SICOCIS has done quite a bit, since their formation, from winning showcases, to being voted as the Best Metal Band by the Vegas Rocks Magazine, down to sharing the stage with numerous acts, Unearth, Kataklysm, Dragonforce, and more. They have blended together melodic death metal, with epic power metal with dark progressive metal, to create a unique style with a modern sound. By doing this they went on to release their newest and latest full-length record "Requiem of the World". Frontman vocalist and guitarist Ernie Rodrigues, with guitarist/orchestrations Rafael Ortega, discuss nothing but this release!
1. What role do you play in the band?
Ernie: I have been the vocalist for Sicocis since 2008, and I also share 1/2 of the guitar duties in the band. The band has been such a big part of my life, and I don't see myself doing anything else. Wether I am pissed off, upset, or just happy to be on stage with my friends, I always find a way to express my emotions through our music.
Rafael: Guitars and orchestration on the songs.
2. SicociS is your namesake, but why is that? Does the name represent a meaning or is it just a name?
Rafael: When we started we wanted to escape our realities. We wanted to create a world we get loose ourselves in with metal and other genres. Our drummer Rob came up with the name SicociS which when written out has a ambigram of a logo.
3. What has influenced your sound and style?
Ernie: We always wanted to be the bands that we never saw in Las Vegas. Bands like Iced Earth, Evergrey, Symphony X, And Kamelot (just to name a few) really inspired us. We wanted to bring that style of metal to Vegas, and it grew from there. We have always been really big on incorporating melodic aspects to our music, and I we look to continue that in the future.
5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Ernie: Up until Requiem, Rafael and myself had brought our music ideas to the table to share with the rest of the band. We have taken a different approach lately, and we now have all four members sit in a room to work on new material. I think it's very crucial to have everyone's opinion on each song, so we can dissect it and make it our very own. I believe we all bring our own musical taste to each song writing session, and that's what ultimately makes each song interesting and unique.
8. What's your take on "Requiem of the World" as a whole?
Ernie: We wanted each song to tell a story of its own. We Shall Rise, for example, is about standing your own ground and overcoming the odds. It's about standing up for what you believe in. Dawn of the New Day is about witnessing the end of existence or the world, and sending out a signal or cry. Will you get a response? Will there be someone who answers the call? That is for the listener to find out for themselves. The beauty of writing music is that each song can be interpreted in many ways.
9. What is the concept behind "Requiem of the World" and how did the idea come about?
Rafael: Requiem of the World album surrounds itself with the concept of Time with the songs having dark themes with the meaning of time. It sort of came while we wrote the tracks and noticed the songs seemed to fit together like it was one big story but in different time frames. Which is why within the album you will hear the clock, ticking away.
10. What is your favorite track on off it and why?
Ernie: Personally, my favorite track on Requiem is Isolated Salvation. When Rafael and myself were tracking the vocals, I really felt like it captured the raw emotion I was going for. It's a simple song, but it's so dark in so many ways. It is by far my favorite song to perform live. Rafael did an excellent job directing the video as well. It really captures the ambiance and mood of the song. I look forward to playing that on our upcoming tour and many more to come.Rafael: At the moment it seems to be a tie between Beyond the Quantum Waves and Dawn of a New Day (Requiem of the World pt2) . Quantum just has that futuristic progressive metal feel while Dawn of a New Day is just the overall epic ending to the album that ties it all together.
11. What can fans expect from this new album?
Ernie: Our fans can definitely look forward to a nice variety on Requiem. We have our fast paced tracks like Warships Ometra and We Shall Rise. We also have our darker, more melodic tracks like With Open Eyes and Isolated Salvation. It's a journey we look forward to sharing with all of our fans.
12. What was the writing and recording process like for this album?
Ernie: Rafael and myself brought all of our ideas to the table for Requiem, and from there we were able to build each song to our liking. I mean, it's one thing coming up with an idea by yourself, but Sharon it with another is what really makes the song shine through. The other person may notice things that you don't, or they may have things that they want to add that ultimately makes the song perfect.
13. Why do you think people should check out your new album?
Ernie: I believe Requiem is the ultimate thrill ride that we, as Sicocis, have brought to our fans. As I mentioned before, we have a great spectrum of material that we have worked on for countless hours, and we are extremely proud to finally be able to share it with the world. It is such a great feeling to be able to share our art with our fans, because it's truly what motivates and inspires us.
15. What do you want to achieve as a band?
Ernie: WORLD DOMINATION! We want to take the metal world to the next level with our music. We are hungry and more than excited to bring Sicocis to the masses. Nothing drives us more than performing in front of all of our fans, and we definitely look forward to doing that on our upcoming tour!
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