Hailing from the murky tombs of England, GARDEN OF EYES is the morbid manifestation and solo Death Metal project of Nattskog, a metal maniac with a slew of projects under his belt. Read the interview to learn more about the world of Nattskog and his ventures.
Morbid greetings, Nattskog! You seem to be quite a prominent figure on social media when it comes to reviews (both written and youtube videos). I'd say that takes some dedication! Much respect! Can you start by telling us a little about your webzine, and then we will get into your musical projects with the next questions
Hails! I appreciate those words of support! My webzine is to dedicated to supporting what I deem to be worthy Heavy Metal of any subgenera. It is a simple venture but one I find truly rewarding, getting to support and listen to killer underground music!
If I'm not mistaken, you are of Norwegian descent but live in England? Are you able to understand/speak Norwegian? Are you proud of your heritage? And what is your opinion on metal from Norway? Do you have any favourites?
I am indeed, I was raised in the UK but of Norwegian parentage. I am able to speak Norwegian but definitely not perfectly! Pride is not the word I would use, on the merit I didn’t achieve anything, I just happened to have DNA from a certain location! Norway is a beautiful country with a fascinating history though, so I will always enjoy spending time there. As for Norwegian Metal, I am indeed a fan! Naturally the Black Metal bands of the 90s are a huge inspiration but in more recent times; Deathhammer, Condor, Evoke, Obliteration, Mork and plenty more are doing Norway’s underground proud.
Can you tell us a bit about your death metal project Garden of Eyes and how it came to be? What are the main influences and what sound are you trying to achieve?
GARDEN OF EYES is inspired by a Swedish and Finnish Metal primarily but also plenty of other things. Of course American and South American Death Metal is hugely important to me, but in the sound there is also plenty of Heavy Metal influence from 80s NWOBHM and Speed Metal, definitely some Thrash and Doom in the mix too. I want GARDEN OF EYES to reflect my adoration and dedication for Metal as a whole, however subtly that may be.
How has the feedback been so far for your latest EP titled, "Boomhammer"? Are you happy with the outcome? Will there be a full-length in the near future or do you plan to refine the sound a bit more?
The feedback has been phenomenal! The reviews and interviews have generated a very supportive response which I am truly grateful for. The vinyl has been selling well and most importantly to me, it has been going to many different corners of the world, which I always find exciting! I do plan for a full length, but I have various goals in mind that need to happen first, such as live shows, adding a drummer and perhaps some more small releases to refine the sound as you put it.
Can you tell us something about the term "Eldritch Death Metal" and the connotation behind it? What kind of themes are you exploring with Garden of Eyes?
“Eldritch Death Metal” is a term I found fits the bands spectral sound perfectly. The word “Eldritch” is heavily used in reference to Lovecraftian literature which is a huge inspiration thematically, especially by proxy of our dominant theme being lore from the game Bloodborne. Cosmic horror and Death Metal are a perfect pairing of forces in my opinion. We explore horrors far beyond the reaches of this measly universe.
Your musical project Garden of Eyes seems to be part of the new wave of British Death Metal that has spawned some incredible bands as of late. What is your opinion on the current state of death metal from England? The scene there seems healthier than ever and it wasn't always the case! What are some killer death metal bands from the UK these days?
This is a new term to me, but I have seen it a couple of times now. My opinion is aligned with yours here, England has a healthier scene than ever! It seems to come in waves here, back in the day we had some obvious bands pioneering Death-Doom and some underground gems like Decomposed, plus obvious legends like Bolt Thrower, Benediction and Cancer. Additionally bands like Adorior and Grave Miasma have always carried the torch of fantastic Death Metal for many years. But now we have a mass of maniacs playing Death Metal which is great! I recommend Grave Miasma, Adorior, Coffin Mulch, Vacuous, Consecration, Celestial Sanctuary, Seven Doors and Decrepid. I am just thinking off the top of my head, so apologies to the many talented allies I have here!
Can you tell us a little bit about some of your other bands besides Garden of Eyes and their musical styles?
GARDEN OF EYES has become my main musical focus (with a few things happening quietly behind the scenes). While I chose to indefinitely put most of my projects on hiatus, that is NOT to say they won’t return at points. Sykelig Englen is the longest running which is more traditional Black Metal which became more dissonant in its later releases. Hexivoid is far more otherworldly Black Metal with a cosmic theme and more inspired by Icelandic bands and the likes of Deathspell Omega and Portal. Ritual Flail focuses more on a Medieval Black Metal sound inspired by obscure 90s bands that used synths but in a way that did not tame the Black Metal spirit. Blasphemous Degradation played Blackened Death Metal inspired by the likes of Black Witchery, Blasphemy, Conqueror, Archgoat, Revenge, Proclamation etc. And I did have various others including Arboretum (Death Metal), Chernobyl Mutation Experiment (Thrash Metal) and Graven Crypt Tower (Death-Doom) but that is going even further back.
Your English is excellent! It seems to me that the process of writing reviews comes naturally to you. I can only aspire to write excellent reviews like you one day, even though I am older. What do you think makes a good reviewer and do you think it's necessary to have a degree in English in order to write good or valid reviews?
Thank you, in fairness it is my dominant language, I am not a maestro of juggling languages like an aunt of mine who speaks about 7. Reviewing does indeed come naturally to me, but that isn’t due to some inherent skill with articulation as much as it is an untamed passion for great Heavy Metal and a burning need to assist in its conquering of the underground. I think your reviews are really cool man, I do not really compare writers to each other as I try not to do with bands too much as it can be unhelpful. I failed English in high school (possibly due to refusing to show up, preferring to listen to Kreator records if I recall correctly) but I would say my vocabulary and understanding of English is fine regardless due to reading in my own time. Thus no, I don’t think a degree or any level of English (or any language) qualification makes a good reviewer, they’re just words. What makes a good reviewer is a passion and genuine desire to support Heavy Metal (or whatever they choose to review). You can feign intelligence, you cannot feign passion, that is my attitude. Plus, I am in no position to say what is and isn’t valid, if you are supporting what you deem to be worthwhile, it is valid!
What are some of your favourite zines/webzines currently, what are some of your worthy labels from the underground that you would like to give a shoutout to or recommend?
There is a ton lately! Cthulhu zine, Soulgrinder zine, Tough Riffs, Bestial Desecration, Headsplit’s newsletter, Discarnage zine, Decomposed zine, Slowly We Rot zine and Bardo Methodology are some of the finest print works in my mind! Webzines, I enjoy yours for a start (hence me doing this), GBHBL, Ave Noctum, Metal Bite, Astral Noise, Blessed Altar, Metal Hellvoluion, Metal Temple, Grimmgent, Cadaver Garden, VM Underground and probably 10000 more I missed!
Older zines like Ultimate Darkness, Slayer mag and Ultra Damaged are key inspirations to my own. On which note, I do also have a print zine, though one still in its infancy with 2 issues called Shrieks From The Abyss and additionally contribute to Legions Ov Darkness, both paper zines aside from my main webzine for anyone interested!
I believe 2021 has been a pretty excellent year for metal so far. Can you tell us some of your favourite albums of the year?
It really has! Some key new albums for me are: Grave Miasma, Qrixkuor, Craven Idol, Asphyx, Herzel, Blazon Rite, Lucifer’s Hammer, Morbific, and many many more! Go read my webzine for more opinions haha!
To wrap things up, can you tell us about your future plans for Garden of Eyes, including some details about your other ventures? Thanks again for your time! All the best!
GARDEN OF EYES is working on being able to put on a crushing live show, hopefully sooner rather than later! I am naturally always writing material too! I am also working hard on my webzine and fanzine, along with my YouTube! As for the rest, they may be dormant, but who knows what can happen! I am also working on a couple of cool demos with co-blasphemer K who has been present throughout my musical journey. Otherwise, let us see what Heavy Metal conquests occur, I never force things, I just do what I must.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me and support the underground as a whole! Stay true and support real Heavy Metal!!!