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1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?
In short, Wrach is a one-man project, based in Wales. Its meat and bones have materialised over the last 5 years or so, but the spirit has been present for many years.
I’ve made music on various 4-track and computer set-ups since the early 2000’s. I was never too good at being in a ‘band’ with people, although I had some experience playing with others in my late teens & early 20’s.
Almost all of my music over the last 20-25 years has been a solo endeavour. Only completed a few smaller ‘unreleased’ projects over the years - With some tracks up on soundcloud around 2010ish.
Now into my 40s, over the last few years the black flames of chaos are pulling me towards the dark, left hand path more than ever. I had to find an outlet for these energies - to keep on the straight and narrow, so to speak.
I started recording demos (unfinished and unreleased) and fired a few off to friends who are seasoned in the black metal-verse. Conor who runs the label was one who gave some welcomed feedback, from there the idea of a proper release was born. I had in mind a few tracks for an EP, but the currents kept providing, it wasn’t long before I had enough for a full album.
This material was seemingly spewed out from the ancient pitch-black chaos-currents that exist, outside our fraudulent existence.
Lyrics are a mix (or re-mix) of both old and new - some written up 15 years ago or more, and some more recent. Ideas, themes and lines often come to me in the strange place between wake and sleep.
I have lived near to or within Llandaff (Wales) for the best part of a decade, originally hailing from Montgomeryshire in Mid-Wales. It’s a place with great history and atmosphere that gets the black metal spirits stirring.
Though my chaotic life has led me from rural isolation to the most debaucherous scenes in urban sprawl across the UK - My soul resides on the cliffs, shores, the woods and the mountains (in Wales particularly).
2. Can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
I remain disheartened by most modern metal recordings. They either sound dull, dry and lacking in atmosphere, or a complete fucking inaudible mess. When recording I had certain ‘boundaries’ that guided me. These roughly were:
No pre-arranged tracks (I did have a few old riffs in the ‘wank-bank’)
Record on the fly and see what spews out.
When tracking, only ‘re-take’ if there’s a blatant fuck-up, or the dark energies are ‘missing’ from the performance. (almost the entire performance is 1 or 2 takes)
Although using a modern DAW system, treat it like an old 8-track. Mainly L&R guitars, drums and single vocal tracks (with occasional extra fillers where needed).
Fuck-tonnes of atmosphere (Reverb, reverb and more reverb, and a delay or two).
Work mainly in the darkness of the witching hours.
Due to these boundaries, certain aspects became obvious:
Firstly, I feel the energy of the recording is truly ghastian - It has the correct stench of foul death, and the glorious taste of blood which is precisely what’s required to channel these dark energies.
Secondly, the recordings materialised quickly, almost without effort. They seemed to be guided by these energies; the riffs, structures, choice of tones, lyrics, seemed to write and materialise themselves.
3.A lot of your lyrics cover Death Worship. and Anti Cosmic Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
Death and gestation are the only truths, between the two we live in deceit. We deceive others, deceive ourselves - especially about freedom. Death is the one experience we will all share, and we all can relate to, even though different cultures and different psyches (think serial killers, mass exterminators etc) may interpret it differently. I think about death always, it’s beautiful.
Of course there are many disagreements about what death is, how it is experienced, and what follows after ‘life’. We will all find out the truth in the end (or beginning?)!
I’m extremely optimistic about death - the veil of life being lifted once and for all. I feel that ‘ritual death’ throughout your life prepares you for what’s due - It keeps your perspective in order, so you can face the eventual chaos. I have always had one foot in the seas of chaos, and have plunged my head into Death’s realm more than a few times.
As with the music, the lyrics are very much born out of these energy channels, whether from psychedelic experiences, near death experiences, or roaming the realms of sleep paralysis and fucking with entities that fuck with you.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wrach'?
The Welsh word (g)Wrach was finally settled on as a name, as it embodies the energies that I channel these works. It was decided after one track was recorded (under a different moniker), upon recording the second track (which is the 1st on the album) I kept seeing the word ‘Wrach’ in books, on TV etc. I knew the name was to be, it found me - not the other way round.
It’s pronounced in Welsh tongue, so the ‘ch’ is not a hard sound as English would pronounce ‘roach’, it sounds similar to the (German) pronunciation of the great composer Johann Sebastian ‘Bach’. I suppose these days it’s easy enough to search online for the pronunciation.
In modern times it means ‘Witch’, though that’s a term that is fairly modern - the word, as the Welsh language in general, is ancient. Wrach is far older and more demonic, filthy and terrifying than our relatively modern conception of ‘Witches’.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is present on the new album cover?
During my more chaotic drug and alcohol fueled decades, I received the gift of death’s touch through sleep paralysis, sometimes multiple times a night (and morning). At first I thought I was going insane.
I’d see the old hag breathing ice cold death-mist into my face and down my throat, sometimes the masculine ‘hooded figure’ in the corner of my room. Occasionally a ghastly female entity - She was perverse, blasphemous, beautiful, terrifying, powerful, destructive and would communicate with me.
Once I learnt what sleep paralysis was (researching books, internet etc), I realised that I could have somewhat more lucid experiences in these realms, and with the entities themselves.
I’d fuck with them as much as they’d fuck with me. Especially the latter of the three. Sometimes i’d be violated, so in response I’d return the rape, so to speak. Each meeting would leave me feeling like part of me was stripped away, possibly a layer of ego, or being.
As the years passed, I came to realise her resemblance with Maha Kali - I only learned about Kali through post prison era Dissection. (They were the band that got me into ‘real’ black metal - A few years later, Reinkaos was released, a surprise to everyone at the time - In hindsight I feel it’s one of the most under-rated metal albums of all time.)
I then noticed how the heads that Kali carries around her neck resemble the ‘pieces’ or myself, that the entity stripped away. She visits me once in a while - Less so these days. I miss her and the other entities dearly. One day we will be reunited and ‘run riot’ so to speak.
The image is a painting of Kali from 1880(ish), displayed in a Calcutta museum I believe. Artist Jack Welch who goes by the name of SeventhBell (He’s been seminal in UK BM in acts such as Towers of Flesh, Funeral Throne, and his current ‘goth rock’ band - Naut), helped realise the album layout. He gave the image a look that much more reflects the energies I meddle with.
The layout of the sleeve and booklet is absolutely part of the whole experience - all images and ideas were also channelled by me, and made coherent with Jack’s excellent touch of death.
6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
Wrach will probably continue as a solo project - I have little time available for fucking around with other people who are not fully submerged into the dark works of death. I expect to have some guest appearances on the subsequent works, however.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the 'Llandaff Black Covenant?
The covenant itself is a promise in blood, to death - that our works will channel the aforementioned energies. Think of the ouroboros, but instead of eating its own tail, it spews out its own embodiment. This is the meaning of the covenant.
The brotherhood has other works looming in the mists, and in due course they will be revealed.
8.The new album is going to be released on 'Apocalyptic Witchcraft', how did you get in contact with this label?
I’ve known Conor for 20 years or so (the founder of the great and powerful Irish act ‘From the Bogs Of Aughiska’). We shared many debaucherous experiences in our early years. He’s someone that I admire, and someone that understands the struggle for freedom, and the curses that it brings.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Most people seem to have connected with the energies that are presented. And the feedback from peers has been positive. CDs and Cassettes have gone out to all corners of the planet, which is nice to see.
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
As previously mentioned, I’ve been doing this in some form, on and off for decades. I’ll continue as is. I expect to help produce some of the other Covenant releases, and may appear as a guest on their works too.
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?
Over the decades, the obvious and predictable ones are Dissection, Mayhem, Thorns etc. The last 15 years I’ve been much more into the Swedes and French projects, oh and Katharsis, God I love Katharsis! I have a hard-on for most Van records, especially the releases by The Devil's Blood & Urfaust. Mostly I listen to the same old albums I always have.
A project that I recently have rediscovered, after only previously hearing their first release, is Reverorum Ib Malacht. I find it hilarious that they’re ‘Catholic’ and make music that is severely more nasty than 99% of BM - A truly great and intriguing catalogue of works.
Special mention must go to The Doors, since childhood I have been obsessed with their whole spirit and ethos.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
The digipak CD with 12 page booklet and the limited (to 66) hand numbered cassette are available from apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk or apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com
Thank you for shining a light on our dark works. Seek the truth. Hail Death.
Wrach.
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