Metal Inside(r) Home Quarantine is Metal Insider’s new column during this time of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked artists five questions on what’s been keeping them busy ranging from their favorite movies, food they’ve been eating, music they’ve been listening to and more. We caught up with Ainur’s Luca Catalano (composer/guitar/vocals) as he’s been spending this time running a Fantasy Inn. 

What have you been doing to pass time during Quarantine?

A lot of work in our Fantasy Inn;) Roberta and I are keeping our dream of running a Fantasy Inn alive. During the quarantine, we did a lot of work to make it even more fabulous when the world returns to normal. Don’t forget to visit us at www.locandadellacontea.it, where you can also find our Ainur beer! It was also a great time to spend with our children Lorien and Melian. And yes, we composed something about the Pandemic but also inspired by Tolkien! Take a look at SHADOW FROM THE EAST:

Have you been listening to any music or have any playlists worth checking out?

Yes, of course! Since in my daily life I am also an architect, my work has continued almost normally and I have spent a lot of time pursuing a series of projects. During the work I listened to a lot of music: my favorite companies were the Chronologists and especially Oneira with their album “Injection” which is a wonderful album. During the second quarantine, however, I listened to (and I am still listening to) a crazy album: Ayreon’s “Transitus”, our greatest inspiration. 

A lot of people have been spending this time cooking including making their own bread, what food have you been prepping during this time?

Luckily I have a magnificent wife who cooks very well: if it were up to me my children would have not survived…

In terms of entertainment, what movies, TV shows, books, or games have been keeping you busy?

It was a great time to re-watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also the whole DC movie series. Then we re-watch the entire saga of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” for the umpteenth time. Finally, we dedicated ourselves to a beautiful series: “Downton Abbey”. In the evening, after the kids went to bed, we ventured into “The Witcher”. And about the video games-inspired-movies, we were definitively defeated by Angry Birds and Lego Star Wars 😉

What advice do you have for your fans in isolation during this time?

The quarantine was not a bad time for me and Roberta, indeed: even if I don’t like to admit it, we really enjoyed it. We have regained our spaces and our times: the advice I would give to everyone is to feed your minds, your hearts and your souls, reading a lot, listening to music even more, drawing, dreaming, walking as much as you can. I hope this time will not last forever: we might as well take advantage of it!