Paroxsihzem Interview

Paroxsihzem is a Black/Death band from Toronto, Canada who formed in 2007. Hellthrasher Productions is their current label but they also have releases in different formats and distribution as well from Dark Descent records, Vault of Dried Bones and Krucyator Productions too. Inspired by nuclear warfare, darkness, chaos, and negativity, Paroxsihzem has been destroying the light for eleven years now. This is an interview with Krag, the vocalist from the band.


Hello Krag and thank you for doing this interview with me for Blessed Altar Zine! What are the near future plans for Paroxsihzem?
Thanks, we've just finished playing 2 shows very close together so now we are going to lay low and focus on writing for our next full-length album and then go from there.

I see on Bandcamp, that you recently put up a previously unreleased track from 2013, titled Excavation of Despair. Is this a single release on its own or is this going to be part of a future release?
It was an old demo track that we recorded before the split with Adversarial. We were pleased with how it turned out but it won’t be part of any future releases we just wanted to release it on its own as a 1 song demo track.

Will Paroxsihzem do a tour in the future, whether for Canada, USA or elsewhere?
We plan to eventually. Most likely after our next album comes out.

Is there a main writer in the band musically or lyrically or do you all collaborate in this process?
Impugnor is the main writer for all the music and I collaborate with him on the lyrics.

Considering Paroxsihzem’s inspirations for lyrical or topic matters, are there certain main musical influences that have had a big impact on the sound or direction of Paroxshizem?
Influences come from all over the place and there are too many to name, but a few of them are Incantation, Arkhon Infaustus, Archgoat, Revenge and Morbid Angel. For lyrics inspiration

Being a musical collector myself, I tend to ask everyone this question. Which do you prefer for listening? Vinyl, CD, Cassette or digital format?
Vinyl and CD for sure.

Out of all the releases from Paroxsihzem so far, is there a release that you like the most?
I would say our newest EP, Abyss of Excruciating Vexes is my favourite Paroxsihzem release.

How do you feel about the ways and means of social media now and how information is used or conducted?
I try to use social media as little as possible and usually only for contacting people. I have mostly a negative view on it these days.

What are your main preferences in musical styles? Whether for metal or other types of music too?
Filthy death metal

Ok, in closing and thanks again Krag for your time with this interview. What inspired the creation of Paroxsihzem as a band and with the name itself too?
We found we disliked the direction of most “metal” bands in the local scene and decided to start our own project. The name Paroxysm, “a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity.” Another meaning, “a sudden recurrence or attack of disease; a sudden worsening of symptoms”. Both apply to our influences, direction and intention with the band. The spelling was slightly altered to fit our directive as well as looks more aesthetically appealing in our opinion.



Interview by: Wolven Deadsoul

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TRAITOR Interview

New merciless and heavily devastating Teutonic storm is raging over the world! With three crushing albums so far, Traitor have the very responsible duty to carry on raising the mighty German thrash flag. They prove no wrong – Traitor are among the finest thrash acts from the past decade and we are more than sure – Teutonic thrash is in very safe hands!

I invited Andreas, one of the founding members of Traitor, also performing drums and vocals, for a friendly and very special punching chat, in order to share with us some inside information about the secrets of the Teutonic thrash. (And pelase make sure to check here the review of Traitor's brand new album, which my brother in arms UHF made for Blessed Altar ZIne)

- Hello Andreas, it is a real pleasure to have you here on Blessed Altar Zine! Busy times for you now?

- Hey Ho! Thank you for having us here. Not busier than usual. It got a little bit more administrational work, but its fun.

Photo by Martin Kubowski / KUBO Fotoart

- Who is the Traitor, what are his typical features and what are his sins so far? A fictional character from our two songs „Traitor“ and „Hell-Hammer“. His typical features are very evil. Just listen to the songs. His sins  are told there in all their evilness. 

- You have changed the band’s name several time before choosing Traitor...
- Yes. The ones before were silly and/or to complicated.

- The band is already in the echelons of the Teutonic thrash. With such musical heritage on this scene, how hard is to get there?

- If you are from a German-speaking country (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and if you play Thrash Metal, you are in the Teutonic Thrash scene! It´s not that hard, isn’t it? But you are right: the heritage is glorious. It's nearly impossible to compete with the heroes from the 80s. But we are not trying to compete. We just want to honour the time and the Bands from then. And we want to play the music we love.

- I guess your main influences are in the Teutonic thrash scene, right? Are there more bands or genres, or even types of music, that inspire you?

- We love all types of music. And for example, I am listening to all kinds of music I enjoy and like. There are days where I listen to Ice Cube, Slayer and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in one row. But the main influences are the great Bands from the 80s like Darkness, Assassin, Violent Force, Tankard and all the others.

- What has changed for you since “Thrash Command”?

- We got better and improved our playing.

- Is this the hard road to success?
- I would not call it hard. We had to make mistakes, we had to play bad shows and had to learn some lessons. But it was fun!

- You have a brand new record “Knee-Deep In The Dead”. Could you please tell us more about it? What does it mean for you?

- The writing and recording process was the most intense so far. Pure aggression and power. But we also focused on groove and variable vocals.  In my opinion it's our best record so far. 

- What is the initial response of the audience so far?

- The response of the press was not that good. But the response of our listeners was very good! 

- You had a special guest in “Xenomorph”...

- Yes. Gus Drax from Suicidal Angels.

- Since I saw the artwork of the album for the first time, I’ve always wanted to ask you about it. Whose head is the Predator carrying? Of course, I’m curious about “Venomizer” and “Thrash Command as well”!

- It's not meant to be the predator. It's our mascot, inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator movie. And he is holding the head of Duke Nukem. On the other artworks, it's also our mascot. Always in different outfits. 

- You have been always very critical in your lyrics pointing out all the venom spilling around. How dead is the society and the world, and how deep-knee are we in it? 

- Not really to be honest. I try to avoid political lyrics because it got some kind of trendy mainstream to do that. We got very negative reviews because of that. But I don’t want to write the 101st lyrics about Donald Trump, Refugees or the climate change. When I listen to music, I want to have fun. So our lyrics are fictional and entertaining. Not about things, making a bad mood. They are about things we love. About things that let you enter a different world. It's better to be for something than to be against something. 

Photo by Martin Kubowski / KUBO Fotoart

- You are going to play Wacken very soon. How do you feel about it, what are your expectations? 

- We are very excited and we hope to make a very special and unique experience.

- What are your plans after Wacken?

- Business as usual. 

- I know it is early, but have you thought about the next record already? Is it planned yet?

- We are celebrating our 10th anniversary next year. So you can expect something. Definitely!

- Can we expect any change stylistically or any compromises?

- No way!

- How do you see the thrash scene nowadays?

- Great! Its growing and it's going in the right direction. 

- Where the fans can find vinyls of your records? It seems they are already hard to find...:-))

- You can find them at our online store on www.traitor-band.de/shop. If they are out of stock, we will reissue them as soon as possible.

- Is there anything you would like to add or exclusively to share with Blessed Altar Zine readers?

- Hmmm… (thinking) …I never learned to play the drums. I just started to play. Sometimes I regret that. That's exclusive! ;-)

- Thank you very much for taking time for this interview despite of your busy schedule. It’s been a real pleasure! We are wishing you much success and you guys have our full support! Thrash’em all!

- Thank YOU for your support and the chance to share our thoughts and opinions with your readers. 

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Mizmor Interview

Mizmor is a one-man project from Portland, Oregon. Surely many remember the magnificent album "Yodh" of 2016: An overwhelming work that combines, with mastery, Doom and Black Metal, and with which he won the acclaim of the public and the specialized critics. I had the honor to exchange some words with A.L.N, the mastermind behind Mizmor, and he told me about his future projects, his other bands (Urzeit and Hell) and about very important aspects of his theological vision and of life in general. A.L.N, welcome to Blessed Altar Zine. It is an honor to have you here.

Ok, Let's start from the roots. How did you start in the world of music? At what age were you aware that you wanted to dedicate yourself to this?
I started playing and writing music pretty early on. I was born into a love of music; my dad taught me drums as a child, I learned guitar from my brothers, and was jamming with them and forming bands with friends from age 8. I made my first one-man CD when I was 11, performing and recording all the instruments myself on my parents computer. I drew the cover art and made physical copies I sold/gave away at school to friends. There have been ebbs and flows in my output throughout the years, but music has always been a part of my life and always will be.

What does the word Mizmor mean? How does it come about to be able to identify your project?
Mizmor means ‘psalm’ in Hebrew. A psalm is a Biblical melodic prayer. I began creating the music for Mizmor in the aftermath of a tumultuous personal life experience: losing my faith in the Christian god. Although it is the religion of my parents, which I rejected in adolescence, I had an adult conversion experience that led to over two years of an intensely devoted, personal practice of Christianity. Mizmor tells the story of me coming out of that indoctrination and coming to terms with the world in truth, one devoid of god. Early on the music was actually addressed to god. The songs were embittered, enraged, confused, heartbroken, upwardly-directed utterances, much like a good portion of the book of Psalms. The name came very naturally after the music, since it had a specific purpose and scope.

I have to ask you some questions about the incredible "Yodh." Although it was released 2 years ago, I think that the repercussion that achieved in the underground circuit will have been remarkable for you, and your development as a musician. How did you live this until now?
“Yodh” is a very special album to me. Like all of Mizmor’s music, it is deeply personal. But what sets it apart from my other albums is based on a promise I made to myself. I had been making music for many years at this point in my life, but had never felt I’d made an album where I didn’t make a single compromise from the start of the process through to the end. Although I don’t believe there to be a perfect album, so to speak, I wanted to make something I’d at least be comfortable enough hearing in 10 years, without cringing at the sound of everything I should have done differently. So I decided, no matter how tedious or long the process, no matter the cost or effort, I would make the album in my mind/heart. I’d self-release it and lose money if I had to. All I cared about was the art: presenting a vision effectively without any factor adulterating it. I’m extremely grateful that “Yodh” resonated with people, making ripples in the underground world. I’m honored that self-releasing the album was not its ultimate fate, for Gilead Media gave my art a larger platform, which undoubtedly encouraged the album’s impact on the community of extreme metal listeners.


The music of "Yodh" is like an incredible amalgam of Black Metal, Doom, and even Drone. What artists influenced you to get to this mixture? Do you have a favorite band within the Black / Doom genre?
The fusion of sub-genres that describes Mizmor’s music is due simply to my two favorite genres of music: doom metal and black metal. I find immense influence from both of these genres. In my own case, I wanted to convey my feelings of despondency and depression in the midst of an anti-Christian existential crisis. Writing and playing doom metal had already been a companion to me in my expression of depression, but dawning the black metal esthetic was new for me; it was the perfect way for me to express my internal, religious conflict. Ironically, I’m most inspired by the more pure forms of the genres rather than the fusion of them. From the doom camp Burning Witch and Worship are two essential bands for me, and from the black metal camp Burzum and Wolves in the Throne Room have been important sources of inspiration.

One of the most striking aspects of "Yodh" was his incredible cover art. Its author is the Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński, owner of an incredibly disturbing and obscure work. How do you get to it and how does the concept that illustrates the album come about? Does it have any special meaning?
I am glad that the artwork is striking to you because it was very striking to me when I first saw it, and it hasn’t lost its effect yet. Back before “Yodh” was even on the horizon I saw that piece and was stunned. Visual art doesn’t grab me as easily as music. Something special happens to me when it does though; I felt a certain breathlessness because it resonated with me so much. The face in the piece, it just looks exactly how I feel... it looks how Mizmor feels and sounds to me. It’s not a brilliant answer, but it’s true. I wanted to use it for the album I was currently working on, but it seemed too good a painting - it needed a special album. I waited until “Yodh” materialized, at which time it became an obvious album cover. But obtaining the rights was certainly an ordeal. Luckily I had made that promise to myself.

Another of your well-known projects is Urzeit, where you play drums and vocals. Stylistically, it is almost the opposite of Mizmor. What motivates you to be part of such dissimilar projects?
With music in general and metal in specific, my taste hinges on a precise balance of harmony and disharmony - too melodic and it sounds overly positive, poppy, and cheesy; too dissonant and it sounds overly chaotic, negative, and unmemorable. I’ve found that I typically don’t like anything too far on either end of the spectrum. I think Mizmor combines melody and dissonance in a pleasant way. Urzeit is a bit further toward the dissonant side of the spectrum though, which is understandable once you know that in addition to myself, R.F and M.S. (the Vrasubatlat lifeblood) complete the Urzeit lineup. They thrive on this more brutal style of metal, and there’s definitely a place in my heart for it as well. We pretty much just all love Darkthrone and enjoy music that expresses the nihilism we can’t help but feel in this chaotic existence. It’s fun to play our primitive, irreverent style of black metal. It’s absurd and absurdity is necessary. It sometimes feels more like playing rock and roll, which is just plain fun.

Portland has gained notoriety for the amount of underground extreme metal bands that have emerged in recent times. Could you tell us what the scene is like at this moment, and particularly what reception do you have from the audience?
I’m hardly the lens through which one might accurately see the scene. This is mainly because my projects are fairly inactive, as bands go. To this day Mizmor has performed only three times in the six years it’s been around and Urzeit is silent at the moment. This leaves Hell, the band I’m a part of that performs most frequently. We tour every year or two and play a handful of local shows every year when our friends’ bands tour through and need support. And although we play Portland, we are from Salem, which has its own weird little scene. Basically what I’m trying to say is, I’m kind of on the outside but the scene is active and growing from my point of view. There are lots of great bands here, and a scene to support them. There’s community and camaraderie but not without a healthy dose of pacific northwestern passivity and isolation. 

Recently you edited a single and a compilation that gathers part of all your works. I imagine that many people must be waiting for the successor of your most successful album. Do you plan to edit it at some point? If so, at what stage is the project at this time?
Yes, Gilead Media has just released my newest EP “This Unabating Wakefulness” on vinyl, and I self-released a cassette version. It’s a 15 minute long single track, originally released as a digital bonus track as part of last year’s box set release, now physically realized. The compilation you speak of is a digital album now being distributed that compiles my works from 2013-2015; these songs were originally released as various EPs and splits but now are a full digital album to help new fans catch up on the back catalog. As for a new full-length album... it is on the horizon, but still a ways off. I’ve begun writing, but do not have a schedule or plan to which I’m adhering. It will happen when it happens.

What is your main objective when composing your songs? Is there something vitally important that you want to express with your art, knowing that there are many people who will listen to it?
It is vitally important for me to be an honest, vulnerable, struggling human in my music. My music is about what’s true (especially in the conversation of theism versus atheism), what parts of that truth are hard to accept, and how that makes me feel and influences my life. It’s been so cool and humbling to see and speak with those whom my music resonates with. Connecting over that empathy for pain caused by paradigm shifts in understanding regarding religion and worldview is amazing and incredibly human and natural. It’s not why I make the music of Mizmor, for it will be made no matter what, but why I release it to the public and continue to do so.

Is there an artist that you admire, with whom you would like to share the stage sometime?
Anything Stephen O’Malley is a part of. That dude’s riffs and tones are responsible for so much.

What would you say to someone who wants to perform extreme music, feeling fully influenced by your style? Is there any advice you would like to express?
When talking about extreme metal I’d say, if it ain’t from the heart, if you don’t feel like you simply have to make the music or you’ll explode, then don’t make it. If you do feel you’ll explode, then open up, be yourself, and let it out. But we have enough derivative, unremarkable music in this world and don’t need anymore. Extreme metal is most compelling when it comes from extreme circumstances. Play a different genre if you have different goals in mind than catharsis for healing from music.


A.L.N., thank you very much for agreeing to carry out this interview. I wish you all the best in your future projects. You were very kind, really. 
I send you a big greeting from me and from all the staff of Blessed Altar Zine.


Interview by Sergio

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VOLTAJE CADAVER Interview

Voltaje Cadáver is a five piece band from North Spain. Their music is carrying tons of gygawats power – heavy and blowing with a lot of heart and soul. At Blessed Altar Zine we have been much impressed by their debut album “Todos los colores de la oscuridad” which is out now (Please check the review for Blessed Altar Zine by my borther in arms UHF here), so we decided to invite the band for a short chat about everything that’s going on around them currently. Fidel (guitar) and Manu (voice) will be the ones sweating on our tough 1 million-dollar questions.

- Great that you accepted my invitation to have you for an interview on the Zine! Please present the Voltaje Cadáver and the members to our readers and give us a little background about the band.

- Voltaje Cadáver are Luis (bass), Oscar (guitar), Fidel (guitar) , Panchi (drums) and Manu (vocals). We are a band from the industrial city of Torrelavega in the north of Spain. We formed the group with the idea of reflecting our love for intense and aggressive music from a dark point of view. From the start,  we´ve been playing quite a few  gigs with some bands we love musically (Monarch,Okkultokrati, Adrift, Señor no,..) however, it's in 2018 when we released our first album. So, here we are.

- Voltaje Cadáver? - your tunes are so electric that they leave cadavers?  What about the name of the band?

- We chose the name because of how it sounds. We wanted it to be partially dark, partially aggressive and even with reminiscences to certain  legendary song, hahaha. We also tried to avoid clichés and search for a name with that "something special" in our language.

- Indeed, your music is dark and very heavy, and it is soaked with many nuances and influences. You call it mugre metal...

- Let's say it's a mixture of personal and collective influences coming from many sources and with which we try to make something that sounds coherent  and above all intense, more than relating ourselves to a specific tag.

- Right, so you love to experiment in search of the right intense, aggressive tone which moves you and has a soul?

- Precisely, so it sounds as powerful as possible but not being plain and having many nuances in different layers .  Adding certain doses of melody and playing around with the tempos. We are searching for something to remain in your head, dynamic and not loosing aggressiveness at the same time.

- How does the environment you live, work and play, impacts and provoques you to create that aggressive music?

- Well, it's the typical post-industrial landscape you may find in different places across Europe. It's ugly, grey, but it also has a certain identity that shapes you a little and links you to it. In a way that, if someone hasn't grown up in a place like that, they may have difficulty in getting it. Yeap, so what we feed on these contradictions and tensions a little. In addition, being a relatively small place, there's big tradition and passion for the most aggressive music (punk, hc, metal, plus rock in general). All that has obviously had an impact on us since we were kids.

- What are your main musical influences in the above respect? What kind of music do you like?

- Individually  really diverse, regarding our collective taste, rock and metal with a certain degree of heaviness and aggressiveness. There are some influences of some old school death metal bands, of the NWOBHM, doom, sludge. There are also some punk and HC bands, even prog rock. Our very own mixtape could mix  without problem Bolt Thrower with Judas Priest, Witchfinder General, Rush, Eyehategod, Candlemass, Trouble, Discharge, Bad Brains or Sodom, and of course Black Sabbath (all periods, all of them), just to give some examples.

- Your first album has been just released – “Todos colores de la oscuridad”. Tell us more about it. How are going to present it to us?

- As a result of many years of collective work, with some changes in the group line-up, ups and downs and generally speaking ,it is a search of our own identity as a band. The final verdict about the outcome belongs to those who listen to the record because our perception is very subjective, it´s highly interfered by the whole experience of the journey. Regarding the content, it's the best or worst reflection of that search.

- How long did it take to record it? Give us more in-depth look on the the whole process, production and the people you worked with.

-It's been a long process with lots of involuntary halts due to personal reasons. Right now,we see it as the closure of a period and the beginning of another in which we want to reflect more who we are at the moment.

Pedro Setién carried out the recording at his home studio. He's a friend of the band who got involved and worked really hard in the recording because he likes the group and he was motivated to work in the project . We are really thankful for the unselfish job he's performed. He's saved us a big amount of money. We are a broke band, you know hahaha.

The reamp and mix were carried out at Drive Division Studios by Alex Pis. He's a local producer and tech who likes vintage sound without any additives. Thanks to him the record sounds rawer and natural and not as processed as records nowadays.

Finally, we worked with Audiosiege, with Brad Boatright. He's done the master for some tight records of YOB, Integrity, High  on Fire, Tau Cross...we admire his work as a musician and as a tech. He knew how to capture our essence and he got quite involved. He even told us he loved our record, nice guy!!

- Your lyrics are in Spanish...

- It's the language in which we usually express ourselves , so it's more natural for us than English. Therefore,  it is easier to communicate what we want to say with all its nuances. Although it's frequent that bands of our same like record in English, we always knew we wanted to sing in our mother tongue.Though, we´ve never had any problems listening to local bands singing in German, French or Italian...just to give some examples. 

- How many and how dark are all the colors of the darkness (transl. “Todos los colores de la oscuridad”)

- As many as the influences we gather in our music and as dark as the obscurity which covers this world.

- Is Voltaje Cadáver your only band or you play in other projects?

- Some of us play in other projects such as Wet Cactus (Stoner Psych), Becerro Negro, Butchers Left (Metal) or D.M.A (Crossover) which are orientated to other type of music styles. We are quite eager musically, so it's likely that in the future we'll plan some new ones.

- How is the Spanish heavy scene doing? How do you see it?

- We think the scene we follow and we are interested in does very well. There's a big number of bands doing very powerful and interesting stuff. Not only the most underground metal (doom, death, sludge..) but also HC Punk. There's a lot to discover around here and luckily, there are more and more  bands that tour Europe and have international underground recognition.

- What is the next step and the next big goal for Voltaje Cadáver?

- We live day to day, it isn't piece of cake with our lives and obligations. The first objective is to keep on pushing the band forward, keep on playing, recording and especially, feeling that we are a little closer to our musical expectations as a band. The band is a little like our very own therapy and our collective way to escape from tensions and the negative stuff that affect us. Rehearsing relaxingly, working on new tunes and having a beer together in the meantime it's already a success. From there onwards, everything is welcomed and celebrated. 

We'd like to make another record ( or more than one) that moves us and that shakes and moves  those people who listen to it. Do something truly special. That's possibly our biggest goal.

- Are we going to see you on tour soon? Plans for going outside Spain? Or for the time being only vino tinto, cerveza, tapas y paella? 

- It's difficult to think about touring, we aren't youngsters anymore and we have jobs, families... The usual limitations. Even though, we´d like to play as much as possible, especially outside Spain. That's another of our dreams. If we are lucky, in the near future we'll try make it come true, even partially....for now, we are thinking about starting touring after the summer. 

- By the way what your favourite Spanish dish you are going to recommend us?

- We are 5 guys with different eating habits, it's too difficult to choose one dish, but the most common is the tortilla de patata, it safes much lives when you are on the road.

- Muchísimas gracias para esta conversación! We’ll be looking closely for news and further steps by Voltaje Cadáver. Keep it heavy and wishing you much success with “Todos los colores de la oscuridad”!

Interview by Count Vlad

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Interview - Full Of Hell

Full of Hell is one of the most extreme young bands that music has given in recent times. Owners of a unique style, in which classic influences from Grindcore and Powerviolence join sludge, noise and even Power Electronics structures, with the sole idea of creating a high combustion amalgam capable of melting brains and producing hypoacusical damage.
With the band immersed in a marathon tour, we have the honor to exchange some words with Dylan Walker, vocalist of the band and author of abrasive noise, where he tells us some great news about the future of the band and gives some advice to those who were able to witness Full of Hell live and they became deaf.

Dylan, how are you? It's a pleasure to be doing this interview with you. Tell us, how do you start in this? Before Full of Hell did you have other bands? 
Our guitarist Spencer started full of Hell. We had all been in bands before this but had never put out a real record or anything, so this was and is our first serious project. We simply wanted to start a band that played the exact kind of music we wanted to hear and we wanted to tour as much as possible.

Full of Hell is usually a band typecast in the genres Grindcore or Powerviolence. But there are many other styles that usually identify you. Noise, Doom, Sludge ... The amount of extreme genres seems to be endless in your mix. How would you define yourself? Within what style do you feel most identified? 

We definitely don’t define ourselves as a PV band at all. We love the style and take influence from it but it was never a label we used. We try to be casual about the genre labeling though. We don’t care what label people put on us, especially because no matter what genre you’re tagged with there will be people angry that you’re being labeled as such. It doesn’t matter. We are a band.

What bands or artists do you think were essential to influence you to make this music? 

It usually comes down to bands like The Endless Blockade, Gasp, Man is the Bastard/Noise, Swans, Napalm Death and bands of that style. Obviously, as years go by we bring new elements into the sound. It’s good to grow! 

I think that, currently, Full of Hell is one of the most energetic bands of extreme music, playing live. It must be tremendously exhausting. How do you live with being on tour and having to interpret music in this way? What is the secret? 

We don’t try to play any specific kind of way. We just react as we want to and play with passion. I don’t think we are that crazy in the big scheme of crazy bands, but it’s nice to hear that some think we are energetic at least. 

What is the most rewarding thing about being on tour for you? 

The most rewarding thing is the 20-30 minutes each night that we are playing. It is the most fulfilling part of this and why we do it. A small period of bliss.

If you had to tell us which is the most extreme, caustic and heavy album of Full of Hell, what would it be and why? 

Trumpeting Ecstasy, simply because I feel like it’s the furthest recorded example of what we want to sound like and I am most proud of that album. 

One of the great milestones of your career was having recorded with Merzbow. How did you meet him? 

We met Balazs Pandi in NYC years ago, he plays drums with Masami live. We became fast friends and he suggested the idea to Masami, who was very interested in it. It was all very simple and organic. No pressure, no guidelines. He is an amazing person. 

How was the recording process of "Full of Hell & Merzbow"? Did you remember any anecdote in particular? 

It was difficult for us because it was new territory. We had big shoes to fill and weren’t sure what to expect. We are content with the end result though. 

What advice would you give to people who went to see Full of Hell live, and was left with totally

screwed ears? 

Buy earplugs and suck it up. Or go listen to folk music instead. (Lol)

What are the next steps of the band? Do you want to tell us something about a future project? 

We just want to keep progressing and making records. We have a lot left to say. We are going to keep touring and doing just that. The new LP is almost done, so that’s the next thing we will be recording.

Is there something you want to tell someone who has never heard Full of Hell and is now reading this interview? 

Listen to GASP. 

Dylan, thank you very much for your kindness. I hope you continue to have the success you deserve. I wish you all the best in life. I send you a big greeting. 

Thank you very much! 

Interview by Sergio


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Interview - Veiled

Veiled is one of the most interesting bands that I heard during the course of this year. A revelation, responsible for the creation of one of the most finely manufactured black metal albums (since making music is also a manual, artisan task, in conjunction with certain alchemy skills).
The power of absorption and the power it has to submerge the listener in a cluster of sensations as dreamlike as totally dark is unique. I have to say that I had the honor of speaking with Nathan, also known as Niðafjöll, the mastermind of the project conceived together with Dimman, drummer of Grá and Cursed 13, among many other bands. Nathan, thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview. I welcome you, from all the staff of Blessed Altar Zine.

And It seems fair to start from the beginning. Veiled starts almost four years ago, if I'm not wrong, but with another name. "Gnosis of The Witch". What was the reason for this change?

Veiled officially began in 2015, but prior to that, it was under the name Gnosis of the Witch. Reason for the change is that I no longer had anything left to say lyrically or offer musically with this band. It was more or less a restriction instead of a liberation. So I ended GOTW and formed Veiled.

Being "Gnosis of The Witch" you could get to record some very interesting EP's and a split with Grá, which should be a very precious collection object among underground black metal fans. Do you remember any interesting anecdotes of this era?

The music for GOTW was written during a very dark period in my life, so there really isn’t anything found to look back on personally. I am very glad that time in my life is over with and a new path has been made with Veiled. But, if I had to pick a shining light during my time creating music with GOTW it would absolutely be sharing a release with my brothers in Grá.

With Veiled already confirmed, you record your first Full Length with a legend of Black Metal: Heljarmadr, as a producer. How was it working with him?

Very demanding and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Heljarmaðr as well as Dimman both pushed me to perform to the absolute best of my ability and I truly feel that shows in the music. Nothing but perfection was tolerated and the very long days and nights staring at the same four walls was absolutely worthwhile considering the end result.

In fact, I think that the sound achieved in "Black Celestial Orbs" is monumental. The production plays a very important role. My first reaction, to hear it, was to think that you had achieved a perfect mix between American and European styles, specifically of Swedish Black Metal. What result did this work have for you?

Thank you! I greatly appreciate that. I am a musician who proudly wears my influences on my sleeve. It doesn’t take much for others to hear that the black metal bands from Scandinavia have greatly inspired the music I make, particularly the early wave of bands from the 90s, and of course, my main influence is Bathory.

The atmospheres achieved in the album are, in some way, what makes these compositions stand out. Can you consider the album within the Atmospheric Black Metal genre, or do you not believe in these categorizations?

Absolutely! If there is a tag I would gladly put on Veiled, atmospheric black metal would be the one. Creating an atmosphere is the main focus when I write music. I try my best to write hypnotic and trance-inducing music to draw people into my world.

Have there been other artists, outside of extreme music, that have influenced your work when

recording the album?

My influences are pretty simple. Bathory, Burzum, and Katatonia. That’s all I need.

I asked you that because I was pleasantly surprised to hear that you used other unorthodox ideas, such as jazz patterns in the song that gives title to the album. This arose spontaneously or was it something premeditated?

That was an idea that happened spontaneously in the studio! Dimman is a phenomenal drummer and he really put in the effort to be creative and let his style become as much a part of the music as the riffs do.

Can I ask you something more personal? How do you project Veiled, in the near future? What do you intend to achieve with the band?

Veiled is my life. Music is all I want from this existence. I will push Veiled as far and as high as I possibly can, and then ride it until I can’t hold my guitar any longer.

Are there other activities that you do, that prevent you from focusing on the band, or do you dedicate yourself 100% to the music?

Well, nothing prevents me from focusing on Veiled. When it is time to work on music or devote time to work on Veiled, nothing gets in the way and that is how it should be. That being said, I, of course, have other interests aside from music.

How do you see the state of extreme underground music today? Specifically of Black Metal.

I think the black metal scene has really grown and become something to behold these days. There are so many good bands out there creating excellent music (I’m looking at you Grá, Vemod, Domgård, and Uada in particular). The underground always has something to offer if you are willing to look.

Could you tell us what Black Metal means to you, and why did you decide to use it as a means of expression?

Black metal to me is much more than just a style of music. It is a way of life, a way of communicating via sonic invocations. Black metal resonates within me because it perfectly mirrors the way I see the world. There is a certain beauty within the dark that can be harnessed and crafted into music. Black metal chooses it's messengers, not the other way around.

The lyrics of Veiled tend to focus on concepts and themes with a great mystical content, perhaps invoking certain abstract forces that have little to do with the everyday life of the vast majority of people. What is your opinion of this era of the humanity we are living in, so tending to focus on false values and exacerbated materialism?

To each their own. I do not worry about the lives of others in any way shape or form. I have my own path forged and that is where my focus lies.

Is there a message you want to tell a large number of people who are reading this and who have enjoyed "Black Celestial Orbs" so much?

To everyone who has given our music a listen and has supported what we do, thank you. It is greatly appreciated.

Nathan, thank you so much for giving us your time to do this interview!. I hope you continue to be successful in your projects and that your band continues to grow. I hope that "Black Celestial Orbs" continues to have the acceptance it deserves and that more people can agree to listen to it. A big greeting to Simman and the guys from Grá!. My regards.

Interview by Sergio

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