Interview with Fedra - Black metal from Colombia and 19 years of career

In this exclusive episode of **Metal Detector**, we sit down with **Fedra**, one of the most enduring and uncompromising black metal bands from Colombia. With almost two decades of history, Fedra has carved a distinctive place in the extreme metal underground, blending raw aggression with a dark, atmospheric identity that sets them apart both in Latin America and beyond. Joined by vocalist Aghory and drummer Yathur Ea, the band reflects on their 19-year journey, the roots that shaped their sound, and the challenges of keeping a black metal project alive in Colombia’s underground scene. They open up about the creative process behind their latest full-length ***Cursed Alliance* (2023)**, the impact of their earlier release ***The Gates of Hell* (2015)**, and the role of women in extreme metal. This conversation goes beyond music, exploring the spirit of Fedra as pioneers who have carried the torch of South American black metal with integrity and resilience. From unforgettable live moments to their vision for the future, this is Fedra in their own words.

Andrea: Thank you so much for accepting this interview. My name is Andrea Net. For those who don't know me, as always, we're here in our favorite section, which is the interviews with our favorite artists from around the world.

Today on Metal Detector, we have the honor of speaking with Fedra, one of the most representative bands of Colombian black metal. With almost two decades of experience, Fedra has built a solid path within the extreme scene. So, today we're joined by Janis Gutiérrez, Aghory, guitarist and vocalist, and Catherine Rodríguez Yathur Ea, drummer, to talk about their history, their music, what's next for the band, and whatever else may come along the way.

Thank you so much for accepting this interview, and my first question would be, Fedra has been around for almost 20 years. What has kept you together for so long?

Janis: Well, it's been quite a long road. The idea is, therefore, to revolve around empathy, communication, and creating that bond with the girls in the band, and that's what Catherine and I have been forging over the years. All the experiences we've had, the adventures, all the concerts have allowed us to become closer and, thus, we've managed to maintain the band for so many years.

Catherine: I also think it's important to highlight the passion we have for black metal, right? Essentially, obviously, when the band was founded, it was because of that dedication, that passion, and that vision we had. So, maintaining that strength has been quite important for us to be able to continue being together and, obviously, to address the issue of tolerance among ourselves and, obviously, to reach the point where we have the same goal, right? Which is the music and, as such, the black metal scene, right? And its ideology.

Andrea: Very well. Uh, well, how did each of you get started in the band?

Catherine: Well, I founded the band, actually, with a group of friends who were called Cementerio de La Cordura, and the idea started, right? The idea started through talking, gatherings. So, it was always like the concept of, oh, women can't, I mean, it was always like the machismo that was handled, right? So there was one—one of them named Andrea Fonseca. So, we had a very deep-rooted idea about what we wanted within a band, and well, she sang. So, like, come on, why don't we do it? Let's start showing the empowerment of women, that we can also have that same dedication and commitment that men have, so to speak. So, the band basically started like that. It started and we already got a guitarist, and so, basically, the only one from the initial lineup who remained, and has remained, is me. And then Janis came in.

Andrea: Okay. And you, Janis.

Janis: I joined Fedra at the end of 2011, right around the time of our 2012 tour, which was a South American tour. We lasted about two months. So, yes, that was kind of my entry into the band as a guitarist back then.

Andrea: And then you became the vocalist. How did that change happen?

Janis: That was in 2016. Well, I had previously accompanied some backing vocals, but in 2016, I really took the plunge. I launched into being a vocalist, starting at the Ibague Grita Rock festival, where it was sort of my debut as a vocalist. Since then, the idea has been to improve, to combine various techniques, and to continue learning so I could perform well on stage.

Andrea: So, girls, how would you describe Fedra's unique black metal sound?

We wanted to create a line that was a little more old-school, a little rawer, with some marked influences like Thou Art Lord, Ajattara, Burzum, and very, very old-school. In fact, initially the band was guitar, drums, and vocals. We wanted something a little more scrappy. In fact, one of the bands that influences me a lot, in my personal opinion, is one called Black Angel, they're from Peru, and I really liked the female side Demonic Rise. Basically that.

Janis: And another important line we took is as a reference to Immortal, I mean, the idea is that the band also has its melodic parts. Uh, the evolution has been evident in Fedra. As Caterina says, at the beginning it was a bit more scrappy, but we've been evolving the sound over the years.

Andrea: Very well. And how do you balance your personal life and the dedication that an extremely meta band demands? For example, Catherine is a mother, uh, each of you has your jobs. Tell me how you manage your time.

Catherine: Uh, well, initially, let's just say that before we didn't have that much of an inconvenience because, obviously, there weren't any responsibilities, like we could say, "No, let's go on tour, then we can go away for two or three months without a problem." But now, yes, since I'm a mother, so obviously it's a little more complicated because of the issue of whether parenting and that, well, it's also at work, not at school. It's been a little more complex, but well, we've had to adjust our schedules a little more. Uh, suddenly we can't see each other as often as we used to. We haven't been able to organize a tour until now, although we've been asked a lot about the idea of returning to tour, but then the tours, for the moment, I can't do such a long tour, the most I could would be like 20 days and that's basically exaggerating and that's like agreeing, let's say, with my husband, right? With my son's father. So, uh, it's like that, yes, because let's say 3-month tours are complicated, uh, but still, we're going with patience and also when we've met, we talk, we look at how to organize while we go to rehearsals and that hasn't been impossible, but it is a little more, we have to organize ourselves more, right? Getting more organized than before was like, "Oh, okay, let's do it like this without so much planning, right?", so everything has to be a little more planned.

Janis: Okay. Yes, but the idea is to find a balance, right? So, at least right now I've finished university, so in this regard, I have a little more time. Uh, my idea is more to work right now as a freelancer, so it gives me some ease to balance schedules, but as Catherine says, I mean, the idea is to get back to touring, always with a pertinent amount of time, 20 days or whatever is possible at the moment. And nothing, just keep rehearsing judiciously. The idea is to rehearse at least once a week and adapt to each other's schedules.

Andrea: How do you see the black metal scene in Colombia and Latin America today?

Catherine: Uh, well, I've seen it get stronger, right? I mean, it's gotten a lot stronger in terms of the musical part. Uh, suddenly they make it a little more structured than before, right? Before, it was a little more scrappy, so to speak. Maybe it wasn't as elaborate, but it seems to me that it has improved quite a bit in terms of its radicalism as well, let's say, its radicalism. It's no longer like that radicalism that there was suddenly, like when I started with the band, which was a little more harsh. There's now much more acceptance of the role of women as such in the musical theme, but I do feel that it has expanded a bit in the aspect that it's no longer just a play of black metal, but now suddenly there's a play of black with death, I mean, at least the scene has expanded a little in that aspect, right? So, it seems to me that it has been something very important because it has also made it possible for us to go out to other spaces or other places where they know us, right? Like since that radicalism is gone, because that is what sometimes makes it so that we can't suddenly get to know each other. So much, but it seems to me that it has improved quite a bit and there has been a lot of support in terms of all the bands, there is now a larger brotherhood and that seems great to me.

Janis: Yes, well, Colombia is also one of the pioneering countries of black metal. So yes, there is quite a bit of history at an international level since the musical quality that we handle here in Colombia has been recognized. What Cathe says is true, I mean, the idea is to generate like that alliance, that union between the bands, the public that allows the scene to continue growing more and more, and to help the groups get ahead, facilitate publicity a little more.

Andrea: Well, what has been a moment that you consider unforgettable?

Janis: Uh, a moment of complicated moments, there are several cool events that have happened to us, honestly. I don't know, Kate, do you have any expression?

Catherine: Uh, that's what I was going to ask. Uh, let's say, events regarding tours and all that.

Andrea: Yes, yes.

Catherine: Uh, well, I think one of the moments that has left its mark on me, uh, was around 2000, an event we did here, but I hadn't even entered yet, uh, that was for animals, an animal rights event and I thought it was great because, uh, well, bands with a long history at that time were invited, such as Leishmanasis and Desecrate and us and well, we're there. I thought it was great because people seemed to have a very good reception with Fedra. I think it was one of the first times I could see that we could give more, because the people, I mean, they singed along the songs, I mean, something really, really cool. I liked it a lot because I felt at that moment, well, after all of a sudden so many altercations that there were initially because of the issue of, uh, we didn't have a very good initial reception, it was very difficult to be accepted at black metal events because of the machismo issue and all that. That day I felt something very different and I thought it was great.

Janis: Yes, that day I felt like, well, we have to start more, uh, because yes, I mean, people knew some of the songs, the support was great, I mean, we didn't expect so much expectation and in fact, when we went to play, everyone came in and then the other bands followed and suddenly you didn't see the amount of people that there were when we were playing. So, I thought that was great. I think that was one of the moments that had the most positive impact on me, right? And another one was in Bolivia, but because of some protests, and that was kind of funny because I fell. I mean, they chased us. Well, they chased me specifically because they were in a car, they were at the protests, and they were right behind me with torches and everything, and I was running scared, and well, things that happen on a trip, right? But they are things that you ultimately take with you, and they are good memories. Also, meeting people in all the places you go. There are people who stay with you and say, "Well, not here, it's cool to hang out again, and so on."

Janis: Well, regarding that, yes, speaking of Bolivia, I do remember a get-together we had. In La Paz meeting was cool because, just like Cathe says, people were singing along to the songs; it was a very pleasant space. In fact, out of nowhere, there was also a girl who was part of a group back in Bolivia. The girl was with us during those days of the "dead" we had there, like, sightseeing, all that, and it just happened to be her birthday. So, of course, we invited her on stage. It was a really cool moment because there was this synergy between her, us, and the audience. So, it's really gratifying to hear that they know the songs, that they're asking for the songs. So, yes, very cool.

Andrea: Very good. What has the experience been like having a female band in a subgenre so dominated by men?

Catherine: Uh, well, it's been a cool experience because it's been like really showing how much you can do, right? I mean, I see it more as a matter of, like, "Oh my god, I can do it because I'm really showing what fulfills me," right? More than anything, suddenly, oh, no, it's that I can, it's not more like the issue of wanting to show what I really feel and what truly fulfills me. Yes. And being able to show that the role that we can. So, it's been something very, very cool, but it's been hard. It's been hard because there's been no shortage of comments like, oh, it's because they're girls, blah, blah, blah. Yes, everything, everything can be seen. But to me it seems like a very cool experience because it's showing yourself what you can achieve. So it's simply that you can, I mean, you can't achieve whatever you want as long as you're perseverant. So, I think it's been something really, really cool.

Janis: Yes, well, it's something that's been achieved with effort over these years, as it also depends on the stance one has managed to maintain. Showing that side, what perseverance is like, the aggressive side on stage, I mean, everything we have to show on stage, well, that's the idea. So, making the band grow and, well, achieving doing things with passion, and that's how things are happening little by little, paving the way.

Andrea: Very well. Uh, what do you remember about the recording and staging process of Gates of Hell? What impact do you think it had on the entity of the band?

Catherine: Uh, well, it was an album that really took a while. Yes, it took a while, eh, because we had some lineup changes, eh, as such. So yes, it was an album that took more or less two years, but it was a very cool experience because it was the first album we recorded professionally. Uh, so we were kind of leaving that personal mark, right? So it was something really, really cool, and the moment of the tour when we did it, I mean, we didn't expect such a good reception. Actually, the first album came out under Viuda Negra label, and the reception was really good, so much so that halfway through the tour, we had to ask for more CDs, and it's because we didn't have any. I mean, it was really good. So there are many, many memories and many beautiful things because, first, it was the first album we made professionally. Uh, well, really for me, at least personally, it was very gratifying, like the fact that that first album was the first thing recorded professionally, and obviously, it was like the first highly organized tour, and the reception was so good that halfway through, we had to ask for more copies to sell, to distribute in South America. So, it was a really, really cool experience, and it was like our first personal best.

Andrea: Ah, very cool. So, it was the first time that Fedra started, in, uh, what was the year that Fedra started? And they recorded Gates of Hell in 2015, you said.

Catherine: We started recording around 2013, at the end of 2013 more or less. I mean, it was an album that took quite a while due to lineup changes. And before that, in 2008 we recorded a first demo with Andrea Nymist. Yes. And then in 2011 we recorded another second demo, like the second version, which was what we took for the first tour of South America, where we had a lot of setbacks, but we also met a lot of really nice people who have helped us throughout Fedra. And nothing, well, right now, well, 2015 and so on, but they have been like very, very dear personal experiences or little marks.

Andrea: As for Gates of Hell, we were talking about the recording and staging of Gates of Hell. How was it?

Uh, did you get to experience that with the band, Janis?

Janis: Yes, I was at the recordings.

Andrea: Okay. It was when the lineup changed that you joined, or had you been there since 2000...?

Janis: Well, the album was recorded in 2015. I had already joined the band about three years ago, so the recording, well, going back to the beginning, was very professional. We did it in Sander Bermúdez's studio. Uh, yes, of course, at that time there was a different lineup than we have now. Let's just say the songs are very blasphemous. We talk about various things, about voodoo magic. Uh, there are some anti-Christian themes. We also talk about that dark feeling of being human, depression, also something about suicide, uh, various important themes, and the idea was to undo an equally big release, which was what Catherine was saying about the tour we've already done in several countries in South America. That album was released under Viuda Negra Music. We were able to work hand in hand with Andrés Moreno, who was truly a significant boost for us. He helped us with the issue of copies, everything, and everything Kat mentioned. So, the album was also very well received. We managed to sell several copies of merchandise. So, let's say it was a significant leap for the band, because that's what it achieved, eh? It was like catapulting the group at that moment and generating that image. More professional.

Andrea: Perfect. Well, what projects or plans do you have for the near future?

Catherine: Uh, well, what we've already planned is to continue with the entire audiovisual aspect. I mean, we want to get started on recording the videos. We already have some songs in mind that are part of the new Cursed Alliance album. Uh, we also have to record some singles. We have some unreleased songs that we want to record to further promote the music we're currently working on. Likewise, we have an event next week in the Dominican Republic and we also have two other events scheduled for this year, and yes, well, we're also, uh, reorganizing, restructuring the entire band lineup a bit. Uh, and well, there we go, as the audiovisual part as Janis already tells you, we want to record a new video. Well, there are some things we want to do, but yes, everything is taking its time and seeing if we can organize a tour in South America for next year. Also, we're organizing to see if we can arrange something for Mexico. But yes, we have to be very, I mean, yes, very organized for personal reasons, but the idea is to organize everything well to get back to it.

Andrea: Okay. What recommendations would you give to other female artists who want to get into black metal?

Janis: Well, the road won't be easy, but if one has a strong mentality and, let's say, has clear goals, and is motivated, one can achieve something very interesting because the idea is that if women continue to contribute to this genre, because it's not just a man's thing. I think that as a woman, you also have all those dark feelings that you want to express. We have a lot to show, and well, we have all the potential to achieve. Yes, basically that. I think it comes first. Obviously, it's a commitment, right? That's part of who we are. Uh, and it's important, and it's always important to be firm in what you want and with the conviction you have, and that it's obviously something you really want as a part of you, right? Not as a hobby or anything like that, right? And that's it. Uh, obviously showing how to try to add something more to the female scene. That 's important, like highlighting that, highlighting why it's important, so to speak, in the case of the role of women within black metal and all that, right? That you have that deeply rooted.

Andrea: Yes, I think you're an inspiration to many artists, and, uh, that's a path that I find very brave. So, uh, congratulations, girls, you've done an excellent job, and that your lineup has also remained the same after so much time. It's something worthy of admiration in a band.

Janis: Thank you very much.

Andrea: One last question, what books or movies would you recommend? No metal, that has nothing to do with metal, something that I always do at the end of each interview, recommendations for books, movies, series, etc., that you want to give to the people at Metal Detector.

Catherine: Well, there's a book I really like, which I've always said since school, and I think that book is a very important contribution to the life of a human being. There's one called Who Moves My Cheese? and The Knight in Rusty Armor. Those two books seem to me to be very, very important, like to demonstrate—I don't know how to put it—like to be able to reaffirm what we can be as human beings, right? And how much power, uh, or how much struggle we want, or how far we want to go, how to not get stuck there. Second book once again. Tell me what the second book is going to be called. Once again, The Knight in Rusty Armor. Ah, okay. It's the one about Who Moved My Cheese. Classic. Those two seem like classics to me, but I think they contribute quite a bit to who one is as a human being, especially when one is suddenly in full development.

Andrea: Ah, okay. And you, Yanis?

Janis: Well, I'm more into cosmic horror, so nothing, you're into Lovecraft. So, I also really like, let's say, The Color Out of Space, all that cosmicism that this renowned author has. So, it seems very important because it helps us understand how the mind works, to realize that human beings are insignificant compared to everything in the universe and everything we don't know. Uh, I also recommend Stephen King's book 1408, Room 1408, which is also a psychological horror book. So, it's very important because I also don't think the psychological aspect and all the physical vulnerability that a person can go through in those conditions is cool.

Andrea: Okay. Well, I'm going to ask an extra question that occurred to me. Uh, what would be your favorite place, or rather, your biggest dream of performing? A festival, or what dream event you have in mind, I don't know. Maybe something in Europe, something in the United States.

Janis: Well, I'd be happy if we could go on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. Sure, I think that event is cool, right? Or if not, being able to play at Wacken wouldn't be awesome. Yeah, yeah, sure. There are events that would be great, but just like one I say, I don't know, at the moment I can't think of, metal bands are great.

Andrea: I'd go, take my money, I'd go. I love that.

Oh, very well, girls. So, I think that's the whole interview. I really enjoyed spending time with you and learning about all the projects, the future plans, and the history of the band. Uh, well, thank you so much for your good energy, for your willingness. Sorry for the inconvenience, and we'll talk soon. That would be all.

Catherine. Okay, thank you so much for the time, for the invitation, and everything, for the support anyway.

Andrea: Okay. Uh, ah, they told you they're going to be in the Dominican Republic. Can you talk more or less about that to close with that?

Janis: Oh, yes, the event is going to be with four other bands from there. It's an event that, so far, let's say, has been very well received. Let's say there's a lot of expectation. We're going with all our energy, we're bringing our merchandise, everything to take the Dominican Republic by storm. Black Mass Volume 3 is coming out on August 30th.

Andrea: Perfect. Excellent. All right, girls. So, that's all. Now, have a great day. Thank you.

Catherine: Okay, thank you, Andrea. See you later. [Music] [Applause]