Doomed Confessionary: Salvatore Fichera (Sinoath)
Sinoath is a dark metal band from Catania, Sicily (Italy) with original drummer and founder Salvatore Fichera being the only permanent member.
Formed in 1990, Sinoath is covering black, death, doom and gothic metal styles through their discography. The band’s latest release is a split 7″ EP with fellow Sicilian act Malauriu, out on January 20th, 2025 via Doomentia Records.
Sinoath’s contribution »Symphony Of The Scythe« sees them revisiting in a way their roots, inspired by a vision of death and its role in our everyday life. A one-of-a-kind track dedicated to the late Massimo Chiofalo, who played guitar on their 2015 EP »Meanders Of Doom«.
Can you say a few words about your band?
The band was born in 1990, we were all fans of death macabre and classic bands like Candlemass, Angel Witch and Black Sabbath, from these influences the first demo tape »Forged In Blood« was born, to date we have made a thirty-five year journey and we have always played freely, in the sense that we have gone from death doom, to gothic, to prog doom, and now we have released a split EP featuring death metal track.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Finding a stable line-up, never happened and this was penalizing for the success of the band. But the biggest challenge for young Italians was to create an album that was up to the sound of the great metal nations, but above all to create something that would remain in the hearts of the fans and with Forged In Blood, we succeeded and in our small way we entered the history of the Italian underground and not only.
What can you be most proud of so far?
As said to have played with the heart and created something that will not be easily forgotten.
What was your biggest regret?
In general never having had a stable line-up and therefore having done few live shows.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
It was a live in Catania where all the historical Sicilian bands were reunited with Schizo, Novembre, Heretical, it was cool to play in front of a lot of people and meet so many friends again.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Today I would say that there is still a scene, ah ah ah, and also seeing bands like Cirith Ungol on the final tour, or Angel Witch, Trouble etc. from the alley I thought I would never see them.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Bands like Uncle Acid, Cirith Ungol, Warlord, Blood Ceremony, Bathory, old Morbid Angel (pre 1989), many 80’s doom bands and then I follow bands like “Il segno del comando” (prog rock style).
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
To study, not so much for the technique, but to have an excellent way of communicating and to remain humble.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I can tell you what I don’t like to do so I’ll be faster ah ah ah… Hard drugs, never used…
Can you say something more about current music scene in Catania / Sicily?
In my city the scene is good there are active bands like Schizo, Sinoath, Winged, Haunted and many others, in Sicily the scene is very large with Inchiuvatu and other bands present in Palermo, so it is still alive.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Unfortunately there won’t be any live shows because as I was saying we don’t have a stable line-up.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We would like to make a very violent death heavy old style album and then have a stable line up ah ah ah.
How can people best support your band?
You can write to us on social media at our addresses or contact the label that released our split EP, buy it from them!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
The only message I have is to listen to everything and discover the bands that generated everything we love.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well