Interview with Black Table

                                                                

USBMS would like to thank the members of Black Table for their time to answer our questions.



1. Can you please introduce the members of Black Table and their roles with the band, also a bit of the history of how and when Black Table came into existence?



Mers: I do the vocals and guitar, Ryan plays guitar, Mike is our drummer and Matt is the bassist. Black Table was a concept that I approached Ryan with around 2009/2010. Ryan was in Randall Flagg at the time, but he was interested and we sat down and banged out the skeletons for Heist and Sentinel really quickly. When Mike and Matt joined, BT really started to go in the direction I had imagined and hoped for.

Ryan: Yeah, Randall Flagg was just fading out and it was a really good time to do something different. Mike actually was going to be Flagg's next drummer if the band would have survived, so immediately when Mers and I started getting Black Table going I started harassing Mike to join or die.

2. For new listeners who might not have heard your music before, how would you define your sound to them?

                                                                            

Mers: Yeah, that's a debatable conversation. We have been called doom, black metal, prog metal, blackend this and that, post this and that...all kinds of unexpected genres, but I prefer to say that we are experimental metal. We are melodic, but also dissonant, chaotic at moments but also carry a strong narrative. My vocals hail from the Black Metal genre, I guess that is one thing that can be pinned down.

Ryan: I often hear the genre post black metal applied to what we're doing which is fair. Our music has plenty of extended trem picking and the vocals certainly could lead someone to say that, but I think there are so many different influences going on it's hard to really say it's one genre. I think each song we write tries to be a little different then the last so it makes it hard to nail what we are because we keep changing it as we go. So experimental metal is a broad enough that I think it fits us well.

Mike: All four of us come from different musical backgrounds and situations. I studied jazz drumming in college and I am heavily influenced by drummers like Billy Rymer and Matt Halpern. Matty is big into a lot of tech death metal and jazz as well. Ryan is huge into sludge and post-metal and Mers is into lots of weird shit. Even though we are still rooted in "post black metal," I think our sound is a combination of all of these individual influences fuses into one cohesive vision.


                                                                        

3. Can you take us behind the process behind creating one of Black Table songs, Where do you draw inspiration for lyrics from? and where are the musical compositions recorded at?




Mers: Usually myself or Ryan come up with a part or sections and we go back and forth recording, writing, rewriting for a long time. I spend a lot of time editing and refining, experimenting. I kind of need a lot of time to mull over ideas or riffs or narratives. Sometimes writing is spontaneous, and I feel like the universe is aligned. But most days, it's constant exploration. Once we get the basic framework of the song down, we bring it to Mike who brings his intense drumming style and arranging and then to Matt who seems to be able to write with little effort at all really, haha. We record on Audacity, Ableton Live, Digital Performer when working on songs but our E.P was recorded at Trax East Recording in New Jersey by Eric Rachel.


Mike: When they bring riffs or sections we will jam on it at practice. This really helps me develop my drumming concept for the song and usually inspires us to write another riff or section and begin arranging the song. After a few of these rehearsals, Ryan and I will usually sit down at his computer and program drums using Ableton Live and Superior Drummer. This process is a little time consuming, but when it's time to record, having scratch guitar and click tracks already programmed saves a lot of time. This also gives us the opportunity to listen back to the song and process it as a listener, rather than a performer.


Ryan: Writing for us is a very intense process, we don't move forward on anything if there's anyone who doesn't agree with a part. I think it's our self criticism that really makes writing for us really satisfying. We weren't actually sure if anyone would care about what we made because it was so personal, and maybe we were the only people who actually like these songs haha. Releasing a new project is always a little stressful, but we've had so much support from great bands and people, we feel so lucky to be a part of it all.




4. Lets talk about your 2012 self released E.P entitled "Sentinel"

How did the concept for the release come about, Who did the artwork and how did the recording process go?

Mers: The artwork for our E.P was done by Matt, who also designed one of our shirts, death riding a horse. He's a super talented illustrator, he just had an art show in New Paltz recently. "Sentinel" E.P is based on Death and History. The recording process was challenging, Hurricane Sandy busted through New Jersey  and we lost a bunch of recording days because where Trax East was was flooded, and that set us back.

Ryan: Eric Rachel at Trax East and Alan Douches at West West Side were so helpful and really went out of their way to help us meet our deadline, we owe them a few beers.

Mike: yeah they really made it made it happen last minute.  I remember getting the masters the night before tour, emailing them out to the band, confirming which version we liked, and then picking up the masters as I left for tour the next day and burned and packaged the CD's in the van!

                                                                     

5.  I was quite impressed with the Deep Well kit. That would be a great piece to own. Please can you explain how this concept came about and who is credited for this idea? And further how can listeners purchase it?

Mers: That was my concept. I had read a Introduction to Ritualistic Magic by Aliester Crowley a long time ago that discussed why certain implements are used in rituals like incense or candles. I'm not a fan of Crowley, I think most of his hype and myth is just that but, the idea that influencing the 6 senses with tools could alter your state of being, sort of like a certain kind of combination lock for your brain, intrigued me. Looking at an image is not the same when you look at an image with a specific sort of music guiding your feelings; you can be manipulated to feel something happy, sad, reflective ect. Deep Well came with a track that was intended to guide the listener down into the forgotten places of the mind. We have some left but they take so much time to make, we decided not to make any more right now. We will have the remainder with us on our tour with Downfall of Gaia.
Link to the Deep Well kit Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZGLXGgQvI

6. Are there any bands, or musical styles that have influenced the way Black Table writes music?, or is there any band or person in particular that might have inspired you to create music?

Mers: I've played music most of my life, my father was a musician too, so music has always been one of the few ways to express the intangible and obscured parts of myself.  I think the band that initiated the inspiration in me to be in a band like this was Wolves in the Throneroom.


Ryan: I've been in bands since i was about 17-18 i was hooked on guitar since day one. There have been so many bands that inspire me but what was really exciting when we started this project were bands like Rosetta, Buried Inside, Time to Burn, and Amenra.


Mike: Yeah, we are all influenced by completely different styles of music, which makes writing with these guys so much fun. I've been playing drums and piano since I was 10 and like Ryan, I have been in countless bands since middle/high school. I'm huge into jazz drummers Dafnis Prieto, Roy Haynes, and Elvin Jones. As far as metal goes, I can't get enough Dillinger Escape Plan, The Ocean, Vattnet Viskar and So Hideous right now.

                                                                                 

                                                                       


7.Black Table is described as "post/experimental Black Metal". Is this the style you set out to have initially or has it progressed and evolved over time?

Mers: It did progress over time. The one thing we don't do is try to sound like anything. We are never like, "lets have a part like this song or band or style". I feel like that is total bullshit.


Ryan: Yea, I don't think we ever considered ourselves black metal at all, then people started telling us and we were like "hmm, I guess maybe you're right there is some black metal in there." We sat down and just started playing, writing parts and wanted to make interesting music that was about all we thought about it. Actually, the very first song demos were pretty clean and post rocky, but that wasn't right so we kept evolving and working on the sound.

8.How do you feel Black Tables music compares to other post Black Metal bands such as "Deaf Haven and Krallice" or Experimental Black Metal bands like" Rheinkaos or Marchosias"?

Mers: I find it interesting sometimes the comparisons seem far fetched but I don't really have any feelings about it. We made it, we put it out there and it's okay for people to come up with their own ideas or whatever about it.

Ryan: I don't think we have much in common with those bands, they do their own thing just like us. I actually love Krallice, but I don't think much about comparing us to them, they are brilliant in their own way.

9.What kind of energy goes into a Black Table live performance? what can a person who has never seen your live show expect?

Mers: We have samples of DeepWell playing in between our sets, which is unsettling and Mike hammers the drums like a were-beast. I think my mood is usually like a Sea Captain looking out over a stormy sea haha. The last show we did in Albany, Ryan slammed his guitar onto the neck of mine really fucking hard doing his spastic guitar war dance. Luckily it didn't break but it did go out of tune haha. He really gets primal.


Ryan: Yeah, everyone has their own own energy, I almost go into a trance when playing live, it becomes really emotional for me. I'm usually exhausted by the end of a set.



Mike: I try to put every ounce of energy I have into our live show. Drumming in Black Table is the purest, most primal release of emotion, tension, and passion I have ever experienced. I have been involved in a bunch of other metal bands, but nothing compares to the physical demands of this band. Since I joined the band, I have been gradually hitting harder and at this point I am just trying to break every piece of drum equipment I have. By the end of the last song, I am usually about to faint from exhaustion. I'm trying to convince Ryan to start doing back flips off my kick drum. Maybe next tour.


Mers: Mike pounds those drums with Thor's hammer basically.

                                                                              

10. Do you guys have a good following in your home town? can you explain
what the state of the scene is like in NJ/NY,  and is there support for underground or even well known Black/death/grind bands?

Ryan: We have a lot of really amazing people who support the shit out of us online and when we play live, but the one thing that blows me away is how the bands support each other in NYC and Brooklyn. Any show we play, or when we go out to support our friends, I'll see all the same faces every time. It's amazing.


Mike: It's been such a pleasure to play with NYC bands So Hideous, Meek is Murder , East of the Wall, and Family who have supported us in one way or another.


Mers: What's unexpectedly cool is that we have some of a little following in places like France, Texas, Germany, Connecticut, Greece and other places. Our biggest support when we started was from other bands and bookers which really surprised me. I never thought that BT would become anything, every response I got back I read with surprise and excitement. All the help we get from listeners, other musicians, bands, bookers, bloggers, photographers…you start to realize you are part of a community, and it's mostly for the sake of music, no one is making money, but it's fun and you get to be a part of something and experience new shit. I never want to forget that; as much as I normally despise humans and the way society is, I do have my humanity restored often and it's all because of music. Yeah, lets all barf a little in our mouths.

11.Outside of music what are some of the band members interests?

Mers: I study German, love mythology, reading, country life, art, cicadas. I'm training for Ragnar this year in the Adirondacks. Stuffing my face. Bag kicker.

Ryan: I'm a graphic designer, I'm teaching myself Arduino, and I have an obsession currently with Kafka and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Mike: I teach private music lessons, so I'm constantly working on all sorts of new drum and piano music. I give kayak tours on the Hudson River on the weekends. I try to go hiking as often as possible and I love antiquing or "bandtiquing" as we call it on tour.

Mers: fuck yeah, bandtiquing!

 12. Any final words for the readers on what to expect from Black Table in the coming future?

Mers: After this month long tour, we are going to take a long fucking break from playing live shows so we can write an Album for 2014.

Ryan: Writing. Writing. Writing.

Mike: Europe tour in 2014 and writing. I'd love to play in Mordor.



For band contact and info visit
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blacktableband
Bandcamp http://blacktable.bandcamp.com
Youtube  https://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreBlackTable?feature=watch

                                                                                                              

Interview with Abwehrschlacht

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  USBMS would like to thank Abwehrschlacht for their time!

  
  
  1. Can we start off by introducing our readers to the members of Abwehrschlacht and their roles within the band?
  

  
  
  
  Abwehrschlacht consists of only two; myself, Falkenhayn on vocals and guitar and Ludendorff on Bass. The drum fire battery is provided by a machine to give us an industrial sound.
  
  
  
  2. For new listeners from the U.S who have not heard your music before, how would you define your sound to them?
  
  
  
  We play raw and hateful Black Metal exclusively, it is very much influenced by Burzum, Venom, early Bathory. That is not to say we try to sound like them, but they would be our biggest influences. It’s cold, grim and morbid, just the way Black Metal should be, there is no love here.
  
  
  3.The band is fairly new according to your bio, starting in 2007. But some members are no strangers to Black Metal and creating music. In 92 your
  band "xaztur" was active . Can you explain to us how has your previous band experiences transferred to Abwehrschlacht?
  
  
  
  Yes, I was in the British Black Metal band Xaztur in 1992 on vocal and bass, then I formed my own project Immanis in 1993, in this venture I was also joined by Ludendorff who helped out on guitars. At the time he was not a proper member of the band and was more like a session player. But, you could say that we have played together since 1993. Abwehrschlacht came into being as I had had a hiatus from music for a few years and wanted to return to playing and recording, without returning to my previous projects. I approached Ludendorff, who had recording equipment and the concept of Abwehrschlacht was born. I couldn’t describe Abwehrschlacht as a continuation of the previous two bands, Xaztur, were a straight up Satanic Black Metal band and Immanis was more influenced by nature and paganism, Abwehrschlacht are influenced by the First World War. So lyrically the themes were all very different.
  
  
  
  4. Tell us a little about your logo and band name its origin, Who came up with the name and the design for the logo?
  
  
                                                                            
  

  

  
  
  The name Abwehrschlacht is taken from a 1918 German military doctrine of defence through attack. The concept was that an attacker would be drawn further and further in to a deep defence system which was stronger as the attack passed through each line, thereby wearing the attack down and ultimately blunting it ready for counter attack. I think German is a strong language for military terms and I liked the sound of the word and the fact that it is relatively unknown outside of First World War circles. The logo is just the name written in an Old English fontface, to keep it simple and emulate Burzum and Bathory’s original logos. I’m not one for fancy unreadable logos.
  
  
  
  
  5. Lets talk about your self released cassette EP from 2010 entitled "Kaiser Schlact". How did the concept come about, and how did the recording process go?
  
  
  
  Kaiser Schlacht is a collection of recordings from between about 2007 and 2009, this is because Ludendorff and I didn’t live in the same area so we could only record when we got together. It wasn’t the ‘traditional’ recording session that most bands have, but then we never do anything ‘traditional’ anyway. The first songs were recorded as a long single piece, but it was thought better to take the several sections and split them into individual songs instead. I then wrote two separate songs: Die Sturmtruppen and Meatgrinder and we recorded them. So we had these songs kicking around for a while and decided to release them on a tape with an outro. In the past I had been unable to release a professionally produced demo tape, but nowadays I was able to afford it, so I took the chance.
  
  
  
  
  6. When speaking on terms of lyrics, Abwehrschlacht describes in the bio that, "The music and concept of Abwehrschlacht is based on the heroics and horrors of the First World War (1914-1918)."
   
  
  
  Please explain in some detail what your lyrics are meant to express to your listeners about this period of time in history?
  I won’t describe in detail all the lyrics, but overall I have a great interest in the First World War. It was the first modern war and the first total war and is still completely misunderstood by the public at large as a futile waste of lives. I don’t see it that way and I think to see it that way is a disservice to all the men of all countries who served and fought for whatever reasons they did. Abwehrschlacht is influenced by this period as it was a brutal war, by anyone’s standards and that is translatable into the brutality of Black Metal. It was a war of hatred, Black Metal is music of hatred. I hope that by listening to us it may spark off some interest in the period and make people do some research into the First World War and understand the brutality of it.
  
  
  
  7. Take us into your music creative process, How do you create your sound from an idea to a completed song, and where do you record?
  
  
  
  I don’t really have a process which I follow, but as the main songwriter in most cases I will write some riffs and try to form them into a flowing song structure. I then play them to Ludendorff who gives me his opinion on them and where things should go and if he has any ideas to add. There have been occasions where I have created a riff as we were recording and added it to the ongoing song process. Ludendorff runs a company making guitar pedals, so I leave the sound creation to him in that respect. He is also the one responsible for mixing the finished product. We record in Ludendorff’s place as he has a mini studio as well, so it makes production cheap. We have batted the idea of recording in a proper studio so we can mike up the amplifiers but we have yet to go down that route.
  
  
  
  8. What are some bands, or musical styles that have influenced you guys, any band or person in particular that might have inspired you to make music?
  
  
  
  As I’ve mentioned previously, Burzum, Bathory and Venom are massive influences, as is the ancient Black Metal scene of the early 1990s. We both like the sound of early Beherit and I think has certainly come across in our influences. Being involved in that scene has helped me in my creative processes; I am of the opinion that Black Metal is dynamic conservatism, there are rules to follow, but there has to be boundaries, we try to remain within those boundaries. Obviously from a lyrical point of view it has been the First World War that has the most influence.
  
  
  
  
  9. Id like to ask what the Black Metal Scene is like in Yorkshire, as well as the UK in a whole? is there support for local more underground black metal/metal acts?
  
  
                                                                            
  

  

  
  
  I have no idea what the scene is like in Yorkshire, to be honest. I don’t really think there is one, or not one that I am involved with anyway. Bal-Sagoth come from close by in Sheffield, but they are probably the best known band. In my home town there is practically zero support for bands, Black Metal, Metal or any music really. I have no interest in being part of a ‘scene’ even if one did exist anyway; I’m too much of a misanthrope for all that shit.
  
  
  
  
  10. I haven't read any where that Abwehrschlacht have ever played live, but Can you express in detail a little bit about the energy that would be involved between the band and the audience? And what would one take away with them at the end of the performance?
  
  
  
  
  You won’t have read anywhere about us playing live as we never have and nor do we intend to. Ludendorff has proposed it, but I am not too interested in doing it. Again, I’m too much of a misanthrope to want to parade around in front of people.
  
  
  
  
  11. What direction do you see the music Abwehrschlacht heading in the future and what can people expect from the band?
  
  
  
  Things are quiet for Abwehrschlacht at the moment, both of us are busy with other non-Black Metal projects, so it’s a difficult question to answer. We will get together and record again, possibly during winter, as that is always the best time for inspiration, but I can’t say much more than that. As I said, we never do anything by the book and that includes recording schedules and even writing songs.
  
  
  
   12. Any final words for the readers?
  
  
  
  Hails for the interview, very interesting questions, we still have copies of the Kaiser Schlacht Demo available (limited to 150 copies), £4 worldwide, including postage. Find our page on Facebook and get in touch for more details. Hail and War!!
  
  
  For band info and contact visit 
  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abwehrschlacht/158810617495112
  http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Abwehrschlacht/3540310391
  
  
  

                                                                   

Interview with Abyssal

                                                                           

USBMS would like to thank Abyssal for this interview

1) Can you please introduce the members of Abyssal, and tell us a bit of the history of how and when abyssal came to be.

- Guitarist Hibernus called upon Nocturnal Cunt Butcher and Lost to realize the mutual vision that is Abyssal.

2) What are some of the motivations that inspire the works of Abyssal? what is the driving force behind the band?

- We felt the need to expose certain ideas and music noncommunicable in other projects.

                                                                              

3. You state in your bio that ,occult ,magick and nature play apart in Abyssals lyrical theme, Can you explain a bit about how this affects the creation of the music?

- Various band members have interests in destruction, diabolism, nature, magick, balance, and misanthropy. These are all present, some way or another, in our music.

 

4. A demo that was released in 2013, and split tape released with the band Defiled Majesties, both pressed with 20 copies each, what was the reason behind limiting the copies of each release?

- The "Embrace the Black Mass" split was limited to 50 copies. The earlier demo was 

produced primarily for early gigs (hence its very limited supply) and will be superseded by 

future material

 

                                                    

5. How was it working with Atramentum Productions? was there any certain choice to release the split on cassette form? does abyssal have a preference between tape, vinyl or CD form to release its music?

- Working with Atramentum Productions allows a degree of freedom. We were able to simply
concentrate on our music.

6.What is the writing process like for abyssal, is the music created first before the lyrics? or (vise- versa) and also where do you record your music at?

- Music can be written by any of the members. From there we fine tune structure together before writing lyrics. All recordings so far have been done out of the studio.

 

                                                                           

7. How has the reaction been from the black metal world concerning Abyssals music? Do certain countries seem to show more interest in the band then others?

- The reaction has been good! We've had emails from England and Italy asking for copies,

and from Canada praising our work.

 

8. Has Abyssal ever played live shows? What is the Black Metal or Metal scene like were your band is from,is there interest in metal there?

 

- We have played live and intend to do so again. The "metal" scene here is dominated by "core bands, although there is a sizable death scene. BM here is small, but has produced some incredible talent. including Nazxul, Pestilential Shadows, Wardaemonic, Erebus Enthroned, Thrall, Austere, Denouncement Pyre, Spire, Rev Kriss Hades, Drowning the Light and Crowned. Unmissable Aussie bands also include Sadistik Exekution and Portal.
 

9. Is Abyssal a full time band? do the members have any side projects at this time? what musical background do the members of Abyssal come from?

- Abyssal is in fact the side project of all three members.We share a member with Death Metal powerhouse Exekute, as well as two member of the Battle/Speedmetal champions Fenrir.Our remaining member is hard at work on a yet unnamed project





10. I noticed that abyssal chooses to wear corpse paint? Do you feel that wearing corpse paint is an important part of the mystique of Black Metal?







- We feel corpse paint divides us as performers from our mundane selves and allows us to truly honor the
music we create.

 11. What does abyssal have in store for 2014? do you have any other material to be released or is abyssal in the process of writing any new stuff?

                                                                            
                                                                              

        

                  


- Abyssal is working on new material for an EP and will bring it to local stages when we feel it is properly complete.

12. Any final words about abyssal that you would like our readers to know before we conclude?

- Cheers for the interview. Keep an eye out for things to come.



Cheers,

Abyssal

For band contact Visit
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abyssal/230088283789653
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Abyssal/3540359899
http://www.youtube.com/user/AbyssalAustralia

INTERVIEW WITH SEARING SKULL

INTERVIEW WITH SEARING SKULL
DONE BY PAIMON (USBMS)


                                                                                                                                                

First of all I would like to give three mighty Black hails to Searing Skull for taking the time to execute this interview. Now lets get into the questions . . .




1. First question, what is the main concept behind Searing Skull and it's inception?




There are main concepts actually : Searing Skull is a weapon against ignorance and will to perturbate the natural Equilibrium of things. Through the understanding and the respect of Nature, introspection, sadness, hate, and misanthropy. Some tell that Searing Skull is a pagan BM band. It is not my role (and my aim) to put Searing Skull in one genre or another. All I know is that I study/studied a lot of mythologies from all over the world, and that I conclude that myths are metaphors, allegories, of what Nature's Order is. No good or no evil, just Equilibrium. Being manicheist and to claim to be evil or good in "obeying" to some supposedly existing forces/gods, is only pure Christian behavior, as evil and goodness are essentially moral values that vary from individuals to individuals, from land to land. I'm keen on Celtic and Germanic mythologies, certainly because these are those from my motherland of Europe, but I'm not close minded towards other myths.They have not to bring truth, which are unreachable, they have to bring wisdom. The knowledge you have to learn will come only from you, not from mythical stories written to make you to respect some things.

2. Searing Skull is a one man project comprised of Legolas Landvoettir. Has anyone else been involved in Searing Skull's art? Have there been session members in the past?




Yes, From 2000 to 2003, another guy was in the band, programming the drums and recording/mastering/mixing what I recorded. He isn't in the band anymore. For live purposes; Moloch, from the French True BM Band Swellpain (hails), is my live bassist. He is a real perfectionist about how music has to sound, this is what I sought for. I'm still searching for a drummer for live purposes too.




3. Your band's logo artwork is quite intricate. Who designed it? What is it's meaning?





It was made by Stephane Casier, from Ravensblood (RIP). He has maybe another band now but I didn't followed what he does. Anyway he's a great artist and he made the logo I was looking for : aggressive and meaningful. There is a burning Thor's Hammer on the logo. I'm not being blind enough to follow a myth from word to word, but anyway Thor's Hammer is a symbol of pride, strength, and will to conquer. I think that Nature's law benefits the stronger beings, and I do my best for being in that kind of people.



4. This question will be pertaining to your musical composition. How do you begin a song? Are lyrics first or do they follow after the composition is complete? Also what do your lyrical themes consist of?




I find a title... If it's a catchy title, I try to put it in music, writing and composing the chorus, so that the music has to catch the feeling of the title. Then I compose the other parts of the songs. Lead and intro parts are the last things I compose. Then I begin to write the rest of the lyrics. Lyrics are about Sadness, Hate, Misanthropy, humility towards the natural (cosmic) order, will to reach knowledge and wisdom, and strong individualism. Mythological references are here sometimes, but not always, and when there are here, it is a concepts, not as certain truths.




5. Searing Skull has hints of possible MLO inspirations, dealing with chaos and cosmic order. Is this something that was decided prior to the bands conception? What, if any, personal beliefs do you include within your art's ideology?






Absolutely not. I'm not a MLO guy, and the stuff about Equilibrium has always been here in my mind, and I often spoke about it in interviews made in 2002, when "pagan realms" was out. I think MLO and anti cosmic stuff are, actually, pure bullshit.I'm not against such bands as Watain or Dissection (rip), which are great, but I'm not taking this seriously, I just appreciate it as a trip. Hey, if you were sent by creatures who want to eat the world... why the hell would you shred your guitar instead of making nuclear terrorist attempts you see ?But I think I have to explain why anti cosmic stuff is a real mistake, and that people that are REALLY involved in it can only have a lack of culture and, above all, a great lack of ... brains :

generally they speak of different mythologies, but they generally refer mainly to Germanic/Nordic mythologies, ok , that's nice to see common points between things.Being black metal and claiming you belong to a religion, may it be an anti cosmic belief, is nonsense. Black Metal is individualism and misanthropy, a Religion's aims is to make people gather, etymologically. But, a lot of these people claim to be Dark pagans. First bullshit : paganism is neither good or bad. Wotan isn't especially kind (he does tricks too, not as many as Loki, but Loki helped the Aesirs too, so don't mention Ragnarök as the final fight between goodness and evil, it is the final fight between two camps, that's all. Loki's side went really angry against the other gods, that's all) they claim, as dark pagans, that they worship Thurses, and that they have to be their slaves, in order to fulfill their dreams of cosmic destruction. That's a huge mistake.Thurses are frost giants. They are forces of retractions, restriction, slowness, and immobility. They have a lot of destructive powers, but are totally ... unconscious. Why will you submit to a thing that doesn't know that you're submitting to it ? These people that claim to be dark-anti cosmic-thurse-worshiping-pagans (it gets longer I know, but human stupidity is endless) ignore that gods are not the other side of thurses. The other side of thurses, which "compensate" them, are the sons of muspell, fire giants, led by Surt. Muspellheim is the realm of eternal movement, expension. Destructive and unconscious are these fire giants too. There is a perfect compensation. It is what leads to Equilibrium. All those giants are actually natural phenomenons. In ancient Norway, falls, mountains, floods, were told to be thurses, or thurses acts.

Why ? Because those are destructive and dangerous. But not only. We , as conscious being, see this as destructive things, but we often forget that after a flood or a volcanic eruption, the lands will be fertilized. It is just an example, of course, but you see what it is all about. It is just a matter of compensation. And if we brake the natural balance, things, harmful things, may happen to bring back the Order. So, Thurses, Mannetanaz (man eaters) and others, are NOT evil. They are just dangerous, and necessary. Evilness in paganism as no side. Furthermore, if you want a stuff that involves Thurses in ancient Scandinavia, learn about Nidhstangs and seidhr, kind of magics for maledictions and other purposes. It is interesting to notice that in those cases, thurses weren't considered as superior beings (they are NOT !), but as tools. You make a sacrifice, you tell the Thurse to do such harm to such people, and that's the stuff, as you have to put a bullet in a gun in order to kill someone.

SO, looking to all those morons that give that importance to thurisaz if really funny. I'll never prostrate in front of a gun and telling him that I'll kill by myself a lot of people. If I have to, I'll take the gun and shoot, it's that easy. And, to finish, these dark pagans [ this is too long] anti cosmic people claim they are, so, anticosmic... and that they want to return to the Primeval Chaos, Ginungagap. Ok ok ... bullshit once again. Being anticosmic : hey, they proclaim to be dark, and want to inverse and/or destroy the cosmos ? WTF, look at the night sky, isn't there enough darkness out there ? All the opposites are in the cosmos. It is simply foolish, and useless, to have the will to invert it. Remember this physical law : Nothing is created, and nothing is destroyed. Everything transforms. That is the real stuff about the cosmic equilibrium, nothing is more true. Returning to ginungagap... : they claim that is the primeval void. Actually, if you read the myths, it wasn't a void at all. There already were nilfheim and muspellheim, which gathered and created the first being, a Giant called Ymir. Of course, all of this are mythological texts, and it seems kinda funny to explain such things seriously because anticosmicism (?) can't be taken seriously. And, to finish, Ginungagap means "the void full of consciousness". Forces of consciousness are humans and gods, and the other parts of the world, and giants (Thurses included), are forces of unconsciousness.

SO, to claim you worship the Thurses and want to return to a world where the forces they fight (consciousness forces), in your opinion, are over-represented, it is being very contradictious. That is why Searing Skull will NEVER be affiliated with anticosmic people. It is just in an artistic purpose that I can appreciate such things, and it depends, not a lot of bands of this ideology are respectable. So if you think that worshiping the thurses and being submitted to them will help you in your life, please, don't listen/play to black metal, shoot yourself. That's it for the MLO/anticosmic stuff. About Chaos : I worked a lot, in my extra-musical activities, about systems. A system is a thing in which its components are in interconnection. All systems have an equilibrium. There are three kinds of systems

Complicated systems (like a car, if you remove a piece, and replace it, the system will still work) Complex systems (like a human society, or a human being, an animal ... the totality of the system is more than the sum of its components.) Chaotic systems (where a little change of one parameter of the system will create a great disorder, until, in this state of disorder, it will find a new equilibrium.) So when you look at a chaotic system, it looks like a mess, but it, in reality, isn't. It's organization is so complicated that you can not understand it. So , Chaos is order (organization) coming out from disorder. Claiming that Chaos is disorder, or a mess, is then, a mistake. This is what I find interesting in Chaos, this capacity to be looked at under many angles. The cosmos is deeply chaotic.




6. You seem to have several releases available.Where do you happen to record and what does your recording process consist of? Any releases up coming that you would like to speak about?


                                                                          
I released 3 cd-r's and 5 tapes, participated at about fifteen compilations and about ten radio broadcasting's. I don't think it is that much actually, unfortunately for me. I record at home, in my home studio, my sound gets better and better. I record everything track by track, with a metronome. I won't tell you all the manipulations I do, because it will be too long hehe.

This year a split CD with Swellpain will be released, the title of the Searing Skull part will be The Anti cosmic Aberration. As I have to reach knowledge and wisdom, it is my aim to poison the mind of naive believers who think they can change things by praying/honoring entities. Crush Them. I don't want to be followed, I want to have my own way. The songs will be more thrashy, with intricate leads parts, and some synth programming, but it will not sound as a cold electronic music at all, it will be 100% metal.




7. I would like to get into live shows. Has Searing Skull ever played live? If so, when, where and who were the session members? Was there a positive turn out as far as attendance is concerned?




I did a couple of live shows, in a thrash metal band especially (but not only), as a bassist, but never with Searing Skull. I'm looking forward to find a drummer, as soon as my extra musical activities will let me the time to, and then, we will gig, and in the honor of the Equilibrium, we will sear the skull of the Audience. I'm the session singer of Swellpain, they gigged a lot, and I'll gig with them in April 2008, as a beginning.




8. Searing Skull is based out of France. How do you view the path Black Metal happens to be taking in Europe as opposed to the U.S. and other parts of the world? In addition, what is your personal opinion of the path you follow within Black Metal?

Hmm, I'm not a lot into actual Black Metal. I'm open minded but when it comes to black metal, I want real black metal : Bathory, Venom, Darkthrone, Immortal, Marduk, Tsjuder, Seth (france, but only the old albums)...

I do think that pagan BM isn't BM, it has just a part of its sound. And there a lot of bands that put BM in their kind of music... they are not bad, but that's not BM to my mind... So To me, BM is like blues you see, you have a kind of music that isn't made to be very evolutive. That's why I think Searing Skull is not pure BM. It is Searing Skull, that's the point. So I think that in Europe, a lot of new ideas are coming out of BM, especially from the eastern countries. Musically, that's a good thing. Some (not all of them) frenchies hate the fact that BM can be made in the U.S. You see, for some people, BM was a European answer to American DM. I don't want to enter in such pathetic debates. I listened to really bad things coming from the US, as well as I have listened to a lot of good things too. I don't think the country matters, it is the madness you have in your head that matters.



9. What outlets have you found to be the most helpful in promoting Searing Skull towards the individuals desired by your art? Do you see any changes in the near future pertaining to promotion?





Fanzines, flyers, webzines, guestbooks, and above all myspace ( I didn't think I'd write that one day) are really good for promoting my music. I have a wide scope of promotion, only because I want to promote to old school people too, which are not really opened to internet stuff. A lot of people listen to Searing Skull because they heard things (good and bad) about searing skull and me, and they checked it out by themselves, which is good.






10. You are independent as of now. Do you foresee any promising labels? Do you happen to be in contact with any at this moment? If applicable, which ones?





Hmm, I can't tell. I speak with a lot of labels anyway. All my releases has been produced by labels, I think I'll keep on that way. As my sound gets better, it will be easier to find labels I guess. I'm in contact with DUKE, Infernal Kommando, Sound of Charge ... To speak about underground and very good labels. But I'm in contact with a lot more people.






11. What are your views on how you approach Black Metal as opposed to most other bands and projects? Do you see your art as perhaps more reflective of the old order?








As I said, I'm not able to tell if Searing Skull is real BM... It has its own sound, so that I'm maybe more open minded or original, maybe not. It is funny that people often tell me that it sounds really old school. Maybe because I use to have some heavy/thrashy rhythms. I can really tell, really. Ask someone who listens a lot to Searing Skull, if it does exist hehe.



12. Before we wrap up the interview, is there anything you would like to end with?

                                                                               

Always stay strong in adversity, and many thanks for this very interesting intie (especially about the MLO and stuff).

LL


FOR BAND CONTACT VISIT
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Searing_Skull/14287
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Searing-Skull/150485681693627
Searingskull@hotmail.fr

                                                                          

INTERVIEW WITH VALDUR

INTERVIEW WITH VALDUR
DONE BY TIM (USBMS)





T-I'd like to start this by thanking Valdur for taking the time to do this interview. What would you say is the driving force behind creating the music of Valdur?





Blasphemy- tired of shitty music. people are afraid of being original, we want extreme, fast, brutal metal.


L.Sxuperion- ....yeah, going against the grain in all walks of our lives.....even in metal. Just working to achieve what most others are afraid to reach for, in music and in general. Not sitting around and hoping for something, but living it and making it happen with hard work and dedication. Death to all lazy, wanna-be, gluttonous parasites....





T-What does Valdur hope to accomplish with its music in todays black metal scene?




William- to crush cookie-cutter angry pandas. hail true unholy black metal.


Blasphemy- to destroy the scene! that's what it is, a fucking scene....

Thor- We choose to be the most pissed off warrior black metal the world will ever see. we will have a horde of berserker's prepared and ready for war when the time comes.


L.Sxuperion- Mercyful Fate rules!


                                                                     

T-What material has the band released thus far, what are you doing now, and what is in store for the future?





L.Sxuperion- two separate demos and a full length. As far as the future goes, we have several different pieces of materials that are soon to be released on larger labels that are split CD's, and then we will continue forward with the next full length release. In the meantime, we are definitely trying to get our full length more properly distributed. It would be nice to have that thing available in many different parts of the world.





T-How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before





William- the most brutal sounds on this pitiful planet.


Blasphemy- extreme, brutal, and fast!



T-What has it been like for the band to sign to BloodyMountain Records, and do you continue to have success under this label?





Valdur- Bloodymountainrecords is a very small and independent group of individuals with whom we decided to do business with. As a band, it was a good way to make sure that we have all the power and rights to our music without giving up a single thing. We make sure that we maintain %100 control of everything we do, and Bloodymountain allows this to happen. This also means that we must work extra hard at exposing our art to those who wish to listen, insofar as the label does not have proper distribution, promotion, etc. As for now, everything is being executed as expected.







T-What would you say was the worst?best show played?




Valdur- We went on tour with lightning swords of death. It got fucking nuts... enough said. As for shitty shows.....they are long forgotten. Other killer shows include playing with Elk, Nachtmystium, etc.....fucking drunken insanity.





T-Does the band have any tours or big shows lined up?





Valdur- We are busy working on the next materials to be released. More tours/shows are being planned for after the winter.







T-What is the BM scene like in your area, and do you get support from within it?





L.Sxuperion- We live at 8000+ ft. in elevation in the eastern sierra mountain range where survival is more important than some stupid scene. We remove ourselves from any idea of a scene in order to be closer to the reality called life. I would rather a journey through the mountains than going out to the clubs and bars and attempting to be something I'm not; although I'm also not some hermit....partying and meeting people/girls has its perks....heh. But yes, we get plenty of support up here, ....as well as lack of support from conservative, greedy church going, law abiding, impotent fuck heads. I think this goes for all of us in the band.


                                                                          

T-What equipment does the band use and where do you record?



William- ESP basses. carvan amps

Blasphemy- Crate amps, Schecter guitars

Thor- ESP guitars, mesa boogie amps and cabinets. as far as mic's go , whatever spit infested mic a venue has to offer.

L.Sxuperion- Pearl drums (double kick only dammit), Sabian cymbals, Iron Cobra pedals, plus other good shit. We have recorded in many different places.




T-Before we finish up the interview is there anything else you would like to say about Valdur?





Valdur- Be prepared, there is only everything to focus on for the future. The past has already come and gone, and we will not waste our time with living in a moment that has already been. We can only move forwards. We have no patience for those who wish to be left behind.


 
T-Thanks for the interview and wish you the best success.


Valdur- ok fucking cheers and hail satan.

For band contact visit
 http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Valdur/91155
 https://www.facebook.com/pages/valdur/54163319709

                                                                   
 

KAISERREICH INTERVIEW

KAISERREICH INTERVIEW
DONE BY USBMS




1) Lets start by having the members who create the music of Kaiserreich introduced.



Well, KAISERREICH is a four-member path, which includes Abraxas on guitars, Necrobosco on Bass, Krieg on drums and myself, Serpent Est as the vocalist. There is too much to say about us all, the time is short so it's better to keep my mouth shut.



2) Next, what drives the band to create BM? And how has your sound evolved?



We're not a twenty-year band so we're not evolved yet, I guess. We're doing nothing new and there are lots of bands that play better then us. But we have the attitude and the feeling in order to produce some good-old BM. We are linked to the past, in some ways. We have different reasons to create BM. Some of us are involved in sects and are interested by occultism. Some others are interested by human decay and negative feelings. I'm personally driven by the active force that lies in BM. I'm referring to the powerful black blood that flows in our veins, the blood of the Will. I'm not a Satanist, nor a spiritual person. I'm a humanist and I guess that Mankind has the rights and the duty to enslave the world under his feet, perverting the nature and destroying it for his own purposes. Mother Nature creates awesome masterpiece, but it's nothing compared to Men's Pollution. War and decay are not mistakes, just Mankind's emanations. We should clearly accept it as soon as possible. That's my personal opinion, which is NOT supported by the rest of the band.





3) What is the philosophy of the band and the message behind the lyrics of KaiserReich?



Mainly, the lyrics are composed buy myself to be honest. I'm not that interested in lyrical messages.
I mean, most of BM lyrics are simple and stereotyped hymns to evilness or unholy things. One could say, "Yeah, that's it! That's what BM is." and it's usually true. I guess there is no point in repetition. I prefer to let the music speaks by itself. Music and atmospheres are the right point of view on BM. I personally prefer to give a trace to the listeners, like the track titles. When you approach a BM song from Kaiserreich, you have the title, the music, and some lines on the booklet: now you can imagine almost anything, it's all about you and the music. The emotions and thoughts you've got in this way, are the right ones. You don't have to care about what I'm trying' to tell you, 'cause I'm singing just for myself and you should listen to BM just for yourself. There is no links between artists and listeners in BM 'cause BM is a personal thing. That's my point. Krieg, who wrote some lyrics on KRRH, is interested in human desperation and he blames men for their weaknesses and useless role in this world. His is also inspired by negative thought on death. Speaking of other bands, I guess there are very few bands with something interesting to say. Nargaroth's lyrics on BM are good, it's not intrinsically interesting, but it's self-referential which is unusual in music. Spite Extreme Wing's and Janus' words are really cool, but it's in Italian so you can't enjoy their goodness.




4) On the CD case booklet it reads, "North Italian Black Metal", Explain the difference in sound or style of BM from different parts of Italy?





Good question.
That sentence was strongly wanted by the former lead guitarist, Elfire, who's a very proud one. In Italy (as in USA, as far as I know…) there's some rivalry between North and South. There are no significant differences in Southern and Northern Italian BM 'cause both have roots in the Norwegian BM style.
Some southern bands are trying to mix their traditional instruments with BM and some northern bands are talking about Italian northern myths.





5) Who created the Kaiserreich band logo and name?



I created the name. Actually, I never thought it was a new word. Kaiserreich is the result of Kaiser+Reich, which mean respectively Emperor and Reign. It sounds really harsh and strong and the meaning is also a powerful one. Some members have had doubts on it because it sounds really NSBM (and we're not an NSBM band) but in the end I think everyone loves the name. At last, I discovered that the "kaiserreich" is the definition of the period when Germany was headed by kings. A German girl designed the logo, by the name of Mèli Hoppe, with the supervision of Kaiserreich. The KRRH brand was invented by Elfire.



6) How did you come up with the name for your band, does it have significant meaning any one?


                                                                           
Well, as I told you, at first we were just interested in a strong name that sounds like thunder. Once we found the name, we noticed that it fit perfectly to a BM concept. The idea of a Kingdom is magnificent and the Emperor is an awe-inspiring figure. The BM concept usually leads to Satan, but most of the time it is intended as a symbol of freedom, courage and pride. In the word: a leader. We choose the Emperor instead of Satan because the second one is too ambiguous. The Emperor is just a man, but a worthy one. In our vision, the Emperor is just the path we should follow to realize ourselves. No matter were your path lies or where it leads, it's up to you. The Emperor is just a reflection of his followers, so, in the end, He is you. I guess it sounds Buddhist…




7) how do you feel about the sudden explosion of support from the Black Metal community? And what is the BM scene like in Italy?



BM is spreading its wings in these last years. In the '90s 'twas only just a trend, driven by great bands and many clones. There are still clones nowadays, but most of them have no interest in big bands because they're just playing BM for themselves. That's the only way to achieve BM. We've got another difference, most of the first BM bands are nothing but clones of themselves. Some "betrayed" the path. Others lost their interest for BM. We are glad for listeners' interest in our music. We've sold a lot of CDs and merchandise during our gigs, so I guess someone likes us. Our music is good, but I think it's more a fact of attitude on stage. Italian BM scene is good enough. We have a new wave of italic bands that claim themselves as renewers of an ancient or/and glorious past: roman heritage, Latin nobleness and fascism.

8) Is there support from clubs and venues to allow Black Metal shows in Italy?


In Italy we have plenty of BM bands and it's not very difficult to perform a show. Sure, you won't earn money nor fame, but if you spend some time into, you'll get some gigs in a while.
Some years ago some guys where involved in criminal acts, self-named "The Beasts of Satan". They were not involved in BM but it was a problem for BM shows in that period. But Italians have a very short memory so now there are no problems at all.




9. What were your intentions when you formed Kaisereich? And have you achieved the goals that were set from the beginning?





Well, there were no goals in the beginning. We're not high-skilled musicians so we couldn't expect anything from BM, except producing a lot of noise. It was pretty nice to discover that we're better than we've expected. Now we're still humble, in some ways, but we're conscious that something could happen, if we really work for it. BM is a way to realize ourselves, and this is the highest goal a man could reach in his life.





10) How many live performances has the band done? And are their tour plans in the future?





We've got just a dozen of relevant gigs, alongside Italian cult bands as Death Dies, Malfeitor and Forgotten Tomb. In January we'll strike Athens and now we're planning a mini tour in East Europe. We're also trying to organize a US summer tour but it's not that simple. We have the will to do it, but first and foremost we have to collect a lot of gigs first just to pay for the expensive travel. If readers could help us…please, do it.






11. Your sound is influenced by Gorgoroth, how do you feel about their recent split up? And what are your hopes for the band (If any)?





Yeah, there are many guys who recognize in Kaiserreich the Gorgoroth's roots. Our live performances are similar to Gorgoroth's appearance, with spikes, corpse painting and raw attitude, and I'm also inspired by Hat/Pest's voice (and Hoest's, from Taake). To tell the truth, we all like the first releases of the band and I think that "Under The Sign of Hell" is one of the best ever, but the last works are not so interesting. I've heard a lot about the Inferno/Ghaal dispute. Inferno is the founder of Gorgoroth but if he's not interested anymore, I guess Ghaal should keep the name of the band. He's the strongest character on the BM scene, right now.





12. Today the Black Metal scene is growing and developing, what are your views on it?



BM scene is pretty large nowadays. Too large, some could say … there are pointless bands everywhere but there are also alot of worthy bands too. Especially, the BM underground scene is rich and prodigal. For example, one of my favourite bands ever is a south Italian one. They're named Nazgul and their "De Expugnatione Elfmuth" is a great opus. The definition of "Orkish Black Metal" is very suitable to their music. There are a lot of bands with interesting concept and through Myspace you can reach it in few clicks. It is very different from the old tape trading days but it's part of human progress so there's no point in refusing what Man creates for Himself. One more thing, BM is a very restricted concern so it's really difficult to produce "bad BM". If you listen to an album several times, you will probably like it in one way or another.


                                                                      

13) Kaiserreich is signed to Funeral Moonlight Productions (a Chinese label), How did this deal come about and how are thing working out so far?



At first we were in contact with a French guy. He was really excited to realize our album but he suddenly disappeared in the Spring 2007. I'm not sure of it, but I guess he's dead. As time passed by, we've decided to self-produce the whole thing. Soon the Chinese guy came up interested in our music. Our deal is a very strange thing 'cause Kaiserreich is always acting different! We're directly involved in the so-called "European version" of KRRH. The "Asian version" is up to FMP and it'll be released in December/January with three bonus live tracks (one of those is a proto-version of a new song, from our next album). So, FMP's promotion has not started yet, but the guy's very skilled and we trust in his label. Plus, Asia is a great and an uncovered country and I really like Asian culture, so it's great to be part of it.

14. Kaisereich has been around since 2004, in these three years what other official releases has the band done?



Not that much. We've released a demo but we never kept a copy 'cause it was really… raw. There is a promo too, with two songs from the full length.


15) What can we expect from Kaiserreich this coming year?


A lot of things as I told you, we're trying to do gigs outside Italy. We shall boost up our live show performances with lots of choreography. Now we're working on new songs and we're thinking about a very big thing. Maybe it's TOO big! I can't say anything 'cause it's very ambitious and it's something never been realized before, but it will involve a lot of Arts under the BM mark.



16) Are there any final things you would like to add about the band before we conclude this interview?


Something like a final note, as a "pray Satan!" or "you should kill yourselves while you're listening to our music"? Yes, I have one: "Man created god in His own image". (Be careful, this is not the good-old anti-Christian stuff, it's something greater and wiser…).
Thanks for your attention.


Thanks for your time and the opportunity to get to know more about Kaiserreich.

For Band Info contact
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Kaiserreich/109361
https://www.facebook.com/kaiserreich.it