ECHOES OF DESPAIR – VICENTE PAYÁ
Art: Daemorph
Bio: Unbounded Terror was formed in 1991 (Mallorca, Spain) by Vicente Paya, driven by the emerging death metal scene around the world in those years. Thus, at the end of 1992, the band released their first album (and it was probably known as the first Death Metal album in Spain) called ‘Nest Of Affliction’. Today, this album is still considered by many as a ‘cult album’ on the national scene, a true cornerstone for many bands to follow soon after. The album was very well received inside and outside of Spain. The band would perform a very personal and unique form of death metal. This fact helped them to distance themselves from other contemporary bands more inclined to mimic the main death metal bands of those days. Unfortunately, in 1993 the band ended its activity due to internal problems and musical disagreements. Vicente, founding member and leader of Unbounded Terror, left on an indefinite hiatus. He formed another classic and pioneering band in the Spanish Death-Doom scene called Golgotha, releasing five full-length albums from 1995 to now. Finally, in 2020, after 26 years of inactivity, he relished the band with new partners, recording ‘Faith In Chaos’ (via Xtreem Music, with a deal for more albums to come), which represents a return to the action of Unbound Terror. With this new lineup and loads of new ideas, the band continues to make music non-stop, releasing an E.P. called ‘Infernal Judgment’ in 2021. This year in September, the latest work called ‘Echoes Of Despair’ has been released, recorded and mixed at Black Night Studios by Vicente Paya and mastered by Javier Fernandez.
My way of composing is straightforward; I like to do all the songs without pauses when I get to work. How long it takes, I don’t care. I want to think about the themes and arrangements at night when I go to sleep, and I get up early in the morning and execute everything I have thought of. And so until the end of the album. I have to finish what he begins and not give it a thousand turns because he does not lose the essence I gave him at the beginning of the composition.
My philosophy is to live and let me live; I do not accept politics or religion. Everything looks pretty false to me, but we live in a society where you must take all those lies, which is very frustrating. My best way to escape is my music and get away from it all. Be news, vote etc. As I mentioned before, my lyrics talk about all this. If you pay attention, you can apply them to the facts of this false life we are all forced to live.
From my point of view, it is a cult worship for thousands of people who, in a certain way, love this style of music. It is a way of understanding our frustration at being branded as different by the music they do not understand and do not fit into their doctrines. It is freedom. Mine started in the 80s with AC/DC when I was 13. Since then, I have seen all the metal styles born. When Thrash, Death, Doom was born, I went for that aspect until today. Immolation, Morbid Angel, Demigod, and Sentenced changed my attitude and made me start a band like Unbounded Terror. I don’t know if I should call him an idol, but I do have a person whom I have to thank for his great support and his great work so that death metal was known nationally in Spain and supported many Spanish bands. He is still just as involved today. That’s Dave Rotten.
I like to record at 5 am at dawn; I feel most comfortable just waking up! When I record and compose simultaneously, I get so involved that my head doesn’t switch off; I have the songs in my head at all hours, overriding all my thoughts.
I don’t have any people outside of metal that I admire or aspire to be. I try to be myself with my experiences, learning day by day. There are many musicians that I admire and enjoy watching. I don’t have one in particular, and I could name many.
Music is everything to me; it is my way of life and accompanies me at all hours. It is a continuum in my life. I listen, I compose, I produce, I record. A world without music would be very dull. Everyone listens to music because they enjoy it, it evades reality, it brings back a memory, they dance to it, etc. Music unites many people, sometimes of the same style; metal, we all indeed understand each other. We talk, share, and give our opinions like a family. We are loyal to our bands for many years to come. Some are just one more entertainment. For me, they are those great masses that only know about radio formulas. Fashion topics, and they forget, and they go for another one.
Yes, I always listen to metal, but I like the 70s progressive, proto-doom metal bands. I like 80s bands like The Police, Supertramp, Dire Straits, etc. Early punk like Discharge, Exploited, U.K. Subs, GBH, etc. I recommend many bands like Avulsed, Aposento, Obscure, Dormanth, Handle With Hate, Velkhanos, Decrapted, Yskelgroth, Bis·nte, etc. All Spanish, of course.
www.unboundedterror.com
