written by Marko Jakob
Pix666: Hello and thanks for your time. Please introduce your band to the readers in a few short sentences. What kind of music do you make?
Rute: Black Widows are the first and only all female metal in Portugal. The band started in the mid of the 90s. We released 2 demo tapes, an ep called: ‚The Dark Side of an Angel‘ and our first album ‚Sweet the Hell‘, in early 2000s. The band went through some unstable times after that, but finally came stronger than ever. The result of this is the album ‚Among the Brave Ones‘, to be released October 21st. We play metal music.
Pix666: Rute, what was the most decisive point for you to become a musician?
Rute: Definitely listening to metal music and feeling so nice about that and also admiring bands and musicians. I decided to give it a try on the guitar. But as a singer, my career began at early age and I always loved to sing. So I’d say that the decisive point was when I started listening to metal music.
Pix666: Your band Black Widows was already founded in the 1990s, but had taken a long break lately – what was the reason for the break, and finally also for the return?
Rute: In 2004 we couldn‘t come to a decision on what we were willing to sacrifice to take the next step as a band and that caused a break. I then, created my other band Enchantya, which took some of my attention to improve as a singer.
BW tried to come back a few times after that but it always difficult to have a steady line up, until 3 years ago, when I decided to give a last try. Monica, who had been playing keyboards before, convinced me on that. We were lucky enough to make it right this time and to have 5 ladies who all row in the same direction.
Pix666: Recently the new Black Widows Single ‚Shizo‘ was released. How have the reactions to the song been so far?
Rute: I’d say that this third single is the favourite of most people who contact us. They say that music and lyrics and title match perfectly, and the video clip reinforces the idea.
Pix666: What is this song about and what are your lyrics about in general?
Rute: It’s about a man I knew that smiled to the world but feared to be the lonely one in the crowd. Someway he though of himself as a poet or a deep passionate man but was actually very sad, lonely and unable to love others and himself. There are lots of people like this in the world, smiling outside like usually clowns do, but miserable inside…
Pix666: The release of the new album “Among the brave Ones” is near – the first one in 20 years. What can fans expect on the album and are there any musical differences to your older songs?
Rute: The old tracks are amazingly raw and savage whereas these new ones are also focused on harmony. Somehow it can be heavier because Marta has such a power playing drums that we have to gladly, keep it up.
What you should not expect: something predictable or commercial. This album is not easy to put in a category of metal style. We make music for the joy and passion of it and we follow whatever we want to play. Therefore you should go for it with an open mind.
Pix666: In these many years, a lot has also changed in the technical field. Nowadays, music is very closely connected to social media. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages for bands that this development brings and how much do you use social media yourselves?
Rute: We use it oftenly because it’s a way of showing and promoting our art. It has the advantage of globalization working for us on the speed on which we reach so many countries and listeners. However, if you do not know how to professionally use the digital marketing to promote your band, you may incur on the risk of never showing how talented you are to the rest of the world.
Pix666: You are now signed to the Finnish label Inverse Records. How did the contact come about and what are the advantages of this cooperation for Black Widows?
Rute: I knew Joni and Inverse Records because Enchantya signed with them for the album ‚On Light and Wrath‘. They’re a good label and know how to work well and I trust Joni. He’s a very nice person and professional person. So I showed him the album and the answer was totally positive!
Pix666: Do you already have planned some live gigs around the album release?
Rute: Yes: Lisboa-November 18th, Porto-November 26th and Pindelo dos Milagres December 23rd.
Pix666: You started the band more than 20 years ago – what have been the most beautiful and unforgettable moments and experiences for you so far?
Rute: Meeting people who live music, and find time and passion to sacrifice their free time and money for something they love. Working a whole week, and rehearsing Fridays till dawn, is just an example of will power and passion. I’ve also been growing as person through music.
Back in 2000, our keyboard player Carla died after a concert during the journey back home. We helplessly watched her die. That was one of the most saddest and unforgettable moments of my life.
Pix666: Do you have dreams and wishes for the next years with your band?
Rute: Concerts! Lots of concerts!
Pix666: What do you do when you’re not into music – do you have an interesting job or extraordinary hobbies?
Rute: Yes. I’m a teacher and tutor for unemployed people. I actually love that job too! Hobbies: sometimes a good evening in my living room with my kids and cats is all I love to do.
Pix666: Do you have any other news about Black Widows, that you would like to share with the fans?
Rute: Besides the concerts, we will have brand new merch to sell very soon. And we’re planning on a new video for the first semester of 2023. Meanwhile, we’re already registering new ideas for a new album.
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck with your new album and stay healthy!
Rute: Thank you. It was a pleasure. The same to you.
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photos © by Black Widows
