Doomed Confessionary: Francisco Visceral Rivera (Heráldica de Mandrake)
Heráldica de Mandrake is a doom metal band hailing from Santiago, Chile.
The band’s long-time lineup consisted of Francisco Visceral Rivera (guitars, vocals), Cristian Rivera (drums) and Vicente Zamorano (bass), who died by his own hand just a few days after this interview was written and sent to me. Heráldica de Mandrake’s upcoming album will be his last legacy as a musician. R.I.P.
Their albums tell the story of oppression, revolution and a dark age in an ancient civilization in the reign of Mandrake, a land before Pangea existed.
Heráldica de Mandrake’s most recent release is a double CD compilation »Magia Subversiva Metálica«, out on March 5th, 2024 via Manifectation Prods. and Kuyen Producciones.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Heráldica de Mandrake is a doom metal band influenced by bands like Saint Vitus, Reverend Bizarre, Warning, Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Paul Chain and some 70’s progressive dark rock. We tell the story of the world of Mandrake, a land before time. As we live in Chile we sing about systems of colonialism and oppression through symbolisms of sword and sorcery. We have one album and one EP with lots of unofficial tapes in between.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Two things: The production of our doble CD that compiles our first album »No hay caminos cortos a la libertad« and the following EP »Esto también pasará«. This is the first and maybe last time that both of these works are edited on CD under the name »Magia Subversiva Metálica«. It was pretty hard to make it real. Many labels were interested on it but when the time to finish it come, everyone just quit. Fortunately, our friend Danilo from Manifectation Prods. propose us to edit this work in a co-production together with Kuyen Producciones and finally we could make it. It’s almost sold out right now.
Here are some links if someone out there is interested: Nuclear War Now!, Caligari Records and of course the lables manifectation@gmail.com and kuyenprod@gmail.com.
And by the other hand, the most difficult challenge until now: the composition and recording of our new album that it wouldn’t be possible without the help and patience of my brother Cristian Rivera in drums and my friend Vicente Zamorano in bass and also the recording, mixing and mastering. You will listen to all my composing ideas thanks to these people.
What can you be most proud of so far?
This is kind of super fresh: we finished the recording, mixing and mastering of our second full-lenght. It’s a four tracks concept album under the name of »Nunca bastó con rezar« (Praying Was Never Enough) and we want to reveal it as soon as possible but first we are preparing something attached to the single »Nunca bastó con rezar«. It’s about the lost of faith in any leader, messiah, religion or ideology while the world is collapsing and how a society must learn new kinds of ways to spiritually survive. As always, there’s a story behind the record.
Photo by Luis Garrido, Nicolás Ulloa
What was your biggest regret?
I don’t have any regrets about Heráldica de Mandrake from last year or in the past. Maybe something stupid: I wish I brought my LPs of Pentagram when we played with Bobby so he could sign them. I was so focused about playing with them that I totally forgot that detail. But yeah I can live with that. I really don’t have any regrets. As Lemmy says “no regrets, no regrets, you can’t afford them yet!”
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We love all our gigs since I decided to play only with friends and bands we like, but if I had to decide one of this year that would be “Sonidos de un mundo decadente”, not only because our bassist was part of the production, but the quality of the bands was crushing!: Asedio (traditional heavy metal), Deviants (killer death/thrash project of the guitarist and vocalist from Mayhemic Mr. Doom) Demoniac (blowing brains all over the world!) and Deathsvn an original heavy/dark rock/post-punk band wich I love. I also remember the day Condenados invited us to play with Pentagram (thanks Condenados) and when we shared stage with the swedish doom metal band Procession courtesy of Black Messiah (Chile). A special gig for me was also the first version of “Sonidos de un mundo decadente” because we had the chance to play with Solipnosis, a unique black metal band from here, and it was the first time we played with Deathsvn. I also met the people from Parasomnia, a goth/post punk band and since then I have all their records.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The support, watching the same faces from the bands I admire in each gig we have, specially from Arteaga, they were the first band that invited us to play when we arrive to Santiago (we are originally from the city of La Serena). The people that come to our shows (playing in bands or not) are the main component that build the scene. Thanks everyone, it’s really important for us.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’ve been listening a lot to »Chapter III« by Solemn Ceremony (what a hammer of doom metal!), »Diogonos« by Dionysiaque, Mayhemic’s Toba, DØdskvad’s last EP, Pendulvm’s »llanos de tumba« and I’m always exploring other musical proposals that I can’t remember right now. While I’m writing this I’m listening to a sludge/doom band from Chile that released a new LP a few days ago: Sangria’s »Esclavo de la ira«. This band was really important for me because I discovered them with their first demo. They change a lot their style but they have a pretty unique sound. Also, I’ve been listening a lot to the new single of Capilla Ardiente and Opium Warlords. Other than that I’m still stuck with past releases like Mortajas, Malokarpatan, Spectral Voice, The Obsessed, Solipnosis and Black Grail. And of course I’m always listening to the same records of my youth or the ones that fucked up my brain.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
There’s a Bukowski’s poem that I took as an important advice for my life and work in general. It’s a pretty popular poem in fact, there’s nothing new about it but it’s a great source of energy everytime I read it. I’ll leave it here if there someone out there that doesn’t know it but I doubt it, it’s a pretty popular poem on internet haha. It’s called »Roll The Dice« (read HERE).
Another “advice” that I got from art in general is Thin Lizzy’s “do anything you want to”. And finally, something that the experience has taught me is that you don’t need anyone to make music. If you want to make music but you don’t find the right people, do it alone. Do it anyway you can. I’m not saying that you don’t need help, we all need support, but you can start on your own and eventually you’ll find the right people.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Hahaha, fun question. I really don’t have any guilty pleasures, guilt is for Christians.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Santiago / Chile?
I live in Santiago, the capital of Chile, that means we have the most abundant scene in the country. The past weekend there were three gigs the same day: Blackflow + Shadows, Sangria + IIII and Imprecation with some of the best bands of death metal in Chile like Unaussprechlichen Kulten and Ancient Crypts, and I’m still surprised about the amount of doom metal that is played here. I wish I could attend to everything that happens here but it’s impossible. I hate centralism but I can’t deny that’s a privilege to see so many band almost every weekend, not even from here but also bands from other places of the country.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We have something planned with our friends from the satanic hippie cult Arteaga. We don’t know if we can say anything about that since is something that they are producing, but yeah, we are happy to share with them. I will try to make a tour with our band dedicated to this new album that we finished too.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Playing as much as I can and record a new EP, but as I told you, we are pretty close to release this new album by the end of the year and I think it will keep us busy.
How can people best support your band?
Sharing our news, talking to your friends if you enjoy our band or directly buying the albums and merch we edit. Everyday is more difficult to carry a band with an underground vision in a place that’s is getting almost impossible to make art. As the socio-political crisis is crushing the economy of the world, art is always the first to be damaged because is not an utilitarian necessity. We really don’t get any profits from this, we do it because we want to feel alive.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Sin and be free. God is elitism and elitism is oppression, therefore, fight back god: practique witchcraft, protest and survive. Remember that life is a war against its natural state: subjugation. Defy authority. Live the way you want. Doom metal is resistance.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well