Doomed Confessionary: Jojo, Tony & Lemz (Winter Nightfall)
Winter Nightfall is a three-piece funeral doom/drone metal band hailing from Marikina City, Philippines. Founded in 2006, Winter Nightfall have released two full-length albums, an EP and several demos. Their latest album »Apotheosis« dropped independently on July 5th, 2025. Available now on CD and digital.
Winter Nightfall consists of Jojo Beltejar (vocals, synthesizers), Mark Anthony Espiritu (guitars) and Lemuel Relleno (drums).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Hello, we’re Winter Nightfall and we are a funeral and drone doom metal band from Marikina City, Philippines.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Jojo: At the start, the biggest challenge was getting members to commit to the vision. At the moment, probably securing live shows.
Lemz: The biggest challenge for our band has been maintaining consistency in our creative process while balancing individual responsibilities outside of music. Coordinating schedules for writing, rehearsals, and recording sessions can be demanding, but we’ve learned to adapt and stay committed to our goals. These challenges have helped us grow both as musicians and as a team.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Jojo: I’d say is that we are one of the VERY few doom metal acts back here, most likely the only one playing the style that we do too.
Tony: The release of our latest album, among others. I’m proud of this lineup too, very close and highly creative.
Lemz: We’re most proud of how far we’ve come in developing our unique sound and identity as a band. Despite the challenges, we’ve managed to create music that truly represents who we are and what we stand for.
What was your biggest regret?
Jojo: That we took a very long break and didn’t record most of our past stuff beyond raw rehearsal demos. On the bright side, it presents us with plenty of stuff to work with.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Jojo: Having few shows far and between, Each gig to us is great! But there was one when we played alongside punk and hardcore bands, after we played it was total silence! There’s also one fairly recently, again total silence and saw the audience with visible shock, it was amazing!
Tony: Hasn’t passed yet, but I’m pretty sure our album launch is going to be awesome!
Lemz: For me, one of our most memorable shows this year was at Matchbox Bar in Quezon City, Philippines. After our set, the entire crowd went completely silent – not out of disinterest, but because they were genuinely stunned. That moment of stillness was powerful; the silence felt deafening. It was a surreal experience that reminded us of the emotional impact our music can have on people.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Jojo: To me it’s more of the discovery, how multiple different genres can coexist and play a single show, the artistry. And quite honestly, I’m pretty surprised that it’s not bigger than it’s supposed to be.
Tony: The integration of different genres, whether be it a fusion in their sound or different genres at shows.
Lemz: The biggest surprise for us has been how open and supportive the local metal scene can be. Despite being a niche genre like funeral doom, we’ve met so many artists and listeners who genuinely appreciate experimentation and atmosphere in heavy music. It’s inspiring to see that there’s a growing community in the Philippines that embraces underground and unconventional sounds.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Jojo: I love to diversify, discover new music. Most of the music in my playlist are of different genres really. Love the stuff from Bilmuri, Keygen Church, Nails. For the more, shall we say, doom aligned stuff, Skepticism, Esoteric, Sunn O))) and Electric Wizard will forever be in my rotation, a little Castle Rat, Earth Tongue, Witch Club Satan too…
Tony: Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Sunn O))), Faetooth, Earth, The Lords.
Lemz: To be honest, I’ve been listening a lot to Lorna Shore, Sleep Token, Mirar, and Disembodied Tyrant lately. They’re not exactly aligned with our genre, which is much slower, but their sound and creativity give me new ideas and inspiration. It helps me explore different dynamics and emotions that we can adapt into our own unique style of music.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Jojo: Go do something different and explore music beyond your genre.
Tony: Experiment different sounds, tones, textures. Take something that works, put your twist to it.
Lemz: The best advice I’ve ever been given as a musician is to stay true to your sound and create for yourself first.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Jojo: Music wise for me? Why that would be Norwegian pop! I’m really a sucker for that artist named Sigrid, all her songs are a bop!
Also, religious art, if that’s even considered a guilty pleasure?
Tony: I suppose it’s pop music. You’d be surprised at how many ideas I get from it.
Lemz: My guilty pleasure would be listening to lo-fi chill tracks and ambient music. It’s a big contrast to the kind of heavy music we play, but it helps me relax and clear my head. Sometimes those calm sounds even inspire new textures or moods that I try to bring into our music.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Marikina City?
Jojo: I’d say it’s pretty diverse and tight knit, you get to see the people most of the time. Also, very DIY. It’s amazing to see.
Tony: It’s very DIY and the community is here is absolutely amazing.
Lemz: The music scene here has been growing steadily. There’s a strong sense of passion and DIY spirit. The bands, organizers, and fans all work together to keep the scene alive. Even with limited venues, people still show up and support local acts, which makes the community feel very tight-knit.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Jojo: As of the moment, we are getting ready for our album launch show on October 25. Then we head further north to Baguio City on November 30, and that’s it for our 2025 calendar. We are also already accepting bookings for 2026.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Jojo: We are now preparing to record our next album. Along with that, we will have a series of collaborative efforts with Japanese dark ambient duo Planet Eater. Plus, we are going to remix and remaster our first album as well as this experimental EP we created during the pandemic. So, plenty of projects!
Tony: Our new songs in the pipeline. The preparation, recording process for the next album. As Jojo said, there’s plenty of projects. We’re also aiming to play overseas, meet people there.
Lemz: Our main goal right now is to promote our debut album and share it with as many listeners as possible through live shows and online platforms. We’re also in the process of writing new material for our next release, exploring new ideas and sounds.
How can people best support your band?
Jojo: They can purchase music from our Bandcamp, see you at the shows and of course, follow our socials and talk to us there, follow our journey. We always reply!
Lemz: You can check us out on Facebook and Instagram for updates, live show announcements. Our music is also available on Bandcamp, and we’ll be releasing it soon on Spotify as well. Following and sharing our pages really helps us reach more listeners and keep the scene growing.
Tony: Listen to our music (stream or live) follow our social media accounts. Every little thing helps.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Jojo: We are forever grateful to every single one of you, however few you may be! Invite us to your shows!
Tony: Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us since the beginning! See you at the shows!
Lemz: Thanks to everyone who’s been listening and supporting us! Your energy and appreciation mean everything to us. We create this music to express emotion, heaviness, and reflection, and knowing that it resonates with others keeps us going. Doom on! And we hope to see you at our upcoming shows!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well