Doomed Confessionary: Christopher & Javier (TodoMal)
Hailing from Barcelona, Spain, TodoMal (translates as “all wrong” or “all evil”) came to life in the year zero of our era, 2020. A personal combination of the solemnity of traditional doom metal with the profusion of space-rock, TodoMal’s backdrop is the vast, placid and depressing desolate wasteland of the Spanish plains. TM crosses the dark sea of doom metal’s orthodoxy to enter an oceanic chasm of as-yet unknown dimensions.
Formed by Christopher B. Wildman and Javier Fernández (Asgaroth, Nexus 6, The Heretic, Dejadeath, etc.), TodoMal bring a new collection of “dark songs” (as they like to define it), which began with the seeds planted in »Ultracrepidarian«, their debut album. Music has evolved into a complex, dense, and unclassifiable album that takes us on a journey through somber landscapes, existential doubts, tragicomedy, and spiritual and personal unrest. TodoMal’s sophomore album »A Greater Good« was released on November 24th, 2023 via Ardua Music.
»A Greater Good« poses challenging questions, wrapped in music that is sometimes dark and at other times luminous, spanning from slow-tempo to progressive rock to quasi-mystical litanies. The path they embarked upon with their debut album, leading to desolate landscapes and the emptiness of the plateau, has continued into darker territories, reminiscent of tenebrist altarpieces, where doubts about what is right or wrong, what we do in this world to earn redemption, or why we have a nefarious tendency to destroy what we love are depicted against a smoldering forest.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a doom-prog, melodic/dark/epic rock/metal duo from Spain, making music since 2020. We have released two albums so far, and we are working on our third release nowadays.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Apart from plunging into a melodic style, we’re trying to bring the intricacies of our music to the stage and make it appear easy and digestible, even though it’s actually a complex wall of sound.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Your ability to complete two DIY albums from scratch as just a two-piece band and make them look and sound on par with most big label releases. The learning from this process has paid off.
What was your biggest regret?
Not having done it ten years ago.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We haven’t done shows as of yet, but we will soon announce dates. In the meantime, we’re working on our live set (with the help of some musician friends and audiovisuals) and setting the ball rolling.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Some arguably “average” acts are constantly glorified, while some talented, creative bands remain out of the public eye or systematically ignored.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
»The Gathering Wilderness« by Primordial and the fist Exit Calm album.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
“You haven’t achieved anything in music. Isn’t it time to give up?” That was the drive I needed at some point in my life to keep going, because that’s something someone who has given up on their passions would say.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Cheesy 80s AOR music.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Barcelona / Catalonia?
We’re not very involved in the scene. We prefer museums to concerts. We’ve even bought tickets for a show, gone to the nearest bar for a pre-drink, and ended up spending the whole night there, missing the entire festival without even realizing it.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Barcelona, late November.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
To keep the momentum going, play gigs, release another album, and continue developing TodoMal as far as we can, and hopefully play elsewhere in Europe.
How can people best support your band?
By buying our merchandise, vinyl, and CDs, supporting us on our social media channels, and attending our shows. That’s the magic recipe.
Do you have any messages for your listeners?
Thank you for your attention!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well