Soleil Tryste no.3

Editorial | 3

4 | Cruciamentum

Shalom B.C.! On your demo everything flows hand in hand, automatic, by his own, but now it feels more like deliberate. So, what has happened to you since then? Where is the darkness on »Engulved in Desolation«, which the beast once exhaled? Where are the growling chants of D.C. and the fulminate riffs that made shivers run down my spine, the synths which were carried by ghost hands are only shadows of their own past now. Where is the brute duality of fury and gloomy Doom that made way for monotonous velocity with only smaller outbreaks. What has changed since »Convocation of crawling Chaos«?

Hm, there definitely has been changes, and we appreciate the honest critique much more than the usual internet fawning. The recording process was more professional this time, and there is more intricacy in the songs and layers of guitar etc. – perhaps through playing together more as a band.

I think the songs are great, but

perhaps you're right, in that »Convocation of crawling Chaos« flows more naturally whereas »Engulfed in Desolation« is more a collection of songs. Personally I can see value in both the spiritual outpouring of the demo, and the deliberately calculated more violent attacks of the MLP. Different situations in personal lives bring different atmospheres to the music. A variety of shadows flicker across the wall of the cave, reflections of something greater, but those in chains only see the shadows ...

So, Cruciamentum is this greater thing?

I suppose in part it is, in a holistic or panentheistic way – and of course I mean this not in relation to divinity, but rather in relation to underlying essences, that all things are just varying degrees of cosmic vibration – but it would be more accurate to say that Cruciamentum's music is the reflection, which can be interpreted or understood by those who have eyes to see what the others see not.

Music is a rather insignificant detail within the universe in some ways, but it can also be an incredible tool for unlocking certain mysteries, whether those be external or internal. The person that cannot appreciate music or art is indeed an empty vessel.

Yes, I am able to get your point with the comparison of »flows more naturally« and »a collection of songs«.

In my opinion, »Convocation of crawling Chaos« is made for home, perfect for sitting alone with headphones in the darkness. The whole atmosphere is more obscure and creepy than on »Engulfed in Desolation« which seems to be written for live-situations. The material is coming straight to the point – without detour – and the four songs hold the energy-level high from the beginning until the end.

So, in how far has your way to write songs changed til now? Altogether, how emerges the idea for a song into something real by Cruciamentum?

On »Convocation of Crawling Chaos« the material was in the main created by D.L., with modifications ironed out in rehearsal by the other two of us.

This time the songs were created more as a group, with songs beginning as one or two riffs and progressing with input from each member, whether that be a riff, a melody, or an idea for arrangement. Perhaps the way in which it was created naturally led to it being more direct – often ritualistic, flowing music is the product of an individualist mind, working alone, and more violent, energised attacks are the products of a united force with a number of limbs ...

Let us talk about the reasons to change your writing-style: Was it simply the easier way for you to create songs, a decision D.L. made on his own or did the other members wanted to have more influence?

A natural evolution really – without a stable lineup D.L. created most of the »Convocation of crawling Cruciamentum | 5

Chaos« material at home in isolation. With the introduction of other members, it was natural that new ideas would be injected, and that the fury of an intense rehearsal would be the smelting ground for creation. Perhaps the clashing of different opinions within the room whilst the music was being honed added to the violent atmospheres of the material. Personally the fire of a powerful rehearsal is easily equal to, or surpasses the experience of playing a live show.

I guess, you guys will stick to this writing style for the future, right?

Impossible to say what will happen.

There are some limits imposed by geographical location and other commitments. We've been working on new material, but there is no rush or urgency – it will be be a natural birth. It of course depends on the ideas / themes that we're attempting to elucidate, and how riffs themselves flow from our hands. I can't see a Kiss style release of four solo albums though, haha!

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The band had two different lineups until now. One did the preparatory work for the »Convocation of crawling Chaos« demo, whilst the other was responsible for the last two records. Why was the entire line-up kicked out right after at the beginning?

Simply not dedicated enough to the underground spirit or the music in

When I say spirituality, what I mean isn't necessarily what one might imagine, in terms of a belief in something ‘beyond’, or occult, but more a deeper connection with existence than that possessed by the vapid bottom-feeders that populate the vast majority of the planet, and one which can manifest itself in a number of ways.

general. And without the deeper understanding of death and spirituality that is required – at least by us – to be in a Death Metal band.

Nothing too interesting here I'm afraid.

Would you even go so far to say that this appreciation of spirituality also affects the song-writing in some ways?

That desire for deeper understanding and insight naturally has to have an effect on the songwriting.

If you're trying to express something powerful then your ideas have to be more focused. When you're trying to express more than a ‘cool sound’, then you are driven and your blade is sharpened.

Oh, this is very interesting indeed.

While your booklets only credit D.L. and you being responsible for the lyrics: In how far is it important that all band members have a deeper understanding of spirituality?

Maybe »Engulfed in Desolation« isn't that bad at all like I wrote in the beginning but to be honest, I was disappointed. On »Convocation of crawling Chaos« you had something very special and unique within your sound – something I could not reduce to band-names.

Now, I can hear your influences like Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel and Incantation very clear ...

I don't hear much Morbid Angel personally, nor any slavish ‘tributes’ like a lot of today's backward looking Death Metal retards. There's so many influences wrapped in »Engulfed in Desolation« that a closer listen can reveal. And people said the same in terms of the demo tape, with influences from Incantation, dISEMBOWELMENT etc.

The same unique essence remains, just prismatically reflected in some way.

Cruciamentum was formed to play Death Metal the way you understand this kind of music. Let us go into details here: What does Death Metal mean to you?

Each member of the band would give you a different answer I suppose, but for me it's cryptic and abyssic music, that is rooted in a dark spirituality.

The manifestation of an awareness of death, which can be represented in a number of ways, whether those be occult-rooted death worship or the rising of the Luciferian spirit, unbounded through the realisation of the finality of flesh.

Dirt, savage, filth and aversion – Death Metal represents it all. On the other hand, we all live in a clean and modern world. In your opinion, where does the longing for these primitive forces come from?

I think that too much comfort can send people searching for a more atavistic state; the clean and modern world is a facade to distract away from the underbelly which will always remain. The renaissance of an interest in darker values is a direct correlate of the easiness of our life, as if humans have an urge to understand death through coming close to it – without the hardships and sufferings which were present in previous

times humans have lost their understanding of death, and therefore lost their understanding of life. Horror films, Heavy Metal, etc. are attempts to reconnect with that, whether consciously or unconsciously. Of course, there are an infinity of degrees of sophistication within that.

One might argue as well that the clean modern world has become more effective at transmitting violence and spreading suffering through more insidious and less overt methods of course. Aren't the dark, fractured cityscapes populated by junkies more savage than the quiet pastoral countrysides?

The answer is very easy: The more people are living at one place, the more moral and ethical standards fade away – at least it seems like that. Of course, nevertheless both has advantages and disadvantages that shouldn´t be forget. There are reasons why the suicide-rate is much higher in cities then in villages. Humans live like gregarious animals, but when they become too many, they act like lemmings ...

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I agree with you, simply because in a small community the pressure exerted by the mass on one individual that steps out of line is often enough to keep them in line, whereas the faceless anti-community of the city can't do that. In the same way, cities can be more tolerant of more extremist sub-cultures, which have some strange need to show themselves in a visible way.

Whether the suppression of expression which a small community exerts in order to keep the community a certain way is a good thing or not depends on: a) the way the community is and b) the intentions of the person(s) at the head of that community.

Certainly I think that the possibilities of freedom of expression generated by the counter-cultural revolution of the 60s and 70s were overall much more damaging than liberating. The majority of people are suited to a lemming like existence.

So and where do you see yourself or where are you, in the city or in the village?

8 | Cruciamentum

In the city, metaphorically speaking of course. I think those in the village are those who prefer to be cossetted safely by flatterers and idolators, whereas those in the city are those who are more prepared to take chances, reveal something both of themselves and of the universe and produce something of value.

Perhaps the best option, as always is to live on the edge of the city, within reach of the country, both in physical and metaphorical terms.

In my opinion it is exactly the other way around. While the townspeople are more captured by trends, social rules and the opinions of social surroundings – e.g. cliques – the other group is able to act more freely because they have fewer boundaries and can focus more on themselves. In a very small community you will find out better who you are. Plus an overdose of possibilities blunt up: When you can do everything, it becomes normal at the end ­– nothing special anymore.

It seems, that everything is just a matter of one's point of view and there hardly is a strict rule, right?

Yes, to some degree, although a small insular community can definitely be stifling to what it does not agree with. Watch Lars Von Trier's »Breaking the Waves« for a beautiful exposition of that. It's exactly as you say (though I don't think you meant it) – in a small community, men can find out better who you are, and that's how witchhunts arise – it takes a strong person to stand up to that.

I can see what you mean by the second part though – a paralysis of choice is definitely something that exists – faced with absolute freedom humans often are almost unable to choose wisely, as if the options facing them are too much for their brains to process in a rational way. I wouldn't say that things lose their power through normality and exposure, but I do think that people have a desire in the internet age to be jacks of all trades and masters of none, needing to appear instant experts on everything without

taking the time to reflect on and process things, and really explore a unique path.

For interest one question – it crosses my mind, even by the »Convocation of crawling Chaos« 10"-LP in details. Why are so many (Death) Metal covers symmetric, despite this effect shows beauty and harmony – paradox, hm?

Ha, great question! I suppose that the ugliness of Death Metal should be more reflected by obscurity and visual disharmony! There is something about symmetry that pleases the human eye and brain; straight away I thought of »Like an Everflowing Stream«. I don't think that I have a good answer to this question, but merely would argue that, for me, a lot of Death Metal doesn't actually reflect that much ugliness or horror musically; the aforemen-

tioned Dismember album is thoroughly enjoyable, but it doesn't reflect horror or evil in the same way that the vile asymmetry of »Mental Funeral« does. »Convocation of crawling Chaos« is a very flowing recording, as we've discussed earlier, and I think that BNB's artwork captures the lurking evil essence, but presents it in a way which demonstrates that harmony, merely in terms of the natural flow of the music.

Harmony is an interesting term to use, because I don't think that it has to mean harmony in a positive sense, but rather a holistic harmony between the elements expressed through those songs, themes and artwork. Anyway, very interesting question that I have to reflect further on!

Is it possible to show weakness in Death Metal?

Of course, the Nietzschean drive to overcome weakness is a cornerstone of life, but it is music created by human beings, who are flawed through their physical limitation.

I'd far rather an introspective and honest personal evaluation, roared with passion, than a cliched lyric about Satanic ritual, sung by an Untermensch.

Sorry for this small change of subject, but »roared with passion« reminds me of one small part in the song »Deathless Ascension« from »Convocation of crawling Chaos« that affects me a lot. When D.L. screams out »Darkness prevails« it sounds so honest and »human«.

This small part is tremendous and places this records above the others where only clichés and testosterone reign ...

I'm partial to records where testosterone reigns, hahaha! But I totally agree with you; what makes a lot of recordings special are those moments where the artist steps outside of themselves and expresses something deep or unexpected.

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Depending on the artist, it's either expressing a bit of humanity, or something inhuman – both can be the kind of moments where a shiver runs down your spine. Expressions of vulnerability, or of atavistic rage, or of transcendence; I feel exactly the same about that part every time I hear it, or play it live.

In an interview with Can-I-ChangeThis-For-Another-One-Blog you said that »death is what gives life meaning«. So, would you say that we just live to die, as simple as it may sound? What will happen after our last breath is done – do you have your own theory about that?

Yes, the body shuts down, and the mind with it. An infinite life would be infinitely boring – boundaries are what provide meaning. We are in that sense forced to be free. That is my personal metaphysic, and why death interests me.

All in all, death means freedom because it ends all?

Yes, death means freedom because it represents an end.

10 | Cruciamentum

No purgatory, no heaven, no demons, no angels, no higher deity?

Any continuing existence in any form has to be seen as some kind of bondage. But what I really meant, was that awareness of death is that which can make you feel alive and give you reason to act – it's definitely possible to identify will with that awareness. Death is both the sword with which we smite and the impulse which impels us.

in that department. Personally I don't feel any expectation – I'm flattered when people say that they get something from the music, but if no-one reacted to it at all I'd still have the motivation to rehearse and record music for my own personal satisfaction. I'm not sure why the opinions of others should be considered as important, especially as I have violent disagreements over various intellectual, aesthetic,

Your demo was re-released on tape-format three times – and also on MCD and 10"-LP. You were invited twice to North America, although you had only one release out by yourself at this time. This must be an enormous push for the ego – or do you feel an extreme weight of expectation on you about upcoming releases?

Hahaha! Yeah, it's great for the ego, although most of us aren't lacking

etc. things with even my closest friends. I suppose a great many people are looking for validation ... you won't find that here.

You were on your first tour ever with Sonne Adam during last year.

Which experiences did you bring home after these five gigs? Will you do this again or did you realized that the intensity of each gig dwindled while you were on road?

Or was it the opposite and every gig became more intense?

I can't comment on this personally, but from speaking to the others I don't think things can be interpreted as linearly as that – there are a number of factors which can control the intensity of the concert, from the conditions, the sound, etc.

I can say that the other members of the band are extremely motivated live performers, as I am on the occasions when I can play concerts and that, in particular for them, the opportunity to travel, meet people and perform our music violently and aggressively are more than welcomed.

There has been a small tour of a section of the US since, and another jaunt across the ocean planned in the summer, so since we've been inspired to continue with more concerts, the experiences must have been more than positive.

Why couldn't you answer this question for yourself? Didn't you joined the tour?

No, for a variety of reasons I don't play during a number of the concerts

the band does abroad. I'm not going to go into details why, but the touring lifestyle certainly doesn't appeal to me.

craft’s writing, in their distillation of the kernel of interest contained within his stories, vested with a more primal power.

Lovecraft-ian horror stories had a big impact on the band, as I can see while reading the lyrics for »Convocation of crawling Chaos« Particular this song is a classic horrorstory. What makes this kind of lyrics so interesting for you?

Personally I'm not into Lovecraft at all, but D.L. is highly motivated by him – his labyrinthine writing style and the horror he invokes are powerful imagery to wrap more personal experiences in.

I find myself thoroughly bored when I read his excessively laborynthine turgid passages, but my interests in horror literature are pretty slim. Lovecraft had some great ideas, but their containment within his writing style is akin to clothing a beautiful woman in sackcloth with a bucket on her head. What I can say, is that D.L.'s Lovecraft inspired lyrics are far more interesting to me that Love-

How helpful are these little stories for spreading the message of Cruciamentum?

It's difficult to say if there is an active message of Cruciamentum to be spread. I don't think there is, beyond one of strength and spirituality; we're certainly not proselytisers, although that's not to see that we aren't firmly behind our convictions, rather that our convictions are personal whereas our expression is universal.

I ask myself if lyrics are still that important nowadays. In your texts I see a couple of single elements, but I don't get the whole thing. At least I think so. The main reason is of course my lack of knowledge. I am not the keeper of wisdom, I do not know everything – man can say that I am still studying. So which topics do you treat with your lyrics?

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For me, lyrics are really important, although not a deal-breaker. Our lyrics are about our reflections on the world that surrounds us, our perceptions and our feelings. They touch on a vast variety of topics, through various metaphors – it's important to speak of what is important to you, but clothe it appropriately in the situation – a Death Metal lyric cannot be written like Heidegger's »Being and Time«, even if it wishes to speak of some of the same ideas.

No question about that at all. Yes, lyrics are important but in many different bands it simply looks like they use them to create a certain image about their life and music. They use lyrics as masks, trying to look glorious and hiding the shameful truth. Using well-known phrases to be something they aren't – maybe also to please the fans ...

I don't need to add much to what you've said, but in an image-driven genre where there are huge perceived aesthetic constrictions this is bound to happen. The percentage of bands that are honest and have something of their own to add to the genre memes that they utilise is infinitesimally small. You only have to look at the vast majority of bands who are ‘inspired’ 12 | Cruciamentum

by Lovecraft (to echo your earlier question), and can only mimic or steal from his writings rather than being able to build on or examine his original ideas. And the blame does lie equally on the listeners who are prepared to accept such tripe, because it's easy on the ear.

These are the kind of records which sound great on first listen, because they're borrowed the production from »Left Hand Path«, but will be forgotten in one month. Much better the skewed, but original, sound and ideas of Martyrium’s »L.V.X. Occulta«!

And you; do you have something own to add to this genre?

If I was to say no, I would surely be falling upon my own sword! But yes, I think we do – I think that Cruciamentum is far from a clone of one band, or one sound, and that we have wrought the elements of our influences into something apart from them – I think that we use inspiration from Lovecraft, classic Death Metal etc. to mould something unique, and I think that

most Death Metal listeners would be forced to agree, whether they like us or not, especially when taking our releases as a body of work.

To me, it seems like your newer lyrics are more based upon dreams – it is even really obvious looking at »Through Gates of Morpheus Realms« ...

There's a lot more to that song than dreams, but the experience to

dream is like no waking experience.

There is something about dreams which is totally distinct from conscious experience, even hallucinatory conscious experience, and for that reason dreams are incredibly evocatory. A lot is asked of what the meaning of dreams might be, which I don't think is an interesting question, unless you are a psychiatrist. The value for me, as with any experience, is the intellectual gain

from exploring the imagery, which is after all just a representation like any other perceptual images. Perhaps also the title of this song can be viewed as a metaphor for where our Death Metal can take you ...

Well, we'll see where it will take us. But for now, I just have to thank you very much for this very interessing and honest chat, the last lines should be yours!

www.cruciamentum.bandcamp.com Cruciamentum | 13

Infinitum Obscure kicked off the evening and were able to grab the crowd's attention after a short while.

Harsh, cold riffs battled against incessantly pounding drums – a very intriguing mixture at first. But what seemingly worked very well for the first couple of songs quickly turned tiresome. I am sure there was 14 | Gevurah Congregation of the Obscure Tour 2012

enough variation and detail put into the songs, but very little of that was actually audible in a live setting. The middle part of Infinitum Obscure's set consisted of a lot of starting on my side, although the conclusion after about 50 minutes was somewhat more interesting again. Maybe due to the anticipation of things to follow?

Now, four Gentlemen, seeming almost a little shy, entered the stage through the wide open gates of the backstage area of Blacklands.

An arrival that was both down-toearth and triumphant. While Dead Congregation played no longer than an hour, time just flew by. There was an atmosphere of all-consuming inferno. A foreboding, if you will.

This band, together with Kaamos and Cruciamentum's first demo, forms a Death Metal Trinity of sorts, evoking feelings that were all too rare in years past. Atmosphere, presence, and deep understanding for their genre form an unequalled entity. Maybe Timo Ketola (notwithstanding he only contributed to »Engulfed in Desolation«) is the common element here?

journey. Music. Only Music. Nothing but the Music. A mighty beast infesting your brain with a myriad claws and leaving nothing but goo once its done tearing through it.

Claws ripping and scratching everything from your cranium until you are reduced to a mass with no will of its own, led only by the music. To point out any details is redundant, only the entirety counts. Similar to words in a captivating book – while they are relevant on their own, they are only fragments, not an entity in their own right. It is similarly redundant to talk about any minor screw ups or sound deficits – those are the things that make an evening like this human. Even if it was infernal. An impressive evening that rekindled hope.

Part of what made the performance so compelling was the absence of over the top and 'choreographed' gestures, cheesy compliments to the audience, or idle talk. No pyro show, no posing, no big announcements between songs. This band simply communicates through their music and takes their audience on a

myspace.com/deadcongregation infinitumobscure.com

Congregation of the Obscure Tour Gevurah 2012 | 15

16 | Anguish

Herr C. | June 2012

Fine. So, what's new in Anguish?

David: Right now, we focus on three new songs that we rehearse. Personally, almost every day I write some new riffs that we will use in the future. And J. Dee has written some cool texts that we will use.

comers from Uppsala like your fellows In Solitude, Reveal or Invidious so successful in hitting the right vibe – over and over again.

Is there anything in the air that you inhale from your early childhood?

David: I don't know. We all listen to virtually the same music, I guess. And then we are probably psyched to each other. If In Solitude or Reveal for example, have recorded a great album, then we can't be worse, right?

I have to testify to you a huge talent in creating dark music. In the same moment, I ask myself what makes the majority of new-

Absolutely. But, could it be that your music is – in any way – influenced by the atmosphere of Uppsala or it's surrounding nature?

Hello guys, how are you?

David: Hey. I feel good, just a little bit tired after work.

David: Not in Anguish's case, what I could tell.

But maybe in our subconscious.

Recently, I have read an interview with your vocalist J. Dee in A Blog in the Northern Sky where he claimed: »When I think about Anguish, I hear the slow crushing parts of Autopsy. Sometimes, I hear the deep dark depths of Mayhem and Celtic Frost.« J. Dee is right in some things for sure, but I don't aim to analyze your music too much here. What you have in common with the above mentioned bands is the dark and gloomy atmosphere. But in my opinion, you definitely play Doom Metal ...

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Is there any connection between the cottage on the cover and the place where your promo pictures were taken?

David: If you mean the promo pic in the CD booklet, there is a connection. The cabin in the background is the same cabin which was illustrated on the cover art. It is an abandoned cabin outside the village deep in the forest.

And if you mean the newest promo pic were we have an fox head, there is none connection. We just thought it might be cool to do the cover art into a real photo with an fox head on a pole.

David: I agree with Johan at some point. One moment, a riff just might sound as it could have been written for the »Morbid Tales« album with it's »Fuck you« attitude. And in the next second you consentrate on the drums and can hear some fills reminding you on Chris Reifert from Autopsy. And then, there is this Attilalike voice at times on top of all this.

In reviews, Anguish is very often compared to Candlemass ...

David: I think it is only because we both live in Sweden and we both play Doom Metal. But I can agree with them that we sound a bit like Candlemass with all these double tone guitar harmony parts and stuff like that.

Which old horror movie would you choose to describe the atmosphere of Anguish?

David: I don't really see Anguish as a horror movie, so I can't tell.

Your artwork as well as your lyrics are connected by one symbol: the fox Siugnah. This symbol was created long before Anguish. If we look carefully at the name Siugnah, we find out that it is an anagram for Anguish – hidden behind the letters in a different order.

Please, tell us more about your concept.

J. Dee: What is there to really tell?

18 | Anguish

Well, you're the one who is responsible for the lyrics, right?

J. Dee: This symbol will always be with us – where ever we go, where ever we lie down.

When gazing upon the night sky, I see her.

When an Anguish tune is played, I feel her.

Though the symbol might not be the same for everybody – specially for people outside of Anguish. Siugnah is just the name given to her by us and just like any religion, the words are written by the humans worshipping the entity. We don't ask people to understand, but we can say that it is a state of mind.

Your image consists of blood, remains of animal bones and even a decaying fox head.

It is very inspiring and when I look at your promo pictures, I can metaphorically smell the odour of death and dank smell. In the beginning, you have used a completely different type of imagary – way more classic and traditional – with candles and other requisites which are typical for the Doom Metal genre. Who came up with the idea to change it and why?

David: When we changed the theme of our lyrics, we naturally changed the theme of our pictures, too. It should match. J. Dee changed the lyrics and started to use a dead fox around his neck and animal blood in his face on our shows back in 2007.

So, that's a common gimmick in Uppsala?

David: Later same year, our friends In Solitude started to use a dead fox on stage, too. But we were first, haha.

Then, what's your general relationship to animals – wild and domestic as well as dead ones?

David: I love animals, I have a dog and two cats and have always have animals. Domestic animals are a bit more interesting though.

I am very fascinated by dead ones. Almost every time I see a dead one I can not help but go back and look at the coagulated body – smell the rotten flesh in the air and see it on a near distance. I was the one who found the dead fox

besides the road and took it home in my car to saw her head off. First my plan was to cut her gut open and remove the viscera to then dry the body. But that was too hard to implement.

I think an appropriate image and aestehics are able to push a band onto a higher level.

To what extent is image important to you?

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David: If I walk into a record store, see a cool record that looks interesting and then turn it around just to look at some hippos or nerds with boring outfits I will fast put the record back and look for an other. So yes, a good picture has an impact. But on the other hand, I am very judgmental – maybe too judgmental.

Metal-related imagary has a wide span from representing a way of life to just plain posing: What does Metal mean to you?

David: No not poser. I live my life as the metalhead that I am – not because of the image, just because I enjoy the music, the clothes and everything around it. I prefer the dark side but that has nothing to do with metal music.

Now, let's focus on your music again. J. Dee is an awesome singer and the intonation of his vocals fits perfectly to the melodies of your debut full-length »Through the Archdemon's Head«. What is created first when making new recordings: music or lyrics?

David: He write the lyrics at his home and I write the music at my home. Then, when he listens to the tracks, he chooses which one he will put which lyrics on.

Is it difficult to intertwine those elements together?

20 | Anguish

David: It is not hard at all, it falls natural for him. And sometimes when we rehearse a new track, J. Dee just sits, listens and starts to think of different things which he later writes a text about.

Where exactly do the members of Anguish stand on their spiritual path?

Christoffer: Some of us are really into the occult, some are not. None of us are religious, if that's what you mean.

Yeah, I was somehow aiming towards this topic. Anyway, I wonder where you gain your inspiration from – musically and lyrically. If it is not about horror movies at all and only to some aspects a spiritual source, what leads you on your creative way?

J. Dee: Every source of everything can be a potential inspiration. Water for example, suites my conscience. The vast void of our universal span aswell. Sometimes, inspiration just dances into my mind while nothing in particular occurs, and as boyant as the mind can be, this lack of anything can have a great impact on my creativity. I have a hard time containing my thoughts, or rather isolating them from the rest of the mind. Look at the sky and really observe, not just cast a look. Devour the words that are spoken between celestial bodies and midst this you will find the essence of Anguish.

All Anguish members are very young – just about 20 years old. Therefore, I admire your music also because of your age: I have to admit that in majority of cases cult albums were created by young people who were driven by, let me call it, some kind of barbarian ghost. How would you name the force that leads you forward as a band and inspires you?

David: I don't know why it is that way, but I can definitely agree with you. I play in a band because of the fact that I once heard Candlemass. I admired how they were able to put so much feelings and darkness with simple instruments into their music and I decided to buy a guitar to try it out by myself.

Do you think that age has an impact/influence on people's creativity?

David: When people are young they have so much ideas and feelings which they need to put somewhere – in this case into music.

Shortly before your debut »Through the Archdemon's Head« you have released a split 7"-LP with Black Oath. How did you get in touch with them?

David: A.Th from Black Oath works on a record label named Unholy Domain Records.

He contacted me for a trade after the release of our demo »Dawn of Doom«. I guess he liked our demo, because a few months later he wondered if we were interested to release a split with his own band, Black Oath.

In my opinion, both tracks of this split EP bear an unconscious inspiration from Bathory. Do you remember how you were affected by Quorton's death?

Anguish | 21

David: Yes I agree with you. I don't look for fast guitar solos or some very high falsetto singer if they only want to show how talented they are.

As long as I am influenced by the music emotionally I enjoy it. It's harder to create music with emotional impact than to play as fast as you can and scream as high as you can.

Are there any albums that evoke similar feelings in you?

David: Of course. As I said earlier Candlemass's »Epicus Doomicus Metallicus«, »Nightfall«, »Ancient Dreams« and »Tales of Creation". Other albums are Nemesis' »The Day Of Retribution«, Warning's »The Strength to Dream« and »Watching from a Distance«, as well as Worship's »Last Tape before Doomsday« and »Dooom«.

I could go on forever but you got my point.

David: To be honest with you, I didn't listen to Bathory until after his death, shame on me!

I only remember that my dad had the »Yellow goat« in his collection when I was still a child.

Your debut is definitely the album of the year 2012 to me. Together with The Wounded Kings you belong to the best Doom Metal bands who 22 | Anguish

have risen during the past few years. When I listen to The Wounded Kings' »In the Chapel of the black Hand« or your's »Through the Archdemon's Head« my mind is full with visions of ancient rituals. Do you agree with me when I say that the sign of quality music should be the transcendental experience connected to the listening of the music?

Sure, thanks for interview. I wish you loads of dark inspiration in creating your music.

David: Thanks a lot, I really enjoyed answering your questions.

Všetci sme stáli v tieni katedrály. Tvoj svätý kríž je odsúdený do pekla!* *Translation: We all stand in the shadow of the cathedral. Your holy cross is condemned to hell! www.myspace.com/anguishdoommetal

24 | Vulturine Gevurah

Hail Daemon, welcome! I hope that you are ready to answer a few questions for Soleil Tryste. Let’s begin with a simple question to warm up: How did you spend your day?

Daemon: Probably enjoying myself as a spectre in this wretched existence. Maybe I'm lucky with living apart in a farm where I don't need to look at the repulsive presence of humans all the time as well as facing their pathetic sharing and moralistic lifestyle. In this environment, my lifestyle is surrounded by dogs and woods.

I'm always able to reach my most obscure and repulsive thoughts. In other times when I used to live in big cities, everything was more chaotic. I can tell, but I believe the true black energy follows those who truly believe and walk the occult path.

In my opinion, many of our readers did not come across Vulturine yet. Could you briefly introduce your band?

W.D.H: Darkest regards, I will not bore your readers with long introductions about line up and releases. Instead of that, some words must be said about our cult: Vulturine was created with the aim to bring cold, pessimist Black Metal, to bring back the aura of the feared occult style initiated long years ago.

You decided to name the band Vulturine. It might be a bit misleading because as far as I know, vultures tend to consume ill or wounded animals. You could say that they keep the environment »clean« this way. Do you consider yourselves as merciful creatures?

W.D.H: Although vultures are seen in a »positive light« by you, they are also associated with decay and death and that is a perfect representation for what our cult represents: the total decay of modern, communitarian perspectives.

Although many can think in rats as the most disguising creatures in this stinking planet, the bringers of the plague etc, there's a temple in India where they worship those creatures. So, it depends of the point of view.

Vultures symbolize death ... darkness! No mercy for the human race!

Daemon: Okay, I think it depends on your perspective. In the same context, could we say that serpents and crows are cleaning and merciful creatures?

Vultures feed themselves from death, suffice to say, wherever there is a dying creature they'll be waiting for such a mortuary feast.

Is there a deeper connection of the name to the music you create?

Daemon: The name Vulturine itself has a ravening connotation, the perspective of beholding death, from the ones who wait for the mournful moment and lacks the perspective of a damned light in the end of the tunnel. Only the rotten flesh and wiped out life, if it cleans the world or not, maybe from a biologic point of view.

Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know the band was created mainly thanks to Wlad D'Hades who is the only member from the former formation ...

W.D.H: Vulturine was created by me, as a one man thing – project – whatever. After the release of the first demo tape »Cathartes Aura« Daemon joined me. Since then it has been only us creating our negative stuff.

Vulturine | 25

In my opinion, the spiritual connection between musicians is one of the factors affecting the essence of Black Metal. Do you think that current formation is in some way spiritually interconnected?

W.D.H: Today we have a strong connection, mentally speaking, concerning our aims with the band; we are of same age, reminiscent from the beginning of this movement. So, we are very aware of what has to be done with Vulturine. Since the debut album, the line up is established with me, Daemon and Khaos.

Daemon: I must agree with you on that and I truly believe in it. In fact, I have always followed W.D.H’s path in this black circle – I believe he has done the same with me. I think we noticed this darkened cognition when we met. We had faced many turbulent situations surrounded by insanity and tensions for a long period. We've rose throughout hatred, you may find intense hatred messages in our booklets. When we met Khaos, I think the circle was closed, we had the hellish messages and he perceived it in a very intelligent way and also internalized it very quickly.

Honestly, despite the extreme distance among each other, I think this kind of spiritual connection is what keeps our souls aiming at a single focus.

26 | Vulturine Gevurah

Together we have always made darkness became a morbid reality through the Vulturine plague.

Your music – especially the melodic parts – reminds me of Norwegian Black Metal in 90's combined with the touch of old Master's Hammer or Samael. Even though, I have to claim that your music is original and very difficult to compare with other bands concerning the musical structure.

According to you, among which bands does Vulturine belong?

Daemon: Honestly, I really dislike labeling our music. We are absolutely sure that we don't have and don't want to have any of the characteristics from the expected Brazilian Old School Thrash Metal.

Most of our influences come from 90's Black Metal. Certainly, this time will never come back, especially after music became digital and most of the times futile. We first compose to please ourselves. I would say it's a kind of hellish extravagant bliss, it's rewarding when other people understand and identify with our death worship.

By the time we began, Black Metal wasn't featured in the fashion-like magazines. This path is for the strong and maniacs.

W.D.H: When I've begun to explore this movement, and became involved with it in the very beginning of the 90's, we were much more inside the cult of Hellenic bands than Norwegian ones ... and of course Venom, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Mystifier, Samael and Master's Hammer. The only Norwegian band that had a strong impact on my influences was Mayhem with their »De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas« LP. So it's natural that all that ancient cults let a mark in us. Vulturine belongs to the genre of bands that don't use metalloid rock promotion to hippies ass, that don't appear in Christian rock magazines, that don't want to be a part of the entertainment for the youth movement.

We want to please darkness – not humanity!

Lyrics and also other aspects of your music are strictly antihumanistic. I would like to know what you hate most about mankind.

Where does the contempt, which is one of your lyrical topics of, stem from?

W.D.H: Lyrics must show our devotion to the arts of the abyss and also our repulse against the human presence. Daemon is luckier, because he can live in isolation – but if you ask what is more unpleasant in the human being, I just advice you to take a walk in the streets. That's a simple answer then.

Daemon: Being an anti-human person to me stands to have a philosophy or criteria of not sharing the same morality, the same disgusting and communitarian thought concerning procreation and ignorance. It stands to oppose wide spread values and the common sense, it is to stand withdrawn from the weak servants of light, from utopian and devious religions.

It is to defy the stereotypes of honorable and well behaved men that spend their lives in sorrow and contradictions. It’s also to deliver yourself to pleasures of blood and lust.

What is your opinion about people who value and appreciate your music?

W.D.H: I do have very few response about what we do, mainly from people we are in some kind of personal contact with. I don't see many reviews also, so it's something alien to me. Maybe people who appreciate our music are the ones that don't care if a band is good just because it's from Sweden, Norway or Finland and do not believe in this geo-politic shit inside of Black Metal.

Daemon: Hatred will be always beside the ones who fight the human being. Death is our shrine. The ones who follow this path will never feel offended by the harm we do to humans, they would actually be part of such a chaos!

What is the role of misanthropy and nihilism in the course of your regular life and Vulturine in general?

W.D.H: As I have to work to pay the bills and all that shit, you must live following some patterns and pre-programmed steps. It's pretty obvious and beside that, jail isn't one of the best places to live here in South America. But I live as isolated I can, I don't share much with others – personal social network trash and all that modern shit. Misanthropy is a mental state for me, I don't have to be in a cave in Afghanistan to be a misanthrope. My mind is everything I need to rule this world of lambs, to create my art, to educate my mind as I can and to practice martial arts in order to dominate my body.

I live a daily war and I'm not here to hide but to fight back any threat. Fuck the planet!

Is this misanthropy something that keeps you strong and even forces you forward?

Daemon: The ways of darkness are not just a simple matter of choice. Somehow, it was always a part of my life, our black souls are definitely led toward the legions, there is no return and it is natural to us. The strength is bigger when one is alone. Worshippers of Lucifer's neverending black energy don't love anything beside death.

Vulturine | 27

Speaking of luciferian forces: Please, tell us more about the connection between Vulturine and the Left Hand Path. I guess, you don't incline to Satanism just because you are a Black Metal band, right?

W.D.H: Nobody can turn into a Satanist just by watching a movie or by hearing a certain style of music. You are either born Satanist or not. Despising the fact that I have been raised inside a catholic family, I never ate the fucking host – the body of the jew. Never, since my childhood, was I devoted to this aura of Christian lifestyle.

What I mean is that the dark side chooses you, no matter what you do. About the ones who tend to follow Satan by fashion: there's only one end for them ... a church!

Daemon: As I've said before, I believe that darkness summons its heralds. Even before I've been involved with Black Metal, I always had a propensity to behaviors against humane causes. Rebellion have always ruled over me, I never fit for the established social morality that leads the lives of hypocrite people. Nowadays I consider myself to be more a scorner rather than a Satanist, this word is being used in a very vulgar and silly way, any idiot can call himself a Satanist. I would say that Hate is our religion.

28 | Vulturine Gevurah

Apart from misanthropy and Satanism, which other conceptual cornerstones do you refer to in your lyrics as well as in your music?

Daemon: As you can see, our lyrics are far beyond darkness worship. We try to expose all the feelings within our rotten souls and – of course – all contempt and aloofness from humans. Everything that is written in our unholy sentences is part of our lives. I believe that despising the humanitarian causes and moralities is a strong bound to Lucifer's obscure energies and it makes the impure plague real. We criticize life for we're worshippers of eternal reverence to death. We like to expose our thoughts through grey and cold manners which is totally away of being mere fiction.

Not only our lyrics but also the images in our artworks, everything is premeditated and made by ourselves. Every element that composes the black art of Vulturine is developed to extinguish the fucking hope in this damned earth. Chaos revolution is now and forever!

W.D.H: Lyrics and inspirations comes from the deepest devotion to the negative side of existence and the magnificent entity it represents.

You guys live in a great distance of about 1000 km to each other. Therefore, is the process of composing difficult and how does the creation of new songs look like?

W.D.H: This kind of distance is somehow, very good to the individuality we search in terms of art. This is our characteristic, a peculiar mode of connection. We don't have to be every time following each ones normal day life etc. We are focused only in the entity called Vulturine, this is our main circle!

Once a year we gather to share our ideas, riffs, and influences. When we are strong enough to face our spiritual journey, we record then our hymns. While we are finishing the production, I manifest the arts through my vision as graphic worker. Basically the process is perfect for what we want.

Daemon: Yes, we really live far beyond each other, in other times me and Wlad used to live in the same city, at the time we developed a musical identity. Honestly, I believe that this distance between members has actually helped us. There is already some time since we last noticed external influences, which for me is something that »limits« the real art. We only meet each other to compose, to record or sometimes even to experience some of this blackened world with

drugs, alcohol and infernal devotion. We develop everything, me and Wlad compose the songs and lyrics and Khaos is in charge of production, mixing and mastering the songs and also all the drums recordings.

Given this long distances we don't have confl icts among us, I guess that's why things flow naturally without any compromise and stuck to our own feelings.

But don't you regret that Vulturine loses the opportunity to get together as a real band regularly?

W.D.H: Personally, I don't regret a single thing in our path. We have learned a lot with the very past experience. We have faced enough shit to know how things work. In the end, only our wishes count – selfish arts leading to our own alienation.

Composing together as a regular band, rehearsing, etc. would not be a problem at all.

Who knows what the pathway of Lucifer reserved to us.

Vulturine | 29

Your records were recorded in room 218. I guess, you always meet during recordings?

Daemon: We always gather during the recordings, but not always during compositions. As I've said before, I don't believe it spoils the work inside the studio, if the songs were more technically arranged maybe it could be a problem, but we like being practical and raw-like – which definitely doesn't mean doing a nailed-up work.

Although for live presentations that's not good at all, we're planning some things for the future but we didn't make up our minds if we really want to play on stage yet. We've done this with other bands in the past but personally I'm not enthusiastic about live presentations.

I rather spread the virus and stay isolated.

Deamon, when you speak of isolation and living alone far from civilization on your farm I ask myself how this goes hand in hand with the fact that you are rooted in São Paulo. How does it feel to live alone – far from other people now – and how do you spend your spare time there?

Daemon: To be honest, when I lived in São Paulo I was never able to see who I really was. I stumbled on and dealt with two-faced people all the time.

30 | Vulturine

I was born in São Paulo and we still record our songs in São Paulo. But I'd never change my life at the farm since here I'm able to stay really alone when I want to – with the necessary silence to reach my occult and private labyrinth.

In my spare time, when I'm not composing, writing, playing bass or working, I usually spend drugging myself and observing the immense darkness and its dwellers.

W.D.H: On the other hand, I live in the capital of Brazil, a city ruled by corruption and deceit. You can also find lots of crack addicts, scum sub-humans and homeless people feeding like dogs.

I understand but on the other hand, I expect that you are in touch with people you work with and so on?

W.D.H: The irony is that I think Daemon has more contact with people than me. I work in a regular boring job, practice Muay Thai to rule my body and never – I mean, never hang out with boring humans in clubs, pubs and all that social patern.

Congratulations to people who think they have lots of friends and all that crap. I see humanity with a single word in my mind: deception!

It is well-known that Christianity rules with a rod of iron in Brazil. To me, life there seems to be more difficult than here in Europe. On the other hand, I believe that this only makes you stronger in what you do ...

Daemon: It depends on »who« you are in Brazil! There are regions in which there's severe violence and ignorance, but also rich regions and places with astonishing natural landscapes. Of course, there's not only forests, indians and anacondas over here. Most people make a bad picture of Brazil, thanks to suckers that usually underestimate our country.

Nowadays we're the 6th biggest economy in the world – and all that after years of exploitation from every corner. I'm a Portuguese descendant, my grandfather was Portuguese. Just for you to have an idea, the Italian colonies over here have more people than Italy itself.

There is also huge corruption and messed up places. In this chaos we struggle to survive, we are part of it and we are a reflex of abuse and religious occupation. The weak people play the role of the sheep, but there are always the ones who fight this shit and celebrate with blood. Do your part on desolation, be a consequence of mankind!

W.D.H: As Daemon said, we are the 6th economy in this pathetic world. You can find everything from the best to the worst here – speaking of civilization and society.

The situation in Europe seems not to be as in the past, but living in a country like ours is really challenging as our actual socialist government benefits the lazy scum rater than the people who work hard.

Speaking of movement, scene and all that boring things, Brazil seems to be in worst scales in my eyes. But that's only my opinion.

From the area that I come from – Eastern Europe – accured many pagan cults which were presented by Christians as something evil and sometimes were even assimilated with their doctrines. I have read something about African-Brazilian cults as Exú, or cannibals from Túpi (Tupinamba). Do you know any other original pagan cults in Brazil that are still worshipped nowadays?

Daemon: There are several African-Brazilian cults such as Candomblé, Umbanda or Quimbanda (Exú Worship) but lots of them have passed by a process of religious syncretism, managing to mingle with the damned Christianity in order to not be persecuted or banished.

Black Magic is also performed through these cults in Brazil, but there are too much deceit and double-dealers among them. I don't believe one needs a »cult« or »spiritual guide« to perform Black Magic. I don't believe that a fucking human being can actually function as a way to some demonic manifestation. Maybe a great number of people will never understand what the real tentacles of darkness stands for.

W.D.H: Religious cults benefits from the ingenuous mind who thinks that there are some stronger people above them, as a master or spiritual guide. Fuck this shit! No human is above my beliefs, no fucking master can tell me the day I must blow up a black candle. The anti life energy summoned by me, is one ruling the black endless universe, eating the cosmos with the dark matter, Lucifer – one of His names – is far beyond the inverse Christianity cult.

Also, those African myths where used as a form of rebellion in the slavery times, so it can be a object of study, you must understand the context.

Vulturine | 31

The majority of your artwork is decorated by a serpent – a religious symbol connected to demonic powers but also to wisdom in older mythologies. I am sure that this symbolic duality plays an important role in connection to your music ...

Daemon: Man's wisdom and corruption, which was sentenced to crawl and to feed itself from the filth upon the earth. The great queen of abortion, whose persuasion and shame has spawned the earth after meeting man. Alchemy uses it as a symbol as well as its shape seduces and envenoms.

The snake featured in our artworks and videos was called Nahemah, it is a boa constrictor which I look after for 11 years. It is a unique animal, fascinating and beautiful but also mesmerizing and insidious. I believe it fits perfectly to the ominous aura of Vulturine.

Is there something that you cannot imagine to live without?

Daemon: My fucking freedom, maybe ...

W.D.H: My penis.

Brazil is well-known for its famous Thrash Metal bands but also for the writer Paulo Coelho who attracts the attention of many people from all over the world nowadays.

32 | Vulturine

In my opinion, his writings are too overestimated, but maybe this is just a matter of my own taste. Have you read any of his books?

Daemon: I barely know Paulo Coelho's works, I'm not that interested in them. In the past he called himself a sorcerer in occult practices. Nowadays he seems to provide a kind of self-help or solidarity writings. I loathe this »mainstream« literature.

Everything that reaches the vast majority of people is always worth of suspicion. Fuck off hippies!

W.D.H: Paulo Coelho is just a fag, he was a hippie in the past and he is a old gay now.

His books are novels for housewives, believe me. I've read that he celebrates his birthday in a castle in a Christian ritual or something like that. Pretty pathetic. Paulo Coelho is fucking shit!

Vulturine crawls in the shadows of most famous underground bands which represent your country. To be honest, I am glad about that because I cannot imagine you appearing on the covers of glossy commercial magazines. How would you deal with the fact that you are becoming a more and more popular act like e.g. Watain?

Daemon: What is utmost important is to be authentic in what you do and believe. If you can make a living with this without deviating your music and ideology, I can't see any problem.

I think it is unlikely to happen with Vulturine – in our country things are complicated. Our music expresses part of our obscure beliefs and hatred towards humans and it certainly offends several people out there. Our art bleeds for Lucifer and it is already priceless.

W.D.H: Vulturine was not created to entertain the youth. We are just another underground band in this world, we play just to satisfy our needs and darkness. I think it's simple as that.

Many people dislike Watain for example, I don't care anymore what is considered »right« or »wrong« for a band. I don't care at all.

Many people claim that the third album often tends to be a test for a band and the quality of their music. In my opinion, the quality of your music increases from album to album. What can your fans expect?

W.D.H: I don't think we have fans but just a couple of maniacs that appreciate our style.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming full-length?

W.D.H: I think »Tentacles of the Aberration« will be a mix of our two previous albums.

Daemon: We always set a central theme for each album, for the third full-length we have chosen the »Tentacles of the Aberration«.

Musically and ideologically we'll roam at the most secret places of black energy and of course, continue being increasingly withdrawn and weird to the fucking world.

Do you think that »Tentacles of the Aberration« is going to be your best work so far?

Daemon: I can't say it will be our best work, but devotion and a careful production will surely be part of it. We can't stand dealing with deadlines, it fucks art up. We only release our musical plagues when we feel it is exactly how we planned – even if it delays the release. We always want to create something really authentic and musically qualified. It is so easy to record whatever shit you have in mind and call it »Raw Black Metal«.

Every album we record is a new challenge and we'll do it the most dedicated way.

Beware the blow of decay!

This year Vulturine celebrates its 10th anniversary. How special is this anniversary for you and for what reason?

Daemon: This decade has a great value to us, I'm sure that lots of scumbags have never expected to see us spreading the plague, with integrity and not prostituting our music.

In the past, we were involved in the Brazilian Black Metal scene and it showed us many untruthful and opportunistic people. So, we give a fuck off to scene. We rarely go to gigs or any kind of »rocker« meetings. We do it because darkness is what we really worship.

We are completely apart from the Brazilian Black Metal scene.

Vulturine is a reflex of it all and I have two great allies in which I believe to be irreplaceable for our necrocult. It's been 10 years of hatred, 10 years of devotion to Lucifer for even in distance we stay connected. Hail the black aura of vultures.

W.D.H: I'm proud of Vulturine's path. This is our way to reach the end, this is our way to speak the unspeakable and to shake the Devil's hand.

Daemon: We have been totally dedicated to Black Metal for over 20 years. It is a serious cause and in the path of dark faith it is the intense flame which engage our impure hearts. We had left many things behind in this life, but I don't see it as a sacrifice when you truly believe in it. Let the darkest night of Lucifer reign over this rotten earth!

W.D.H: Thanks for the interesting questions. Black Metal is devotion to the left side of existence. Everything was made with heart and strong faith, so there were no sacrifices, no regret, no return ... www.vulturineplague.com

Daemon est Deus Inversus and Wlad d' Hades, thank you for the interview and the deep insight both of you gave us into Vulturine. Let's close this conversation with a confession about your biggest sacrifice for Black Metal ...

Vulturine | 33

The spiritual and orthodox Black Metal on Gevurah's demo "Anno MMXI" instantly fascinated me and made clear that these canadians need to be a part of our third issue.

This is the second time, I was insomuch convinced by a band's very first recording.

Before Gevurah, only Subvertio Deus, who participated in our first issue, stroke me that hard.

I have to express my gratitude to X.T. for his extensive answers and the detailed look upon Gevurah's work and their dedication to the left hand path.

Herr F. | April 2012

34 | Gevurah

Greetings, welcome to the hallowed pages of Soleil Tryste.

Ave. How are you, and what are you up to at the moment?

Currently, we are working slowly on new material. Concepts have been laid out, but the musical production has been rather slow recently. We are experimenting with different ideas and working on maturing our composition process, to have something more original and more focused.

Gevurah, your musical project, is still very young and possibly unknown to many of our readers – could you please shed some light on the project's creation and intention?

Gevurah is first and foremost a spiritual journey for us, and, we hope, for the listener. The texts and music are very personal and come from our spiritual work, within various Left Hand Path traditions. We aim to create music that embodies the dive within the eleven Qliphotic realms, reaching towards a higher

scheme. To deny the existence of the Demiurge and to become creator within our own reality. The world of flesh and bone is nothing but illusion which we aim to corrupt and destroy.

Who are the individuals behind Gevurah and what brought you together?

As for us as individuals – it could not matter less. We are Naught.

The word or term »Gevurah« originates from the Kabbalah. It denotes the fifth Sephirot in the Tree of Life, and stands for, among other things, austerity and strength.

Why did you choose this name, and what does it mean to you, both in regard to your musical endeavors and for yourself as a person?

The Gevurah Sephirot is the root of all evil. It is from this Sephirot that the »perfect« creation of the Demiurge was shattered and from which the Qliphoth emerged. It is, thus, from the original Kabbalistic Tree of Life, but it belongs to the dark side. It is the Wrath of God.

Gevurah means everything for us – it is the only way we can express ourselves. Life, as we know it, is nothing but worthless. We are on this Earth to praise His Holy and dreaded name, and to journey within His realm. Everything else is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

You once wrote that Gevurah was a spiritual voyage – would you care to elaborate? Which journey are you on? Where did it start, where will it end, and what path have you chosen?

The previous answers already shed some light on this. Where did it start? Thousands of years ago. One who is born with the divine flame is meant to start this voyage, as doing so is its true nature – the pneumatic should no more follow a proven path than the wolf should limit itself to the trail while stalking its prey. Through meditation and practice of one’s true Will, his personal path is building itself under each of his steps; until he find the Mahapralaya, liberation from the chains of the material world.

Gevurah | 35

Right, I was behind the recording.

Currently it is my only production; however I would be glad to help bands which share a similar point of view (dare I say, artistic point of view) in the musical recording process.

This is the only possible Left Hand Path – everything else is but useless fi lth. Those that claim to be of the Left Hand Path but help maintain the cosmic order are completely wrong and should never, in any case, be considered true Luciferians. Lucifer is the light from beyond – from beyond the Abyss.

Your first sign of life, entitled »Anno MMXI«, consists of three tracks of outstanding quality, both in terms of songwriting and realization. The production, which is very good for a demo, fits perfectly.

I'd like to find out more about the development of the material and the demo. How long did it take you, all things considered, and are you content with the result?

It has taken us a little less than a year from our first rehearsal to the release of »Anno MMXI«. It was recorded and produced more or less over two weeks.

Considering the tools we had at that time we are rather satisfied of the results. However with future tracks we would like to have a more 36 | Gevurah

oppressive sound. Probably adding more guitar tracks in the mix. We will see.

You recorded the demo at Studio Tehom – the name's literal meaning is literally the Deep or Abyss (Greek Septuagint: ábyssos) and refers to the Great Deep of the primordial waters of creation in the Bible. If I'm not mistaken, one of you is behind the studio. Did you only use it for Gevurah or do you plan on making it available to other bands as well? If so, which ones – do have any plans yet?

»Et clamabant voce magna dicentes usquequo Domine sanctus et verus non iudicas et vindicas sanguinem nostrum de his qui habitant in terra« (Revelation 6:10) – this graces the inlay of your demo. Why exactly this verse? What does it mean to you and in regard what you are trying to create? And while we're talking about Revelation: »Quoniam venit dies magnus irae ipsorum et quis poterit stare« (Revelation 6:17) – who will stand on the great day of wrath?

This quote depicts both our spiritual beliefs and the illustration on the cover (by Victor Delhez). It is very interesting that you point out Rev 6:17, because both quotes are directly in relation. We see two meanings to this passage.

First, the obvious one: on the day of Wrath, the Lord will avenge our cursed existence – chained within this flesh – and we await patiently this moment, where those who are from Him and in Him will return to the primordial state of Chaos.

However, it can also be viewed on a very individualistic and spiritual level. Every material being will cease to live one day or another. On this day – which we may indeed call one's final Judgement, the spirit of those who ventured within the realms of the unbound Light will be unleashed, to reign within the acausal and be part of the great Qliphotic currents which seek to destroy the cosmic balance – the Demiurge's creation, the Tree of Life. Thus, those of simple flesh will be annihilated and turned to naught, while those who bear the black flame, and who nourish it constantly, feeding upon the energy of our enemies and seeking the stage beyond – The Lotus Crown, Thaumiel, Mahapralaya, etc. – will return to Him. Both meanings are, in fact, intertwined.

Praise the Lord, for He is glorious.

You chose not to print the lyrics in the inlay of your demo, which is unfortunate, as I am very interested in their concept and contents. Was there a reason for this decision except lack of space? I'd like to ask you to share the lyrical content and your intentions and thoughts behind them.

Main reason was lack of space and we wanted something very minimalist regarding the artwork. In that regard, we are particularly satisfied of the work done in collaboration with Memento Mori Design as it turned out even better than expected. We hope our music conveys our beliefs well enough so that lyrics aren't needed, but we will add them whenever possible. We have a very pure approach to our work – music and imagery is more important than words in channeling the essence of our work – thus, it will only be when the time is right.

Your songs have reminded me time and again of, for example, older works of Deathspell Omega, in terms of general feel. Probably Gevurah | 37

not the worst comparison. What are your thoughts on the development of Deathspell Omega?

We are both complete fans of all Deathspell Omega. First few releases were probably lacking the spiritual depth, but everything else is simply perfect.

What are your actual influences, not only regarding music?

Influences would be too difficult to list – as they are too many. We convey music from our experiences within the Satanic/Luciferian traditions, uniting with our True Wilt and reaching to a higher state.

Which other bands or artists can you identify with and which ones do you hail?

Any artist that clearly defines their work as the Verb directed to our Lord is worth our respect. The obvious bands require not be listed, but we raise our chalices to acts such as Aosoth, Teitanblood, Weapon, Ofermod, Funeral Mist ...

Benedictvs Qvi Venit In Nomine Domini.

38 | Gevurah

If you take a look at the overall picture and the intentions behind it, you'll quickly find that all of this is very important to you. I assume that without this seriousness, Gevurah would probably not exist. How important is this approach and the overall picture to you? You probably would not have chosen this path only for music's sake, am I right?

Black Metal isn't and shouldn’t be profane music. If we're spending so much time, so much energy and so much blood in our project, it is before all because we need it as an extension of our beliefs and our worship of that which is Holy. The Luciferian path is first and always will be.

Gevurah cannot exist without constant spiritual work from both of us. We actually discussed about various concepts and approaches for about a year prior to writing the first riff.

What about future releases? As far as I know you already have a couple of things planned and are

going to record new material in 2012, including songs for an EP and a compilation. Can you give us some further details?

That's our plan, however we can absolutely not promise these will happen. Everything is chaotic and we won't release anything which we are not 100% satisfied with.

There will be a compilation from SVN OCCVLT by Fallen Empire Records sometime this summer, featuring around ten acts of underground Black Metal.

W hat musica l direction a re you going to take with the new tracks?

The track on this release should give a good indication of our future work – more focused, intense, oppressive and dark.

Do you enjoy concerts personally, and do you attend them regularly?

As for concerts, there are a few decent concerts in Montreal every now and then, though most of them are far from what we would expect from a perfect Black Metal ritual.

Another thing I'd like to know are your thoughts on live gigs.

Is it your ambition or intent to play live, or do you simply not care about these matters when it comes to Gevurah?

When the time will come, we will definitively perform live. We don't feel any pressure to do so, but we arrange everything while thinking of the moment we'll play it on stage, in the perspective of recreating the essence of our material.

You have just told us that you originally hail from Montreal, Canada. Are there any bands, artistsor labels which you would like to recommend our readers?

There are a few people – though they are few and far between – worth mentioning: Morbid Moon Records, Tour de Garde, Fallen Empire and Sepulchral Productions. The latter has been absolutely phenomenal to work with both in shows and as an individual, also bringing exceptional groups to Montreal for the Messe des Morts festival. Keep an eye out for the 2012 line-up, there will be some exceptional appearances.

Also, if you are not familiar with Monarque, Csejthe, Sylvus (also featuring on the previously mentioned compilation) and Thantifaxath, give them a listen. Complete support.

How would you envision the perfect performance of your musical creation?

A live Gevurah performance would be as close to what we are aiming to create musically – a ritual, both in magick and violence. Blood, Fire and Death.

The end draws near. Thank you for the interview. The last words are yours!

May the light of our Lord always shine within darkness.

Hail Lucifer.

Hail Leviathan.

Hail Satan.

thepathofgevurah@gmail.com Gevurah | 39

can you imagine a mixture of dIsemBowelment and khanate but sounding much more sick and vile? the australian band the nihilistic front is not overly known to the metal audience yet and that is why we decided to introduce them to you. they are currently working on the new album "procession to annihilation" which should herr c. | april 2012 be out somewhen in 2013.

40 | The Nihilistic Front

You are playing in a really weird, macabre and blood curdling manner – especially on the album »Total Disgust for Mankind«. It was the first album I have heard from you but I By the way, do you know what hapwas already sure that you are able to pened to the other members who create something really special and are not active in the incarnation unique. I really like the way how you d.USK? manage to enrich your music with I have high hopes for their new band every album – they are all really diInverloch. verse. Why did you choose this kind of music which you call »Extreme Does the ever changing weather in Fucking Doom«?

Melbourne have any influence on I have always wanted to pursue a you? High temperatures, drought, Greetings Gaz and welcome on the Doom project, all of my previous subsequent heavy rains and even pages of Soleil Tryste zine! bands were either Black or Death cyclones – isn't it disturbing for you Hello.

Metal. And at the time there weren't sometimes? enough Doom bands going to the exThe weather definitely affects the You are located in the state of Victotremes that we do. music, I find we are always more acria, particularly Melbourne – a city tive during the suffocating months in known to the metal audience mainly To which degree do you find your summer. »Apocryphal Dirge« was rethanks to dISEMBOWELMENT. music original? Is the most imporcorded during a heat wave and the alSince Australia doesn't have many tant thing for you an atmosphere bum imagery is taken from the bushsimilar projects: Do you think that and everything else comes right affires we had during that time. you are heirs of their work? ter it or am I wrong?

I don't think we are heirs of their work Creating an atmosphere or vibe is From where and from which corners at all. Apart from playing a similar style important to us, but we never set out of your soul containing the most imof Death/Doom I think both bands with any specific goal in mind. We pure thoughts, came the impulse to are quite different. The atmosphere we just write songs and then see what we create The Nihilistic Front? both create is as dissimilar as it gets in can do to make it more interesting – Just the simple desire to create somemy opinion. They are definitely a huge for ourselves and the listener. thing I have never done before. influence on us though, more so than any other band. They have been a favourite of mine for a very long time, since about 1994 or so.

The Nihilistic Front | 41

I have a compulsion to create something from nothing.

Cough are a band I have recently disinspiration from bands like Sunn O))), I have a simple rule »Good music = covered and they are fantastic. Also Godflesh and Swans that are not afraid Good feelings« and also »Bad music = bands like Black Boned Angel who to try different things.

Negative feelings«. Implying that the aren't strictly Doom or Metal, but are listener of the respective music can certainly attached to that particular I ask myself if it is difficult for you always find the best for himself which genre of music. to eventually become 100% content then empowers him. Therefore, I am with your compositions. You are defsure that non-metal fans would imAll your releases are released after initely quite prolific but how much mediately call you madmen who a certain period of time. When you self-critical can you be? produce perverse and vile music. Do record them it may take a year or you think that your music can have a Prolific is probably the last word I would two to re-arrange and master them. I negative effect on someone? use to describe myself. As for self-critimentioned self-criticism and I think All types of art/entertainment can cism I have never been 100% satisfied that I hit the nail … negatively affect a person, although with anything I have ever done. »The Null Factor Law« took awhile these people are probably unbalanced because the label that was going to reto begin with. I don't make music with How does the (de)compositional lease it cancelled. I had already startother people in mind, I do it because process looks like? ed work on a follow-up at that point so I have a compulsion to create someIt just gets to a point where the album we decided to put it on the back burnthing from nothing. starts to go backwards with post-proer. Only »Apocryphal Dirge« took duction, and you need to just stop and ages to complete and release. There Your compositions are rather lengthy force it onto the world. A lot of this is are too many reasons to list here, but and could be described as a mixture because my production skills are very eventually it got to the point where I of monstrous Death Metal with mobasic and not to the level required to had to knuckle down and finish it so I notonous Doom Metal. Where do you do this kind of project. could move on to other things. Abantake – consciously or subconsciously – doning the album was not an option, Are there any bands in the Funeral inspiration for your songs? my mind doesn't work that way.

Doom genre you consider worth folI try not to dig too deep into the realowing and who are constantly able sons why I write this particular type to evolve and progress further? of music, I just do what feels right at Your music is full to the brim with I don't listen to much Funeral Doom, I the time. On a certain level we use the apocalyptic visions, grief and despair. prefer the more extreme type of Doom negative things in the world around I am wondering what makes you haplike Moss, Corrupted and Monarch. us for inspiration. I also get a lot of py and what induces euphoria in you?

42 | The Nihilistic Front

And what is the real, true essence or I choose the artwork very carefulbasis of the band? ly, and I always send Chris images The true essence of the band is to take while we are creating music to give all the things we hate in the world and him an idea of where my head is at.

Especially the graphic visualisation purge it in the form of music.

I don't believe in creating music and you use for your records evokes postthen choosing any old image that has apocalyptic imagery. Maybe this Why did you chose the name The goats or zombies or whatever type of is a clue to where you want to take Nihilistic Front? Don't you think that artwork is popular at the time. Visulistener's imagination while he's lisnihilism is a phase which you must ally, I get inspiration from bands like tening to your music. Desolation, overcome or it will defeat you?

Godflesh who have a certain aesthetic apocalypse – total death. What is with their albums. your interpretation?

The name is more about the rejection of societies current belief structures While it is possible to read the – by and the way the world is currently govthe way the utterly nihilistic ­– lyrics erned. A »one size fits all« type of relifrom »Apocryphal Dirge« and »The gion is ridiculous and makes no sense Null Factor«, the other ones are not to us. When it came time to name the public ... band and select an image we could I don't have the lyrics to the other alquite easily have gone for a Black Metal bums. We might be re-releasing the type of name and it would have worked early albums, if that happens the lyrwell, but it seemed too easy. We would ics could make an appearance then. certainly be more well known in the underground but it wouldn't have been What does the composition of music an honest representation of who we are mean for you? Is it a some kind of euor what we want to do with this band. phoria, inner happiness or satisfaction of your inner feelings?

Do not take me wrong, I enjoy your The process of creating something art very much but I am curious if from nothing and working with other you are able to get over the genre's people to take it in other directions that limits. Aren't you tired of creating you hadn't thought of is a kind of satisthe same themes, compositions and faction, when it works out of course. atmospheres again and again?

The simple things in life, like spending time with my wife and son.

The Nihilistic Front | 43

The apocalypse is most likely happening right now, we just haven't realised it yet.

It would be great for music if we reWhat were your worst nightmares?

Actually there are less limits in this verted back to the old days, I used Are they sometimes coming to you band than in any other band we have to love going into dirty moth-eaten again and again? What are they been in previously. Black and Death stores and searching through dozens like and what do they mean for you?

Metal require a lot of skill and focus of crates of records to find something/ What are you for example your ideas to stay locked in to the other members anything of value. There are a lot less about apocalypse – the end of the and be »in the moment« as well as in stores now, and even less music inside world and mankind? time. In this band there is a lot of free them! The internet is great for discovI do, and I guess they play a part in space and time to experiment with a ering new bands and contacting oththe music somehow. The apocalypse is range of different things. It exercises a ers in the scene but at the same time most likely happening right now, we different set of skills that you wouldn't it's not good to have everything accesjust haven't realised it yet. normally get to do in faster bands. sible all the time for free. The internet isn't going anywhere though, and What are all the members of The Both of you have passed over your either is downloading – which we all Nihilistic Front in their personal thirties. Isn't metal music becoming do, I am no exception. I like vinyl and lives like? Tell us something about tiring for you?

CDs, they are much more interesting your social life, do you enjoy meetNot at all. We love listening and playthan a bunch of files on my laptop. I ing new people or going on parties? ing Metal so why should we stop? don't buy everything of course, but We work full time and are both marI make an effort to support as many ried with kids now. No free time for Don't you sometimes think »What bands as I can if their music means much else except the occasional gig. the hell am I doing? I should grow something to me.

All the parents out there understand up finally!« ... what I mean.

Society needs to change, not us.

To many people, Australia is mainly known for – in my opinion – quite What is your opinion on the contemAre you starting to appreciate differviolent sport: rugby. With your porary problem of censorship and ent kinds of music? frame it looks like you might be a control of websites with music downWe have always been into other forms pretty good player, haha. Have you loads? After all we live in the year of music as well. At the moment I lisever played rugby or are you at least 2012, can you imagine that everyten to more Chelsea Wolfe and Asva a fan? thing would revert into times of tapethan anything else. Until the new This is Victoria, we do Aussie Rules trading and total absence of internet Monarch and Inverloch albums arrive Football here. and all other helpful things? on my doorstep of course.

44 | The Nihilistic Front

On the Aesthetic Death website, you You are currently working on the have commented your next opus new record »Procession To Anniwith the following words: »New mahilation«. Could you please tell us terial will crush any emotion and something more about it? empathy you may have remaining The songs are shorter, and our Death following their previous three alMetal roots are more pronounced on bums – The Nihilistic Front are the this album. I am fine-tuning a couple of musical manifestation of all the hathe songs at the moment, so we are pertred and contempt you have for sociilously close to recording the album. ety.« Do you think that hatred gives your life a meaning or does it make Haven't you though about using a living more meaningful? live drummer?

I did have a drummer in mind for the No on both counts. It's healthy to get album and a few shows but he is busy certain emotions out of your system at the moment. Maybe for the next which is the point. I would rather get it album? out of my system than bring it home for my family, that's how bad habits form.

Cool, we'll see. The upcoming album will for the first time be released At the end let me ask you one final officially through Aesthetic Death, question: What would be your last who have already released gems like words before execution?

Murkrat, Wreck of the Hesperus or I would quote Tom G. Warrior: »No Fleurety. How did you get in contact surprise, no apologies. I am intense«. with the label's boss Stu? Classic!

He contacted me last year for a trade and liked the music enough to work Thanks for the opportunity to present with us. It's going really well so far, alThe Nihilistic Front on our pages. though I am behind schedule by a few Thanks for the interview and continmonths. We were hoping to be done ued support.

by March/April but are yet to officially start recording. www.nihilisticfront.com The Nihilistic Front | 45

Hey Stuart, what's up? How are you doing?

Hello! I'm doing fine, thank you.

My studies are keeping me busy and inspired as well as my photography work.

herr f. & herr b. march 2012

How are things in snowed in Northern Ireland?

We didn't get any snow over here, that was across the pond in England. Currently, Northern Ireland is just cold and wet as usual.

You've been running your label, Ominous Silence Records, for quite a while now. Care to give our readers some info on what the label is all about?

I started Ominous Silence Records because I wanted to release music I like and support artists that have strong beliefs and are passionate about their craft. I wanted to release music in a fashion that I felt was neglected by the underground scene. There was also a bit of a selfish, be it small reason too: to expand and improve my graphic design work.

46 | Ominous Silence Records

Please, introduce the releases on Ominous Silence Records so far to our readers. What makes them special to you, for what reason worth to be released and which one are still available?

I'll just talk about the releases that are currently available.

Persistence in Mourning / Vomir: »Split« // MC Persistence in Mourning offer something that so beyond anything that I have heard within the Doom scene. Slow, crushing Funeral Doom laced with obscure, industrial inspired sounds and terrifying vocals. Andy creates quite a unique atmosphere. I heard somene describe Persistence in Mourning as »Atypical Doom« which I think sums up the sound perfectly.

As for Vomir, I wasn't really aware of Romain and his work until I contacted Andy. I find Vomir's tracks very hypnotic – especially the longer ones. After listening to them for a while the initial impact / harsh-

ness is lost, and you're left with something that is more soothing or dreamlike. At times your mind can just dift off into nothingness. However, there is always a return to that inital impact when the track ends quite abruptly.

When I approached Andy about the split, I thought it was a strange pairing at first, but after listening to the material, each side manages to complement each other quite nicely.

Its definitely something I'd like to release more of in the future. Doing a small Noise / Doom series would be interesting.

o.68: »Elend« // CD

Gnaw Their Tongues: »Spit at me and wreak Havoc on my Flesh« // CD

I'll try and not massage DuŠan's ego too much with this, haha. o.68 has a very claustrophobic sound that sucks you in. DuŠan is able to walk a fine line between Funeral Doom and bands like My Dying Bride without over doing it and becoming »Gothic«. The music retains a more malevolent, raw sound rather than being overly symphonic but still has lots of emotion.

I like how DuŠan mixes things up ever so often. By including Stoner inspired riffs and Death Metal gutturals, it creates a more diverse, unique and ultimately interesting album.

I have been a fan of Gnaw Their Tongues for a while. What does it for me is the dark, sick sound Mories is able to create. The only other bands I can say that create something even remotely similar are The Axis of Peridition and maybe Khanate. »Spit at me and wreak Havoc on my Flesh« is still my personal favourite Gnaw Their Tongues album.

Its so intense. I prefer the early Gnaw Their Tongues sound to the more ambient droney sound that is present on recent releases. Both styles are great, but its hard to beat the furiosity of »Spit at me ... «.

Ominous Silence Records | 47

Ominous Silence – looking back on your past releases, this is really a very apt name for your label.

Thanks.

What does Ominous Silence mean to you – literally and figuratively – and what is your personal interpretation of the name?

To me, its quite a thought provoking name that creates nice imagery in my head and it fits nicely with the kind of music and art that I am interested in. It has quite dark connotations, but with words that are more subtle and less in your face, if that makes sense.

For example, I could have called the label something that sounded more »metal« or whatever, but it wouldn't have had the same impact in my eyes, I couldn't have taken the label seriously. The name is also in a sense quite abstract. It can relate to a wide range of genres and therefore doesn't pigeon-hole the label.

Judging from your releases, one might come to the conclusion that your own musical taste must probably also be quite diverse, right?

48 | Ominous Silence Records

Yes, that is true. Although I imagine you mean diverse within the metal genre, right? I listen to a lot of music that are in some ways worlds away from the metal scene.

Is this also the basis on which you pick the records you want to release? What is the common element that connects everything and keeps everything together in the end?

Again, yes, I only release music that I enjoy and can find a sort of connection with, regardless of genre.

Ominous Silence Records is very personal that way.

Are there any current releases – not limited to your own label – which you can wholeheartedly recommend our readers?

I've just received the new Locrian / Mamiffer split in the post, so that has been getting a lot of plays. Its a nice blending their respective styles, which creates something totally new.

Which releases should not be missed, and for what reason?

Other than that, I can recommend:  Bosse-De-Nage: »II« Minimalist Black Metal with incredible vocals and surreal lyrics.  It Only Gets Worse: »EP« Collaboration between Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues and Matt Finney from Heinali & Matt Finney.

Lovely mix of Witchhouse-esque electronica and spoken word.  Conan: »Monnos« Heavy as fuck Stoner Doom from the UK. I believe this is their debut LP, and its fantastic. Can't give them enough praise.

The high quality packaging and design of all your releases is quite striking. It seems that you attach great importance to this matter.

To me, the packaging of a release is an extremely important element, not just because of the whole digital revolution and decline in physical

products, but because packaging should compliment the music contained within. Cheap, plastic jewel cases are tacky and in my eyes slightly insulting to an artist who has spent a great deal of time composing an album or EP etc. Its fine for mainstream artists who are selling millions of records, but as the underground scene, we should be doing something drastically different from the mainstream, something more creative and with more meaning.

There are probably many more great ways of presenting an album that you are toying with in your mind – care to name a few, if there are any? And which of those are in the realm of the possible?

I have so many rough ideas, unfortunately, many of them won't be feasible for Ominous Silence

Records (at the moment anyway) or they aren't suitable for the metal genre. In particular I'd like to work with more traditional printing methods like Letterpress and Embossing to create artwork. They produce more tactile pieces that are usually handmade and therefore each one is unique. Other ideas involve origami like packaging, heat sensitive print or scratch card like print to again, make the artwork and packaging more engaging.

At the moment, it seems that you mainly focus on CDs. How come? Apart from financial aspects, what advantages do CDs have for you?

I mainly work with CDs because that is what I have grown up with, and they hold a nice amount of material. I like designing for them too, as they are a nice size to work with and create artwork / packaging for.

Then there are 3"-CDs which I like even more and I anxiously await the day that I can release one on Ominous Silence Records.

Tapes are even better in some ways because you can customize them so much and make them more personal for fans.

Vinyl is great because of its size. The large cover itself is comparable to the size of a painting.

However, a downside is that they don't hold that much material which is a shame especially for Doom where songs can be quite lengthy.

Packaging, artwork and layout, as well as gimmicks such as patches et al. seem to become more and more important – both for labels and fans. Sometimes, it might seem they are even more important than the music. Some albums are released in an excessive amount of varieties, different mediums, die-hards, limited colored vinyls, etc. What do you think of all this?

Speaking as a fan myself, I don't care for these sorts of things, so I probably won't bundle anything like that along with Ominous Silence Records releases. If I buy a release that comes with patches I usually just give them away to friends or with orders.

I think its just that fans want more for their buck now a days. its got to a point where buying a CD isn't enough, fans want patches and badges to justify their payment. Its a little silly because as you rightly said, in the end its about the music, not the gimmicks. I don't mind when a CD is sold for a fair price and comes in a nicely presented package. In my eyes that is still keeping the music fairly important. Its when the packaging / gimmicks start to influence the selling price for a release, that is what I don't agree with.

and even where I live have in someway shaped who I am today. In particular, my mother and her side of the family have definitely influenced my creative side and interest in art. My grandmother was a well known local sculptor, and I spent a lot of my time when I was younger playing in her studio with wax sculptures and paints.

Oh, I hope you're getting some more orders after this statement, haha. But back on topic: In the end, a good album is first and foremost all about the music – everything else is just the icing on the cake. Wouldn't you agree that the focus should be on the music, and that it should be able to speak for itself?

A little bird told me that you are not all that old, in your early 20s, right?

Yes, you are correct about my age.

As for music, one event does stick out. I remember buying a Terrorizer magazine because it came with a free CD which I thought was awesome because I had never seen that before.

It also had a feature on Slipknot (Are you kidding me? That's horrible bubble gum shock theater ... – Herr B.).

I didn't know who they were at the time, I just thought their costumes

Tell us, what was it that influenced and shaped your life so far and made you who you are today?

Well, all my experiences and the people I have met over the years

Which moments or experiences have had the biggest impact on you – in respect to everything, not just music?

were cool. I took it home, played the CD over and over while I read through the magazine. I discovered so much from that one magazine and it got me really interested in Heavy Metal.

Another question dealing with age: the »good old times« are being glorified almost ad nauseam these days. A popular opinion seems to be that if you did not live it then, you need to shut up now.

What is your opinion on all this, and how do you deal with it?

I don't really care for those sorts of things and try to ignore them. I just want to listen to and enjoy music.

The politics aren't really important.

On the other hand, almost every genre has its own »Old School Revival«. You can basically label anything »old school« and be sure it will sell, no matter the quality.

Why the return to the traditional values of old and what spawned it in your opinion?

Yeah, that is how trends work, right? We progress to a point where mainstream hits its peak and we start to get nostalgic and look back at the past.

Which of all the »retro« bands have you taken a shine to – and why?

There aren't that many »old school« bands that I like. Things like traditional Doom don't really interest me.

Perhaps its down to an age thing ...

A positive side-effect of this »retro trend« is the heightened interest in vinyl, which got neglected for quite a while ...

Vinyl was before me, so I never really got into it. And its too expensive now a days for me so I don't buy them often. Only if I'm obsessed with a particular album or whatever.

If memory serves, the last vinyl I bought was »Hell's I« from Pesenta Urfolk. I'm happy enough with tapes and CDs.

Is releasing vinyl a feasible option for Ominous Silence Records, or do you even already have plans for one?

Yeah, someday I'd like to do a vinyl if a band really wants to do it. I'm not too fussed.

What about good old cassette tapes? Those also experienced a surge in popularity, and frankly, I think it's great!

Yeah man, cassettes are great, just like CDs, I really enjoy designing for cassette releases.

In stark contrast to the retro hype in the underground, mainstream media relies more and more on improving digital technology. All the global players in the music industry have announced plans to distribute their music in mp3 format exclusively in the future. Physical formats will then be reduced to collectibles and special editions. Then again, you have a rising number of underground bands offering their songs or albums for download via certain internet platforms like e.g. bandcamp. In many cases, the downloads are not free ...

On one hand its nice, as it makes the music important and gets away from the unnecessary packaging that some labels lump together with their releases. However, it feels less personal. Its nice to listen to a CD and flick through a booklet reading lyrics or looking at artwork. You can't really do that with digital releases. It also kills the creativity of packaging and graphic design.

With digital downloads the whole concept of an album as a piece of art will be forgotten. People will no 52 | Ominous Silence Records

longer listen to an album from start to finish as the artist intended it, but just download a few of their favourite tracks and be done with it.

Where will all this take us and how do you see the state of the music business in – let's say – 20 years?

In 20 years I see companies like Apple having complete control over culture. You can get all your music, books and fi lms from them now.

The way I see it, its only a matter of time before they will be the only place you can get your music fi x.

Which (current) developments can you agree with, both personally and as head of a label? Which ones do you reject?

I agree with digital downloads as long as the files are high quality. Its quite silly that people are paying for low quality tracks like 192 kbps etc.

If digital is the way forward, people should be encouraging more sales of lossless quality files. I personally would like to offer sold out Ominous Silence Records releases for free downloads at some point in the future.

Back to Ominous Silence Records: Which releases are currently being worked on? At the time of this writing, it seems that nothing much is happening – how come?

Due to my studies, I haven't had much time for the label. I actually had a few releases planned for release late 2011 / early 2012, but I had to cancel them due to lack of time and funds.

Come on, nothing cooking?

Still waters run deep, or whatever the saying was, right?

I do have one small release in the pipeline at the moment that should hopefully be out during the summer and maybe one more later on in the year.

Still waters do indeed run deep, haha.

You've mentioned the joy you're getting from designing releases for several times now. As you're talking about a lack of funds: Have you ever thought about enlarging or turning Ominous Silence into an artwork service for the underground?

You know what, I have actually never thought about that before, which does seem kinda odd now that I think about. I'm not so sure that my »style« would fit with most metal bands. It seems to me that illustrations are the popular choice for artwork. I prefer to work with photography and typography.

However its something I'll definitely consider if I can figure out how to promote myself and work out how to price work etc. Thanks for planting that little seed!

I might as well take this opportunity for a wee bit of shameless self promotion: If anyone reading this is in band looking artwork done, hit me up! Do it now while I don't know how to properly price my precious time!

Let's have a look at 2012 form a musical perspective. Is there any

release you anticipate personally and we all should keep an eye on?

Hmm... I know Bosque (Funeral Doom, Spain) is working on new material for a full length. I hope that will get released within 2012.

Same goes for 20.sv (Noise, Lebanon). They guy behind 20.sv, Osman actually set up a blog to document the recording process for his new album which is an interesting read.

Horseback (Noise / Drone, USA) is releasing a new album in May called »Half Blood« which im looking forward to.

There is a split LP/Cassette from LDRTFS (Drone) and Of Darkness (Funeral Doom) coming out on Black Mass Records in the coming months.

And finally, I'm sure the Mories from the Gnaw Their Tongues fame will be releasing something from one of his many, illustrious projects.

Some other bands to keep your eye on this year are: Gate to Void (Dark Ambient), Persistence in Mourning (Funeral Doom) and Wreck and Reference (Doom). Its lining up to be a good year.

If you look at the scene in (Northern) Ireland, there seems to be a lot of potential and a lot of movement, apart from the well-established bands such as Primordial and Altar of Plagues. The Doom scene in particular is rising steadily. What is your opinion on this matter – is there any common factor or motivational force behind this development?

I think a passion for nature and Irish history drives a lot of Irish bands.

Which bands from the Emerald Isle can you recommend?

A few of the lesser known bands from here that I especially like are, Rebirth of Nefast (Black Metal), Bellaras (Doom) and Dwell in Sun (Doom).

Your local live music scene also seems to have benefitted from the abovementioned developments and is now reaping its benefits – the Dublin Doom Days are a good example. Do you enjoy concerts?

My experience with concerts isn't that great. I usually leave the con-

cert unimpressed due to the overall sound being below what I expected.

I went to Damnation back in 2008 and it wasn't that great, plus there isn't exactly a thriving live scene here in Northern Ireland.

Which gigs have been the highlights of the past years, and which gigs or festivals are you looking forward to in 2012?

I have been to a few good gigs in Belfast: Entombed, Electric Wizard and Altar of Plagues were pretty good. Entombed in particular were fantastic. Some day I would like to attend both Dublin Doom Days and Roadburn, as I imagine they are the pinnacle of underground music live. Its just a shame about the ticket prices for Roadburn.

We've reached the end of this conversation. Of course, we're sticking to tradition – the final words are yours!

Thanks for the interview, it was a pleasure. Worship Satan etc., haha. www.ominoussilence.com Ominous Silence Records | 53

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Cruciamentum | 57

Doomwards let us starring

esoteric

Greg · Joe · Jan · Gordon · Jim · Mark

ahab

Droste · Hector · Stephan · Corny

ophis

2012

Martin · Nils · Olly · Phil

Sarah Tour manager · Basti Sound guy · Manuel Merch guy · Wittek & Ralf Bus driver

row

tour

diary While this was the second time Ophis hit the road, in one respect it still was a premiere: we no longer had to sit in a 9 seat van, but rode in a professional sleeper bus.

Ahab toured with their third album »The Giant«, which was released a couple of days before, and Esoteric commemorated their 20th anniversary with this tour. For us, it could have been a tour promoting our new EP, but once again, things did not work out quite as they had been planned on our label's side, and the thing was not released until weeks after.

The press had been calling this tour as the »Doom Metal Event« of the year (We did? Okay, just kidding ... – Herr B.). Be that as it may, it was worth keeping a tour diary.

written by phil of ophis backstage shots by ophis live shots by herr b., munich Greg (Esoteric)

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luDwiGsBurG travelDay may 29tH, 2012

Germany · rockfaBrik may 30tH, 2012 · weDnesDay

As it is a long way to Ludwigsburg, the Ophites (as we will be called for a number of days) decide to hit the road a day in advance and crash with Martin's friend Swantje in Siegen.

We're done packing around 7 pm and head south. While the mood is great, you can feel a little bit of anxiety in the air – touring will make you nervous.

Nothing much of note happened along the road, apart from a little game of truck stop frisbee in the middle of the night.

Once arrived, we head to bed, but not before eating and smoking it up a bit.

Ludwigsburg, 3:30 pm, oppressive heat. The other bands are already here. Ahab are busy setting up, Esoteric went sleeping in the bus (which is an incredible feat, seeing how it is easily 30 degrees in there), and because we know both bands from earlier gigs together, we skip the usual small talk to break the ice.

We have a little time to inspect our bus – in the past, it was used by Corvus Corax, Master, W.A.S.P., Necrophobic, and Obituary! Who knows, I might have the same bunk Blackie Lawless used to shag hordes of groupies in ...

Ludwigsburg is somewhat of a blueprint for what is going to happen on the rest of the tour. The soundcheck takes forever, there are tons of technical issues, and our tour technician Basti, fresh out of the academy, is not always mastering the situation. At our set, everything is still going alright: we're still very tight as a band on ac-

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count of our trip to the Netherlands two weeks earlier, the sound is acceptable, the crowd eats it up. Only the incredible heat is taking its toll on us – the venue felt like a Turkish bathhouse.

Esoteric are the first to have troubles: the sound from the monitors is muddy as hell, and to add insult to injury, one of the monitors croaks in the middle of the set and has to be dragged off stage, smoking. Apart from that, Esoteric delivers a good show.

Ahab is a worthy headliner. The crowd seems a bit apathetic, but the scorching heat and humidity will do that.

All in all we are off to a good start.

With room for improvement here and there, but that is not out of the ordinary at the first gig.

After the show, we have a couple of beers and some green here and there, until around 4 am. Nobody's in the mood for partying – you don't want to be a wreck after the very first day of your tour.

Phil (Ophis)

geneve Switzerland · L' Usine may 31st, 2012 · Thursday Sleeping in the bus is more comfortable than I had thought. Probably due to the very laid back driving style of Wittek. He says he had to adapt because his wife used to yell at him when his reckless driving made her spill her coffee time and time again.

We arrive at the border in the morning.

Swiss customs lives up to its reputation.

Not only does the officer impose 8% import tax on our merch, as we had already anticipated, he also wants 1200 € out of our tour money (!) for filling out the paperwork (!!).

A figure he picks completely at random.

This is nothing short of highway robbery.

Obviously, talking to this guy does nothing, and we absolutely refuse to pay. So no merch in Switzerland, tough luck. If you ask for too much you end up with nothing.

Fuck you, Switzerland!

We go back to the German side of the border and have our merch shipped to Austria, our next tour stop, from there. This also is far from cheap, but still better than blowing money up the customs office's ass for absolutely nothing. In a freak coincidence, some

of the guys working for the delivery company are Ahab fans and buy some of their stuff on the spot. This entire situation eats up 4,5 hours of our time – we spend it wisely, baking in the scorching sun doing nothing at all. Apart from getting blitzed on Äppelwoi, that is. While we do try smuggling some merchandise over the border hidden between our own clothes, it still does not amount to a whole lot. Which is particularly bitter for Ophis, as merchandise is our only source of income on this tour.

With a huge delay we arrive in Geneva, which is something like the Swiss equivalent of Frankfurt. The club is top notch, as is the buffet. At arrival, we get two giant pizzas, huge amounts of cheese, sausage, and sweets. Not to mention four different entrees (two with meat, one vegetarian, one vegan). Now all we need is an audience.

Even though we start late, there are only 20 people in the room. And that's it for the rest of the night as well. In a place fit for 500 people, this is a pretty dismal sight.

We decide not to give a fuck, nothing we

can do about it anyway. As we don't have a fixed set list, but rather choose four songs out of a »back catalog« of ten songs every night, we play an entirely different set than the night before. Another premiere: we play »Storm of Shards« for the first and only time on this tour. Despite everything, and this includes our sound problems on stage, we play a good show.

Ahab and Esoteric are the rotating headliners of this tour. Today, Esoteric is up last. Incredibly, they even have less people watching their set than we did, only Ahab manage to draw a little bit more attention. Still, every band gives their best. If you don't believe me, check YouTube for video evidence.

Like the night before, we spend the night loitering in front of the club, located right by the Rhone and making for a great spot to hang out and party. The entire tour crew is invited to a burlesque party, which nobody gets excited about on account of the beautiful summer night and the rather mediocre day preceding it. I call it a night around 4 am.

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zurich

switzerland 路 dynamo june 1st, 2012 路 Friday I have no idea why, but I sleep way too long today. I wake up in front of the club, most of the other guys have already left sightseeing. Great. So I explore the huge, four story labyrinth that is the club on my own, in the quest for a shower and a toilet.

After my attempts to lose my bunk bed odor, a sense of routine sets in. Setting up, doing the soundcheck (which once again takes rather long), and waiting.

Everyone's in good spirits come stage time, however, seeing how the place is completely sold out and the people go absolutely apeshit. A great way to forget about yesterday's setback. And a horrible way to remember we have very little merch with us. Thanks, custom officers. Pylon bass player Jan and Shever bass player Nadine are among the guests tonight and offer plenty of opportunity for nice chats.

The Dynamo has several rooms. In the larger one, above the one we play tonight, German Gangsta Rap redneck Farid Bang plays a show. Seeing a typical Metal audience mixed with 禄smooth芦 Hip Hop kids and their girls in whore uniforms is

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Greg (Esoteric)

rather amusing. Interestingly, we draw a bigger audience although the rapper plays the bigger room. Nils and Sarah try sneaking into Farid's backstage area, trying to get a glimpse of the mountains of coke they suspect to be there, but can't get past the bouncer.

And while we're on the topic of drugs: Esoteric asked all promoters to get a local pusher to the show every night to supply the entire crew with substances of various kinds. As we strictly follow the rule of not taking drugs across national borders (tour buses get searched on a regular basis), we have to get rid of everything we bought before we leave. The businessman we dealt with yesterday in Geneva was pretty generous, however, forcing us to smoke weed by the garbage bag. Our after show party, which takes place behind the club once again, consists of little more than four to five joints making the rounds, and every time one is finished, another one magically appears. Greg, Manuel the merch guy and Martin really earn their stripes here.

vienna

Austria · Escape june 2nd, 2012 · Saturday As I get out of my bunk mid-travel, I feel like shit. Nausea, headaches, profuse sweating. Despite not drinking or smoking last night. Luckily it gets better with time, but it's still an ordeal. The Escape's crew doesn't arrive until the afternoon, making us wait for two hours and serving us breakfast on the street. The pedestrians must have loved the sight of 18 long haired dudes eating their way though a mountain of sandwiches in front of a bus, and trying to shave using its windows for mirrors.

Later Micha from Metalnews shows up. He wants to catch the show »off the clock« tonight, and we hang out for a while.

Soundcheck starts way late, and Ophis only gets 15 minutes. Nonetheless, we deliver the best gig of the tour so far. The place is packed, the people are enthusiastic and even sing along here and there.

Same for Ahab, who cannot display their backdrop on the tiny stage. The situation with the size of the stage turns into a real problem once Esoteric is on, but some-

how they manage to fit six people plus their giant effect boards (Greg's alone weighs some 30 kg) on there. The audience eats it up.

At midnight, Olly celebrates his birthday. The Ahab guys give him a gift basket filled with merchandise – too bad we can't just do the same. We wanted to find some cake for Olly before the show, but did not have enough time. Our substitute: half a baguette stacked to the heavens with cheese and sausage and adorned with sweets. A burning cigarette in the middle of it all is our makeshift candle.

Not too pretty, but worth a couple of photos at least.

There is a 90s party following the show.

Strangely enough for a place named Escape Metalcorner, all they play is cringeworthy Eurodance. A good portion of our entourage hits the dance floor to »All that she wants«, »Mr. Vain«, and similar stuff, until we are called to the bus at around 5 am. Nils is gifted enough of a trash dancer to catch the attention of a number of ladies.

Esoteric

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Ljubiljana Slovenia · klub gromka june 3rd, 2012 · Sunday As I get up in the morning, I suffer a culture shock. We have already arrived at the club. Getting out, I feel as if I was in »Alice in Wonderland« after Hieronymus Bosch had dropped by for a visit. Gromka is located in a building complex inhabited by artists, hippies, and various other antisocials (well, come on). The place had gone from prison to school (enough said) to this, and now looks like a bad acid trip.

Promoter Mica (»but you can call me Honeybottom«) is, fittingly insane, insisting on dropping his pants every time a camera lens is directed at him and making a point of greeting his mom while mooning the camera. The many posters for our concert – tagline »Optimism is for Pussies« – are no less insane. Oh yeah, the showers are in the toolshed.

Martin and I go on a little sightseeing tour, but can't discover anything noteworthy apart from a train station and some government building. We are served vegan chili today, which, while tasty, unleashes horrid flatulence in some of us.

Bonus points for Basti today, who manages to deal with the desolate state of the PA. A local band called The Canyon Observer are opening the night. While their sludgecore is too trendy for my taste, they manage to sound raw and deliver a professional show.

Unfortunately, the show only draws an audience of about 50. But keeping in mind that this is a Sunday, the first time any of the bands play Slovenia, the last day of the Metalfest Open Air, and Megadeth is also in town, the turnout isn't all that bad.

What is bad, however, is our gig. Not that we don't give everything we have. Unfortunately, Basti mics the wrong cabinet – Esoteric's, which is on stage but obviously not connected to an amp - instead of Martin's. Basti does not realize, and turns up the wrong channel until we get a feedback that is loud enough to drown out any other sound on stage. Obviously, the audience cannot hear Martin's guitar. Martin's foaming from the mouth, and I'm about to explode, but oh well,

shit happens. At least the audience sings Happy Birthday for Olly.

After the gig I need some time alone and go to my bunk, where I involuntarily become witness to a blowjob session right in the middle of the bus. Apparently this couple thought they were alone in here.

To make matters worse, they are right in front of my bunk, so I have to wait while they finish up. Sucks that I have to take a leak really bad.

I don't catch any of the other bands tonight, you have to take a break every now and again. Nobody's really happy with the way things went tonight, but nobody really had a shit time either.

After the audience has left, some of us partake in a soccer match, handicapped by copious amounts of weed. Hector in particular has a hard time keeping his goal clean, much to the amusement of the others. After bus call most of us go straight to their bunks. Some hard-boiled individuals, particularly those hailing from England, keep partying until way past sunrise, though.

Prague czech republic 路 black pes june 4th, 2012 路 Monday Deja-vu. Last time Ophis played Prague, we could not find the club and endlessly searched the city's periphery. This time around Wittek knows the way, but it is closed. The police stopped a car that drove around with another car on its roof! Welcome to Eastern Europe. So we take a sightseeing trip of every detour in town during the first day of rain on this tour. On the upside, Black Pes is still a great club which even invested in improving its equipment.

Our promoter seems to have some money woes: we don't get any breakfast, nothing to drink apart from water and beer in tallboy bottles, and exactly one tiny portion of macaroni salad per person. No sign of the showers we were promised either. More time to hit the foosball table. Droste and Jan both have some heroic moments there.

A local band called Et Moriemur opens the night, and they deliver. Reminiscent of Officium Triste musically, these young guys understand that the line between

grand gestures and embarrassing theatrics is a fine one. Sadly, the audience does not care too much. Some seem interested, but reactions remain tame. Same for every other band of the night. Olly fittingly calls it a typical Monday night gig.

Only the headliners, Esoteric, can get the crowd to react more emphatically. Not a bad gig per se, but a far cry from our last show here, which was amazing in every way.

No drug dealer to be found today, so Esoteric put up a sign asking for generous weed donations at the merch table.

The promoter just keeps on being generous as well after the show, bitching about the turnout (not our fault if you don't promote the show right) and even wants us to pay for the water on stage from our guarantee! Five fucking Euros!

Tour manager Sarah almost bursts out laughing.

As it keeps raining we cut our usual after show hangout outside and go to bed early.

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munich

Germany · feierwerk june 5th, 2012 · Tuesday Once again I only wake up after the bus arrives at the venue ... I really need to get my sleep rhythm under control. Anyway, turns out the Feierwerk is a top notch venue. After an ample breakfast, Martin and I go explore the area. While we can't find anything to write home about, it gets obvious very quickly that this city has a very different atmosphere compared to Hamburg or Berlin.

The gig is really good. Every band brings their A-game, and having 150 paying attendees – enthusiastic ones at that – on a Tuesday night is quite the success. We sell merchandise like crazy, and Manuel really has his hands full.

Tonight we welcome Herr B. of this little rag and Erinc from Medecophobic to our little after show party, and both get blitzed on white wine spritzer. As that is quite the hard thing to do, they down countless liters of the stuff, but they get results. Erinc in particular is wasted beyond belief and entertains the entire area in front of the club. Fantastic. One by one we go to bed, but some still stick around. At least until Erinc finally manages to go home.

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Martin (Ophis)

Berlin Germany · K 17 june 6th, 2012 · Wednesday On average, you have at least one day on every tour which is just jinxed. Today is that day for me. It's awfully hot and humid, and once again the soundcheck takes ages.

Seeing how we had a discussion about this very issue last night, I’m really on edge.

After a fuckup with our intro right at the beginning of the show and continued problems with the sound I definitely have had enough. My demotivation affects both my performance and my bandmates, and we play the worst show on this tour. By far. Judging from the positive, but not too enthusiastic, reactions of the crowd, however, things still seem somewhat alright.

We play »Black Wish« for our ex-bass player Olli, who came to see the show.

Our tour manager Sarah's professionalism calms us down after the show Ahab rules tonight. The K17 gets somewhat empty during Esoteric's set. Which is really too bad, because I think both their setlist and their show are one of the best ever tonight. Extra goosebumps during »Circles«.

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More of the usual after the show. Nils acquired a nice little card game in a punk shop this afternoon: Shit Trumps. With pics. It doesn't cease to amuse everyone with its inventive categories such as »painfulness«, »number of wipes«, and »aesthetic appeal«. We spend the rest of the evening watching documentaries (»Youth Wars«) and YouTube bullshit.

As we don't have to leave until noon, our party drags on and on, and around 5:00 or 6:00 am I finally go to bed. My sense of time is ruined.

Phil (Ophis)

Jena

Rotterdam

Germany · Rosenkeller june 7th, 2012 · Thursday

Netherlands · Baroeg june 8th, 2012 · Friday

Wittek has been complaining about severe pain since yesterday and decides to go see a doctor in Berlin. Gall stones. Fuck. So we have to substitute Wittek for Ralf, who turns out to be an equally chill guy and even cleans the bus. Thanks!

Martin decides to be brave and eat a Tofu sausage at a resting area. After complaining about how disgusting the thing is, he discovers that he didn't remove the packaging.

Jena welcomes us with scorching heat.

Thankfully, the Rosenkeller lives up to its name and is in fact located on the third basement floor beneath the historic city walls. Unfortunately, there is no elevator. Moving a ton of equipment three floors into the cold earth is no fun. But the catering is amazing – we barbecue in front of the venue. The macaroni salad we are served reminds Corny of the one his mother makes. Check plus.

Of course, soundcheck takes for­ever.

We have to get our part done in 10

minutes after doors. In a way, the emotional nadir of last evening seems to be beneficial – nobody gets mad about all this, even though we have to cut our set short.

As the club has no showers, we go take a shower in a nearby pub, whose owner has a little marijuana plantation in the bathroom. All this hygiene turns out to be a waste of time anyway, because we have to get all our stuff up from the basement and into our trailer after Esoteric's set. Moving a ton of stuff up three floors is even worse than down.

Thankfully, the crew helps and the promoter takes the time to prepare crazy amounts of sandwiches for breakfast.

Incredibly nice guy.

You probably know what time it is next: party behind the venue. Joining us today are the promoter and the owner of our former label (Karge Welten Kunst­ verlag – Herr B.) , Falk. Come dawn we move toward the Netherlands, but the crowd partying in the bus keeps going.

Playing the Netherlands is almost like playing our hometown, as we've been at the Baroeg twice before. So it's no surprise to meet several familiar faces, such as the crew, friends like Tino and Marcel, and a number of people in the crowd.

I spend most of my afternoon with my friend Moniek, who lives right around the corner. So obviously, I can't comment on what the rest of the guys are up to. Basti is off tonight, because the Baroeg sound guy wants to take care of all three bands.

Our friends in Officium Triste are also here today, and coincidentally, it even is vocalist Pim's birthday. For this special occasion, we surprise him with a special song. During our set, right before »Convert to Nihilism«, we cover a short excerpt of Officium Triste's classic »My Charcoal Heart« – with altered lyrics about Pim's »biblical« age. While it goes over most of the audience's heads, we have a ton of fun. The guys in Officium Triste can't stop laughing. Mission accomplished. After the gig, I meet a French lady who came all the way to see Ophis.

Esoteric headlines the night and wins over everyone. Only Ahab gets less positive response than usual, but their show surely is not to blame.

After show party in the club tonight. Football tournaments, lethal amounts of beer and dope, and a DJ playing Doom Metal til the cows come home. Everybody joins in and the general mood is great. Thanks to a severely intoxicated stripper (who is here off duty) we also cover the trash/groupie aspect. Enough said.

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Oberhausen Germany · Kult Tempel june 9th, 2012 · Saturday The last day of the tour is here, and it promises to be one to remember. Kult Tempel turns out to be a fantastic, huge place made to look like a nave.

Obviously, without the benches. Absolutely great!

They even have a giant cross, adorned with skulls and barb wire. Now that's metal!

Less metal is our promoter Igor who fails to supply half the PA, including DI boxes. Playing a show with what we have there is impossible. An absolute nightmare for our tour manager Sarah and surprising to us, as we remember Igor and his agency Stage Secret Managements as being competent and experienced.

This impression is obviously ruined today.

Getting additional equipment to the venue takes time. Lots of time. This is shitty news particularly for Faal, who made the long trip from the Netherlands to open tonight. As the situation drags on, nobody can tell for sure if Faal is even going to play at all. The guys are less than thrilled, which everyone can understand perfectly. Unfortunately, this causes some issues with the band members! Which is sad, because they are very nice people usually.

The problems continue: today there is a vendor next to our merch table. No problems there, if it weren't for the fact that the man has Nazi shit like 70 | Doomwards let us row tour-diary

Der Stürmer and similar RAC and NSBM crap in his distro. There is no way we want stuff like that on our gig, so us and Ahab go ask the promoter to kick the guy out. Igor resists because of a written contract with the vendor and demands we pay the penalty. Kindly please to fuck yourself, sir!

We have to hit the stage without prior sound check.

Miraculously, Basti delivers his best performance under the worst conditions. Keeping in mind what we work with the monitor sound is damn good, and the sound in front of the stage is great as well.

We are highly motivated tonight and want to perform our best at the conclusion of the tour (as we do every night anyway). And we deliver. Our gig is very intense, maybe the best of the tour. The fact that we have a number of fans here to see us obviously helps. We don't play any songs off »Immersed« tonight, and the audience is just great.

It is tradition for bands to prank one another at the end of tours. And that's exactly the case today.

During »Funeral«, Corny, disguised with sunglasses and a mustache of calamari, reenacts Monty Python's »Ministry of Silly Walks« on stage. We'll get you good for this!

We leave the stage after really damn good gig, and

several people tell us that tonight is the best they have ever seen us. I plan my revenge during Ahab's set. I go on stage during the intro for »Further South«. Befitting their maritime image, I wear a bathing suit, sunglasses, a towel, and flip flops and apply some sunscreen. The Ahab guys have a sense of humor about it and we keep joking for a couple minutes. They, too, deliver a brilliant gig.

Esoteric is headlining. Ophis and Ahab go crazy one last time – those guys are evilness in the flesh tonight. Droste and Corny dress up as cleaning ladies, go on stage and start sweeping. Greg manages to keep a straight face. Chapeau.

Afterward, there is a 20 minute space left for Faal, who play to a nearly empty room. Igor ups the ante and refuses to pay the band. They don't even get gas money. This is the last time we cooperate with Stage Secrets.

Well, the time has come to say farewell. Trading shirts, exchanging phone numbers, and taking tons of pictures are part of it. Ahab and Esoteric head (further) South, and we start our long journey home. We'd like to thank everyone involved and everyone in the audience for a relaxed and amazing tour. See you all soon!

–Phil / Ophis

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