1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the solo project since the recording of the new album?
Well, the album was finished about a year ago. I spent a long while quietly shopping the album around to record labels. Around this time I was also actively gigging with another group, but I'm 110% focused on Temple ov Ahriman now.
2.In June you have your first full length coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
I would say while I draw inspiration from all sorts of bands the music is heavily rooted in the Finnish black metal sound; groups like Satanic Warmaster, Horna and Sargeist just to name a few. This is the foundation or the primer so to speak, but I was also very intentional not to put too many limitations on myself or restrict myself to a very narrow style or category. That works for some bands, but not for TAO. I need that freedom of expression in order to be prolific.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the new release?
The overarching theme is one of magick and occult spirituality. This sometimes expresses itself in various ways. For instance, the song "War in Heaven" is a very Milton-esque re-telling of Lucifer's fall from Heaven, while "Wrath of Iblis" or "Beyond the Veils of Maya" touch on the subject of occultism and the Left Hand Path through their respective cultural lenses. There's also a few songs that are a departure lyrically. SPQB, for example, is about the Roman emperor Nero while "White Death" is a song about enduring a particularly harsh winter.
4.I know that the bands name comes form the writings of Michael W, Ford, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the left hand path and occultism?
I'd say around my early 20's I was exploring a lot spiritually. At the time I was desperately seeking for a singular term that could summarize my beliefs and it wasn't until I discovered Luciferianism in 2014 that I felt that I had finally found that term. For a while I was involved in a couple of organizations that furthered the advancement of those beliefs. Eventually life caught up with me and I sort of lost interest and outgrew that label. It wasn't until 2019 when I started writing lyrics for black metal bands that I became reacquainted with that side of myself again. However, nowadays I identify more simply as just an "occultist" or "dark pagan". For lack of a better word this is my "worship music".
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Well, as you're probably aware by now, the album is called 'Heretics of Consensual Reality'. This is a term I coined to refer to the black magickian: someone who refuses to be limited by the rules of this causal world that we all generally agree to be true. In the art you can see the black adept, front and center, stoking the Black Flame of Illumination. Around him you see spectres and phantoms of various shapes and sizes manifesting to visible form. I knew I wanted a striking image for the front cover and I was throughly impressed with the art Mitchell Nolte had previously done for some modern grimoires so I reached out.
6.On the album you recorded everything by yourself but have recorded music with other musicians in the studio with your previous bands, do you prefer to work solo?
Yes, absolutely. There can be benefits to working on a collaborative project with a group; you can get a wider range of ideas, you can split expenses evenly, etc. But those working relationships can also sour and become dysfunctional. With TAO that's not a concern. I can work at my own pace and I don't have to compromise with anyone about anything. If something's holding back the project I usually only have me, myself and I to blame.
7.With the live line up what are some of the best shows that you have played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
There used to be local annual festival around here called A Night of Texas Hell. We had a good time playing there the two years that we did. We also opened for Profanatica once. There's not too much fanfare to our live show. We just go out there and play the songs the best that we can. If it's a higher production show we'll sometime incorporate fog machines and ambient interludes between songs, but those added effects aren't practical at every venue we've performed at.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Well, right now we have our CD release show on the same day that the album comes out. This will be our first show in two years as well as the first gig with a new drummer so it'll be interesting to see how everything comes together. A lot has changed in everyone's lives since we last played out. I'd like to hit up some of the surrounding major cities, but there's no concrete plans for that yet.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We were in negotiations with a couple of different labels, but ultimately those fell through so the decision was made to go independent. It's difficult nowadays with how expensive international shipping is. It doesn't make fiscal sense for a European label to sign a North American band when it would cost them a small fortune to mail physical copies overseas.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Hmm, I would say it's too soon to say. In some ways we're really just getting started so I can't think of too many people outside of our milieu that have commented on the material, but the response so far has been generally positive.
11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
Well, besides this album that's coming out I have a lot more material to share with the world. It's just a matter of having the time and money to record and release these projects properly, but I really don't think my spirit will be able to rest until I finally do so!
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?
Well, first and foremost I want to say that listening to black metal has almost never inspired me to make... more black metal! So when I'm trying to enter a creative headspace I listen to a lot of different genres for inspiration mainly synthwave, post-punk, harsh-electro/aggrotech, etc. There's also an Oregon-based record label called Cryo Chamber that produces some top notch dark ambient music. If I had to pick one black metal band that's really blown me away recently I would probably have to go with Sarkrista from Germany.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Yes. This album was a labor of love. To say there were some roadblocks along the way would be an understatement. At multiple times throughout the process I became increasingly discouraged and wanted to give up altogether, but that was never an option for me. I sacrificed a lot to make this album come to fruition so if you enjoy the music your support would truly mean the world to me. Buy the album, share it with your friends, etc. All of that helps stoke the fire and ambition to break ground on the next opus. Ave Lucifer, hail thyself!
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