Bucharest Deathfest 2025 brought some very interesting bands to Quantic club… versatile bands, unique in style and full of energy… like I always say… death metal with twists and turns! Analepsy is one of those jewels that I’ve long been hoping to experience on stage, and behind it… hence, the chance of an interview just can’t have been missed!
DinIntunerec: Hello, thank you for getting on board with this interview and welcome to Romania. How are you guys? What have you been doing recently?
Marco Martins: Hello and thank you for the opportunity. It’s a pleasure to be here for the first time in Romania with Analepsy. It’s the very first time I’ve been here. Léo played here in the past with other bands. This is our vocalist’s country. He lives here and it’s the first time we play in his country. So it’s very special. We will see how it goes, but I think it will be awesome for us to play here.
Léo Luyckx: Hello. I’m very happy to be here again. Happy and grateful!
DinIntunerec: Can you tell us about how Analepsy formed and about your initial vision for the band?
Marco Martins: The band formed in 2013, when I was attending the university in Lisbon, Portugal. Basically, I wanted to figure out something to do during the weekends, while I was in Lisbon, because I live far away from Lisbon. A friend of mine that came to me during a show saying that he had a friend who wanted to start a new band in Lisbon and I interested to try to do something. Eventually, weeks later we went to the rehearsal to see what may come out of this intention. So, we formed a little project back then and later the project turned into Analepsy. This is basically the story of our beginnings. There was no vision in particular when we started, just some guys trying to find themselves and trying to occupy some free time doing something nice.
DinIntunerec: What inspired the band’s name, Analepsy, and how does it relate to your music and philosophy?
Marco Martins: Well, the meaning of the word is obsolete and it means recovery of strength after an illness. So meaning recovery of strength, I think the meaning is kind of powerful. Sometimes, people misunderstand or misinterpret the name of the band, associating it with something sexual, but it has nothing to do with it. It a very powerful meaning and we really like it. Also, it’s very easy to remember.
DinIntunerec: What would you say makes Analepsy’s sound unique compared to other death metal bands?
Marco Martins: Let’s start by saying that when we started Analepsy, we had a different vision regarding the sound. However, the more we played the music at rehearsals, things started to shape up in a natural way.
We wanted something more melodic, more atmospheric in a way. So, we built this kind of landscape around the slam part, the brutal death part, with some kind of melodies, with solos. Then, we incorporated those melodies and solos into the brutal death parts, without overusing them. Also, we tried to bring power metal influences, heavy metal influences to this kind of music.
DinIntunerec: How has your music evolved since Analepsy’s inception in 2013?
Marco Martins: Well, it has become a bit more technical, to start with. I mean, nowadays, the music is way more technical than it was when we started. The band suffered a lot of changes throughout the years. We are not the same lineup. Actually, I am the only one that remained from the original lineup. With the new members, the music became more technical. We incorporated more solos, more technical stuff, but it was a very natural evolution. We never forced anything.
DinIntunerec: How come you chose esoteric themes and science-fiction and what messages do you like to convey through your music?
Marco Martins: It’s nothing esoteric, to be honest. I saw the term on Metal Archives and never understood how they come up with it. But I suppose sometimes people see more than it actually is when they try to interpret stuff. Anyway, I think mixing both terms (esoteric and science fiction) doesn’t make sense. It is science and fiction, not science-fiction if you catch the difference… Moreover, on out latest release, we really focused on mixing science and fiction. The science is there, the real science… The space science, everything connected to a clash of black holes.
When incorporating real science, we created a fictional story. A story about something that happened or may happen in the future. Then, we tried to explain the process. Basically, the idea of the new album is a clash of two black holes. The whole album explains the approach, the way they clashed, and the aftermath.
DinIntunerec: The lyrics have this introspective touch… And the melodicity of some parts creates atmosphere. Together, those two elements may leave the impression of an esoteric dimension. Also, there are people who specifically look for the lyrics and they interpret them in their own way. That’s the beauty of art…a plurality of interpretations… Hence, the interpretation as esoteric.
Marco Martins: Probably, a lot of people saw the lyrics or listened to the songs. At the end of the day, everyone has a different approach when listening to music, I would say. And reading to the lyrics may lead to different interpretations.
DinIntunerec: Speaking about science fiction, what are your favorite authors and why?
Marco Martins: Well I don’t read much so I can’t say that I have favorite authors. However I’m very keen on movies and Steven Spielberg is my favorite director, by far.
DinIntunerec: Your latest album, Quiescence, is receiving a lot of attention. Can you walk us through the process of writing and recording it?
Marco Martins: In the beginning, everyone was from Portugal. We could manage to rehearse and be together. But nowadays, for our latest album, since we live in different countries, we had to figure out a solution. So we composed the whole album online, via Discord and Messenger, basically. We would have sessions of meetings online, and we composed the music and the lyrics together this way. It may look simple, but it wasn’t. It was very difficult for us, but we managed to figure out the solution for this, and it came out. It’s my favorite album, honestly. I don’t know how it came about like this but the process of composing it was awesome.
DinIntunerec: Technology boomed and made things way easier… There are many bands or projects which have been doing this for years: Dave Ingram from Benediction has a bunch of projects with Rogga Johansson and they have never met or worked in the same room together. Most Ne Obliviscaris guys live in Australia, but Benji lives in France, and James in the US and there are a lot of others who manage to compose and even record like that. It’s nothing peculiar about it.
Marco Martins: No, it’s not. Technology nowadays makes things very easy. So, basically, that was the process, and one of the things that made this mandatory was the pandemic, because we composed the album during the pandemic. We were under the lockdown, restricted to our homes, so we had to do something. Also, we had no other commitments and had plenty of time to focus on the composition.
DinIntunerec: The album features themes of existential and cosmic despair. Can you elaborate on the lyrics and concepts behind Quiescence? What inspired these ideas, and how did they come to life musically? Also, “Quiescence” is a term related to stillness or silence. How does this concept relate to the overall atmosphere of the album?
Marco Martins: So, like I said, the concept is very simple. It’s a clash of black holes. We based our inspiration on science, how things react, how the black holes react when they, let’s say, clash. We tried to explain with scientific terms. Better said, we tried to mix scientific terms and explanations for eponyms, with a twist of death metal wording, you know? The story is very simple, but, what’s behind it fascinates me. Another interesting point is the way we managed to mix death metal lyrics, I would say, in quotes, with the scientific terms and explanations for eponyms and events.
About the title… you are absolutely right, it relates to both silence and stillness… In the aftermath of everything, whenever everything goes down, everything ceases to exist, something surges from the root, from the chaos… I would say, how am I going to explain this? Imagine that the black holes destroyed everything in the universe. It means the rebirth. The Quiescence word means the rebirth, and it’s the last song of the album. If anyone listens to the song, it’s very peaceful. It doesn’t have anything to do with death metal, I would say. It’s very peaceful and atmospheric, it has a choir in the back. It is the stillness and peacefulness of a new beginning… the rebirth of the Universe.
DinIntunerec: What was the inspiration behind the album cover artwork of this particular record? Actually, tell us more about the cover artworks of all your releases, the EP, the split and the two albums.
Marco Martins: For this album, we tried to put the two black holes on the cover. The top black hole has an entity made of celestial fog. I’m not sure how to explain this, but it’s like a creature. It’s not a creature in itself, it’s just an entity we created for the top black hole that’s approaching the other one, the bottom one. That’s it. About the colors, well it was just my imagination.
The other ones were very simplistic. It was just the first EP, Dehumanization by Supremacy… that one was about the invasion of Earth. The other album was basically the same, a bit more polished, I would say, lyric-wise and music-wise. Atrocities from Beyond needed a cover artwork crafted on contrasts, dark and violent so red and black are predominant. It looks apocalyptical!
DinIntunerec: What tracks do you feel most connected to on this latest album, and why?
Léo Luyckx: My favorite tracks on the album, I would say Locus of Dawning, for sure. It’s a blend of technicality, melodies, solos and brutality. So, in my opinion, it’s the most easy to remember and catchy. I really like Edge of Chaos because of the pace. It’s very powerful in my opinion. The solos are very beautiful, so that’s one of my favorites for sure. And, for the brutality itself, I would say Stretched and Devoured, because it’s the most brutal and the most violent one, mostly slamming. Those ones are my favorites.
Marco Martins: Stretched and Devoured for me as well, Locus of Dawning for the same reasons. And Quiescence, because that one for me is something different and has a different vibe.
Léo Luyckx: Me too, I really like that song. I really love also the contrast between all the other tracks and the one at the end. I think it makes the overall album more mature, I would say.
Marco Martins: It creates a contrast between the brutality of the album and the peacefulness of the ending. People love this track and some even remember the album by this track.
DinIntunerec: How do you approach blending technicality and brutality in Analepsy’s music? What’s the balance for you?
Léo Luyckx: It is very hard, because there must be a balance, some sort of equilibrium, so it isn’t easy to blend those. However, I would say that technicality serves the brutality, in my opinion… For instance, Locus of Dawning is a good example of mixing technicality (given by the solos, complex riffs) and then the slam part kicks in, which is very efficient because the brutality bas brought forth by technicality.
Marco Martins: For me, technicality is not about just being fast and tight… The songs cannot be just breakdown, breakdown, and just riffs… We always focus on what has to come next, in order to build to a climax, and also leave room for solos and harmony.
We somehow managed to find the perfect balance… Most of the songs have something that catches your ear, and you remember that song because of something, you know? A solo or a harmony or just a breakdown that’s a bit different. People associate technicality with speed, playing the most notes possible… For me, being technical is to play the right note, with the right accent and combining catchy melodies with complex pacing and riffs. Sometimes, as they say ‘the Devil is in the details’… take Apocalyptic Premonition, from our first album, for instance… it is just one note that changes everything… Just the right hand on the guitar, playing one note in a certain way and creating a pattern…
DinIntunerec: Can you share your songwriting process? Do you usually start with riffs, lyrics, or concepts? How much input does each band member have in the writing and arranging of songs?
Marco Martins: This depends on when the song was created because nowadays we are more collaborative… Back in the days, I used to record some songs and the other guitarists did the others. And then, the drummer would arrange something to help us out. Nowadays, all of us are very much involved into the music, all of us at the same time. The lyrics always come after everything else is done. So, the lyrics are the last thing we think about. However, if we need to change something for lyrics to combine with the music, we do it, of course. Anyway, we just come up with riffs, with a melody and then we build something around the melody itself. Then, we deal with the drums and the lyrics at the end.
DinIntunerec: How do you find a balance between complexity and accessibility in your music?
Léo Luyckx: I think it is related to technicality and brutality…
Marco Martins: We try to simplify the most possible. The last album is a bit more technical, it has more to it in the instrumental area. But, we always try to make it accessible for everyone and also for us. Because we want to record the songs exactly like they are supposed to be played live. We are not extremely technical musicians, we just want to play the songs that are meant to be played. And we need to simplify sometimes the key, also not overdo stuff.
DinIntunerec: What’s the hardest part about composing a song? Is it the riffs, lyrics, or something else?
Léo Luyckx: It’s the riffs, for me, the riffs for sure…
Marco Martins: Yes, the riffs…the almighty riffs… After the riffs, the lyrics. Because we focus a lot on the lyrics afterwards. That’s one of the main points of interest nowadays in the band. Since Quiescence, it’s become one of the focuses. They have to be well written, they must have some kind of science related terms and explanations for happenings. That’s very important. Because, like I said, the story can be simple. But it has to be something real around it, scientifically speaking, of course.
DinIntunerec: What has been your most memorable live performance so far, and what made it stand out?
Léo Luyckx: Obscene Extreme, I would say!
Marco Martins: Yes, and also we were surprised by several festivals. Last year, there was a cool festival in France. We were very surprised since the very beginning, of the organization, everything. The way people reacted to the music, to the concert itself. Obscene Extreme for sure, because of the crowd. The crowd, the organization again. I don’t know, so many.
Léo Luyckx: Chicago Domination Fest, at least for me… The performance was top notch, and the response we got from the crowd was incredible. Insane, I would say… Anyway, there are so many more!
DinIntunerec: Do you have any specific rituals or routines before going on stage?
Léo Luyckx: Yes, I do. Usually, I’m that kind of guy that is very stressed about the performance that I deliver. So I need to concentrate a lot. Usually, before the shows, about one hour prior to the show, I isolate myself. I need to isolate and not have contact with anyone, because this is the way I can get into the mood and concentrate. What I mean is that I’m not forcing it, it’s natural. I need to be with myself. Usually, I’m just walking back and forth, just getting into the mood of the show. That’s it, yeah, at least for me.
Marco Martins: I don’t have a special routine, I just need to warm up 30 minutes before and that’s it.
DinIntunerec: What do you enjoy most about performing live to your fans? Also, what’s the most exciting part of being on tour as a death metal band?
Léo Luyckx: So, what do I enjoy the most about performing live? For me, it’s when I’m delivering the best performance in terms of tightness, if I feel that the energy between the band is flowing, that’s what makes a very good live show. If I feel like the performance is there, I’m really happy going out on stage. If I feel like I’m not into it, if I’m not playing as tight as I want, then I feel more disappointed. For me, it’s very important that the band cohesion is there to deliver the best performance possible to the fans. That’s the most important thing. It’s not just about myself, it’s about the way people absorb the music.
Marco Martins: Yeah, that’s exactly it. For example, we were talking about this venue and the organization. Until now, everything has been perfect, five stars. And we feel we have the time to relax, we have the time to speak to people, to have conversations, to chill a bit because we really need it… I’ve been travelling since Thursday. Sometimes it’s not possible to relax, we arrive to the venue and we just play. But, in this case, for example, we have time and I go on stage with the positive feeling that it’s going to be alright and everything is going to be great for everyone, because everyone is happy, everyone has time to eat, to do everything they want to. When we are on stage, if everything is okay with everyone, usually everything goes five stars.
DinIntunerec: Who or what are your main musical influences? Are there any non-metal genres that have inspired your sound?
Marco Martins: For sure, yes. At least in my case, because I don’t really listen to death metal a lot. I mostly listen to 80s rock. Some pop, of course, because of the classics. I really listen to a lot of 80s: Glam, Hard Rock, 80s pop, like I said. Outside of metal, jazz for sure, and a lot of prog rock as well, from the 70s, 80s. That’s my thing.
DinIntunerec: How do you keep your sound fresh while staying true to the roots of death metal? Let me get a bit more specific: death metal is kind of repetitive, with a lot of clichés and patterns. Somehow you managed to brake most of the patterns and that’s how you stand out.
Léo Luyckx: Honestly, I don’t know how to explain this.
Marco Martins: Me neither, but all I can say is that it came naturally.
Léo Luyckx: I think it is due to our musical influences…
Marco Martins: Actually if I think better about it, Léo is right… It is the musical knowledge of everyone combined, because, like I said, I don’t listen much to death metal. Brutal death, sometimes, but I don’t listen to this kind of music a lot. I was able, not just me, but me in the beginning, and the other guys later, to bring the melody and the things that I liked from the 80s era somehow. And the prog part. I don’t know how to explain it. But, somehow we managed to bring those little things that stood out somehow. We still don’t know exactly how it came to be.
DinIntunerec: How do you feel the current death metal scene compares to when you first started?
Marco Martins: I don’t know how to explain this, but I feel like it changed a lot. Eleven years ago, I had another perspective on things, honestly. I knew a lot of bands that play this genre of music, but I didn’t know much about the genre itself. So, in the beginning, we tried to mimic those bands, but eventually things changed, because we incorporated our own style to that. While trying to mimic, we managed to do something different. We found our identity. However, now there are way more bands… the death metal underground has become very crowded, because technology and the internet have given everyone the opportunity to record and release music easily.
DinIntunerec: As a band, how do you maintain creative synergy and avoid burnout?
Marco Martins: We just take our time. The album before Quiescence was released in 2017. We composed the songs between 2015 and 2016. Then, we took almost five years to release Quiescence. In the end, we only composed the album in 2021. So, we had around four years without composing almost anything. We took our time and reached the point when we felt it was time do release something new. To finish finish the album… and we are doing the same for the next one.
DinIntunerec: What are the challenges of balancing personal lives with the demands of being in a band?
Léo Luyckx: In my case, I have the chance to be independent, I don’t have a regular job. I’m giving lessons, and I can arrange my personal life around the band quite easily, I would say. However, it’s not easy. I need to practice constantly, I need to be sharp. Many times, I need to make compromises and also to be ready to travel a lot.
No time for sleeping much… I mean, that’s not easy. But for me, as I love music, and playing, I can say that I’m passionate about all this, really. I think that’s the main drive in my perspective, because I love it so much that it’s not an effort for me to do it. Even if it’s an effort and it’s tiring in the end. Another thing worth mentioning is that one needs to get along well with the other members of the band, like in our case, and that’s another thing that makes the effort easier …
Marco Martins: For me, it’s almost the same. I work by myself, I’m self-employed. This is the only way it works out. If we had a 9-to-5 job, it would be almost impossible to make this happen this way. Or touring, or being always active in music, or graphic design. I’m a graphic designer. Most of all I do graphics for bands. Also, I deal with the promotion and release the CDs. I also have a label. I work with a lot of bands from the genre in the whole world. This has been my life since I finished university, basically. I’ve been doing this for almost 8-9 years. Full time. And this is the only way it’s possible to balance everything.
DinIntunerec: What’s the most rewarding part of being in Analepsy?
Léo Luyckx: That’s a great question I have never been asked this. For me, the feedback of the crowd is the most rewarding… it’s insane. I’ve never been in a band that got that amount of recognition, and I feel very grateful for that. Honestly, it’s a blessing for me to be part of that.
Marco Martins: Yes, for me it is the same. Even though I am one of the founders, cause we were two. I feel blessed that this worked out so well. I was going to say without effort, but it took a lot of effort. What I actually mean is that it worked out in a natural way, unforced, without anything artificial.
DinIntunerec: What can fans expect next from Analepsy, both musically and visually? Any upcoming plans you might share?
Marco Martins: Well, we can share something. Not much, but… So, we are composing a new album. Throughout this year, we are going to have some new releases. We will share more about that in the future, in the near future. But before the album is out, there will be new music. We are working on it at the moment, while we are composing the new album, of course. Regarding visuals, we are still working on it, we are still thinking about the concept itself, while we are still finishing the songs. Like I said before, that’s the last part, after the songs are completed.
DinIntunerec: What is the most important life lesson that you have learned so far?
Léo Luyckx: For me, there are several lessons. First of all, hard work pays off, because if you want to achieve a certain level, you have to work very hard. For example, in my case, technically I have to be on point. I have to create content, I have to be active. So, never give up, I would say, that’s the first lesson.
The second lesson, in my perspective, is to be grateful and thankful for what you have. For me, that’s the lesson I’ve learned recently, to be honest. Not always striving for more is the best attitude. Sometimes feeling grateful, is more appropriate, for example, I feel very lucky to be in Analepsy band, and I am aware that hard work pays off. But, it’s also a matter of being in the right place at the right moment. Not everyone has the chance to achieve that. So, that’s why sometimes I feel very thankful.
Marco Martins: This very moment is so emotional! That’s the truth, Léo, you told me this in the past, but I like to hear this again, because it makes me feel very happy.
I don’t know if someone else can even understand… Léo is a friend of mine, that I met way later in the band’s life, but he’s someone who really loves the band the same way I do. This is my child, you know? It’s been ten years of my life since I’ve been working on this non-stop, and it’s amazing to have someone to share the passion. It’s one of the most beautiful things.
DinIntunerec: I totally get understand what you mean, and I’m so glad that out conversation created this special moment.
Marco Martins: Well, you’re good… I must give you that. This conversation advanced so naturally and we have felt so relaxed that we almost forgot it’s an interview and very deep and honest stuff have come out!
DinIntunerec: Thank you! Now, let’s go on…What about you, Marco? What is your most valuable life lesson as an artist?
Marco Martins: I agree that hard work pays off. Even though I don’t feel it to be that hard, as it comes out of passion… It’s hard work, but we are doing it because we love this. Also, we see things happening, and we just work naturally.
DinIntunerec: Thank you for your time, any final words before the show?
Marco Martins: So, expect new music, like we said, very soon, a new album soon as well, hopefully. We are working on it slowly, but it’s getting there. We won’t rush it, however… When it comes, it comes… If it doesn’t come, we just need to wait for it. Also, thank you for your support, thank you for this interview, see you at the show, enjoy it, cause we surely will!
Léo Luyckx: See you at the show. Thank you for everything, for the support.
