Doomed Confessionary: José Enrique Saavedra (Totengott)

Photos by Jaime Garcia
Asturias, Spain based avant-garde death/doom metal trio Totengott just released their third full-length album »Beyond The Veil« on July 12th, 2024 via Hammerheart Records. Totengott are Chou Saavedra (vocals, guitars), Nacho Void (bass, backing vocals) and Jose Mora (drums, percussion).
Appearing in the middle of the currently predictable and monochrome metal scene, Totengott is formed by three experienced musicians with the aim to release the darkest songs that they are able to write and to claim the importance of evil and morbidity of compositions above technique and rawness above demonstration.
Being a difficult band to be “tagged”, Totengott can be introduced as an occult metal trio with doom/death metal influences but without leaving other genres aside such as thrash, gothic or ambient. From a musical and philosophical perspective, the band drinks from sources like the heaviest side of Celtic Frost, the raw and epic side of Bathory, the atonality of Kryzstof Penderecki, the sonic gravity of Conan and the texture experimentation of early Pink Floyd.
»Beyond The Veil« takes the best elements and lessons learnt from their first two albums and push them to the limit, »Beyond The Veil« is ambitious, dark and heavy.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Well, we are Totengott, and we play intense, dark, and heavy music.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Perhaps we maintain the core of our music within a criterion of simplicity. We try to keep it as simple as possible within our expectations. We prefer four well-chosen notes over embellishing riffs with a thousand notes. That is difficult if you want to do something with a certain originality and darkness.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Clearly, our new album. On a personal level, my evolution as a singer. I had never sung in a metal band before. I’ve always considered myself just a guitarist. In Totengott, I took on the role of vocalist without knowing how to do it, and it has been evolving over time. »Beyond The Veil« is, so far, the album I feel most proud of as a singer.
What was your biggest regret?
I don’t regret anything, ha. Not having started a band like Totengott much earlier than when it did.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
The tour with Eternal Storm (2019) was great because it was an entire experience to play in countries I had never been to before. It was a lot of fun. Also, the recent tour we did last year with Master. All the concerts were very good, and it was a great experience to share all those moments with them. Paul is a great person; he helped us a lot, as did Alex and Peter. After the Totengott show, I also had time to jump around like a madman watching the Master show. It was a great experience.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Seeing bands like Heilung or Kaelan Mikla at metal festivals. I didn’t expect that to happen.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’ve always enjoyed listening to many different styles of music, although my interest in music as a child was sparked by heavy metal. I love reminiscing about many classics like Mercyful Fate and King Diamond, Crimson Glory, Queensrÿche, Iron Maiden as well as the early Judas Priest albums. I also love listening to the early records of bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Necronomicon, Voïvod, Slayer, Kreator, Sabbat, Venom, Amebix, Piledriver and mixing them with hardcore punk bands like Cro-Mags, Bad Brains, Terveet Kädet, Discharge, G.B.H., Chaos UK, Vice Squad… I also listen to many new bands within post-punk or darkwave sounds, like Kaelan Mikla, Patriarchy, Bestial Mouths, Zanias, Delphine Coma, Haldol, Death Church, Cemetery, Anasazi, Akli, The Soft Moon, Virgin In Veil, Frozen Charlottes, Melissa… I also listen a lot to classic bands related to the gothic subculture, like Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, Parálisis Permanente, Miranda Sex Garden, Christian Death… I like all types of music with an emotionally dark tint. I’m also a big fan of things like Front 242, the early albums of Ministry, Einstürzende Neubauten, Front Line Assembly, P-Model… Sometines I prefer listen old stuff like Deep Purple, Jeffeson Airplane, Hawkwind, The Doors and early Pink Floyd… I listen to music constantly, at home, in my car, everywhere.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Nothing I can remember, I’m a self-taught musician. From time to time, I search on YouTube for some exercises, music theory, or some kind of review about guitars or equipment. Regarding my voice, Paul Speckmann taught me that drinking large quantities of green tea with ginger and lemon keeps your voice within acceptable levels.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Well, guitars and vinyls, ha. I like a lot science fiction too.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Asturias / Spain?
In Spain, there are many very good bands of all styles, but it is difficult to receive more widespread support since there has always been some rejection when the lyrics were not in Spanish. However, this has been changing for some time. There is also a certain tendency to think that everything that comes from outside of Spain is better. Little by little, this is changing, and right now there are bands that are succeeding.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
For this year 2024, we are finalizing dates within the Iberian Peninsula. We are working to schedule dates throughout the rest of Europe in 2025. The first concert this year will be in El Ferrol (Galicia) on October 18. The presentation concert in our homeland, Asturias, will be the next day. Then we are finalizing dates, so we cannot announce much more at this time. We will provide information as the dates are confirmed.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We already have some of the material for an upcoming album. We are working on it. Our intention is to start recording it in 2025 so that it can be released in 2026. In the meantime, we will do as many concerts as we can. On the other hand, we are gathering ideas to make another music video.
How can people best support your band?
Buy our records and attend our concerts; you won’t be disappointed.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
That’s all. I just want to thank you for this interview and thank all our fans for the support we have been receiving for years, as well as the support from the people who are starting to follow us. Thank you all.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well