ENDEZZMA INTERVIEW

Februrary 2019

Death, Devotion and Darkness!

It was a pleasure to meet with Morten who has been in this scene since 1993 hence many things to talk about with him obviously. He has a pitch black heart whose art is gloving maliciously in the name of Death. 

From the ashes of Dim Nagel, Endezzma awakens the beast and delves into dark desires by carrying intellectual background with its oldshool black metal roots. The interview broadens from Endezzma’s latest album “The Arcane Abyss”, black metal scene in 90s to the memorial concert called Death Is Complete organized for the foremost black metal musician Trondr Nefas (Urgehal) who passed away on 12th May 2012.

Here you are invited this intense interview with stunning words of Morten von Shax with full Death, Devotion and Darkness!

"Intensity, devotion and passion is very describing words when you speak of death, but actually these words also is the most describing words when it comes to Love."

  

Hello Morten, The latest album released in 2017. How has been the reactions from media, fans so far? By the way I really love this profound album especially the track called ‘Serpent Earth’!

“The Arcane Abyss” did get a truly magnificent and superb reception both by the media and the audience, top score in many heavy and respected publications so we are of course satisfied and pleased with that. Thanks for your enthusiasm for the album and we just recently shot a video for the specific track you mention, ‘Serpent Earth’! It’s in the edit and will be launched as soon it’s ready. We got a lot’s of reaction upon ‘Serpent Earth’, it seems it’s a love and hate kind of thing. That’s the blunt side of black metal, it’s so black and white that when you just do minor details outside the box you evoke reactions. I’m fine with that, I always liked to push boundaries and evoke reactions. Being different is all what it’s about, standing outside and looking in the establishment. We’re the rebel angels, you don’t need an atom bomb to make a revolution in such strict elements.

What about upcoming release? Have you started to work on it, any planned date?

Yes, we are well into the process. From this date, we have more than half of the new upcoming album ready, the new tracks will defiantly define the tunes of death and the sound of Armageddon. It’s darker than ever and really suffocate us and drive us into new horizons. The new album will most likely be out in the very start of next year but exactly when is impossible to predict at this stage. But I can promise you a mighty dark giant beast of an album!

Endezzma is found from the ashes of Dim Nagel. You came to light in 2005 which is quite a long time. Why did it take so long to get back to the scene? Why did you want to change the name? What is the difference between two bands in musical and ideological wise?

I worked on my first band Dim Nagel with the fellow musicians from KVIST. But as most people know KVIST by many mysterious reasons escaped from the surface and personally I started focusing on new projects like starting up a label, releasing Urgehal albums and more. I worked on various new projects that kept me busy for years until my hunger and inspiration possessed me again in 2005. I then started up again, this time with my brother in crime, now passed away legend, Trondr Nefas from Urgehal. I felt it was natural to change the name since it was a new beginning and fresh new start.

According to me, Endezzma music includes some influences from the 1^st wave of black metal that extends the style to strong modern sound. As you have been in the scene since 1993, may be the roots show up among the notes. What do you think?

I think this is a very accurate observation, and in many ways that describe our motive as well. We want to carry that old vibe, attitude and feel and combine it with the fresh current of out time. When you put it like that, it sounds like we manage to do what we initially wished to achieve. The old rust from the early 90’s is like prison bars around my heart, keeping my heart on place, keeping it beat in the right way and guarding it from intruders from the outside!

Could you please tell about “The Arcane Abyss” artwork? Who did it? What does it express in relation to your music?

The artwork on “The Arcane Abyss” album is made by the Greek artist Geros Ramovounis. Its symbols, figures and documents are in the aspect of death. You have bringers of death, the ringers of death, and the plague doctors. You have death itself, the serpents with the kiss of death. The wolves that carry death. In other words it’s the main person gallery from “The Arcane Abyss”.

What are main themes that Endezzma is interested in so far?

Death is the landscape and the philosophy of Endezzma. Endezma is Death, death is Endezzma. It’s been the basic fundament from the first release “ALONE”, through the “EROTIC NEKROSIS” album and on “THE ARCANE ABYSS”. It will also be the fundament on the next album, but of course under different shades and presented in through different angles. On “Erotic Nekrosis”, like the title explain it’s evolving around the death in love, erotic and how this subject’s have danced with death through up through the history. On “The Arcane Abyss” we go down in the Abyss, visiting the grand home of Death.

Your lyrics bounded to death theme in one form or another.  However, there are songs like ‘Hollow’, ‘A Swansong of a Giant’ from “Erotik Nekrosis” album that touch love interestingly. Album name is quiet striking by showing such relation. Could you please tell your thoughts about love & death relationship as it is known Eros and Thanatos also?

Intensity, devotion and passion is very describing words when you speak of death, but actually these words also is the most describing words when it comes to Love. So, for me it’s easy to connect these two mammoths, these giants of emotions. Love and death is maybe the keyword to our existence and something every single person can relate to. In one way or another, being in a good or evil way, a negative or a positive way these bound our existence together.  Love can be so extreme, so naked and heartfelt, yet so brutal, vicious and cruel that same goes for death. Therefore I find these elements to be an everlasting stream of inspiration. It’s so strong and passionate. This intensity drives me and defines me. Both me and my art, music and life.

“On “Erotic Nekrosis”, like the title explain, it’s evolving around the death in love.”

You have been touring quiet much and very into live performance. What kind of shows do you have?

I think you find the same motivation when it comes to our live rituals. It’s all about the heartfelt intensity, the drive to reflect and mirror all this out to our audience. I like looking into your eyes from the stage making sure you see what I see, feel what I feel and take you to the place I want you to visit. We open the doors to our inner darkness, accept and take a journey through our soundscape, deathscape and landscape…

Among the other metal genres, black metal has a malicious symbolic expression and a diverse approach as being part of extreme ideologies. Could you please tell me about your point of view on creating your art?

Black metal have evolved and developed through the years. You don’t find the devotion and extremity of the early 90’s. What was going on back then was more than an opportunistic rebellious attack on the establishment, it was a criminal riot and attack on society. The music was put in second place and used as a tool, more a soundtrack to the crimes. But it was a unique document of our time, something so unique and mesmerizing for the whole world to see. But when the murders and church burnings became history, a new musical age where music is in the high seat is started, but here comes the challenge and what divides the special bands from the rest. Who can bring out something special, something daring, lustful and passionate to be combined with music? Something that spellbind you and take you through those doors where your heart beat faster and your pulse make you feel alive! Ask yourself, do you get it!?

“I find death so attractive, interesting, intense and darkly beautiful.”

Certainly! I fully agree on you! So, we have come to my question carrying aesthetic concerns. Do you think if art is born from suffering? What are the essential constituents of your music?

Death, Devotion and Darkness!

Endezzma participated special memorial concert, entitled DEATH IS COMPLETE that is dedicated to Trondr Nefas on 13th May 2016. How was the show? How do you remember Trondr Nefas?

It was a unique and essential night. Personally especially strong since he was one of my closest friends as well outside from scene and the music. It was truly special to witness and be part of such a night and experience how death gather so many prominent individual for a last farewell and a giant honor. It’s rare to see any collaborations at all in the black metal scene on such scale. My memory of Trondr Nefas I could go on forever about. But I can say that he was a giant, and a musical genius.

“If people want to travel across the world to pay some house owner money to have their picture taken in a molded basement, then good for them. I don’t think that will define anything.”

You contributed to Urgehal’s “Aeons in Sodom” album on vocals and lyrics at ‘Blood of the Legion’ and ‘Lord of Horns’ songs. How did it happen? Could you please share the memories of this mythopoeic album?

Yes, I did. Urgehal and the guy’s from Urgehal have been my close friends since we was kids back in school and Trondr was like a brother to me. I made the lyrics for the track’s ‘Blood of the Legions’ and ‘Lord of Horns’ long before Nefas died, so it was initially meant to be on the album all the way. But when the tragedy occurred and Nefas died the album turned into a document of dedications and last farewell and naturally I took the vocal on my own text. Lloyd from Koldbrann, Faustcoven and Djevel is doing the vocal on my other lyric ‘Lord Of Horns’. I think the last Urgehal album is a fine moment where you see some epic individuals gather to pay tribute to a musical mastermind, mutual respect.

“Love and death is maybe the keyword to our existence and something every single person can relate to.”

Black metal comprises many branches and many ideas. From 80s to today it changes a lot but anyway there are certain distinctions. From satanic philosophy by Temple of the Black Light or Church of Satan which has different approaches itself, more political NSBM or rather into dark arts surrounded by topics like death, melancholy, despair, and solitude. Where do you see Endezzma for the philosophical side of Black Metal?

First of all I can for sure tell that Endezzma stand so far away from politics as possible. For me music is another world another level far away from politics. I have read my satanic philosophy up through the years of course and actually I can refer to a lot of it. I rather choose the best out of different views and philosophies and make my own survival fundament, norms and moral. When it comes to Endezzma, death have always been the keyword. Endezzma is all about the true essence of death. Endezzma is born out of the energy, feelings, results, behavior made by death. I find death so attractive, interesting, intense and darkly beautiful. An everlasting source of energy. Death is not only about disaster and havoc but when you learn to live alongside death you will get so much back, so much strength.

Many had happened in Norwegian scene. From church burnings, murders to extreme shows including blood, fire, animal carcasses. How is the scene right now? Is it taken as touristic highlight by the government really? I heard about this situation from a documentary called Headbangers’ Journey. Do you think if this touristic stuff damages the seriousness of black metal?

I don’t think it ruins everything, if it’s meant to be ruined or broken it will eventually brake anyway. Something so solid and so strong by nature will prevail. It’s the survival of the fittest so to speak, let what deserves to live survive and the rest we are better off without. The seriousness is up to every individual bands, how they want to be seen and how they want to be understood. I think there were just as many stupid and unserious acts back in the day was trying to be something they weren’t or reaching out for something they were never able to touch. If people want to travel across the world to pay some house owner money to have their picture taken in a molded basement, then good for them. I don’t think that will define anything. You may see extremity taking new forms in order to creep under your skin.

Junkyard Oblivion from the "Erotik Nekrosis

Speaking of seriousness, lately we came across funny photos of Abbath on the London Streets eating hotdog, making fun with corpse paint in the day time.  Do you think if image should stay on stage or can be used for fun as life is not so serious? But in latter case overshadows philosophy of black metal according to me.

I think for being who the fuck you want whenever you want, make your black metal band into a travelling circus and your stage show to a stand-up comedian show if that’s what you desire. It’s not what I would have done, it’s not what I stand for and you will probably not get my vote or approval. My point is that it wouldn’t affect the one that ride a different course. But you can rather ask yourself, does this persons make Black Metal and being black metal at all. Do they want to be taken serious? Or are they just a parody on black metal. To state another philosophy “do what your wilts shall be the whole of the law”.

You had been into zines at the 90s. Can you tell about those times? How do you publish and distribute?

That was back in the good old days, before computer and digital tools. I had to go to the library to find books, x-ray and copy from books, cut and paste. Putting it all neat and nice together. Typing all text on typewriter. Later I delivered everything to a local print house, or more a copy house. I think my fanzines was printed in only 300 copies. It was self-publishing back in those times. Distributed through mail order services and hand to hand. But it was a special time, where letters were the source of commination. Imagine how much time bands and persons involved in the scene used on the communication. Typing letters on typewriter and gluing stamps to be able to use them again in order to save money.

Personally do you have any interaction with other dark art forms? As I know you are the director of Endezzma video named ‘Junkyard Oblivion’.

Well my director career defines itself to my own videos. But it’s true that I always have plans mapped out for videos and projects. I never like to put my plans in others hands, like to producers and other besserwissers. I don’t know if I’m into any other dark artforms, but I have a passion for writing and I’m currently writing on a book. It’s a children book based on mythical characters from a Norse mythology combined with classic Norwegian fairytales. Hopefully I will finish the book and launch in at the end of this year.

“Endezzma is all about the true essence of death.”

What are the foremost albums of 2018 according to you? It could be metal or any genres you are into…

I think 2018 was a poor year when it comes to releases, you had some big acts that failed to convince. But again, it’s all about the eye of the beholder and personal views. Personally I’ve been into music for so many years that I kind of listen to music in all genres as long as it substance in the music and it moves me in a way or another. If music is made with a purpose, devotion and passion and powered by inspiring persons it’s always interesting to check out.

You supposed to come to Turkey for concert years ago but it couldn’t happen. Can you tell what happened at that tour? Hope to see you in Turkey one day…

Yes, that’s correct. We were touring the Balkans, driving fucking hours on hours every day. Eventually our van broke down. I think we had a huge distance to drive that night to get to the venue in Turkey. If I remember correct I think we just realized we had to cancel since we never ever would have made it there on time. I understood lot’s fan was let down. Hopefully we can come one day and make up for it with an epic ritual. If we get a proper invitation we’ll come with a vengeance!

Please share your last words, wishes…

Thanks for rather in-depth and well written questions! See you all out there eventually.

Stay tuned for our brand new video and other morbid news …. It’s on, it’s on fire!!!

“The Arcane Abyss” album is in the aspect of death. You have death itself, the serpents with the kiss of death.”

Endezzma "The Arcane Abyss" Official Album Teaser

More Info:

http://www.facebook.com/endezzma
http://soundcloud.com/endezzma-official
Band Contact & Booking: endezzma@online.no

BEST BLACK METAL RIFFS

by Kool Bandit

Metal Hammer asked the gitarists about best riffs in metal history. There are 3 Black Metal songs in the list...

This list shall be extended with many magnificient Black Metal songs surely. This is just the beginning!

Rules:

1. It has to be an actual riff – defined by Collins dictionary as ‘a short repeated tune’.

2. One song per band. No repeats!

3. It has to be heavy.

Dødheimsgard – Traces Of Reality

According to MAT MCNERNEY (Grave Pleasures)

“This song has one of the greatest black metal riffs of all time. It digs its claws in about four minutes in; a snaking, helter-skelter of maniacal evil. Vicotnik has defined and updated a style which has elevated and progressed Norwegian BM to the next level. Underrated genius.”

Celtic Frost – Procreation (Of The Wicked)

According to GREGOR MACKINTOSH (Paradise Lost)

“I think the best riffs are the simplest yet most memorable. The main riff from Procreation Of The Wicked is a textbook example of this. So simple, but so evil and miserable. As soon as I hear it, I have to pull a grim face. Apocalyptic filth.”

Dissection – Beyond The Horizon

According to ERIK DANIELSSON (Watain)

“A riff that always sends shivers down my spine is the first melody – technically the third riff – in Beyond The Horizon. It’s a prime example of Jon Nödtveidt’s ability to portray cataclysmic, fanatic evil as something sublimely beautiful, something truly sacred and magical.”

Dissection - Where Dead Angels Lie 

According to PATRICK VERNHES (Khaos-Dei)

" I would say the first two riffs... I listened to Dissection with my old Aiwa walkman when I went to school. I remember it perfectly. It was the beginning of everything about me. It was just magic for me."

Emperor - I am the Black Wizard

According to SERKAN KAYA (Black Omen)

"Main riff of Emperor's "I am the Black Wizards"... Fast, melodic, dark, evil, catchy and emotional at the same time. I think it influenced countless black metal riffs afterwards. I remember when I first heard that song. It kept repeating in my mind. Now, 25 years later, it is still best for me."

Bathory - Enter The Eternal Fire

According to GEORGE EMMANUEL (Lucifer's Child)

"The whole song is a masterpiece that still inspires us and motivates to adopt the ideas of playing and being Black Metal"

Dark Throne- Transilvanian Hunger

According to ADALBJÖRN TRYGGVASON  (Solstafir)

"Absolutely Transilvanian Hunger!"

Gorgoroth- Carving a Giant

According to TIM CHURCH (Ghost Bath)

"At the record called “Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam”, all the songs and the guitars are so crazy. Every time I listen this record, it gives me chills. The song called “Carving a Giant” has the best riff as a song. That record with its every instruments is a deep kind of black metal. It is the only record I found that really hits me and almost like a spiritual experience for me."

Carpathian Forest- The Pale Mist Hovers Towards the Nightly Shores &

Agalloch - Into the Painted Grey

According to DENNIS MIKULA (Ghost Bath)

"I think the song “The Pale Mist Hovers Towards the Nightly Shores” from Carpathian Forest EP “Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods” has the best riffs, drums, vocals, everything I think. Other one is the song called “Into the Painted Grey” from Agalloch’s “Marrow of the Spirit” album. It is a 12min song and it has really cool guitar riffs."

For the rest of other amazing riffs from all metal genres...

https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-best-metal-riffs-ever

INTERVIEW WITH GHOST BATH

Februrary 2019

Aesthetics of endless pain and suffering in melodies… Crossing the borders and discovering the contrast, melancholy in joy, dark side of the happiness, these are all you can experience via Ghost Bath music.

With this new vein of black metal having such sharp depressive vocals, raining screams, carrying unexpected atmospheric passages and adding aggressive crescendos, Ghost Bath comes by destroying what is known before and opening a new suicidal path.

With Dennis and Tim in Leipzig

My evil twin sister who is ready to blacken my world, introduced me the band with Moonlover album and showed me their Bremen concert record back then. It was an utter turning point, then I have been delving into Ghost Bath music with an endless dark desire. With the release of Starmourner, surprisingly I found a chance to make an interview with Dennis and Tim during Ghost Bath’s European tour at Leipzig concert on 16th November 2018.

Leipzig is a very special place for me due to that special concert of Mayhem happened on 26^th November 1990 that I kept listening the record called “Live in Leipzig” intensely still by chilling. Therefore watching Ghost Bath live which is my foremost dark desire lately is kind an ending on a high note under that lunatic pitch black atmosphere of Leipzig.

 

Ghost Bath / Live in Leipzig

I would like to thank Anne Swallow from Nuclear Blast for the arrangement of this blast!

Here is a long-winded interview with an unexpected turn into literature and philosophy deeply which shows the sophistication of Ghost Bath members!

“My idea was to take the sub-genre and make it more melodic with better recording.”

   

Photo by Austin Scherzberg

How are the reactions to Starmourner so far from media and how do you feel about the album? Starmourner has a different direction from Moonlover in musical sense, like going more toward post-rock carrying positivity in music when I compare bleak suicidal atmosphere of Moonlover. 

Moonlover

Dennis: Yes. Basically it is definitely different than Moonlover, so I heard from the internet and fans that people who really like Moonlover don’t like this one or vice versa. But I don’t want to make same record so I can say that I am pretty satisfied.

You used the ecstasy concept for Starmourner while tragedy for Moonlover album. Why ecstasy over tragedy? Is there a reason why you chose ecstasy this time?

Dennis: Yeah, kind a like an idea from painter Mark Rothko did like, said like. Basic human emotions like ecstasy, tragedy and doom. I used tragedy for Moonlover and ecstasy for Starmourner. 

It sounds like a trilogy. Is Funeral album doom part of this trilogy?

Dennis: No, Funeral is its own. Third part, “doom” will be the next album.

You made a contract with Nuclear Blast with this album. How did it happen? Nuclear Blast has been improving their black metal category lately.

Starmourner

Dennis: We had Moonover from Northern Silence Productions. Our producer Josh Schroeder worked with King 810 with Monte Conner who moved to Nuclear Blast. He got a contact with him and Monte called me. It took 8-9 months to figure things out for contracts and stuff. This is how all those things happened.

Ghost Bath started as one-man project but you have a fixed line up right now, right? But unlike you, the band members’ names are unknown still. Is it on purpose?

Dennis:  (Laughings). When I first started, I didn’t want anyone to know who I was and where I was. Like on bandcamp, I did not put any location among all other places and then I just picked China.

Were you in China any time in your life before?

Dennis: No.

Where is China coming from then?

Dennis: I don’t know. There is no reason. Actually from there, I got a contact with Chinese record label, small one. And they put out the record and so it is listed over there. Then, another Chinese record label Pest Productions which should have been bigger put up Funeral.

So label is from China hence the rumors came from there?

Dennis: But I also put China as location too (laughing). I originally had 4 band members which are completely different then these band members right now. They quitted right away because they don’t like the vocals and high pitch things. So I closed down their faces and put their names in Chinese.

What is the current line-up now?

Dennis: We have Tim, John, myself, Pin, Josh. Until then we were like a live band and I was doing the music but we are a band right now and gonna write the music all together for the next record.

As I understand, specifically on Moonlover album, you do not use any lyrics but meaningful, abysmal screams conveying abstractness instead of it. It was quite surprising for the listener and interesting approach for an ambient/post/black metal band. What do you wanna say about this?

Dennis: You should have heard about the bands like Sigur Ros from Iceland?

Yes, I like them a lot.

Dennis: They are sort of doing the same thing like making the words to go with the music. I just do it with screaming.

Yeah, it is a creative thing. Will you do the same thing for the next album? You started to put some lyrics at the Starmourner album already but…

Dennis: I don’t know yet if I wanna put the lyrics or not. We will see at the next album. But we didn’t start writing lyrics on Starmourner, we already wrote lyrics on Funeral album before.

Ah, yes. So, new topic is coming; Literature… You are also into literature and writing as I know. So your words seem like busy with other projects which are denser. Please tell about which genre are you writing and the general concept of them?

Dennis: For 7 or 8 years ago, I was really sick and couldn’t do anything and for some reason I decided to start writing. That was the time I started writing seriously, there were other stuff that I wrote previously. I just became obsessed writing podcast, watching videos, writing, reading books, trying to write something that is to be published.  A year and half I finished a book but I didn’t like it so I am writing few more now. I feel like I am getting better the more I write. We will see by time.

 “Art, philosophy, spirituality are connected altogether.”

 In which genre are you writing on?

Dennis: The last one was sci-fi, this one is epic fantasy.

As I know, this epic fantasy book that you have been writing will be a trilogy, right?

Dennis: Yes, it was like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, something like that.

Ballad to the Stars is the name, right?

Dennis: For now, it is called Ballad to the Stars. But I will see when it is done.

I am wondering about your influencers or authors you would like to read?

Dennis: I like Terry Pratchett, I really like the humor and satirical fantasy of Douglas Adams at “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”. I like the darkness of “Malazan Book of the Fallen” and I took influence from that as it has different kind of characters and worlds. I definitely like “The Lord of the Rings” for the journey and quest at there.

Tim, you are into philosophy, right? Which era are you interested in?

Tim: I am interested in a lot of different stuff. May be 5 years ago I started to read Buddhism. I actually started reading Sartre and eight different existentialist philosophers. And I see many connections between Buddhism, Hinduism kind of philosophies with Sartre and other phenomenologist philosophers like Sartre. So I started to make connections between eastern and western philosophies. Lately I am really obsessed with that so I read everything I could.

Speaking of phenomenology, Husserl came to my mind as a foremost phenomenologist. Did you read his works?

Tim: Husserl? Absolutely and also Heidegger, they are all huge influence on.

By the way as a reader, have you found a definition of phenomenology yet? As you know it is somehow incomprehensible.

Tim: Yeah, I would say it is closer to practice or kind of meditation. It is not just ideas.

Like a method?

Tim: Yes, actually it is an actual mindset. Method of meditation that you can enter a certain path your mind can go down. You can use it basically to understand yourself, consciousness, relationships and reality better.  

“Sort of trying to express the connections between music, philosophy and meditation by writing.”

Photo by Austin Scherzberg

As it focuses on appearances of experiences, so I am thinking that Ghost Bath as music project can be said to carry some phenomenological approach?

Tim: Generally music to me is music and writing together. I mean I am working on my collection of essays right now. I have been writing and filling journals for last few years. I am reading, travelling and writing essays. Sort of trying to express the connections between music, philosophy and meditation by writing. Art, philosophy, spirituality are connected altogether. Yes, I do see many similarities between the experiences of being on stage playing music and phenomenological procedure that you sense that you are surpassing just regular thought and going to more like a flow of the state, kind of meditative state. It is kind of seeing the reality in more clear way.

Speaking of Sartre, he has a political side too, you know.

Tim: Yes, yes Sartre is my entry way of learning Marxism because of his critics. As a fact, he isn’t just simply loyal follower of Marx, he comprehended it. His critics of Marxism is huge influence on me in terms of politically.

I have been also studying Simone De Beauvoir and sharing her views.

Tim: Ah yes, I read those letters that they wrote to each other and their own journals also. It is huge influence on me for writing because I read the journals to see how they traveled Europe while writing on the same time. It inspires me just like our music inspires me. I want to do the same thing, to write some journals about philosophy.

  

Photo by Austin Scherzberg

Do you have any plans to release a book in the future?

Tim: Yeah, basically I have 4-5 years of essays, some going through rereading of them and categorizing them and then gonna select the best works of mine and put it altogether. It won’t be in chorological order, it will be like ‘this was the day and this was where it is written’ like collection of different essays. Themes are philosophy and travel and just like that.

It sounds very interesting; I really would like to read when it comes out.

Tim: I don’t how long it will take, I have never made a book before but I have just been writing a lot and I have to do something with that to see it in the shelves. Writing is a really nice thing. Sometimes I go back and open up an old journal to look and I find out that I expressed something so perfectly that I can’t believe that I wrote it. But there are also times like that I say it sucks and I don’t like it.

As I am a horror story author, I would like to ask if you are also into horror genre. Do you like Edgar Alan Poe as one of my influencer, for example?

Dennis: I think, I prefer Lovecraft.

Tim: Tell Tale Heart is so good!

“Sometimes I use art to escape from suffering.”

  

Photo by Austin Scherzberg

What does melancholy mean for you in your own words?

Dennis: I think it is like not caring about anything. Nothing really matters at that point.

Tim: I guess it is like a physical pain in my stomach. It is how I experience it.

As you are dealing with suicide, death, loss in your art. Do you think if art is born from suffering?

Tim: Sometimes I use art to escape from suffering kind of ritual.

Dennis: Yes, there are connections. But to kill himself, to be depressed or whatever the connection it is, sometimes art causes it while another time art is the result of it.

Do you think if it doesn’t have to be suffering to create an art?

Dennis: I think it is better, if there is. But that is my personal view in the end.

Which music styles do you listen? Who are your influencers in music?

Dennis: What I listen and my influencers are completely different. What I am listening now are ambient stuff. If I am writing, I listen soundtracks and classical music. The influencers for Ghost Bath were originally Agalloch when I started the band, Silencer for the vocals and depressive suicidal black metal bands. My idea was to take the sub-genre and make it more melodic with better recording.

Tim: For influencers, a lot of stuff so it is really hard to pin down. But when I was young I was listening grunge like Alice In Chains, definitely who has melancholic dark sad stuff in the music. I think they influenced my guitar playing too.

Have you contacted with your fans? After all those EU and US tours, do you know what kind of listeners do you have?

Tim: Well, we are known as a depressive band, so we tend to attack many people who have mental issues. :)

Dennis: There are all kinds of interesting personalities. :)

Tim: I am always talking with the fans, I give answer their questions and honestly I like to know them.  I like to have interesting conversations.

Dennis: I run the band’s social media. We always get the messages after the shows like “oh, I am too shy to talk to you. But you were really good”.  Everyone can come and talk to me, it is fully ok.

What about new album? Any plans for the date or the concept of the new record?

Dennis: No set date.  After we return from this tour, we will take a little break and then start writing the new album. We already have some riff ideas and our drummer also have been working on drum parts. We do have the concept, the name and some riffs so far.

We came to my last wish from you and last question as well. Is it possible to tell me a song having best black metal riffs ever according to you? Thank you for the interview.

Tim: At the record called “Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam”, all the songs and the guitars are so crazy. Every time I listen this record, it gives me chills. The song called “Carving a Giant” has the best riff as a song. That record with its every instruments is a deep kind of black metal. It is the only record I found that really hits me and almost like a spiritual experience for me.

Dennis: I think the song “The Pale Mist Hovers Towards the Nightly Shores” from Carpathian Forest EP “Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods” has the best riffs, drums, vocals, everything I think. Other one is the song called “Into the Painted Grey” from Agalloch’s “Marrow of the Spirit” album. It is a 12min song and it has really cool guitar riffs.

Golden Number/ Moonlover

“Basic human emotions like ecstasy, tragedy and doom. I used tragedy for Moonlover and ecstasy for Starmourner.”

 

More Info:

Stories of Starmourner

GHOST BATH refers to the act of committing suicide by submerging in a body of water. The band writes and creates under the assumption that music is an extension of one‘s own soul. They journey through the sorrow and sadness that all lives experience, but leave a glimmer of hope.

About Starmourner...

"The album explored melancholy, sorry, depression, and earthly things," says Nameless. "It represents purgatory and, most importantly; tragedy. The trilogy will represent basic human emotions and the experience of an afterlife simultaneously."

"The stories, or parables, look into Jewish angelology and the hierarchy of angels as found in the bible and other religious texts,"

Story of Ambrosial from Starmourner

Ambrosial /Starmourner

Contact:

www.facebook.com/blackghostbath

www.nuclearblast.de/ghostbath

https://ghostbath.bandcamp.com/