To explore the existential crisis of humanity and to admonish modernity is the Wuldorgast way - a proud yet brand new entity on the ever-shifting USBM scene. Are they even pleased to be a part of it? Not necessarily, as you will soon see.  Wuldorgast are members of an exclusive order known as The Order of the Broken Sword; not a magickal order, but a band of brothers who've been a part of each other's lives for decades and whose music is a voice for genre trueness: evil, intimidating and unruly. Definitely an anomaly - grown men amongst boys as it seems, and Wuldorgast's debut LP, "Cold Light", is a reflection of this stark truth. You generally don't get black metal like this in The States or anywhere else for that matter, at least not in this age of plasticity and commercialization, hence my interest in them. Get a taste of real black metal right here during my discussion with F.S. of Wuldorgast.

Jeger

Hails and welcome to MetalBite! I may have misperceived Wuldorgast, but it appears that you are a Satanic black metal band?

Wuldorgast is not a satanic black metal band. This project was meant as an exploration of existential themes, anti-modernity and humanity's struggle against its own nature. 

When did you form the band and what were some of your inspirations going in?

I'd been asking Sceadugenga to do a project with me for a couple years. He had written this material and was without a vocalist for it, so he offered the spot to me. It all came together very quickly after that in early summer 2024. I had been wanting to get some ideas out that weren't applicable to my other projects, and this was a great opportunity. I wanted to lyrically focus on anti-modernity, the harshness of our reality and the more nihilistic side of the human experience.

There's very little to be known about The Order of the Broken Sword other than the fact that Wuldorgast and a couple of your labelmate outfits are also a part of the circle. What can you tell us about the order? Is it a magickal brethren or something else entirely?

The Broken Sword constitutes a myriad of things. First and foremost, it is an agreement. Somewhere along the line I was doing research and came across a news bit about a broken sword discovered in two places. The theory is that two parties broke the sword together and each kept a piece of it as a physical reminder of the bond and honor bestowed to one another.

This group of musicians has known one another for 20 or so years. There is a history, a knowing and an understanding that comes with that time. The Broken Sword was chosen as a symbol of that.

The USBM scene is one that in my opinion has yet to find its true identity. How do you feel about black metal in the United States?

There's a lot of weaklings in American black metal and I don't care to make friends.

Do you draw much inspiration from the Scandinavian scene or do you consider Wuldorgast to be a different beast altogether?

There are bands from Scandinavia that I love and are inherently an inspiration as it's the birthplace of black metal. I'm not sure any of that is directly an influence with Wuldorgast though. I tend to be inspired by Nordvrede, early Darkthrone, Arckanum and Bathory if we're talking Scandinavia. I'm also a fan of the Polish and German scenes. Bands like Capricornus, Odal, Kataxu, Thunderbolt, Vargsang and Bilskirnir get plenty of listening.

"Cold Light" - your debut album is brilliant in its genuineness. True black metal people will be salivating over this thing. It appears to be a concept album centered around the wolf and the hunt, but it's hard to actually tell. Is "Cold Light" a concept album and if so, can you explain its theme?

Thank you. I didn't consider it to be a concept album. It all came together very quickly. I wrote the lyrics the day before recording and the vocal patterns were chosen on the spot. The lyrical themes center around man's lack of understanding our innate ties to nature and grappling with our need for more and what "more" means in the modern sense, but all through a sterile and distant point of view. Technological advancement, loss of the self in a sea of 8 billion pestilential swine and a never ending misunderstanding of our relationship with nature and spirituality. It's all loosely tied together. I think our next output will be more focused on one centralized theme, but definitely in the same vein.

The closing track to "Cold Light" is called "Dawn of the Black Sun". The black sun symbol can be traced to various forms of Paganism and is also discussed in Russel McCloud's 1991 occult novel, "The Black Sun of Tashi Lhunpo". What does the Black Sun mean to Wuldorgast and the Order of the Broken Sword?

I am only speaking for myself on this matter. The other musicians in The Order are free to have their own interpretations.

The Black Sun represents to me the coming together of negative and sublime spiritual experiences of man - quite literally an illumination of that which bears no light - the human soul. True enlightenment requires confronting and acknowledging the darkest parts of existence. If you cannot coexist with this duality of self then you can never fully comprehend the world around you.

Here's a lyric excerpt from "Dawn of the Black Sun":

"Engulf me in the flames of your truth,

Reveal to me the unvarnished reality,

For the whispers within are but deceivers,

Savvy in their exploitation of our vulnerabilities.

Death, a tempting respite amidst life's relentless anguish,

What Verity must we confront?

Some opt for the embrace of death,

others delude themselves with the semblance of life…"

Wuldorgast translates as a spirit of glory or a glorious ghost. To me, this implies some sort of spiritual warfare. What are the implications related to the name of the band?

The name was meant to evoke a sense of mythic resonance. The concept of glory can be multifaceted, encompassing honor, achievement and even hubris. The idea of a spirit signifies a connection to our memories and the past. Reflecting on these notions helped inspire the themes for this project and perfectly embodies the attitude, music and lyrics.

What do you find most fascinating about the world of the occult and how would you say it has influenced you the most?

I find introspection, the search for deeper meaning and understanding "unknowing" fascinating. Personal development is imperative to transcending a life lived in a fog. This is mostly what has attracted me to groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the teachings of Hermeticism.

Do you have a message for the horde?

Thanks for any and all support.