After a very prominent shake-up a few years ago, Delain came back last year with a fresh line-up with Dark Waters. Quickly returning with a new EP Dance with the Devil while the iron is still hot, there’s two new songs for fans to enjoy alongside a bounty of extra material. We spoke with one of the band’s newest members, bassist Ludovico ‘Ludo’ Cioffi to get to know him a bit better in terms of his prior experiences in extreme metal bands, playing a variety of instruments, and some of what drew him to Delain and some personal favorites to play live, amid some other topics.
Dead Rhetoric: What was your initial attraction to joining Delain, given your experiences in much more extreme metal surrounding it?
Ludovico Cioffi: First of all, I always played heavier music with my bands, but I always listened to softer music. I have always been a fan of symphonic metal and even pop music, I’m still a huge fan of pop. I’m totally into softer genres. So when I joined Delain, I was very happy to play some music that I had never played before. Some music where I didn’t need to focus 100% all the time on what I am playing, because it’s really hard to play. I can enjoy the live experience and give 100% to the audience. It’s easier to play bass in Delain, I don’t need to be a super virtuoso player. It’s more of a rock approach, at least with the bass. You need to be very big with your sound and fill all of the spaces and complete the guitar. It’s a very big sound, but concerning the playing it’s more enjoyable.
Dead Rhetoric: You moved to bass for this role in Delain and it being more fun to play live. What are some advantages for you in terms of the guitar knowledge in this move?
Cioffi: To be super honest, I am playing bass like a guitarist would play bass. I didn’t learn a technique, like a finger style, for the bass. I am playing the bass like a guitarist would. I can say that my advantage, as a guitarist, is that I can use the pick very well on the bass. I can really make the bass sound aggressive with a lot of attack. That’s something that comes from my guitar background. That’s an advantage. But if you ask me to play bass like a bassist with my fingers and do the stuff that real bass players do, I’m not capable of that. I always say that I’m a guitarist on bass, not a bassist [laughs] but it’s okay. It’s what we need.
Dead Rhetoric: There was a huge shake-up in Delain before you joined the band. How has it been, in terms of fan interactions, since you have been out on the road?
Cioffi: Delain went through a big change and of course I was scared about the reaction of the people and seeing a new face there and playing – filling the shoes of someone who had been there for years. I was scared of that. But I have to say that the audience welcomed me pretty well. I was very happy to see that they like me and I am doing stuff like artwork and that helps people to know and accept me better. I have to say that meeting fans and how they welcomed me, it’s been really, really good.
Dead Rhetoric: How has Delain itself been, do you feel that the group has gelled with releasing an album last year and a new EP this fall?
Cioffi: Absolutely. I was really surprised at how it immediately felt super tight both in terms of how we sounded together, from the first shows, and in terms of the friendship. I felt ‘in the family’ from the first moment. We get a lot really well. Touring is always a challenge because you never know how you are going to deal with new people and living with them 24 hours for a month. We are a cool, very good group of people, not just the band but also the crew. It’s a fantastic crew, and we are all really good friends. The band has gelled together very well, absolutely.
Dead Rhetoric: What are your thoughts on “Dance with the Devil” and “The Reaping” as Delain’s newest songs?
Cioffi: Of course, Martijn [Westerholt] could tell you with greater detail about the songs since the creative process comes from him, but I contributed a little bit in the songs. I can tell you something that I really like about the new songs that they don’t have the classical, orchestral elements like the classic Delain stuff. This is more of a modern synth type of vibe, which has always been a part of Delain. If you listen to the old stuff, it’s there, but I like that there are no orchestral elements but you can still totally recognize Delain. I really enjoyed contributing some heavy riffs to “Dance with the Devil,” the middle part where the growls are, that riff is from me. I was super happy to contribute that. I think Delain is really capable of combining melodic, catchy stuff with heavy stuff. This is from Martijn’s brilliant mind, and the other cowriter of the songs, especially for the guitars. I have a very good feeling about this song.
“The Reaping” is coming out in a few weeks and I think people will really enjoy that song as well. It’s a bit more intense and serious in a way, people will enjoy it.
Dead Rhetoric: I’m glad you mentioned the part with the growling and the heaviness. That part really caught my ear. I think that’s a nice path for Delain to work with. The dynamic has always been there, and if it’s something that gets more fleshed out it might be a cool way to move forward.
Cioffi: The direction, you never know what it will be for the band and I have to say when bands are not predictable. I like when I can recognize them, but I like it more when it’s unpredictable and a band renovates themselves. That’s the hardest part for every band. I have a feeling that it will happen with Delain. There will be something confirming was Delain was and is, but also innovation in there. I’m very confident that Martijn, us, and his new influences, will lead to something really cool.
Dead Rhetoric: You said before you played in heavier bands but listened to softer music. What, as a listener, do you like about symphonic metal and that sort of angle in the genre?
Cioffi: Probably the thing I love the most about symphonic bands in general is the combination of the sweetest, finest melodies with heavy riffs and massive orchestra. Probably the element that I love the most in symphonic metal bands is the orchestra. It has a lot of textures and sound. There’s a lot of layers that can enhance and give more value to what the singer does and riffs do. You can see that in bands like Within Temptation, and Delain as well, but even with heavier bands. Dimmu Borgir is my favorite band. When they play super heavy riffs with orchestra, the way it combines, it gives me goosebumps everytime.
Dead Rhetoric: Even with your band The Modern Age Slavery, you can hear that a bit in the black metal sense.
Cioffi: Yes, absolutely. We love that. Also the contrast stuff, having strings under super blastin heavy riffs and the most brutal vocals. I love that contrast.
Dead Rhetoric: Dance with the Devil has two new songs on it and a rerecording of “Sleepwalkers Dream.” Are you planning on more new material for 2025 for a full length? Or was it more to keep you out on the road, since I know you have the big US tour with Xandria next year.
Cioffi: I can tell you that our minds are already thinking about new material and releasing a new album soon. I cannot say too much, because we also don’t know too much about the future, but something new will come up soon. I think this EP was a good way to keep people’s attention high and still give out some material that we had in our minds to put out. It’s more of a transition. Who knows where it is going to lead to? Could be a more synth album or a more classic symphonic metal album. That’s the unpredictable factor I was talking about before.
Dead Rhetoric: So how familiar with Delain were you when you joined?
Cioffi: I knew them, and it’s funny because I got to know them in the April Rain era. In that moment I was very into symphonic metal bands. For a certain period I moved to other things and I lost them in my radar. I got back to them fully with Moonbathers and then Apocalypse & Chill. I thought those albums were really brilliant. I thought Delain had changed, but they have super cool new elements that make a difference between other symphonic metal bands. That was something that I really liked. Especially Apocalypse & Chill, that element really got me. But unfortunately after that, they split! It was so annoying since I wanted to see the band live with the new direction. But at the same time, then I joined them! So, sorry not sorry!
Dead Rhetoric: What’s a classic Delain song that you have been really enjoying playing live? Or one that hasn’t been played live that you would like to play?
Cioffi: I would like to play the songs that I recorded on the last album, and I can’t wait to play “Dance with the Devil” as it’s a song that’s near and dear to me. But the first time I played “April Rain” live I felt like, “wow, this is a song I really love to play” and I felt like I wrote it even though I didn’t. But I enjoy playing it so much that it feels like it’s mine. Concerning some songs that we haven’t played that I wish we would, probably something from Apocalypse & Chill. One of my all time favorite songs is “Chemical Redemption” and I would love to play it live on day. It’s super in my heart. Let’s see what the future brings us.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve composed and done vocals, played guitar for bands, and now play bass with Delain. Do you have a preference for an instrument as well as your role within a group? Or is it more about adapting to what is needed?
Cioffi: I’m gonna tell you this, one time Martijn told me that if I ever thought I would enjoy playing guitar in Delain more than bass to tell him and we would figure it out. We could figure out adding a member to play bass. But I said, no, I want to play bass in Delain. I love my role in my band. It’s really my place and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. But when I am back to my other bands, because I still play live with Sun of the Suns and The Modern Age Slavery, and I hope with Nightland.
But yeah, when I am on the guitar playing those riffs, I immediately see that I grew up with that. Being in front of a microphone and growling/screaming, that’s my stuff. That’s the stuff that built me to be at this level. Guitar and growling is my dimension, 100%. But I wouldn’t change my role in Delain with the bass for anything else, I enjoy it so much.
Dead Rhetoric: And if you are playing live with all these bands, you can kind of have it all.
Cioffi: I just need to remember what instrument I am playing in that moment because otherwise my mind is tricked. It’s easy to trick my mind, but it’s super enjoyable.
Dead Rhetoric: You have a tour planned for the US in 2025. What else is on the horizon?
Cioffi: We are working on new live activities for next year. We haven’t confirmed any other festivals or anything but we definitely want to be more active in that department. The next US tour is going to be the longest tour we have had with the new line-up so far. It’s 19 shows and it’s going to be very intense. We want to see how it goes with the new line-up. It’s going to be great, but also challenging since it’s the first time for so many days. But we totally want to intensify our live activities. Festivals will arise and be confirmed, as well as new tours. I can’t tell too much now but there’s stuff going on there.