Florida-based metal band SOMNENT have steadily carved out their own place in the contemporary extreme metal scene, combining crushing heaviness with a dark, emotionally charged atmosphere. With their upcoming third full-length album, “Heirloom,” SOMNENT take a deeply personal and disturbing direction, focusing on dysfunctional family relationships, inherited trauma, and the lasting scars that can be passed from one generation to the next. As “Heirloom” prepares to see the light of day (album review here!), we had the opportunity to speak with Giovanni Vigliotti about the concept behind the album, its themes, the band’s evolution, and the creative process that brought this challenging and emotionally heavy record to life.
Metalwar: Hello Giovanni, and welcome to Metalwar. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. To begin, could you introduce SOMNENT to our readers and briefly tell us how the band came together?
Giovanni Vigliotti: Hi Kostas, no problem at all, thank you very much for having me. Yeah so, Somnent began in 2015 as a solo project with the release of the EP Eventide. In 2018 is when the live lineup began to take shape and we have been a live act ever since. I still do the writing and arranging for Somnent, but if not for the other guys, Shane Dohmen (bass) and Alejandro Acuña (drums) this would still only be a studio project.
Metalwar: I had the opportunity to listen to your upcoming album, Heirloom, and one of the first things that struck me was the distinctly European character of your sound. Which bands and artists have had the strongest influence on SOMNENT, particularly during the writing and recording of this album?
Giovanni Vigliotti: Funny you mention that, in the early days it was bands like Draconian, The Foreshadowing, Insomnium, and Ope-th that made me want to begin writing my own music. As I got deeper into the genre, I began to discover bands like Evoken and Doom:vs, but there were also non-doom bands that had just as big of an influence. Arcana and Peter Bjärgö’s solo work, Bert Jansche, Donovan, Byron, Ezra Furman, and Obiymy Doshchu, have all been huge influences. While I don’t think there was any one major influence for the writing of Heirloom, I can definitely say that the majority of the bands I have looked up to over the years have been European in origin, so this foundation helped lead the way to how Heirloom sounds.
Metalwar: Doom metal is a genre built around atmosphere, emotion and heaviness, often requiring a very particular mindset from both musicians and listeners. What initially drew you to doom metal, and what made you decide that this was the musical path you wanted SOMNENT to follow?
Giovanni Vigliotti: I think there were a few different factors that drew me to the genre from an aesthetic standpoint. As you pointed out, the heavy emotions and deep atmosphere were what I found most alluring. But the biggest thing for me as a songwriter, was the freedom I felt to express whatever I wanted. There is something liberating about doom metal that other styles of music do not offer. You can dive as deep into your emotions as you want, and the further I went, the more cathartic the experience. Everyone is different and what works for one person might not work for another. This is just what has worked for me.
Metalwar: Let’s turn our attention to Heirloom. The album is a deeply personal and emotionally heavy work, exploring dysfunctional family relationships and the trauma that can be passed from one generation to the next. What was the initial spark behind the album, and when did you realize that these themes would become its central focus?
Giovanni Vigliotti: It’s a little hard to pinpoint what the initial spark was that made me set out to follow this theme. Topics like those that are found on Heirloom are an integral part of what make up various songs within Somnent’s catalogue. Examples of this include Achromic, Deceit, and Lay These Ghosts to Rest. What makes Heirloom different from Somnent’s previous works though, is the focus on this particular subject. I felt that there was a need to put this all together in one cohesive narrative, as opposed to in separate songs.
Metalwar: The title Heirloom traditionally describes something passed down through generations. In the context of the album, however, it can also refer to trauma, behavioral patterns and emotional wounds that are inherited rather than consciously chosen. Was this idea something you wanted to highlight with this title?
Giovanni Vigliotti: That’s exactly correct. I spent a lot of time reflecting on personal past experiences, family history, and various historical events that I have read about or seen online. There is a lot that we inherit that we are not aware of. Fears, belief systems, patterns of behavior… many things that we might think are limited or unique to us as individuals. But I do believe thatgenerational trauma can take on many forms and can be passed on in various ways.
Metalwar: Addressing such deeply personal and difficult subjects must have been challenging. To what extent did your own experiences influence the writing of “Heirloom”? And did putting these experiences into music prove therapeutic, or did revisiting them make the creative process even more difficult?
Giovanni Vigliotti: All of what I write for Somnent is influenced by personal experience, but Heirloom in particular required diving into especially difficult experiences from both childhood and adulthood. Putting them to music to a large extent was not easy, especially because of the degree of vulnerability and honesty it required. But I always perceived doom, particularly doom death and funeral doom, as genres that are not about being perceived as cool or tough. But rather, about communicating something deeply personal. And so, this allowed me to visit these past experiences and to find some peace with them, rather than carrying their weight silently through the years to come. In that sense, even though it may not have been easy, putting these songs together was very much therapeutic.
Metalwar: “Heirloom” represents another step in SOMNENT’s evolution. Looking back at your previous releases, what do you feel has changed most in the band’s songwriting and sound, and are there any new elements on this album that you hadn’t explored before?
Giovanni Vigliotti: One thing that has definitely changed has been my approach to song writing. Up until recently, everything sort of felt like it was left up to chance. This time however, the song writing process felt much more deliberate and focused. I still took time to explore and experiment with the guitar, keyboard, drums, or vocals, but when something came to mind that I thought, “I need to get this out”, I would not stop until what I recorded matched exactly what came to mind. This was how “Severed Ties”, the first song that I completed for this album, was written. The biggest element that I feel is different on the album compared to previous ones though, is the focus on, and utilization of, clean vocals. The songs are a lot more centered around clean vocals compared to before, and I think as a result, the songs took on much more defined shapes.
Metalwar: The lyrics on “Heirloom” carry significant emotional and narrative weight. Do you believe music can sometimes act as a wake-up call for someone who is experiencing abuse or toxic patterns within their own family, perhaps helping them recognize something they had previously struggled to identify?
Giovanni Vigliotti: I’m so glad you brought this up. I’m not sure honestly, but I do think that someone who is experiencing a bad situation may find themselves gravitating towards this kind of music without knowing why. Maybe they will have a wake-up moment, or maybe they will continue on for years until something finally clicks within them and they realize what is going on. Whatever the case may be, I do believe that everyone is different, and that wake-up moment might come earlier for some or later for others. And for some, it may never come at all.
Metalwar: One of the album’s particularly interesting elements is the contrast between your clean vocals and growls and the female vocals provided by the remarkable Natalia Drepina. What role does each vocal approach play within the album, and was there a specific intention behind using these different voices?
Giovanni Vigliotti: As the album began to take shape, I felt that it needed the perspective of additional “family members” within the narrative of the album. That’s where inviting Natalia and Dust of Reason came to mind. I’d been a fan of Natalia’s work for years, but I especially loved what she and Dust of Reason had done on their album “The Night We Inherited”. There is this sense of sister-hood and shared suffering on that record, and so asking them if they’d be willing to lend their talents to this album was a natural choice. I cannot explain how grateful I was when they both agreed to the collaboration.
Metalwar: With “Heirloom” scheduled for release at the end of October, what are your plans for promoting the album? Are you already working on live dates or other activities to support its release?
Giovanni Vigliotti: The only thing official at the moment is Tampa Doom & Gloom Fest III on the 14th of November. Aside from this we are still in the planning phase. We would ideally like to make at least a couple of festival appearances and possibly do a short run of shows to give fans a chance to come out and see us, but it also depends on timing and budget.
Metalwar: Europe has traditionally been a very important territory for doom and extreme metal. Is Europe part of SOMNENT’s touring plans? For an American band, however, organizing a European tour can be a significant financial and logistical challenge. How realistic would it be for you to bring SOMNENT to Europe in the near future?
Giovanni Vigliotti: This is the exact conversation we have been having as a band. While it would be slightly easier for us to do a string of shows here in the USA, it doesn’t make much sense for us because Somnent’s biggest fanbase is in Europe. We even know more bands personally in Europe than we do here at home, which would be important for us for us from a booking perspective. Considering that Somnent has now been to Europe three times for festival appearances, I believe we’d be able to pull off a short run in Europe. Hopefully we can make something happen in 2027.
Metalwar: I certainly hope we will have the opportunity to see SOMNENT perform in Greece someday. Giovanni, thank you once again for your time and for speaking with Metalwar. Before we close, is there anything you would like to say to our readers and to everyone who will be discovering “Heirloom” for the first time?
Giovanni Vigliotti: I certainly hope we make it to Greece in the near future! But thank you so much again for the invitation Kostas, it’s been truly a pleasure. The only thing I might add is, thank you to all of those who give Heirloom a listen. It might not be for everyone, but I hope it resonates with those that need it the most.
Interview – Text: Kostas Boudoukos
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