In this interview, Paolo Veluti, bass player of Swarm Chain, shares insights into the band’s identity, songwriting process, musical influences, and the conceptual vision behind Cernunnos, offering a deep look into the evolution and mindset of the band.
Asmoth Uccen: How would you introduce Swarm Chain to someone discovering the band for the first time?
Paolo Veluti: Swarm Chain are a band deeply rooted in doom metal, which we contaminate with death elements and dark, epic atmospheres. Our music is intense and immersive, slow yet crushingly heavy.
We formed in 2020 and, after a few lineup changes, we eventually reached our current formation. Our debut album Looming Darkness was released in 2022, while our second full-length, Cernunnos, is a very recent release, having come out at the end of November 2025.
One of our defining features is the presence of two vocalists: one clean and one growl/scream. This allows us to merge extremely dark and malevolent sections with other ones more epic and melodic.
Asmoth Uccen: Your music is often labeled as Epic Doom/Death Metal. How do you personally define your sound?
Paolo Veluti: The Epic Doom/Death Metal label is certainly a good summary, but for us our sound is above all about balance: heaviness, melody, and atmosphere. Doom represents slowness and emotional weight, death adds aggression and darkness, while the epic element is what ties everything together, giving depth and space to the songs.
We’re not interested in being locked into a rigid definition; we prefer to let the music follow what we feel in the moment.
Asmoth Uccen: What musical and artistic evolution do you see between Looming Darkness (2022) and Cernunnos (2025)?
Paolo Veluti: There has been significant growth between Looming Darkness and Cernunnos, both musically and artistically. The first album came together very quickly, almost without any real planning, and it represented our roots and our need to shape an identity. Cernunnos, on the other hand, is the result of greater awareness.
The songs are more mature, the structures more thought-out, and the atmosphere is even more carefully crafted. Being a concept album, we paid close attention to details, lyrics, and vocal parts, which on this record have reached a strong balance between the two vocalists. We also aimed to make every track more evocative and fully coherent with the concept itself.
Asmoth Uccen: Which bands or influences had the strongest impact on shaping Swarm Chain’s musical identity?
Paolo Veluti: Our musical tastes are very diverse and truly range from hard rock to black metal, but we always try to filter these influences through our own sensitivity, rather than simply replicating what already exists.
Reviewers and listeners have often drawn parallels with classic bands such as Candlemass, Paradise Lost, and My Dying Bride; personally, I would also add Katatonia and Shining to that list. All of these influences can be found in different elements of our music: a riff, a particularly epic vocal passage, or a specific instrumental phrasing.
We’re pleased when people recognize traces of such historic and influential bands in our songs.
Asmoth Uccen: Epic and atmospheric elements are central to your music. How do these aspects take form during the writing process?
Paolo Veluti: That’s a great question! Personally, when I wrote some of our songs, I tried to imagine them being played on a big stage, and that probably helped make them sound more majestic. In general, I’m very fond of twin-guitar harmonies, songs with a solemn pace, and melodic choruses with high time vocals. These are all elements that come naturally into our songwriting and that have allowed us to bring epic tracks to life, such as Looming Darkness itself or The Storm Within.
Asmoth Uccen: Can you describe your usual songwriting process from the first idea to the final composition?
Paolo Veluti: We usually start from a riff or a core idea, which is then developed collectively; each song grows slowly through rehearsals, revisions, and discussions. We typically leave the vocal parts for last, taking the time to properly divide my clean vocals and Emanuele’s growls, as well as to craft melodies that fully satisfy us and feel truly convincing. We’re not in a rush to finalize a composition; we prefer to let ideas settle and revisit them multiple times. Only when we feel a track has reached the right balance between intensity, atmosphere, and coherence do we consider it truly complete.
Asmoth Uccen: How do you approach the balance between heaviness, melody, and atmosphere in your songs?
Paolo Veluti: For us, it’s a matter of sensitivity and personal taste. Heaviness should never suffocate the melody, and the melody should never undermine the impact of the songs. Atmosphere is the thread that holds everything together. Every element must have its own space and moment, without any one of them dominating the others excessively.
Asmoth Uccen: The title Cernunnos carries strong mythological imagery. How important are themes and symbolism in your music?
Paolo Veluti: The theme of our album Cernunnos comes from an idea by Daniele (drums), who brought his passion for anthropology into the studio and pushed us to create a concept about a primitive man’s reactions to the forces of nature. This album touches on deities, shamans, and spirits, but even on our first album, Looming Darkness, we explored occult themes in tracks like Codex Gigas and Witch of the Wood.
We’re not an occult metal band, but certain subjects and symbols are perfect for our musical style and a great source of inspiration for new compositions, so I believe this trend will continue in the future.
Asmoth Uccen: What do you consider to be the core identity of Swarm Chain today?
Paolo Veluti: Our identity is definitely tied to a dark yet melodic sound that goes beyond genre labels and focuses on deep atmospheres and evocative melodies. We’re not the “typical” doom metal band, but we love starting from doom to develop more elaborate and complex music. It might take a few listens to fully appreciate us, but once you’re in, we’re sure you won’t want to leave!
Today, after releasing our second album, we are fully aware of our path and how we want to move forward in the coming years.
Asmoth Uccen: What are your plans moving forward now that Cernunnos has been released?
Paolo Veluti: Now that Cernunnos has been released, we want to take it on the road as much as possible, because we believe our music finds an even stronger dimension live. At the same time, we’re already working on new ideas, without pressure, letting the next step come naturally. Our goal is to keep growing, both as a band and as individuals, while always keeping our vision alive.
