Information
Author: Mourning
Translation: Dope Fiend
Line Up
Mastema - Vocals
Corvus - Guitars, Bass, Synth
Baal - Drums
From Belgium comes the disk you do not expect, "A Place To Call My Unknown", the band is The Cult Of Erinyes, they are already being noticed with the previous ep "Golgotha??", let's have more news on them.
It's a pleasure to have you at Aristocrazia Webzine, the opening bars are usually assigned to the presentation of the band, its components and brief hints of their musical history, how did the reality Cult Of Erinyes born?
Cult Of Erinyes is an extreme and punitive entity willing to evolve in the realms of Black Metal. We belong to the forbidden experience, where music is only a symptom of a higher truth. The Cult was created at the end of 2009 as an Ambient Black Metal project to finally become a more organic trinity with the addition of Baal. His drumming added something ritualistic in the rhythmic that defines today the identity of CoE. We recorded our first Ep in September 2010 and only a few months later, we started the recording of our first full length "A Place To Call My Unknown", released the 23th April on Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions.
How did you choose the monicker that represents you? What is the feeling that share your music to the mythological figure of the Erinyes?
The modern society is based on money, hypocrisy and cowardice. The Erinyes, as the deities of vengeance, directly punished the one responsible for a sin. Religions usually see the judgement as an element that comes in the afterlife, and that’s why those dogmas are born to fail and enslave mankind. Cult Of Erinyes praises the facts and is for those who believe that assuming their essence and facing their consequences is the only way to find who you really are. Nowadays, various societies prefer to occult each individual's essence, so the world can "turn round". But that’s just an illusion for morons. Cult Of Erinyes aims at those who praise the forbidden, the occult and has the guts to look at themselves in the mirror without being afraid of what they will see.
What was the path that has led you to the evolution that, from the really awesome "Golgotha", it has made the first album had a so devastating an even more various soul?
"Golgotha" is raw and aggressive, and I’m very proud of it, even if you can hear a few mistakes here and there. I don’t think there is so much evolution between the EP and the full length: I actually wrote the tracks during the same period, so you’ll surely notice a lot of similarities. The biggest difference between "Golgotha" and "A Place To Call My Unknown" is the sound: "Golgotha" was recorded in a few hours, while the full length took way more time, especially for the mixing process. But the soul is the same: Ritualistic Black Metal.
"A Place To Call My Unknown" is a weapon that through ritual and presence is able to overwhelm and subdue the listener, how born the sound? Each song has different facets that characterize it, how you develop the songwriting?
The sound comes from the superposition of guitars and basses and the way they are mixed. There are a lot of guitar-basses tracks in each song. On a song like "Black Eyelids", you’ll find three different bass tracks for example. On "Call No Truce", there are parts were something like six-seven guitars are melting with each others. From that chaos will appear the order during the mixing process. Phorgath from the Blackout Studio rapidly understood our way of thinking and did an amazing job on the album. Each sound has indeed its own identity and it wasn’t easy to create the same sound for each song, but Phorgath succeeded! Also, drums and vocals are not always that obvious in the final mix: EVERY single note has to be a part of a whole. Cult of Erinyes is not about a great guitar player (which I’m not), a fantastic drummer or a twisted singer. It’s all about energy when all the elements are mixed together.
The production unleashes a powerful whip more, and the battery of Baal knocks continually with its tempo changes, what is black metal today? Many people look and listen with distrust those who put themselves to the genre breaking away from early fees, how has changed, in your opinion, this style, musically and especially ideologically? What are the passes that were "rightly exceeded"?
In my eyes, Black Metal is about cultivating your very essence. When you start to care about “what people think”, well, it’s better to stop playing music! Ideologically, I don’t think Black Metal has changed that much. What has evolved is the acceptance of radical opinions in the European society, and radical (ideologically) Black Metal bands are only the reflect of this "evolution", they are not the main problem (exception made for the lack of talent of those radical bands, even if there are a few exceptions). On the other hand, you now have Black Metal bands with more "positive" values, especially in Canada and the US. It’s funny to see the radical black metal addicts so pissed about the introduction of those messages into the Black Metal scene. Musically, the style has evolved a lot; bands like Blut Aus Nord, Axis Of Perdition pushed the limit further with the addition of some well distilled electronic elements. The avant-garde Black metal scene, with bands like DHG, Ved Buens Ende or Arcturus is clearly interesting. Black Metal became a genre and not a Metal subdivision, that’s for sure!
How much can be seductive sinking his mind in feeling as vengeance, hatred, revenge to the Christian deity? What elevates a disk making it a real conductor of personal feeling but full of that darkness that has characterized the nineties? It's anachronistic to think that black is a more elitist way of thinking and living?
We are in 2011 and those who think they can base their lives on the "christian values" are going back in the time when most of the people weren’t able to read and think by themselves. I don’t think I’m better than anyone because I play Black Metal. I don’t need to be better than the others; I need to be myself and to develop my very essence. So the elitist side of Black Metal doesn’t appeal to me. When you think you are better than the others, you stop evolving. The self proclaimed elite are for those who have nothing to propose on the artistic side. But that’s just my two cents...
The Belgian scene to which you belong has always been good bands like Enthroned, Huldrefolk, Berserk, Doodsdrek, Hellewacht, Trancelike Void, in which relationships are you with other compatriots and what do you think about the situation of the black movement in your country?
I learned to appreciate Phorgath and Nerath from Enthroned during the recording of "A Place to Call My Unknown". Nerath even recorded a very short part of a riff in the song "Last Light Fading". They are dedicated artists and you can be sure our next album will be recorded in the Blackout Studio! Hans from Trancelike Void and I are regularly talking via mails. He seems to appreciate the Cult, and I have only but respect for Trancelike Void; they changed their sound a lot, but their very essence is still the same. Black Metal is more than blastbeat and distorsion and I like when bands are taking risk. Regarding the Black Metal movement in Belgium, there are good shows, good bands (check Gorath, Winterblind etc.), and dedicated people. But there is also the nationalist side of Black metal in which I don’t find any interesting elements, musically and ideologically. But in the overall, considering we are a little country, we cannot complain about the quality.
Is there a particular scene in which you have, musically and mentally, a feeling and of which you like most band? What are the band that you feel the most interesting of this latest wave?
People need to categorize everything, but I don’t see the interest of it. I listen to a lot of stuff, so I don’t have the feeling to belong to a scene in particular. Besides extreme metal, I can enjoy blues, jazz or classic music. I’m looking for extreme music, whatever the style is. A twenty minutes jam from the Allman Brothers Band is more extreme (at least in my eyes) than some average Black Metal for example. Speaking of interesting bands, I recently discovered the French band Celeste, intense stuff for sure! And bands like Dissection, Craft or Celtic Frost have surely influenced me a lot.
If you had the opportunity to produce a split album soon, who would you like with traveling companions in such adventure? And why?
That’s a good question and actually we are thinking of doing a split album before releasing a new full length (in 2012-2013 I suppose). But nothing is certain. I won't give any name, but the first condition when you do a split is a mutual respect between the bands. Time will tell...
The Les Acteurs De L'Ombre is the same label that had published the works of Pensees Nocturnes, one of the most respected avant-garde of the last two years, how did the contact with this small but brilliant label born? What made you decide to entrust to their care?
I am in contact with Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions since the very beginning of the band. Gérald, the owner of the label, showed interest in the band after he listened to a preproduction version of the track “The Glowing Embers” on MySpace. I had only but respect for Pensées Nocturnes and the way their label promoted their releases, so I was certain that the label was the very best choice to launch the Cult. And I must say I’m more than satisfied with the collaboration. Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions is a very dedicated label!
There has already been occasion to bring live the tracks of "A Place To Call My Unknown"? What were the reactions of the public?
We had to appear on the Open Your Mind Fest with Bethlehem but the fest was cancelled because of Bethlehem and Kvarforth (who quit the band). We’ll probably play during the period September-December, but nothing is certain. You’ll find info about some live appearance on our Facebook (I know it sucks...) and Myspace (it sucks even more), and probably on an official website (still to be created by the way) soon.
What were the feedbacks from the critics and those who have listened to the record and that he was slim in a comment? Hanging out on the internet I noticed that you have caused a lot of good reactions.
Hanging out on the internet I noticed that you have caused a lot of good reactions. For the moment reviews are very good. We even got a 14/15 in the Legacy Magazine. I must say LADLO Productions is doing an excellent promo for the release and that surely helps to have a lot of exposure. On the other hand, we are not running after fame and recognition, only after quality and satisfaction. Of course I’m happy the album seems to be appreciated, but it only encourages us to work harder for the future releases.
I have the impression that you are not a band of those who likes to bask on the work, there are projects already running in your head or tracks ready for a possible new album?
I already have something like four-five tracks almost finished. But those tracks will certainly evolve; we’ll not enter the studio for a full length before (at least) mid-2012. Also, I don’t want to repeat myself. I already had to throw some material away because it sounded way too much like what we did before. I’m sure the future of the band will be musically surprising, but still extreme and intense. On the other hand, I also joined a new band (as the bassist); the line up is quite improbable so I’m sure the final result will be surprising.
We will have a chance to see your show in our peninsula?
We have no plan to play in Italy for the moment, maybe in the future...
I congratulate with you once again for "A Place To Call My Unknown", we come to the end of the conversation, all that remains is to leave one last message addressed to our readers.
Thanks for the interview! Salutations to those who still think Black Metal is more than music.
