Portuguese masters of dark/gothic metal, Moonspell, have been forging their legacy for 33 years, three more, in fact, having formed in 1989 under the name Morbid God before rebranding as Moonspell in 1992. With monumental albums such as Wolfheart (1995), Irreligious (1996), Sin/Pecado (1998), Darkness and Hope (2001), and The Antidote (2003), the band has been instrumental in shaping the gothic metal genre as we know it today and remains a formidable force. Furthermore, Moonspell ranks among the finest live performers across the entire metal spectrum. Its latest album, Hermitage, was released in 2021, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the band's next opus ever since. While the new record is still in the works, if you're keen to uncover more about the latest happenings in the Moonspell camp, you won't want to miss our interview with keyboardist Pedro Paixão and guitarist Ricardo Amorim, conducted just hours before their performance in Ljubljana, one of their tour stops. That night, Moonspell added yet another remarkable chapter to their history of fine performances as special guests of Dark Tranquillity (you can read the concert report HERE). For now, enjoy our conversation with the ever-welcoming Pedro and Ricardo.

Interview with: Pedro Paixão and Ricardo Amorim
Conducted by: Tomaz, Jerneja
Edited by: Jerneja

Tomaz: Hello, nice to meet you, some for the first time. Terra Relicta has had some interviews with Moonspell, but always with Fernando... You released your latest album, Hermitage, in 2021, and your fans, including the two of us, are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Moonspell's discography. Are you already working on new stuff?
Pedro: Yes, we are, and we want to release a new album next year. It won't happen before May 2026. It could be May, June, or maybe even October. That's a label's thing, but we want to record it this year. We are not yet halfway through, but we are very committed to getting it done on time. We don't want to waste more time, as much of it has already passed since Hermitage. We are putting a lot of pressure on ourselves, because we think that it might actually give a positive return. We are making things simpler. I won't say more spontaneously because our art is always spontaneous, but this time we're trying not to complicate things too much. We want to have a simple message, but that doesn't mean there will be fewer arrangements or less songwriting; it just means that we will not listen to the songs too many times while recording them. That's what's gonna happen.

Jerneja: If I'm not mistaken, this will be the longest time gap between the releases of your albums?
Pedro: That's true, and it's a fact. You know, there was also the pandemic, which by itself didn't take any time for writing songs, but we weren't just there. We released Hermitage during the pandemic, and we all focused a lot on the contact with people instead of the music or art.

Jerneja: You said you wouldn't complicate the songs this time, but does that mean you complicated on Hermitage?
Ricardo: We just don't want to overthink too much with them. Perhaps we did it on Hermitage.
Pedro: I don't think we overthought or over-complicated just on Hermitage, but on all the records. Sometimes we even overproduce things from a certain point on. It's not a criticism because I liked the result, but we want to do it a little differently this time.

Tomaz: Some things have changed in the band. Since 2020, you have had a new drummer, Hugo Ribeiro. How are things now in the band, for it was a pretty big deal?
Pedro: For a band like Moonspell, that's a big change, because we never change line-up. From my point of view, now it's even better, and I think also for others, otherwise we wouldn't choose to do so. The career we had with Mike Gaspar was wonderful, but you know, everything has an end. My role here will have an end, too. We don't think too much about it, but we noticed improvements in some areas, and there might be some areas where it happened the opposite, because Hugo and Mike are different people. I can say that it's a fact that Hugo came into the band as a fan, and that was, in a way, important to us. We didn't want just any drummer, but someone who could actually identify with Moonspell's music. He also has a similar taste in music. Nowadays, it's pretty easy to play many songs and change playlists. I mean, some things got easier, but I'm far from saying that it was our previous drummer's fault, just that the relations were different, and now we are more flexible as a band.

Jerneja: Did you invite Hugo, or did you have an audition?
Ricardo: We invited him; there was no audition. I already knew the man personally, so I had him in mind to replace Mike.
Pedro: To be honest, bands like Moonspell have a status and therefore more choices. I could name you three or four drummers that would also fit pretty well in Moonspell, but not as well as Hugo did.

Tomaz: The Hermitage album is different from the previous ones; OK, each of your albums is different, but still, you tried some things here that you have never used before, e.g., Pink Floyd-ish elements. I assume the production and composition process was also different this time?
Pedro: Well, it's two different things. One is the songwriting. It was different, but we kept it. In terms of structure, music, and how the songs flow, it's a kind of texture that you find, like the right place, and you develop it until you get to a certain point. We take our time. I think that's something that we keep. But the influence of the producer and those we get from more progressive bands made us use a slightly different sound. You need to separate the sound from the songwriting. In this case, the songwriting didn't go intentionally so much Pink Floyd-ish, but the arrangements and sound did. That's something that is going to change because we fulfilled our urge to play music in this area. Also, because of our age, we are looking deeply into ourselves, and we are looking for a simple form of ourselves. It's like a zoom-out. You don't look so much into the details. Soundwise, our next album will be different, because our personalities and sound are more in the 90s than in the 70s or early 80s.

Jerneja: This year marks the 30th anniversary of your debut album, Wolfheart. Since you're playing the entire album at Prophecy Fest this year, I thought it would get extra attention also on this tour. But then I looked at the setlist and realised that wasn't the case...
Pedro: On the contrary. Because it is its 30th anniversary, we will only do a few exclusive shows, like the one at Prophecy Fest.

Jerneja: By the way, have you ever met a wolf in person?
Pedro: Yeah, of course. In Portugal, there are several parks, and one of them is near Lisbon that has them. The Iberian wolf doesn't look as good as the Northern European wolf. They are not so fiery. Also, they are brownish and much smaller, like the Portuguese, haha.

Jerneja: You are not that short...
Pedro: Haha, no, I'm not. Actually, some of us are quite tall, especially Fernando.

Tomaz: You did something special in 2022. I don't know if you're the first band to do it, but you released a live album, From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep, recorded in a cave 80 meters below the surface. Tell us more about that experience and how you came up with the idea.
Ricardo: That's a question for Fernando. But OK, we had this idea and we started the meetings. He had this spontaneous idea and visited the cave. The guy there was a big Moonspell fan, and he said Moonspell should play there. Sometimes they do small concerts there because there's room for 60 people; sometimes they have dinners, a kind of romantic dinner in the cave.
Pedro: Fernando likes challenging ideas and asked me if I thought this was possible. Why not? We had a meeting and then we did it. The idea of ​​playing 100 meters underground is definitely great. Everyone in the audience had headphones; there was no PA, so they were listening to us through their headphones. I'm looking forward to playing Prophecy Fest this year, which is also in a cave, although much bigger and different. However, everyone should check out our live album and DVD, From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep.

Jerneja: We were at Prophecy Fest last year, and it was an extraordinary experience to listen to music in a cave, although the sound, except for a few bands, was not the best. Balver Höhle (German for Balve Cave) is also different from those we visited in Slovenia (Postojna Cave, Škocjan Caves); it is not underground and does not have several rooms connected by more or less narrow passages or stalactites and stalagmites; it is more like a large hole in the rock mass. OK, I got a little off topic, but I'm back... You haven't toured much with the Hermitage album due to the pandemic, at least not in these parts of Europe. And this tour doesn't support it either...
Ricardo: We did some shows in the UK in its support, but not this tour.
Pedro: We were crossing some ideas about this, but we decided to go on this tour with "the best of" kind of set. For the past two years, we've mainly wanted to have fun at concerts and not think too much. I think that we are going through that stage, and to be honest, it's not a headline tour, although we play more than one hour. Many people are Dark Tranquillity fans, even Hiraes fans, I don't know, and they might not know Moonspell so well. It would be nice to start with Hermitage, but I think it's more suitable to play the best of sets on this tour. We are also not so much focused on that album anymore, and for us, it's like the rest of the albums, an old one.

Tomaz: But you also played some special concerts in your homeland, including acoustic ones...
Ricardo: Yeah, we did a proper tour. We needed to have something going on with Moonspell, but at the same time, we were a little bit tired of touring. We did a lot of USA and South America shows a year before, so we wanted to stay more at home with our families, but still function as Moonspell. The acoustic shows came out of that. It was something we did before, and we knew that some people wanted more of it. The things aligned, and at that time, it was perfect. Half of last year, we did mostly acoustic shows at theatres in Portugal.

Jerneja: And, you also had a show during the pandemic transmitted on Portuguese national television...
Pedro: That was a show that we did to help the bands. It was called Electrical. The show was in Lisbon's centre, with two bands facing each other. First, one would play two songs, and then the other. It wasn't really like a gig, but I liked the idea. We also did a gig in Porto. Portugal shot down, but for a very limited time, so we were able to do some shows during the pandemic. In Portugal, it wasn't as hard as we thought it would be, I mean, from the business career point of view. It was bad in other aspects. In terms of civilisation, it was really bad.

Jerneja: Moonspell also has its own label, Alma Mater Records. How come you don't release your albums through it?
Pedro: Well, the label is not "ours", it's Fernando's. Also, we signed a contract with Napalm Records. But it could happen in the future. Actually, some special editions of our albums have already been released by Alma Mater Records, but otherwise, the albums are covered by a contract, and we have to get a license to release them, even if it's mine or Ricardo's. So if we want to release a Moonspell album, the label has to allow it. On the other hand, you must also think of the label's economic power; Napalm Records or Century Media Records are way stronger than Alma Mater Records. We might get a little bit more profit if we sell it through Alma Mater, but we couldn't sell as much in quantity as we sell it via the Napalm Records label. We still get good money for musicians, we have good contracts, and there's also a very good distribution. It's like, why would you sign with Lille while you can play for PSG?

Jerneja: Quite a few musicians have founded labels in the last few years, mainly for their own needs...
Pedro: But tell me, how can I release, or re-release Wolfheart, for example, if they ask me 50,000€? If I do the accounts, then no. The music is not only ours, it's also the label's by contract. With Century Media, some albums are already over the time to be still under the contract, but with Napalm, it's impossible. Fernando is mostly signing to Alma Mater Records Portuguese bands, and also releases some special editions of our albums, which is a very good business.

Tomaz: One of these bands is or was Inhuman, which Jerneja featured on her radio show, DARK Unknown, some years ago... Oh, and this in front of me is the book, Wolves Who Were Men: The History of Moonspell, Moonspell's biography...
Pedro: It's already a bit outdated. It was written five or six years ago, so a little bit before the Hermitage album came out.
Ricardo: We are very satisfied with it. It reads very well. There's a story and everything is true. I'm very happy with it.

Tomaz: Let's return to the upcoming album; can you share any details with us?
Pedro: No, no way, it's still too early. We don't even have titles ready yet. We have one for the album, but from my experience, Fernando can change it anytime. He already changed it a couple of times, and said it was the final one, but you never know. I'll not say anything until he finally reveals it publicly, then I'll trust that it's a final one.

Jerneja: Do you have at least one song to be released soon?
Pedro: No, of course not. We have to record it first. We have four songs ready, and when I say we have four songs, it only means we have all the material.
Ricardo: But how you finish it - that's a different story.

Tomaz: And stylistically? In which direction are you going this time?
Pedro: I think it's more gothic music this way around. I'm not going to say that it's like Irreligious, because that's too basic for us, it's not even like Extinct, because Extinct has all those orchestral arrangements, Turkish orchestra, there's loops, some industrial stuff, which will not be here this time. The new stuff is not so complex. Extinct has a lot of arrangements, singers and extra stuff.

Tomaz: I remember when I reviewed the album 1755, I initially wrote that the keyboards and orchestral arrangements were done by you, but a few days later I received an email from the guy claiming that he did them and that I needed to correct that...
Pedro: Ah, that was Jon Phipps, I'm sure. Yeah, the orchestral arrangements were done by him on that and the Extinct album. I mean, the orchestral arrangements, not all the arrangements, far from that. I like to say this when I get an opportunity, because in Moonspell it works differently. I guess that it's natural that people think that the arrangements for guitars are by Ricardo, the arrangements for keyboards by me, for the bass by Aires, and so on, but it doesn't go that way; it just doesn't. A lot of keyboard lines that I liked were by Ricardo. I remember that for one song from the new album, we showed it to our producer Gomez, and he said that that riff was totally Ricardo, I said, "yeah, but it isn't". I feel very uncomfortable speaking about the arrangements because it's something that we do as a band. We do things together. Of course, the core of the songs usually comes from one person, but once we start to work together, it gets confusing. Sometimes I even forget who did what.

Tomaz: I always thought that you, Ricardo, do the main structure with guitars, and only from there on, you, Pedro, add keyboards, and so on...
Pedro: Oh, no, it often happens the other way around.
Ricardo: We get together to work on the songs in our studio. I have to arrange to spend a few days there, and then it's work until dinner. He (Pedro) puts up a structure and then goes away to play football. The next morning, I return to work on little details, how the notes go together, which can make a big difference, for the better or the worse, haha.
Pedro: Ricardo works a lot on harmonic arrangements (the way certain parts flow). He makes it more coherent musically. I'm more into parts of the songs, the vibe, and then Ricardo does the movement, which I like very much. It's a kind of dialogue, and when we see that we have a song, we bring the other guys in, who add to the song's spirit.

Tomaz: Interesting. Now, a little change of subject... How is the tour with Dark Tranquillity going?
Pedro: It goes as smoothly as always. We have known each other for a long time, almost as if we live together. Every night is a very nice audience. Many of Dark Tranquillity's crew are from Portugal, and some even worked with us in the past. We feel at home. I think, at this stage, we couldn't ask for better conditions, and I feel very motivated, especially for this second tour run, because we visit countries that I love to play the most. Slovenia is a country I love to visit, and I feel like I could live here.

Jerneja: Well, it's been a while since you last played in Slovenia...
Pedro: Yeah, I wouldn't just come here to play, but to live here. But you are right, we should play more often in your country, perhaps at the Tolminator festival. I heard it's a great one.

Tomaz: Although Moonspell isn't a "festival" band, is it? Some bands play festivals around Europe almost every week during the summer, but Moonspell doesn't. You usually play a few festivals, and that's it.
Pedro: Probably you are right. We are far away. Portugal is very peripheral, and we need a lot of money to get to the central European festivals. One other reason is that we are a dark band, and people try to find spots to play at night, and for us to reach the "night" status is hard, because on big festivals for that the night slot we must fight with bands like Slayer, well not anymore, but with Testament, Iron Maiden, and so on. The top bands usually occupy that space. We're still a gothic band, and if you look at Paradise Lost or Katatonia, for example, they don't play many festivals either.

Tomaz: But do you prefer to play at festivals or in clubs?
Pedro: That's the same question as if you asked me if I preferred blondes or brunettes. For me, it doesn't matter. It's a different vibe. When I play in clubs, I miss festivals, and when I play at festivals, I miss the clubs. I think I still prefer to play in clubs, but I don't know about other guys.
Ricardo: I like nice, clean and usable stages, haha. It doesn't matter if it's a club or a stadium.

Tomaz: Do you also think that we have been experiencing a kind of gothic metal revival in the last two years?
Pedro: What do you call gothic metal, my friend? Is Within Temptation a gothic metal band for you?

Tomaz: Nope, for me purest gothic metal is "Opium", for example.
Pedro: For me to.

Tomaz: But you know, some of the so-called "super bands" like Cemetery Skyline and High Parasite sparked interest in this style last year. Many people who had never heard of this style have shown interest, and hopefully, they'll discover more about it.
Pedro: OK, that's true. Also Tribulation! I remember telling this to Fernando. I think that things are circling. We had this conversation two or three years ago. Death metal was back again, OK, it isn't as big as it was in the day. It went down, and now it's coming up. And I said, "you'll see, this will catch our personal train". I hope so, I keep my fingers crossed that there is a certain revival of gothic metal. But, we are not doing it because of any revival - we are doing it because we want to. Not to do simple music, but to simplify the processes. Our basic stone, where we have our axes, is definitely gothic metal. That's what established us as a band. Already on the Wolfheart album, there were signs of the style we have mostly had throughout the years. Let's see what happens. I hope for the best.

Jerneja: Before we end, I'd like to thank you for your music. Moonspell and Paradise Lost are two bands that have been with me forever. Many have changed among my top 10 bands, but these two haven't.
Pedro: That's a very nice compliment, actually.

Jerneja: I'm looking forward to your performance tonight, especially the "Alma Mater" song, which is, let's put it so, my signature song...
Tomaz: And I hope for something from Sin / Pecado. I haven't heard a live song from that album for years...
Pedro: Tonight, no. We played one yesterday because it was Easter, and we wanted to play "Magdalena" since we haven't played it in years. Sometimes we play "Abysmo", but tonight I don't think we'll play anything from Sin / Pecado. We always change one or two songs, and tonight, we'll play "Scorpion Flower", with backing female vocals from the machine. Because of that reason, we don't play "Scorpion Flower" that much. I prefer to play "Nocturna" or "Domina", but Fernando is the master of the setlist. There must be somebody that takes the shit, haha.

Tomaz: You should have brought your wife, Mariangela, with you, Ricardo, to sing female vocals.
Ricardo: Wife and mother of my child. She needed to stay at home for him.
Pedro: You should see Ricardo in the car, driving the whole family, a dog and cats, haha. They're super cool.

Jerneja: She has two projects, doesn't she? Ardours and her solo act... I liked her Dark Ability debut EP very much.
Ricardo: Yes, you are right. Right now, she's busy with some other things, too. She's working on a new Ardours stuff, but she's focused on many different things. I'll tell her that you liked it.

Tomaz: Thank you for your time, and have a great show.
Ricardo: Thank you.
Pedro: You guys are very nice. Thank you for your very interesting questions, and I hope you'll enjoy the concert.

Live photos by Tomaz

Moonspell links: Official Website, Facebook, Instagram