Dark Greetings!!
Here is a new interview with the long running Italian black metal band Abhor.The band is getting ready to release their sixth studio album "Ritualia Stramonium" through Moribund Rec. if your a fan of occult black metal then you will want to add this to your collection today.
Regards
Patrick
Interview with Abhor done by Patrick
1. Hails I believe you started Abhor in 1995 when did you all get the idea to form this band? How did you come up with the name Abhor for the band?
Savum: ABHOR is the concretisation in music of my esoteric studies. At that time, around the beginning of the ‘90 I was very interested in Goetia and the Salomonic Magic. The name Abhor were choose for its phonetic expressivity and because our belief is to abhor all what is pure and chaste.
2.What is the current line up of Abhor? How would you say Abhor music has changed over the years?
Kvasir: Abhor has been a trio in the last years:
Saevum: Guitars and bass
Kvasir: Guitars and bass
Ulfhedhnir: vocals
Then we have a fourth man in the shadow who is anyway always around and takes the church organ duty. His name is Leonardo Lonnerbach.
We are also taking in consideration the coming back of our previous drummer Arhin Von Past.
Abhor’s music has naturally evolved and matured over the years, just like good wines do in the barrels, gaining its maximum peak on «Ritualia Stramonium». However, the essential concept and the powerful esoteric charge has remained unchanged.
3. Abhor is getting ready to release the new cd "Ritualia Stramonium" through Moribund Rec. How long did it take the band to write and record the new cd? Do all of the members usually take part in the writing of a song or does one member usually write everything?
Kvasir: It took almost 4 years, which might seems like a long period. You know we are getting old and with a bunch of releases behind our shoulders, so we enjoy taking our time, be the masters of our time, play in the rehearsal room, study different musical solutions and finally deliver! We want to be sure to unleash the best we can and be 100% satisfied even after years from the release. There is no point for us to send out lots of cds, as we do believe in quality instead of quantity.
Kvasir and Saevum are responsible for the whole song writing. Usually we write half of the songs of a full-lenght each. After years of playing together, we have found the right balance. It is extremely pleasant to switch guitars and bass during rehearsal and trying different arrangements.
4.I believe you all base your lyrics around Occult subjects when did you become interested in the occult?
Saevum: The propensity toward the Black Arts has always been in me since I was a child... I have taken full consciousness in the early stages of my adolescence when I realized that I needed alongside me a Master... Later, with maturity I also realized that it was better to break away from any type of organization or pseudo sect, to continue the journey alone in total freedom. There was not something in particular that caught my attention or fascinated me but I consider it like a natural propensity to "certain things" instead... indeed magic in my family has always been common. Black metal arrived later; it was the link between my occult world and my passion for music.
5.Who are some Occult authors you all enjoy studying?
Saevum: I have always tried to expand as more as possible my visions in order to capture the principles and the fundamentals and develop my own ones. I studied all the classical authors and I have appreciated many parts of the bible and the gospels. My opinion and my suggestion is not to preclude any path, but read between the lines and dig inside ourselves instead, because intra nobis regnum dei... et inferi...
6.Does Abhor play live very often or do you prefer to work in the studio? What have been some of your most memorable shows to date?
Kvasir: We used to play live back in the time. Not really so often, but selected and intelligent performances here and there instead.
Unfortunately, we dropped out to studio dimension in the last years, due partially to the fact that we have resided quite far each other for some period.
We’ve shared the stage mainly with other black metal acts trying to have the same concept and achieve the same esoteric purposes. Open-air festivals or big concerts are hardly suitable to reach the right atmosphere our ritual needs.
7. Are there any shows or tours planned for 2015? If so, who are some bands you will be sharing the stages with?
Kvasir: There are some rumours about our coming back on the stage. We also have had some interesting offers from the US but I cannot really say anything more at this point.
8. Abhor comes out of the mighty Italian black metal scene. What is your opinion on Italy’s black metal scene?
Saevum: The old Italian Metal scene is magnificent and unique regarding style and quality proposed. We have had many excellent bands in every kind of music, from Mortuary Drape to the old Death SS, old Necrodeath, Paul Chain, Jacula / Antonius Rex, Goblin, etc. etc. etc...
I cannot really say anything of the situation today as I am stuck back in time. I’m not following the scene as I used to do cause the original principles and the feelings of the past are lost.
Nowadays all seems artificial, superficial and well-packaged just for selling, the spirit is missing...with some good exceptions…
9.Who are some of your all-time favourite Italian bands? Are there any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
Kvasir: difficult to name some instead of others…there are many good names if you love digging into the underground. I can mention Maldoror «Ars Magika» as one of the most underrated album, Nashehrhum «Remember the shining moons of the black autumns» and Sinoath’s demo «Forged in blood».
As for the newies I enjoyed the comeback of The Magick Way!
Hands of Orlac, Into Darkness and Saturnine are also acts to keep an eye on.
10.What does the term "Black Metal" mean to you all?
Kvasir: Black Metal is the dark side of our ego, dwelling in the depth of our subcounsciouss. An eternal attraction for everything dark and obscure. A way of life devoted to our eternal Lord.
11.Are any of the members of Abhor currently working with other bands or solo projects? If yes can you please tell the readers about them?
Kvasir: surely the cauldron is boiling as we are part of the Vinum Sabbati Congregation, a trademark that features high-quality products characterized by a real Black Metal standard...under the flag of the Cult, Fire and true Satanic Devotion.
The 1st Profezia full-lenght will soon be re-pressed by Moribund Cult and we’re also working on a new full-lenght, probably out early 2016.
A:S: is another creature slowly maturing in the underwood. A kind of dark folklorish black metal.
Check out for Mourning Mist as well, an avant-doom project with ABHOR members which has just been released via Forever Plagued Recods.
+ many more...so stay tuned.
12.Thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview do you have any final words for the readers?
Saevum: Many thanks to you... Enjoy “Ritualia Stramonium”, another thorn in the crown of Christ!!!
Moribund Rec.
http://www.moribundcult.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MoribundRecords
