KARMIAN

“The crimes are only the starting point. What we explore is the human condition behind them.”

“What fascinated us was not the violence, but the emptiness behind it.”

“Metal transforms dark thoughts into sound and energy.”

“The void can take many shapes – psychological, spiritual, or social.”

“’Horror Vacui’ is not about violence. It is about the absence of meaning.”

“Each song is a psychological portrait rather than a crime story.”

“Our songs follow the emotional arc of the story.”

“True-crime stories allowed us to enter the fragile mechanisms of the human mind.”

“Metal allows you to confront emptiness instead of being consumed by it.”

“The fear of emptiness is a deeply human condition.”

“Symbolism helps us express what facts alone cannot explain.”

“Our music follows a Nordic framework, but the emotional intensity comes from somewhere else.”

“The symbolism in the lyrics grows from the facts – it never replaces them.”

“True crime becomes disturbing when you realize how human it is.”

“The real horror often lies in the absence of meaning.”

“Writing this music is a form of exorcism.”

“Alienation and the loss of meaning are not isolated experiences – they belong to our time.”

“We are interested in the moment when fragility turns into obsession.”

“Music allows us to confront what would otherwise remain unspoken.”

“We don’t try to fit into a genre. We follow the music wherever it leads.”

Darkness in metal often draws from myth, war, or fantasy.
With ‘Horror Vacui‘, however, Karmian turn their gaze toward something far more unsettling:
the psychological void behind real acts of violence.
The Italian melodic death metal act transforms documented true-crime cases into intense musical narratives that explore alienation, obsession, and the fragile structures of meaning within the human mind.
In this in-depth conversation with Fok ’bs’, the band discusses the ethical boundaries of storytelling, the symbolism behind ‘Horror Vacui‘, and how confronting emptiness can become a powerful form of artistic expression.
‘Horror Vacui‘ translates to ‘fear of the void‘.
Is that void something historical, psychological, spiritual – or does it change shape depending on who is staring into it?
“‘Horror Vacui’ is a concept album built around real stories of Italian murderers. What interested us was not the crimes themselves, but the psychological and existential emptiness that lies behind them. Each song takes inspiration from a real case and explores a different form of inner collapse, trying to understand how that void can slowly transform fragility, obsession or alienation into violence. In that sense, the void can take many shapes. Sometimes it is psychological, sometimes spiritual, sometimes social. What all these stories share is the same absence of meaning that the characters try to fill through faith, control, love, ritual, or ideology, until that attempt ultimately consumes them. At the same time, the concept is not meant to give a single explanation. The album presents these portraits and leaves space for the listener to confront that emptiness as well. In a way, the void is also something that the listener fills with their own interpretation, because the fear of emptiness is a very human condition that goes far beyond the specific crimes described in the record.”
Your previous album, ‘Surgere et Cadere‘, dealt with collective historical struggle.
Now you turn toward true-crime cases rooted in Italian history.
Why shift from tribal resistance to intimate human collapse?
“The shift came quite naturally from the kind of story we wanted to explore. ‘Surgere et Cadere’ was built around a historical narrative, telling the struggle of the Celtic tribe of the Boii against Roman expansion. The perspective was collective, almost epic, focused on identity, resistance, and the clash between cultures. With ‘Horror Vacui’ we moved from that external dimension to a much more internal one. Instead of describing the rise and fall of a people, we became interested in the collapse of individuals. True-crime stories offered a way to explore that change of perspective, because they allow us to enter the mind of a single person and the fragile psychological mechanisms that lead to extreme actions. In a way, the two albums represent opposite viewpoints. The previous one looked at history through battles and collective destiny, while ‘Horror Vacui’ focuses on the silent conflicts that take place inside the human mind. The scale becomes smaller, but the themes become much more intimate and disturbing.”
When transforming real crimes into allegorical narratives, where do you draw the ethical line between storytelling and exploitation?
“For us, the ethical line lies in the intention behind the story. We are not interested in sensationalism or in turning real tragedies into spectacle. The crimes are only the starting point. What we try to explore is the human condition behind them, the psychological fractures, and the absence of meaning that can lead someone toward those actions. When writing the lyrics, we always start from documented facts and from the historical context of the cases. The artistic part comes from interpretation and atmosphere, but we try not to distort the reality of what happened just to make the story more dramatic. The goal is to transform those events into reflection rather than entertainment. In that sense, the album is not meant to glorify violence. It is more like a series of psychological portraits. The crimes are part of the narrative, but they serve to reveal something deeper about fragility, alienation, and the way people react when they cannot coexist with the emptiness inside them.”
The Swedish melodic death metal tradition is often associated with precision and coldness.
Your music carries drama and almost operatic intensity.
Do you consciously inject an Italian sensibility into a Nordic framework?
“Our musical language is definitely rooted in the Scandinavian melodic death metal tradition. The sharp riffing, the balance between melody and aggression, and the structural discipline all come from that influence. It is a foundation that shaped the way we approach writing and arranging music. At the same time, we never tried to imitate that style in a strict way. Each of us brings different influences and a different emotional approach to the songs, and that naturally introduces another dimension. The dramatic and narrative side probably comes from our cultural background and from the importance we give to storytelling in our lyrics. In that sense you could say that the structure of the music often reflects a Nordic framework, while the atmosphere and the emotional intensity come from somewhere else. Our songs are meant to feel almost like small narratives, where tension, melody and dynamics follow the arc of the story rather than just a technical formula. That mixture probably gives the music the dramatic character you are referring to. As for the ‘Italian sensibility’, it is difficult for us to see it clearly from the inside. When you are Italian, it simply feels like what you are. It is not something we consciously try to inject into the music, but it is inevitable that our cultural background and the way we perceive drama, history, and storytelling enter the art we create.”
Andrea Bertolazzi’s vocal performance moves between feral aggression and narrative clarity.
When approaching lyrics based on real events, do you embody the perpetrator, the victim, or an omniscient observer?
“It really depends on the song, because the album does not follow a single narrative perspective. The voice moves between different points of view depending on what best expresses the psychological tension of each story. For example, in ‘Gott Mit Uns Nicht’, the first part is written from the perspective of the victims, the marginalized people targeted by the killers. The song later shifts into the mindset of the perpetrators, showing the ideological delusion that drove them. In ‘Maker of Angels’, on the other hand, the narrative adopts the point of view of the newborns who are about to be killed, which makes the whole story even more disturbing. There are also songs where the perspective is closer to the perpetrator’s inner world, like ‘Temple of the Fleshless Goddess’, where the lyrics enter the obsessive vision of purity that led to the crime. In others, such as ‘The Call of the Abyssal Bell’, the voice becomes more like a narrator, almost observing the events from outside while the story unfolds between legend and reality. So overall, it is a mix. The idea was not to adopt a single role, but to let the voice move through different perspectives in order to explore the psychological void that connects all these stories.”
The concept of emptiness can be paralyzing – yet your compositions feel dense and intricate.
Is musical complexity your way of resisting the void?
“In a way, yes. For me, writing and performing this kind of music is a form of exorcism. The idea of emptiness can easily become something paralyzing if you keep it inside, but metal allows you to confront it and release it instead of being consumed by it. When we write songs, we are not trying to decorate the concept with complexity for its own sake. The density of the music comes from the need to express tension, discomfort and inner conflict. Those emotions naturally push the compositions to become layered and intense, because the music has to carry the same psychological weight as the stories we are telling. On a personal level, talking about these themes and transforming them into music is a way to throw those thoughts out into the open. Metal has always worked like that for me. It takes something dark or oppressive and turns it into sound and energy. In that sense, the music becomes a way of confronting the void rather than being paralyzed by it.”
Titles like ‘Black Magical Soap Opera‘ and ‘Temple of the Fleshless Goddess‘ suggest symbolism rather than reportage.
How much of ‘Horror Vacui‘ is metaphor layered over fact?
“The starting point for every song was always the real case. We tried to base the lyrics on documented facts, testimonies, and statements from the people involved, because that reality is already disturbing enough on its own. From there, we tried to imagine the psychological atmosphere behind those events and give it a more symbolic body through the lyrics. For example, in ‘Black Magical Soap Opera’, the story of Leonarda Cianciulli is connected to her belief that she had to protect her children from a curse. That conviction is historically documented, and the song amplifies it by presenting the crimes almost as a grotesque ritual meant to control fate. In ‘Beyond the Dream Gate of Fear’, Gianfranco Stevanin really claimed that he felt almost asleep or disconnected while committing his crimes. We translated that sensation into the image of a traveler in Lovecraft’s Dreamlands, turning his dissociation into a symbolic journey between dream and reality. Other songs follow the same approach. ‘Temple of the Fleshless Goddess’ transforms Mariolini’s obsession with anorexia and purity into a distorted religious cult of the body, while ‘The Call of the Abyssal Bell’ blends the real Alleghe murders with the local legend of the submerged bell that announces death. So the symbolism is not meant to replace the facts. It grows from them. We try to capture the emotional or psychological core of each story and express it through images, myths or metaphors that make those inner states more tangible without altering the historical reality behind them.”
Having existed in different incarnations since 2005, does Karmian feel like a continuous identity – or a series of rebirths under the same name?
“For us, it feels more like a continuous path than a series of rebirths. The early phase that started in 2005 under the name When the Storm Broke was important because it laid the foundations of the band, even if the lineup and the musical direction were still unstable at the time. The real turning point came in 2011, when the project was restarted with a clearer vision and Andrea Bertolazzi joined as vocalist. That moment gave birth to Karmian as it is known today, with a stronger identity both musically and conceptually. Since then, the band has evolved through lineup changes and new releases, but the core spirit has remained the same. We see it as a gradual process of growth rather than separate incarnations. Every phase contributed something to what the band is today, so even the earlier experiences are part of the same story.”
Line-up changes often destabilize bands, yet your new phase sounds darker and more elaborate.
Did the arrival of Michele Perla and Luca Marmi alter the emotional chemistry of the writing process?
“Yes, their arrival definitely had an impact on the chemistry of the band, both musically and emotionally. Michele and Luca brought different backgrounds, strong technical skills and a fresh perspective, and that allowed us to explore ideas that we had in mind for a long time but had not fully developed before. At the same time, the core of the band remained stable, so the identity of Karmian did not change. What changed was the range of possibilities during the writing process. With the current lineup, we can push arrangements further, work more deeply on interplay between instruments, and shape the songs with greater detail. This is probably one of the reasons why ‘Horror Vacui’ sounds darker and more elaborate. The atmosphere of the album comes from the concept itself, but the new lineup made it possible to express those ideas with more confidence and complexity without losing cohesion as a band.”
You’ve shared stages with bands known for extremity and confrontation.
Has performing alongside acts like Dying Fetus or Venom Inc. influenced your perception of intensity – or reinforced your own path?
“Experiences like that definitely leave a mark, but more in terms of perspective than direction. Playing with bands like Dying Fetus or touring with Venom Inc. was important for us because it showed what true intensity and professionalism look like from the inside. Seeing how bands with that level of history approach the stage, the audience and the whole touring life is something you learn a lot from. At the same time, it didn’t change the path we were already following. If anything, it reinforced it. When you share the stage with bands like that, and you feel that your live impact still holds up, it gives you confidence that what you are doing is working and that your identity is strong enough to stand in that context. So the influence is more motivational than stylistic. It pushes you to raise your level and your discipline, but it also confirms that the most important thing is to remain honest with your own sound and approach.”
The album was recorded at Audiocore Studio with Luca Cocconi and Simone Sighinolfi.
Did the production process emphasize atmosphere and narrative – or raw aggression?
“The goal was to balance both elements rather than choosing one over the other. The aggression is obviously essential for a death metal record, but with ‘Horror Vacui’, it was equally important that the atmosphere and the narrative side of the songs remained clear and expressive. During the production at Audiocore Studio, we worked closely with Luca Cocconi and Simone Sighinolfi to make sure that every layer of the music could be heard without losing impact. The songs are quite dense, so the challenge was to keep the sound powerful while still allowing the melodies, the dynamics and the details of the arrangements to support the storytelling behind each track. Another important point for us was to keep the sound as organic as possible. Everything was recorded and played in a way that reflects how the band actually sounds live, without relying on studio tricks that we could not reproduce on stage. The production is modern and clear, but it still preserves the raw energy that is part of our identity.”
There is a strong psychological thread running through your entire discography – obsession, downfall, resistance.
Are these themes reflections of society, or mirrors of personal inner conflicts?
“Probably both. Those themes inevitably come from personal inner conflicts, because writing lyrics is also a way of processing things that you feel or think about. When you try to enter the mind of certain characters or situations, you inevitably end up confronting parts of yourself as well. At the same time, these themes are not only personal. They are also reflections of the society we live in. Alienation, loss of meaning, obsession, the need to belong or to find a purpose are not isolated experiences. They are very present in the contemporary world and they shape the way people react to pressure, frustration or emptiness. The characters in the songs are often extreme cases, but the emotions behind them are something many people can recognize in one form or another. In that sense, the listener can also resonate with these stories, filling them with their own experiences and interpretations. The music and the lyrics offer a framework, but the meaning is never completely closed. Part of it is completed by whoever listens and connects those themes with their own inner world.”
After more than two decades of evolution, if ‘Horror Vacui‘ represents a culmination, what part of Karmian still remains unresolved – still searching, still unfinished?
“I don’t think we see ‘Horror Vacui’ as a final destination. It is more like a point of maturity in the path we are on now. Every album captures who we are at a certain moment, but the band itself is always evolving. What remains unresolved is the desire to keep searching for new ways to express ideas and concepts through our music. We never sit down to write thinking about a specific genre. We explore whatever musical direction we feel expresses our artistic idea in the best way. In that sense, our genre is simply what we decide to play at that moment. We don’t try to ‘fit’ into a genre; we just follow the music where it naturally goes. At the same time, one of our main goals now is to find the right opportunities to bring this music to as many people as possible through live shows. We have always considered ourselves a live band, and the performance on stage is an essential part of our artistic expression. Our songs are written to work in that physical dimension as well, where the energy of the music, the atmosphere and the audience all become part of the experience.”
For Karmian, ‘Horror Vacui‘ is not simply another chapter in the band’s discography, but a deeper exploration of the psychological landscapes that shape human behavior.
By blending real historical cases with symbolism, narrative perspective, and intense melodic death metal, the band transforms disturbing realities into a reflection on fragility, alienation, and the universal fear of emptiness.
Rather than offering answers, the album opens a space where listeners are invited to confront their own interpretations of the void – and perhaps recognize parts of themselves within it.
by Fok ‘bs‘