Bruder Des Lichts

I recently spoke with legendary Greek Black metal band Kawir – we talked about what it takes to be in a band for over 25 years, the Greek Black metal scene, being a practicing pagan, playing shows in South America and much more.

1.Kawir has been going for over 3 decades now – why do you think you have managed to keep going for so long – especially when the average band lasts about 5 years? What’s the secret?
Well you have to have confidence in your ability and the fire inside you otherwise as you said you will not last.

The secret is that I never saw it as an obligation so when I was feeling that now is the time I started to compose and recording,that’s why in almost 25 years we have released 6 full length albums!

2.You had an early release on legendary label Cacophonous – how did that come to be?
Yeah back in 1993 we were in contact with Mirai(Sigh) and we anted to make a split together so we sent the material to Cacophonous they liked it and release the legendary split!

3. Greece has been known for its Epic metal bands but not so much its black metal – how did you discover black metal and what attracted you to playing it more than say Epic Death metal?
Actually as a part of the scene from the end of 80s(Nocturnal Death,Zemial) I was listening more Classic Heavy Metal and the first albums of Morbid Angel ,ASPHYX etc. but in the start of 90s I was felt more close to the black metal as it was more Philosophical and rebellion against the monotheistic religions.

4. How is the black metal scene in Greece? Are some towns stronger than others for our type of music?
Well Athens were always strong but the last years Thessaloniki started to have a good scene also.

5. Some non English speaking bands make a point to sing in English however you guys have stayed true to your native tongue which i think is great, do you feel it limits foreign audiences at all to enjoying your songs?
No there is no limit ,we are keeping the ancient values ,Ancient Greek language were the official language of the known world for thousand years even in Roman Empire all the books were written in Ancient Greek but also the new testament which is paradox for me as the First Christian Emperors were forbidden the Ancient Greek Language!

6. You guys sing a lot about Hellenic paganism – are any of the band members practicing pagans? if so what faith?
Actually yes I am practicing ,the correct term is Hellenic Polytheism.We are fighting for our recognition and our rights to perform our rituals again in our Ancient Temples.

7. You guys played Brazil this year – was that your first visit there? how did you enjoy it?
It was our first time in the American Soil (Brazil ,Chile and Canada).We liked it a lot ,the crowd was perfect gave us a lot energy and our performance there was total crazy.We gave them a promise that with the next album we will be back.

8. Have you done much touring of the USA? If not are there any places here you would love to play?
We never had the opportunity to tour in USA we would like to come and see the life there and play for the maniacs.

9. I know the band has played Finland before but have you ever played Norway or Sweden? If so how were you received playing there?
Yeah we have a lot of friends in Finland, we had a Finish tour back in 2007 with Skyforger and we played in Steelfest 2 years ago.Great memories I have to say.

It was supposed to play in Norway back in 2007 but it was canceled so we never played till now in Norway and Sweden.

10. Any final words?
A big thanks for all the support form our fans all these years I have to say the best are coming.Hails!!!

In case you missed it Sweden’s Seedna  released one of the best Atmospheric Black Metal albums of 2016. As you know if I’m into a band I have to dig deeper and want to know more about them. I spoke to the guys in Seedna this week and we covered everything from the “Lidkoping Sound” to playing in a stone cellar to 6 people in a tiny village to multi instrumentalist Olle’s departure from the band – read on.

* You guys are from Lidkoping if I am not mistaken..how is the music scene there as opposed to the more well known cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg? Americans talk about the Gothenburg sound – do you think there is a traditional “Lidkoping sound?
Erik – Lidköping isn’t a very big town, around 40000 people live here, so the music scene is rather small and the bands that form here are everything between Punk to Metal. It´s scattered between the genres, a typical Lidköping sound doesn’t exist I believe. Not compared to the Gothenburg sound anyways.

Max – With the internet, I think stuff like that is less present. Many parts of the world have access to everything now and get inspired from all kinds of people and places. I have this idea or impression that the local scene in different cities was more prominent and alive before the internet. It surely exist to some extent. But not so much around here, what I can tell. Definitely not in our kind of genre.

* How did you guys get into Black metal? What was the gateway bands for you guys?
Erik – The band that got me interested in the more extreme form of metal was Cradle of Filth, a friend sent me some song when i was 15-16 years old and told me to listen to them. It was nothing I have ever heard before and I was mesmerised with the evil sound. I later came across Dark Funeral and got totally sold on Black Metal for a while.

Johan – It all started with Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, but I like most kinds of dark music.

Max – Mayhem, Burzum and Dissection were probably the first bands mostly responsible for bringing me into the different areas of Black Metal and beyond.

* What inspired you guys to take Black metal in the direction that you did?
Erik – We didn’t have any particular genre in our minds when we made “Forlorn”, at least not me. The biggest inspiration i have is my own emotions and creating music is a very good way of channeling them.

Johan – What keeps me going is actually playing and performing the music. It’s so much fun to play music, that is why we do it. Atmospheric music is the best music sometimes and we needed the whole kind of atmospheric vibe to create Forlorn, not only the heavy metal parts. Kind of inspired from old school stuff too I guess. I think we all like these mood-changes, differences and happenings through the record. It connects to your inner self, filled with many different feelings. You never feel the same all the time.

Max – We don’t really think of it as we are taking a certain genre in a certain direction. It just happened to be that the outcome of our different inspirations forged together with the vision of creating something that is dark and ambient sounded like “atmospheric black metal” to most people.

* What kind of music do you guys listen to in your free time? Any surprises for us?
Erik – For the most part it is Post-Rock, Post-Metal and Doom. Black Metal and Hardcore is something I listen to as well but not as much.

Johan – Check out the records Catch Thirty-Three with Meshuggah, Land Of The Evening Star with Dark Forest , Runaljod trilogy with Wardruna, Visor Om Slutet with Finntroll, Dakhmandal with Dark Buddha Rising, Ghosts I-IV with Nine Inch Nails, Udu Wudu with Magma, The Rifts with A Swarm Of The Sun, Untitled ( ) with Sigur Rós, Drifters/Love Is The Devil with Dirty Beaches. Some of my favorites.

Max – I’m mostly into old school type metal and bands that have that special spirit and energy. It’s something that is hard to put into words but appeals to me very much. But I am also interested in other genres outside of metal like for example dark ambient, traditional and classical music. Even some electronic and experimental stuff.
With to many bands to mention I’m just going to recommend a few very dear albums from different Swedish metal bands that comes to mind. I think they are well worth checking out if you haven’t heard of them. “A Flame To The Ground Beneath” by Lost Horizon, “Sister” by In Solitude, “Wolverine Blues” by Entombed.

* Were you guys pleased with the amazing response you got from your latest album “Forlorn?”
Erik – The response we got for “Forlorn” was beyond my beliefs, it is a powerful feeling when something you have laid down a lot of emotion and work into gets so much positive critic. I am very happy for all that.

Johan – Yes it was really great for us and we are very thankful.

Max – It has been very inspirational and rewarding to see that this record that we worked so hard on is appreciated by others. Firstly, we do it for ourselves. Chasing this vision, trying to make it into an actual piece of art that we are satisfied with and proud of. Then, if others appreciate it and get something out of listening and experiencing it is just great. That is some sort of proof that we are making an impact on people and hopefully bring them to open their minds and think.

* What was your favorite review of the album? Which publication?
Johan – ..maybe No Clean Singing.

Max – For me it was this one from Angry Metal Guy when he began describing a nightmare. Later contemplating whether falling asleep to “Forlorn” was the cause of this dream haha. “Falling asleep to” can sound negative, but I see it positively. In a way, we aspire to bring the listener to another “dimension”. As pretentious as it may seem, a dream world is the perfect place really haha.

* How did you approach writing the album? Did you start with moods or was it like a traditional band – a guitar riff and then built upon it?
Erik – When we create music it usually starts with us jamming and improvising with things we have had in our minds for a while, sometimes we all get in a sort of trance and just keep going without stopping. It is in those times we know we have something good going so we start to jam and improvise more on that particular sound or riff we liked, and we lay down structures as times go by. For “Forlorn” we had a somewhat clear concept of the feeling we wanted for the album so we jammed a lot with that in mind.

Johan – I’d say that most of it was created in the rehearsal room, but of course some ideas comes even after rehearsing, when you’re home doing something else. We have tried to build on guitar riffs but it’s not our way of doing it. We often just start playing, everybody at the same time or maybe two at a time or maybe even one of us play solo for the others. Then you listen and work with what you hear. I think that is what is happening every rehearsal now. So we are very much a band that is working in different moods, modes, themes, scenery and atmospheres. And then you start answering a lot of questions that comes from within, is it dark? is it powerful? is it sad? You have to know what you want and then you try to grasp it. Find those dark tones, combined with the heavy sound, some touch of sadness, a sparkling of melancholy and a soft distant trembling earthquake, to link up with those burdened feelings you can get sometimes from everyday life.

Max – Starting out jamming on ideas that would become “Wander”. Wanting to make this massive epic song that was like a journey, a story. I think we talked about making it a “one-song EP” haha. But the story grew, as did our vision. Different events and atmospheres in the story pushed for more and different kinds of songs. Some we made with the specific mood in mind. Some ideas were written before, and we thought their feeling fitted perfectly.

* I presume the hourglass on the cover of Forlorn is representative of Life and Death – I am a great believer in Life-Death – rebirth. do any of the band hold these kind of beliefs? Odinism? the Old gods or ??
Johan – I admit that I am fascinated by the old norse religion. And of course something comes after death. Why wouldn’t it. Even if it’s nothingness, our perception of time wouldn’t exist anymore, I really wonder what would that be like. An eternity through time passing by in the blink of an eye? The world is exciting with all these questions we can’t answer.

Max – There is this mystery. Not knowing what comes next when we die. The whole spiritual world. Ancient and modern religions. Forces of nature. The meaning of life. The whole concept about the album is really up for interpretation, if you want to read between the lines and project your own thoughts. It is not about preaching and give you answers. But rather about making you question.

* I know Olle played some traditional instruments on the recording of this album. Was that something he learned just for the album or was it something he had been doing for many years now?
Erik – It was actually something he learned for live performances, we want the feeling of us performing a ritual live. So Olle started to experiment with a lot of different traditional instruments to get the ritualistic feeling and it all just fitted so well in “Forlorn”. Rainmaker, Singing bowls, Seadrum and Spring Drum is just some of the instruments that was used.

Johan – Music to me is a bit different than just being tied to one or different instruments. An instrument is a tool a musician uses to create music and to express feelings. I actually think anyone can pick up any instrument and join in and make sound to add to the music. And for us all to listen to and enjoy.

* Can you talk about Olle leaving the band? How do you think it will affect new music from Seedna?
Erik – When Olle told us he wanted to leave Seedna it came somewhat of a surprise to me, we had just released “Forlorn” on Transcending Obscurity and got amazing response and great reviews. It was a rough time for all of us when we wrote the music because we all have very strong opinions of how we want our music to sound, but I believe it is because of our strong personalities that we were able to create good music. So it was a sad day for everyone in Seedna.
We had to cancel our plans for playing live in the autumn. Me, Max and Johan agreed that all of us should do vocals from now on and it worked out great!

Johan – We still feel good, I mean, of course there will be change in how things are done. Less involved in creating means more of those involved in creating.

Max – To me it wasn’t a big surprise as he had been a bit absent in the last months following up to his departure. He wanted to take a step back, focus on other stuff in life. Ultimately he also wanted to take a different path musically, which is totally fine and understandable. This experimental approach that we have isn’t for everyone. It is kind of like a new era for Seedna. For our latest music video we made a recording of “Frozen” to show the new sound with the three of us screaming together. Seedna without Olle will definitely be something different lyrically and in the vocal part of the music. We are very excited to see what we will come up with in this new formation. So far it is feeling really good and promising.

* What can we expect musically from Seedna in 2017?
Max – We are working on new material at the moment. Talking about probably recording this year, not promising anything tho hehe. We are developing, as always, new sounds and themes. Our next release will be different from our previous ones for sure. But that has been the thing about every recording right from the start anyway haha.

* I know the band have toured Sweden and some parts of the Norway – what’s been your favorite place to play live so far?
Erik – A small village called Uddebo in Sweden. We played in a stone cellar of an old, almost a dilapidated house were 6 people lived in a collective, they were so nice and welcoming. Everyone knew each other, I guess it’s like that in small villages.

Johan – Uddebo as Erik said, we had to improvise our intro a little bit because of a faulty cable to the bass, I recall. So we jammed until Erik fixed it. And the smoke machine added an insanely amount of smoke that quickly filled the whole small room we played in. I couldn’t even see the crowd, nor could they see me. Imagine this together with the crowd already having a good time and then add dark atmospheric drone-music for what felt like more than 5 minutes just as an intro. And then we started our setlist.

* Is there much difference playing to Norwegian fans than Swedish fans?
Erik – I can’t really say that it is a lot of difference between the two, both countries like to get drunk and head bang!

Johan – No idea, I can’t really focus on much else but the performance and what the other members are doing when we are playing, keeping an eye out.

Max – If they are not drunk, and if it is not a “big” band, Scandinavians can in general be a pretty lame crowd for local scenes in my experience, sadly. Not that it affects us negatively like it could with “rock’n’roll” kind of bands.. We get a positive response from many of them anyway, as we can be kind of an introvert experience.

* Are there any plans for the band to play the USA? Also have any of the band visited the USA before and did they like it?
Erik – Currently we have no plans to play in the USA, but if we get the opportunity we will take it for sure!

Max – We would love to go there. But it seems to be a lot of work getting it all together with the visas and stuff. Since we aren’t an established touring band yet, we will most likely tour Europe first when we come around to it.

* Do the band have any “wish list” places they would like to play?
Erik – Every country is on my wish list but Japan and Russia is my dream countries to play in.
Japan because it such a crazy country and have a lot of good and interesting music.
Russia because we simply have a lot of fans there, would be awesome to meet them.

Johan – Finland and Iceland.

* Any final words to your friends and fans?
Erik – Hail Satan Worship Doom.

Johan – What he said.

Max – Agreed. And hail to all our supporters.

Thanks guys and many thanks to Kunal for making this interview happen!

Listen to Forlorn here:

Something a bit different today – I speak with Toby Driver Kayo Dot main man. I’ve been a big fan of the Flenser records and of course John Zorn – anything that gets both of  their seals of approval is a-ok with me. Read on.

* The band has been going for over 10 years now which is twice as long as the average band sticks together. What do you think has given you the longevity to stay in the game for so long?
It’s true Kayo Dot’s been a thing for about 14 years now, but we haven’t had a consistent lineup the whole time. So, if you think of it as a “band,” then there is no such longevity– I haven’t been able to hold band members together for longer than five or six years. There’s no money and people want to get on with their lives. I keep doing it because that’s what I do.

* From memory you went from a metal band to forming Kayo Dot…what inspired you to switch streams so to speak?
My previous band, maudlin of the Well, was sort of a metal band but also was pretty non-traditional. The big change was that I wanted to stop using riffs and repetitive forms, and do something that was through-composed, or non-repetitive… but in the context of heavy music. These days, though, I do a mix of through-composed and riff-based music.

* What was the hardest thing about doing kayo dot from leaving the traditional structure of a “metal band”
As mentioned above, MOTW wasn’t a traditional metal band whatsoever, so it wasn’t a difficult transition, but eventually the ideas in Kayo Dot became more abstract. Therefore, I guess maybe the hardest thing at first was trying to figure out how to communicate more advanced or unusual ideas to a band of musicians with widely varying degrees of ability.

* What was the best part?
Probably being able to play shows that didn’t consist of exclusively metal bands, simultaneously expanding and closing our circle.

* I know you have said in the past you were a fan of bands like Emperor and Gorguts yet you have elements of prog and shoegaze in KD. Are you surprised that both of these styles still fall under the umbrella of “black metal” in 2016?
I’d say that I’m more amused than surprised that black metal has become such a massively popular style. It’s basically conformist pop music.

* Your song topics touch on spirituality and occultism – do you practice any faith at all? Enochian magick?  If so which one? Any of the other band members?
Nope, not at all personally. Our lyricist, Jason Byron, has his own deep and complex spirituality though. He lays out a primer in the “Sword of Satan” which we released with Hubardo.

* You guys have some touring history but it must be hard when you have the full orchestra – what’s been the best parts of going on tour? and what’s the been the worst? Can we expect more touring in the future?
We don’t tour with a large ensemble anymore or play the songs that require one. Doing it at the financial level we’re at is shitty, unenjoyable, and compromised. We’ll do it again someday if we ever get popular and have the budget for it. Until then, we’ll tour on a small scale here and there… we usually do a few months every year.

* How did the deal with John Zorn’s record label come about? Were you guys friends already? Was it a goal forming the band to work with John in some capacity
I sent him a demo way back in the day, but we didn’t know each other. I was a fan of course, but the band wasn’t formed specifically to try to work with him. But I’d say that working with him was one of my personal musical goals, and still is a goal to go deeper with him.

* I think at one stage you were using the crowd funding model to work the band as opposed to a traditional record deal, what made you choose that route and would you do it again?
That’s not exactly true. We funded Hubardo via preorders, but that’s not really the same as crowdfunding– it’s just basic capitalism. I tried some crowdfunding for a few of my other bands though, bands that have absolutely zero market potential, and it’s not a model I would like to return to. It’s too difficult to manage well.

* How did the deal with the Flenser come about and since both John Zorn and Jonathan Flenser are both characters what are the biggest differences in how they run their labels, as far as you , the artist is concerned?
Same, I wrote to him and asked him if he was interested in working together. Jonathan and I already had a very basic relationship though because he’d released a Vaura record on vinyl.

* What can we expect in 2017 for Kayo Dot?
I’m actually not exactly sure yet. Some cool things are in the works, but might not be finished in time.

* Any shout outs or final words?
Please follow me on facebook: facebook.com/tobydriver and facebook.com/kayodot.official
Thanks everyone!

Following on from our conversation with the guys from Norse in Australia last week, this week I talk to the guys from Kiwi Black metal band Exordium Mors. Read this and you will learn what it takes to stay in a successful band for 12+ year when you are based in one of the most isolated countries in the world – if that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is!

* First off congrats on the new record deal – how did that all come about?
Black Mortum:​ We were approached by Kunal from Transcending Obscurity with a very
straight up no bullshit contract. We had worked together previously on “The Apotheosis Of
Death” album where he did PR for the Asia Pacific region for our label at the time “Iron
Blood and Death Corp” from Mexico. We also saw him picking up bands such as “The Furor”,
“Rudra” and “Dusk” which further solidified the notion that he shares our taste in metal and
the ethos that goes with it.

* Would you say bands from New Zealand (or even Australia) are
disadvantaged say, compared to bands coming from Europe or the USA?
Black Mortum:​ Hard call I think this one. There’s a very few things that we have to endure
that some Euro/US bands don’t have to deal with as much. Like there being next to no
neighboring countries to easily tour. Apart from Australia, the closest country with any sort
of metalhead population would be Indonesia. Just means building a dedicated fan base can
take longer. Even with the internet and its various flooded means to distribute your music
globally, the best way I find to get people to remember you within the masses of bands is to
tear them a new asshole live on stage! Everything outside this however doesn’t seem to be
much of an impact! If you got the chops you’ll find your way out to the rest of the world. It’s
far from impossible and we’re not the only remote region that has to deal with such an
ordeal.

Scourge:​ This isn’t a “black and white” situation, but there are definite limitations when
coming from the ass-end of the world. For instance, touring is easier for European or
American bands when playing in their respective countries. It is much more expensive for an
Australasian band to go to these places and tour, not only for flights but also currency
conversion.

Some positives would be that we are a bit of an “unknown” country for metal, thus it makes
us seem more “exotic” or “interesting” to the global metal scene. Also due to our “relative”
isolation, we’ve been able to foster our own “sound(s)” and create “unique” music, rather
than following whatever trendy bullshit is happening on a global level.

* Do you guys have a home studio set up to record or do you have a “go to”
studio to record at? If so do they understand what you guys needs sonically?
Black Mortum:​ All our releases were recorded live, as in the whole band playing together in
the main room with headphones. Overdubs for the vocals and guitar solos. Due to this
approach we have always gone to a studio in order to separate all instruments in a live
environment.

The last album was recorded at Revolver Studios in 3 days. Beast of a studio with awesome
equipment. Since the “Verus Hostis” EP we have used Alex Selman of “Odin Recordings” to
record all releases. He also mixed and mastered all of them bar “Sacrifice, Perish and
Demise” which was done by Cjs of “Temple of Sol”. Both engineers are close friends and
certainly understood what we needed sonically, both with roots in metal.

We will however take a different approach to the next release. All instruments will be
recorded separately. We have a studio in mind for the drums, and the rest will be done in a
home studio environment, either at Temple of Sol or at my place. I’ll spare the technical
details and purpose for each as I’ll be ranting for a while, haha but rest assure this is
certainly going to be a large leap in sound quality even though the whole lot wasn’t
recorded in studio. We’ll be bringing in Cjs once again to mix and master, however this time
he will be doing the capture too.

* What is the song writing process for the band? Do you come up with the riffs
and the band build songs around them? Do you have any input with the lyrics
or do you just let Scourge Witchfucker have free reign?
Black Mortum:​ Guitars and bass are all written together in a jam room. Sometimes one
person will come in with an idea and we will go from there, and others are completely
candid. This is always followed by a scratch track recorded for the drummer to come up with
beats and lyrics to be written.
Lyrics are always free reign for Scourge and we work together
with the drummer to come up with the beats in certain parts that are crucial to our initial
vision, however for the most part the drums are also free reign for the drummer.

We always talk among ourselves to ensure we’re aligned in approach. Discussing what type
of songs are needed for which parts of the next release, stylistic aspects on how we want
our music to progress overall. Rest assured we’re an evolving band and always will be. A
pledge to never be one who keeps releasing the same album again and again.

Scourge:​ I usually wait until the rest of the band has finished writing the music before I put
lyrics to it. That way, I can make slight adjustments to the song to fit around the lyrics if
need be (shorten/lengthen passages etc.). Once finished with writing the lyrics, the entire
band are given a copy to look over. If there are any adjustments to be made, then we will
mediate so everyone is happy with the lyrics, in particular the “intent” or “message” that I
am trying to convey. All band members can have input into the lyric-writing, and have done
so for some songs in the past, however the majority of lyric-writing is left up to me.

Santi:​ As Black Mortum and Scourge have already said, the song writing process really is a
collective effort with us and we make it a point to try and keep it this way. It’s happened
quite often that I’ll have a riff and I’ll have an idea of how it should be played or what should
go behind it and then one of the other guys will have a different idea that actually makes it
sound so much better than what I originally envisioned.

Our approach also helps us avoid writing songs that sound too similar to the next song. I know that there are bands where there’s the one songwriter and everyone just follows – that’s simply not for us. One other thing is that we have to be more than happy with the end result. The song has to be
something that we would actually listen to. We’ve often enough written entire songs and
then canned or took them apart after because we weren’t satisfied.

Assailant:​ The best part of it to me is when we take what is initially written by each of us,
say a riff or a structure perhaps an idea that was completely amping in its most raw form
and we focus on evolving it. We ask ourselves “what exactly can we do here to elaborate on
this part more”, “can we add something a little more interesting here”,”Lets up the ante
with this next bit”. At times it can be a very trying task, but from one song to the next we all
have that benchmark to meet for ourselves. We all have a limit of our own abilities to push.
As a result you end up with is this beast of a piece that glances left and right, completely and
utterly evil, varied paced and driven. You end up getting more than just your run of the mill.
That is what we look for in our riffs and to me it’s what genuine progress in our own art is.

* Its great to see you guys have a a mix of different ethnicities in the band, how diverse is the New Zealand metal scene?
Scourge:​  We have various ethnic lineages, but to save time I will say the major ethnicities currently in the band is English/Irish, Filipino and Malaysian/Sri Lankan. Some of us are 5+ generation NZers
though, whereas the others immigrated here when they were young adults or teenagers.

The NZ Metal scene is pretty mixed for the most part. Bands like CorpseFeast, Horrendous
Disfigurement, Nullifier, to name a few, have Maori and Pacific Islander members. Auckland
has a large influx of immigrants, so there are a wide range of ethnicities within the metal
community. Generally speaking, there isn’t racism in the scene and if people hold that view
then they get put in their place pretty quickly.

* Where is the best black metal scene in New Zealand? Is it mainly Auckland or
elsewhere?
Scourge:​ I wouldn’t say there is a “best”. There is quite a healthy collection of black metal
bands from all around the country, but the main cities like Wellington and Auckland have
the most.

* How easy is it to tour NZ?
Scourge:​ Fairly easy. All the main cities (Auckland, Wellington and (Anti)Christchurch) are
about half an hour to an hour and a half flight away from each other. Driving to smaller
locales is easier in the South Island than the North Island, but a good 5-7 hour drive can get
you to most places around the North.

It can be harder if you are an international band from Europe or USA touring here, for the
same reasons as a NZ band touring in Europe or USA as mentioned earlier. It is best done
when an Australian promoter has hooked up a tour in Australia in these cases, as NZ can be
added to the tour. Once on the ground per se, it is fairly easy to go from the main cities as
outlined above.

‘Black Mortum’, our guitarist, is part of Chaos NZ Promotions which brings bands over to NZ.
Absu, Behemoth, Impiety and Inquisition are just some of the names that have come
through here thanks to Chaos NZ Promotions. www.chaosnz.com has more information.

* How did the tour with Destroyer 666 come about? Were you happy with the
tour and if so why?
Black Mortum:​ Being a part of Chaos NZ Promotions, we received the offer and being big
fans it was on our bucket list of bands to bring to NZ. We got our brothers at Valhalla
touring involved and made it happen! Exordium Mors would be national support as in NZ, I
don’t think it would be disputed that we’re the closest / best fit for the shows. It was a great
little 2 date tour and it was certainly a privilege to share the stage with them. It had been a
while since we’ve played any new material, so these shows were a great time to unleash a
couple new tracks. A taste of things to come and it was well received!
* What are your thoughts on KK warslut and the way he deals with the metal
media?
Santi:​ He’s a rough character who shoots straight and shoots from the hip and I’ll say that
most people in Metal these days simply can’t handle that. It was great having a drink and a
bit of a long talk with the guy when they were here and for the record, we spoke at length
about politics, the current state of the Western world plus many other things and we see
eye to eye on so much. Yes, you read that correctly and I’m an Asian who migrated to New
Zealand.

As for how he deals with the “metal media”, if you’re talking about the agenda driven
personnel from that ironic website, well they had it coming. I mean they can say and write
what they want and by the same token, KK (and anyone else) can do the same. As far as I’m
concerned, those people from that website are the same wimps and posers that Manowar
spoke off and they should leave the hall.

* Speaking of touring have you guys done much touring in Australia?
Scourge:​ So far, we’ve done 2 small tours of Australia and opened for Tribulation in Sydney
as a once-off gig.

* Most bands find it hard to continue for more than 5 years you guys have
been going for 12 years now- what’s the secret to your longevity?
Black Mortum:​ I guess over the years it has always felt that we’re only still scratching the
surface of what we can do together as a band. We have been through multiple drummers
over the years (which is also another reason we don’t have that many releases) as finding
drummers here is difficult. Our core members have stayed the same however. With
inspiration to song-writing, there have been bumpy times but always suddenly sparks would
fire and we’d all be on board feeding off each other’s ideas.

I think that’s it. If you feel like your music isn’t progressing or the ones around you aren’t on
the same page, then get out. I think we have been lucky to have a group of good friends and
dedicated players with a similar artistic direction.

Scourge:​ Dedicated members

Santi:​ We’re Metalheads

* How did you personally get into black metal? What was your “gateway” band
so to speak?
Black Mortum:​ Back in my teens I was always into heavy and death metal. I was always into
Sepultura’s “Morbid Visions”, which one could argue is black metal. I only got into “black
metal” when I switched schools in ‘99 and met a few other metalheads. “The One Rode to
Asa Bay” video that directed me to the rest of Bathory and the “I Am the Black Wizards” live
video from “Emperial Live Ceremony” that was floating around #mp3-blackdeath on Dalnet
was what resonated with me most. I was pointed to them from said school mates. History
goes from there haha. Yes Metal Nerd as fuck and a lot of digging afterwards.

Scourge:​ Personally, Scandinavian bands such as Emperor, Mayhem and Bathory first led me
on to the path of black metal.
Santi:​ For me to answer this question completely, I’ll first say that Black Metal isn’t defined by one sound or style. The first encounter for me was back in 88/89 with the song “Black
Sabbath” when I was 13. This was followed closely by Slayer’s “Show No Mercy” album.
Even back then I could hear that they touched on a certain something in that album:
Blackness. That blackness wasn’t present on “South of Heaven” nor “Reign In Blood.” Years
passed and things like “Seven Churches” and “At War With Satan” came into my life and of
course I got into Mercyful Fate and Hellhammer. Around 1995 or so I heard Emperor’s “In
the Nightside Eclipse” but that sound wasn’t what I was looking for at the time, it would
take years before I got into it.

And then in late 2000 came a life changer: Dissection’s “Storm Of The Light’s Bane.” People
talk about certain albums being a watershed etc. and this was it for me. It had the same
impact that “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son”, “Rust In Peace” and “Sad Wings of Destiny” had
on me when I was a teenager.

So anyhow, as you can see the blackness was always there.

* What new black metal bands do you currently rate?
Scourge:​ I always have my ear out for new bands within New Zealand and globally. Since
you said black metal, I’ll keep it strictly black metal or bands with a black metal “influence”.
Locally, bands like Trepanation, Vomit Storm and Exaltation really impress me. Although
strictly not “new”, Inside Arkham, BulletBelt and Winter Deluge I also rate quite highly. The
mysterious Verberis is also quite killer. It may be time to do some shameless self-promotion,
but I did write a zine of which I did three issues ‘Axiom of the Elite’ which focused only on
NZMetal bands, if people are interested in the scene/bands I suggest picking up a copy. I still
have copies of issue 3 available, hit up deusintroclades@gmail.com for copies.

Globally, I’m quite digging the Black Twilight Circle bands like Volahn and Blue Hummingbird
on the Left. The Polish scene is also buzzing at the moment with the likes of Mgla, Deus
Mortem and Batushka, all of which I play regularly. Front is a brand new band that I can’t
seem to get enough of lately. May need to end it there or this interview will be a
comprehensive list of bands haha.

Santi:​ I haven’t heard any new Black Metal bands that have really done it for me this past
year but Deus Mortem’s new EP is quite good and there’s this band from Spain called
Sheidim that I’ve been listening to on and off recently.
A couple bands that I’ve gotten into quite a bit though are Volahn and Blue Hummingbird
On The Left (Los Guerreros del kulto de Huitzilopochtli!!!). I wouldn’t call either of them
Black Metal but they rule nonetheless!! Ah Axeman is another one.

* Has any of the band ever visited the USA? if So what did they think of it?
Black Mortum:​ Visiting the US for the first time in adulthood in February! I’ll let you know
after haha.

Santi:​ I’ve been there twice in recent years and I really like it.

* Does Exordium Mors have any “bucket list” shows they would love to play?
Bloodstock? Maryland Death fest? Hole in the Sky Norway etc?
Black Mortum: ​Maryland Death Fest, Metal Days and Party San Open Air are certainly
festivals I’d like to play in Euro / US. HammerSonic Fest in Indonesia would be another! Lots
of die-hard Indonesian metal maniacs over there!

Scourge​: We are keen to play any overseas fest, I can’t say there is one that sticks out from
the rest personally.

* Any final words to your fans?
Scourge:​ Look out for our second full-length album to be released via Transcending
Obscurity Records in the next year or so. We hope to bring doom and destruction to the
masses in your respective countries soon! Denounce your gods and your politics. Worship

Today I spoke with Trevor the one man genius behind LA Black metal band Ashen Horde – we talk about NYC vs L.A., Collecting vinyl vs Cassettes and playing Live Shows vs Being a Studio Musician – read it and learn something new.

* When I think of black metal, I do not think of Hollywood – how did you end up there and do you think your surroundings have much influence on your style / interpretation of black metal?
Yeah–sunny, health-conscious (and rather vapid) Hollywood certainly doesn’t come to mind when thinking of the bleak, desolate, ice-laden landscapes that tend to inspire a lot of black metal bands. At the same time, though, Hollywood is pretty gritty and grim underneath the sparkly appearance that film studios paint it as having. A number of the streets here are certainly paved with broken dreams and regret. Couple that with an epic drought and constant fear of earthquakes, and you’ve got the perfect setting to inspire dark lyrics.

To be honest, though, I’m not entirely sure how much inspiration I draw from my surroundings. Ashen Horde records always tell stories, and they rarely reflect what I see outside (at least until the one we’re working on now, but more on that at another time).

As for how I ended up here–I lived in New York for 10 years, and grew tired of the insanity that is NYC. Don’t get me wrong, I love New York and had a great time there, but after a while it became a bit stifling. So I decided to give the West Coast a try, and see if it offered a different experience… which it did. Despite my above comments, I fucking love it here. Whether I can attribute it to the place or not, I’ve been far more musically productive than I ever was in NYC.

* Being based in Hollywood do you have a job in the Entertainment industry in some form or a totally non related field?
Totally non-entertainment related! I actually work in financial marketing, which may be the least metal thing ever. Believe me, I certainly stand out when I’m at work.

* How did you get into Black metal and what was your biggest influence in the scene?
While I fear this will show my age a bit, my first foray into black metal came via an Osmose compilation called “World Domination II.” It had all sorts of great stuff on it–Immortal, Enslaved, Absu–and my interest grew from there. I’d already been into death metal, but the atmosphere and majesty of black metal hit me in a way the death metal never quite did.

I’d say the aforementioned Enslaved and Immortal were probably my biggest influences when I started playing BM, along with Emperor and Satyricon. I’ve certainly expanded beyond those, but they all hold a special place in my cold, black heart. More recently, I’ve gotten very into Zhrine and Audn, and sort of “rediscovered” the weird brilliance of Solefald.

* Why do you think there are so many prolific one band black metal bands (as opposed to say the Death Metal genre)
That’s a great question, and I’ve wondered about it as well.  There’s something very personal about black metal. It’s not all about technicality and brutality, which are the focuses of most death metal, and is often more introspective and, dare I say, spiritual. Of course, I think some of it comes from the fact that many BM dudes are sort of misanthropic and antisocial (though I can’t say I fit that bill)!

* What are your thoughts on Artists like Xasthur now playing live but as a 3 piece acoustic show?
On one hand, I think musicians should play whatever the hell they want, and never feel compelled to conform to the label to which they’re originally attached. But on the other hand, I sometimes feel like a complete 180 style change should be a trigger to put the old band name to rest and try something else. But if Scott/Malefic wants to do acoustic stuff now, more power to him. Opeth, who I love, are a great example of this. While the newer albums are amazing, they’re a million miles away from “Orchid” and “Still Life.”

* Have Ashen Horde played many shows to date? Or is live not something you are interested in? I know many BM artists prefer to play “events” as opposed to the more traditional idea of “touring”
No shows thus far, primarily because I was the only member until earlier this year! I’m not overly interested in becoming a touring musician–my love is in writing and recording–but am not opposed to doing shows. I know for a fact that Stevie would like to at some point. I’d be very happy to play a couple festivals each year, not because I feel compelled to only play “events,” but because it would fit in with my regular life.

* How did partnering up with Stevie Boiser come about? Have you guys done any live gigs yet?
Stevie did a stint in Vale of Pnath, which also featured my brother, Jeremy, on drums. When I had vocal surgery last year, and was told to give up harsh vocalizing, Jeremy immediately recommended Stevie. He’s got a range that blows away anything I could ever do. I was a little afraid he wouldn’t be interested, mostly because he’s in several other bands, but he luckily accepted! I can’t wait to release new material with his [far superior to my own] vocals.

* To me Black metal fans are more keen to embrace Vinyl and cassette versions of albums (and digital downloads) as opposed to say the Death metal scene where its basically cd and digital. Why do you think that is?
As a vinyl collector, I get it–vinyl is fucking cool. The sound is warm and the artwork is huge. Plus, vinyl has this weird, archaic, old-fashioned vibe to it that seems to fit with the BM obsession with history. Not sure if that’s a real reason why BM fans buy it, but I think it’s a reasonable explanation!

Cassettes, on the other hand, I don’t quite understand. To me, they’re solely a novelty, and I’m not entirely sure why people are into them again. Of course, I’ve considered putting the next EP on limited cassette, so I may just be a big, fucking hypocrite!

* How do you think services like Bandcamp and Kickstarter have helped musicians to release their art? Do you think it was better in the old days of “traditional” record deals?
They’ve certainly helped in that you don’t need a label to get your music out. However, because there are so many bands releasing music without labels, it’s infinitely more difficult to stand out and build a fan base. That’s why labels will continue to operate–they have the network and name recognition to help cut through the noise. I think the job of labels will continue to evolve, but I can’t imagine they’ll go away. I wouldn’t say it’s better now, just different.

Kickstarter is also an interesting beast. It’s proved that bands can get projects funded without labels, but at the same time, in order for a Kickstarter campaign to be successful, the band needs a pretty sizable following… which, in many cases, came from the band previously being on a label. I was very lucky in that my small, but loyal fanbase, successfully brought “Nine Plagues” to vinyl a couple months ago.

* How did your deal with Transcending Obscurity come about and have you been pleased with the way its been working so far?
Transcending Obscurity’s webzine gave the last album, “Nine Plagues,” an exceptional review, which prompted me to reach out to Kunal Choksi, who runs it. He really liked the album, and worked with me on the promoting it. It’s been great working with him thus far, and I’m excited to work together on the new album. TO is growing by leaps and bounds, and is signing amazing bands from all over the world, and I’m honored to be part of the lineup.

* Are there any plans to play the East Coast in the future?
Never say never! I would be all about trying to play Maryland Deathfest at some point. I’d also be hard-pressed to turn down a show or two in my New York home…

* Have you ever been to NYC and if so what are your thoughts on the city?
Oh yes–as I mentioned, I lived there for 10 years–two in Manhattan and eight in Brooklyn. New York really is unlike anywhere else in the world. I may have grown tired of living there, but I haven’t stopped loving it, and try to make it back a couple times a year.

* What can we expect musically from you in 2017?
Hopefully a lot of new music! We’ve got a new 7″ coming early in the year, and a full-length album hopefully by summer. The music is all recorded, and now everything is in Stevie’s hands. Beyond that, there are a couple of other songs floating around without a home. I’d love to do a split with another cool band, or perhaps get one on a movie soundtrack.

* Any final words to fans and friends?
Thanks to everyone that has supported Ashen Horde thus far! The fan reaction has been the fuel to keep me going. I think Stevie and I have come up with a new album that is fairly unique and genre-fluid, and hopefully people will dig it. Happy 2017!

I recently spoke with the guys from Sorcier des Glaces, The Black Metal Duo from Quebec, Canada. We spoke about the great history of metal in Canada, the Quebec “spin” on metal and running HELL Studios. Read on:

* I’ve been listening to your album North that came earlier this year a lot! What was your inspiration in writing this album?
SDG: I’m mainly influenced by the nature and surroundings here in Quebec. We have some of the most beautiful northern landscapes that helps a lot writing cold riffs and find some sinister, but quite peaceful state of mind. I am of course influenced a lot by old school black metal from the ’90’s, that is my main inspiration for Sorcier Des Glaces since I started the band back in 1997. “North” was composed around the same time as our two latest full-length releases, “Ritual of the End” and “The Puressence of Primitive Forests”. I’m really happy about the final results of that album. I think we got the right atmosphere representing what I always wanted SDG to sound: cold, dark, and atmospheric.

* After making albums for so long has the recording process changed much? Do you record at home or a professional studio? What do you prefer?
SDG: Yes I do have my own studio now since 2010, Hell Studio, where I also produce some other bands too: Monarque, Sanctuaire, Moonlyght, Haethen and now the new Brume d’Automne album. A lot of bands now record their albums by themselves. I did record earlier at some other studios with my other bands Passage and Moonlyght , but I must admit that I’m a really selfish person! I take care a lot about the small details and I know exactly what I want, so having my own studio and now 100% my hand over the final product, I can do whatever I want.

* Do you think it is hard to “stay fresh” after playing in a band for so long?
SDG: Sure! Because it is difficult to find the right balance in keeping the band’s soul and sound intact but having a creative mind behind, trying new things and experimenting in the studio. This is where I think many bands unfortunately failed in becoming what people call “sellouts”. And the fact that bands become bigger and bigger and more popular and suddenly have a lot of pressure to produce good albums. Sorcier Des Glaces will never be like that, trust me on that. I make music for me at first, that pleases me. If people like it, then I’m happy. We are not making a living out of this, so I’m absolutely not rushing things out. When I feel it’s time for another album, I start working on it and put hard work until it’s completed.

* How do you create your music? does it start with a guitar riff? a drum pattern? a mood ? Please explain
SDG: It comes to me naturally, wherever I am and whatever I’m doing! It’s a melody… and probably a mood that kind of bring it to me, in my head. It appears to me suddenly. If I’m sitting with my guitar and then try to compose and rush things, it doesn’t work at all. I guess it is really a mood that brings melodies. I’m pretty sure many musicians are like this.

* As French Canadians you write all your lyrics in English? Why is this? Easier to write? To reach the broadest audience? Have you done any songs in French before?
SDG: As I’ve been influenced a lot by music sung in English, I naturally started writing my lyrics in English at the very beginning. I would not say it is to reach as most people as possible because it has never been the goal of Sorcier Des Glaces. As I said, I write music for me at first and if people like it, then good for us. I like the words sung in English but I also, in Black Metal, like a lot more now to use French. I think the French language is beautiful and suits a lot the poetry of Black Metal, it gives so much more meaning to the words I am singing. I use more French now (the 4 songs from us on “Le Puits Des Morts” split album with ENDE are 100% in French), and our latest album “North” has 2 songs in French on it.

* You have been doing this for a long time now – what inspires you to keep creating and making great music?
SDG: As I said I don’t rush things at all. When I “know” that I need to create new stuff, I dive totally into it, in a sort of trance! In 2010-2011, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to write all three latest SDG’s albums at the same time (The Puressence of Primitive Forests, Ritual of the End, North), the songs on the “Sorcier Des Glaces & Monarque” split album and some more stuff. I think I really found Sorcier Des Glaces’ sound and personality. I also totally stop using keyboards in 2010, I decided that it was enough and rather use many layers of lead guitars to create the atmosphere in our sound. Also, I have other musical projects that I’m the composer: Moonlyght, that is a progressive and melodic Death Metal band, and also Passage, who is more melancholic Doom Metal-oriented stuff. To make a pause and write some other stuff helps me to find fresh inspiration, mix things up when I go back to Sorcier’s stuff.

* What is your favorite way to listen to music? I was surprised a few years ago when I started to see the resurgence in cassettes after about 10 years of no one wanting them.
SDG: Well, I prefer now to listen to music online to be honest. We will not stop the progress and I think it is more easier to discover new music, new bands. And for newer bands that want to spread their music it is more easy to join a mass audience. I rather buy an album directly via the band‘s Bandcamp or via Itunes than on physical format now I must admit. I would have never said that 10 years ago! For the cassettes resurgence now, I’m totally surprised also. We have all our discography edited on cassette via Dread Records and I’m really happy about that. 2017 will see the releases of “North”, “Ritual of the End” and also a double version of the two “Snowland” versions (our very first album from 1998, and the re-recored one from 2012) edited on LP. I’m very excited about that!

* Sorcier des Glaces means wizard of ices if I am correct? Do you remember how the band name came to you?
SDG: I was searching for a name that would represent solitude, misanthropy, sorcery, but in a cold/dark concept. A wizard or a sorcerer is that kind of old, solitary, magical character that suits well the concept of Sorcier Des Glaces. It is timeless, as we are!
As we come from Quebec and speak French, I thought that a name in French would sound great.

* As a 2 man band do you have any plans for live shows? I saw Mortiis (Ex Emperor bassist) on his Stargate tour and it was just him acting out his songs to a backing track..even then it was great! I would make the drive from NYC to see you guys in a live setting
SDG: Haha, that’s THE question we’ve been asked so many times! I’m not against playing live one day, but we are definitely not a touring band. I prefer to work in the studio, write new songs. I just can’t imagine mosh pits on our songs and would not want this anyway, it is not the kind of music for that. We would have to find musicians and a rehearsal place (not a problem at all) but the most important thing and hardest to find: time. The fact is that me and Luc have very few time left out of our full-time day work, families, other musical projects, etc. Luc plays live with his rock cover band every week-end and he’s also involved in countless other musical projects (including Passage and Moonlyght). As we’re not living out of our music and are not interested in that at all, we make music as a hobby and we agreed to not play live.

* Canada has a great love of metal bands , some American and or European metal bands who are on tour will say “the American shows were good..but the Canadian shows were AMAZING” Why do you think Canadians have always had such a love for good metal?
SDG: It’s in our DNA. We have a long tradition and history in Metal here in Canada, and I would say especially in Quebec, there is some of the most dedicated metalfans on the planet! Voivod, Kataklysm, Gorguts, Martyr, Forteresse, Unexpect, to name only a few bands… we have a huge and varied Metal scene here!

* Do you think Canadians have a unique spin on Black metal?
I can speak for the Quebec scene, as I don’t really know many other bands from the rest of Canada unfortunately. I think we have a unique Black Metal scene here in Quebec. Maybe that’s the weather, our traditions and our history that makes us different from the other scenes in the world. It’s something in our sound I guess, I really can’t describe it really but people can feel it in the songs. We all have something in common here.

* Outside of making music what do you do in your personal time to relax? Hockey? Family? Video games?
Well, I run Hell Studio where I produce some bands here. I really like to be behind the desk, helping bands to create their work of art. Other than that and my three projects Sorcier Des Glaces, Moonlyght & Passage, family of course takes all the place. I’m really into wine tasting, I’m really interested in that! One day it would be crazy to have a vineyard!

* Any final words?
Thanks for the interview. 2017 will see many re-releases from us, but probably no new music. I’m working for the release of the second Passage album “As Darkness Comes” in the first quarter of 2017, and already writing stuff for a third album. Other than that, I’m producing the new Brume d’Automne album plus many other projects in the studio, that keeps me very busy!

I recently got the chance to speak to Forge. multi instrumentalist from the Aussie Black Metal band “Norse” In this interview we covered the remoteness of Australia, how too many bands these days give away the mystique of their bands and much more.

* You guys are not only based in Australia but 100 miles or so outside of Sydney the biggest city in the country. How does that remoteness work for you guys? How does it go against you guys?
The remoteness works perfectly for our musical inspiration. Where I live has nothing but forests and green, open county. I used to go weeks at a time without seeing anyone. it gives you time to think, clear your head of any superficial rubbish and really distill your musical ideas.

* I know of the Blue Mountains in NSW  but I am not really familiar with the Southern Highlands? (I know its on the same ridge line but much further south) How did you guys end up there as opposed to Sydney? What is there to do in an area like that? IS there any metal scene there are all?
There is ZERO scene out here! the closest musical equivalent is wedding musicians, or a few pub bands. This doesn’t bother me at all, as i have never had a musical community to grow up in or be influenced by. This probably explains the uniqueness of our music. No external input.

* Why do you think there are so many amazing one man and two man Black metal bands as opposed to Death metal where you at least need the basic 4 man set up drums, bass, guitar, vocals etc? Do you think the fact that early Bm bands like Burzum and Darkthrone were 1 and 2 man bands, that they paved the way?
Great Question. I believe that its a personality thing. If you enjoy, or feel the need to express yourself with such bleak, antisocial music, chances are its a reflection on ones own personal character.
I find I write the best material when by myself, late at night or very early in the morning, Never in a band environment.

* Do you guys do many live shows anymore? One of the things I like about Black metal artists versus Death metal ones is many choose only to play ‘events” as opposed to the traditional “get in a van and tour”
I have done the ‘van/bus tour’  thing many times through Europe, the USA and around Australia, and its just not something I really enjoy anymore. Its a party thing. I’m not Interested.
Norse plays shows when we feel like it, we’re not interested in getting ‘big’. The amount of work involved for the return is a joke these days, and not worth the financial and mental strain.
More importantly, I see this as art, not entertainment, which touring bands basically are. I know that sound pompous,  but I’ve done it all before and I’m just speculating on my personal experiences…

* What’s been the best live show to date and why?
Too many to mention over the years.

* I really love the visuals you guys have in the band – is that one of you or a friend of the band that comes up with these? Very unique and truly something special.
Thank you! Our image is a reflection of our music, I enjoy the added mystery thats created by having faceless figures, no information, no details. let your imagination run.
I am not a fan of the modern day bands that have a million band pics, bios and  play through videos showing you exactly how the music is played. There’s a face to put to the music, and all the studio/writing/recording process is documented. It leaves ZERO intrigue, mystery or wonder as to how the art was inspired or created. It makes the music disposable and short lived. A real shame.

* Do you guys have a bucket list of shows you would like to play? For example Bloodstock in the UK? Maryland Deathfest in the USA etc?
Not at all.

* Have any of you guys even visited the USA before? If so what did you think about it?
Only in previous bands. great country, lovely people willing to go out of their way to help touring bands!

* I know you have a new album planned for 2017 – what can you tell us about the new album?
New album is titled  ‘ The Divine Light Of A New Sun’ being released through Transcending Obscurity records, due out early 2017.
Its a progression from Pest, but not quite as hopelessly dark. I purposefully roped in some musicians to help write some instrumentation (bass mostly). I figured if I wrote and tracked everything again, it would sound like me, so i gave our new bassist kyle free reign on a lot of the songs. He came up with parts I never would have written, yet complimented what I had written very well. Kyle also was a great help when mixing came around, lots of helpful ideas for dynamics and other things.

* How did the record deal with Transcending Obscurity Records come about? Many BM bands are quite happy to go the DIY route – why the change?
We were DIY for nearly 10 years, until T.O records reviewed Pest ep, and straight out asked us to join the label. Kunal, (owner of T.O records) is a fantastic guy and great to work with. we definitely would recommend him.

* Lyrically what are the new songs about? Still misanthropic I hope!
ADR is in charge of lyrics, and has a heap of great concepts and themes, from the story of his great grandfather who died in the concentration camps, to the views of the world from a Nazi officers perspective, to the long term effects of radiation from Nagasaki. He really put a tonne of effort into the lyrics and it adds to the atmosphere of the songs.

* Do you think the digital age has changed the metal music scene for the better or worse? Please explain.
I have never known anything but the digital age. All I hear from old guys is whinging about the good old days. Well, they are gone, so deal with it. Learn to adapt or get left behind.

* How would you guys describe the band to someone who has never heard your music before?
Don’t even bother listening to it unless you like the sound of large machines falling into a pit of lava. hahaha!!

* Any final words for friends and fans?
Sorry. I’m about to alienate the last of them with this album

I spoke with Balan from Palace of Worms and we covered near death experiences, Catholicism, isolationist angry loners, synthetic humans and much more – read on

* Your latest album “The Ladder” came out on Broken Limbs records this year? How did that deal come about?
Getting hooked up with Broken Limbs happened quite easily and naturally.  I just emailed Peter and asked him if he wanted to release my record and after hearing it he said yes.   I was actually pretty surprised it happened that fast since finding labels is usually quite an ordeal.  I’ve been lucky.

* You were with the Flenser Records for a long time, how do you find working with Broken Limbs vs The Flenser
I was with The Flenser from the beginning and “The Forgotten” was the flagship release for the label so working with Jonathan was definitely a process from the ground up.  Even in its embryonic phase though Jonathan did a good job with his releases.  Peter’s label was already pretty established by the time I came into contact with him so he already had an audience and a solid identity for his label.  Peter is the fucking man.  His attention to detail and work ethic regarding his releases is phenomenal.  He promotes well and the record looked and sounded great.  I was looking for a diverse label after parting with The Flenser, but also a label that still released heavy music.  Glad I ran across BLR .

* Jonathan the Flenser founder is well known in the Bay Area – how did you meet him? and any stories about him you can share?
I met Jonathan at a show at a now defunct venue called Anne’s Social Club around 2008.  I was strange; one of my long time friends had a college class with Jon and had gotten to talking to him about music.  Jon told him he was starting a label and my friend passed the first Palace demo (The Decaying Despot) off to him.  I guess he liked it enough (I have no idea why) to want to release my next album which I had already started working on and wanted to meet me.  The pieces kind of just fell together and we ended up meeting at this show.  A pretty boring story but shortly after The Flenser released my album “The Forgotten”,  its first.  Jonathan worked as a bartender as his day (night?) job and I’m sure he grew tired of watching me get drunk and talk shit to the patrons of his club.  I’m afraid most of the stories about us revolve around me embarrassing him by being a mess.

* There is a great legacy of one man BM bands from Mortiis, Burzum to Xasthur and Leviathan why do you think we see so many good solo artists in the Black metal scene? (say as opposed to the death metal scene)
I guess there is just more of a “tradition” of solo Black Metal artists opposed to other types of metal.  The idea had already been represented by many artists by the turn of the century and it in some ways has become an unfavorable stereotype in the genre. Aside from the fact that the technology to create a professional sounding record in your bedroom is available readily to anyone with a couple hundred bucks I think that maybe the isolationist, angry loner aesthetic of Black Metal appeals to the aspiring solo musician.  As far as myself goes, I tried for a long time to find other people who wanted to create this type of music but in the end I just said fuck it, I’ll just do it myself.  Even to this day I think “well maybe if I get other band members the performances would be better, the drums would be better, etc” but Palace Of Worms at this point is so deeply tied into my psyche and its creation process so reliant on my own work ethic quirks I don’t think bringing anyone else into it would really result in something that I’d be happy with.  I have guest contributions here and there but the central vision I cannot compromise.

* What is the recording process like for you? Do you start with a guitar riff and build from there?
Yeah usually I start with the guitar.  Sometimes I’ll lay down some improvisational drums and build the song around that framework.  Other times I’ll sit down at the keyboard and play out the melodies.  It all depends on the moment and what I have readily available when that moment comes.

* Lyrically you cover a lot of stuff (at least it seems to me) on death, judgment, the rottenness of humankind etc – what draws you to the subjects and are you like this in “real life too? Or are you a happy go lucky type of guy outside of the band?
Death and judgment are definitely big themes that I like to work with and interest me.  I grew up in a pretty strict Roman Catholic family, and while I myself don’t believe in a all seeing, knowing God the imagery of Catholicism definitely stuck with me.  How could it not when it basically beaten into me?  Deliverance and damnation in my mind are much more personal.  Not so much about this generalized pentanence than about wrapping up the loose ends in your life.  As far the humankind goes, there is absolutely nothing kind about it.  I’ve come to accept this in my adulthood instead of writing in a perpetual existential spasm of horror.  People suck and I spend way too much time thinking about it in my daily life so I try to avoid the standard “angry at the world” lyrics these days. Usually the rotten person who I end up writing about is myself.  Most of my lyrics are about my collapsing temple and my burning altar.  I know that my time is short and my days are numbered.  I’m trying my best to overcome my demons because I don’t want the unknown night that we all have to face to descend while I’m still holding on to the meaningless things.  The demons will just tear your life away if you hold on.

* Have you had any near death experiences in your live?
Hmmm,  nothing like the traditional near death type stuff like a tunnel of light, etc but about 12 years ago I had this infection which went to my brain and my roommate found me blacked out on the floor and rushed me to the hospital where I ended up waiting like 3 hours with a 106 degree fever.  I was hallucinating all kinds of crazy things like scenes from that George Clooney movie “Syriana” playing out before me in the hospital waiting room but it was all hellish and twisted.  Finally they noticed me slumped over and muttering to myself and finally gave me some care.  That was horrible and I’m sure if anymore time had passed I would’ve died.  I was literally cooking in my own body.

* Do you feel our consciousness lives on after these bodies die?
Yes I think in one form or another.  Energy never really dies it just transforms.  I probably would’ve balked at the idea in my more nihilistic days but I’d like to think consciousness continues in a different form.

* What are your thoughts on blending the human mind/consciousness with synthetic bodies to extend the life span of humans?
I think it would be an abomination.  Life is not meant to be eternal.  We are already living way too long as a species and shit is getting fucked up as a result of it.  One of these days soon a virus or bacteria resistant to anti bodies is going to wipe us all out and maybe for the better.  We have forsaken the natural world for one of artificiality.  We worship this artificiality instead of the world that created us.  We want our bodies to be anything except what was given to us and we will twist ourselves into unnatural shapes through surgery and science in order to fit whatever bullshit standard  our peers currently consider beauty and value.  When we die our bodies belong in the dust and our minds will be set free.

* How does your work as Palace of worms differ from the other bands you are involved in?
The neurotic freak outs are private affairs and I don’t have to deal with garbage shows and unreliable band mates. I can control every aspect of the production, artwork, layout, etc.  This would never be possible in a democratic band situation.

* The Ladder made a lot of “best of 2016” lists this year – were you pleased with all of these results?
I’m surprised that people liked it that much.  I am not a good judge of my own work.  I can’t even listen to it once its done.  It just makes me cringe.  But yeah, I’m glad someone got something out of it.

* Do you see yourself touring (in the traditional sense) at any time in the future? Or would you prefer to just do special events? I saw Mortiis in 1999 on the Stargate tour and it was him behind chicken wire (blues brothers style) and he basically performed the entire album to DAT tape with full nose, ears and bat wings to me sometimes “events” can be more special that traditional drums/bass /guitar/singer tours.
Well I’m actually in the process of teaching the live band a set of songs right now.  The goal at this point would be to do a few small shows locally and then do a small west coast tour in the late summer with my friend’s band Ehecatl.  Touring the states really sucks but touring Europe would be rad if I somehow would be able to set that up.  I am jealous of you seeing Mortiis on that tour.  The Stargate is his best record!

* The Bay Area has had such a strong music scene for so long now – is there something in the water there? How do so many artists make it work when the cost of living there is one of the highest in the entire country?
Its getting harder and harder to make music and art here.  The Bay Area has a long history of producing great art and music but it has not been very friendly to artists since at least 1997 during the first dot com boom.  Now its even worse and you can’t even find a place in Oakland for a decent price.  Warehouses are a big part of the East Bay music scene and since the Ghost Ship fire the city has been coming down really hard on DIY venues and kicking people out.  Then after the artists have been booted out the real estate companies swoop in and turn the warehouses into overpriced condos.  Noise ordinances have also been hurting venues because of Techie yuppie fucks who have permanently sandy assholes don’t like people enjoying music that isn’t The Black Keys in “their neighborhoods”.

* What can we expect from Palace of Worms in 2017?
A split with the amazing one man Black Metal band from Indiana Ecferus which should be out at the end of the winter and another split with 3 other great Bay Area metal bands that will come out as a super limited 12″ self release available only through the bands.  All this in addition to the debut of the live band should make 2017 a very busy year for POW.

* Any final words to friends, fans and family?
Instead of slashing my wrists, I just write a bunch of really crummy songs. So long, and thanks for all the fish.