Spite Interview

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

Spite is the solo artistic endeavor of myself, Salpsan, spawned in pure unholy devotion to the upholding of real black metal.

2.In the beginning of 2018 you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

On "Antimoshiach", one will certainly find more complex song structures and varied styles than I've been able to present with my limited prior releases. I took my time with these songs to make them all feel very complete, but also flow well together as an album. "Antimoshiach" deals centrally with the notion of an Antimessiah revealing themself in our world, and naturally there is some conceptual continuity between most of the songs. There are even lyrical references to themes and characters in Spite's older songs, as this project is intended to be a cohesive canon of blasphemous mythology. I'll leave it up to the listener to find all the connecting threads. Additionally, one will hear a much stronger produced album, as it was recorded and mixed by the extremely talented and meticulous Jamie Elton of Amulet (UK) in a proper studio in London.

3.The solo project has been around since 2010 and while you have released a split, a single and an ep, you have waited until 2018 to release the first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Spite originated with a totally different musical intention back then, but when I wrote and recorded "Desecration Rites" with the help of Horns & Hooves' Malebolge, in a very impromptu fashion, I knew that was the direction I had to head towards. I had some riffs that would end up on "Antimoshiach" written back in 2010, including the entirety of what would become "Vision of the Merkabah". I slowly but carefully worked to create the eight songs on this debut for a few years, and intentionally wrote "Countless Blasphemy" (from the "Evil Spells, Vol. I" compilation) and the "Trapped in the Pentagram" single in the meantime to be standalone tracks to offer a taste of the sound I was honing for the album. Scheduling the recording for May 2016 in London took time, but the music for the album had been completed some months before then. For the previous tracks, I only played through them one or two times in Malebolge's rehearsal chambers before recording them properly, but for "Antimoshiach" I had a lot more time to rehearse. After the recording and mixing was complete (all in a very strenuous eight days), it took some time to get mastering and artwork done and coordinate with Invictus Productions' release schedule, but patience is necessary for these things. It allowed me time to work on future material, for which I already have many new songs written, as well as record the Horns & Hooves "Morbid Lust" EP last winter.

4.You refer to your music as 'raw desecration black metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

That term holds little significance, but it arose out of the seminal track "Desecration Rites" and aptly serves the purpose of summarizing my intent for the band. The attitude, hatred, and devotion to black metal expressed by Spite are all raw and from a genuine place. Desecration is an act of spite and I derive satisfaction from writing vile and blasphemous lyrics. In the words of the legendary forefathers, "Fuck Christ".

5.Your lyrics a lot of satanic, occult and blasphemous themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

Indeed, Spite thematically delves into all of the aforementioned. However, I do not have any intention of presenting Spite as a ritualistic cult or anything of that nature, like many modern bands offer as a gimmick to sell albums or concert tickets. Offering true and untainted black metal is my most pressing concern. That being said, my lyrical themes are extremely paramount to the canon of Spite as an artistic project. To this end, I have adapted much from the passages of Judaic and Christian mythos, including apocalyptic themes, the death and shaming of Christ, demonology and the occult, and even the recounting of Old Testament prophetic tales from a satanic perspective, a yarn I've been slowly weaving since "Desecration Rites" and will continue to elaborate on in the future. It is with a truly misanthropic and deviant hand that I write these songs, but the music is the only dark art in which I partake. How the music may affect its listeners is out of my control, however...

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Spite'?

I created this project in spite of those who misrepresent black metal to be some ritualistic and of egotistic charade to hide a lack of musical capability or historical understanding of the genre. It was created as solo project in spite of the lack of committment, passion, and understanding of black metal I saw in musicians around me at the time, and still see today. Furthermore, it was forged in spite of the world's overarching fear of a divine presence, cloying trends towards mainstream and recycled aesthetics, and people's unwillingness to take the helm for themselves and light their own path. Fuck the world.

7.On the albums you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians in this project or do you prefer the solo route a lot more?

I am always open to collaboration and continue to meet many talented and dedicated musicians in the shadowy corners of the world, hiding from the sickening shine of the mainstream that is slowly creeping into what we know as the underground. Many peers have expressed interest in participating in this hellish undertaking in a live setting, and I am considering the ways in which that could be feasible. In terms of artistic creation for Spite, however, I would like this project to flow entirely from my mind in order to maintain musical and thematic continuity.

8..The new album is going to be released on 'Invictus Productions', how would you compare working with them to the other labels that you have worked with so far?

I am eternally indebted to Darragh of Invictus Productions for offering to produce and release this album after only hearing the few songs I had released previously. He allowed me to create the monumental work with years of effort behind it into something as close to the vision I had for it years ago. I am also grateful for all the other labels who have brought Spite to where it is now, including Stygian Black Hand for releasing the original demo, Electric Assault Records for collaborating with SBH on the "Evil Spells, Vol. I" compilation and also helping with the recording sessions of all three releases prior to this album, and Iron Bonehead Productions for releasing "Trapped in the Pentagram" and delivering Spite to a much larger audience.

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

I cannot say, but hopefully the worldwide black metal community will learn once more to recognize genuine black metal ethos and reject imposters.

10.What is going on with your other musical project 'Horns & Hooves' these days?

More filth has been prepared and will be shat out in the near future - that is all I can say.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

Hell.

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?

There are many intentional nods - some subtle and others blatantly up front if you're paying attention - to artists who have influenced Spite within all of its songs. In terms of the specific style of black metal I am aiming for, I can directly point to the old guard of Norwegian black metal - Immortal, Satyricon, Dodheimsgard, Emperor, Darkthrone, Mayhem, and the like - all of whose earliest releases had a tremendous impact on me. Outside of this scene, bands like Craft, Behexen, Old, Mortuary Drape, Katharsis, and Negative Plane also had a great influence on Spite's sound. All that being said, Slayer is still the greatest source of inspiration for me, and in my opinion "Hell Awaits" is the finest black metal album ever written. There are countless homages to Slayer in the works of Spite. Nowadays, new, genuine black metal is getting harder to come by, though I do listen to a plethora of different bands, new and old, from many genres and eras. Newer bands such as Occvlta, Obliteration, Antichrist, and Occult Burial are certainly worth noting as well.

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

As the tides rise and fall, and fleeting trends dilute the sanctity of black metal as we once knew it, be certain that Spite will still stand tall, monolithic, immovable through time eternal. Spit on the priest, shit on the feast - the resurrection will not come.

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