Ahzidal Interview

 

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

We started Ahzidal back in January 2013. Kohnarikriin made a conscious effort to steer away from religious and political lyrics, focusing instead on mythology, lore, necromancy, and overall darkness. In the years that followed, we have released two EPs, a split, and played numerous shows. Ahzidal plays True Ozark Black Metal exclusively.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The biggest difference between our previous works and “Gaiar Alata” is the gradual maturation of our sound and songwriting abilities. Some may ask, “What is Ozark Black Metal?”, and to answer: Ozark Black Metal entails folky melodies, progressive song structures, and blisteringly speedy tempos, with a foundation of traditional 1st and 2nd wave Black Metal underneath. “Gaiar Alata” is the logical step forward in forming Ozark Black Metal as a legitimate sound.

3,From 2020 to 2025 there was no music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?

After the pandemic hit, we found ourselves in a precarious situation. Most of our bandmates had left and moved on to other projects. We were initially planning to record and release “Gaiar Alata” in 2020, but because of the circumstances, we had to postpone recording. To hold everyone over, we recorded our EP “Omens” and self released it as well. Afterwards, we worked hard to gather professional musicians who were willing to and able to play the music we had for the album. The long period was spent working on learning other bandmate’s musical “language”.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover the Elder Scrolls Saga, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this gaming franchise?

We all have a keen interest in the lore and history of the Elder Scrolls games. The immersion, atmosphere, storylines, and quests lead to such a cohesive, interesting experience. Kohnarikriin has been playing the games since the early 2000’s and has read an immense amount of backlore for each of the games. These themes explore magic, gods, cultures, and legendary heroes, making for a verdant ground of inspiration.

5.Lyrically you have also covered Norse Paganism, which aspects of this path do you cover lyrically?

Our interest in Norse Paganism is rooted in the history of Black Metal as a whole. A lot of the stories parallel and can be used as real life allegories. The same parts of the Elder Scrolls universe that interest Kohnarikriin, are present in these stories… Runes, magic, wisdom, gods, and legendary heroes. Utilizing wisdom from many different sources will lead to a much more well rounded self.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ahzidal"/

Ahzidal is an individual in the Elder Scrolls universe. He was integral in claiming Skyrim for the early Nords… One of the main aspects of his character is a hatred of the elven races, following their slaughter of his city of Saarthal and attempted genocide of the Nords who settled in Skyrim. His story is explored in depth in “Fulfilling the Prophecy” on “Gaiar Alata”. Ahzidal itself is taken from the language Dovahzul, “Dragon tongue”, meaning “Embittered Destroyer”.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The artwork was commissioned from Moonroot, who did a phenomenal job painting our initial vision. This artwork is a depiction of Mankar Camoran’s personal pocket plane of Oblivion, called Gaiar Alata. It literally translates to “Visions of the past, and of the future”. We felt this title really surmised our goals with this album and gives way for our next, upcoming works.

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

One of the best shows we’ve played has to be with Abigail Williams and Veil of Pnath in 2024. Our playing was absurdly tight, rage filled, and energetic. Even the issues we faced were triumphed over quickly… For instance, Kohnarikriin’s guitar strap disengaged mid song, during the third song of the set, and was quickly caught, fixed and he jumped right back in without missing a beat. Ahzidal’s stage performance is built upon being energetic, with lots of headbanging and movement, ritualistic, and personable. We utilize samples, dim lighting, and fog to enhance the atmosphere. Our goal is to always leave the crowd wanting more.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2026?

We’re playing a show with our close friends in Rottendom Friday, February 6th at Moshmellow in STL, and looking at setting one up with Xaemora in late February at Red Flag. As far as touring goes, we don’t have any concrete plans yet, but would love to set something up across the US and Canada.

10.The new album was self released, would the band be interested in working with a label in the future?

Absolutely.

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

The reaction has been generally quite positive. We’ve heard “Gaiar Alata” has an early Enthroned vibe, and that is high praise for us. We know that our music is not going to be for everyone, which is fine. We make music that we want to listen to, and if anyone else likes it, even better.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

This is something Kohnarikriin has been holding close to his chest, but a lot of work has been done for the second full length album, which differs greatly from our previous themes. He’s working on a fantasy novel and the album will be a concept album following the story. Plus, it’ll have a second CD bundled with, including a whole Dark Ambient portion of the album. This is still a ways away, as writing is nowhere near finished for the novel. In the meantime, we’re working on an EP about various folklore from all over the world.

13.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?

This is one of our favorite questions, as each of us have many different influences. However, the most prominent influences on the band include Taake, Windir, Vreid, Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Marduk, Dissection, and Opeth. Stylistically, our influences range far and wide… Kohnarikriin grew up listening to Bluegrass, Punk, and Folk through his father, and classic Metal and Hard Rock through his mother. Avgrunn grew up listening to classic and extreme Metal, 80’s Rock and Pop through his mother, and Hard and Classic Rock through his father. Both members listen to a wide range of music to this day, including Progressive music, Classical, Blues, Electronic, etc. Leichnamm has been into extreme music for as long as he can remember; Black and Death Metal, Hardcore and Beatdown, anything noisy and rage filled. Finally, Skum has studied all forms of music and genuinely listens to everything. These influences have led to our unique signature sound of True Ozark Black Metal.

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

Stay fucking metal and hail the followers of the Black Flame!!!

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