One-man project Vrazorth is a new gem in the black metal scene and self-released its debut album "Emergence" a couple of months ago. Now the album is going to be released as vinyl and CD via the Italian label Avantgarde Records and that might be a good chance that the band gets the well-deserved attention. Musically the band offers some really spacey black metal tunes with quite a mystery behind that. Maybe you can see a little bit clearer after you read the interview I did with Vra – enjoy reading, check and support the band!

Michael

Greetings unknown entity of Vrazorth! I guess you are a human being so I can ask how you are feeling?

Vra: Your guess is inconclusive, but I am doing well thank you.

I stumbled over the band because Andrea from Avantgarde Records posted a couple of months ago your Bandcamp link. Would you be so kind to introduce Vrazorth a little bit more to the readers of MetalBite?

Vra: Vrazorth is a one-being black metal project based in Sweden. Vrazorth combines cold industrial percussion, raw black metal guitars and vocals, and a dash of early-electronica/ambient inspired synthesizers. I want the listener to feel like they are being sucked into a wormhole and experiencing both the beauty and absolute terror of such an occurrence.

When I first heard your album "Emergence", I heard a lot of similarities to good old Mysticum. The vocals, that industrial sound, the drum computer…I guess they were a huge inspiration for you? Or do you even have anything to do with the guys?

Vra: Funnily enough, Mysticum was more of an "aesthetic" inspiration rather than musical. I was drawn to their use of cold, industrial drumming and gabber kicks combined with more traditional black metal. Other than the production aspects, I don’t really have much to do with them as a listener. In terms of musical inspiration on the cosmic side, I feel like I take far more inspiration from bands like Darkspace and Mesarthim. The bombast of Mesarthim combined with the more murky and occult elements of Darkspace. Of course these were not intentional influences, they just happened naturally and I can reflect on them in retrospect. I have seen a couple of comments comparing the music to Strapping Young Lad, which is interesting because I love that band but I have never considered them an influence on my songwriting.

Where and with whom the album was recorded  and produced or was it all a DIY project?

Vra: The music was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by myself. I find with this sort of music there is a sweet spot between "this sounds good" and "this sounds bad"... that is where the atmosphere and magic lies. It is hard to explain this to an audio engineer who knows what they are doing, because on a technical level it is "incorrect", however on an emotional level I think it gives the music so much more character.

Apart from this a lot of science fiction stuff must have been a creative source for you. What are the most remarkable works in that genre for you?

Vra: None whatsoever - Vrazorth transcends science fiction.

I already mentioned Avantgarde Records; they signed you and released "Emergence" as a physical edition, at least I got that information. But still I cannot find it anywhere to buy – are there currently some issues with the pressing company?

Vra: Yes I think there were some delays with the pressing company, hopefully they are cleared up asap. In the meantime, CDs and LPs can be ordered can be made here:

https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/emergence

Avantgarde Music did an amazing job with the layout and vinyl cover, which I look forward to seeing in person.

The front cover of "Emergence" shows a very impressive picture taken from the NASA. Which stellar nebular does it show and does it have a very special meaning for you?

Vra: No particular meaning other than it perfectly capturing the theme for the album- an indescribable monolith emerging from beyond.

What's up with the album title – is it about the big question where everything started with?

Vra: As mentioned above, the overarching theme of the album is the emergence of a being coming to light. This can be a reference to the music itself, the lyrical themes and the artwork.

The lyrics deal with space and time – is there a common thread in them or do you want to tell a very special story or philosophy with it?

Vra: There are stories and themes within the album, however I deliberately wrote the lyrics in an obtuse way to both have the listener draw their own conclusions as to the content presented. The lyrics will be printed in the physical copies of the album.

Do you have any plans to step out of anonymity in the future and maybe even do some live gigs?

Vra: The first Vrazorth performance has been announced as May 9th, 20225 in Stockholm. As opposed to a band stepping on stage and "rocking out" I want a Vrazorth live show to be an experience, and I am working hard to bring that to life. Beyond that, I have a festival to be announced in late 2025 which is going to be an honour to play.

Will there be a so to speak Episode II by Vrazorth in the future?

Vra: I have already started composing music for the next album and am very excited as to where it is heading. Now that the debut album is released and there is a somewhat "established Vrazorth sound", I am looking forward to expanding on that in every which way.

The final words are yours – thank you very much for the interview!

Vra: Thank you for the interest - HAIL SATURN.