INTERVIEWS: Nihilistium (UK)

[Interview by Athanas]

Nihilistium is a one-woman pure Depressive Black Metal hailing from the UK created by Mörtemiis back in 2019. Writing about suicide, trauma, despair, depression, loneliness and also satanism in its lyrics, Nihilistium began with a demo entitled “Melancholic Delusions” which was released in May of the year it was formed and has since released so many EPs, full-lengths as well as splits that are so interesting and mesmerizing. This is a band that you should respect and appreciate its works. Let’s hear the answers from Mörtemiis for the following interview.

Hail! Mörtemiis… Say something about your personality? When did you first get to know extreme music and why did you devote to Black Metal?

Children of Bodom got me into metal at age 10. I got into black metal at age 14. The music was just beyond amazing.. the lyrics, some of them I cant agree with but a lot of lyrics written by DSBM bands are.. something else... they hit me in the core.. I believe depressive black metal artists have the ability to somehow save people.. They heal the wounds in the broken hearts of the listeners and bring light to them when they are in the darkest places of their own minds..

Please introduce about Nihilistium; the band history, musical and lyrical concept, influences/inspiration, etc?

I started the project when I was 15. I was in a state of constant misery. I was always in bed, crying all the time.. Then I decided to take up Depressive Black Metal. Bands such as Depressive Years, Happy Days, Hypothermia and Make A Change Kill Yourself are the major influences in my music and I think it’s clear my lyrics are usually about trauma, suicide and despair, but I do not encourage anyone to act on it.

Do you still have any comments for your debut demo “Melancholic Delusions”? How would you rate the quality of your first work and was it well-received?

“Bloody Echoes...” was a fair game, but I think a lot of my early work is just shit. There are some songs I wish I never written let alone published. However, I do think there should be more tempo changes in my songs like the ones in ‘Eternally Wandering’.

Explain a little information and your personal description for each EP and full-length album that you have produced;

(1) Bloody Echoes of Mental Internal Screams...

(2) Nihilistium

(3) Punishment in the Abyss of Self Hate

(4) Mass Suicide Pandemic

(5) Evocation of the Reaper’s Bane

“Bloody Echoes...” is an album that I wrote when I was put into a psychiatric hospital. I was going through a lot of grief and heartache those days.. “Mass Suicide Pandemic” was partly written out of boredom and partly because there was more and more people killing themselves every day here because of Boris and all his stupid ‘Corona’ bullsh*t. “Punishment In The Abyss of Self Hate”, I think that one is the most popular of all my albums.. Most of that was written because I was living in pure denial of something, and it was tearing me apart, and partly because there was still some parts of my past I needed to get out of my head.. My song titled ‘Die Alone’ was quite a hit so I also put it on that album! I cant remember why else I wrote it.. “...Reaper’s Bane” was written out of pure anger and evil feelings, feelings of power and rage. I never gave a fuck about anyone or anything during the making of that album. I was filled with pride. That’s what Luciferianism does to you.. There was one song I refused to release on that album.. I think I had a change of heart shortly before the album was complete, but I knew it had to be released. It is but a piece of musical history now..

Which one have you considered the best from Nihilistium (as to date), or your personal favorite pick to say the least? State the reason why?

“Evocation of The Reaper’s Bane” is probably my best one, specifically the track ‘Wo Alle Straßen Enden’.. I dunno why.. German war songs seem to work well with black metal, I plan on doing more of that!

The latest product is a 5-way split CD titled “Mourning in Autumn” (released on August 7th, 2021). How did the idea for this split release come about? Give your brief opinion for each other band involved?

Me and Ezra Gilgeours kind of came up with the idea while recording a cover of Mayhem’s ‘Freezing Moon’, which was also featured on the album. Another friend contacted musicians he knew on facebook and told them I wanted to make a split album, and most of them seemed eager to participate. The dude from Tanak Bihis was from Malaysia! That was surprising for me as I thought they were a less fortunate country than Britain. For one man, his music was outstanding and, to be honest, it was better than mine. Grimtone’s music kicked ass very much like the music from Scheinwelten! I told everyone that I didnt want this album to be 100% black metal, so I told the guys to see if they could create some dark ambient tracks.. Isaac from French act ‘Neant’ had a lot of that to offer. However, some of his tracks were shorter than I wanted them to be.. some of the tracks he showed to me made me feel somewhat uneasy.. Theres a LOT of extremely raw and poor quality shit going on in this album.. I gotta give it to ya straight though, some bands were honestly better than others.. The album finishes off with an instrumental doom metal cover of one of Beethoven’s well known songs, ‘Moonlight Sonata’. That one is like one of those tracks that I will listen to on a long road trip when I’m bored and can’t think of anything else to listen to. Anyway, I figured this might be a good way to introduce the fans to what will be my future doom metal project going by the same name as the album; “Mourning In Autumn”. I must finish off other projects before I bring that one to life. For now, I’ll just say prepare for doom or BE doomed!

Share something about Ars Mentis Morbum Records?

It is a label where all my works (including some artworks) are gathered.. it is the art of extreme/cathartic music, it is the art of disorder.. It is my own label.. It is me.. Nothing more..

Do you already have some new composed/recorded tracks? What future releases are in your plan and schedule?

I plan on creating more dark ambient and doom metal music sometime... I must wait until it’s the right time to bring them to life.. Since it is just me in the project, There is never any deadlines when it comes to creating and releasing my stuff..

What are your principles and philosophy in your work?

I’m not doing any of this for attention. I’m creating all these different projects because I love music. I know I’m not the most talented girl in the scene but I’m kind of just experimenting with different genres, including dark ambient. If I’m just sitting around waiting to die, why should I not create something for people to listen to in the meantime? I dont care how I will be remembered anymore. I want the broken to know that I too have felt their pain, and in music, there is healing. I write a lot of songs about suicide and may have controversial imagery, but I’m not directly encouraging anyone to act on it. I want my music to calm their anguished souls..

Salute and thanks. End this interview session with a little bit of your thoughts on the current Black Metal scene. What do you like and hate the most in this scene? Your opinion on the scene acceptance to the one-woman-band?

One thing I hate about black metal is people who are only in it for attention thinking they’re being all ‘edgy’ and shit. Black Metal should be a form of art to express raw emotion and mental sickness.. Being part of a Male dominated musical scene and the whole ‘acceptance’ shit, I dont care about it at all. I am just another sack of flesh drawing closer to my grave day by day.. Isnt that what we all are?

linamortemiis@gmail.com

http://nihilistiumdsbm.bandcamp.com

INTERVIEWS: Sequestered Doom (Germany)

[Interview by Negrura]

Germany’s Sequestered Doom is a one-man project of Atmospheric Black Metal / Funeral Doom Metal / Dark Ambient; raw, mystic, dark and spiritual music dedicated to the mother nature and to the spirits around us. Here we have Proprius to reveal more about Sequestered Doom.

Hails Proprius. First of all, please introduce something about yourself personally?

Greetings! Well I am just a normal person constantly looking for the inner connection with the spirits around us. 

How and why did your idea to form Sequestered Doom come about? What is the aspiration of this project? 

Sequestered Doom is an interpretation of my spiritual inner contact with the outside world, nature and its spirits. For me it’s dark, unique, melancholic. 

Are there any specific reasons it is named as Sequestered Doom?

Well, I was trying to play with words, pointing out the idea that the meditative kind of state represented through the music is achieved being sequestered from the “real world”, and this state is our personal doom. 

Describe in detail about the genres and musical concept in Sequestered Doom? What has inspired you in each of your songwritings?

Main inspiration came musically from various ambient, black and doom metal artists. Who inspired me most to name a few: Panteist, early Katatonia, first albums of Satyricon, but also composers like Jeremy Soule. However, I was not thinking about some specific band that influenced me, and was just writing music spontaneously. 

Without lyrics and vocals, how have you given a title to each track, and what exactly are the messages you want to express through your songs?

The titles of each song should lead a listener through the meditative journey that I am trying to represent. For example in Hiems Symphonia it is all about winter and the connection with it. The song titles give you some lead for your own spiritual journey through the music. 

I think the debutant, “Hiems Symphonia” is the best first step out of Sequestered Doom. Has it been difficult for you to produce it? For yourself, what does this release mean to the existence of Sequestered Doom?

Well it is indeed the main release so far, since others are compilations of tracks produced for Hiems Symphonia or my other projects that were not fitting the main album. The production was carried out by myself completely. It was pretty difficult, but I felt like I should do this. So far Sequestered Doom is Hiems Symphonia, but there will be a new album in the future. 

How do you see Sequestered Doom has progressed and further developed through the second release, “Tenebris Spiritibus Ligneam”? It’s just a digital release via Kryrart Records, right?

Correct, it was released digitally and is basically a kind of a bonus release following the Hiems Symphonia. It contains tracks recorded at the same time as the album, that were not fitting the conception of Hiems Symphonia. However they open the idea behind Sequestered Doom a little bit more so that I wanted to make them available for listeners. 

The third one, “Mysteries in the Fog” is a brief compilation of your works - Proprius. What is the purpose of this release? Tell us a little about your other projects in this compilation; Kaminnuu Xpect and Dance of Shadows?

This release unites the tracks that are more dark ambient influenced. The idea behind this release is the meditative connection with the nature and its phenomena, that’s why I decided to release these tracks in the frame of Sequestered Doom, despite they were released as some part of their projects. Kaminnuu Xpect is my another dark ambient project, it is designed to be more epic and symphonic, while Dance of Shadows is always being an actual band with the line-up and music in the atmospheric black metal genre. 

Anything confirmed for the next products of Sequestered Doom? What can we expect for your new works?

It will be dark, true, honest. It may take some time for me to finish the new album, because it is way more complex and progressive compared to Hiems Symphonia, but the songwriting is ready. The new work will be also instrumental, but full of emotions, feeling and philosophy about the life. 

You also made a difference through The Proprius Project, share a little about it?

It is a fully dark ambient / illbient / electronic release, and it was actually my very first produced release. It is dedicated the Chernobyl Disaster and is full of desperation and pain, darkness and pointless, since the nature for me is sacred. 

Cheers Sequestered Doom! May success be with you! Some of your last words?

Stay yourself, listen to your inner spirits and save our mother nature. Thank you so much for reaching out! Cheers!

sequestereddoom@gmail.com

INTERVIEWS: Abyss Of Animas (Argentina)

[Interview by Demonio]

Abyss Of Animas hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina and has recently released its debut 2-track EP entitled “Memory Resembles Emptiness” (launched on January 17, 2020). Stand as an unipersonal work of Santiago Sauza, Abyss Of Animas is currently is about to unleash a full-length album. Check it out!

Hello Santiago Sauza. How are you? Tell me a little about yourself?

Hello Demonio and everyone at Himnos Rituales. I started as a drummer for many bands, I have recorded with Demoniac Infected, Svetkant, Scumblack, Inazulina, Proteus, Azator,  Excelsis Tenebrae and shows and tour those bands and others like Vorgrum, Wolves Winter, Moonlight Asylum, Lord Kraven, Vector, Victimario, among others. With shows in different countries of South America, and tours in Europe.

Right now I’m the drummer of Cernunnos and Vector. At  Abyss of Animas I work alone.

What made you decide to form Abyss Of Animas? What are the targets of this band?

Abyss of Animas is a one-man-band project. I want to work freely about music, without other musicians telling if “it’s or it’s not” black metal, or doom, etc.

The first target was to create my own project to express myself. After that, I decided to work on it to make it grow and reach people.

What is the real meaning behind the name Abyss Of Animas and how is this name associated with the concept of the band?

Abyss of Animas is a  play-on-words. Abyss is for the deepest and darkest place and Animas is about inspiration. Abyss of Animas means the deepest and darkest place of inspiration. At the same time, it’s a dark place for your inner self.

Explain clearly your musical genres and what kind of bands influence Abyss Of Animas?

Any kind of Black Metal and Doom, also Post Rock and soundtracks from movies. In the future Abyss of Animas will have albums of symphonic black metal, post black and other genres/concepts.

Bands like Nargaroth, Austere, Ulver, Celephais, Harakiri for the Sky, Oh Hiroshima, Portishead, Tiamat,  Radiohead and Queen are inspiration for this project, but for the other concepts of music that I will be making for Abyss of Animas, bands like Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Gorgoroth among others, will be an influence.

What sort of topics and messages do you write in your lyrical texts?

I talk about perception, thinking, introspection and that kind of stuff at moments when you are having difficulties to do it, to understand, to think, to feel.

Tell me everything about your debut release, “Memory Resembles Emptiness” – about the song writings, recording sessions, etc?

Memory Resembles Emptiness is the first EP from Abyss of Animas. The first song, about losing memory, and Housed (the second song) about the coma. None of the songs talk about a human being, or a person, or something in that situation, it’s about the situation itself and the perception and the results of that perception and the reasoning about that.

Song writing was difficult because I’m not a guitarist or a bass player, and I recorded all instruments. I recorded and mixed myself at my home studio. But after a long time, I am happy about the results.

Are you fully satisfied with your first effort?

Yes, but I want to achieve a better sound for the next work. 

How do listeners react to your songs? Do you also receive negative comments?

Listeners react well to the songs, many told me that they use it to relax, study, and that kind of stuff and it’s wonderful. And yes, I receive negative comments and it’s ok, the band is not for the taste of everyone.

What is next in your future plans?

First, the LP. It is almost finished, and I want to release it soon. Next, a symphonic black metal EP, and a post black EP. I have songs for those, already recorded.

Thank you Abyss Of Animas. Last words?

Thank you for the space to talk about my music. I invite everyone to listen to Abyss of Animas, and enjoy every sound, without thinking when it's going to change, just enjoy. Thanks.

abyssofanimas@gmail.com

INTERVIEWS: Echo Knight (USA)

[Interview by Negrura]

A haven for the forlorn! Echo Knight is another side-project of Carmilla II Dracul (of Winter Lantern). Released the debutant, “Demo I: A Solitary Candle in the Blood Drenched Keep” on August 4, 2021. It’s hazy memories, perhaps a dream.

Greetings! Tell us since when and how did you discover Echo Knight? What is the philosophy of the work behind this project?

Hail! Well I’ve wanted to make Dungeon Synth for a while. Echo Knight came about because I mentioned wanting to do so on Instagram, and Winter (owner of Oaken Fog Records) reached out to me about doing a tape release if I did, which really motivated me to get a first demo out.

What is the purpose of Echo Knight established? Describe in more depth the style of music you have performed?

Echo Knight is all about fantasy adventure and dungeon crawling. It’s fairly simple droning ambience, I just wished to create a feeling of adventure and fear all at once.

Tell us about the process of making your debut release, “Demo I: A Solitary Candle in the Blood Drenched Keep”; about the basic ideas, songwriting, recordings, etc?

The release actually took quite a bit longer than any of my black metal demos. My background is in ambient music more than metal, but I essentially had to learn to play keyboards from the ground up in order to bring Echo Knight into the world. Some of the songs are improvisations recorded fairly simply, and others (like II) are more complex and layered. The synths are a combination of live keyboard playing and midi synthesis.

Share a little about your method of composing and recording a track? What instruments, equipments, software applications, etc do you use?

I run my keyboard through the same rig as I use for guitars. An Echo Knight track usually starts with just a simple idea of a few notes, and I stumble around and build from there. I’m not much of a piano player so it’s often a bit of a struggle haha.

What are the messages you have expressed through the first demo?

I wasn’t really trying to portray any particular message, I was just making music that I like. It’s intended to portray the adventure of the titular knight.

Do you already have new composed / recorded tracks and plans for a second demo or any other next releases for Echo Knight?

Yes! I’m planning a second demo very soon. I hope for it to be a step up in terms of melody and atmosphere, and to introduce some elements of storytelling through the tone and song titles as well.

What do you think of the ambient / dungeon synth current music scene?

Ambient music is so oversaturated, probably due in part to how quickly it can be made. I’ve been making ambient music for many years now and it’s such a difficult genre to get noticed in. Still, there’s a great amount of very cool releases coming out constantly. It’s such a free and inspiring medium, it’s inevitable that great music will come out of it.

Thank you Echo Knight. The last phrase is yours.

Thank you for your interest. There will be more occultic and bizarre adventures soon! Long live dungeon synth and ambient drone!

winterlanternbm@gmail.com

INTERVIEWS: Frowning (Germany)

[Interview by Negrura]

Funeral Doom Metal from Dresden, Germany. Frowning has so far released 4 albums; “Of Graves, of Worms, and Epitaphs” (Split with Aphonic Threnody, March 2014), “Funeral Impressions” (Full-length, December 2014), “Extinct” (Full-length, February 2017) and “Death Requiem” (Full-length, September 2020). Here is an interview with the genius, Val Atra Niteris.

Hail! Please introduce yourself who talked on behalf of Frowning?

Well since Frowning is a onemanband there’s not much choice about bandmembers. This is Val Atra Niteris the one and only bandmember.

What encouraged and inspired you to form Frowning? Tell us more about the band history?

When I was 16 I got into Funeral Doom, first Evoken and Pantheist, later Worship and Mournful Congregation. I really wanted to do music like that and tried to immitate their music. I also tried out other styles of Doom Metal like more melodic and a little faster. At this time I also really got into Black Sun Aeon but I decided to focus on the slow and heavy stuff so one day I contacted Aphonic Threnody after listening to their debut and asked about a cooperation for a split – they agreed. We released the split EP “Of Graves, of Worms, and Epitaphs” in early 2014. With that release I got the attention of the American label “Wretched Records“ I signed a contract and released my debut “Funeral Impressions” in December 2014.

Please further define your musicstyle and what sort of bands that truly influenced you, musically and soundwise?

Slow, heavy and depressing. I think the band that inspired me the most was Mournful Congregation, but also Lycus, Tyranny, Slow, Aphonic Threnody, Abyssmal Sorrow, DoomVS and of course the ones I already mentioned before.

Elaborate more on your lyrical writings and the messages you want to express?

Not every song has a certain message on some I got philosophical like “Apocalyptic Essential Misery” it’s about how we all build our own graves cause we’re so blinded by our greed. But mostly I try to express things I feel or just gain the atmosphere of the music with some words. I’m also not the best person to write lyrics, I like to focus on the music. Of course there are things I want to express but I always fail on articulation so I like to outsource the lyrics thing sometimes to other people.

Provide some information about your latest album “Death Requiem” (2020); compositional process, recordings, final production, etc?

It was a very long process writing and producing the album cause I wanted pure perfectionism in everything – song writing, sound, artwork…

The composing took me about 6 years – yes there are some old songs I had to finish but of course some are written in 2019 and 2020 as well. The final mix took me about 4 months because I found out that I had clipping on the drums which means all the tracks I recorded were unusable. I wanted the perfect sound especially on the drums so I really got into details which took me a lot of time. But the result is pretty satisfying.

Are there any specific ideas you put in this album?

Well I wanted a pretty dark and cold atmosphere I think I got that done.

What made you decide to release under Russian label - GS Productions?

I worked with Vitaly before a couple of times and he is actually a nice person to work with cause he is really uncomplicated.

Share a brief thought about your previous full-lengths, “Funeral Impressions” (2014) and “Extinct” (2017)?

“Funeral Impressions” was a lot of experimenting with the musical style but people somehow like it the most. I really enjoy A Way Into Relief, Murdered By Grief and Day In Black on that album the rest is ok but not something I think would stand out. It’s pretty raw since I had only one overhead for the drums and no actual bass guitar so I only pitched my guitar down.

“Extinct” was a try to get a cold and grey atmosphere and also trying to get a much better high quality sound. I think I really discovered my style of Funeral Doom with that album and took Frownig a level further. My favorite on the album is probably “Buried Deep” which is the longest song I’ve ever written. It’s also special to me because one of my closest friends (Hekjal – vocalist of Ad Cinerem) wrote the lyrics for me. He really digged the atmosphere of the music and wrote a lyrics which fits perfect for the song. He also featured on the track “Encumbered by Vermin”. But I had another two features – Number 1: Stan of Suffer Yourself who sang a kind of duet with me on “Nocturnal Void”, Number 2 was my father who played actual church organ on Marché Funebré by Frederic Chopin.

Anything confirmed for the next releases? What can we expect for your new works?

I work on new material and will hopefully release a new record next year but nothing is for sure about the release at the moment. I just write a couple of new songs.

Salutant Frowning. May success be with you! Some of your last words?

Thanks for having me!

frowning@gmx.de