1.For those that have never heard of you before can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Malacath is the result of my attempt to recreate the feeling that I get when I listen to old school Black Metal. I released a demo in 2011 called Profound Devilry, a Split in 2013 with my friends in Murrum called Wolves of New England, and an EP in 2013 as well called Songs for the Destitute. I'm currently in the process of finishing the writing process for another EP, and am still waiting to record a Full Length album that I have had written for almost a year. It is a very active project.
2.How would you describe the musical sound that is present on the new recording?
As with my previous releases I've been experimenting a little bit. Songs for the Destitute was very much an Atmospheric Black Metal album, which isn't what I normally play. An Ode to the Loss of Life (the next release that I am currently working on) really more or less continues that same thought. The two releases are meant to go hand in hand with each other, so they share similar concepts. I've gone a little further with experimentation on the new EP though. There will be a lot more Doom in it, still primarily Black Metal, but it will have a lot of Doom elements. Clean and acoustic guitar are also going to play a big role, along with some bass driven sections. The thing I am most excited about is the piano that will be included. I'm really trying to branch out a little bit to make the most out of what could potentially be my last exploration of this sub-genre of Black Metal for quite a long time. I have no intentions of adhering to the stereotypes of Black Metal, I'm just going to do whatever I want. That's the way it should be.
3.A Couple of the songs where based on Lovecraft's writings, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author and also what are some of the other topics you explore as a song writer?
Lovecraft, for some reason, is one of the few authors who has managed to hold my interest with his stories. I could never really place why. Perhaps it his style of writing, or the characters that he makes, whatever it is I always seem to find inspiration after reading it. As for other themes, I guess I really don’t write specifically about certain things. There are a lot of reoccurring themes, such as death and isolation, but nothing in particular. I tend to write lyrics about how I feel when listening to the song. Lyrics are usually the last thing that I do.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Malacath?
I got the name from the Daedric Price Malacath in the Elder Scrolls series. His is the Patron of the Orcs. I guess the inspiration behind the choice was that he is one of my favorite Daedra in the series. The games are a big part of my life, which is probably a sad thing. They provide an escape for me, just like music does, so I guess it is my homage to those games.
5.With this musical project you work by yourself, how do you think the music would sound if you had used other musicians?
It would probably sound entirely different. Everybody has their own style of playing, and to a certain extent, their own sound as well. Malacath is purely mine in every aspect. It has my sound, with my riffing style, my lyrics, and my musical concepts. When working with other musicians you take in everybody’s input and the result is a combination of all of the member’s styles. Adding another member would be equivalent to adding a new ingredient in a recipe for food, it is going to change the result. I would hope that it would still remain in the Black Metal spirit.
6.Recently the project did a split with Murrum, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated on the split and also can you tell us a little bit more about Swampcult Productions?
I consider the guys in Murrum to be good friends of mine. I love their music, especially their most recent EP “In His Acita Atria”. They’re unrelenting and uncompromising, and I respect that a lot. They put on a hell of a show too. As for Swampkult, they are awesome too; very upfront and honest guys, which was really nice to see. It is an underground label that has released some killer bands. Not much more to say really.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I’m not so sure there really has been a big reaction, but right around 200 people have downloaded my last EP and I keep seeing my music being posted on youtube. Somebody uploaded my full EP and it has a little over 400 views and 21 thumbs up or something like that. If you judge things off of the internet, people seem to be enjoying it. I can’t say I have seen any international reactions in person, but the response on the internet that I have seen has been positive. I’ve read two reviews of Songs for the Destitute, and both were positive. So I guess I’d say the feedback has been good.
8.What is going on with the other band you are a part of these days?
Well I’m actually involved with a number of different music projects, but my main band Sassu Wunnu has been quite busy lately. We just finished working on an EP that needs vocals and then mixing. We are also finishing up our first full length and have been playing more shows. I’ve certainly been busy with that, more so than Malacath really.
9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
I’m definitely going to move away from the Atmospheric Black Metal sound on Songs for the Destitute and my next EP An Ode to the Loss of Life. I’ve explored that genre enough for now, I don’t want that to be all that Malacath is. In the future Malacath is going to be much angrier, and much faster. I’m not the fastest player in the world, but I’m still going to play fast. There will always be a presence of atmosphere, there is no question about that, but I’ll be returning to a more old school style of black metal. Not as experimental, just raw emotion.
10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think without a question my biggest influence is Darkthrone. They are the band that introduced me to the style far before I knew that there were other bands playing it. I started off with a very narrow perspective of the black metal scene, and Darkthrone, as well as Burzum, were the two bands that really stood out to me, as they have to so many others. At this point though, elements of Doom metal have found their way in to my music. Slow, brooding riffs really add a lot to music in my opinion. I like playing slow more than I like playing fast. However, when it comes to atmosphere, there is no greater band than Nortt. I don’t try to emulate these bands, which I feel like I might be implying by mentioning them as influences, but they certainly have had a profound effect on me.
11.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
Well it is certainly interesting to read about and to write songs about. I don’t really give it much mind anymore to be honest. Some people take it far too seriously for me. I don’t heavily study the occult, and I’m certainly not a Satanist. There is certainly a great allure to the idea of hidden wisdom, but I get just as much interest from general psychology and mythology. Like I said, it makes for great creative writing material, but I don’t personal delve too deeply in it.
12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
There aren’t many to be honest. I like playing video games, and if there is a book that can hold my attention I love to read. Music is really what I do.
13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
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