bells chime - Shadownight Records

WEAPON
six-six-six
bells chime
Slated by most ‘in the know’ to be the Black Metal Event Of The Year, Weapon’s highly anticipated debut album is finally upon us. Drakonian Paradigm is its name and deceptive is its
game – an album rife with riddling idiosyncrasies and yet startling balance, of actual class in
a climate characteristically dirty and profane. Nathan T. Birk willingly sets off on a perilous
journey with founding vocalist / guitarist Vetis Monarch and drummer extraordinaire The
Disciple.
068. OFERMOD 070. SET
070. TEMPLE BELOW 071. NOX INFERI
072.HUNTERS MOON
072. PSEUDOGOD
073. GRAVE DESCRATOR
#2 8
T
“
“The forever
bloodthirsty
Mother of Insanity,
who danceth
across the cremation grounds and
dwelleth in the
caves below, is
the One in charge
here!
FU LLY LOA DED
he Weapon camp has gone through myriad
changes the past five years. From the ridiculously
violent Within The Flesh Of The Satanist demo to
the slightly-less-shambling Violated Hejab 7” to
the black / death bonanza Para Bhakti…Salvation
7” early last year, Weapon have been in a steady
state of refinement. In most bands’ hands, this would spell sellout,
compromise, gayness, death. In Weapon’s, however, it spells sulphurous majesty – of true black heavy metal might, of the most
uncompromising BM being suffused with class and craft. Muscular
yet exquisitely nuanced, heated yet disciplined, immediately
memorable yet offering infinitely-unfolding rewards, Drakonian
Paradigm is officially a Classic Record. No one’s gonna touch this,
but you’re encouraged to listen, to begin your own journey with
Weapon Anno 2009.
“Things are certainly more streamlined now,” begins frontman Vetis Monarch. “Everybody in the band
knows their respective roles and responsibilities. The skill level is also to be noted in the percussion and
lead-axe departments. My biggest issue with previous lineups was that I had to literally do every little
thing, on top of composing every song, primarily because the previous people ‘in’ the band – minus
Nohttzver circa 2004-2005, of course – approached their presence, or lack thereof, as ‘helping out’. I
rarely think about the early years because in so many ways, the true Chakra of Weapon only began in
2008.” Skill level in the percussion department? Enter The Disciple, otherwise
known as Paulus Kressman from classic Canuck hordes Rites Of Thy Degringolade
and Sacramentary Abolishment. Even though he could’ve totally went off on
Drakonian Paradigm , The Disciple’s drumming exhibits the same class ‘n’ craft
that’s writ large across the album. Says the drummer simply, “Having a primary
role has given me the power to focus the energy
required to execute the percussion in the nature
it was intended, without compromise or other
distractions.”
Interestingly, especially in the context of
this bestial-intensive section, when Weapon
announced their imminent debut album a yearplus ago, there was a quote that we should
expect, “No mosh, no core, no fago.” Vetis
explains the lattermost statement: “We harbour
distaste for these newer bands who basically exist
to plagiarise the works of Blasphemy, Archgoat,
Beherit, etc. The ‘word’ fago is used in a derogatory manner, to completely distance ourselves
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ugbm section by nATHAN T BIRK
VITAL STATISTICS origin alberta, canada
formed 2003 current lineup vetis monarch [vocals guitar] vileblood dahcnial
[guitar] sabazios diabolus [bass] the
disciple [drums] current label the ajna
offensive current release drakonian
paradigm band url www.weaponchakra.
com label url www.theajnaoffensive.
com discography drakonian paradigm
[ajna 2009] para bhakti…salvation
7” [fmp 2008] violated hejab 7” [legion
of death 2005] within the flesh of the
satanist demo [incoffin 2003]
from any such ‘noise scene’ or what have you. We respect the
aforementioned bands, but there is a world of difference between
drawing influences and blatantly ripping people off.” Adds The
Disciple, “It is 2009 now. Hail the old, yet embrace the now.” And
that includes imbuing traditional metal fundaments with occult
power, as Weapon do so stunningly for the duration of Drakonian
Paradigm . “The primary emphasis is on black – the message, the
ideology,” Vetis stresses. “We are, without a doubt, a satanic band.
However, our musical influences are all across the board, penetrating many subgenres. From Mercyful Fate to Morbid Angel, Unleashed to Master’s Hammer, and back
to Black Sabbath – it’s fair game for us. Thus, the musical / metal aspect manages to shine so eloquently on Drakonian Paradigm . Listeners who fail to hear the overwhelming occult power in bands
like Coven, Black Sabbath, Black Widow, Pentagram, Mercyful Fate, Venom, and even some Deep Purple
are tone-deaf and occult-challenged. Clearly, that same power / energy was absorbed by early Slayer,
Hellhammer, Poison [Germany], Possessed, Bathory, Sodom, etc., and onto what we now know as modern death and black metal across the globe. This is not a puzzle for the ones who are perceptive – the
Devil speaks in tongues!”
T
KALI YU GA BIZA R RE
he Devil’s tongue indeed speaks across the whole of Drakonian Paradigm and
Weapon’s aesthetic in general. Deciphering that tongue, however, is entirely up to the
listener. Still, Weapon are not averse to offering keys to unlock those doors, such as the
longstanding chestnut “Black metal is Satan / Weapon is black metal.” Says Vetis, “That
statement is still very much relevant for Weapon in 2009, and forever it shall define
the base alchemy of the band. Black metal as words, music, attitude and imagery – and
the combined energy of these elements – is a demanding-yet-revealing journey towards the Satanic
paradigm. Since we are a black metal band, we are, therefore, chasing the Dragon that has been present
before it all.” Which includes using a sort of articulate violence here, of using violence + force but with
more nuance and even ‘taste’ – of not going OTT all the time but maximising discipline and patience
and therefore power, like good sex or something. “That description right there is perhaps the most
simple / effective / accurate one I have heard of Weapon to date,” Vetis nods. “Not to get pseudo-philosophical here, but we approach it as LEFTHANDPATHYOGA. It comes down to balance, (dis)harmony
and the vibrating Chakra(s) deep within the Athma of the individuals involved. Before we enter the
rehearsal room, or before I even begin to pen one single lyric for a song, the collective subconscious is
vehemently aware that we are but vessels of something much, much greater. Discipline and patience
meet at the crossroads of power and gnosis – Kundalini Utsav Ma Kalilith.” Adds The Disciple, “I had to
be reminded of this on a few occasions during the initial stages of writing Drakonian Paradigm . The
merging of minds was a wicked collaboration in the end.”
To that, is it possible to eroticise Kali, the subject of highlight-among-highlights ‘Serpentine Ayat’?
Hell, is it even possible to eroticise black metal? Maybe not, since the ‘scene’ is such a sausage party
already.... “If so She wishes, it shall be done,” comes Vetis’ reply. “The forever bloodthirsty Mother Of
Insanity, who danceth across the cremation grounds and dwelleth in the caves below, is the One in
charge here! Her divine aura will not be understood by limp-dicked pansies of the fucking scene, nor
will She ever reveal Her wrathful beauty to such degenerates.” Of course,
the role of ritual reigns supreme in Weapon. “On a physical level, no alcohol consumption and / or drug use occurred during the recording process,”
Vetis says of Drakonian Paradigm . “The senses were altered only by the
spiralling Sinister Energies evoked by our music itself. Weapon reject alien
substances in order to achieve what we need to achieve. Although I’ve had
my personal ‘adventures’ with heroin for ten years now, at this moment I
am completely ‘clean’. Even then, the drugs themselves did not dictate my
musical path.” Vetis delves deeper, in conclusion: “The infancy of a song is
the beginning of the ritual, the construction and placement of nuances the
middle, and finally, when the entire band performs the song together, the
ritual reaches its crescendo. It is at that moment that you could literally
stab that released energy with a dagger.”
zero tolerance 069
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VOmITCHAPEL
W
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN VALDOSTA, gEORgIA uSA FORmED 2007 bAND uRL WWW.
VOmITCHAPEL.FATHERbEFOuLED.COm CuRRENT RELEASE SODOmINATE]
wild
less +
t
s
e
r
,
g
n
you
I
just can’t stop listening to Nocturnal Blood’s
True Spirit Of Old… tape.
Not simply because it’s
the new solo-project of
Nuclear Desecration mainman Blasphemer Nuclearwhore
Of Black Blood, but more so
because it takes a relatively
straight forward framework
– the blackgrind-unto-doom
of Archgoat imbued with the
slithering atmosphere of Pillardera Incantation – and runs riot
with it. At the time of interview,
Nuclearwhore intimated that he
was making Nocturnal Blood his
top priority. Since then, he’s disbanded Nuclear Desecration but
is saying nowt about the reasons
for the break-up. The young have
always eaten the old, but now it
seems the young eat the young.
Oh well: one awesome horde
dies, another takes its place.
“I had the idea to write material using three riffs at max
– primitive worship – and having it sound more inspired than
Nuclear Desecration, as well as
being more sick and perversed,”
explains Nuclearwhore by way
of comparison. “Nocturnal Blood
has its own sound, but I wanted
this to be much more in the oldschool vein and have it sound
a bit similar to my influences,
which I feel I’ve achieved both
my own sound and having the old
sound, flawlessly.” Indeed: said
framework’s well within place,
and with Nuclearwhore’s own
perverted personality. As for the
inspirations within that framework, he says, “My own rituals,
lots of blood, fornication, and
total fucking doom! USA, Canada,
and Finland had my favourites
– VON, Blasphemy, Conqueror,
Beherit, Black Crucifixion, etc.”
So, as a ‘one-man band’ that
actually has a concertedly physical super-gutted sound, how do
vom
goditing o
’s ch n
ild
e Reviewed in Z T 026 , Vomitchapel’s
Warvomitdeathworship reveled in filth of a most
Profanatica vintage – and we saw that it was
good. Now, the one-man-band’s got a new tape
ready, simply and tellingly titled Sodominate,
that takes that first demo’s filth-hammers and
(dis)tempers ‘em with cavernous doom and an atmosphere that’s simultaneously smothering and spacious. Perhaps not surprising, that, as
Vomitchapel is concurrent Father Befouled frontman / songwriter Ghoat.
Explaining exactly what ‘Warvomitdeathworship’ means, Ghoat says, “It’s
everything disgusting that I find different levels of repulsion and glory in.
The lyrics of Vomitchapel do not deal with ‘war’ in the sense of, say, Bolt
Thrower or anything of such ilk, but war of another dimension – audial
war, sonic torment. Vomit is the body repulsing waste violently, such as
I repulse the thought of a god, a deity above man. Worship death, worship the human flesh – Sodominate will further explore this perversity.”
On the cover of that first demo, Ghoat’s standing naked and covered in
blood, much as the reader sees here – does this signify perversion, blasphemy, sexiness, even vulnerability? “The naked form is primal and stark.
Contrast that against the inverted cross; the naked, raw human form
trumps the idea of a fleshless spirit. The human is above the idea of god,
above the paradigm of religious idolatry. Perversion and blasphemy – this
is Vomitchapel, my human cock vandalising the crucifix.”
All that considered, one must wonder whether Ghoat sees Vomitchapel
as the (perverse/blasphemous/sexy/vulnerable) underbelly of Father
Befouled. “That’s a fair assumption,” the mainman admits. “I am creative;
I must have an outlet. I cannot sit and record Father Befouled songs all
the time or else they would run together into an obtuse repetition of
ideas. I chose to create Vomitchapel because I had it brewing inside of me,
this primeval urge to rage on the drum kit, to make the most spiritually
offensive works I could. This is not how I want Father Befouled to be perceived, so I created it elsewhere. This is the same for the handful of other
projects I have going with various people.” As for the
(very) overt Profanatica influence, Ghoat is more than
forthcoming: “Profanatica is definitely a large influence. I had the pleasure of seeing and playing with them
twice this past year, and it was a moving experience.
Profanatica, while not the most evil or the best-sounding
or the most popular, they are / were real – the atmosphere
they generate is unparalleled. Vomitchapel, I like to think,
is also real. The lyrics are less ‘poetic’ than Father Befouled;
I vomit my thoughts of perversion and blasphemy without much metaphor. Archgoat, as well as Teitanblood, Luger,
Vociferian and Black Witchery, are also big influences. The more
I see polished hipster metal, the more I want to make music fucking disgusting again.”
NOCTuRNAL bLOOD
you go about recording everything? “Well, I personally never
like to talk about how I record,
though I can say that it’s done
half analogue and half digital.”
Okay, so how do you get such a
huge voice from such a diminutive frame? “Nothing other than
being totally possessed by evil
and doom! I have worked on
getting my vocals this low for
years. I really couldn’t say; I just
do things and they tend to go
how I want. I think you’re the
first one to ask why my vocals
are so low for being such a small
shit like me....” Perhaps surpris-
ingly, Nuclearwhore has plans
to take Nocturnal Blood into
the live realm. “I’m very satisfied with 100% of the Nocturnal
Blood material. There’s no reason
why I shouldn’t spew my chaos
on all these fucking wimps. The
Nocturnal Blood live lineup will
be monstrous.”
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN FONTANA,
CALIFORNIA uSA FORmED 2008 bAND uRL
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CuRRENT RELEASE TRuE SPIRIT OF OLD…]
064
070 zerO tolerance
028_ugbm_2DT.indd 62
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T
bLASPHEmOPHAgHER
thermonucle
“I don’t need
to hope for
the extinction
of humanity
– it’ll be certain,”
ar assault
he sheer volum
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN ASCOLI
e of worthy rif fs
and crushing br
by Blasphemop
eaks possessed PICENO, ITALy FORmED 2002 LAbEL
hagher is simply
uRL WWW.NWNPROD.COm bAND uRL
as tounding. In
thing about this
fact , ever y- WWW.mySPACE.COm/bLASPHEmOentit y is pushed
to
the outer limits
pres ence to ph
, from sonic PHAgHER CuRRENT RELEASE NuCLEAR
ysical aesthetic.
What of the liv
EmPIRE OF APOCALyPSE
armour, and de
e ritual? A: war,
secrating violen
ce! “Like Lemmy
worth something
sa
id,
‘If you play meta
Bastard, wielder
, you need to de
l and think it to
of the four-string
monstrate it on
be
stage’ - AA ARRG
ed deathaxe an
and bulletbelt s
d herald of the
GGHH!!! ” shrieks
are es sential fo
nu
cle
R.R.
r
ar
Bla
em
sp
pir
he
the performance
e. “Spikes, violen
mophagher live
ce, chains, leath
. To be raped an
rituals, especially
er
d posses sed by
drinking big am
The desolate ho
thermonuclear
ount s of alcohol
wls vomited forth
demons is to ha
during
are filthy-rotten
ics masterful am
ndle the ultra-v
odes to death, wa
algamations of
iolent live show
r and thermonuc
obsidian madnes
!”
and damnation
lear hell, with th
s. “My first sour
that pulses in my
e titles and lyrce of inspiration
brain, constantly
the recent Chao
is
the constant ad
fed by book s, me
s Quantum theo
oration for chao
tal vinyl, films an
ry / discovery are
of humanit y or
s
d paintings. For
a big inspiration
you simply enjoy
sure, Lovecraft
.” So you hope fo
the aesthetic fo
– it’ll be certain,
and
r
a
fu
ture in which th
rm of nuclear he
” grins the lunati
e planet is extin
ll? “I don’t need
c, “like all other
lifetime, but it’s
ct
to hope for the
cyclic events th
for sure...till this
extinction of hu
at dominate ou
moment may th
manit y
r
sid
Meanwhile, Bla
e
of
th
e
de
e
universe. Probab
mons of death an
sphemophaghe
ly not during my
d desolation po
r are the vangua
LP following an
ssess our bodie
rd of Armagedd
intensive regim
s and minds!”
on, as testified
en of demos an
rif fs of these pa
by
th
d
eir
sp
Nu
lit
s.
clear Empire Of
st few year s: no
That album’s ‘D
Apocalypse debu
thing revolution
evastating Radio
cities with its cy
t
ar y, but execut
active Torments’
clopean heft. Er
ed with such sty
has some of th
go, the break wh
le and poise th
e best
en the second rif
at it’s capable of
f hit s…fuck! It’s
with a colos sal
levelling entire
akin to a ten-to
warhammer befo
nne ogre smashin
re orgiastically
Likewise, ‘Holoca
g you to pulp
glorying in the
ust Summoning
rem
nants of your ob
Of Nuclear Stor
immaculately un
literated corpse
m’ and ‘Teratoge
holy marriage of
.
nesis Of Doom’
Sarcofagal rif fing
cially metal feel
demonstrate th
and a Frostily Ce
mixed in with th
e
ltic heft. Indeed,
e bestiality which
achieve, fucking
there’s a crumost of Blasphe
meat y rif fs dema
mophagher’s pe
nding utter engo
give time to a rif
ers don’t quite
rgement. This is
f that deserves
a band with the
its moment, wa
straight-up march
confidence to
lking a fine line
ing brutality.
between bestial
pandemonium an
In these days of
d
ultra-obses sive
collectorship an
you were lucky
d truly mindblo
enough to get
wi
ng
yo
diehard edition
ur hands on a NW
Empire Of Apoc
s (maybe
N! ’s sumptuou
alypse) , where’s
s limited-edition
it all going? Wha
of Nuclear
t I mean is, do
the codes which
‘cult’ mean that
mark one as
uncompromise
d forms of meta
to themselves,
l remain true
or do they simply
mean that pose
for their latest
ur s looking
elitist kick can
exploit the form
or thodox? “I do
by remaining
n’t like the ‘elite
’ word,” sneers
a lot of thes e ‘el
R.R. “I’ve see
ite’ scumbags du
ring the year s
regret their past.
that now
Real UG metalhe
ads ‘n’ unholy sp
consume their lif
irit s that
e for metal do no
t need this classi
they are more
fication;
than the word
‘elite’.” But does
ship serve to fu
collectorel this idea of be
ing cult / true /
fucking metal ma
etc? “I’m a
niac and I’m a big
collector of vin
yl. But if
so m eo ne re all
y want s to lis
ten to
and support a ba
nd and doesn’t
have
enough money
for a vinyl or die
hard
version, a CD ve
rsion is more th
an
honourable. If yo
u buy tons of vin
yl
be caus e yo u ha
ve th e ec on om
ic
po ss ibilit y only
to make pics
fo r
MySpace and ot
her internet cr
ap,
it’s very sad. I us
ually buy the fu
ll
LP version, and
if some band I
like
a lot releases a
diehard version
, I’ll
buy it for sure.
You don’t need
to
use the words ‘cu
lt’ or ‘true’ – yo
u
just ne ed to be
hone st in your
musical suppor
t and insult all th
e
fuck ing idiot s
that jump fro m
one music al tre
nd to another...
fuck ‘em all!”
zero tolerance 065
071
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I
WARgOAT
more
goats,
more
glory
also can’t stop listening to Wargoat’s Hellstrike Of Goatcommando tape. Here we have an addictively
unique mix of influences: Ugra Karma-era ImpNaz, Crust-era Sarcofago, Gods Of War-era Blasphemy,
‘80s Slayer, a bit of classic Swedeath, and of course a touch of their native Greece’s ancient BM. In other
words, all ‘goat’ but all metal – newcomers are here to fuck shit up. “We grew up with all the scenes and
bands you mentioned, so they’re logically our influences,” corroborates vocalist / guitarist Christmolestor.
“All these listenings and the belief in a personal Wargoat sound created the entity of Hellstrike – usual
Beherit worship is useless if you don’t have your own personality created by the music you hear and the perversion of your head! Beherit music and feeling cannot be copied – the same for Blasphemy, Sarcofago, etc., of
course – and it can be used to create something Christ-raping and bestial. See newer bands like Proclamation,
Teitanblood, Goatvomit, Diocletian, and Bestial Raids; they look like many bands, but in the future I believe
they’ll be mentioned as great, unique bands next to the ancient black / death cults!” So, is there such a thing as
‘goat metal,’ at least in the last five years with the uprising of more bestial bands? “We’re glad to see that the
fire of true underground black / death rises day by day. The days of posers and losers start to fade out, and the
unholy congregation of this scene is the most interesting thing in the music, generally. Goat metal is philosophy, way of life and true despise against every weak, scum, Christian shit and gay, commercial music. The goat
represents master lord Satan, and this music is the soundtrack to the eternal torture of His opponents.”
Fair enough. Speaking of the ‘bestial’ (A: we will always speak of the bestial), the early ‘90s Greek BM scene
was supreme in creating an occult aura by combining atmosphere with death metal and, quite often, a classic
‘80s metal touch. But with the strict ‘n’ effected drum sounds as
well as deeper, rougher vocals, many of those ancient Greek hordes
were unconsciously / inadvertently bestial – and Wargoat definitely
bring that to the fore on Hellstrike Of Goatcommando. “We grew up
with the early ‘90s black metal scene, so it’s natural to find influences in our music,” Christmolestor corroborates again. “Moreover,
I’m sorry to see that this felling has already died, as most of the
bands here in Hellas prefer to play Norwegian-recycled craps. They
deny their identity and most times they fail to catch this feeling;
they label their music as Greek without having the Greek sound.
Wargoat are bestial, and we will stay this way – Greek bestial sound
for the chosen few….”
bLACK SERPENT
the synthesis
desire
of apocryphal
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN mORNINgTON, AuSTRALIA FORmED
2000 LAbEL uRL WWW.SHADOWNIgHTRECORDS.NET CuRRENT RELEASES NIgHTSIDE COSmOLOgy mCD AND NIgHTPATH WATCHTOWER 7”
W
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN ATHENS gREECE
FORmED 2006 bAND uRL WWW.mySPACE.
COm/666WARgOAT666 LAbEL CONTACT: [email protected] CuRRENT
RELEASE HELLSTRIKE OF gOATCOmmANDO
ant more unconscious / inadvertent bestiality inna ancient Hellenic
stylee? Check out new Oz horde Black Serpent, largely the solo work
of one Nightcraft Serpentaxe, immediately. Across the Nightside
Cosmology MCD and the even-newer Nightpath Watchtower 7”,
Black Serpent emit an equally addicting (and totally occult aura whilst
remaining Very Heavy Metal. “On a musical level,” Serpentaxe weighs
in, “Black Serpent are influenced by various early styles reflecting high black / death metal integrity, so it’s not at all surprising that in many, like yourself, Black Serpent radiate early Greek black
/ death sounds or, in a general sense, heavy metal bordering the bestial. In the context of the
black / death metal art, I guess any difference would be in the way we express it rather than
how we feel about it or use it. There’s also a degree of nuanced bestiality in Black Serpent stemming from more war-metal traditions. Of course, none of this is or sounds forced; it seems to
come quite naturally. I don’t set out to write according to some mental preset or with a specific
purpose in mind – what you hear is basically what comes out. Any musical analysis or thought
would be employed during the course of refining song structures and overall compositions. The
MCD and the 7” fully represent the band at the time that material was composed and recorded;
both releases are quite dynamic and well balanced with lots of catchy hooks. The more recent
material is much stronger, but still raw ‘n’ bestial black / death metal.”
To that, many / most of those early Greek BM hordes were well grounded in (real) death
metal and Black Serpent seem to follow suit, thus the ever-thorny ‘black / death metal’ tag feels
apropos. Serpentaxe agrees: “Based on what I know, real black / death metal has the same roots;
this is something that’s best understood internally. Looking at certain aspects of the early scene
– Possessed, Varathron, Sarcofago, Sadistik Exekution, Rotting Christ – regardless of variables, it
seems these musical ideas are inextricably bound together, provided the approach is of a genuine and honest nature. The terms black, death, [and] bestial metal signify the roots reflecting old
traditions based on more bestial and unique forms of heavy metal devoid of compartmentalised
trends [or] pop / disco metal templates in black metal disguise. In summary, I think savage black /
death metal in the bestial / savage vein would be the most accurate and complete description.”
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gHAST
I
n quite a coup for the consistently fourth-tier-at-best UKBM idiom, remonikered newcomers Ghast offer up quite an inscrutable mix of influences on
their May The Curse Bind debut. Think VON and all subsequent bestial black /
death, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas as preceded by Det Som Engang Var, and
the nascent ‘Peaceville Three’ doom-death paradigm – think what made the
early ‘90s great and you’re there. “The first track on the album made us utter
‘VON!’ a lot during its creation,” says vocalist / guitarist Arrrrrrrach before drummer
KZ elaborates: “Even when we’re playing really slow, I feel it’s black metal. However,
we do all listen to a lot of doom, so the influence is there.” Adds vocalist / bassist
Myrggh, “There’s always a sort of pessimism in the music which makes me think of
early ‘90s Yorkshire doom. We’re using some of those kinds of mournful parts more
frequently these days.”
Indeed, Ghast maintain an exquisitely gutted bestiality even when moving at a
mournful plod – hell, sometimes even more so – which is all given bonus beastliness by the album’s shit-thick yet crystal-clear production. Explains Arrrrrrrach of
this ever-elusive balance, “The playing has a large effect on the sound, yet we’ve
only previously used a 4-track with Ghast and we’ve never sounded anywhere near
as good, so Swine must be credited with a massive help in creating this sound.
We requested heavy tom and bass drums and a thick bass, but he already had the
sound set up for us, so we were happy to let him work with it on his own. He really
sorted my guitar sound out and gave them a more ambient feeling in the mix,
which I now try to emulate live – deliberate, and lucky.” “Swine understood exactly
what we were after,” elaborates Myrggh, “I don’t even remember talking about it.
We just played and he knew what to do – make it heavy and not too clean. What
worked was that he didn’t seem to be trying to make it sound like something else.
Most ‘producers’ are shit because they try to put too many of their own ideas
onto a recording and fit into some genre-specified norm, probably so they can
make a name for themselves. Also, we use guitar and bass a bit like a ‘60s powertrio, a bit like Cream or Jimi Hendrix. The guitar is the main focus of what you
listen to, but a lot of the heaviness comes from the bass.”
For real: May The Curse Bind will burl you to death, but you’ll hear (and feel)
every fucking nuance of that death-trip. And it doesn’t hurt that the songs are
as involving as they are swarming – perhaps that swarming physicality stems
from the band’s penchant for playing live? “Gigs are important to us as a band,”
firmly states KZ. “We’ve usually played songs live many times before recording
them. I also like that you never know just how grim the gig is going to be. Totally
unplanned shit always happens; I’d be bored if all we ever did was write and
record. It’s difficult to tell from behind the drum kit, but I feel the ‘doom segments’ build atmosphere in a different way depending on the gig – no two gigs
are the same!” So, to whom do you want “the curse” to bind? “Anyone who will
take it!” enthuses Arrrrrrrach. “The curse thing came about due to the fact that
a lot of the lyrics are dealing with somebody being doomed. This album is full
of hexes at one extreme and general uncanny misfortune at the other, so the
title is simply a reflection of this.” And as for UKBM’s perennial, er, ‘misfortune’,
Myrggh says, “The trouble with British black metal has been that most bands
spent too much time trying to directly replicate other scenes, although that
does seem to be changing. For years, we were just stuck with Thus Defiled and
that seemed to be about it. Ghast sound different – people have compared us
to loads of bands, but no two people have come up with same comparison.”
miserable beasts
VITAL STATISTICS ORIgIN SWANSEA, WALES
uK FORmED 2007 bAND uRL WWW.gHAST.
TODESTRIEb.CO.uK LAbEL uRL WWW.
TODESTRIEb.CO.uK CuRRENT RELEASE mAy
THE CuRSE bIND
“This album is full of hexes
at one extreme and general
uncanny misfortune at the
other.”
zero tolerance 065
073
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05/03/2009 15:21:25