With the release of their second album, DEATHinitive Love AtmosFEAR , Tellus Terror has come a long way, with ten years separating their first album from this one.
In many cases this could work against the band, however it allowed for an evolution in the group, with the entry of new members, their music, which adopted darker tones, and helped to show that national metal has a lot of strength to stand out among various bands.
With influences from names like Dimmu Borgir and a more gothic sound, the band managed to create a solid album, full of inspiration and melodies that engage the listener during the journey through themes of life, love, death, and more.
In an interview with Wikimetal , vocalist Felipe Borges discussed this new album, the changes that have occurred in the band, the reason for the long wait between albums, and much more. Check out the full interview:
Wikimetal: I'd like to start by thanking you for your time and the opportunity given to me, and it's a pleasure to be able to conduct this interview with you.
Felipe Borges: The opportunity is always ours to have this fantastic space to talk about our work!
WM: The band has been active for a few years now (since 2012) and has just released its second album. How do you see the journey you've taken so far?
FB: It was a great learning experience, and most importantly, it showed that the path must be followed by people with the same focus, the same ideal, the same goal, and we are certainly always looking for improvements, which were applied to this second album, and will continue through the third album onwards. It's a difficult path driven by a passion for extreme metal, and the desire to create something that people can listen to, identify with, enjoy, and even hate (laughs).
WM: The new album DEATHinitive Love AtmosFEAR was released earlier this year. How has the reception been so far?
FB: The specialized media, both inside and outside the country, has given very good feedback, as have people who have attended a show, or watched our clips on our YouTube channel, or listened on Spotify, etc… reporting that they enjoyed it a lot.
I also received negative feedback regarding the dark/horror/evil image and atmosphere of the band, from people who had followed the band since the beginning, but this is who I am, this is who we are, and this is how we see ourselves conveying our messages.
We can't please everyone (laughs), I've always been connected to black metal, and with the changes in the lineup after the first album, I just revamped the band's image to reflect something more honest, that reflects what I sing about, for example, regardless of the lyrical theme.
WM: The first album ( EZ Life DV8 ) was released in 2014 and now in 2024 you released the second. Why was there such a long wait between albums?
FB: With the release of the first album we did great shows, and we had some big fights (laughs). There was a guitarist who left because nobody talked to him anymore, a keyboardist who left because of the distance to his home, another guitarist who left the band because of 100g of cheese (laughs – that's true), there was a drummer who left after a show with Behemoth because he thought it was too satanic and didn't want to be in that scene.
There was a guitarist who left claiming that the other guitarist was a pushover, there was a guitarist who didn't want to "demonize" the band and left to play in a death metal band that doesn't have a "devilish" look, another guitarist left because he didn't have time due to the Pet Shop, another drummer left due to the distance from his home, there was a bassist who left because he didn't want to rehearse every week, there was a drummer who left because he couldn't play our songs (there were 3 for this reason).
There was also the hiatus during the construction of my studio (Tellus Studio) to be the band's headquarters, and we had the only two expulsions in the band's recent history, of a guitarist and a keyboardist. In short, so many things that ultimately dragged on all this time.
WM: You changed the style you approached in this second work, moving towards symphonic black/death metal. Why did you make this change in the band's musical style?
FB: This was a long-standing desire of mine to create a cohesive product with its own atmosphere, one that would allow me to explain to the public what the band was really about. With the departure of the original members, I made the decision to make this change, and the response from the media and the public has been much better than expected!
WM: The new songs remind us of bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. How did they influence the sound of the new album, and are there any other influences you would like to highlight?
FB: The album was made by several different musicians who passed through the band over the years. There was this transition to symphonic death/black metal, but I believe that from the third album onwards, this transition is much clearer. I started singing extreme metal thanks to Dani Filth and Shagrath [vocalists, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, respectively]. I love Cannibal Corpse , Dying Fetus , Morbid Angel , Gorefest , etc.; but those are vocal lines that I find very easy to do, and that's why I've always admired versatile extreme vocalists and I wanted to go down that path as well.
Besides those bands, I love Emperor , Old Man's Child , and dark gothic bands as well.
WM: Speaking of the lyrics, we can see that they deviate from the standard seen in extreme metal, addressing themes like life in a conceptual way. Why did you decide to use this theme on the album?
FB: I've always liked addressing themes that are common to people regardless of their life choices and who they are. And this theme simply fits perfectly with the extreme/dark/vampiric atmosphere and is a perfect fit for the band's new image.
WM: Do you believe that extreme metal can be a way to address more complex themes such as life stages, love, loss, and others?
FB: I strongly believe that. Today people have very easy access to information, which makes everyone think much more about things, about life, etc... which is where complex issues are created, for sure!
WM: Is there any particular track you'd like to highlight? If so, why?
FB: “Lone Sky Universum”, which is a very poetic song where I allude to Charon in the music video, taking the souls of two dead lovers to the land of the dead.
There's a line I sing that goes: "Your mutt has died, don't be sad, the swans are procreating, said the soul of the former captain from my heart ship.".
This refers to the ex-husband, a loyal and faithful friend of his beloved, who died, but that she should not be sad because the swans (which are the most faithful animals to each other in nature) are breeding (that is, I can give her my true loyalty), said the soul of the former captain of my heart (whom she rescued because he was adrift without direction, and who is now being reclaimed).
WM: What can you tell us about the incredible cover art created by artist Seth Siron Anton?
FB: I gave Seth free rein to interpret my lyrics in the form of images. I've been working with him since 2012 and we understand each other well in this regard. He has the perfect understanding for our sound and style.
WM: The band has some beautiful physical promotional material, including a CD and a t-shirt. In the digital age, how do you see the importance of this type of work and approach?
FB: This is essential to show the public how much love and dedication we put into our work, down to every detail. If people perceive this care, then the efforts were worthwhile.
WM: What's the band's schedule like now with the release of the new album?
FB: There are many shows coming up and we'll announce them soon.
WM: I'd like to thank you for your time and attention. Would you like to leave a final message for the fans?
FB: I am extremely grateful for the space provided, and to all the people who consume our music and videos. Without you, we would be nothing. Thank you very much!