UFOMAMMUT
Ufomammut formed in the late 90s by Poia (guitars, FXs) and Urlo (bass, vocals, FXs, synths), rising from the ashes of past band Judy Corda, for which both members took care of their own graphics – tape covers, gig posters and the like, together with Vita (drums)
For over 20 years, the band has combined the heaviness and majesty of dynamic riff worship with a nuanced understanding of psychedelic tradition and history in music, creating a cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound destined for absolute immersion.
Since the beginning, Ufomammut has always been in search of its own sonic way: developing from a primordial acid album like “Godlike Snake”, the band focused on a more mature and evil sound with the second work “Snailking”.
The third album “Lucifer songs”, opened new and unexpected doors, being the result of a mature and tight-knit band willing to experiment whilst maintaining its dna.
With monolithic and repetitive riffs submerged by a psychedelic and magmatic sound, “Idolum” brought the band to a new level of sound.
Eve, the fifth album, comprised of one 45-minute atmospheric track, divided into five distinct movements (acts as a living homage to the first woman on Earth, and the rebellion to her creator for bringing knowledge to Mankind) comes out in 2010.
Eve is an undeniably infectious and utterly devastating piece of doom metal art.
ORO is the title for Ufomammut’s sixth album and it marks the beginning of a collaboration with the American label Neurot Recordings.
It’s divided into ten massive movements overall which has been delivered in two separate pieces during 2012: the first chapter called Opus Primum and the second chapter called Opus Alter.
Although Oro’s two chapters have been released months apart from each other, they must be considered as a single track in which the musical themes and the sounds show up and hide, mutating and evolving, progressively and increasingly stratifying culminating in the crushing final movement.
Since 2013, Ufomammut have been slowly working on a video project, a dvd featuring over three hours of live footage (including “Magickal Mastery Live”, a 12 song live act), interviews, and outtakes.
Titled XV, this audiovisual experience also presents a documentary about the first 15 years of the band.
“Ecate” is the seventh album and it’s dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess of the three worlds.
It is composed of six separate tracks, each one is a representation of one of her many manifestations. This album is surely an evolution in terms of composition and song structure. “Ecate” takes the epic nature of their last Neurot release, “ORO”, and distills it further into something more concise, aggressive, and yet as complex as the goddess, Ecate herself.
8 is the 8thalbum of the band, out in 2017 and it’s comprised of 8 tracks that flow into each other without interruption.
8 is a continuous flux of music, a singular entity, which can be defined in micro measurements by its 8 satellite songs. Each track expands upon the preceding song, unfolding into an exceedingly dense and malevolent journey, resulting in this being Ufomammut’s most extreme venture yet, with no room for breathing space in the 48 minutes.
In 2019 the band celebrated 20 years of career realizing XX, a box set collecting all the albums plus a new recording of six revisited tracks, re-recorded during an European tour at the beginning of that year.
In 2020 Vita left the band and Levre joined Ufomammut.
In 2022 Ufomammut are back with Fenice (meaning Phoenix in Italian), their 9th studio album.
The new album symbolically represents endless rebirth and the ability to start again after everything seems doomed. The album is the first recording with new drummer Levre, and truly marks a new chapter in the band history.
Fenice is the sound of a band whose very essence has been rejuvenated, and are welcoming the chance to create music in the way they know best; by unfolding carefully and attentively, by melding those extreme dynamics which render Fenice as a living and breathing creature – and by writing gargantuan riffs that herald their very rebirth.
Poia and Urlo are both founding members of rock ‘n’ roll graphic design collective Malleus, and of the label Supernatural Cat (who most recently put out the solo albums of Urlo, under the name, The Mon).
Like any good psychedelic trip, the music of Ufomammut has always been inextricably intertwined with visual art. Poia describes longer compositions “like a painting” as if to reinforce the relevance and importance of visual art in Ufomammut’s music.
DISCOGRAPHY
STUDIO ALBUMS
– Godlike Snake – LP/CD – (Beard of Stars) – (2000)
– Snailking – LP/CD – (The Music Cartel) (2004)
– Lucifer Songs – LP + DVD/CD + DVD – (Rocket Recordings/Supernatural Cat) (2005)
– Supernaturals: Record One – w/ Lento – CD – (SupernaturalCat) (2007)
– Idolum – LP/CD – (Supernatural Cat) (2008)
– Eve – LP/CD – (Supernatural Cat) (2010) – CASS (2015)
– Oro: Opus Primum – CD (Neurot Recordings)/LP (Supernatural Cat) (2012)
– Oro: Opus Alter – CD (Neurot Recordings)/LP (Supernatural Cat) (2012)
– Ecate – CD (Neurot Recordings)/LP (Supernatural Cat) (2015)
– 8 – CD and LP (Neurot Recordings)/LP (Supernatural Cat) (2017)
– XX – BOX SET – CD and LP (Supernatural Cat) (2019)
– Fenice – CD and LP (Neurot Recordings)/limited edition LP (Supernatural Cat) (2022)
COMPILATIONS
Stone Deaf Forever! (2000)
Blue Explosion (tribute to Blue Cheer) (2000)
The Mob’s New Plan (2001)
VIDEOS
Lucifer Songs (DVD) (2005)
Eve (DVD) (2010)
Oro (DVD) (2012)
XV: Fifteen Years of Ufomammut (DVD) (2014)
SINGLES
Warsheep – from the album 8 – written and directed Malleus Rock Art Lab (2017)