Information
Author: Dope Fiend
Line Up
Nihilifer - Vocals
Decay - Guitars
Darash - Bass
Versipellis - Drums
It's always a pleasure get in touch with good reality that try to get space inside the scene, it's now the turn of Erebus Enthroned, Australian band who had released this year their debut, "Night's Black Angel".
Welcome to Aristocrazia Webzine, guys. How are you? Are you satisfied of your first album?
Nihilifer: Salve! We are doing very well. Upon answering this interview we are making the final preparations for the last show on our Heraldry Of Heresy tour. We are joyous with the result of the first opus, every aspect came together as willed and the reaction to it at this stage has been quite positive.
Who are Erebus Enthroned and what is your history as a band? Give us a presentation of yourself.
Erebus Enthroned is a Black Metal band from the city of Sydney, Australia. Formed in 2006, we have gone through many changes in line up in order to find the right souls to work with. From the point of inception up to now we have released a demo and a split CD with a fellow Australian band Nekros Manteia, and have engaged in numerous live performances. The past two years have shown the band in its ideal incarnation with all members fittingly found, the composition and the recording of the recently released album “Night’s Black Angel” and intensive live performances throughout Australia, both headlining and supporting many highly esteemed bands.
In your sound is easily perceived a strong Swedish influence, which are the groups that you love and maybe that are inspired you to create your own music?
I see where you are coming from. However, we actively seek to draw inspiration from a more personal and profound source rather than likening ourselves to other bands. Subconsciously; external influences creep in as is natural with anyone composing music and alot of bands we listen to hail from Europe but we do not differentiate or view Black Metal as a product of one’s geography. Thoughts of emptiness and void, hellfire and apocalypse should come to mind rather than forests and fjords.
How do you compose a song? You follow a guidelines or you surrender to the inspiration of the moment?
The writing process is undertaken by every member in the band and does not follow any particular formula. Sometimes the songs come into fruition after hours locked in a rehearsal room or come to light in other weird/wyrd ways. Sometimes the lyrics are written to the form and the feel of the music and other times it is done the other way around. Instrumentation on the album is alot of the time taken care of by the person playing the particular instrument but is not always the case.
"Night's Black Angel" brings together many different aspects within itself: I think at the morbidity of "Pillar Of Fallen Flesh", the epic feeling of "Horns Of Severity" and the demonic mood of "Nil (Solve Non Coagula)" that seems sink they roots in the immense Funeral Mist. What prompted you to compose this album?
We are always prompted to compose music as an expression of our spiritual path/s and to present the very personal and profound nature of it through the medium of art, music and poetry/lyrics. What we do is like painting a picture of something that can only be felt, experienced or individually known. Our art is not the be all and end all, rather a medium to portray. So that one may gather a glimpse of the most wrathful power that lurks astern and hither to the borderline of this profane world and that of the beyond. Ourselves included, it is a way to articulate such things in a creative manner.
Who writes the lyrics of your songs? What are the feelings that push you to talk about certain themes?
The lyrical writing is shared between myself (Nihilifer) and our bass player (A). However, alot of the time the plot and content of the lyrics are philosophised by all members of the band. As I mentioned in my answer to the previous question, part of the reason to write about these themes are a desire to artistically articulate internal/external revelations, alot are based upon visions of an inherently apocalyptic and anti-cosmic nature. All songs are written as invocations welcoming the ingress of chaotic and entropic power.
Black Metal is an uncompromising genre, but, at the same time, flexible and predisposed to innovations. How difficult is it today compose a disc inspired and with personality, while remaining faithful to the essence of the music presented?
If you strive to write music to express yourself and what you believe and know, then you forsake the thought and care for being original for the sake of it or for being constrained to the impositions of a genre.
Still talking about innovations, I believe that Industrial Black Metal is one of the best sides of the evolution of the genre, although it is still a current very often heavily criticized by purists. What are your thoughts about this?
I am not all so familiar with the genre save for some bands like Aborym, Diabolicum, Mysticum, Blacklodge and some newer bands like Neo Inferno 262 and Black Hole Generator. I think this sub-genre in some cases has spawned a really interesting direction musically and thematically tailored to it’s modern sound as an expression of (in my opinion) the Devil’s manifestation in our current age. Reflecting and welcoming His spirit through His works such as warfare, drug abuse, degradation and many things connected to the world’s state of decay. This genre of Black Metal is a very suitable new means of expressing and exploring Satan’s entropic nature.
There are many extreme groups originating in Australia, but what is the situation from the inside? There is support and cohesion between the band or is it a fragmented scene?
There is a very small Black Metal scene here in Australia with a smaller live front. Amongst our own there is support and allegiance between bands however Black Metal remains to be quite separated from other more prominent genres, which this country is known for. Bands that we support wholeheartedly and should be investigated (if not already known) are Nazxul, Pestilential Shadows, Drowning the Light, Sanguinary Misanthropia, Nekros Manteia, Corvus, Spire, Wardaemonic. A very new band named Crowned has emerged who are one to keep an eye and an ear out for.
What are, in your opinion, the features that a Black Metal band must have to be not merely a copy of the famous past?
A clear direction with a will to progress and evolve there sound according to what inspires them to write music in the first place, partially remaining within some unsaid parameters to retain their definition. As said previously, as much as external influence is a subconscious factor in the writing of music, we mostly seek to channel inspiration from ourselves, our beliefs and our goals and not focus on being original for originality's sake. The music and words come out the way they mean themselves to.
Let's go back to talk about your album: if you must present it to someone in what terms you speak of it? What are the strengths and weaknesses that characterize it?
I would speak of it in terms of holding a certain power. The production on the album far exceeds that of the previous releases and works for every composition on the record. Some people think that Black Metal must be "raw" and under produced all the time. The overall sound and production of a band should reflect the nature of the band and their musical works. I think a good balance is maintained on "Night’s Black Angel" as it was a primarily live recording with the intent to capture a certain energy we strive for at every point of this band. The sound is clear however the raw live feeling is retained throughout. That being said, if I presented the album to someone I wouldn’t say anything and just let them make of it what they would.
Are you satisfied of your collaboration with Seance Records?
Absolutely, as long time friends of ours the choice was natural to work with them in releasing the album. We know where our allegiances lie and shall continue our partnership for years to come.
Have you already bring on stage the songs of "Night's Black Angel"? What were the feedback you received?
Indeed, the songs on "Night’s Black Angel" have for a while been integrated into the live set. Over time more songs from the album have been introduced to bring the paradigm shift into full swing. They have been received very well by Australian audiences; in particular I believe the goal of the title hymn has begun to be achieved in a live context.
What will be the next steps of Erebus Enthroned?
There are many steps already underfoot including outstretching the pinions toward international audiences as well as the composition for a second full length opus continuing the downward path after the revelation of "Night’s Black Angel".
Well, the interview is over. Thank you for your availability and, wishing you all the best for your future, I leave you the word to close as you prefer.
The circle has been opened, never to be closed. Chao Vincit Omnia!
