1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We’ve been focused on doing PR for the album and communicating with labels. Other than that it’s a good time for a break from the studio and catch up on ‘normal’ life’s necessities.
2.In October you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
‘Radiant Terror’ has more of a focus on building melodies and structuring lead guitar to heighten tension and really push the songs into areas that captures the emotive concepts in the lyrics. Synths were used much more than before to build an atmospheric background that matches what the song is about. For example the title track has call and response horns at the beginning to represent the hunting horns heard on the storms that come with the Wild Hunt. Also in the instrumental track ‘Spectral Citadel Above the Abyssal Sea’ synths were used in a programmatic music fashion to bring the listener into a realm where they have entered the citadel and are looking out across the stormy abyssal sea. Vocal wise we went for a much more etheric and haunting style with many layered and background voices to support the main performance by Mrak. This is also the first album completely recorded and produced by Valnostt (myself). This way we were able to have more flexibility and creativity with the structure and sound of the album. To shape it into the beast it was meant to be.
3.This is also your first release since 2019, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
After ‘Sun of the Deep’ came out I (Valnostt) had a serious injury that prevented me from walking properly for around 6 months and other ongoing issues related to a previous motorcycle injury. Then the pandemic hit shortly after we were getting ready to tour for the album. Essentially this album never had the support it deserved. We instead focused our time on setting up our own studio and getting to work on a new album. Three years later we have a ‘Radiant Terror’ to offer.
4.Both the band name and the song lyrics cover Demonology, Occultism, Satanism and Chaos Magick, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
These subjects have been an interest to be for as long as I (Valnostt) can remember. I grew up in a fairly open minded family and books of the occult and esoteric were always around. Later on in life I started collecting everything I could. I became a bibliophile for a while and now have a decent collection of grimoires and other tomes of this nature. The subject itself has spilled an ocean of ink but personally these topics, although taboo, need to be taken seriously and are gateways to a greater understanding of not only yourself but of nature and the secrets of reality, seen and unseen.
5.In the earlier days of the band you went through a few name changes, what was the decision behind changing the bands name on a couple of occasions?
I wouldn’t call it the same band, we hadn’t even released any music, other than some poorly recorded rehearsal demo if I remember correctly. We just did local gigs and played a mix of covers and original stuff. Lots of members came and went and it wasn’t until around 2010 we came up with a coherent vision and direction for the band.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
This cover artwork for ‘Radiant Terror’ was done by our friend Mitchell Nolte, who also did the cover for our last album ‘Sun of the Deep’. As with the album we wanted a blend of Western and Eastern esotericism. So we took the stories of Odin’s Wild Hunt from Western European heritage and the stories of Kalki the avenging avatar of Vishnu from Hindu texts. These two stories greatly inspired the direction of the lyrical themes and created a jumping-off point for many other occult concepts contained within the album. The centerpiece is of Kalki riding his pale steed of death to clean the world in fire and blood. He is surrounded by ghostly warriors riding wolves and other nocturnal spectral creatures that would accompany Odin on his Wild Hunt.
Here is Mitchells website https://www.mitchellnolte.com/
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We always wanted the opportunity to play with Watain and finally in 2019 we got the opportunity. It was a chance to highlight new songs from ‘Sun of the Deep’ and perform with the drummer of ‘Radiant Terror’ Robin Stone for the first time. Performance wise we always try to cultivate a sense of mystery and awe in the audience. We will often have unreleased atmospheric interludes during the performance to build suspense for the furious onslaught of sonic warfare that we unleash on stage.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Not as of yet. We are looking for a bass player in the interim and Mrak has some personal responsibilities that prevent us from performing live for the time being. We are looking forward for lots of developments in this area for 2024.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are currently fielding offers and looking for collaboration in all areas.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
The response has been really astounding. Especially from our Scandinavian and Italian brothers and sisters. For a band as underground as we are, we’re very thankful to all of our listeners and the enthusiasm that have show toward the album. It strengthens our will to produce more albums in the future.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’re going to continue with the style as performed in ‘Radiant Terror’. This is new creative ground for us and we want to explore it as much as possible. We have a solid studio setup now, so hopefully you should see much more work from us in the coming years.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles you are currently listening to nowadays?
In the non-metal arena I’ve been listening to a lot of Dungeon Synth recently and also rock and prog bands from the 70’s. In the world of metal, Worm, Stormkeep and Ninkharsag have been in frequent rotation in my house.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We would like to thank all of our listeners, old and new. The response for ‘Radiant Terror’ has been great and it strengthens our resolve to produce more. We thank you for coming on this journey with us and we hope to take you to new heights and depths in the future.
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