Anthrodium Interview

 

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

Anthrodium is black metal, and its new, but I don't want to classify it further down into the world of sub-sub genres. I want the music to speak for itself and allow the listener to draw their own conclusions. The seeds for Anthrodium were planted long ago, but it wasn’t until early 2021 (roughly a year into the pandemic) that I decided to finally put the gears into motion. Ideas about a black metal project had been thrown around for years but it needed the right fuel to start the fire. Turns out that quarantine, isolation, despair and hopelessness are extremely good kindling. 

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Uninhibited is the word that comes to mind. While writing the songs, if I ever had a thought about “how will this be perceived?”, that thought was immediately discarded. Fuck it. I’ll write what I want to write. I want it to be dark, dissonant and uncomfortable. I want it to be ugly. During the vocal sessions, it was anything goes. We got inebriated, and the ideas flew. Most things are first takes, and there are audible mistakes. To me that just adds to the naturalness of the music. There’s nothing slick about this production. It’s raw from a production standpoint, but also raw in execution.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that the band has explored so far with the music?

The overall inspiration behind what we’re trying to do is to convey through music our anger, frustration, contempt and hatred towards what our species as a whole is doing to ourselves, each other and our planet. The depth of horror and destruction that human beings are capable of seems to be endless. From the sociopathic behavior of one individual, to the grand horrors of modern warfare, to the increasingly evident self-imposed destruction of climate change, we might just be the most disgusting species on earth. We don’t have any message one way or another. Thats just how it is.

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

“Anthro” is a prefix that refers to humans and “Odium” means intense hatred and contempt. One can deduce what we’re trying to say.

5.Who designed the logo that was presented on the ep cover?

I drew the logo myself, as I’ve done with all of my bands. A lot of logos in the extreme metal world tend to fit into certain molds. Look at any deathfest flyer and you’ll see what I mean. There are a lot of artists out there that you can pay to make you a logo. I just believe in being yourself, and doing it yourself.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

It’s going to stay the way it is. We don’t have any interest in making this a full band that plays live. We both have families, jobs. We’ve done the full time band thing and while that has it’s perks, it also comes with its share of headaches. This is just about us expressing ourselves and creating the art we want to create, when we want to create it. 

7.Do any of the band members have experience playing in other bands or musical projects?

Oh yes. Tony and I played together in Scaphism from 2009-2018. I’ve continued on with that band, but when Tony left I always knew we would work on something again in the future. The timing just had to be right. As huge black metal fans, we had always wanted to do something in that genre for years, but Scaphism was always the primary focus and we just didn’t have time. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all of Scaphism’s plans were cancelled, something needed to fill that creative and emotional void. That’s when Anthrodium was born.

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

We would love to have this demo, and future releases out on a label that can give us a little more reach. One can only do so much by themselves. There are a lot of great underground labels releasing scuzzy raw black metal demos. We just need to find the right fit.

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

Can’t really say at this point. Its totally new. The few responses and reactions that we have gotten have been mostly positive though. No one has come out and said “it sucks” yet, but I’m sure there will be people that think that. I honestly don’t care how it’s perceived. We love it, and we’ll continue to make more of it.

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

We’re working on more material but the next release will probably be another demo or maybe a split. There aren’t any immediate plans for a full length. Making an album is an incredibly daunting process and can take years. I’m more interested in releasing music in a shorter form. I think a band can make a powerful musical statement in 15-20 minutes, and I’m more interested in hearing that than suffering through a 60 minute long Watain album. 

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 think there’s some obvious links to our style. Most listeners can probably hear the lineage from things like Burzum, Horna or Abruptum maybe, but there are other elements going on that may be more difficult to trace. We’re also hardened death metal players, so that factors in too. Its a conglomeration of all the sorts of things we listen to that are on the darker side.

My listening habits are always all over the place. I’ll crank a goregrind album with pitch-shifted vocals, then turn around and soak up some classic 50’s doo-wop. On the extreme side of things, lately I’ve been jamming bands like Invultation, Nocturnal Departure, Von, Blut Aus Nord and Throneum. 

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

Check out our music at anthrodium.bandcamp.com and support independent music and art.