With "Seven Crowns And Seven Seals" German occult death metal pioneers Sulphur Aeon, not only go far beyond their usual brand but also kind of break out their typical trademarks (read review here). I had a very nice chat via Skype with their songwriter / guitarist T. about the writing process of the album and the evolution of the band. Read it on below – enjoy and support the band!

Michael

Hi T., how are you doing?

I'm fine though I am a little bit tired after the show in Mainz yesterday. I went to bed at 2.30 AM and got up at 6.30 AM again but it's okay.

The new album was released, how satisfied are you with the feedback so far?

It is absolutely amazing. I didn't read one slating review so far so we couldn't be more satisfied with the results. It is really stunning if people celebrate the stuff oneself produced.

I wanted to get the album at Idiots Records (cult metal store in Dortmund; M.) but it wasn't available. Do you know anything about the issue?

I think they got it this Saturday. But it depends a little bit on the pressing company because they had some personal issues, the distribution got its pressing version and there was a little bit of delay with the production but all versions should be available now. Sven and Krugi from Ván Records worked the whole weekend and tried to do their best to send all the orders and I also got the merch just yesterday at the day of the release show. I didn't see a lot of the stuff before so I got it yesterday in the parking spot so everything was just about time.

Let's talk about the album. What took it so long to release the follow-up to "The Scythe Of Cosmic Chaos"?

First of all I am not the fastest songwriter. I don't sit down and tell myself that I want to write an album now and set myself an appointment when it has to be finished. I can take some time: I play a lot of guitar and when I do some riffing there is also a lot of crap coming around. So it takes some time until I have a good idea but actually I don't know if it took longer this time than between the two previous albums. Of course we had Covid so we weren't able to rehearse and apart from this the whole coordination concerning studio etc took some time and last but not least the pressing factories had these massive delays. At Ván Records vinyl is the major medium and so it wouldn't have been an option for Sven to release the CD first and half a year later the vinyl version. We sent the master tape last October and this was the deadline that it could be released in 2023. It was recorded some time ago and we had about one year since it was finished but it just wasn't released.

You aren't that limited in the songwriting like you were in the past. Morbid Angel isn't that much in the foreground and there crept in some more dissonant parts like Deathspell Omega have and also some more progressive elements are to be found. Was it the plan right from the start or did this develop itself during the songwriting process? 

Exactly. I never have a plan. A plan didn't exist neither for this album nor for the previous ones. It was just a result and it was nothing I was working on with force. Maybe I was a little bit more courageous to write some parts and told myself "why not if it sounds great". It has to please me and I don't have any blinders. Everybody who wants to have some Morbid Angel-worship – there are plenty of cool bands who do that but I don't write songs that way. I only write one song at the same time and I don't even have a single riff left up my sleeve. When I have an idea, a song comes out or the idea gets trashed. This takes some time and I just let myself get carried through the song. There is no formula and no scheme, it just has to grip me and this happens while writing.

With the new album you moved pretty much out of your comfort zone. Weren't you afraid that a lot of the fans might be antagonized with that?

Of course in some aspects it is a little bit broader but it doesn't seem to be a stylistic break. I mean you cannot write for the fans. If you do that there is always the fraction who says that the first album is the best what is absolutely okay and I know it from myself concerning some bands. What I really can't do is to do some stuff because it worked once well and so I rearrange this stuff a little bit and rewrite such a song.  It has to stay exciting for me. I don't do that to earn money but the music has to catch me. So if people don't like it, well… There are enough other bands, no problem. Not me or anybody else in the band wasn't afraid of that because this is the album which is the result of our work and which we all really like. Even if we would have said, just hypothetically, that we go back to the roots, there would have also been people saying that it is shit. You cannot make it right to everybody and that's fine.

In the past M. has already used clear vocals but in "Seven Crowns And Seven Seals" there is really lots of it. Would you still call it death metal? There are probably some people who would say that it is a sell-out or some kind of betrayal.

Well, we don't even do this so-called classic death metal. We don't sound like Death or Morbid Angel and so it's the problem of these guys. I never know what M. is doing. He gets the songs which were recorded in the studio and then he goes into the studio and does his thing with them. It's always the device we have to have a fling. Scream, sing, do whatever you want. I like it! So, sell-out – we actually aren't talking about conquering the charts and filling the huge locations…

Yes I know what you mean but there are these people who are always fucking around because of some softer tunes…

Yes, they might exist. M. already insinuated that with the last album, he has these great clear vocals and if it gives the song another dimension it would be total daft to leave this out because it sounds great but somebody could think that this isn't death metal anymore. So it isn't death metal anymore, I don't mind! I don't do this for some kind of scene police who want to tell me what to do and what not.

How did you get the idea to collaborate with your label mates from Chapel Of Disease? Was it something that was initiated by the label?

No, we have known Chapel Of Disease for a pretty long time. We started the bands almost at the same time and played at the same concerts. Unfortunately the gigs were mostly scheduled one after the other so that we never had the opportunity to watch each other's show (laughs). But we liked each other right from the start and did a tour with them so this was an idea. Until now I wrote all songs just on my own and Laurent and I both were absolutely up for this idea. We met each other, I had the opening riffs for the song and told him that I would like him to go on with it. If it wouldn't have worked we just have said "okay, it was worth a try, it just shouldn't be" but all worked very well. I just like Laurents guitar playing, he writes cool melodies so the whole experiment succeeded totally. The final riff was written by Michael Zech (ex-Secrets Of The Moon; M.) during a session at home and this was really nice because everybody let the others play out and nobody interrupted the play. Writing the whole thing was very relaxed and exciting (laughs).

Lyrically you deal with Lovecraft again. What about 'Beneath The Ziqqurats' – this sounds like a cool archaeological story?

Well, the lyrics are M.'s concern and I also don't analyze them. For me it is important that they carry a certain mood and they have some hooks. Of course it is Lovecraft but M. doesn't use a certain short story on purpose and shortens it down to the length of a song. He always constructs something own out of it but what was the inspiration for that, I really don't know. The only thing we wanted for the album and what we stated very early was that we wanted to spread some end time feeling with the music.

The whole album spreads a very dark atmosphere. How far do the actual happenings in the world play a role for that?

I don't know. I mean, sure if you watch the news on TV, what one should better avoid these days, this probably takes care that you don't get into a better mood. But there aren't any special things that inspired me- maybe that happened unconsciously.

With Paolo Giradi you have changed your cover artist because Ola Larsson had some time issues. Why did you choose him, I mean these days there is almost every day an album released with a cover done by him so this isn't that special anymore…

We had to find somebody else. I mean, the cover which Ola Larsson did for the first two albums is really hard to top. Then you have to find somebody else. We also thought about if we should choose somebody who has a similar style but we didn't find anybody adequate. Paolo was a suggestion made by Sven and I really like his style. If it will be something different from what Ola did it can also be totally different. Of course he does a lot of covers and at the end of the day the cover has to look amazing and that's what he did. There were also some other candidates but when we talked about it he agreed all was fine with me.

What about future gigs?

We are at Eindhoven Metal Meeting and Party.San in 24. We have some offers we will check but we aren't as active live as other bands (laughs). So we'll see.

I've read that you have a new band called The Omega Swarm in which you play together with Chris from Wound and Max from Hallig. Can you tell a little bit more about it?

I play a lot of guitar and most of the time I play some riffs. Some things came around which I like very much but don't sound like Sulphur Aeon. But I also didn't want to waste them so out of this came an album. On two tracks the vocals are still missing and after that it will be mixed. It is a little bit more symphonic with a lot of keyboards. There are some more soundtrack-like elements in it but it's also fast and brutal with raw vocals. It makes a lot of fun and means a lot to me so that I have to play in two bands in the future (laughs). It will be released via Ván Records and we plan to send it to them in the midst of December. If this all works it might be released before summer break, hopefully.

What those who choose to reject black metal fail to realize is that within the realm of BM, there's an entire universe to be discovered: occultism, history, heritage, folklore, esotericism, misanthropy, war and death. But beyond these traditional concepts, you'll discover black metal in its most explorative forms as bands like Melechesh, Solar Deity and Trivax traverse the Eastern path to black metal. Great mysteries of the shadows, forlorn entities and powerful magick translated into some of the world of the dark arts' most transcendent volumes. The nomadic coven, Trivax have turned over to the next chapter in their story of liberation, and musical evolution is the name of the game. On September 29, Trivax unleashed  their new album, "Eloah Burns Out", and it's through the timeless art of enlightening discussion that we roll out the red carpet. During my latest interview, Shayan of Trivax discusses his Islamic background and his rebellious nature which ultimately led him to freedom and black metal. Shayan also provides some insight into Trivax's new album.

Jeger

Hails, Shayan, and welcome. I feel like individuals such as yourself are very rare in a place like Iran. When did you begin to question Islam and how did it lead you to black metal?

I am inclined to agree with this. No doubt there are plenty of souls who also feel misplaced in that society, I've met quite a few of them - but for me personally, I got lucky to be connected with black metal because it was truly appropriate for my rebellious vision and even general personality. As far as questioning Islam, I'd already begun to walk that path before the discovery of this type of music. I remember having extensive debates and questioning our religious teachers in school and watching the steam leave their ears, this was particularly as I was a practicing Muslim in my early-mid teens. I still carried on with the Islamic faith at the time, despite carrying some irreversible doubts. What the discovery of black metal did for me, was to equip me with a new set of tools and ideology, which completed the circle of leaving that faith and pursuing what felt more authentic to me in that time.

Laws against music in Iran, particularly black metal, have been enforced resulting in imprisonment and even death in some cases. How much was fear a factor for you in your early years?

Yes, of course - but also it allowed me to be able to cross that threshold, mentally. I was granted the opportunity to choose freedom over fear at a young age, and honestly, I wouldn't change that for a thing, because this is a value and lesson that is applicable in all areas of life. In fact, I've discovered that this is just as relevant when one is residing in the western world.

After making your way to the UK, you brought in bassist, Sully, who similarly left Syria where he faced imprisonment for his art. Can you elaborate on his experience prior to leaving Syria?

Him and I spoke about this in detail about a year or two prior to him joining Trivax. It is actually quite horrific to know the tortures and imprisonment that he went through. I was lucky as I never experienced anything like that and always managed to evade the authorities there, but it wasn't the same for him. For anyone interested, he speaks about his experiences in full detail on the Iblis Manifestations podcast during episode 56. It's a very detailed account, so I'd highly recommend people to check this out. A word of caution, as it's not for the weak-hearted.

Black metal is ideological in nature with a number of the genre's artists being occult practitioners, philosophers and even historians. But Trivax seems to be a rogue entity when it comes to these matters. Ideologically speaking, what are some of the ideas/philosophies that have been of inspiration to you?

That's a great question. For me personally, or even for us as a group, freedom and liberation have always been of the most fundamental importance. Freedom is the only thing where its true pursuit is worth above life and death. Now in the context of Trivax, I have always viewed our music as a type of shadow work. This is an area of work which is inherently dangerous, toxic and destructive - however, simply because it resides within the shadows, doesn't make the experience any less life-asserting. That destructive force could be used as some sort of cleansing, from which you can build back up stronger. You could almost look at it like some kind of spiritual chemotherapy.

Putting our music out there, to me, very much feels like open-sourcing a dark pathway within the universal consciousness. Now you could use what you find in there however you wish, but know that its contents are radioactive and you will be affected by it inevitably. To those familiar with Eastern occult practices, you may see a lot of resemblance to the force and the characteristics of the goddess Kali.

You've got a new album, "Eloah Burns Out" coming down the pike, which is scheduled to be released via English label, Cult Never Dies. Can you explain the album's concept?

Eloah is the singular word for "Elohim", in this case referring to a singular deity - God, if you will. The concept of the album is one of death, through different multiple accounts. Each song presents a different aspect of death, such as the angel of death (Azrael), the murderer (Alpha Predator), the inevitable (Memento Mori) and the death of the self (Twilight of Death). The final piece and the conclusion of the album elaborates on the death of God. This is in metaphorical conjunction with our third dimensional sun finally burning out, during its expanding red phase, before turning into a white dwarf - Thus, destroying all traces of life within our solar system. Hence the haunting title "Eloah Burns Out".

From what I've listened to so far, the new material sounds vastly different compared to your previous album. It feels like Trivax is undergoing a rapid evolution. What did you do differently for "Eloah Burns Out"?

I've always been a big believer of "You learn something by doing it". The release of our first album 'SIN' taught me a lot about this. Whilst I still feel kinship with the idea, intent and general vibe behind that release, the execution of it was undoubtedly flawed. "Eloah Burns Out" is a powerful evolution of our artistic execution, as well as a reflection of how much we grew as a band during this time. As for me as the songwriter, I simply became far more efficient at communicating through my compositions. Of course, I will let the listeners be a judge of that!

You've gained a lot of momentum as a band and you've been busy with live rituals for much of the year. How would you describe the live Trivax experience and how have audiences been responding?

The Trivax live show is certainly something special. The experience is transcendental, transformative, rageful, melancholic, ecstatic and liberating... In short, it's pretty fucking intense! Every show that we have played recently, the audience has been growingly more receptive. We have reached that stage now, where if there are those who know us already, they'll be at the front screaming the lyrics back at us, which is humbling indeed. Those, however, who haven't seen us before, may start with their arms crossed, but by the end of the show their arms are up in the air and they're screaming their hearts out with us. We pretty much haven't had one single bad audience since we came back to playing live shows in September 2021 - As a band, it really has been our best time so far. With the new album on the horizon, this can only get better!

I grew up in church and I've found the indoctrination that I experienced to be practically inescapable as I've grown up. As a result, I've developed a strong irreligious leaning and believe that liberation from oppressive religious dogma is the key to true enlightenment and freedom. How would you describe your current relationship with Islam? Are there resentments or anger associated with it?

It is very interesting to me to see the divisiveness caused by such group-like and dogmatic thinking, which at its root is meant to be a positive and an enlightening path of virtue. So in this regard, I relate to your experience of monotheistic religions, as mine was the same. There is a tough reality, however, and it's that religious and cult-like thinking could apply to any aspect of the human experience. Other than religion itself, this could include science, political beliefs, lifestyle or even something as mundane as fashion for example. We as humans appear to have been inherently wired to this way of thinking, and it's responsible for some of our biggest downfalls throughout all of history. Now we can both probably agree that true virtue is in making a choice for one's own sake, independently, despite any external pressures, societal or religious demands, and so on. The reality is that in an Islamic system and culture in general, it's never pressed on you that a choice exists - in fact you can even face death for making choices that do not comply with their rules and laws. It is oddly similar to an Orwellian scenario when reflecting back on my experiences back in Iran, which is also why I'm extremely cautious of the Western society ever falling into the same path. An important thing to note here, is that censorship of any kind always appears to be the first step towards this disastrous path of totalitarianism. Now, you mentioned about if I feel any resentments or anger towards Islam - the answer is no. At least, not anymore. This is because I do not consider myself a victim of any form, and everything that has happened to me in my life has been an opportunity for me to get a higher understanding of myself, as well as the world in general, and ultimately, how to improve these things.

In all your travels and experiences over the years, what's been the most valuable thing you've learned about yourself and Trivax?

There are so many things... Not only have I learned about art, music, business and so on, I've also learned a lot about people, friendships, bonds and many other human elements. But most importantly, I think that it's given me a better understanding of who I truly am.

Do you have a message for the horde?

"Eloah Burns Out" will be born into the world on 29th September 2023 - If you are compelled enough to enter a wild yet retrospective journey through the shadows via the power of Eastern Death Magick, then open yourself to it and see where it will take you...

One last thing: Freedom is always worth fighting for, no matter the price!