Sergio Catalán ‘’Death Wash Over Me’’ expresses some anger in several ways but it also has a very melancholic vibe, it incorporates different feelings, things like regret, autocriticism, depression, sadness, and suicidal ideation. These concepts are all within the music and the melodies, and also in the lyrics. It is a much more poetic album in some ways. For instance, when it talks about “My Feet Don’t Touch the Floor” or “Blood Wash Over Me” it expresses the idea of being washed over by death-suicide in a much more poetic way. And just to clarify, it doesn´t mean that these are things that I support, it is just an expression of what suicidal ideation means to those who have these kinds of thoughts. I know that people think about these things every day, I understand why and how, and I think talking about these things demands being honest and straightforward, not denial of these thoughts and ideas.
Winds of Tragedy is the creation of Sergio Catalán, a sole project that explores intense themes with a brutality and honesty that is despairing and aggressive. The bleakness of DSBM and its subjects is laid bare. ‘’Death Wash Over Me’’ is the new album and it is darker and more harrowing than his previous work.
‘’Yes, in a way is totally different to my previous release, Hating Life. The topics are on the same vibe, but this is a more mature work, and the themes are much more developed. Hating Life is a very aggressive album that reflected my mood and what I thought at the time. Musically, this new album incorporates a totally different style of vocals, much more desperate and hysterical. It also features two guest vocalists, Void (former vocalist of Sorry…) and Kenna (current vocalist of Sorry…).
The sense of inevitability?
‘’It talks about inevitability in the sense that believe we will all suffer in this world and there is no point in seeking not to. I support the idea of accepting suffering and embracing change, this is what life is about. Not suffering, not passing though hardship, which is no way of living, not for me at least.
How do you describe DSBM?
‘’I see DSBM as a way of expressing extreme thoughts of depression and suicidal ideation, it is a way to cope with the suffering, you can literally hear the pain and despair through the music. I do association with DSBM, it influences all my music through my bands “Winds of Tragedy” and “My Dearest Wound” and I also promote some releases though my label “End My Life Records” (a sub-label of “Tragedy Productions”).
‘’One thing I would like to make clear is that we are not promoting the idea of suicide, on the contrary, I want people that are suffering to understand that they are not alone, more people are fighting depression and having all these bad thoughts, and some of us just deal with it through music, other will find other ways. The point here is that there is nothing to be ashamed of, we should talk, discuss, find ways to cope, and not hide.
Your definition of Extreme Music
‘’I consider my albums serious and honest explorations of topics such as depression, self-harm, and suicide. These subjects are not just themes—they are real and pervasive issues that demand a raw and genuine approach. This is why my music is always on the extreme side of metal because the emotions ands feelings are on the edge. This music is written for the hidden, often unacknowledged parts of the soul—the places where pain, despair, and vulnerability reside. These are the corners we rarely allow others to see.
Is your music more of an emotion rather than a genre?
‘’In some ways yes, because I always have a tough time trying to pinpoint a specific genre to my music. Others too, for instance, people have described “Death Wash Over Me” as black metal, Depressive Black Metal, Blackened Doom, Melodic Black Metal, DSBM….so I guess they are all right in some ways, although it is always much more about the expression of ideas and emotions than sticking to a specific genre.
Does it represent more than just a sound but a unique perspective on the world?
‘’I like the idea of being a unique perspective of the world. I have very specific ideas, and beliefs. I don’t expect everyone to follow the way I do things or live my life, but I express most of these in my albums and also in the ay I work in music. I demand full dedication from myself, immersion into the process, I don’t set any artistic boundaries. It is exhausting and draining in some ways, but it yields results for me. I know I have something good when I can listen to it a lot myself. I actually listen to my own albums and music a lot, I like the way it sounds and the way it expresses ideas, it helps me cope.
Extreme Music is timeless.
‘’The possibilities today are limitless, globalization really reached musicians. Today, you can collaborate and write music with anyone around the globe, and you can do it from home or wherever you want. The technology we have available today is cheap and reachable for most people. Many musicians can have great results without spending huge amounts of money as in the past. I see music growing in quantity and quality, musical ideas form different cultures and realities mixing and this can only yield different results, it’s great times to be a musician from the creative perspective.
However, from a financial perspective it’s a disaster, nobody in the underground makes money making music and physical sales are slim to none. Personally, I think physical products still have a niche, but there is no way it is sustainable for most of the underground bands out there.
The biggest misconception about your music? Is it a case of being honest rather than negative?
‘’Yes, I think this is a good point. I am honest about thoughts and feelings; I don’t hold back anything when it comes to artistic expression in my music. However, it doesn’t necessary mean I am promoting these topics or ideas for people to replicate them. It is more a way of coping and bonding than something to imitate. I know that it helps, I constantly receive many messages from people all around the world who tell me they felt identified with my music and that it helped them cope through their own experiences.
You are very creative, is the next release planned? Will it pursue a different Path?
‘’I am currently immersed in the next “My Dearest Wound Album.” It will be something a bit different to the last one. It will be something honest and straightforward; I want to experiment a lot more vocally this time and I think that in this aspect it will be much more extreme and different to what I have done before. There is a lot of things I want to say trough my music and this is my chance to say them.
Final thoughts?
‘’I want to thank you Sparky for reaching out to me and for letting me share my thoughts about my music. I am always available to anyone to talk about music or anything in general. Please feel free to reach put to me via IG @windsoftragedy @tragedyproductions.
Links:
Top 6 albums of all time?
Celestial Season – Solar Lovers
Before the Rain – One Day Less
I’m in Coffin – Waste of Skin
My Dying Bride – The Dreadful Hours
Shape of Despair – Angels of Distress
Funeral – Tragedies
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