(We present Daniel Barkasi’s interview of Giovanni A. Vigliotti from the Floridian doom/death metal band Somnent, whose new album Heirloom will be released by Ardua Music on October 30th.)
As fall has begun, and winter will be right around the corner, the chill in the atmosphere cultivates the proper mindset for doom metal. A place where you don’t expect this sort of music to originate is the humid state of Florida, where a “cold” day usually constitutes maybe having to don a hoodie.
Somnent come from touristy central Florida, but they’re certainly not playing “It’s a Small World” or the like. The creative vehicle of Giovanni A. Vigliotti, Somnent’s official story began with an EP in Eventide in 2015 that gave a soulful expressiveness and a direct, crushing affront, showcasing plenty of potential. Two full-lengths followed with 2017’s Sojourn and 2021’s Gardens from Graves, as well as a live album recorded at the Doom Heart Fest, seeing the band grow in both creative zeal and stage presence.
Their sound can be described as ethereal yet harsh; beauteous while being demonstrably heavy. There’s as much My Dying Bride in them as there is Swallow the Sun, and Vigliotti has carved out a unique voice of his very own that’s on the precipice of breaking out fully.
Now armed with a new record in Heirloom and a new label in Ardua Music, Somnent is ready to take the next bold step into the shadowy unknown, of which we’ll have a full review in the coming days. Vigliotti himself is a humble fellow, whose influences are numerous and his ability obvious to all who indulge in his manifestations. We got the chance to have a chat about the long road that led to Heirloom, how he discovered this music in the first place within his personal journey, and even his favorite Marduk record. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
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Thanks for taking the time and sitting down to speak with me today. I hope the Florida sun isn’t too harsh today! Even fall down there can be brutal.
No problem at all, thanks for having me! Yeah, it’s still pretty hot out despite us reaching the end of September. But you know how it is!
As a now ex-Floridian, I certainly know the feeling of drowning in sweat after walking one of my dogs.
You’ve been a busy fellow, and it’s been a journey getting to your third album, Heirloom. “Severed Ties” and “The Feeding Hand” released as singles in 2024, and I’m sure it’s satisfying to see everything coming together. Would love to hear about how you got to the finish line and how everything came together.
Oh man, yeah I can hardly believe that it’s been two years since those songs were released. They were the first two songs I had completed for Heirloom, but I just continued to refine the remaining demos that I had initiated until I got them to a point where I felt like they weren’t boring for me to listen to and that I got everything out that I wanted to say. I honestly don’t feel like I’ve reached a finish-line just yet though.
Having listened to the album a bunch of times, there’s a directness in your songwriting this time around, while also not losing the finer details that have been a hallmark thus far.
I’m glad you picked up on that. I took that approach this time around, particularly with regard to the lyrics, because the album is intended to be a little bit like the “victims” being able to tell their tale.
Your music has always felt very personal, and this record comes across thematically as a very real outpouring of a lot of situations that many have experienced. The idea of telling one’s story is an important release.
Yeah, absolutely. Personally, I feel that being able to express ourselves in some form of art is vital to us. I know that the perception is probably that art is not a necessity, but I firmly believe that it is. And music for me is my main medium.
Expression is vital, no question. A lot of people don’t always do so, and it can be self-destructive. With mentioning music as your medium, I don’t typically associate the state of Florida as a breeding ground for doom metal. I think of the isolated winters of frigid northern Europe. When did this music come into your life and what made this genre resonate with you so much?
Oh, where do I begin! My very first exposure to the genre was probably around 2005 when I discovered Slumber on a CD sampler in FYE that they had sitting at the cash register. It contained a bunch of European metal bands that later would also become cornerstones to my musical development, like Insomnium and Marduk, but the lyrics and musical composition on the track “Conflict” just clicked for me. It sort of stimulated my mind’s eye in that it painted vivid pictures for me while listening. This was the first time I can recall something like that happening for me. So I decided to special order the CD and a couple of weeks later I went to pick it up. I still have that original CD and revisit it from time to time.
The Foreshadowing and Swallow the Sun were other bands that I just happened to stumble upon around that period as well, but at Virgin Megastore in what used to be Downtown Disney!
That moment when you discover this music is something that always sticks. You didn’t know that it was missing before you found it, but once you did, it’s like everything comes into focus.
I remember the Virgin Megastore. A shame, that record stores are far less common.
Yeah, I completely agree. And while I’m not a big fan of overly commercial establishments, having access to something like the Virgin Megastore was incredible for me back then. I was about 14 -15 in 2005. So I didn’t have a lot of ways to purchase new music if I didn’t find it in a store.
I think the reason why I resonate with the genre so much is the limitless array of emotions that the genre can allow me to express. Certain styles of metal (and other musical genres) have a relatively finite ability to channel certain feelings. But the style that we call doom, I find to be very liberating as a genre.
“The Peaceville Three” as they’re called was my introduction many years ago, when I first heard My Dying Bride’s Turn Loose the Swans, which is still my favorite doom release to date. I hear a lot of that ethos in Heirloom – especially within “Throne Aflame.” It gave me that same feeling. Transportive, in a way.
Just to be mentioned in the same paragraph as My Dying Bride is a huge honor for me, let alone if the music feels reminiscent of them in some way!
I’m sure you’ve heard about Towards the Sinister, with Aaron Stainthorpe, Calvin Robertshaw, Rick Miah, and Adrian Jackson creating a project to play a lot of those older My Dying Bride songs. It’s a shame how things have gone down there, but man, I’d love to see that in person.
I know, I haven’t been following the details too closely but that is something that would definitely be cool to see live. I did explore High Parasite’s music a little recently. Don’t know if you’ve given them a listen but pretty cool stuff there too.
I dig Forever We Burn a good bit. Jury is out for me on the new single, but it’s a very different avenue for Aaron, and he sounds really great with that gothic rock styling.
Having mentioned Swallow the Sun, that’s another influence I hear in the more melodic moments in your songs. “Where Silence Dwells” gives me that The Morning Never Came vibe, but with your own singular twist.
Oh I don’t think I could get away from their influence even if I tried. They were one of the bands that I learned how to song-write from.
It’s a part of Somnent’s sound, without question, but again, you do carve out your own niche. I think your vocal work goes a long way in defining your sound, with both your range and the emotiveness that’s so important in doom.
I appreciate that. I still don’t always feel like I’ve found “my voice” when it comes to writing. But I guess as long as I am able to transmit what I want to get across to the listener, then I’ve managed to do something right.
Developing that signature style I’m sure is a challenge in and of itself, especially with there being so many bands and releases each week. Standing out is tough, but I feel quality rises to the top when you wade through the muck.
I did notice that there was a theme to the cover art of the two singles that were released a few years ago, and the artwork for Heirloom. All a casket at a funeral. What does the artwork symbolize for you, and how important is it to have something that catches the eye? I know a good cover will always at the least get me to give an album a shot.
So the initial idea behind the record was the idea of a family that seems normal on the outside, well off even, but a look behind closed doors reveals a much darker reality. The casket(s) along with the individuals showing symbolize the individuals that have been affected the most by this “family” situation. The death that is depicted represents death of the self. And not in a spiritually enlightening way, more the opposite. Where the deception, manipulation, and abuse has gone on for so long, that the individuals involved are no longer themselves.
That’s an apt reflection on what people want to project as reality, and what that true reality can sadly be. Songs like “King of Ruin” and “Barren Mother” come off as songs referring to parental figures. Gripping tracks, too, musically speaking.
They definitely are. Originally I had the idea of this story to be tied back not only to a parental figure, but like a head-of-the-family. A great grandparent (or even older) that has perpetuated this way of being for generations. So if we explore that concept, there is still plenty to write about, hehe.
A definite narrative that could be very interesting to dive into I’m sure as an artist. I enjoy connective tissue with albums – Panzerfaust’s four-album arc The Suns of Perdition was brilliant, and Green Carnation’s recent trilogy, A Dark Poem.
Heirloom also represents a new era in joining up with Ardua Music. What drew you to partnering with them? An excellent landing spot for the band, I’d say.
I can’t say that I’ve listened to those, I’ll have to check them out! But Ardua was a natural choice for us. Having done releases with bands like Pantheïst, Marche Funèbre, Counting Hours, and Doom:VS, I knew that Heirloom would be at home here. Many of the bands on Ardua’s roster are bands that I have looked up to over the years.
Very different styles, those two albums – the first is punishing black metal, and the other is prog, but each fantastic in their own way.
Counting Hours is a favorite of mine. Ataraxie is also a part of their roster, if memory serves me right. You’re in excellent company, and none quite sound like Somnent. When it comes to modern standouts, Mother of Graves is another band doing super-cool things, along with yourself and a few others. I think Heirloom is that next step for you. What do you think is the most difficult aspect of progressing forward as an artist?
I don’t know if I have an answer that can apply to everyone, but I know for me the hardest part has just simply been continuing to do what I fell in love with when I was 12 years old and finding ways to refine my craft. Life tends to throw so much shit at you as the years go by, and the last thing that seems practical is to say to yourself “I’m going to sit down today and write a song” or “I’m going to practice a new scale” or whatever it may be. But I think if you do it for yourself first, then the rest doesn’t matter.
I think the bands that force it instead of allowing themselves to create naturally, you can hear it, and it doesn’t resonate nearly as much. Nobody should ever try something to the effect of “I want to sound like this band and this band.” That authenticity is important.
Yeah, I think having an influence or a few influences is great, because it’s sort of like being shown a method of communication that you didn’t know existed before. But then the next step from there would be, “How can I communicate in my own way?” And that’s what the biggest focus for me has been.
I couldn’t agree more.
I have to very quickly circle back before I forget – you mentioned Marduk as an early influence. My affinity for black metal runs very deep, and they were a gateway into that genre. What’s your favorite Marduk record? Those of the Unlight and Opus Nocturne are the essentials for me, and their recent work has been excellent as well.
This is probably really cliché, but the first album that I heard from them was Rom 5:12 and this one is still my favorite. I think the lyrical themes and melodies were some of their best. And I will always be a massive fan of Mortuus’ vocals.
Not at all! Rom 5:12 is a great album, and yes, his vocals are superb. If you haven’t listened to his band Funeral Mist, you absolutely should.
Heirloom releases on October 30th, so from the day we’re speaking, just a bit over a month out. What kind of plans do you have around the release, and what’s cooking as far as future live shows?
Well the October 30th date is perfect in that it’s just in time for the holidays – Halloween! But, we went with this release date due to the timing with our upcoming performance at Doom & Gloom Fest III in Tampa on the 14th of November. We figured it would be the perfect opportunity to play many of the new songs from Heirloom live and see how the audience reacts to them. We’re also trying to figure out plans for 2027 at the moment. But due to budgets, jobs, and family commitments, we probably will only be able to do a short run of shows and/or festivals. So I can’t say for certain what will happen just yet.
I want to thank you so much for all of your time today. Having heard the album, you should be very proud of what you’ve achieved. I’m sure the record is going to go over very well, and all the success to you! Hope to be able to catch you all live again in the near future.
Thank you as well, it was a pleasure to be able to do this and I’m very grateful you enjoyed the album. Really appreciate it and hope we can bring the new music to you one of these days soon!
Heirloom will be released on October 30 via Ardua Music. The album can be pre-ordered on CD via Ardua Music’s website and Bandcamp, and on digital via Somnent’s own Bandcamp page.
You can catch them in the Tampa area on November 14 at the aforementioned Tampa Doom & Gloom Fest III, for which you can get tickets here.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somnent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somnent_official
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@somnent_official