Interview mit Kratom & Erba Del Diavolo von Ponte Del Diavolo

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PONTE DEL DIAVOLO have come a long way in a short amount of time. Founded in Turin in 2020, the band has gained significant recognition within just five years. On the occasion of the release of their outstanding second album „Venom De Natura“, we spoke with Kratom (bass) and Erba Del Diavolo (vocals) about nature as a source of inspiration, having two basses in the line-up, their musical influences, and the new album.

Hello, and thank you very much for taking the time.
Kratom: Thank you for having us!

When you look at nature these days, what do you think it would tell us if it had a voice?
Kratom: Since I consider everything that exists as a part of Nature, man included, I guess it is already telling us loud and clear that we’re not going in the right direction if we wanna coexist together.

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO were formed during a rather difficult time for all of humanity. How do you remember that period?
Erba: Yes, the period was difficult, but as far as I’m concerned it coincided with a delicate moment in my life, in which staying at home, picking up the pieces, and composing actually turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. I was forced to be alone with myself, in silence, for a long time. Music was, in a way, my muse, and I’m grateful for that.

To what extent did the pandemic influence your first musical steps as PONTE DEL DIAVOLO?
Erba: Being forced into solitude, in such an unnatural situation, inevitably unleashed a new, raw and powerful form of creativity.
It was either that, or depression. The themes we explore are fueled by mental triggers, and that experience was undeniably one of them.

While we’re on the subject, when you look back into your personal past, what are your earliest musical memories?
Kratom: I’ve always been very passionate about music since I was a child. I remember listening all day to my parents‘ records, for example QUEEN and THE BEATLES, pretending to do live shows in my living room. That passion just kept growing stronger.
Erba: PINK FLOYD have been the soundtrack of my life since the earliest days of my childhood; I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that has always cherished a certain kind of music.

How would you describe the nature of your music?
Kratom: I would say that „Freedom“ sums it up pretty good. We’re not afraid to follow where our internal spark takes us.
Erba: Yes, freedom is enough.

Before releasing your debut album „Fire Blades From The Tomb“ at the beginning of 2024, you already had three EPs in your catalogue. About half a year after the debut’s release, you reissued those EPs as a collection titled „TRE – The EP Collection“. How did that come about?
Kratom: The first three EPs original pressing was very limited and also not printed in the best way in terms of physical support. All three of them sold out pretty quickly and we saw them being resold at unreasonable prices on Discogs and such, so we decided it was best for everyone to have them reprinted properly.

„Venom De Natura“, your second album, is even more diverse than your debut. What inspired you on this record, musically and thematically?
Kratom: I feel that the seeds of how this second record sounds were already present in the debut. They just blossomed after these 2 years of touring and being together. When you start playing together a lot it really influences the way you approach music and how you interact in the band. It all feels more natural and direct. We definitely pushed more on the post-punk/wave component and we also tried to make more organic song structures. Thematically speaking, the inspiration came from observing the world around us. We’re living in pretty wild times, aren’t we?

Let’s talk about the music itself. What is more important to you: a structured approach to composing or creative flow?
Kratom: I guess somewhere in the middle. Each one of us works on their riffs at home and then we jam on them together in the practice space to see where they take us. Of course sometimes you have to wrap it up and you get more structured in your approach, but it still hasn’t happened to this day that someone came in with a song written from start to finish.

Your music is driven by two bass guitars. What is the intention behind this line-up decision?
Kratom: It was Erba del Diavolo that had the idea of a new doom project with two basses. She reached out to us and after a few jams together we realized that something interesting was taking shape. In „De Venom Natura“ we worked a lot on merging the sound of the two basses in a satisfying way. We are very happy with the result but we are also constantly working on it to improve our approach.
Also having two basses makes the composition way more interesting and unconventional.

What does the production process in PONTE DEL DIAVOLO look like?
Kratom: In some way I already answered this question previously. I’m just gonna add that there is no specific formula that we re-iterate. Maybe weed is the only constant in the production process.

Was there a kind of „creative agenda“ for „Venom De Natura“ compared to your debut? Anything you knew you wanted to do differently this time?
Kratom: We definitely wanted to work more on the overall sound and make every instrument stand out and we wanted to keep the raw energy of our live shows.

Your music sounds very earthy and authentic. In contrast, many productions today feel uniform, „overblown,“ and overproduced. Do you observe this as well, and what is your stance on it?
Kratom: Thank you. It was an intentional choice for us. I feel that sometimes when you overproduce something you strip away some soul from it. Imperfections make the music more real and when I hear these things on a record it usually makes it easier for me to connect with it on a deeper emotional level. That being said, there are some genres that require an overproduced sound, like tech death metal. So I would not say that I’m against it, but it would not have been the right choice to represent our music

Is the modern zeitgeist poison or healing for the scene?
Kratom: I’m not sure what you are referring to, but to me it seems that the underground scene is alive and well, with plenty of great bands, both old and new, keeping the flag high.

Speaking of poison: the world seems to be sinking into chaos in many places. In your opinion, what would be the antidote?
Kratom: For me it’s so simple yet complicated. Each one of us has to realize that every action we make, even the smallest one, has an effect on the entire system around us. It’s the action/reaction law. Be more aware of what you’re doing every day. Make conscious choices. It really sounds simple, but we all know that following this path is not easy.
Erba: Maybe there is no antidote. Maybe human nature is just this: a strange, hungry blob of lives eating each other. Devouring everything in reach. You can surrender to it. To the law of the strongest (the richest), which is what seems to be happening. Or you can fight it. Go against the most instinctive, animal, biological part of yourself. Feed something else instead: courage. Beauty. Acceptance of change. Life itself. That’s the path I love. No one tells me what to do. Not even the nature of man, if it means repression, fear, and slavery.
I would also specify that I don’t believe humans are the strongest or the most intelligent animal; we are the vilest, the blindest. Humans sacrifice freedom for a semblance, a false one, of security that, in reality, does not exist because you can die tomorrow.

Maybe „Delta-9 (161)“ is a small, relaxed escape from everyday madness and routine. So is the devil now running across his bridge with a joint? Or in other words: cannabis as an antithesis to chaos?
Kratom: The song could be viewed in a more fun and lighter way but it is also pertinent to the concept of poison spread throughout the record. It’s another example of how something that comes from nature is considered both poisonous and a cure. It triggers a transformative process inside yourself and it’s really up to you what you’re gonna do with it. That being said, we liked the idea of having the first part sound like a mantra. You can say it refers to the assumption of the poisonous substance and the second part is this poisonous substance unleashing its full potential.

Life on the road has been anything but relaxed for you since your formation. One highlight must have been your performance at ROADBURN FESTIVAL. How do you remember that show?
Kratom: That was for sure one of the highlights of last year. I would say that the eclectic genres of the bands and of the attenders of the fest fit very well with our music. Also we had the chance to play a double set and to have Davide Straccione join us on „The Weeping Song“ when we played „Fire Blades From The Tomb“ in its entirety, which made everything even more special.

And what about your very first concert?
Erba: Our first concert was, of course, in Turin. It was incredible, because thanks to the pandemic and what we had put online while we couldn’t play live, we already had a fanbase that knew our first songs and sang along. Everyone was at home, glued to the internet, hunting for anything new, and there we were, part of that search. Of course, the pandemic was a bit traumatic, but as I told you before, it also played a part in shaping us.

You are a very intense live experience. Are there things that are important to you during and/or before your shows? Any pre-show rituals or specific elements on stage?
Kratom: Thank you! I don’t think we have a pre-show ritual except going to the bathroom before taking the stage haha.
By playing festivals we pretty soon discovered that you really need to step up your game in being professional. Most of the time you have a very limited amount of time to get prepared and do your line checks, so you have to be ready and sharp beforehand. Smoke weed after the set, not before!

What are you particularly looking forward to in 2026, live or creatively?
Kratom: I’m so looking forward to doing live shows and playing the new material on the road! We are already collecting some ideas for the next record, but it’s really too soon to talk about it, the process has just begun.

Thank you very much for your time. To close, here’s our Metal1 brainstorming:
Weedness or Weirdness: Being weird on weed
Devil: Yes, please
Ozzy Osbourne: Unconditional love
Bridges: Build them not burn them
PONTE DEL DIAVOLO in 10 years: A cult