Goatchrist Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Goatchrist is a mouthpiece for a range of diverse (yet related) thematic topics. We aim to build upon what is often described as 'the true essence of black metal' with magickal lyrical formulas and influences from other genres of music; thus far, I'm content with our progression towards this goal.
Goatchrist was 'formed' this year (2014) as a solo project by myself. This came after my brief time as an auditioning guitarist for Sathamel, a similar band to my own, which is comprised of some friends of mine. At the time, my skill with the guitar and attitude towards the music did not match their requirements, so I was declined the role; however, I'd already commenced writing material for them. These songs (both parts of Bloodletting, The Four Horsemen and Catacombs) were recorded alongside two other, older tracks (The Scrying Mirror and Inferno, then called 'Crushing Your Essence Under Fire and Brimstone') which were re-recorded and released under the Goatchrist name.
Shortly afterwards, I decided to turn the band into a live project, and recruited Kaahl (ex-Slaughter Throne) and Aamon-Vetis to complete the lineup.

2.So far you have released 2 demos this years, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The 'Legion' demo is a recording from 2013 created whilst I was under the spell of Xasthur, Leviathan and other excellent USBM bands. It had been sat on an old computer of mine until months after the first demo was released, and upon re-listening to my old recordings, I decided they were a sufficiently polished insight into my musical roots to release.
She Who Holds the Scrying Mirror differs greatly from this. The sound and production, though still raw, is more polished and certainly more fitting for the style of music. Whereas Legion is an attempt to recreate a specific sound, The Scrying Mirror is an exploration into my own sounds and ideas.

3.Your lyrics cover some Luciferian and Occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
I don't think there exists a single black metal fanatic that, at some point, has not identified as an adept or follower of some form of Sinister philosophy. My own path began in a very juvenile manner, with the label of 'Satanist' used for shock value alone. However, my interest in chaos magick began after the influence of my friend [Ryan Fleming, from Solitude Forest]. The Order of the Nine Angles, a belief system that mirrors the basic principles of chaos in its core values, soon became a useful tool to develop my beliefs.
The Luciferian imagery in the first demo comes as a result of my disdain towards other bands that promote "chaos" by presenting it in a dogmatic format, which I find absurd [it is for this reason that I despise groups like the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, who preach about Abrahamic rituals and Jewish dragons and expect to be taken seriously].
It should be noted that my own personal beliefs are more akin to Thelema and the ancient religion of Sumer, far more so than any type of 'Satanism'.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Goatchrist'?
The goat is the independent warrior; the sheep is the mindless follower. Thus, the 'Goatchrist' is the warrior-king, a prophet who declines to keep any followers or worshippers and instead teaches the strong to become stronger, and in time, banishes the weak.

 5.Are there any plans to do any live shows with this band or is this strictly a studio project?
We have a gig booked for February 20th at the Fenton in Leeds, supporting Sodomized Cadaver. As of now, the band is a live project.

6.Recently SixSixSix Music re-issued your first demo, are there any plans to also re-issue the second demo?
No. There'd be no reason to; it's available already for free to those who desire to trace our/my musical roots.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Fantastic, actually. We've had several excellent reviews of the Scrying Mirror demo and one good review of Legion. It seems that our music appeals to both the 'kvlt'-type black metaller and the brutal death metaller alike.

8.What is going on with some of your other bands or musical projects these days?
Kierkegaard, my ambient project, is taking a break from recording until the new year. Mors Voluntaria, my personal outlet for a different kind of message, is in the process of recording its first album [I've already recorded all guitars, and B. is in the process of recording drums and his own guitar parts].

9.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
A far more melodic and faster sound. Previews of the new songs have already been sent around a few of my close inner circle of friends. I think we'll stay with SixSixSix too, as they've done a truly excellent job of promoting the release and, for now, are the perfect label to work with.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Good black metal is my only direct influence for this project; the rest of the sound is my own ideas and experimentation. I'd say Leviathan is a definite influence, as are Absu, Destroyer 666 and Melechesh. Other than that, I don't really listen to much metal, and some of my preferred artists and bands include the Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shining (from Norway; Niklas Kvarforth isn't my cup of tea in the slightest), ELO, the Eagles, the Who, etc.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Reading philosophy and mathematics, and also experimenting with psychedelic/hallucinogenic substances in order to delve deeper into the acausal plane of unused universal energy (the 'spirit world' to the lay man). That's pretty much all I have time to do, and juggling those with the music can be a challenge at times, though all three of these activities enhance my musical skill in rather abstract ways.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Respect to all individuals who've supported our cause thus far. Agios O Noctulis!

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