through music!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: We think that in this question there are all the answers ;);

Davide Salimbeni: But of course I want to be famous, who would not be ahahahah

16. Do you consider Internet and all the social media websites, as fundamental to your band, or indie music in general, or do you think it has only produced a mass of mediocre artists, who flood the web, making it difficult for real talent to emerge?

Salvatore Fusaro: The Internet is a great resource. Of course it is an immense sea …there is no need to stand out for quality, creativity, sound experimentation … personally I consider the web a chance. Thanks to the internet people playing in the cellars of remote places and have found themselves at the top of the music charts. I know it’s difficult to get noticed in the immensity of music platforms…but it’s not impossible!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: Internet can be useful only if we search very well, because it’s true that there are mediocre artists, but in amongst these we can find also some talent.

Davide Salimbeni: I consider Internet essential.

17. Do you prefer or use the new technology of computer or electronically produced music, or do you prefer real studios, with traditional instruments and music productions?

Salvatore Fusaro: For the kind of music we do. We just play around with amplifiers in the rehearsal room. However I’m not hostile to the use of programs or effects that technology today provides. I like to experiment. Who knows!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro& Salvatore De Paola: We prefer real studios, even if are more expansive.

Davide Salimbeni: I have to play. I’m a traditionalist

18. What are you hoping to achieve with DEAMANTIDE and the release of your upcoming album release

Salvatore Fusaro: I hope someone will revise our reality, our music, the way we deal with life. Life is a battle, you have to fight to achieve your dreams, your passions…your instincts!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: We would like to create a new style of metal, with the name: DEA METAL \m/, of course we are just kidding, to be liked by someone else would be a good goal!;

Davide Salimbeni: I hope to be appreciated.

19. What do you think is the biggest barrier you have to face and overcome as Rock/Metal artists, in your quest to achieve your goals and any commercial success?

Salvatore Fusaro: The obstacles are related to your market reach. If the channels of distribution are limited or blocked, this may determine the rise or the end of a band. But music lovers will persevere in their mission; continue hacking away in every place. Passion is passion…from the garage to the stage…only the location changes! 🙂

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: The competition with a lot of good artists and groups from all over the world on one side, the fact of playing a small niche genre on the other.

Davide Salimbeni: A good question. I think it is the ability to pleasure the public. Even though I know in my heart we will please them.

20. What is the ONE thing you are NOT willing or prepared to do, in your quest to achieve a successful musical career?

Salvatore Fusaro: Who makes music follows his own path, you can take advice, but I think I will not stoop to compromises or choices that I disagree with. Otherwise I would not be myself; I would feel like a puppet. Music is the ultimate expression of being!

Santo Gabriele & Angelo Ferraro & Salvatore De Paola: To change our own style, we think it is original.

Davide Salimbeni: To play the guitar would be impossible for me ahahahahah

21. Tell us what projects DEAMANTIDE will be working on in the near future, and how fans can connect with you?

The band: We are working in a new album and our fans can contact us through Facebook (Deamantide), Twitter (Deamantide) and Youtube (Deamantideofficial). We enjoyed answering your questions. Thanks a lot. Stay Metal \m/