Interview:	NOVEMBRE
Title:	Clear view

As the only remaining founding member, singer Carmelo Orlando knows how important interpersonal chemistry is in a band. All the more so since he completely revamped the lineup since the last album, „Ursa“.

Fans of the Italian progressive Gothic Metal band had to wait nine years for a follow-up to the soothingly romantic footnote – now, finally, Novembre, founded in 1993, present it: „Words Of Indigo“.

Older followers of the band will fondly remember the first major success that Novembre enjoyed at the turn of the millennium with their third album, „Classica”. Carmelo is also in high spirits at the moment.

Congratulations on your upcoming release! It's something very special for me, as a lover of Novembre myself, to think back on the band's first broad success with “Classica” at the turn of the millennium—how does it feel for you right now? 


„Hello, and thank you so much for your kind words. This is a really exciting moment for us. The album turned out far better than I expected, and we can’t wait to finally release it and let people hear it.“ 


How much were you satisfied with all the reactions and the media feedback for the 2016 album release "Ursa"? Back then, the world was very different from today …

„It’s true, the world has changed dramatically—ten years feel more like eighty. We were very happy with the response to ‚Ursa‘. The reviews were great everywhere, and the fans were excited and enthusiastic. Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for more.“ 


I interviewed you for "Dreams D'Azur" in 2002 – what has changed most significantly in your attitude toward music and the music world since then, based on your experiences over the years?


„2002, wow, it really feels like a century ago, haha. Maybe what’s different now is simply that I have a more grounded perspective. I’m aware that things have been levelled down over time. The print world is almost gone, and the whole structure of the industry is more horizontal now, if you know what I mean. So, in short, I think today I see things with a clearer, more realistic eye.“ 


And you guys still do such an enchanting and partly hypnotic songwriting  – with that special dreamy flair! How do you still achieve this carrying, melancholic style that still sounds so natural and authentic?

„I believe it all comes from the music we grew up with as a generation. If you look back at the mainstream of the ’80s and ’90s—bands like The Smiths, The Cure, Duran Duran—that music becomes part of your DNA and inevitably shapes your songwriting. And even in Metal—think of the first seven Iron Maiden albums or the first four Metallica records, with passages that almost touch classical music. I recently saw a video where someone analyzed the bass chords of ‚Orion‘—straight out of Bach. And then there’s the whole Gothic Doom world created by bands like Paradise Lost. When you have that kind of background inside you, it’s impossible not to create rich, layered music. I honestly think later generations, those who grew up in the ’90s and 2000s, weren’t as lucky as we were.“ 


"Words Of Indigo" - wow! The album title is interesting and seems to be just as profound as the music itself—it makes me think. Indigo is known to be an organic pigment with high color strength that is difficult to dissolve in water, and it is the namesake for the group of indigoid dyes. Does your new work stand for “words like indigo”—powerful messages that cannot be watered down in terms of content? Actually, it's a good template for today's world, with its decadent and dishonest, hypocritical and opportunistic societies, isn't it?

„What you said really resonates with me, and I agree with your description of the world we live in. As for our album title, I think your interpretation is spot on. It’s almost an allegory for having nothing specific to say—no big messages to deliver. Replacing words with a color means leaving everything to the music itself, and embracing a certain sense of inconsequence.“ 


How do you see and evaluate "Words Of Indigo" within your truly interesting, long-standing musical journey with Novembre — especially as the only remaining founding member of the band?

„For me, this is without doubt my favorite album—not just because it’s the newest, as is often the case with musicians. The real difference is that we had the chance to work on it over a long period of time, without rushing. That allowed us to refine everything, spot any weaknesses, and fix them. I also think it flows very naturally: the atmospheric and acoustic parts balance really well with the heavier ones. On top of that, the guys I’m working with now have made an extraordinary contribution, really lifting these songs to another level. Without going too far into the technical side, just musically speaking, Alessio, Yuri, Federico, and Fabio added about 70 % of the value to this record.“ 


"Neptunian Hearts" reveal pretty playful 'Joe Satria'nic' guitars, beside "House Of Rain", great. One of my several faves on the album, please report about the interplay of 3 guitarists in one band beside the bass.

„I’m glad you noticed those details. The guys I work with now are professionals, teachers, as well as musicians with the ambition to create music. They’re experts of anything ‚virtuoso‘—unlike me, who stays anchored to the rawer side of Metal, haha. They’re the kind of people who eat Satriani for breakfast. And I agree—three guitarists are better than two. I don’t play guitar live, but since I write the songs, we often all sit down together with instruments in hand, and that opens up endless creative possibilities.“ 


How pleasant was it working with legendary producer Dan Swanö on the album?

„It’s no secret that Dan is one of my favorite musicians and composers. Everyone knows he’s the mind behind Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale, and so many other projects. When you work with a sound engineer, the problem is often their level of musical understanding. Many are great, but if they only play drums or guitar—or neither—they sometimes don’t really grasp what they’re mixing. Dan absolutely does. He can handle complex arrangements and help us solve issues whenever they arise. Over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of people, but working with him is the best—because we speak the exact same musical language.“ 


What was it like for you to work on the artwork with Travis Smith, who is also an icon in his field?

„For Travis, the same goes as for Dan Swanö. These are artists with extraordinary talent, who always exceed your expectations. While you’re writing an album, you spend so much time imagining what the cover might look like, but you never really see it clearly. The most you can do is give the artist your music, lyrics, or maybe a few reference images. And then someone like Travis delivers artwork that goes far beyond what you had in mind. It’s the kind of thing that literally makes you jump out of your chair. That’s exactly how we felt when we saw this cover—it’s stunning. And I think he did it in about three days. I’ve never really liked what I see in most other bands’ covers, so I’ve never felt the need to look for another artist.“ 


What was your mood and vision when you started writing songs for the new album—inspired by today's world, which seems to lack love and passion more than ever before, and all the various crises?


„We started seriously working on this album about three years ago, when the world was still relatively ‚normal‘, aside from Covid. So I’m not sure today’s events have influenced it much. But I do think they will affect the next record, because as you said, what’s happening in the world today is truly shocking.“ 


How can the readers imagine you and Novembre writing, developing and finalizing one of their new songs?

„The creative process was fairly classic: writing at night, with an instrument in hand, in front of the computer, trying not to wake the neighbours. Sometimes inspiration comes, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes you hit a wall and feel like throwing the whole thing away. But another part of you refuses to give up and insists on finding the solution. Did we succeed? I think only time will tell—maybe in 10 or 15 years. Right now, we’re too deep inside the music to judge it objectively.“ 


How was the selection of songs for the album done - was it difficult or rather easy for the band?

„Usually you face time constraints, since an album can’t really go beyond an hour for practical reasons. Fortunately, this time we ended up with a collection of songs that fit perfectly within that limit, so nothing had to be cut. That said, we did write a couple of extra songs, just in case. They started out as smaller ideas, but once developed, they turned out really well—it always feels wrong to leave them in a drawer. One of them, ‚Days Of Nova‘, ended up on the Peaceville Volume 25 compilation. It went through exactly that process, and in the end, it came out great. We’re really proud of it.“ 


Anything you would like to add?

„That’s pretty much it. Thank you so much for this wonderful interview. Cheers!“

© Markus Eck, 03.11.2025

Photo Credit: Giacomo Mearelli & Novembre

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