A: Two long years have passed since the album began taking shape in the gloom, a prolonged period of creation in which every concept and idea was molded with absolute patience in the shadows. Today, the structure of this recent work is completely finished.This path represents the culmination of a rigorous and ritualistic cycle, a personal ascension where I learned a great deal.Now all that remains is to channel the power delivered to the album and for the final phase to take definitive form and be released to inhabit the spaces that belong to it. Gaining the power it deserves.
2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of November, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
A: For me, this album represents an ascension and a total evolution on a musical level. It is a release with a sound that balances greater technical maturity with absolute organic rawness, featuring more work on composition, mixing, and equalization, while maintaining and respecting Vindalf's main path in musical terms. I did not seek to modernize Vindalf's core essence, but rather to refine its resources and take its musical atmosphere one step further. Recorded, edited, and produced by me. Everything built in previous releases served as a foundation; this time, the composition and sound treatment leverage that base to carry the weight of the work further.
3.In the earlier years of the project you released a great amount of material, do you feel that helped the project out in the beginning having a new release out once every few months?
A: That period coincided with the accumulation of months of releases and ideas conceived years prior, between 2018 and 2019, which back then had never seen the light of day. At that time, I lacked any experience regarding “releasing music”; the sole purpose was to share it with my inner circle and friends, since there were no other listeners beyond them. Honestly, I don't think releasing albums so consecutively served that 'growth.'I never was, nor am I, interested in seeking recognition or approval within the scene, and that indifference remains intact. Back then as well as now, my focus has never been to compose music to please the expectations or tastes of others, and perhaps it was precisely this stance that provided the true momentum.“Creating without expecting anything in return”, with releases that neither seek external approval nor care to fit into the 'scene.' I never saw it as a job or an obligation, as it always went beyond making music; it was the need to channel and evoke feelings that otherwise would have been lost, seeking to immortalize them. I have never been a supporter of those who beg for approval or fame when composing, let alone when it comes to black metal. Nowadays, a great deal of music is predictable, commercial, and empty. There are those who compose solely to sell or to please the masses, which represents complete decadence and a direct path to failure. As I say, perhaps that was the real push: absolute honesty when creating, leaving aside the expectations of others and any search for external validation."
4.Some of your lyrics also cover esoteric and paganism themes, how would you describe your interests in these topics?
A: My connections in these matters go far beyond mythology, paganism, or simple symbolism. Or something that can be explained through words. I consider them paths of knowledge, power, and spiritual transformation. For many years I have maintained constant study and deep dedication to these paths, exploring their different currents, mysteries, and practices, self-sacrificing my spirit to gain wisdom each time.I feel a particular affinity for ancient knowledge, runic mysteries, and the gods of death and life. I have found in this bond a conception of darkness as a primordial force, a source of knowledge and a path toward transcendence and awareness. Thanks to the gods I have obtained knowledge that has made me see beyond the veil, where I have descended into the abysses of the mind and death and have found peace and knowledge. I do not consider these paths a matter of appearance, nor something that should be exposed or over-explained. There are experiences, insights, and aspects of spirituality that belong strictly to personal knowledge. Of course, not every experience must be told, nor should every door be opened before the eyes of others. For me, this search, this connection, is a permanent path of transformation, where life, death, darkness, and divine wisdom meet under a single will. And, naturally, all of this is part of the spirit that inhabits Vindalf.
5.Lyrically you also have covered fantasy themes, which aspects of this genre have you brought out in the songwriting so far?
A: Dark fantasy has been present in Vindalf's lyrical universe. Serving as inspiration and manifesting through ancient realms buried by time, primordial forces, and worlds plunged in darkness. Much of this lyrical imagery is rooted in Tolkien, whose vast worlds, mythologies, and grim landscapes have been a source of inspiration over the years. His writings opened the doors for me to worlds full of mysticism, lands of glorious kings and eternal darkness, from which I have taken certain elements to forge my own lyrical atmospheres. But beyond that, Tolkien was and always will be a revelation. His works, loaded with mythology, their own language, symbolic depth, and an absolute respect for the ancestral, became one of the important pillars of my creative lyrical process.
6.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years with your music?
A: The aforementioned have been my main focus when it comes to writing lyrics. Since it is the experiences I have had and what I have wanted to immortalize on the canvas of music. Every lyric captured in each album or song is a piece of knowledge offered up to the music itself. Each lyric is an experience of dark practices, a search for wisdom, or a way to evoke and give existence to a world. Thus, each work preserves a part of what I have experienced, learned, and gone through, becoming a manifestation of my own path. Releases and music are the medium through which all of this finds its space to remain immortalized.
7.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vindalf'?
A: The name Vindalf is a magical name born from ancient, nearly forgotten texts that Christians often tried to destroy. Written in magical runes by ancient peoples. It is a name I chose to adopt to honor and consecrate the rebirth of that nearly forgotten ancient knowledge, and to strip away any mortal identity when making music. It is the echo of ancestral oaths, the wrath of ancient spirits, and the eternal flame that burns in the depths of darkness. It represents the wisdom of the ancients, the power of the runes, the majesty of storms, and the sacred bond between death and transformation. Vindalf represents eternity. It is that which transcends the existence of its creator and endures even after their death. When I cease to exist, Vindalf will live on; its essence, its spirit, and its legacy will remain beyond my own life.
8.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
A: The cover represents a manifestation of the forces that evoke and give rise to the album "Through the Black Fires of Ascension", death, hidden knowledge, willpower, and the power of war. It depicts the warrior's initiatory journey of self-sacrifice, wearing armor and thrusting the sword forward to cross the thresholds of darkness, descending into the realms of death to return carrying what remains hidden from the living. It is not merely a depiction of war, but of a spiritual transformation through death and forbidden knowledge. The skull is a talisman that grants wisdom—the very duality of mortality and immortality. It is the wisdom bestowed after the descent toward a triumphant ascent; the awakening of a consciousness that no longer belongs to this world.
9.With this project you record everything by yourself but have worked with musicians in other bands in the past, do you prefer to work solo?
A: Absolutely, I have worked with many musicians across different bands and roles in general. For about 5 years, I worked with and contributed on drums for the national band “Tagirion Est Tiferet”, to which I feel very happy to have shared my knowledge. I gained a lot of musical experience; now the band has stopped performing live, and I assume it will be on hiatus for a while. Right now, I am once again playing drums for the project “Blutnacht”, whose second release will be out soon, featuring drums recorded by me. And previously, I have contributed to other bands both live and in the studio. I believe there is an important duality when it comes to talking about other musicians. I feel that working alone is a way to connect with yourself, get to know all your facets, and serve as a form of meditation. Yet at the same time, I believe we are social beings, and working with other musicians enriches you, gives you experience, and manages to open your mind even more.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal and dungeon synth?
A: The reception has been very satisfying and, above all, meaningful to me. Over the years, Vindalf has gained followers and listeners in different parts of the world, both within Black Metal and Dungeon Synth. I am deeply grateful to those who have understood its true essence and have kept its spirit alive over time.It is not about masses, numbers, or statistics, but about people who truly appreciate the art, setting aside the empty.My respect will always be with them.
11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
A: Staying as I am now, resisting as a musician. In a world where creating turns into a waste of time, and mediocrity is prioritized thanks to immediacy. I intend to keep creating, learning, and gaining knowledge through music, which for me is the most sacred thing. Creating in these times is also a form of resistance toward the world of modernity, especially in a world that seems to despise effort and discipline.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles you are currently listening to nowadays?
A:Lately, I have been quite immersed in and obsessed with more ambient and atmospheric music, especially dark ambient from different parts of the world. I am fascinated by the ritualistic and meditative depth these sounds manage to evoke, moving away from conventional structures to transport you to other planes of consciousness. Within that same search, I feel a great admiration for music that incorporates ancient folk instruments, as well as the use of Hindu chants and mantras, for example. Since they carry a spiritual and historical weight capable of connecting directly with the ancestral and the sacred. Over the past few weeks, I have been listening a lot to bands like Dead Can Dance, Àrnica, and Heilung, which to me are simply incredible for the way they manage to fuse the mystical, the ancient, and the ethereal in their works. On the other hand, and although it may seem a bit distant, this time at the end of the year usually makes me extremely nostalgic and reflective about the passage of time. In those moments, I turn a lot to Frank Sinatra, especially his album “Cycles”. It is a record loaded with melancholy and contemplation of life, endings, and the inevitability of time; it always connects with me during this time of year.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
A: First of all, thank you for the recognition and for this space—something that feels even more necessary in these times of constant immediacy. I extend my deepest gratitude to all the unholy souls who support and understand the path of Vindalf; thank you very much for your support. Eternal honor to the inner circle for being the true bearers of the black flames and upholding this cult from the shadows; you know exactly who you are.
Vindalf rejects the light, the false gods, and the dead god.
Our devotion belongs to the ancient blood and the inner fire. We recognize no authority other than our own will: only the absolute sovereignty of our untamed spirit.
No tolerance. No light, death, and eternal life.
DARK MEDIEVAL BLACK METAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCQI-W86ghw
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