Doomed Confessionary: Marc (Urza)
Urza is a funeral death/doom metal band formed in 2015 in the vastness of urban Berlin, Germany. The sound is a balanced crossing of death/doom with funeral doom atmospherics while the themes are apocalypse, nihilism, denial and death.
The band’s latest release is »Dawn Of A Lifeless Age« split with Calliophis, out on May 3rd, 2024 via Aesthetic Death. Urza perform their first two songs featuring new guitarist Stefan. While »Maunder Minimum« is a crawling beast that heralds the beginning of a new ice age, »Through Ages Of Colossal Embitterment« transforms into death doom more quickly, symbolizing a furious human soul that is alienated from the outside world.
Urza are Thomas (vocals), Hannes (drums), Olli (guitar), Stefan (guitar, vocals) and Marc (bass).
Can you say a few words about your band?
Marc: Urza was born in May 2015 in Berlin with Olli (guitar), Hannes (drums) and Marc (bass). Shortly after, Thomas (vocals) and Marcus (guitar) joined the band. Meanwhile Marcus has been replaced by Stefan. That’s our current line-up. In 2019 we released our album »The Omnipresence Of Loss« and in 2024 the split LP »Dawn Of A Lifeless Age«. Currently we are working on our 2nd album.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Marc: Definitely the Covid-19 period. Parting ways with Marcus because of different personal opinions. And long delays with progressing with the composition of new material for our follow-up album.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Marc: Of course the release of both the album and the split. But also all the gigs we were able to play in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria and Greece. Two gigs I’d like to point out are the Haunting The Castle V 2024 with Skepticism, Profetus and Tyranny and Doom Over Vienna 2023. These were total amazing. And being part of a great musical scene as the Death & Funeral Doom scene can be considered as a lovable and most loyal family. It’s small but the best.
What was your biggest regret?
Marc: Myself, I don’t see any bigger regret with Urza, except maybe losing so much time due to the pandemic in 2020-2021.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Marc: besides Haunting The Castle V and Doom Over Vienna mentioned above, I’d choose the Swamp Fest 2016 in Berlin as our very first live appearance, the Dutch Doom Days XVI in 2017 as our first gig abroad and the gig with Ahab in 2019 with the biggest audience so far.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Marc: that’s a difficult one, as there have been a lot of good and bad surprises in the 40 years I’ve been listening to metal music now. Personally, discovering funeral doom music in 1993 with the demo of Thergothon and the discovery of the band HellLight as one of my absolute favourites nowadays. And having attended the Belgian Doom Night in 2005 with other faves of mine like Ataraxie, Esoteric and Officium Triste.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
• Ataraxie – Le Déclin
• Fórn – Repercussions Of The Self
• Embrace my Ruin – Kamaratòn
• Officium Triste – Hortus venenum
• My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
and many many more…
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Marc: Can’t remember of any!
What are your guilty pleasures?
Marc: I cannot stop buying new music and merch, even I’ve no place anymore at home to store everything properly! I eat too much sweets, haha. And, if you consider it as a guilty pleasure, still loving old thrash bands that I listened to as a teenager in the 80s when thrash was the ultimate extreme form of metal.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Berlin?
Marc: In Berlin there are tons of Metal bands in all kinds of styles that you can imagine of. If you like death doom I recommend our friends of Only Worms Left. For death metal freaks Human Abyss is a great band from Berlin. And of course, there a lot of newer and older bands I could mention, but there are too many! Metal Archives cites 434 active metal bands from Berlin only!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Marc: For the rest of this year (2024) we will not be playing any more gigs, as we are completely concentrating our efforts on the songwriting of our second album. In March 2025 we’ll be playing in Berlin with Dresden based Lightless. And in June 2025 in Hamburg on a doom festival.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Marc: Recording the new album next year as it will be our 10-year anniversary.
Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?
Marc: No, not really. Years of partying are over for me.
How can people best support your band?
Marc: Buy our material and merch and come and see us when we play live.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Marc: Thanks a million to all our friends and fans who supported us all over the years. Hope to see and meet you the next years. Stay tuned for our next release. Doom on!
Links:
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Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well