Mysterium Vacui. Interview with Isabel Andujar

Int erview by Andrew Stanton

Mysterium Vacui are a great Black Doom band from Colombia. Andrew Stanton talked to singer Isabel Andújar about this great new band.

Hello and welcome to Inside the Darkness.

“Hello, and thank you for giving us the space to share a few words about our music. “

- Can you tell our readers a bit about your history, please?

“Mysterium Vacui started to take form around 2016, when a few melodies came forth to me. After composing, I found a drummer with whom we recorded our demo, Jahiliyyah. Later, more musicians were added to the band, becoming a quartet, and we recorded The Faithless Departed in 2020.”

- What bands did you like growing up?

“As a small child, I was into classical music. When I first heard Metal, it was as though I found something that I had lost and didn’t remember till then, and the bands I listened to growing up included Tiamat, Unleashed, Anathema, Theatre of Tragedy, Slayer, and Testament, among others.”

- What does Mysterium Vacui mean?

“Mysterium Vacui literally means the mystery of the void in Latin. The name reflects the idea that nothingness is at the center of everything, and it is completely beyond our comprehension, hence a mystery.”

- What are your lyrics about?

“Death is the most prevalent theme in our lyrics. The longing for death, the celebration of death, being awestruck by the concept of death, experiencing the death of someone close, etc. Then, there is also a bit of fantasy and poetry as a lens through which the lyrics try to embellish harrowing reality.”

- How would you personally describe the main difference between Black Doom Metal and DSBM?

“The two genres sound quite different to me. There are many DSBM bands, while Black Doom seems a bit scarce, so the latter stands out. I find Black Doom to have stronger changes in pace and atmosphere, and very slow solos which I don’t hear much in DSBM. Also, DSBM vocals usually include wailing, which Black Doom does not. Aside from the music itself, I think that Black Doom can touch on a variety of subjects that are not necessarily related to depression and suicidal ideation.”

- Is Doom Metal a big influence on you?

“Very much so.”

- Do you write songs in English to appeal to North American fans?

“There are a few reasons why I write lyrics in English. I am used to listening to Metal in this language, from bands that can be native speakers or not, so it sounds more natural to me, so to speak. Also, the metrics in Spanish are a bit tricky for this kind of music. Aside from that, of course I want our lyrics to be understood by the largest number of people possible, and English is the most common language internationally. We do have many North American friends, and even our current bass player is from the United States. “

- What is the symbol on the cover of The Faithless Departed?

“The symbol on the cover is our band’s logo, which is an anagram that spells Mysterium Vacui. “

- Do you have a message for our readers?

“I hope that you will check out our music and maybe you will find something that resonates with your inner self. “

Thank you for your time.

“We really appreciate your work. Till next time!”