The Sicilian underground scene is one of the most vibrant and compelling in Italy, home to countless legendary and emerging bands that have helped shape and strengthen its identity over the years. Among them are the Darkvoid, formed in 2020, who have recently become one of the region’s most active and driven acts, not only through a steady stream of new material, but also thanks to their commitment to supporting and promoting the local scene itself.
Their latest single, I, Malevolence, released in 2025, is just the newest chapter in a journey that may still be in its early stages, yet has already reached an impressive milestone step by step, now seemingly ready for the definitive breakthrough. And there’s no better person to tell that story than Alessandro Riva, vocalist, frontman, and founder of the band.
Hi Alessandro, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. First of all, introduce Darkvoid: how, when, and why was the band born?
“The project didn’t actually start as a band, but more as a personal whim of mine, you could say. Back in late 2019 and early 2020, I was already playing in a band called Howls of Grey, which had thrash, death, and even grind influences. At the same time, though, I decided to start my own project, initially just to record a few covers. The original idea was either a cover band or a one-man band where I would record all the instruments by myself. Then Howls of Grey eventually split up because of the pandemic, various commitments, and some internal disagreements, and that became the perfect opportunity to truly start the project. During the lockdown, between March and April, I began composing the first songs on my own. Later, I contacted our current drummer, Antonio Valentino, who helped me remotely with the rhythmic sections of the first singles I recorded. Around that same time, I had started reading some Lovecraft stories, which really helped me get through that period… it was fantastic. That’s when I thought: ‘Why not write a few songs inspired by those themes?’ Of course, it’s not exactly original—many bands have dedicated albums and songs to Lovecraft—but in the end it became the excuse to begin a different journey while involving other friends as well. Because, essentially, Darkvoid is not a group of strangers; it’s a group of friends with whom I’ve shared experiences, adventures, and moments that eventually aligned with my ideals and the desire to create our first work together, The Great Horror. Everyone recorded their parts at home with whatever equipment they had, in a very difficult and complicated process. We never even experienced that classic phase of rehearsing songs together in a rehearsal room, but in the end I’d say it turned out pretty well.”
Let’s move on to the technical and stylistic side. I noticed that the band’s sound is a death metal heavily influenced by melody, but it changed slightly from, for example, Our Last Breath to the EP The Great Horror, and I’m not just talking about the production. What were the steps and influences that led you to this result?
“Our Last Breath was the result of an obsession I developed during the pandemic: Morbid Angel. Listening constantly to their early albums inspired that single. But it doesn’t stop there. On The Great Horror, for example, the title track clearly carries those influences as well, especially in the main riff. So yes, it’s clear that I genuinely love death metal and that it shaped me a lot, even though it wasn’t always that way. I grew up listening to metalcore and melodic death metal. Old-school death metal came later, but it completely drew me in, both the American scene, with bands like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Deicide, and the Swedish one. Mixing those influences together is what ultimately gave birth to our sound.”
From a conceptual point of view, where did the Lovecraft inspiration come from? You said it was the main source of inspiration, but was it more a way to give meaning to the project, or because you wanted to create a sort of conceptual identity?
“I needed a starting point—I had to begin from something. So, in reality, it wasn’t originally meant to become the band’s main focus. At first, I wrote those songs simply because I wanted material for a first EP. During lockdown, the only thing I could really do to pass the time was read Lovecraft stories, and that inspired me to create the project. I’m grateful to him for keeping me company and for inspiring those songs, which I personally still love very much. After the EP, though, I started reflecting more deeply on the meaning behind the band’s name. It goes beyond just Lovecraft and cosmic horror—it also touches on something much more human.”
Which albums had the biggest impact on you musically and helped shape the style of Darkvoid?
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Trivium, so all those influences I mentioned before—especially the metalcore side—come mainly from them. As for albums, I absolutely have to mention Ascendancy, which was fundamental for my songwriting style. In fact, the song Dream Fever was deliberately inspired by Trivium. Another hugely important album was Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates, and I really hope to explore that kind of sound even more in the future. Finally, I’d also say Torture by Cannibal Corpse—that album definitely influenced me a lot as well.”
Tell me a bit about the lineup in general. How do you feel as a group? Have your ideas always aligned within the project?
“Each of us has different influences. The drummer, who was also in Howls of Grey, is heavily influenced by Bay Area thrash, so we’ve never really had problems working together—except maybe with some of my metalcore influences, but in the end I somehow managed to make him appreciate them too. The guitarists are also very different from one another: Riccardo Santoro is deeply rooted in old-school death metal, while Gabriele Adragna has a much groovier approach. Our first bassist, on the other hand, wasn’t really into metal at all—he came more from rock and blues—but he was still incredibly important to us. Our current bassist is more into nu metal. At first, I thought all these different influences couldn’t coexist, but now I can honestly say they work perfectly together. Of course, the core idea behind the genre and the direction of the band comes from me, but everyone has contributed something personal, and over time their influence on the music will definitely become even more important.”
In Italy we have a very broad underground scene, even if it’s not always properly recognized. Coming from Sicily, you are definitely one of the most interesting emerging bands, but there are also many other important acts. Which bands would you mention, and what’s the current state of the Sicilian underground scene?
“Inchiuvatu are definitely among the most important, but I’d also mention Schizo. Playing with Darkvoid also allowed us to get in touch with bands closer to our own reality, like Duskvoid—friends of ours, and a band that also features our guitarist Riccardo—who play old-school death metal, and Nihil, a younger band with a pure metalcore sound. As for the current state of the Sicilian scene, I have to say that compared to the pre-pandemic years, what came after absolutely exploded. At the first concerts I attended between 2022 and 2023, I saw huge numbers of young people. I thought the scene was dying, but I completely changed my mind.”
One of the positive aspects of social media is the direct connection with fans and listeners. Have you received any particular demonstrations of affection over the years?
“Yes, especially around the Catania area, where there’s a very strong underground movement both because of its history and tradition, and because of a major generational renewal. Part of that is also because we’re one of the few bands offering a more modern sound, so whether people genuinely listen to us or turn us into a meme, they still end up listening and following us. Also, many young people in Catania are friends with Riccardo, who has done an incredible job spreading our music and getting a lot of people our age to hear us. We obviously don’t have massive numbers, but we’ve still managed to build something meaningful.”
You’ve already shown your abilities through these singles and with the EP released in 2024, but now people are expecting a full-length album. What should we expect?”
“The first official full-length is definitely coming—it’s in our plans and we’re already working on it. There will still be melody, but in the most brutal sense possible, and there’s one big change: the album will have nothing to do with Lovecraft. We’re trying to create a much more personal concept, because Darkvoid can’t just be about horror stories—it also has to explore human interiority and all its struggles. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
And we can’t wait to hear it! Thank you so much for this interview. I’ll always be available for any future updates.
“Thank you, and see you soon.”
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