Itheist UK Avant Black Death Powerhouse Interview is up
1. So tell us how this Proggish/Avant Black/Death force from the UK came to be?
Kane - Both the music and the lyrics we created for this record evolved beyond our then band name and direction. So I came up with a moniker that perfectly captures our music and focus on this record, thus Itheist was born.
Dan - It all started way back in 2004, Kane and I met through an advert I posted when I tried start an extreme metal band. We assembled a line-up of musicians and were ready to start gigging, then our drummer moved away. That pretty much caused the lineup to collapse. Kane and I continued sporadically writing and demoing material until finally in 2012 I decided to have a go at recording an album. I'd started playing drums in a black/thrash band called Holodomor, and that gave me the push I needed to kick start the band again. Since then we have recorded an album and an e.p. as Aetherium Mors before renaming the band Itheist... and here we are with a new full length album and a new hunger to create metal music!
2. I hear elements of Vital Remains, Behemoth, Orphanage and Dissection most from what you are creating . What bands brought you to this stylistic choice?
Dan - Good ears! The bands I discovered in my mid-teens to early 20s, Carcass, Dissection, Emperor etc have all had a huge impact on my guitar playing and writing style. More recent discoveries in the last decade such as Akercocke, Ulcerate and Gorguts changed my perception of what music could be, and have had a deep impact on my playing and writing.
3.Is there a story or theme behind this self titled release?
Kane - Yes the theme is Satanic. As the story goes, When I read the Satanic bible in my early teens it was a profound moment for me. As an outsider I remember a feeling of belonging for the first time. Later when I got into black metal, I always enjoyed the music but found the pseudo-Satanic lyrical themes to be christian devil worship at worst and effective shock value at best. With the exception of a few songs per album, this has been a lifelong frustration. If you cannot find it, you must create it and that is what this album is. My hope is that people who are like myself, find and enjoy listening to Itheist as much as we have enjoyed making it.
4. Was there a reason other then lack of underground support go D.I.Y? Do you really just need good PR and places like Bandcamp, Twitter and Youtube to get the word to the world in 2019?
Dan - The internet has really changed the way people discover and experience music. I'm old, so I still prefer getting drunk at a friend's house and hearing something they recommend, but the vast majority of new stuff I discover is via review websites, Bandcamp and YouTube. Many bands have released excellent music without label backing, and there is an increase in established bands going down the D.I.Y route. There are many ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes.
5. 4 words describe Itheist sound to someone just about to listen to the album?
Kane - Chasmic, esoteric, studious, colossal.
Dan - Melodic, dissonant extreme metal!
6. Aetherium Mors tell us a bit why the change to Itheist? looks like you were working with Eihwaz label i know that is partial run by Marty of Bindrune Records. Why not continue with them they seem to be a good growing label?
Kane - The full explanation for the name change is on our Facebook page. Fundamentally I wanted to write songs that have little to no concern for white light religion. It's easy for bands to wright what they stand against. It's much more challenging to conceptionalise what you stand for. We enjoyed our time with Eihwaz, I believe they were having some issues at the time, so we wished them well and moved forward.
Dan - We've had a number of band names over the years before settling on Aetherium Mors. Neither of us were that into it, but we had to choose a name to release our debut album! As what was to become the Itheist debut started taking shape, we felt we were outgrowing the early releases and Kane had the word Itheist in his mind. I liked the name too, it has a modern flavour and an impact to it.
Eihwaz is a sub label of Bindrune which is run by Jim Clifton and Marty Rytkonen of Bindrune records as you said. We had intended to release this album on Eihwaz, however in the time period between the last Aetherium Mors E.P. coming out on that label, and the new album being ready to release, Jim put the label on hiatus so he could focus on some other things in his life. Hopefully he gets back into the label because they released some really cool stuff, the Pestifere album was a particular favourite of mine.
7. If you could make a proper video off Itheist album what song, why and what do you want out of it?
Kane - I have written a music video script for Horned One and got permission at a location with many Satanic paraphernalia. The idea is to do something inherently British. Our land is so rich in myths and legends.
Dan - Difficult one! Maybe Suffering In Existence, it's dark and dramatic and I think it would work with some classy black and white visuals.
8. I do hear a strong Ethno element with Eastern and Occult elements. Where did this flavor come from?
Dan - I'm not sure, I suppose Eastern scales are pretty typical in Metal, perhaps the intro of Zombie Ritual by Death had a strong effect on me! I don't think about scales and theory at all when I write, I just try to make interesting riffs and let the songs go where it feels they should go. I usually try to come up with new chords shapes all over the fretboard to get the creative juices flowing, that can lead to some pretty interesting ideas.
9.UK has really had some amazing Black and Death metal come from it shores. Are there any newer bands you like us to have the honor of checking out from your Area of Plymouth ?
Kane - Bands that are a must for me are Helpless (check out the video for Ceremony of Innocence) and Dans other band Carcinoma. A death/sludge band I used to be the lead vocalist and lyricist in about 4 years ago was Warcrab. Check out my last release I did with them called Scars of Aeons. And check out their latest stuff, I don't think they've released anything since, but check them out.
Dan - Well, I also play drums in a black/death band called Carcinoma, so perhaps I'm biased but they're definitely worth a listen! The latest release 'Apanthropinization' is a split CD with UK Black/Death band Abyssal, who are incredible. Besides that, there isn't a strong scene in Plymouth at all - I can't think of a single other black or death metal band that is currently active! The surrounding area has some cool bands, check out Monolithian from Cornwall, also Wisdom Without Worship which is some crazy extreme experimental metal from Cornwall too. Asides from them, the rest of the country has some incredible bands which I'm sure you already know about.
10. With Itheist be touring at all for this album or is this more just a studio duo?
Kane - if the right musicians came along and the chemistry worked we would love to play Itheist live and do some shows. The pithy aspect of our current set up is, we are both family men, are both progressing in our chosen professional fields. So Itheist works as it is. We give 100 percent when we have 100 percent to give.
Dan - currently it is a studio band only. However, I am working on new material which will definitely be written with live performances in mind. As I mentioned, there is a dearth of extreme metal musicians in the area, and the few that exist and that I trust to be able to do our music justice in the live arena, already play in multiple bands which means it's difficult to get their commitment to live performances. So we shall see…
11. At times You so remind me of Older Hectate Enthroned, Old Mans Child and Dimmu Borgir . Specially in the arrangements. Do you feel you are more Black or Death metal and which of the styles is what makes the bands heart beat?
Kane - Those are all great bands and thank you for the references. When it comes to vocals, I just do what feels right. I don't consciously articulate my voice to be one or the other, I just let my natural voice flow with my emotions. At the same time it's good to be aware about variation.
Dan - To me, Itheist is predominantly Black Metal. The focus is on atmosphere, melody and texture rather than a bludgeoning or technical death metal approach.
12. How does image and visuals change the way someone feels or hears the sounds Itheist?
Kane - Great question. I'm a visual person, and visual people tend to appreciate a gate fold vinyl release that takes over their lap. This album has in-depth artwork that comes alive when it communicates with the lyrics and themes. A lot of people have a short attention span and just want to bulldoze through an album, find their dopamine rush and then delete it from their phone. If you take our song Infernal insurrection, read the lyrics, and also look at the great piece of art provided by Manuel Tinnemans, all four art forms (music, lyrics, artwork and the individual imagination) when in creative flow will have more spectacle than any amount of innumerable pixels.
Dan - The album art is an effective companion to the music in that it brings to mind the lyrical themes, and also the more you look at the art the more detail you discover - just as the more you listen to the music, the more details and layers can be uncovered. We don't tend to do publicity photos, so the art is all the more important.
13. Do the members of Itheist have other musical projects outside of this?
Dan - As I have mentioned, I play drums in a band called Carcinoma (https://carcinoma-uk.bandcamp.com/album/apanthropinization).
I have also previously played drums in Black Thrash band Holodomor (https://holodomor-music.bandcamp.com), played guitar in a Progressive Rock band called Wishlist, and guitar in another Metal band called Daggers Drawn. And of course, there was Aetherium Mors. I like to keep busy!
14. Thank you for the time any closing thoughts here
Kane - Thank you for your time, and I'm glad you enjoyed the album.
Dan - Thanks for the interest in Itheist, we appreciate it!
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