Feed the dead with blood, milk and oil…
With their debut album set for release on 24 December (that’s Christmas Eve to some), vocalist Sektarist 0 of Dysangelium talks with MR’s Jason Guest about the album and its writing, the band’s history and formation, their influences, and what lies in store for them…
With two demos to the band’s name already, what did you want to achieve with Thánatos Áskēsis? Were there any specific goals that you set yourselves?
We thought it was about time to release more than just bits of our music. We wanted to open up a new chapter in our history and let loose what drives us to work under the sign of Dysangelium.
Is there a theme, a concept, or a philosophy that underpins Thánatos Áskēsis?
Well, the title translates to “death pratice” and that alone sets the tone for the album.
What are the lyrical themes? And where does inspiration come from?
The current lyrics deal with death tied together with necromancy and transcendence.
How did you approach composition forThánatos Áskēsis? Did you have an idea of how you wanted the album to sound or did each of the tracks and the whole thing take shape as it was being developed?
We pre-recorded all tracks we had first and sorted out later, so we pretty much build the full-length track by track, like a puzzle. There were songs that just didn’t fit on the album, because of the lyrics or the music itself. That said, they might come out one day or another.
Who are the band’s main influences, musical and otherwise? And how have they informed the band’s sound?
I can’t tell what’s our main influences; there are only a few bands we have in common and those do not necessarily serve as junction. For inspiration we turn to what surrounds us every day, people, books, music. It could be everything and we might be unaware of it.
What does the act of creating music mean to Dysangelium?
Well, it’s one of the most interesting parts of being in a band. Every time we start working on new material the situation is different. Sometimes it starts with somebody bringing an idea for a riff to the rehearsal, or ideas coming up just during jamming. Sometimes there is already a whole song written at home. In every case we rehearse a lot and do some changes until we’re satisfied with the atmosphere. It’s usually a process, that’s taking weeks or even months and sometimes it’s just one night in the rehearsal room.
Can you tell us about the artwork design and what it represents?
If I’d say what the artwork represents for us it would spoil the listeners to think about it. So it is upon the individual to define what he sees in it.
Who’s the artist? And why did you choose to work with him/her?
The artwork and layout of Thánatos Áskēsis was completely done by Brianvdp. He used to work with us before, the Leviaxxis demo was made by him as well and we were satisfied how it turned out, so naturally we gave our vision for the album into his hands again. In the meantime, we met him in person several times and he became a friend of the band.
Can you give a brief history of the band, how you formed, and what drew you together to form Dysangelium and make music?
A.N.L., Götzenzertrümmerer and T. formed the band together with Daevas and Nuurosuhl back in 2009. C.H. was introduced to us by a friend after Daevas left and Sektarist 0 came to us through coincidence and replaced M. von Wolfenfels, our second vocalist after Nuurosuhl. All of us played in different bands before which made it easy to just go on with Dysangelium instead of reforming or doing something completely different.
You will be heading out on your first tour in 2015 with Bölzer, Vassafor and Ascension. How are preparations going for these shows?
We rehearse a lot. Nothing else.
What would be your ideal venue or setting for a Dysangelium show?
That’s hard to tell. I think most important is the atmosphere, not the venue. We play with little to no light and use mostly candles on stage, that paired with some fog and we’re all set.
What does the future hold for Dysangelium? Early days I know as the album is to be released on 24 December, but is there more music in the pipeline?
There is actually a split 7” with AIN coming out on Under Rotting Sky Records in the near future. Maybe it has already been released when this interview opens to the public. But ’til now, there’s no specific release date. So keep your eyes peeled.
Thanks again for taking time out for this interview. Do you have any closing words for our readers?
Feed the dead with blood, milk and oil.
Feed the earth with fire and salt.
