Anyone that actively follows the Serbian black metal scene was very fortunate to have witnessed the triumphant return of Nadsvest with their brand-new debut album "Slovo Meseca I Krvi", 5 years since the release of their first EP "Kolo Ognja I Železa". For those of you who are unaware of them, Nadsvest is a two-piece band formed in 2018, founded by S, whom you may know as Atterigner of Gorgoroth and ex-Triumfall fame, alongside A, also known as Krigeist of bands such as Svartgren, Barshasketh, Belliciste, Ophidian Coil, Thy Darkened Shade (live/session) and many more. Both members are highly experienced in their craft thanks to being constantly active in the field of black metal, which serves a great contribution to their work in the band. Nadsvest has gained a lot of attraction for being highly influenced by European dark folklore, particularly Serbian, which is omnipresent in their music and atmosphere that is predominantly focused towards the style of occult black metal bands such as Master's Hammer, Root, Malokarpatan, Tormentor, Negative Plane and others. When it was unveiled that the band had signed to Soulseller Records and that the new album "Slovo Meseca I Krvi" is on pre-order sales with the official release date of May 17th this year, it was an unexpected turn of events that caught many by surprise. After some time had passed, it's clear that the feedback from fans and critics regarding the new album was a highly positive one, and thus it resulted in more interest shifting towards Nadsvest. If you are interested to learn more about Nadsvest and thread into their territory, please join me as I share a few words with both members of the band, discussing their history together, their work on the new album, and plenty of other things along the way.

Vladimir

Greetings brothers, a heart-warming welcome on behalf of MetalBite magazine. How are you doing today?

A: Hi, doing well today. Thanks for the interview!

S: All well here, and thanks from my side too.

I have just heard your new album "Slovo Meseca I Krvi", and just as I mentioned a couple of times, it is one mean album that successfully exceeded all my expectations. It is very different from your debut EP, it's much darker and more menacing as a whole, but that's what I like about it. How did you guys focus on the songwriting process of this album? What is it that you wanted to achieve this time differently from your "Kolo Ognja I Železa" EP? What was the direction that you were going with?

A: The songs developed over a fairly long period of time, and were reworked a number of times until we'd achieved the atmosphere we wanted. I think in terms of what we wanted to achieve and the direction we took, it was something quite vague and nebulous. It was more about achieving the right mood and atmosphere, rather than aiming for any particular sonic style.

S: Nothing to add here, A explained it perfectly.

Although the album was successfully teased with the single and first track of the album, "Vihori Boja", which song from Slovo meseca i krvi would you guys choose as your personal favorite and for what reason?

A: I think for me, the fourth track "Pojanje Crno" is my current favourite. I think this track perfectly encapsulates the menace, malevolence and mystery we were aiming for. It's hard to choose though, as every song has its purpose on the album and the overall flow of the entire work was something we considered very carefully. We wanted to ensure that the musical narrative flowed and followed the narrative laid out in the lyrics.

S: I can agree with A here that abovementioned song has almost all touches we wanted to encapture in this album, which make it very representative and it does stand out for me too. On the other hand, closing track with Alexandros on guest vocal appearance is something I also revisit often. I feel like that one is crowned with some of the darkest moments of the album, both lyrically and musically and takes me exactly where I want to be when listening to black metal.

It's been 5 years since your first EP was released and fans have been hungry for the new album to come out, and now that it is finally here you can tell that it was worth the wait. Was there anything challenging or demanding that you faced during the making of this new album?

A: I don't think there were any particularly demanding challenges that we faced during the writing and recorded process, except for perhaps a lack of time. We are both involved in a lot of other pursuits, artistic and otherwise, so finding the time needed to fully dedicate to crafting the album was difficult at times.

When you guys started out with Nadsvest in 2019 with your first EP, you obviously had a lot of past experience that you brought to the table and then used it to craft this new devilry. What can you tell me about how the band came to be and what were your initial plans when you formed Nadsvest?

A: We had already known each other for a few years before Nadsvest was formed. The idea grew organically out of many discussions and a shared passion for black metal. The initial plans were fairly basic in the beginning – to create dark and sinister black metal with a distinctly Serbian flavour.

S: I guess we also wanted to explore some fields we haven't been able to touch with our other projects and try to create something that we were missing so far.

I always loved the fact that the band's sound and style never shifted towards that second wave black metal like most bands do, in fact there are a lot of elements of bands such as Master's Hammer, Sarcofago, Beherit, Blasphemy, Mortuary Drape, Tormentor, Bathory and so forth. How did you guys come up with the decision of incorporating this kind of sound for Nadsvest?

A: I don't know if it was a conscious decision to incorporate those sounds. The first EP had a much heavier dose of second wave black metal within it, but those sounds were largely absent by the time the split with Necrobode came about. We are certainly fans of the bands you've listed, especially S. but from my side, the style came about naturally in the songs I wrote. I aimed to sonically capture my experiences of living in Serbia, from the greys of urban settings in the cold months, to the mystery and darkness that lies over the wilds of eastern Serbia.

S: I always felt that rural ritualistic atmosphere of the bands like Master's Hammer/ Root, necromantic and horror invocations of Mortuary Drape, early Death SS and chaotic aggression of Sarcofago embodied the unique energy essential for black metal music, but somehow that sound, in shadow of 90s and early 2000s bands wasn't widely spread. I found myself many times drawing inspiration from those gems in order to make our tunes more "wild and free, primordial"!

The band's lyrical themes deal a lot with the Serbian dark folklore, this time it's more focused towards the predominantly lycanthropic aspect. Are there any particular works of literature and cinema revolving around dark folklore that have influenced your work?

S: Lyrical themes were strongly rooted in researches of folkloric symbolism, rituals we could find in some works of historians of religion of 19th and early 20th century. A lot of inspiration also comes from Serbian epic ballads, both in spiritual and morphological aspects which can give transic vibrations to the lyrical lines. If we had to mention something regarding cinema in the context for this release, then it would definitely be "She Butterfly" (Leptirica) with its haunting soundscapes.

Both of you have performed and still perform in various other bands, with you A. especially being involved in lots of different projects and you S. doing band artwork under Khaos Diktator Design. How do you guys manage to keep up that tempo?

A: I can barely keep up to be honest. I've put a lot of projects to rest and ended my cooperation with some other bands. The well of creativity only runs so deep, so I made the decision to focus on the projects that held something unique and gave me some artistic satisfaction.

S: I guess it is the same with me.

This might be a bit of a difficult question for both of you, but here it is: Since you guys are very active and also experienced in the field of black metal, and on top of that you are always staying inspired to keep on going. What exactly fuels the engine and the hunger for you guys to continue working in this extreme form of metal?

A: At this stage, it's not even a choice really. I have a compulsive need to create, where it springs from, I couldn't say. It's actually pretty inconvenient at times, with sleepless nights, not being punctual for other engagements. When the stream of creativity opens, I'm pretty much incapable of doing anything else until things are just the way I want them to sound and the mood is just right. It's almost like squeezing an infected wound, prodding at it and applying pressure until all the pus and corruption has been expelled. One of the reasons I reduced my number of projects was to ensure this stream of creativity didn't dry up and so I could direct it to things I'm more passionate about.

S: Again same. It is certainly not a matter of choice and that stream of creativity can also be a burden a lot of times.

As a last question, what would you say is what matters the most in black metal music? What is in your honest opinion, the definition of "true/pure black metal"?

A: Obviously it has to spring from the nightside, in whichever form you might interpret that. It requires a fanatical devotion to the artform and its associated ideals. It requires a deeply personal relationship with darkness on a daily basis. It is more than riffs and composition, it should reflect the artist's journey on their path and all the struggles and triumphs that entails. All things severely lacking in today's scene. Personality, character and a zealous devotion to the art are key things and can clearly be heard in any black metal of note.

S: It is a vessel of adversarial forces.

It's very common these days to come across black metal bands that delve into medieval themes revolving around castles, history, and fantasy, but very few of them really managed to pull it off quite as well as you'd expect. A case and point among these exceptional bands is Darkenhöld from France, with their discography consisting of 5 full-length albums and still spreading that dark age mysticism to the masses to this very day. They have recently announced on their social media that they have been working on a new full-length album as a follow-up to the predecessor Arcanes & sortilèges from 2020, continuing their sacred tradition which lasted over the course of 16 years. For this occasion, I've decided to reach out to their guitarist Guillaume Vrac, also known as Aldébaran, and in our conversation, we've discussed the current situation regarding the new Darkenhöld album, the band's evolution throughout the years, the use of medieval themes in their music, and we even brought up other subjects along the way such as Guillaume's YouTube channel which covers everything from Yngwie Malmsteen, The Beatles to Duke Ellington, Satyricon and Johann Sebastian Bach. I hope you will enjoy this conversation, and in case you haven't yet checked out the band Darkenhöld, but if you happen to be a fan of the early days of bands like Emperor, Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir, Gehenna, and Abigor, I highly recommend you do, because they're an awesome band all the way through.

Vladimir

Hey, Guillaume. How is it going?

Hello, I am fine. And you?

Not too bad. I've seen the post recently that you guys are working on a new album at the moment. How is everything coming along so far?

Yes. Really great. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was 4 years ago since we released our latest efforts, but I had lots of riffs and ideas that I put on my computer somewhere and in fact we didn't have a real plan to record a new album. We knew that the label awaited a new album, but it was not like we were obliged to do something, in fact. So yes, I had all those ideas, but it was all spontaneous ideas that I had, and it was really spontaneous and not really full. It's what I'm saying. I checked the songs that I had and I thought "yeah, maybe I have something to record a new album", and Cervantes was really happy, because in fact, he did not expect that, I had enough material to record a new album, and so it was a good surprise for him. And, for me too, because I didn't know I had as much as we had. He was really enthusiastic about it, so we began to make plans, and in fact, the problem was booking a studio to record the drums, and in general, studios are full as they are all booked, but we had a friend, his name is Nicolas and he's a drummer for many bands. So yes, he's a little bit famous in our area and he has a YouTube channel. He records drums, but he's not like a famous studio for recording, but we trust him and so it was easy to book him. And he has lots of drums so we could pick the right snare, the right tone, the right cymbal, and for me, the main thing is to have a good drum sound, a good drum tone. And, I knew that it could be possible with him. So yes, we've recorded the drums, but in a really, faster way because our drummer had to go to Japan like 1 month after. It was a really short time, but he did a great job. So, for the moment, we have the drums, we have rhythm guitars, bass, and some synths. So, I think we are in the middle of the new album for the first moment.

It's good that you picked the right time to work on the new album now, especially because it's been 4 years since your previous album. And it seemed to me like bigger attention has shifted towards Darkenhöld, mostly because of the various promotional platforms for black metal bands that give guys like you more exposure. Tell me, do you feel the same way that there's, like, more attention coming towards the band?

From my point of view, I don't really know. Maybe each album is a new step for recognition, but it's not like we are really big. So yes, we have some feedback and I don't know about the sales, but yes, I think we have more attention for the band, and it's good because we really build step by step. We didn't have a big, big success. So, in a way, I prefer it, because it's more authentic. I don't know how to say it, but we are not disturbed by too much success, but it's good to have some people that are listening to our band. And, yes, we are now on Spotify, on YouTube, on different platforms, and maybe it makes it possible to have more audience.

I wasn't gonna bring this up, but since this year's Olympic Games took place in France, everybody went crazy when they saw Gojira playing at the Conciergerie, and honestly, I must say that I really wasn't as impressed as everyone else because I think they just don't fit the vibe of that courthouse. I personally find bands like Darkenhöld more suitable for that occasion, but obviously you can't expect the Olympic Games to have a deeper understanding of metal music, let alone black metal music which I don't think they would ever allow to be played. But out of curiosity, would you guys have accepted to play there if you got the offer?

No. It would be really crazy. I'm not sure because, I don't know if it fits Darkenhöld at all, if the place really fits the music and lyrics, but, as far as the global games go, I don't know. If someone asked us for real, maybe we would change our view, but no. I would not agree to play, I think because it doesn't fit really. It's not like we are a true darker underground band, but I think it doesn't fit in my opinion. But the place is really great and I visit it sometimes, and I know The Chapelle, it's a medieval place and all the towers are medieval. So, yeah, it's great and I think it's my favorite place in Paris, in fact.

A band such as Darkenhöld is very exemplary in the sense that you guys manage to transcend that medieval atmosphere and the energy of the Dark Ages, with castles and fantasy playing a crucial role in your musical expression. The only other French black metal bands that I am aware of, that also do that, are Véhémence and Aorlhac, and all of you seem to provide a great throwback to the early days of bands like Emperor, Satyricon, Gehenna, and Dimmu Borgir. I am curious to know, why are you guys so drawn to that medieval darkness. Is it because of mysticism or something else entirely?

It's not really conscious and really premeditated. I think for me, it was a long time ago, I was really into that kind of metal and mixed with some historic and medieval atmospheres, but, it's not really conscious. It's just that I like that vibe. Also, regarding metal, my favorite black metal is mainly medieval-oriented or epic, maybe, sometimes when we think about it, but yes, Dark Medieval Times, it's really a masterpiece for us and really an album that really has something for us, but not really Satyricon of nowadays, but that that particular era of Satyricon is really great. And the bands that you quoted are really our taste regarding metal. And, yes, we also like some old fantasy, like you said, like a game book, like a role-playing game, that type of universe, and it just fits with what we want to express. And it's not only fantasies, but we also like some historical stories, and so we like to mix a bit of everything. But it's not really something we planned before, it's just that we like that type of atmosphere.

You guys have certainly evolved as artists and musicians since your early years, and anyone who is well-met with your discography can see the band's gradual development, but most notably you switched from lyrics in English to French from your fourth album Memoria Sylvarum. Was the decision to change the lyrics to your native language one of the things you wanted to do as a means of innovation or just a matter of better lyrical expression?

Yes. I think you're right. It's a main evolution in our discography, from English to French, and in fact, we were not so at ease with English, and especially, Cervantes is really great in French. He's a good reader and a really great lyricist in French, but English is not his mother tongue. He always wrote in English from the beginning, but he had to translate the lyrics and sometimes it was not as good as in French. So, I think it was with Castellum, the 3rd album, it got a bit better with French, and it's more personal, there is more identity, I think, when you write in your mother language and we have more vocabulary. It's more correct also. Sometimes, our lyrics were not really correct. So, we were a bit afraid to switch to French because it's not so easy to sing in French, in fact. Maybe English sounds better in a way, with more accents, for example, and French is more monotonous, so we are a bit afraid of that, but it came nicely, so now we continue, and we will not change, for the moment. We are still in French for the next album.

Speaking of exposure, I was lucky to have discovered the band through you Guillaume, particularly through your YouTube channel where you frequently post song covers and tabs from old-school heavy metal to classical music. I gotta ask, what made you want to start a YouTube channel with this kind of content?

It was really a commodity, I have to say. Down to earth really for money. I started my YouTube channel for money because I am a guitar teacher, and it was in my life when I had really serious problems with money, I really needed money, and I did not have any solution. So, I thought, yeah, maybe I could start a YouTube channel and maybe have some students to have more lessons, and so, I just started really modestly. It was just some views, at the beginning it was really amateurish with a really few, audience, but I kept uploading YouTube videos and it became bigger. And, I noticed that it's better with tabs because it's more useful for everybody to have music plus the sheet music of the tabs, so everybody can play the song. I also like it because sometimes I want to play songs that I don't know yet, and I think "yes, I could do the tabs and make a video of it". So, I learned that also for myself, but for classical music and heavy metal, it's just music that I like. And, now there is more attention so I can be more regular in putting new videos online.

Did your YouTube channel in any way help you gain more fans for Darkenhöld?

I don't know. Maybe some I think, it's really minor. I think it helps a bit, but not so much. I think there are lots of people who follow my YouTube channel but don't care about black metal, because it's not so much in my YouTube channel.

Since you guys are obviously well-met with classic black metal acts, I am curious to know what was your upbringing like for that subgenre. Were you guys lucky to experience the rise of black metal in the 90's or did you catch it up later throughout the years?

Yes. I started to discover Black Metal, I think it was in 1995 around that year, and I think that Emperor, Burzum, Satyricon, Dimmu Borgir have already released the main albums, but it was really small in France, at least. Black Metal was really something underground at the time, but it was in our magazine. We had little people who talked about it, and I began to buy fanzines also around that time, so I discovered mainly from the magazine and I also bought some compilations. There's some Blackened compilation and I think it was released in that year like 1995, and you had all the great bands of Black Metal. You have Dark Funeral, Emperor, Marduk, everything. But at the time, they were not so big. So, it's funny to see that now they are like, not so big, but like major bands. But at the time, they were really underground. So, I discovered it like this. I didn't have so many people around me to share my interest in black metal, just a friend in Paris, who also had a taste for that kind of music, but there were really few people who understood. I don't know about you, but for me, when I started, it was a bit like strange music. I was a bit impressed by the imagery, and the lyrics, the music was a bit scary in fact at the time, but I started to become more used to it and I could listen. There are some melodies, some atmospheres, and it's not just about Satan or destruction or man, there was something behind this, like you said, histories, castles, nature, fantasy, atmosphere, mysticism. So, it was not just, we are the devil, and we all want to destroy everything. It was more profound and more rich in fact. When you listen to Emperor, for example, it's not just some basic black metal, it's more in a classical way, so I thought it was really interesting at the time.

Yeah. I have to agree because when I was, like, 14 turning 15, when I heard the classic Norwegian black metal bands, I also thought the music was quite scary because I had never heard anything like it. As time went on, that's when I kind of got a better understanding of the music itself, like the instrumental work and also the songwriting and the atmosphere. And there was something that kind of soaked me in, especially like you said, there are so many different styles, variations, and, of course, layers to black metal music. When you mentioned someone like Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse for example, there's great musicality all over the place, and you can even take Dissection for example. It's basically like classical music elements in this kind of melodic black metal, and you also have other bands that were in that same wave of bands. So, yeah, it's kind of a really special feeling when you dig deeper and see something in it, but in your case, you were lucky to have discovered it around the time when it was growing, when all the bands were very small underground bands, and now they're world-class acts.

Yeah. I was really impressed to see the evolution of the recognition of black metal because I thought that nobody cared about that music because it was too strange or too extreme, but it gained more and more, like you said, world-class recognition. And, you know that there are some museums where you can find black metal. So, now it's more academic in a way. But, at the time, it was not academic. It was just like "What is this crazy shit for magazines in France?" They talked really badly about that genre because there were just 1 or 2 journalists who really took it seriously. But the other ones, they were more like traditional hard rock, and they just thought it was just murderers and criminals, but not really musicians. So, as for the view of the people, regarding black metal mainly, they saw it as a joke. Maybe some people thought it was maybe not serious, but now it's something.

Back then, everybody would give negative press about these bands, but as they say, even bad press is good press. There is no such thing as bad press. So, basically, if you say something terrible about a band, it's obviously gonna get more attention from teenagers and it even becomes more accepted. You take a look at Covenant playing at the Norwegian Grammy Awards, and you have Covenant winning the Norwegian Grammy for Nexus Polaris. It basically means that somebody said "You know what? This is an attraction. Why should we treat it differently?" As you said, now there are lessons about it, there are even museums about it and there's everything else about it. Norway accepted black metal as a part of its national history. It's not like they accepted it just for the crimes, but it's also because of the music. They look at it as something that really left a mark on Norway, and it's a big tourist attraction. That's why you have a lot of these tourists going to Norway to see all these locations that were mentioned in documentaries and interviews and even in some books or other media. It's very special when you are a kid growing up in the nineties, reading magazines and fanzines about black metal and getting to know the bands better. That really was something special and you are a very good witness to that.

Yeah, but, after all, I'm not in the right area for black metal. We have more of a French Riviera with yolks and luxury. I think it was the right side, maybe, to listen to that kind of music. I think sometimes that the music, when it's created, fits with the time, what we call a "zeitgeist" or something like that. When it's the right music for the right time, it fits with the moment. For example, traditional heavy metal, we say traditional for British heavy metal from the early eighties. You have that golden age now, for black metal, there was a golden age too, I think. But, yeah, we had some bands at the time also in our era like Godkiller, and he started during that time. It was like an international community also as they were tape trading and everything. And I know that, for example, Godkiller used to trade with Silenoz from Dimmu Borgir and probably the guys from Mayhem. For example, we also had a band called Aggressor. It's a death metal, but death/thrash or thrash/death, and he knew the guys of Mayhem and Bathory, he used to meet Quorthon from Bathory. He was there in the eighties because he was aware of that extreme black metal scene and he was in contact with Euronymous and with Quorthon also, and he used to live really close to where I live, so it was connected. Everything was connected even if you were not in the right place in a way.

Thank you so much for doing this interview. I am highly looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for Darkenhöld, but most importantly, best of luck to you and the rest of the band, and I can't wait to hear the new album. Any final words?

Well, thank you for contacting me. It's really a pleasure and an honor also because we didn't talk too much about our music for some years. So, it's good to talk about Darkenhöld now again. And, I think you are the first to talk about this new album. For the moment, we can't really reveal the details of it, but I think it would be in the tradition of Darkenhöld, and you will find the elements of our previous albums. If you like what we did before, it will not be so different, but still, it's a new album with different ideas, but in the continuity of our previous albums.

Since the earliest days of Rotting Christ and even before, Jim Mutilator has been a larger-than-life presence within the legendary Greek black metal scene. From his Black Church days and through the Rotting Christ era until now - the age of Yoth Iria - Jim has etched his name into the hallowed halls of black metal legend, and not just in Greece, but across the globe. To know Hellenic black metal is to have felt his impact, and being afforded the honor to interview him is something I will always hold dear.

Yoth Iria is the brainchild of Jim's sacred vision for BM. The band incorporates all of the familiar warmth, theatrics, and melody of traditional Greek black metal while also providing the taker in with a look into the realm of the Daemon of the New Millennium - Yoth Iria itself… Romantic Satanism; great stories told and portrayed through the lens provided by the true friends of humanity - the Daemons themselves. So much more than typical Devil worshipping black metal and so much more than animalistic blasphemy, this is black metal for the ages! Timeless and brilliant, spiritual and profound. 

A great mystery is about to be unlocked. Everything you've ever wanted to know about Jim Mutilator is about to be revealed right here. During my latest interview, Jim Mutilator discusses the early Greek scene, his influences, Rotting Christ, his occult-driven lifestyle, and the majesty of Yoth Iria: the great Daemon, Jim's guardian and the essence behind one of the world's greatest black metal bands. Let the ritual commence!

Jeger

Hails, Jim, and welcome to MetalBite. First and foremost, as a devout adorer of the Greek black metal scene, it's truly an honor to have an audience with one of its pioneers. You've been a champion of the Greek scene since the earliest days of Rotting Christ and Varathron. How would you describe the early days and who were some of your early influences?

I started playing music in the mid-'80s, as I was really into traditional heavy metal from the beginning of the '80s and jumped on the extreme sound of bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Bathory, Slayer, Metallica, Possessed, and Exodus from their debut albums. It was so a big influence on me that I thought to build my own band to follow my idols of those days. So, around 1985, I started a band under the name Black Church and started making plans. Of course, Black Church can be described as the precursor to Rotting Christ in 1987. A lot of bands of the '80s had a strong impact on me like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Necrovore, and Sarcófago.

There seemed to be some competition between the early Norwegian and Greek scenes, as evidenced by one comment in particular that was made by Satyr of Satyricon during one of his early interviews where he basically claims that the Norwegian product is superior to the Greek style. From your perspective, what separates the Greek style from the Norwegian?

I guess Norwegian black metal is more aggressive and frozen compared to Greek black metal. They created a more extreme sound in contrast with Rotting Christ. We were sounding like a mix of traditional heavy metal with thrash and black metal. For sure, Norway was responsible for making black metal music very famous in the world, and it had a really big effect on us, as people around the world became more familiar with the black metal sound while they discovered more bands like us. Don't forget that people like Euronymous, Fenriz, and Varg were big fans of Rotting Christ, and they really recommended us to their fans.

I'm a huge admirer of your work with Rotting Christ and the era in which you played for them. You left RC in 1996. Why did you feel like you needed to leave at the tail end of what was, in my opinion, the greatest era for the band?

It was really a hard decision and a really bad decision, but you know, from the day I remember myself, I had to fight with a lot of my own chaos. It's really hard to explain, as there was more than one reason, but it was a mistake…

You've drawn much inspiration from the Occult, particularly with your band Yoth Iria which delves into traditional themes pertaining to romantic Satanism but also ritual and Paganism. When were you first introduced to the Occult and how would you say it has changed your life?

I've been interested in occultism since the late '80s. I was no more than 15 years old when I sent Christ and The Saints to the garbage. I felt very attracted to the Daemonic world and I considered myself like one of them. So, as you can understand, Daemons for me are something true. You know, some people think it's not logical at the age of 53 to believe they truly exist, but I can say that Daemons are really great forces, and they are the true friends of humanity.

For me, magick is like a daily part of my life, and for sure I will spend some time, especially in the night to make my personal ritual. I guess it's really easy after a long time of experience to come in touch with Daemons, and I like to have connections with as many of them as I can. Also, it's great before our live shows to take my small Daemonic breaths, and I'm happy to see that my bandmates started joining me sometimes, as they can feel great energy.

You started Yoth Iria in 2019 alongside your brother in black metal, The Magus, who departed from the band in 2023. I interviewed him earlier this year and he stated that his departure was due to creative differences but that you two are still dear friends. What was the biggest difference between your vision for Yoth Iria and his?

I started Yoth Iria as a personal project, The Magus joined me after I called him on the phone and after he listened to the promo tracks. Actually, from our old days, George and I were quite different in regard to black metal. George is totally against playing live, on the other side, I'm really addicted to playing live. George prefers more experimentation, and he is much more aggressive with musical compositions. So, I knew from the beginning that our cooperation would not last for a long time, but still, with one album I think history was written. As a person, I have a lot of respect for George, and I really consider him as one of the most important black metal personalities in the world.

The name of the band, "Yoth Iria", is evidently of great meaning to you as evidenced by its repeated use in tracks such as the titular cut to the new album, "Blazing Inferno", for example. I've done some research on the name and couldn't find much about it. What exactly does Yoth Iria mean and why is this name of so much importance to you?

Yoth Iria is a Daemon of the new millennium. It revealed itself to me in 1992, and from that time, he has been more than a protecting power. Yoth Iria is another highlight of the Daemonic world. He provides us with light, knowledge, and freedom. For me, he is like a guardian.

"Blazing Inferno" is one of the finest Hellenic black metal records I've ever listened to and I've been doing this for a while. It definitely seems like there's a lot of cohesion within the band. How do you feel about the lineup in its current form?

I'm happy to see you liked our new album. Yeah, you are very right. There's a strong lineup now, and each member really helps the band to improve.

One track in particular from the new album caught my attention, "We Call Upon the Elements". This is not only the title of the track but it is also a common phrase that's used within various sects of Paganism as a way to call upon The Quarters during ritual. Paganism is a common theme in black metal. What is it about the ancient magick of Paganism that fascinates you most?

Paganism is a noble connection between man and Mother Nature and has nothing to do with the defecation of Christians or Islamists who wish to spiritually abuse people. Paganism creates free people, the others want just slaves. "We Call Upon the Elements" is a track that glorifies Mother Nature and calls people to start joining the true happiness of life through occultism. You know, life is something magickal, everything around us is magick, and our short life must belong to us. It's so simple for me. Like a general conclusion, everything is connected to magick. it's a great thing to explore.

What does the future look like for Yoth Iria?

Nobody knows what the future brings… I'm looking forward to playing more shows so we can promote "Blazing Inferno" to the world.

Do you have a message for the horde?

Thank all of you for reading this. Yoth Iria is Metal Magic Freedom!

The Canadian heavy metal Cauldron, born from the ashes of the fallen heavy/doom metal band Goat Horn, is widely regarded as one of the most important names in all of "New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal", especially since they are regarded as one of the founding fathers of this revival movement which started around the early to mid 2000's. It's been a while since the band put out any new material, but at least it's a relief to know that they are still around and kicking ass, despite their previous album New Gods being six years old at this point, but luckily, there is hope that Cauldron will once again enter the studio. I reached out to their vocalist, bassist and founding member Jason Decay, with whom I've discussed various subjects surrounding the re-release of their fourth album In Ruin from 2016, which had been pulled from streaming platforms due to licensing issues but was luckily resolved as of this year, but we also touched on other subjects such as his work on the AOR band Lockhart, Goat Horn's compilation album "Voyage to Nowhere - The Complete Anthology" from 2022, and the possibility of Cauldron going back on the road in the future. If you are a fan of the band Cauldron or NWOTHM bands in general, I truly hope you will enjoy this interview with Jason Decay, if you are not, then I encourage you to check out all of his bands that we've brought up in this interview.

Vladimir

Greetings Jason! It's been a while since people got any news about Cauldron, but as of recently, we were finally blessed with the re-release of your fourth album In Ruin from 2016, which was absent for some time on streaming platforms, but now it's finally being resurrected. What is the story about the album being pulled from streaming? How did you manage to solve this issue in the end?

Hi, thanks for having me! The story is that the license with The End Records expired in 2021 and unlike most record companies they actually adhered to the agreement and returned our record to us. It's been absent for over 3 years because I couldn't be bothered to pay to give away our music but the Brazilians bugged us long and hard enough that we gave in. We must be fucking huge in Brazil, and all of central and South America.

This year you released a 7" vinyl split with Enforcer on Doomentia Records, titled Heavy Metal Thunder Session #2, which is a continuation of the first edition split that includes Ambush and Stallion. This edition in particular contains a single song of each artist, with Enforcer covering "Attack" by Jonah Quizz and Cauldron covering "Paris is Burning" by Dokken. How did you guys settle down to do this split release, and how come you decided to include song covers?

Petr from Doomentia just asked us if we had anything lying around that we'd like to contribute to his 7" series and I thought that was the best unreleased recording, at least on vinyl, that we had so there be it.

Your last album New Gods is now six years old at this point, and as time went on, we haven't received anything else from Cauldron apart from the aforementioned split with Enforcer, and a compilation album Undercover of Moonlight in 2020. Does this mean that Cauldron is done working on new material, or is there any hope for making a new full-length album?

We're not really done working on new material but it just takes a lot longer these days. We all have kids and real jobs now and we don't live in the same city anymore, but we do have around 5 new song ideas so far that we put together last year so I'm hoping that starts to come together in the near future but we're not setting a deadline for ourselves like we used to.

If I am not mistaken, New Gods is the only Cauldron album which didn't have any music video like your previous ones. How come?

New Gods also didn't have a proper tour and that is because Myles had a newborn at the time and wasn't going to tour and I had one on the way and wasn't going to tour beyond that. We thought about a music video and had a concept and location laid out but without touring like we used to it just seemed like too much of an expense for nothing. Had the record company paid for it, it would have been a different story but they probably thought the same thing. We did end up doing a handful of shows in the states with Myles and a short European tour with Chris Steve on drums but it wasn't enough to justify spending a bunch of money we didn't have to support the album and tour.

Speaking of video content, I see that you occasionally upload some cool stuff on the YouTube channel "atticmetal", mostly studio sessions to live videos of Cauldron. Out of curiosity, have there been high demands from fans to upload some rare footage regarding the band?

No not really, but I recently discovered a bunch of forgotten footage from the In Ruin era that I thought would support the cassette tape release, which led to the streaming re-release.

Two years ago, you released the No Chance EP of your AOR band Lockhart, which also includes the talented drummer Fabio Alessandrini and Axxion's Devon Kerr. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised that we got this EP, because it's a really good and fun release for fans of 80's AOR as a whole. What's exactly the story behind you guys starting Lockhart?

Devon had these songs for years and I thought they were great so I was always bugging him to record and release them so he ended up asking me to play bass on them. Fabio was interested in playing with Cauldron but we already had Myles at the time so when Lockhart came about I thought Fabio might be the right guy and he was.

Are you by any chance, or "No Chance" at all, planning to do a full-length album for Lockhart in the near future?

Full length record is almost done and should be out in 2025.

Way before I even heard or discovered Cauldron, I've known you from your previous band Goat Horn, which I came across by chance on YouTube in 2013/2014. Two years ago, you released a compilation album Voyage to Nowhere - The Complete Anthology, containing the entire history of the band, and it's practically perfect for all the diehard fans and collectors. Although Goat Horn is considered inactive, how come you guys decided to put out this great compilation album?

My friend Dan, who signed Cauldron to Earache back in 2008, ended up running Dissonance Productions and was interested in releasing the pre-Cauldron stuff (Goat Horn) as a set so we though it was a good opportunity to bring it back to people who might not know about it.

Ever since this compilation got released on both physical media and streaming platforms, has the interest towards Goat Horn grown any bigger?

No, not really, haha, but probably some I suppose.

I apologize if you've been asked about this many times before, but according to Metal Archives, it says that "Despite being officially split-up, the band (Goat Horn) still occasionally performs live". Is this true or false?

We did for a while but not recently.

I would really love to see Cauldron perform anywhere in Europe someday, so are there any plans to go back on the road anytime soon?

No plans at this point but if the right opportunity came about then maybe; we're more of a heritage act at this point.

Thank you so much for this interview Jason. I am highly looking forward to seeing what the future brings for Cauldron, and I wish all the best to you. Are there any final words for the fans?

Thank you for asking good questions, it makes the answers easier! And if you like what we do then we are grateful. Be patient because we hope to get something new released eventually and thanks for your support!!

"Horror is the future. And you cannot be afraid. You must push everything to the absolute limit, or else life will be boring. People will be boring. Horror is like a serpent: always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can't be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious." – Dario Argento

Powerful quotes by such a brilliant mind of horror cinema should always be remembered and serve as a reminder that the preservation of an idea is crucial because you never know when it might be a valuable lesson for all those who wish to discover more than meets the eye. In the modern world, people claim that it's really hard to find great black metal bands with an element of mystery that surrounds them, while their music is enriched in such a macabre aura that feels so unreal and bewitching. Some even say that finding such a band is impossible or even futile trying, but I beg to differ because you only need to know where to look. Under the banner of the German label Dying Victims Productions, we have the phenomenal band Hexenbrett, which first caught everyone's attention around 2018/2019 with their debut EP "Erste Beschwörung", and have since then managed to maintain the magic in their music, as well as preserving their identities and the land of origin. I have said this so many times and I will say it again, this band is practically perfect for anyone out there who is into old-school heavy and black metal but also digs Italian horror movies by such brilliant masterminds as Mario Bava and Dario Argento. You simply can't deny that there is something special about Hexenbrett, and you've got to admire them for their creativity and the very key factor that is very much present in their works, and that is the element of the known. After diving deep into their newest album "Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter", I have managed to get in touch with one of the members of the band who goes by the name of Josto Feratu, and get some info about the work on their official second full-length album, while discussing other things involving the key aspects of Hexenbrett which I wanted to explore even further. If you want to gaze into the Deep Red and enter the Bay of Blood, then you are most welcome to do so.

Vladimir

Greetings Hexenbrett on behalf of Metalbite! How are you doing?

Thank you for having us. The band is currently preparing for this year's final concerts while Scarlettina and I await the release of Dritte Beschwörung. Recharging is what we currently do.

I had the pleasure of checking out your new album Dritte Beschwörung: Dem Teufel eine Tochter, and I've gotta say that I was very pleased with how it turned out as a whole. I personally think that this might be your best work yet because you have truly taken everything to the next level with this one. How did you guys approach the overall work on this album? What were some of the key aspects that you wanted to explore further in the songwriting process and the overall musical direction?

Thank you very much, this was our goal. The main difference when it comes to the general approach was that we had more time. Time in all aspects; the songs were written over a longer period of time, then they were re-written, we took ourselves plenty of time for the preproduction, even had two demoing sessions for final tweaks and changes and lastly the recording process was about three times longer than for our previous outputs. This definitely helped us to fully develop and implement our ideas.

Although your music always provided very rich and complex song structures with highly expressive ideas, this one seems to head for a more progressive vibe and you can tell that your signature style was tweaked on this new album. Did you face some significant challenges along the way while preparing the new material?

It definitely took us longer to get studio-ready as the material was more demanding than on our previous outputs. The actual rehearsals took about 6 months before we entered the studio with Tommasso and even then, we were still pushed to our limits. But I guess this is the way it's supposed to be.

The band is certainly evolving fairly well in so many unpredictable ways, constantly adding new things here and there, but it always seems to turn out so excellent in the end, with the execution being simultaneously effective and flawless. Was there anything that you were looking to improve from your past works? Perhaps things like the overall atmosphere of the album or the song arrangements?

Basically, just writing good songs and providing them with all the musical necessities they need. Not too much on one hand, but not too minimal on the other either. We got rid of quite a few things on some songs, but also added things on others since it was necessary. Time, again, was definitely important for that.

One song from the new album in particular that got stuck with me is the instrumental track "La plese de la nuit", which really feels like a soundtrack-driven song that could easily fit a retro horror movie or TV series, as its main theme or the end credits score. I really have to ask, have you guys ever considered the potential of Hexenbrett to be further developed one day by writing soundtrack music or do you think that in doing so it would diminish the magic of the band?

That's a question that's not that easy to answer. Generally speaking, it's definitely considerable, but there are many factors that come into play with such an endeavor.  A good story, atmosphere in general, the right director, a proper budget and so on and so forth are crucial for such an undertaking.

The music of Hexenbrett is very unique and atmospheric in its own way, as I described it as an unholy matrimony of occult heavy metal and black metal, where you can hear influences from bands like Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Witchfynde and Death SS fused with Master's Hammer, Darkthrone, Celtic Frost, and Tormentor, with some elements of the notorious Italian progressive rock band Goblin. When you guys started out before the release of Erste Beschwörung, how did the band exactly envision their sound and style?

We didn't envision anything. The songs were written and everything came together piece by piece. The only aspect that was important was that the songs were simple in their message and to the point in their execution.

One notable fact about the band is that you guys were heavily influenced by Italian horror films from masterminds such as Mario Bava and Dario Argento. Which of their movies are some of your favorites and how would you rank them?

That's a tough one. With Bava it's basically everything but Argento somehow lost his touch after Opera, even though Scarlettina is a huge fan of Wax Mask.

While we're still citing key influences behind the band, I would like to know what are your top 5 most important albums, metal or non-metal, which served as influences for Hexenbrett?

That's impossible to answer but five key musicians/bands would be Bruno Nicolai, King Diamond, Dani Filth, Glenn Danzig, and Claudio Simonetti.

Since the band's inception, the members have successfully remained anonymous and in doing so you manage to preserve the macabre aura and the mystery around Hexenbrett. It's a very hard thing to pull off in today's world with more advanced technology and social media, where any kind of information about bands and musicians seems to be readily available, and to some bands, it is practically impossible to hide their faces from the public eyes. To what extent is it important for you guys to preserve your identities? Is it just a matter of having your fans experience the band in a certain kind of way, or is it an established band politics so to speak?

It's simply not important. Scarlettina and I do exist behind the band, we control the narrative. This is all that matters. Looks, age, or origin are not important. They don't enhance the musical experience, so why should it be important in the first place? There are no personalities, only music.

The last thing I would like to point out is that I strongly believe your music is probably the most ideal for vinyl releases because your albums are just perfect to be owned on 12-inch vinyl, especially with the kind of artwork that you incorporate and the generally top-notch sound production that just keeps getting better and better. I have two questions about this topic: Do you feel the same way about your music that it's best experienced on a 12" vinyl? Also, do you still have that level of excitement when you finally get to hold the physical copy of your album in your hands and just admire the final product?

We totally agree and the music is usually written with that in mind. It's not about an ongoing stream of songs but rather a presentation divided into two acts. It's all about dynamics and atmosphere, both of which are essential when it comes to our concept.

Thank you so much for doing this interview. I am highly looking forward to hearing more great music from you guys in the near future and keep up the good work. Are there any final words you'd like to leave for the fans?

Thank you so much, we appreciate those words. Visit hexenbrett.bandcamp.com and keep your eyes open for future live concerts. So long, J.

New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal band Corners Of Sanctuary (COS) was formed in 2011 with a desire to bring back the sounds of classic heavy metal. Many albums and tours later the band is very much alive signed with US' RFL Records in June 2020. Corners Of Sanctuary released another piece of heavy metal greatness In October 2020 with album titled "Heroes Never Die" and the newest piece of music and something you should put your ears to is an EP called "Blood and Steel: Volume One". It was just released in March 2021 so we caught up with guitarist/keyboardist Mick Michaels to get more info about what the band has been up to.

Tomek

Thanks for taking time to talk to us. New EP was just released, how's the excitement level, how is everyone doing?

Thanks so much for inviting me to talk…greatly appreciate it! With any release, a lot goes into it to make all come together…it's a non-stop process until it's done. And even then, there's still so much to do…with promoting the release, getting a single out there, making a video of some kind…posting, sharing, networking…one campaign runs into the next. There is always something to do. But at the moment we are really excited about the new EP, Blood And Steel: Volume One. It's out now and available on RFL Records.

"Blood And Steel: Volume One" just came out. Can you tell us a bit about it, how long did you work on it and about the whole process?

All in all, it took about four months to put this new EP together. We had started writing for the EP while we were pre-promoting our last album, Heroes Never Die. As busy as that time was, it actually was a great time to write as there was so much energy floating around…so everyone was already in work mode, which made the focus that much more laser sharp.

And to compare, how long did you work on the band's latest album, "Heroes Never Die", which was released in 2020? Can you tell us about it, about the recording itself, and how satisfied were you with the outcome?

It took us a number of years to complete the album due to touring and schedules. We actually started the album in 2016 when we were working on our previous record, The Galloping Hordes. We actually planned to do a double album at that time, so we started to lay tracks for two albums worth of material. Early on, however, we decided that was not the route to go…so we shelved the tracks we weren't going to include on Hordes. Hordes released in 2018 and we had shortly after started working on the next album which would become Heroes Never Die. The pandemic actually allotted us time to complete the album and have it release last year.

Production wise the album is stellar. The overall mix is top shelf. Bill Metoyer did a fantastic job mastering all the tracks…we have had the opportunity to work with Bill several times over the years and he always delivers phenomenal work.

How would you introduce the new EP?

This EP has a lot of punch to it…so we think listeners will like it. It's a bit darker and grittier…really has an edge to it. It definitely relays a lot of the feelings many of us have been experiencing over the course of the last 12 months with the pandemic and all.

Is there a deeper meaning behind the title?

2021 marks Corners Of Sanctuary's 10th year anniversary. So this EP, along with two more upcoming editions, commemorates that milestone for us. The title, Blood And Steel is a sentiment that, for us, we feel describes our commitment to what we are doing…our dedication to the music…it's all or nothing.

And what is the story behind the name of the band?

A "corner of sanctuary" is a place that we can go to be who we really are...a place without judgment and void of any ridicule or outside influence. It's a safe place...some may even call it a "happy place." It can be anything or any place, real or imaginary. For us, music is a "corner of sanctuary" and we want to share that place with others in the hopes that they too may find the music as their own special "corner of sanctuary" as well.

What inspires you to write, to compose, what is the main catalyst?

For us, it's always about the music first and foremost…what's best for the song…that's always how we approach what we do; writing, recording, promoting, etc. With that sort of frame of mind, you start to realize what you are looking forward to and avoid what you don't.

Blood And Steel was inspired by our wanting to pay tribute to two former band mates who passed away over the last year. As we approached our 10-year anniversary as a band, we started to reflect on not only all that you have gained but what we may have lost as well. This EP and the ones that follow, encompass all of that. It's a celebration of everything that brought us to this moment.

What about influences?

Influence comes from so many places, especially for an artist...it's all around us; every day. We just need to be open to it and become aware...from there it's just a matter of taking it all in and doing something with it…the possibilities are endless if you think about. As an individual and with this band, we have a number of influences both metal and non-metal. Having only a singular source is living and creating with tunnel vision. The world is more than just that as is art and music.

What do you think about people slapping names and tags on music?

It's two-fold as it creates individualism for artists and bands that are currently swimming in a sea of 60K uploads to Spotify daily, while at the same time, seems to be causing more and more separation among not only the listeners but the artists themselves. Sub-genres are a way to help sell and market things as "one-of-a-kinds" and they are also ways to help appease people's need to be different. At times, it seems people get so locked into this genre or that genre that they don't allow themselves to experience things for what they are or even what they could be…genres are limiting in my opinion. Of course, everyone will gravitate towards what they like but some choose never to explore other avenues…which they should, ‘cause a change of scenery can do us all some good every once in a while.

What would you call it yourself?

Corner Of sanctuary's music has been called the "modern sound of Classic Heavy Metal." It's categorized as New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal. We definitely have a throwback flavor to our sound and that is part of the genetic makeup of what Corners Of Sanctuary is and set out to be...it's a ripple effect of all our influences and the type of music we love to hear, so it makes sense it would be the type of music we want to write and play. To us, however, it's heavy metal. Call it whatever you like…whatever works for you works for us. If you're listening, that's all that really matters.

What does it mean to you?

Music for me is a magic carpet ride…you never really know where it will take you. I have been fortunate to have been able to work with some great talents over the years, collaborated with some really cool artists and have traveled about parts of the world all because of music. It's just amazing! So, to me, it doesn't really matter what you call it. If I like, I like…if I don't, I don't, and genre has nothing to do with it.

Who do you write and play for?

I create music because it's a part of me; it's something that seems to be genetic to my nature. And because of that, it's creation is initially for me. However, as with any artist, there is a need to share what we have created with others. So I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's a combination of both.

What do you expect from the listener?

Expectation of others is not a healthy environment to be in and often leads to disappointment, whether it's from others or ourselves. So, I have no expectations from the listeners. I do hope, however, that they enjoy some of what this band does, and I leave it at that.

Do you play to build or to destroy?

Creating is a means to preserve and to build…I'm not a fan of destroying anything.

What about emotions? Which do you have plenty of and which ones not enough?

Being an artist who writes songs, I feel that there is a good amount of "emotional tapping into" that exists…otherwise it would be difficult to express myself in both lyric and music. We all have those feelings that we tend to avoid when possible and others we look to embrace more often…almost searching out opportunities to experience them. If clam is an emotion or state of being, that's what I would want more of.

What would you do without music?

I think, if the world as we know it was devoid of music, that is, never knowing of its existence, then we would have come to claim some other form of expression…if the world as we know it today all of a sudden experienced a loss of music, it would be a tragedy. Music is its own language and is often devalued as a hobby or as something we hear in the background. But on the contrary, it's far more valuable than anyone gives it credit for…music is a lifeline to so many people…the old saying that "music soothes the savage beast"…that's actually referring to the beast in all of us…that primal essence that lives and breathes deep inside…without music we would not be complete and the savage would reign.

Where do you see yourself and the band in the next 5-7 years? What are the plans for the future?

We definitely still plan on doing what we are doing now, and that's making music…. There's always a plan in motion, but in this business anything can change in a heartbeat…just look at 2020. We plan to stay true to the course and weather the storm as it comes.

Just to keep on making the best music we can…but at the moment, we plan to follow up our Blood And Steel: Volume One EP with two more editions this year; one in the summer and another in the fall.

We've also begun work on our next full-length album titled Vengeance Of The Fallen. We look to have it released sometime in 2022.

In addition to a number of online streaming events, like the Metal May I Fest in May, we are starting to book a few one off live shows as things are beginning to open up here and there. Our first show is in late April as we are part of the Metal for Autism Fest in Philadelphia. We plan to take it slow though…but once all is back to well, we hope to get back out on the road and make up for lost time.

CD, vinyl and cassette. What is your opinion about the physical media, which one do you prefer?

I think vinyl and cassettes are awesome and really give the music presentation an authentic look and feel. I always loved cassettes; there was something about them that always made heavy metal music sound amazing. Vinyl is cool because it seems to still validate things for a band…that if a release has gone to vinyl, there is something "classic" about it. People still buy CDs at shows…whether they want to actually listen to them, or just to take a piece of the band home with them, CDs are still a value asset to the merch and catalog package.

Thanks a lot for taking time to answer all the questions, the last word is yours.

Thanks so much for talking with me, it's been a pleasure. Appreciate your time and support and wish you and your readers all the best! Stay strong, be safe and COSnROLL\m/\m/