Benthos Talk New Album, Favourite Instruments And More

 Italian experimental progressive metal band Benthos will release their upcoming sophomore album “From Nothing” on Friday 11th April 2025 on InsideOutMusic. They chatted to us about the record, favourite instruments and more: 

Who is in Benthos, how did you meet and what do they play?

Ale (drummer): “I’m the drummer, and I was the second to last member to join the final lineup. Pap (Gabriele Papagni, guitarist) discovered me while I was playing some covers with a local band and reached out to me on Facebook, sending me some demos. I really like what I heard, and we met not-so-shortly after (I initially ignored the message, whoops). I quickly realized this was the kind of project I’d be searching for, one where I could fully express myself and experiment. Benthos has been the perfect fit.”

 

GL (vocalist): I’m the singer and the latest member to join the band. Before Benthos, I had been in a band called Diatonic Sun with Enrico. Gabri P. met Enrico while studying at the conservatoire in Milan, and in the summer of 2018, they invited me and some friends on a trip to Apulia, a region in the south of Italy. Of course, they brought a guitar. During a relaxed moment, Gabri started playing an early version of what would become Back and Forth and asked me to improvise over it. I did, and afterwards, he asked: “Would you like to join my new project with Enrico?”. No need to say how the story ends, right?

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

Ale: “My dad always bumped some “boomer rock” (not derogatory, I swear) at home. The classics: Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin… with a sprinkle of more modern stuff like U2, Coldplay, Kings of Lion, Tears for Fears, etc. I remember being very impressed by drum solos from Ian Paice and John Bonham, expressing my desire to play the drums, and so it happened. Thanks, dad!” Gabri (guitarist/songwriter): “I was 3 years old when my mother told me my father had passed away when I was just a few months old, and that he was a musician. He left behind a CD of songs he had written and recorded, along with some Beatles covers. When I put on my headphones and listened, I realized that I wanted to become a guitarist, just like him.”

 

GL: My earliest musical memory is of my mother playing Italian pop singers while doing housework. Me and the rest of the family would go to mass every Sunday morning, and when we got home, she would put on the same artists I loved as a child.

 

You have the new single ‘As A Cordyceps’ out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

Ale: “This is the only song on the album where I wrote the lyrics. The initial inspiration was detached from the meaning the lyrics acquired with time and in the context of the overarching concept, as it came from the title. Pap always assigns titles to his compositions, and they often stick. I made this connection: the way the cordyceps fungus infects a host, takes control, and spreads, reminded me of the way generational trauma is passed down between different generations.

 

As the album’s concept evolved, though, this interpretation felt somewhat disconnected from the overarching themes. Over time, the lyrics acquired a new meaning: the toxic obsession with trying to achieve or creating something, how ambition becomes a virus that grows inside you and takes control.

 

I find very fascinating how the lyrics can be read both ways!”

 

The track is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

Ale: “The video was directed by the talented Stefano Galli; he also directed Fossil and Pure. The cinematography was inspired by Robert Eggers’ movie The Lighthouse.

The story is about an obsessed and hyper-critical writer. We wanted a claustrophobic, desolated feel, which is reflected in the location and cinematography. The 4:3 aspect ratio really enhances that sense of isolation.”

 

Did you collaborate with anyone on your new music in terms of the writing?

“The lyrics for ‘Athletic Worms’ were entirely written by our dear friend and guitar tech, Matteo Allegra. For ‘Perpetual Drone Monkeys,’ all the Latin percussion was composed and performed by our close friend, Gaspare Renna.”

In addition, your new album ‘From Nothing” is released on Friday 11th April 2025. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

Gabri (Guitar): “Our guiding philosophy while writing this album was simple: ‘Why not?’. We wanted to explore every aspect of music and push our boundaries, especially when it comes to our new sound. We played with new gear, guitars, pedals, production techniques, and noise makers to shape the album’s sound, and I really think we did a great job! We also aimed to distance ourselves from the ‘Djent’ label and lean further into the ‘Math’ sound, incorporating vintage effects to create a crunchier, grittier tone compared to our previous full-length. Most importantly, we wanted something more personal, and uniquely us.”

 

GL: Vocally, we took the same experimental approach, placing a particular focus on the meaning of the lyrics. Backing voices were designed to sonically interpret the emotions conveyed in the lyrics.

 

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

Enrico (guitarist/producer): From Nothing was mostly recorded in a home studio environment, except for the drums, which were recorded and engineered by Matteo Magni at Magnitude Studios. The vocals were recorded in a soundproof booth of a friend’s place, Sebastiano Ugolini, who uses the booth to play Sax in an apartment building.

 

My home studio was the central hub for the whole operation. We recorded guitars, some vocals, and all the sound design there. Additional percussion parts were tracked at the Lugano Conservatory, where I work.

 

I produced all the recording sessions and engineered the guitar and vocals. I’ve always been the ‘’tech guy‘’ in the band, as well as the guitarist, but with this record I discovered a deep passion for production – not just in sound design and arrangement but especially in performance direction. I think it is extremely important to have an outside critical eye when recording something so intricate and dense, so that you can get the best out of each performance and try to be as sincere as possible.

 

 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

Gabri: “Every step of the production process was fun, but at the same time, there was a level of seriousness we had to embrace. Two moments stand out. First, the vocal booth – we won’t forget the small anytime soon, it was pretty wild. Second, our manager (who is also my girlfriend) and I traveled to Sweden for the mastering session with Tony Lindgren. Watching him work was incredible! There are no words to describe the emotion I felt being in the same studio where Opeth recorded some of their most iconic albums. I remember Tony giving us a tour of the studio, and when we entered the ‘drum recording room’, he mentioned: Excuse the mess, a Polish band is coming in tonight’. That band turned out to be Behemoth.”

 

Do you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the album?

 

Enrico: For vocals, we were pretty standard. We used an SM7 and an Aston condenser.

 

When it came to drums, we relied on Matteo Magni’s mic setup, paired with Ale’s carefully selected cymbals.

 

Since I am the guitarist, I must say that in terms of the sounds and equipment we used, we never limited ourselves. I have a large collection of pedals, and I think I used practically all of them. The main brain of the operation was the Line6 Helix, both for guitars and bass. While Alberto, our bass player, tends to make do with what’s already inside the Helix, us guitarists have indulged ourselves – Whammy, Boss MD-200, a ton of Earthquacker Devices pedals, MXR Carbon copy… The list goes on!

 

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

 

Gabri: Happiest: “As a Cordyceps” because it’s just so funny to play! Angriest: “Perpetual Drone Monkeys” (but in a fun way). Most reflective: “From Nothing” and “The Giant Child”, 100%!

 

GL: The happiest for me is “Perpetual Drone Monkeys” because it just has that energy. The angriest is “Pure” because it’s brutal to perform. The most reflective, “From Nothing”.

 

Who created/designed the album artwork?

Alejandro Chavetta, a graphic designer from San Francisco!

 

Was it a difficult album to write?

“It was undoubtedly the hardest work of our lives; you can’t imagine how meticulous we were with every detail of each song. Some tracks were crafted as a flow of sounds in continuous progression, and following that flow wasn’t easy. But in the end, this is what we love to do, and now that it’s finally come together, it feels incredible.”

 

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

Gabri: “When I’m on stage, it feels like all my problems vanish, and I’m completely myself. Once I step off the stage, the first thing I want to do is just be happy and enjoy what my friends and I have accomplished together. The other thing is, I want the audience to reflect on what they’ve just experienced not just as a typical live show, but on the emotions they felt during the performance.” 14 – Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc? Gabri: “I’ve always had a deep love for the majestic Fender guitars. After many years of playing exclusively 7-string guitars, I feel like I’ve finally found what I’m meant to be playing with Fender – specifically the Telecaster. My affection now extends to new pedals I’m currently using, particularly those from ‘EarthQuaker Devices’. One of my favorites is the Data Corrupter – an amazing tool to use on stage!”

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Gabri: “Although we live in different places in the outskirts, I’d describe Milan as the hometown of Benthos: stylish, stimulating, frenetic, wild, and colorful. I think it perfectly reflects the music we create.”

 

How do you look after your voices?

 

GL: I practice vocal exercises daily and always I warm up before performing. I aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night and drink 2 litres of water every day, especially leading up to an event.

 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

Gabri: “I would describe From Nothing as a journey on a never-ending roller coaster, shifting between reflective moments and cathartic experiences. In “The Doors of Perception”, Aldous Huxley recounts his experience with mescaline, describing the duality of his trip: heaven and hell. The music of Benthos aligns perfectly with this concept, taking listeners through surreal soundscapes that don’t exist in reality, evoking both their highest and lowest emotions.”

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

You wouldn’t believe the range of music we listen to!

We’re huge fans of everything from electronic, post-punk, and jazz/nu jazz to classical, metal, hardcore, alt-rock, noise, hip hop, and experimental music. Well, too much stuff. Here are some of our latest recommendations:

 

The Smile (Thom York and Johnny Greenwood’s side project)

Daniela Pes (Italian indie/electronic singer)

Squid (post-punk/alt-rock from the UK)

Chat Pile (noise rock/hardcore from the US)

JPEGMAFIA (experimental hip-hop from US)

downy (math-rock/electronic from Japan)

 

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

 

We recently announced our first “From Nothing” release show in Milan – our beloved hometown – on May 1st, where we’ll perform music from the album for the first time. We’re beyond excited and working hard to put on a crazy show! We’re also actively planning more UK/EU dates, and while we can’t reveal anything just yet, stay tuned – more news is coming soon!

 

What makes Benthos happy and what makes you unhappy?

 

Happy: good food, trekking, vinyl listening sessions, handcraft beer, and of course playing our music on stage!

Unhappy: Italian stereotypes, close minded people, half broken spaghetti.