It takes a lot to breach metal’s boundaries in 2023. The borders of various sub-genres and micro-styles are long established and recognizable. Aspiring artists know the templates available to them, and being innovative often becomes a matter of putting your own spin on something that became predictable years or even decades ago.
But that hasn’t stopped Luciano Gaglio from trying. Since 2010, he’s turned I, Voidhanger records into a laboratory of innovation and discovery. As a result, the label has become associated with the experimental, the strange, and the absolutely baffling fringes of all things heavy. That said, he’s had a great deal of success with this approach as well. Many of the bigger names will be familiar to Decibel readers, and the list of prominent and well-acclaimed artists grows with every release.
I’d been wanting to know more about the label for a long time, so it was a pleasure getting a chance to chat with Luciano.
Check it out, and take some time to explore the releases below — composed of a mix between my favorites and Luciano’s recommendations.
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Thank you for agreeing to chat with us! How about we start by telling readers a little about the label’s origins. How did it all get started for you?
Thanks for the opportunity. The story is pretty simple: For about 15 years I wrote for a couple of Italian rock and metal magazines, and at one point it just wasn’t enough for me anymore. My passion for music imposed new needs on me, above all that of assisting in the creative process, of seeing how an album is born, of having a say in some decisions, especially those relating to the artwork…
In retrospect, it was probably a way to compensate for the frustration of not playing any instruments and not knowing how to create music, which I would have really enjoyed. I didn’t think the label would last long, but here I am, some 13 years (and more than 200 releases) later.
I, Voidhanger has a reputation for releasing avante-garde, unusual and odd pieces of heavy metal art. Was this part of your vision for the label, or did it just sort of happen that way?
That was my purpose since day one, the label’s motto has always been “obscure, unique and uncompromising visions from the metal underground.” I like contaminations. The metal genre — which for me was a landing place after consuming so much hard rock, indie rock, 70s progressive, 60s garage rock, jazz and classical music — is very ductile and a good ground for proposing innovations and extending the musical vocabulary. As in life, diversity is a richness, the opportunity for cultural expansion for those who make music and for those who listen to it.
If you think about it, each metal subgenre has created its own avant-garde currents. For each Darkthrone, Immortal and Mayhem we have had Arcturus, Ulver and Ved Buens Ende, while groups like Emperor, Death, Cynic, Pestilence or Gorguts have changed their faces over time, thanks to an artistic maturation that cannot ignore contaminations from other genres. Being avant-garde is not a whim, but a need of metal as well as of any other music that can be said to mature.
Metal is not new, and its various subgenres are well-shaped and developed. I feel like a challenge with the avante-garde is balancing the attempt to craft something new and fresh with the risk of just being odd for its own sake. You have an ear for some of the bands who strike this balance very well. How do you go about selecting bands and releases?
The label reflects my tastes and my needs. I’m constantly looking for new perspectives, new or at least personal approaches to metal to renew my enthusiasm for this genre, which for me is an attitude more than anything else. I pick bands based on that, and almost never think about sales or how they might be received critically. I also have to admit that I’m a bit snobbish: I like cult records, I like the idea of little and unknown jewels meant just for a few initiates to pour special affection on.
The public’s response varies from case to case. Sometimes I was surprised by the reception received by some truly unusual and — let me say — courageous releases, such as those of Neptunian Maximalism (who debuted directly with a triple album, something that would have scared any label!), Inhumankind (a flute and double bass duo) and LÜÜP (a chamber music ensemble in love with metal). But in most cases, it is difficult to convince the audience that there are other expressive possibilities than those offered by the usual metal clichés, and often even the reviewer is not equipped enough to fully understand certain sounds. I don’t know whether to make this a source of pride or a worry, but I will always try to promote the strangest and most atypical musical proposals. In most cases, small print-runs and a pinch of luck are enough not to lose out. On the other hand, the label is not for profit, I always reinvest the proceeds in new productions, which explains how I put out so many releases every year. However, as much as I like to release “weird” stuff, I don’t disdain to also publish bands that move in the wake of tradition, as long as they do that in a personal way, because roots are important.
Running an independent record label is a tough proposition in 2023. What do you see as the key challenges today, from a business perspective? Is there anything about being an Italian company that makes it easier or harder?
It’s hard for me to say, because of the experimental nature of most of my releases. My biggest obstacle is reaching the right audience and getting them to listen to my releases in a non-superficial way, because I know well that what I publish needs several listens before punching through. A titanic undertaking, if you consider the incredible offer of metal releases on the market and that many people don’t have enough time to assimilate the most experimental ones. The fact of being an Italian label can only complicate things enormously. Despite some amazing artists, Italy is certainly not renowned for metal, there is no real metal scene and the foundations for building one (e.g., sufficient audience, venues, themed festivals, dedicated labels) are not solid enough. The industry magazines, made by good professionals, to survive on newsstands dedicate the cover and most of their pages to the usual Iron Maiden, Slayer or the latest “sensation” of the current major who buys advertising space. Thus, my releases rarely find space in Italian magazines… but on the other hand, “nemo profeta in patria.”
What are some releases you’re looking forward to in 2023? What should audiences really look out for?
Difficult question, given that all the releases, for one reason or another, have a place in my heart. In 2023 I have already released one of my favorite albums of the last few years, Heart Of Silence by the Spanish At the Altar of the Horned God, and soon I will introduce a new and sensational band, Sarmat, playing progressive extreme metal with a strong jazz-fusion vein, recorded at Colin Marston’s studio. Later it will be the time for the final chapter of the Biolume trilogy by Midnight Odyssey, one of my leading bands, while in May I will release the new triple album by Esoctrilihum, certainly one of the artists who has brought prestige to my label in the last years, together with Howls of Ebb, Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum. But on the horizon there are also new works by Fleshvessel, Smohalla, Acausal Intrusion, Panegyrist , Ôros Kau, Swords of Dis (a yet unknown but great band, recently added to the roster) and Verbebra Atlantis by Gabriele Gramaglia, an Italian enfant prodige who in recent years has distinguished himself under the banner of Cosmic Putrefaction. Among the more experimental releases, I want to mention A.M.E.N., who mix jazz and extreme metal in the manner of John Zorn, and Onkos, a small orchestra that rewrites death metal by playing it with percussive instruments, acoustic guitars, trombone, clarinet and flute to accompany the typical growl vocals. There’s a lot more going on, but I’ve already said too much!
Quick question about Esoctrilihum … does Asthâghul ever sleep???
Asthâghul essentially sleeps all day! This is how he has access to the strange dimensions he then tells us about.
Jokes aside, he is often accused of being too prolific, but what critics fail to understand is that some artists are like wild horses that are best left to run free. For them, composing is an almost physiological necessity, each piece of music is like the page of a diary. There’s nothing of their music to throw away, because there’s always a spark, an idea, something that makes the songs special and interesting. As difficult as it is sometimes to keep up with their explosive creativity, I certainly won’t be the one to put the reins on them. Especially when the final result, as in the case of Esoctrilihum, is always of great quality and interest.
