Nocturnal Wanderer Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

This is the first Nocturnal Wanderer release, so anyone who happens to be reading this will likely not have heard of me. There's not a lot to say really. Nocturnal Wanderer was an impulsive and unplanned project that was born in early Spring of 2021. It’s a solo project so I am the only member, and I try to do as much of the work on my own as possible. For Gift of the Night, I had label support for pressing vinyl and an illustrator to handle the artwork.

 

2.You have a new album coming out in September, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Well, it's a black metal record. It’s not experimental or an attempt to take the genre into unexplored territory, but I do think there are some subtle bits of 1980s heavy metal throughout. I was attempting to capture a mix of raw beauty and belligerent power. Like if you crossed Nattens Madrigal and Autumn Aurora with Kill ‘Em All and Pleasure to Kill (not that those were direct influences, but it’s a close approximation to the general mood I was aiming for). It's not a new idea, but it’s a sound that I enjoy, and I think it’s a good musical representation of the themes within the album.

 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

The album has a singular lyrical focus: night and darkness. All the songs deal with elements of that one subject. It’s obviously common in black metal for night and darkness to be used as symbols for metaphysical darkness – for obvious reasons – but Nocturnal Wanderer is about literal darkness. It’s an attempt to capture a specific feeling that I only get when I’m alone outside at night. Metaphysical darkness isn’t completely off the table for Nocturnal Wanderer, and there are certainly some elements of it in the lyrics, but the intention is one of empowerment, triumph, and ecstasy, rather than of negativity and evil. It’s the feeling of exhilaration and power that you get in the woods at night. The sound of owls and crickets and frogs. The moon on a cloudless night. Stars dotting the black sky. It’s that ancient feeling in the primordial part of your brain of undomesticated power that you get when you are outside at night. For a diurnal creature like humans, it’s a defiant act to go around in the dark. The night is dangerous.  

 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nocturnal Wanderer'?

Nocturnal Wanderer is the "I". From my perspective, the “I” is me. From a listener’s perspective, they are the “I”. Nocturnal Wanderer is the first-person having the subjective experience. It’s anyone who connects with the intention of the music and lyrics and has that same feeling.

 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

The illustrations throughout the LP were done by Thaumaturge Artworks, who was recommended to me by a friend, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. The rough ideas that I gave to the artist were interpreted and executed better than I imagined them. The images are primarily nocturnal creatures:  woodland bats, the Hawkeye moth, the Barred owl (on the album cover). I was responsible for the lettering and layout.

 

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

No, I would not consider working with other musicians. This project is unpredictable and spontaneous. Working with other musicians is a magickal act, and a very important part of writing and playing music, but Nocturnal Wanderer is not a collaborative vision. I need to maintain the ability to improvise nearly everything and work at an obsessive pace when the inspiration strikes, or go on long hiatus when it doesn’t. I also want to have absolute control over the presentation of the music, lyrics, and visuals, to make sure the concept is undiluted, and I’m not interested in bossing around other musicians and telling them what to play.

 

7.The album is coming out on 'Altare productions', can you tell us a little bit more about how you got in contact with this label?

I sent an email to the label with some words about the album, and an explanation of why I thought Altare Productions and Nocturnal Wanderer would be a good fit. I contacted a small handful of other labels as well, but Altare was my first choice from day 1, and replied very soon after my first contact. Altare is a meticulously curated label and it's an honor to be among the other names on the roster.

 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

This is the first Nocturnal Wanderer release, and your previous review was the first time I’ve heard the opinion of anyone else besides close friends and of course the label, so it’s hard for me to gauge. When you are an artist, you’d rather have people understand your work with less concern about whether they like it.

 

9.Do you also have experience playing with other bands or musical projects?

Yes, I began playing and recording death metal and black metal seriously with bands and by myself around 2007-2008. I'm also in a full-lineup black metal band and have some various other side projects.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I don’t have ambitions of world tours and screaming fans or anything like that. I would like to continue playing shows and doing occasional small tours and fests with my full band, and letting the muse take me wherever it decides. As for Nocturnal Wanderer, the next time I get that certain spark of inspiration I will try to coax it into a microphone again.

 

11.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?

I’m of course influenced by a lot of the same 90s Norwegian bands that everyone else is. Transilvanian Hunger is my perennial favorite of that bunch. I wasn’t intentionally trying to write Rotting Christ riffs, but a couple of them made it onto the record anyway. I mentioned some favorite albums previously as well. I spend a lot of time listening to Swedish bands like Arckanum, Panphage, and Wulkanaz (plus all the various Kvmvlonimbvs side projects). For the past few years, I’ve been listening to a lot of strange, droning, ambient sound-collage type of musicians like Tusen År Under Jord, Dusa, Kristian Olsson, and Forankring (I was no doubt led to this strange path by the first four Wagner Ödegård demos).

I kind of hinted at this earlier but leading up to the recording of Gift of the Night, I was also listening to a lot of 80s speed and thrash metal (mostly German bands and the first two Metallica albums), the first few Ozzy records, and even some LA hair metal stuff like Mötley Crüe (Too Fast for Love) and RATT (Out of the Cellar). I’ve never recorded any music where it seemed appropriate to add a bunch of guitar solos, and I have no doubt that all that stuff influenced my decision.

12Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks and hails to you for the opportunity, and to any readers who made it this far.

Hail to those who go by night!

https://nocturnalwanderer.bandcamp.com/