Interview with Ethereal (Colombia)

From Ethereal’s origins in the 1990s to their present-day revival with new voices and fresh releases, this intimate conversation dives deep into one of Colombia’s most enduring and shape-shifting metal bands. We sat down with Sander Bermudez (Drums) and David Zambrano (Bass),
They open up about their beginnings, lineup changes, sharing the stage with Megadeth and Therion, the impact of haters, and how music has become their form of catharsis and resistance.

Andrea: Guys, how are you? David, thanks for joining us. It was last minute, but thank you very much. Thank you for accepting this invitation.. It's a pleasure talking to you. How are you?

Sander: Very well, miss. Judicious here working. Same with David, I think they were the same.

David: But here, firm, here, firm.

Andrea: Very well. I wanted to ask, how old did each of you start when you started in the band? How old were you? We're talking about '96. Right. How old was each of you when you started in Ethereal?

Sander: Well, we did start the band. What year did you say?

Andrea: Uh, 96,

Sander: I think it was like 95, late 96, more or less. That's when we started. I had to say that goes back 30 years and it doesn't fail me the math. 30 years already.

David: I was 25, already old. Very good. Yes. And I joined in 2015.

Andrea: Very well. What prompted you to get fully involved in extreme metal in Colombia? What was that moment like? I know you started putting together all these musical projects in '96 when all the chaos was brewing in Europe, right? What was the influence like for everyone? Black metal and different styles of black metal. Uh, tell me about your experience being so young.

Sander: Well, I think the thing was being more or less at the forefront of what was being done in Europe. We received music from many bands from Europe and there were also bands that were already doing things here in Colombia and South America, but it was more like the wave of the Gothic Metal and black metal boom, as well as somewhat symphonic. And so, from there came the, I don't know how to put together so many parts and instruments like the violin and the flute. So we started to enrich the band, and what Ethereal was formed, and it was like, like things that happen, right? Like everything flows in life, and the project gradually took shape, kind of taking the mold and the form of what was, let's say, in the first and second albums. Well, especially in the first album that had the flute and violin, in the first EP, "As Sad as Beautiful."

Andrea: how did you experience what happened with Euronymous and Vikernes and all that? How old were each of you, respectively?

Sander: Well, I don't know much about that, I don't know. David,

Andrea: it's just that you were really little when all that happened. I was also really young when the whole disaster happened, and when Kerrang! magazine appeared, and all the music, and everyone was super-influenced and super-impressed by black metal. Uh, I wanted to know a little about your experience because, well, that's kind of Ethereal's approach and how your way of seeing metal has changed from those early days to today. How have you felt the change has been? I don't know how you mature and things change, right? Anyway.

David: Well, the genre went from like '97 to Black Nation. It all started with the stores here in downtown Bogotá, what Rolling Disc Vía Libre is about. They sold the cassettes on the street on 19th Street too, but everything was one and discovering genres and bands when you got off the hook, which sometimes you'd see as a fan of Ethereal, John Caena and Ana María, and with roses. But when you got off those hooks, you discovered bands. That's when I discovered bands like Cradle, but it was when Spiritual Damnation came out, I was into it, and from there, I started listening to the genre more. So that's when I started listening like Dark Funeral and stuff like Immortal. So, it's not like I started getting immersed in the genre, but what was also influential at that time was Ethereal, right? Later you start seeing bands like Inquisition, yes, which was also more heavy black and all that. how did you get there? (To Sander) How did you get into gothic?

Sander: I don't know. I think everything happens by accident in life, right? I mean, these are things that happen little by little and the people with whom you suddenly make music influence you and guide you towards that point, Right? Toward that destination. So, little by little, it kind of happened, and I think that's what it was, more like the path of all the people who surrounded the band, members and ex-members, who enriched the proposal, and little by little, it started to develop into that sound that started to emerge. It's not so much like saying, "Oh, I'm going to do something like that," no. I think that comes with the passage of rehearsals, albums, songwriting, and all of that, it grows, and little by little it takes on a direction. So, obviously the change between "As sad as Beautiful" and "Flesh "was very abrupt because it was a change of singer. Well, there's also flute and violin, but the change of male lyrical singer was lyrical, right? With the male singer, it was a change. Maybe John's voice was more of a different style, maybe a little more gothic, and Ángel's voice was more black metal, and that perhaps led to not only being pigeonholed, but we ourselves becoming more pigeonholed along those lines, you see?

Andrea: Yes. In fact, I wanted to talk a little about what the eras were like, like when David said, the Ana María Botero era, and now I want to talk about the arrival of Valenna Roman, of course. Uh, tell me a little about the before and after, or how we would divide the eras. of Ethereal, because you've been around for 30 years and there have been many changes. So, tell me a little about those eras.

Sander: Okay, let's talk about the back of our minds. David, will talk about Valenna. María, well, she was in the first two (albums) and after going to the United States , uh, she sort of left the band. The band, let's say, sort of moved away from the more feminine vocals. We recorded a third album in the United States, Cesatio Divinis, and the face of the band changed a lot. We returned to Colombia, Daniel Realpe joined, and we made the fourth album, Unequallity, which doesn't have a female vocalist. It was a totally different album from what we had done, and it was more progressive, more metal, and a lot of progressive stuff. As I said, the influences of the musicians. Daniel is very much in that vein. So, maybe that led us to make an album with quite a few progressive beats, then here (in Colombia), not only that, but he was also there. eh there was a concert is that they arrived in the United States, they arrived around 2003 2004.

David: Yeah, well the turn that today.. was a bit abrupt because they did like a progressive black which is when Realpe comes in, he was there for a while, the bassist who was David Londoño was there for a long time and they decided to eliminate like the female vocals and replace them with clean vocals that Ángel does, who still does them from time to time, who is supported by Realpe. eh, they released Unequallity which is very complex, I mean, it's a good album.. I mean, I mean its composition is very progressive, it's got a lot of nuggets. When I came in and threw them I told them that I wasn't going to release almost any songs from that album. The difficult thing..

Sander: is fucked up

David: In fact, only one song is played on that album and they tried to play another one that I think is

Sander: Yes, Into the dispersion.

David: Yes, that one. And well, there was a time when Ethereal kind of changed, the lineup was reduced to five. eh, David is leaving, Bassist Londoño is going to live in Norway. That's where I come in, Ethereal comes in, but people were asking for the female voice again, so the five of us talked about it and said, "No, well it would be good to include the female voice again" so we could bring songs from previous albums, without modifying them so much and that also gives it a plus and manage the inclusion."

Sander: Uh, the thing is that uh but David remembers that we took some steps,

David: well a call was made and one day a lot of women came to audition but there wasn't like there was a feeling and Reinel, well, we talked to Kilrian and he was the one who talked about her and auditioned her and then they liked her and she joined us for like two years no more. Uh, we released a, in fact a single was released called ..that it sounds like the power.. of the Power Rangers when they transform.. "the final demonstration of Truth" .. she Left because she has some health problems then Realpe meets Dana who is through someone from Ethereal it is not on the violinist's side something that real .. with .. He introduces himself and Dana comes in and well, then the lineup is like It's becoming more solid, with more feeling. She's releasing two, three more songs. She recently released, well, a video about a year and a half ago, so it's been moving. Uh, that's been Ethereal's evolution so far since they returned from the United States, right?

Sander: Of course, I was going to mention to David that there were two additional participations by two girls: Natalie Osman. She was with us, I think, at a Rock al Parque, right? Another girl was at Rock al Parque.

David: No, it's not that Roxana, but Castiblanco. Roxana helped out, she sang Melancolía at the Bogotá metal tribute.

Sander: Those are like the girls who have participated at some point until Valenna joined.

Andrea: Ah, I understand. There were several, but just as Valenna has been there the longest lately, she's the current one.

Sander: Yes, lately, yes. She's been here for maybe four years now. have been here a lot, in 2019, she's been here for six years.

Andrea: Is there any album that you consider key, or rather, the key to your evolution?

Sander: I feel like time is giving the key because look, first it was number one, then number two, and now a lot of people are picking up number three, and as time goes by, people are starting to value more and more all the more classic works you've done, right? It's like time is giving value and giving a kind of position to those pieces you've created. It's weird because no one gave it credit, no one at that time, well, surely a lot of people did like it, but well, no one took the "As sad as Beautiful" for granted or gave a penny for it. Nobody was going to say, "No, it was going to be a super important piece, a part of the construction of metal in Colombia", and now a lot of people say that. So what happens? Then came the Shroud of Flesh and as the years went by, that album is already 20 years old. It's two, if I'm not mistaken. Disc is going to be like by the end of 2018, that album is already 25 years old too. The same thing happens now that there are people who say, "Oh, that album, dude." No, they start to value it after a certain time. And I've already heard a lot of people who have started to value the third album, Cessatio a Divinis, and so little by little, will finally get Unequality's day. It's from 2008. Almost nobody knows that album, it's very strange. You have to be a big fan of the band to even know of the existence of that album. But I think that as an important pillar, as the most important pillar in the evolution of the band as such, I think it's Shroud of Flesh, because I think has like It's a more complete album, there are more songs. Uh, at that time, the cover of Fear of the Dark was released, which has also been a bit of a hit and has been very well-received by the band. So, I think it could be the album that, to this day, is the most important pillar in the band's growth.

Andrea: Well, I wonder what the most important moment or concert event has been for Ethereal

Sander:. Well, no, just kidding .There are many important ones, but I think it's that I don't know if it was '98, I think it was Rock al Parque '98. It was there at the Simón Bolívar and we played before La Pestilencia. It was around six or seven, I think. It was very brutal. I think it's also been the most important for the band because I think that's when the band gained the most recognition and reached more ears and more people. And I think that at that moment, let's say, the band became known. much more and people remember it, not only for that, but because they remember it as if they played there, the power went out, they cut off the power and everyone, but I think we didn't cut it, that's an accident of the moment.

David : I don't know what happened. People thought it was part of the plan to play Fear of the Dark .. the power before the song was exact.

Sander: We played Fear of the Dark. It was at the other Rock al Parque which I think was 2004, 2006, I don't remember very well. It's just that there are so many things that I don't know.

Andrea: I imagine with the hustle and bustle. You guys have a very busy life. That's great. I love it. Uh, after so many years of career, guys, I ask you, what keeps you together as a band? Because it's like a marriage, right? And what inspires you to continue creating music today, right?

David : Well, for me personally, what keeps me going, well, this is like the, it's like this is like pure the passion and how, how do I say it?

Sander: The release.

David: Yes, the release is that. It's something that is an escape that makes you feel, well, it makes me feel free, I mean, when I'm playing live, well, even in a rehearsal I feel free, like I feel untouchable and it's something that takes you away from reality and the everyday, right? From work, from personal problems. Yes. Sometimes when she (the mind) gets it right she plays tricks on you and upsets you, like music is the only thing that gets me out of that. Although sometimes it's ironic because there us with Sander and the other bandmates, not only in that band we share, but in others, eh we deal with the haters, right? I mean, like there are a lot, you could say the word shit?.

Andrea: I haven’t been blocked yet.

David: A lot of people throw us in there. The metalhead here is very complicated. I know it is worldwide, but here they throw us away a lot of shit, right? I mean, like, oh, this works, this sounds, a lamp, some dandruff always. But we also have people who also welcome us and make you feel good, who say, "Wow, cool." And they go and see you and congratulate you for the music you're making. So, that's kind of what makes up for all that and you say, "Oh, these haters can fuck off and you have to keep going." And you do this out of passion because economically it's not profitable. I mean, you have to be realistic, right? As for profitable. Well, it's not profitable. Obviously, you have to get paid, you have to get paid for your work, for rehearsing. The organizer is always going to profit from selling beers, tickets, whatever. Maybe you have to say, admit it, something like that for this month's lunches. But it's something, it's the same, it keeps you feeling free, like, free and disconnected from everything. That's what it does. So you keep playing, you keep trying to buy an instrument, to see if it comes new, that it might be useful, and there's also a kind of coexistence, right? I mean, there's a hobby, you go, you meet up with the band, a rehearsal, you chat, you laugh, you also de-stress, you talk about your problems, you have energy, you hate playing. It's cool, it's like therapy.

Sander: It's that even after so much time, imagine music, I think more than 35 years, sometimes it seems like a short time, but it's a long time and it's already something that becomes part of your daily life. I work with music, I make a living from music all the time, and sometimes I don't want to know anything aboutnmusic, that's why I go to the stadium.. So.. but there's no time, it's part of one's life., like leaving something that's already part of your daily life is already difficult.. and it's cool because, as David says, you also share with your bandmates. Sometimes you have your bad moments, there's no shortage of fights because it's like a marriage, as you say, but you always end up talking, always ending up dialoguing and fixing situations, and it will always be a learning experience and a way to overcome problems and realize that you were really made for this and you're going to stay here.

Andrea: Correct. Is there any anecdote from a tour, a show that you always remember, that was funny or simply memorable for you at some point?

Sander: With David, we have a lot, but in the other band,

David: and we could stay here for two days. If you want,

Sander: tell her about the one with the keys.

David: no, because that would be Cuentos. Maybe he's had more time in Ethereal. Since I've been in Ethereal, I've been very calm.

Sander: well, there was one there too, we went to play with Therion in Ecuador. .. okay, it was like “oh, we're going to open for Therion,” right? It turns out they put us after Therion and we were like, “oh, but how are they going to do this to us?” So, imagine, well, the people left and very few stayed, right? Very few. Very few people stayed.

David: The good thing was that we got drunk with the Therion vocalist there at the entrance of the hotel, which was like, I don't know, it was like at Lourdes Quartet there with that drunk guy there. But that guy was like, nice,

Andrea: Okay. I imagine an unforgettable experience for you to share with me, and that's precisely what I wanted to talk about. I also had that one written down here, guys, what was your experience sharing the stage with Therion? And I also wanted to ask you about Megadeth, but finish telling me about Therion.

Sander: Well, with them, the last time here, everything was really cool, very calm, the organization was really cool, that was last year, right? Oh, yeah, like in September. Yeah, it's going to be a year, right now in September, a year. It was really cool, very calm, they treated us really well, the show was cool.. good. They shared a couple of bottles of wine with us there that they didn't want to drink, and then the guitarist talked a few things with Christopher and that was it, but good, right? Everything was very calm, very cool, they're very relaxed and the girls are also very cool and it's a great band. It sounds really cool, it was really incredible.

Andrea: Well, how was the experience with Megadeth?

Sander: Oh, the experience with them was like a very flashy one, right? I mean, we were only able to take a picture with Dave Mustaine, just like fast, leaving the dressing room, and the man was already like in his tale. And the show was a tight show. Here I have, here I have, wait, (show us the poster) there I have the one I have, the Flyer. Oh, how nice. That's the poster. That was June 10 2000. How time flies? It's been 25 years since that concert, and well, back then I don't remember much about anything, just that. Well, it wasn't just another event, but it wasn't the crowd and all that. There were some people who were kind of in our face, but they didn't really push us down because the band was also a little bit different in terms of genre than Megadeth, right? But, well, for the time, let's say it was cool and good, but what was missing was the, as the cat says, (David) the hater who threw things at us. I think they even threw coins at us.,

Andrea: when people do that kind of thing, it's because you're doing something great, guys. Keep that in mind, and let this interview be a reminder for you of the great things you've achieved, and that are representative of national metal.

Sander & David: yes, thank you very much.

Andrea: Yes, guys, it's nice for me to be here sharing this moment with you. I wanted to ask you what advice you would give to young musicians who want to pursue a career in extreme metal, especially in Latin America, where we have in common that it's almost not about money, but more about passion.

Sander: Well, I think that's the most important thing, knowing that it's more about passion. If at some point they can, as we say colloquially, make it big, they make it big and have a band that can somehow become recognized and can achieve financial success, well, very cool. But I think you have to think that this comes as an added bonus and that it might not happen for you, because out of 100 out of 1,000 bands, surely one will say, "Hey, they pay me to play." It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. Eh,you could say it's true, David,

David: that it is. Eh, no, and there are bands here, well, there are many, but I've seen that they're very conscientious and practically from the band, I mean, they have side jobs, but good from the music and also from the band. Well, I'll bring up the example of the Luz Perpetua. Uh, I've realized that what they've received and what they've, let's say, been able to participate in big events, they've known how to manage the issue of royalties from Sayco, they've known how to invest, they've gone to court, to get their visas and the merchandise they handle, and I think they put on their own festival and have their own, which has allowed them to live off of music and the band. Uh, there's the example of that band from Hateworks, which is Eshtadur. They're there doing the most, so you kind of have to be disciplined and administrative. If you know you have a good product, uh, you should be administrative and all that. Uh, it's difficult here, but sometimes I think the thing is knowing how to navigate well outside (Abroad).

Sander: "Oh, no, well, you're just talking about Cuentos." Well, talking a lot of Cuentos.

Andrea: Don't worry, I want a second interview with Cuentos because it's also another topic and I'm interested. a lot. Uh, I want to ask one last question before I run out of the free one because I'm poor and I live far away. (laughs)

Sander: That's true, you're really far away, right?

Andrea: What non-metal influences like books, movies, artists inspire you and would you like to recommend to us here at Metal Detector?

Sander: A Very complex question.. It didn't come up much, I don't know well, so much, but so much as an influence, right? I mean, I feel that for me personally, saying that a book or a movie has influenced me as far as the band part locally, I mean, directly, no, no, I don't feel like it has. I don't know, I don't know if it happened to me, no, I don't have it in mind or I don't take it into account, but that I can recommend a book like that, a book.. There isn't a band, well, there's a band, I'm going to recommend that's super obscure and super weird, that it's not that it has influenced me, but that I love and it's called The Tiger Lilies. I don't know if you've heard that one. The Tiger Lillies. And they're incredible, I mean, they're wow, if you can do it, I don't know, it's a really weird thing. It's like, and it's very dark, too dark, and that's what they are, their genre is dark cabaret, they're English. Perfect.., and they're wow, I love that band and I would recommend it. A very good influence for, let's say, for a band that doesn't want obscurity as such, but rather something that's a bit like semi-dark. The thing is very, very cool and it has it, and it's not metal, that's what I'm telling you, it's dark cabaret, it has a lot of default, but it's very cool and those guys are geniuses. I love them, I've seen them live twice here. Very good. Seriously,

Andrea: I think that's basically everything I wanted to talk about. Uh, are you working on any new projects, LPs?

Sander:No, we don't really have anything right now because coordinating the schedules of six people is a bit complicated. So right now the band is a bit on standby. Sometimes they call us for shows, but sometimes not many things come together, but it's there. Uh, I think Gato has some ideas to keep moving forward, but well, at some point towards the end of the year I think we'll get back to that.

David: The idea is to release what they've been releasing as singles, let's say. The one for Pet was released, the video clip that the girl in it is my daughter. Then we released a little one where Dana sings only. I forgot.. What's it called?.. Perfect conjugation.

Sander: It's perfect conjunction.

David: I'm the worst musician in Ethereal. Perfect conjunction. And I have a song that I've had for a long, long time. Uh, I also had one like black, .. a melodic black project. Uh, we wrote it with a best friend, but the song never came out, it was left up in the air. I spoke to him and said, "Hey, I want to release this with Ethereal." He said, "Go for it, because the song is cool." And that's what we're going to think about right now, working on that song, and I also want to make a music video for it. I think the single accompanied by a music video helps a lot for the song to catch on. Well, I've been influenced as a musician by the Die Hard trilogy of the 80s and that's it. (laughs)

Andrea: A tremendous influence on the scene. Don't miss the band's current status. Uh, are you going to have a concert coming up soon or anything besides this Perfect Conjunction?

Sander: Well, Perfect Conjunction was the last song that was released. The last one, Well, it was around here. (looking) I don't know, I don't know. You can search.

Andrea: I'll search and I'll put it as a reference so people can keep it in mind, don't worry.

Sander: And uh, well, what did you tell me afterward?

Andrea: Perfect, that's it. I think you answered everything. I'm looking at the questions here, I think you answered everything. Anything else you'd like to add? Do you have a question for me?

Sander: Thank you for the invitation. We'll probably be here with Cuentos, but it's better to go out masked, don't you think? To keep things clear. Yes, ... No one knows who you are. (laughs)

Andrea: Of course. Uh, I'm going to schedule an interview then to have it for Cuentos and we're talking on WhatsApp about a date.. Okay.. Yeah, right away. Cool,

Sander: right away. Yeah, right away. So thank you for the invitation, I hope the show goes really well. You'll surely continue to grow and all that. That's the important thing.

Andrea: Okay, thank you very much, guys, for your uh time this afternoon so you can continue with all your projects. Very anxious to hear about this new topic that the cat revealed to us. Uh, well, I should call you and David. So, uh, we'll leave it like this for the next time We'll continue talking. Thank you very much for being here.

David: No, thank you. Okay. All right, guys.