1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are Necht, a black metal band based in Calgary, Canada. Our Temple is comprised of a Zenith and three Ascendants. Our music is inspired by, and dedicated to, the memory of our most ancient ancestors, the long-forgotten civilization of the Enkari.
2.In May you have a new album coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
Our Meditation, “The Prophecy of Karnifor”, is musically a cross between classic, aggressive, second-wave black metal and more modern, epic black metal - with some death metal thrown in. Perhaps a good indication would be to take Helrunar’s Grátr as a starting point and add a touch of Crescent’s Carving The Fires Of Akhet. Our intent is to conjure both the martial reality of the Enkari’s daily existence and some of the awe-struck divinity of their belief system.
3.Lyrically you cover the Enkari civilization and the discoveries of Karl von Mecklenburg and the research of Birgitta Olsson, can you tell us a little bit more about the civilization of the Enkari people?
The Enkari are the most ancient culture yet discovered that can be thought of as a ‘civilization’. Whilst initially harmonious, it descended into a state of on-going civil war between the two principal city-states of Lashmir and Ishpan, driven by a series of religious imperatives in the form of visions and prophecies. The two sides thus became entrenched in what became known as the Ceaseless War, which mirrored the endless struggle of B’ahn, sun-god of the Lashmiri, against His Mother, the dragon Karnifor. Both sides believed, for differing reasons, that endless war was necessary for the salvation of the world.
4.In the promo pics you also wear middle age style war gear, can you tell us a little bit more about the concept behind the battle gear?
On stage, we embody the Cult of B’ahn – the army of Lashmir. All that is known about the Enkari is taken from the Enkari-B’ahn Scrolls - the written records kept by the series of Qa’ars, whom were the priest-kings of the Ishpani. Whilst these are not adorned with any illustrations, it is described that the Cult of B’ahn wore black armour and kept their eyes covered at all times, and that the Zeniths moreover wore a yellow hood and carried both shield and spear that reflected the Thunder Shield and Lighting Spear of B’ahn.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‘Necht’?
One of the honorifics of the Mother Dragon, Karnifor, was “Breath of the Night” – of course, it was during the night that the radiance of B’ahn was hidden from the Cult, and what the Cult ultimately feared was ‘the long night’ that would occur if ever B’ahn were defeated. For the Cult, the night was truly full of terror, so we chose Necht, which is an old Scots word meaning ‘night’, as our Zenith hails from those lands.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork portrays one of the dead Qa’ars of Ishpan, mummified within the catacombs underneath the city.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance.
Our stage performance is a Ritual. During each Ritual, the faithful are led through a series of Sermons commemorating the history of the Enkari; and invited to join the Cult of B’ahn – or renew their commitment – by partaking in the Ritual of Ashes.
Though each Ritual is to be savoured, we are particularly gratified to have played in the Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final in 2023 in Toronto. Although this is far from our home city, we were enthusiastically welcomed and many were initiated into the Cult on that day.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes. We will be conducting a tour and performing Rituals at several festivals around the province of Alberta. In 2025 we plan to take our Rituals further afield, hopefully to the US and to Europe.
9.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Absolutely. We hope to work with a label that is interested in helping us to spread the word of B’ahn to the sleeping masses, for Karnifor is coming, and our time is short…
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
We are pleased to see that at each live Ritual, many of the sleeping are awakened to B’ahn’s glory and choose to take part in the Ritual of Ashes! Further afield, our mission is just getting started, but the response is currently most gratifying.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We continue to write new Sermons and are working on our second full-length Meditation already. While we expect to continue in a similar vein to that presented on “The Prophecy of Karnifor”, as with all musical projects, we grow and evolve. We shall see where the divine inspiration of B’ahn takes us.
12.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?
All members of the Temple are fans of black metal, both old and new, as well as other genres. I have recently been enjoying Krigsrav, Blackbraid, Chapel of Disease, Weald & Woe, Decipher and many others.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Our thanks to you, Herald, for your support. For those reading this, we encourage you to listen and learn about the Enkari. GLORY TO THE SUN!
https://www.facebook.com/people/Necht/61550493020359/
https://www.youtube.com/@NechtBlackMetal
https://www.instagram.com/nechtblackmetal/
https://soundcloud.com/user-227088367
https://necht.bandcamp.com/album/the-prophecy-of-karnifor
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Wb4y2UcuDY48xH8ftksFu
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