Interview with My Refuge bandleader Mauro Paietta about the concept behind the new album „The Anger Is Never Over“

"Music is the best way to unite people from different countries"

Artist: My Refuge

Origin: Milan, Italy

Genre: Power Metal

Release: 23.04.2021

Label: Pride & Joy Music

Link: https://www.facebook.com/MyRefugeMetal

Band members:

Guitars and Keyboards – Mauro Paietta
Guitars – Simone Dettore
Bass – Javier Perez
Bass – Salvatore Chimenti
Drums – Mark Vetter

Your English is not the yellow from the egg? Dann geht’s hier ab zur deutschen Übersetzung.

The Italian-based Power Metal band My Refuge put a new album out on April 23rd. We talked with their bandleader and founder Mauro Paietta about the concept behind The Anger Is Never Over, the actual situation in Italy, and his influences.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
Hi Mauro,

thanks for your time. Hope you’re doing good and everybody around you is healthy. Italy was one of the countries which were hit hard by the virus. How is the current situation?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
It is a surreal situation, no one would ever have imagined facing a pandemic. Italy was the first country in Europe to be hit, and the situation is still not under control. I hope that with the spread of vaccines we will soon return to a normal life, however, organization and order are unfortunately not characteristic for Italy.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
To something more pleasant: Congratulations on your new album The Anger Is Never Over. To be honest, when I first read the genre and then saw the huge amount of guests my thoughts were like „Oh no, not just another Metal opera thing“. But then it turns out into a great record and concept. When did you first think about a concept like this?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
It was necessary to revolutionize the My Refuge project, after many lineup changes and instability we were at a standstill. In 2018 the band was at a standstill and I was thinking of breaking up My Refuge.

I remember that the idea of ​​completely changing the group was born in May 2019, I was in Stuttgart at a trade fair for work. In the evening I found myself having a beer with German and Dutch guys, between a beer and another a Dutch boy said „life is beautiful because it is unpredictable, you never know what will happen tomorrow“, a spark shot in me … during the trip back to Italy I was listening to the records of Lost Horizon and Nocturnal Rites, I thought that Daniel Heiman or Jonny Lindqvist would be perfect for My Refuge. Then I didn’t contact them, I thought that involving famous names would only attract attention to them, but slowly the idea was born to contact other artists. Initially, I was thinking of only one singer, I began to watch videos on YouTube and I discovered so many talented artists, some completely unknown, and from there the idea of ​​an international project was born.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
How did you get in touch with all the guest singers and musicians?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
Almost all of them through YouTube videos. It was very interesting, I have actually seen hundreds of videos, there are a lot of very good artists who deserve a lot more attention and fame. I imagined their voice on my songs, or I liked their voice so much that I wrote songs that could have adapted to their voice, it was like that for the songs Immortal Fire and Memories. Then I contacted the artists. I wanted to contact artists from as many countries as possible, to make the project truly international. I am convinced that music is the best way to unite people from different countries and a universal language.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
Are there any members who stuck with you from the beginning of My Refuge?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
Simone (Guitar) and Salvatore (Bass). I know them for more than 20 years and we have played together in different groups and they are still among my closest friends. As for the band, unfortunately at some point, we had to make a choice. To play in an underground band like My Refuge needs to have great motivation, because the commitment is very high and the results do not always pay off the commitment. One day they told me that they could no longer dedicate enough time to the band and leaving the band was inevitable. They collaborated on the record and will certainly collaborate on the next one, too, but they are no longer official members of the band.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
War In Heaven with the fabulous Iggy Rod (Damnation Angels) on vocals has the fitting lyrics „From the chaos my refuge was born“. Is it like a motto for your band?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
Exactly! The band was born in 2010, I absolutely had to „put to music“ the sensations and my chaotic emotions of that period, but above all the new My Refuge were born from the chaos of completely revolutionizing the project in an even more chaotic period like that of last year due to Covid-19.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
Is there a lyrical concept behind The Anger Is Never Over? Or rather what is your inspiration for writing lyrics?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
I draw inspiration from everyday life, behind the lyrics of The Anger Is Never Over there are meanings linked to different personal experiences. I’ll give you some examples, Immortal Fire talks about an accident I had in 2018. I was in intensive care for a month, and it talks about the pain and fear of those days, but also about the desire to react. War In Heaven and The Anger Is Never Over speaks of the events that led to the evolution of the current My Refuge, Memories of the passage from childhood to adult life. I often deal with melancholy issues but always with the intention of reacting. Writing helps me to transfer emotions, and I hope to be able to convey them with music.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
How does the writing process look like, do you write everything on your own?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
I love composing and writing songs, I started writing lyrics at 14, then at 15 I started playing guitar and composing songs. I often write everything by myself, but for My Refuge songs, I often worked on the complete song with other guys of the band, in particular with Simone (Guitar). It is important to have an external opinion so as not to be repetitive.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
What are your musical influences? Do you have any guitar players that inspired you to make music?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
My favorite guitarists are Randy Rhoads, Chuck Schuldiner, Van Halen, and Malmsteen, nothing particularly original ?, but I’ve never felt like a guitar hero. Rather I have always been inspired by musicians like Kai Hansen, Peter “Peavey” Wagner, Rolf Kasparek, German power metal in general, as well as bands like Judas Priest and Scorpions, but I love all the rock, hard rock, and metal music of the 80s and 90s.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
Do you have plans to work again with any of the guests in the future or is it a concept for the future of My Refuge at all?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
I would like to repeat the experience for the next album and work again with all the musicians on The Anger … I got along well with everyone, with some, a friendship was born. It would have been difficult if I had involved more famous names as we said before.

I have not yet planned anything for the future, and I have learned that anything is possible, but I think I will involve many guests again, and if the energy of the composition flows naturally. I would like to compose a song in which everyone sings.

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
When I have to make a list of the singers for a live gig, I would go for Berzan Onen, Iggy Rod, Arthur Pessoa, and of course the lovely Andra Ariadna Chitu. Are there any plans to make concerts with at least a few of the singers from the album?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
If I could make a wish it would be a tour or live dates with everyone, but it is and will be practically impossible. Logistically to involve European singers (plus Turkey for Berzan Onen) would be easier, if possible I will be very happy!

Unfortunately, I fear that for the whole of 2021 it will be impossible to think about playing live due to Covid-19, then when we can go again we will have to deal with the crisis that has hit live pubs.

I think it will be easier to release a new album, try to increase the fanbase, and then if we are asked to organize live dates. The last year taught me that tomorrow is unpredictable and that nothing is impossible!

Time For Metal / Florian W.:
Thank you again for your time. It was a pleasure. Do you have some words for our Time For Metal readers at the end?

My Refuge / Mauro Paietta:
Thank you very much Florian, the work of webzines is very important for underground bands and for the entire music scene, it is a work done exclusively for passion and it means a lot! My Refuge are a small reality and all we ask is to give a listen to our music!