Nihilum Interview

 

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

Sure, so I Nihilum started back in January of 2020, just started writing riffs that eventually became the track Omnicide off of Call of the Void. I came up with a theme for the lyrics and it just started writing itself honestly. 

2.In 2020 you have released 2 ep's, musically how do they differ from each other?

From a guitarists perspective, I think I flushed out more melodies with Sunless Death than I did with Call of the Void. Call of the Void had a little more power chord driven music behind it, not that it sounded bad, I just wanted a little bit more of those dissonant melodies included in the soundscape.

So I would say the difference would be just a larger melodic presence with Sunless Death as compared to Call of the Void.

3.Some of your lyrics cover occultism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Yeah so, I created the concept of this cult that worships an inter-dimensional god of death, who goes by many names, The Father of Nothing, The Overseer, and a few other ones.

Call of the Void follows the story of this cult throughout history, surviving the test of time and continuing to exist until present day, when they eventually get The Father to destroy and consume the Milky Way galaxy.

Sunless Death continues this narrative, with The Revenant telling the story of someone who The Father has set his eyes on, drives him to madness and murder. Sunless death is pretty much about a few of The Father’s priests performing a ritual that leads to the detonation of the sun, causing the human race to starve and freeze to death.

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

I am in the process of pretty much creating an entire mythos behind Nihilum, all centered around The Father of Nothing.

So pretty much just nihilism inspired cosmic horror.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nihilum'?

So Nihilum actually means, “Nothingness” and I just wanted something that conveys the general sense of nihilism and despair.

I came up with the name actually before I started figuring out the lyrical concept. So it just melded together nicely. 

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

For sure, so I found this guy, Matei Osenk, on instagram actually. I really liked his style and I reached out to him and we’ve been working together ever since. He’s the one who made Nihilum’s sigil for me as well.

I honestly can’t say how happy I am with how the artwork turned out. Just with the black hole and everything, I just think it looks really cool.

7.Originally the band started out a solo project but recently expanded into a duo, what was the decision behind adding in another member?

Yeah, it was just me at the beginning. I committed, what seems to be an internet wide recognized, sin of programming MIDI drums for Call of the Void, and I just wanted to find a good drummer so I could put more time into writing than sitting there and programming every single note. I honestly think I spent equal to, if not more, time programming drums than the rest of the instrumentation. 

I met Jere Jolkkonen through a mutual friend, and he will definitely be my internet studio drummer from here on out!

So, while technically, it’s a duo, speaking purely from a credits standpoint, it's still just me for the time being.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

I am not really too worried about getting signed at the moment, if a good opportunity presents itself, and there isn’t any interjections with the creative process, then I would be open to signing. Right now I am just focused on making quality material.

No interest haha. I think I am at a subterranean level of underground status at this point. 

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

Well, from the very limited amount of people listening, they seem to enjoy it. My only goal, other than just producing music, is to afford people the opportunity to head bang. 

It’s all about the head banging.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Eventually there will be a full length. I have a pretty high output of material, I think I’m sitting on at least 20-25 songs, at various stages of development, right now. I think the phase I am in right now is just: establish a presence, let people know what I am about, and start gaining a following. 

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?

My musical taste ranges from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Leviathan, so I can’t really put my finger down on one specific band that has been “the” influence. It sounds stereotypical but, Metallica was probably the first metal band that I had ever heard. Ever since then it’s just been exploring more and more genres, progressively getting heavier and heavier. 

Currently, I am listening to a lot of Mayhem and Mastodon. I am a huge fan of Mastodon, have been for many years. They have been posting studio updates and I have been nothing shy of a fan girl haha.

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

Not really, I just want to thank you for your time, I very much appreciate this opportunity.

Sunless Death releases on December 14th and you can find it on Nihilum’s Bandcamp as well as all other streaming platforms. 

Bandcamp