Hi guys! I recently learned from your label info that your bandhistory is about 15 years old. So I'm curious why I didn't hear anything about you in the german scene. Please introduce yourself to our reader in your few own words.

Carmelo:   Me and my brother started 15 years ago, but NOVEMBRE begun in 1994 actually. We were going around through the underground Death Metal scene of the late 80's early 90's, that was xeroed fanzines, (which later on become important magazines), tape trading circuits, things like that... By the way, it's strange you didn't hear about us, we used to be signed with a German label, then we played twice at the Gotik Wave Treffen and toured Germany twice with MOONSPELL, KREATOR, then with OPETH and KATATONIA. This year it's been the third time. Still with our brothers in arms KATATONIA. We gigged in Berlin, Cologne, Essen, Karlsruhe and Hamburg... Great shows. Berlin was just amazing…

  Your bandmates are about 30 plus somewhat years old. So you started very early. When did the serious time for making music begin, and how did your musical style change from history to now?

Carmelo:   We've always been serious about it. In '94 we changed the name of the band as we were developing our style towards the way it is today. Even tough we've been listening and playing extreme Death Metal like early DEATH, SLAYER, PESTILENCE, BOLT THROWER, CARCASS, AUTOPSY and such, at some stage PARADISE LOST and the related Gothic Doom scene broke in and PL's "Gothic" album was such a shock for us. It became possible to combine Death Metal with melody, anger with some other passion than that... It was possible to express deeper feeling through Metal.

  Your kind of music is very hard to describe - it's progressive, but always sounds like easy listening. How would you describe your style?

Carmelo:   It's very hard to define us. Many tried, few or none succeeded. I can only say we have roots in the Heavy Metal like those bands I forementioned. Now you can consider us contemporary of sophisticated Metal acts like OPETH, KATATONIA, RAPTURE, BEYOND DOWN. But before all this there's a strong influence from the long forgotten melodies of the 80's, sadly lost...

  Listening to your very soft and harmonic material it's very strange to hear about a tour with WITCHERY and KREATOR. How did the thrashing audience response to your music?

Carmelo:   That tour fitted ok with the album we were supporting back then, which is "Classica". That one sounds more aggressive. There were grinding blasts here and there and so much screaming anger from it. I remember we had a great feedback.

  On your website I found a foto with you and Piggy (RIP) from VOIVOD. Did you ever play together on a tour?

Carmelo:   Unfortunately not. That pic was taken at one of their shows here in Italy in 96. I consider myself a lucky guy having known him.

  I don't know if Piggys unique way to play guitar had any influences on you, but your named influences are surprising, too. The long list consists of nice combinations from MAYHEM to BJOERK. So is the style of NOVEMBRE a compromise, or are you all so open minded with a wide range of musical interest?

Carmelo:   Piggy is hell of an influence for NOVEMBRE. I think the most like-sounding VOIVOD album is Angelrat. For the rest, NOVEMBRE is the result of a thousand influences, and the one we named on our MySpace profile are those most important. Can't certainly name anything influences me.

  'Comedia' starts with some real blast beats - but not very long. Aren't you interested in playing more hard and fast material, or are the alternative/metal guitars with calm vocal melodies the more variable way to express your music?

Carmelo:   We've always written our albums in the flow, simply respecting anything our unconscious wells would lovingly give us. It would be a mortal sin to spoil this gift with something else in order to please someone. The "Wish I Could Dream It Again..." album was so aggressive here and there. The "Arte Novecento", which is the second one, came out very quite, sad, melancholic, "Classica" is our most aggressive to date even though there were songs like 'Nostalgiaplatz' in it, and so on. We just release albums according to our mood. I don't know how I will feel like tomorrow but I know I can't get away from "Materia", I keep listening to it at least once a day.

  Indeed, most of your new songs sound very melancholically, but the lyrics don't give a simple explanation. Which feelings had influences on your songwriting?

Carmelo:   You know, our lyrics deal right with our feelings, the deepest ones, those you don't wanna hold inside and need to get out, those you are ashamed to talk about, that's why they're expressed in poetry. Poetry, indeed, is needed to mask the whole thought, more or less just like dreams do.

  Did you ever think about using the commercial possibilities of your songs? Your Voice sometimes remembers me on HIMs Ville, and the progressive element is hidden very good behind an easy alternative sound.

Carmelo:   Thanx so much for your words, much appreciated [smiling from one ear to the other] but still, going commercial is not for us. I'm not even sure we could do that. We're musicians, pretty much old styled, our only purpose in making true music, faithful to itself, to ourself.

  I thank you for your time - nice to know you better now!

Carmelo:   Same with you mate.