Album review: Helgrind - Return To Motherland (2021)

Helgrind - Return To Motherland

Cuba

Independent (Digital) / Black Spark Records (CD)

"Return To Motherland" is the debut full-length from this Cuban Pagan/Black metal group, which I was totally unaware of until now (including the fact that I know very little of the Cuban scene) so it’s quite a pleasant experience to listen to them. I was surprised that in that same year they also released what would become their second full-length (exactly 3 months later). This, in my opinion, is a clear indication of the creativity that drives the band, and a good reason not to lose track of the band and give these pagans a listen!

So join me and don't get lost along the way because this is Return To The Motherland!

Many use the label "Pagano" to get attention, and then you find that nothing in their music reflects that. Even mentioning Cuba is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when talking about this style or theme that surrounds the band, but I assure you that this is a true journey into the ritualistic tradition of the ancient Vikings. The whole atmosphere is just amazing! Just listen to the intro "Lands On Fire" to know what I'm talking about. You can really imagine the atmosphere as if you were living it in your own flesh and suddenly an ancient melody gives rise to "Song of the Runes". Little by little the song picks up speed to run towards the extreme path. A great choral work highlights the atmosphere and gives much more force to the entire production.

The brilliance of this work is that they sought to make sense of the riffs and not just use them to fill gaps. Each segment engages perfectly with the next and listening becomes very rewarding. A guitar that seems to sing a hymn launches the melody of the following song "Rusalka" in which the band goes from a galloping drum pattern to a precise and direct double pedal to hit your senses together. I must emphasize that the solos are truly epic! Some are brief, but I think they are very accurate with the landscape behind them. And speaking of landscapes, the song ends with a relaxing hum along with the noises of waves hitting the beach (or at least that’s what I imagine) which is brutal. The calm is abruptly broken with the speed of "Mighty Fallen One" and then dethroned by another of many masterful riffs that seem to come out of the depths of Nifelheim, and I say this because, within all the joy they convey with their melodies, they somehow still manage to retain a dark atmosphere. I would love to know how this whole environment would be with some typical instruments of Nordic folklore. Towards the end of "Väinämöinen" you will come across some of the heaviest riffs on the album.

The time has come to talk about the track that gives the album its name: "Return To The Motherland" begins with a quiet acoustic passage that gives rise to the victorious cry of the Cuban warriors who transport us into a fantastic world. When you listen to it, it’s easy to envision a great fire and a whole army celebrating a victory before starting the long journey back home. It’s something that stands out in the whole review, but very few bands can achieve such a work of art from its essence and make you feel part of the whole experience. "Last Pagan Resistance" maintains the atmosphere of the album, but with a much more black metal riff that gives us a peak inside their fury unleashed. "Uppsala" is the intro of "Blöta" (one of my favorite songs) which I find to be the blackest of the entire album and an excellent way to close the pagan attack. It has a killer keyboard! Out of the bowels of the ocean! I couldn't have enjoyed this album more, so I recommend that you listen to it as soon as possible, and hopefully have the same epic experience as I did. Finally, the band does a great cover of Falkenbach, and so my brothers, we end this ritual! Take a sword and get ready for battle! (Catacombs Walker)

EP review: R.I.P. - As Good As Dead (2021)

R.I.P. - As Good As Dead

Germany

Brutal Cave Productions

"As Good As Dead" is the debut EP from these German death metallers, which was released by Brutal Cave Productions.

A quarter of the band's line-up consists of members from the thrash metal band Destroyer, which haven't really put out anything since 2013. R.I.P. definitely have their fair share of thrashing chops, with a sound inclined towards straight-forward death metal charged with foot-tapping grooves and mid-tempo battery. There's somewhat of a "fun" element in their sound, although they still manage to keep it heavy and brutal, which sits well with the overall aesthetics. The bass is always audible in the mix, which gives it a nice, chunky feel. Vocals are well performed and brings to mind John Tardy of Obituary. Riffs aren't particularly technical, although there's some cool solos scattered throughout, including a plethora of killer riffs that will kick you on the ass.

"As Good As Dead" isn't a terribly innovative release, as we've heard similar sounding stuff about a dozen times before, although it's definitely good for what it is, even though it's quite a short EP. The release is augmented with an excellent mix and production, which really brings out the power in the overall performance. These four songs get better with each listen, and is a solid representation of what we can expect from the band in the future. Musically, their sound owes a lot to bands like Autopsy and Obituary, but executed with a revitalized energy. (HT)

Album review: Conceived By Hate - Putrid Realms Of The Occult (2020)

 

Conceived By Hate - Putrid Realms Of The Occult

El Salvador

Satanath Records

What we have here is a band that has been smashing skulls since 2003. In the beginning, the band played melodic death/thrash with old-school tendencies, which was quite different from what is reflected here – their third and latest album called “Putrid Realms Of The Occult.”

There is a slight inclination towards black metal on this album, at least with the vocal parts and on opener, "Nihilistic Ecstasy," although it is true that on some songs the band opts for a style quite similar to what they were doing earlier in their career. The only original member left is Jorge Montesino (better known as Morbid) who has been with the band since its inception. Jorge is also responsible for the vocals, guitars, and bass for this production along with Iosif Najarro (drums) who formed part of Conceived By Hate from 2013 to 2018, but was invited as a session musician for this album. He is a renowned drummer in the Salvadoran scene for being involved with bands such as Disorder, Arcane, Invocation of Death, and Morbid Stench. Today Iosif is officially back in the band, and was part of the recent split with Chile’s Soulrot.

Morbid's screams on this album suggest that he was possessed by some demonic entity, as they are fierce and absolutely aggressive. The distortion of the guitars remind me of that classic Swedish sound. I even think that the influence towards this style is remarkable, since it has a bit of that melodic, melancholic vibe, which makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a desecrated graveyard. All songs are shrouded in a distinctly mournful and apocalyptic atmosphere. Something that I must criticize a bit is the lack of keyboards, since it was utilized more on previous recordings and gave the band more personality. Here they make up for it with the final theme of the album, which is a relaxing instrumental to subdue the fury that manifests throughout the album. Recommended! (Catacombs Walker)

Interview: Death Worship (2021)

Rising from the ashes of the almighty CONQUEROR, the members have resurrected themselves through the vitriolic, anti-human campaign known as DEATH WORSHIP. I conducted this interview with Mr. Ryan Förster, the man of the hour, a serious individual that gives articulate and insightful answers relating to his violent art and passion for the music.

Infernal hails! What sparked the flame that led to the crude formation of Death Worship, and how does it differ compared to the apocalyptic hellnoise of Conqueror?

I started to have the idea to do my own band since about 2003ce, but I set the bar very high for myself. I notice that a lot of people will shit out something sub par in order to just have something/anything released. My view on the other hand is that I would rather NEVER release music again unless it is something that meets my personal strict standards.

I was satisfied with being in Blasphemy and also contributing guitar parts and ideas to bands that I had contact and respect for. You can see me appear on releases from Revenge, Black Witchery, Diocletian, etc. And I also put energy into my Ross Bay Cult label in support of some other bands that I am into. But the urge to put my own ideas on tape was always on my mind. Finally in about 2012ce/2013ce I was speaking with J Read (ex-Conqueror) and he was telling me that he had some time freed up if I wanted to get something going with him! That was the key! J Read is probably the best drummer in this style of music. I knew that with J Read I would be able to unleash music at that high level that I wanted to achieve!

The mission of Conqueror was what I call ‘Total Attack’! With Death Worship I also wanted to introduce a strong presence of evil! Of course Conqueror had evil intent as well, but there was not as much of a focus on that aspect as I have with Death Worship.

Prior to Death Worship, you mostly performed live with Blasphemy, and haven’t really done much studio-wise since the Conqueror days. Did the recording process for “Extermination Mass” come naturally? Were there any expectations that you felt were mandatory in regards to what you aspired to achieve?

We went to Fiasco Bros Studios in the Vancouver, Canada area because it was the studio that some of the bands that influenced me the most recorded at! Len from Fiasco Bros recorded all of the Blasphemy studio material as well as Procreation and Witches Hammer, etc! All of the legends from the Ross Bay region! So I knew that he would be familiar with what we were going for with Death Worship. Recording was really easy going there. The songs were already written prior to us entering the studio, so it was just a matter of getting a devastating drum sound and a crushing guitar sound. After that it was no problem. It is much easier to record with today’s technology than it was in 1996ce when we recorded ‘War.Cult.Supremacy’.

When you and James previously played together in Conqueror he was the one performing the vocals, now it’s the other way around. What prompted the shift, and how did that affect the experience?

At first it was planned that J Read would only do drums on the Death Worship recordings and I would do just the guitars and then we were thinking of getting Black Winds of Blasphemy on lead vocals. But then I decided that I wanted to keep Death Worship more separate from the overall Blasphemy sound, and also it would sound way too much like Revenge if James was on vocals. So this prompted me to take over the lead vocal duties as well. Black Winds adds some apocalyptic backing vocals though! It never ceases to amaze me watching that guy bark! Imagine a rabid grizzly bear defending his territory! Incredible power!!

Can you share any memorable anecdotes with us from shows you’ve played with Blasphemy over the years, particularly those in Brazil? How was the overall experience, and what were the reactions like from the South American audiences?

With Blasphemy we were fortunate enough to go to South America on 2 occasions! The first time was a killer show in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then the 2nd time was a mini tour of 5 cities in both Chile and again Brazil! Both times we went there were made possible by the hard work of Brazilian Ritual Records! And for the Chilean shows they had a team of great guys there that put their resources together to get us over.

The audiences at all of those shows were amazing! There is a certain die hard attitude down there that I have not experienced anywhere else (except for in Thailand). We hung out with the audiences every night before and after the show and made some good contacts that we still keep to this day!

Not to put down any of the other shows, but the one we did in Belo Horizonte was particularly memorable with some legendary bands on the bill with us! The bill feature alongside Blasphemy: Goatpenis, Holocausto and SexTrash!! That to me was a line up that could only be in a dream! I did not think that could ever happen until Brazilian Ritual made it come true!

Some cool things were the restaurants in Brazil serving us perfectly cooked meat off of swords, and visiting Cogumelo Records! And then of course we hit the Bonfim Cemetery where Sarcofago did the photo shoot that appeared on one of my favourite LPs of all time: ‘INRI’!!!

In Chile we went a little crazy and almost got stranded in desolation in the Andes Mountains!! We were lucky to make it back to civilization! We went exploring on an off day and got a little reckless and got our vehicle stuck in deep mud caused by a flash flood! The only thing that we could do was make the 40 kilometer walk back to the nearest town. Luckily a construction crew happened to be passing by and was able to use their machines to lift our vehicle out of the mud that it was stuck in!

Of course I don’t have to mention that the ‘indulgences’ down there are all top quality! These ‘indulgences’ definitely had the Blasphemy name written all over them if you know what I mean!

What is it about playing vile black/death/war metal that you find so appealing and do you still have that same burning, morbid passion for this music compared to 25 years ago?

I suppose that everyone can’t relate to the fact that I am still listening to this type of music for over 30 years now. Most people get bored of things or say that they have ‘outgrown’ this music. I have seen so many people come and go over the decades. Not many of them have remained alongside us over the years. For me, this is what I have always been looking for since I could remember. As a child I was always into the fastest and darkest sounding music that I could find in my world at the time. Then I discovered that an underground scene was creating the exact music that I was looking for! To this day I am searching around looking for those bands that are pushing the limits of brutality and evil, and it still gives me that spike in the deepest parts of my brain when I find these bands! And these last few songs that I have written over the course of the lockdowns are still unrelenting annihilation! So, yes! That burning, morbid passion is still there and probably won’t ever subside.

What’s your opinion on the current state of the underground, especially with the rise of cancel culture and the abundance of virtue signalling idiots plaguing metal today?

I think that this ‘scene policing’ has backfired on these self-proclaimed ‘do-gooders’. The backlash seems to be commencing now. I see people online are just making fun of these ‘social justice warriors’ and their shit disturbing. And promoters have found ways to avoid the often unjustified and sometimes even mistaken cancellations of their events. And I think that the results of all of this commotion just brought a lot of attention (ie: sales) to all of these bands that were on the cancel culture blacklists. So in the end it is all just a joke. There is a lot more that I can type about this subject, but why waste time on these confused, brainwashed people that have no business poking their noses where they don’t belong?

What would you say are 10 essential demos?

Hmmm…. I could probably list 50! Even 100! I come from the time where the demo days often seemed to be the best efforts from the bands that I was into. Let me try to cut it down to 10. No particular order:

- Blasphemy ‘Blood Upon the Altar’

- Beherit ‘Demonomancy’

- The Lord Diabolus ‘Down There….’

- Abruptum ‘The Satanist Tunes’

- Necrovore ‘Divus de Mortuus’

- Order From Chaos ‘Crushed Infamy’

- Von ‘Satanic Blood’

- Procreation ‘Coming of Hate’

- Morbid Angel ‘Thy Kingdom Come’

- Poison ‘Into the Abyss’

What do you think it is about Canada that allows it to spawn such menacing and hateful sounding bands? Does the environment contribute to this phenomenon?

I thought about this before. In Canada we have it quite good. There is no reason to struggle there. If you are in good mental health and physical form and are still struggling, then it is no one’s fault but your own. And I think that these easy times cause a feeling of emptiness in a lot of us that have the warrior/barbarian spirit within. Men are evolved to hunt, fight, protect and provide. In Canada, none of that is necessary. So maybe all of this is the pent up aggression and physicality that the establishment has tried to tame finally being unleashed?? Who knows?? It is just a thought that I had. Otherwise I think it’s great that Canada is known for this savagery! Better than being known for the most hipster and weak sounding bands like other countries are.

I understand you are currently situated in Germany. If I may ask, what prompted the decision to migrate there, and how do you perceive the German/European scenes compared to Canada? What are some of your favourite German bands?

I am never someone that can sit still. I have been moving around since I was a child and this lifestyle extended into my adulthood. I have dual citizenship between Canada and Germany. It was always a plan of mine to come to Germany. Only the fact that Blasphemy was going strong again since 2009ce kept me in Canada. But as time went on, the itching to move just became too strong to resist. I then realized that I could still join Blasphemy for any scheduled show just as the other guys in the band that aren’t based in Canada do. Moving to new surroundings keeps the mind stimulated!

When I moved here I planned to immerse myself in the live music scene! There was an interesting show within a 2 hour drive from where I am living every weekend! Unfortunately that came to a stop for the last 15 months. Just my luck! I move to the middle of the most frequented country on every metal band’s tour schedule, and everything gets shut down!

The one difference that I notice between the Canadian and German scenes is that they are spoiled here. A killer band from a faraway country could come here on a tour and no one will care. They saw everything already and so they don’t have much motivation to get off of their couch and to the venues. Hopefully this attitude changes when things open up again.

Lastly, what does the future hold for Death Worship? Thanks for your time. Long live Ross Bay Cult!!!!

The next plans for Death Worship are live shows and an LP in the future. For now I have a couple of other things going. There will be some new music unleashed by me in a few different projects! Beware!!

Album review: Exhumation - Eleventh Formulae (2020)

Exhumation - Eleventh Formulae

Indonesia

Pulverised Records

Upon first hearing this monster of an album, I am met with a wondrously ominous harsh noise intro that transitions into very old-school vein dissonant death metal. “Eleventh Formulae” is the band’s third full length and 5^th release overall. Formed in 2008, Indonesia’s Exhumation have their sound locked in. This full-length has a lot going on, from pummeling blast sections, galloping segments and old-school death thrash worship. There is even some old-school black metal sprinkled into the mix which is almost always a recipe for making extreme music sound 100 times better.

The sound of “Eleventh Formulae” as a whole if I could sum it up in two words would be primitive and chaotic. The production is absolutely perfect for the style. Not too raw, but not too over produced. That perfect middle ground where I can hear all the instruments fine, but it maintains a lo-fi bestial atmosphere.

The three “Formulae” tracks that are present mid album and at the end add to the band’s disgusting and vile atmosphere as well as creating a dynamic full album listening experience. Definitely some thought was put into this album to keep things captivating, which can be a difficult task when writing black or death metal full-length albums. The vocals have dynamic in them going from full harsh vocals to an almost ritualistic shouting sort of vocals.

Clocking in at a minute shy of 40 minutes, there is not a single mediocre track on Exhumation’s latest offering. The chaotic, frantic style of lead playing with divebombs almost shows influence from the first three Morbid Angel records. This is a death metal full-length that in my opinion verges on being black/ death and death/thrash at the same time. The final “Formulae” track comes in, surprising me after 2 minutes of dark ambient to mid-paced instrumental riffing, almost sounding similar to Sweden’s Craft or Carpathian Forest, ending the album on a strong note.

This is very refreshing death metal to listen to and the only complaint I have is not hearing it sooner, noting that it was released back in February of 2020. Though every track is consistent, the strongest songs here would be “Inferno Dwellers”, “Arcane Dance”, and “Blood Trails”. For fans of Necrovore, “Morbid Visions” era Sepultura, Sarcofago, Morbid Angel and Venenum. (AR)

EP review: Laracna - Nec Spe Nec Metu (2021)

 

Laracna - Nec Spe Nec Metu (2021)

Brazil

Independent 

Laracna are a one-person black metal project from Cascavel, Brazil, unleashing their first release in nearly a decade. Formed in 2009, and having released their last demo in 2012, “Nec Spe Nec Metu” is the project’s third release, and definitely a monster of an EP.

The first thing I’d like to note here that the drums are programmed on this album, they're somewhat noticeable, but sound decent enough for the genre. Production is clear, without taking away from the necessary genre-defining atmosphere that must be present in black metal. The lower ranged black metal vocals most definitely remind me of Deathspell Omega or Behexen. I definitely cannot say the same for the riffing and over all sound writing. “Nec Spe Nec Metu” clocking in at around 16 minutes, definitely has a unique and ever changing sound throughout. The writer here appears to have a diverse set of musical influences in which they have blended together to create this disgustingly unique release. You will find riffs that reminice of early Craft, Burzum and even doomy segments like the beginning of “Deo Tacita”, which almost sound like early Katatonia. There is even a riff around 30 seconds into “Guillotine” that reminds me of Bathory’s “Return” album.

Overall, Nec Spe Nec Metu shows that Laracna have a lot of promise as a musical project. A lot in terms of songwriting and diveristy of song writing is brought to the table. The guitar tone is nice and bright, and compliments the dissonance of the riffs. An EP absolutely worth checking out. (AR)

Interview: Goathammer (2016)

 

Lengthy interview with Canada's Goathammer conjured back in 2016. A band worth checking out if you're into bands like Black Witchery, Katharsis, and Blasphemy.

Hails Cryptfucking Demonizers! To begin this interview, can you please give us an introduction of the band, including details about the line-up & what you've released so far?

Sadowulf: Well, we are Goathammer. A black metal band that was formed in 2011 by myself and Daemonomancer. We don't refer to our style as anything other than "black metal", although we find inspiration in certain death metal, punk and thrash. We don't agree with the term "war metal" being applied to us. We write music that reflects us and our outlook on existence. We are inspired/influenced by topics such as Satanism, various occult books/philosophies, darkness, war, drugs, death and hatred among other things. We seek to invoke nothing but negativity and inspire evil, hatred and violence in the beings that listen to our music.

We have recorded so far a split with Druidus entitled "Cryptfucking Demonizers of Holocaustic Wrath" and a demo entitled "XIX Pentacles, XCII Legions" both self released on cassette in 2014. Our most recent release was simply entitled "Goathammer" and was released in March of 2016 through Behold Barbarity, also only on cassette format for now.

All releases thus far have been recorded with the following lineup:

Sadowulf: Vocals, guitars, bass

Daemonomancer: Drums

Depravore: Guitars and backing vocals

We have also recruited a bass player recently. Rasca Cara of the Alberta horde Noxius Nex. He has played 1 live assault with us so far and will probably end up contributing bass to the upcoming full length album.

At what age did you start listening to metal? What are your main influences?

Sadowulf: I was more interested in punk when I was younger. Discharge, Black Flag, Void and of course the usual stuff like early Metallica, Slayer. I would say I got into more extreme stuff like Bathory, Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Terrorizer, Blasphemy, Sarcofago, Amebix etc at about age 16. Then, I gradually fell into the abyss of extreme underground music and never looked back.

In regards to bands that directly influence our sound... That's kind of tough because I don't think we are directly trying to sound like a particular band or era. We aren't a "worship" band at all.... We use different atmospheres from a range of stylistically different bands and attempt to make it cohesive. Bands with atmosphere/attitude/aesthetics that have influenced our band would be all the previously mentioned bands. Beherit, Blasphemy, early Mayhem, Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz, Slaughter, Black Witchery, early Darkthrone, Bestial Warlust, VON, Absu, Archgoat, Razor etc... Essentially anything that invokes the feeling of morbid desecration.

Depravore: I was around the same age as Sadowulf when the plague that is 'extreme music' entered my life. Before that, Black Sabbath was all that mattered.

Daemonomancer: My journey into the abyss began at age 13/14. I remember finding an old zine and seeing all the pictures of these fuckin' morbid looking characters and was instantly enthralled to find out more. I soon after came across acts like Slayer, Slaughter, Razor, Voor, and Bathory - all of which led to a massive addiction and hunt to find more evil fucking metal!

You are from Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan - correct? What can you tell us about the scene there? Any bands from there you can recommend to our readers?

Sadowulf: None of us are actually from Saskatoon originally. Myself and Depravore are from a town north of Saskatoon called Prince Albert. Population of about 35,000... Extremely infested with total junkies, quite a bleak little town.. Subhuman scum everywhere... Growing up in a shit hole like that probably influenced Depravore and I to be quite hateful and misanthropic.

Saskatoon is indeed the largest city in the province of Saskatchewan. Population of roughly 250,000 people I believe. Our rehearsal space/ritual chamber is located nearly an hour outside of the city on my acreage though... Feels like the middle of nowhere. Think of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. Away from the city and its disgusting humans! This is where we ingest copious amounts of alcohol and other illicit substances and work on all Goathammer material.

We don't really associate with the "scene" here these days. None of us really go to local shows or have much knowledge of what is going on within the Saskatoon music scene. So we really wouldn't be the right people to speak about it. We only really keep up with one or two local bands. For fans of true doom metal (stuff like Cathedral, Candlemass etc) I could recommend Lavagoat but that's about it.

Depravore: The term 'scene' in this regard is laughable. There's a reason we flew out to Toronto to play with quality black/death metal bands, or have to travel at least 5+ hours for a gig.

Daemonomancer: As for myself I grew up about 3 hours east of Saskatoon in a town called Preeceville - a small town of about 2,000 or so people. I lived and grew up on a farm about 11 kilometers out of town. I quite enjoyed the isolation and freedom. In hindsight - I fucking hate the city and since moving to Saskatomb I have been more than inspired to channel levels of insurmountable hate into the incantations of Goathammer. As for my opinions of any "scene", maniacs are few and far between - as in if there are other ones in this province, we have yet to meet them. Lavagoat, as Tony mentioned have their shit dialed in and have been around for a long time. Everything else is pretty fresh. There used to be a heinous grind "scene" back in the day in which played host to some vicious and violent displays. But those days have long since passed.

There seems to be another Goathammer from Finland that is now defunct. Have you ever listened to them? How would you feel if they decided to reunite (as this seems to be a growing trend in metal nowadays) and you had to share a name with them?

Sadowulf: I think I have listened to them but honestly, I don't remember their sound at this point... I wouldn't feel anything if they decided to reunite since I don't know anything about them.

Depravore: I haven't listened, and probably won't. A reunion on their part would be inconsequential to us.

What are your thoughts on censorship and politically correct ideals in metal, especially with the internet nowadays?

Sadowulf: Censorship and politically correct ideals have nothing to do with the spirit of extreme metal. People that seek out the most extreme music on Earth only to take issue with certain elements being TOO extreme or TOO offensive need to be lined up and shot for their stupidity.

Depravore: P.C. ideals and the scum that spew such nonsense have no place in extreme metal. They will fall on their own sword soon enough.

Daemonomancer: FUCK POLITICAL CORRECTNESS!! ESPECIALLY IN EXTREME FUCKING MUSIC!! I'll NEVER understand anyone who doesn't seek to strengthen their self and mind. Develop a fucking backbone and stand your ground!

What can you tell us about Druidus, which seemed to feature half of Goathammer’s line-up? The material on the demo and split with Goathammer is absolutely murderous. Why was the project buried?

Sadowulf: Depravore and I started Druidus when we were still in high school. We just wanted to create vicious and evil metal like the stuff we were listening to. We met our drummer and immediately began "rehearsing". It was a real mess of influences/sounds. By the time we had found our sound, we recorded our demo, the split with Goathammer and then inspiration ceased to continue... It became tiresome to write songs for both Druidus and Goathammer and I ended up having a difficult time differentiating between what riffs should be used for Druidus or Goathammer.

We all agreed that we did not want to take part in multiple bands that sound similar to our ears. So we laid the band to rest. 3 of us from Druidus have formed a new band in the past year though. Extremely bleak and cold black metal under the name Hexensabbat. Influences being Vlad Tepes, early Ulver, Arckanum, Mutiilation etc.

Depravore: Druidus was, at the time, a way to express our misplaced hatred for everything in the only way we knew how; Sadowulf and I had been riffing and jamming for years at this point. As Sadowulf said, lack of inspiration and a dedicated path were the poisons of Druidus' existence.

Hexensabbat will release a cassette tape of five bleak tracks at the end of October 2016.

Can you tell us something about the overall experience regarding the Druidus/Goathammer tour which took place throughout Western Canada? Was this your first tour?

Sadowulf: The Goathammer/Druidus tour was total fucking mayhem! Extreme drinking every night. A lot of hiking through the wilderness in British Columbia... The first show of that tour was in Edmonton, AB, and it was actually the very first live performance from Goathammer so it was indeed the first tour for us. Druidus had toured before but we didn't even have our demo recorded at the time. It was kind of pointless.

Depravore: The 'Infernal Proclamators of Western Filth' tour was my first musical endeavor abroad, as I was in Greece when Druidus first toured out west. It was filthy, to say the least. We shared the stage with some decent bands, and drank ourselves FUCKING stupid. It was a savage time, with savage people.

Back to Goathammer. I understand your drummer (Dæmonomancer) played on Necromantic Worship's second demo, "The Calling..." How did the collaboration come about?

Sadowulf: I heard a track from the "Spirit of the Entrance Unto Death" tape on bandcamp and immediately loved their sound, but I was really broke and couldn't afford to order tapes from the good ol' U.S. of A. So I decided to send them a message. Ghûllzaraën got back to me and enjoyed the Goathammer "XIX Pentacles..." tape and we agreed to trade a few copies. I remember him being impressed by the drumming so I told him to contact Daemonomancer to discuss music etc. Next thing I know, he is playing drums for the newest Necromantic Worship material.

Daemonomancer: As Sadowulf stated, so it came to fruition after Ghûllzaraën contacted me and he began talking about his interest in me working with him on a project. Before it was to be that I would be working under the spell of Necromantic Worship, Ghûllzaraën first had another unreleased project in which he had asked me to record drums for. Not long after me displaying my interest in Necromantic Worship, he rather decided to put the intial project offer on the backburner and asked if I would contribute to the newest material for Necromantic Worship. After rehearsing the tracks, and taking them to a local studio to record drums over top, the tracks were then sent to Ghûllzaraën and of that arose "The Calling".

What can you tell us about your most recent work released by Behold Barbarity? The compositions seem lengthier compared to previous recordings - was this intentional or a natural progression?

Sadowulf: I believe that our most recent work, the self-titled cassette on Behold Barbarity is easily our most violent and occult release so far. A lot of work went into it.

The longer songs were definitely a natural progression. I've always enjoyed writing/playing long songs. It makes it easier to express a wide range of images and thoughts. We would never compose long songs/albums just for the sake of it. There is always a method to our madness.

What have you been listening to lately? Any new and upcoming bands that might have caught your attention? What about literature and movies, much of a fan?

Sadowulf: Lately I've been listening to Black Feast "Larenuf Jubileum", Root "Zjeveni", Necromantia "Crossing the Fiery Path", Disorder "Mental Disorder", Xibalba "Ah Dzam Poop Ek", Katharsis "Fourth Reich" and "666", the list goes on... As for "new" bands I've been enjoying the Occult Burial album "Hideous Obscure", Ithaqua, Hexenslaught and Crurifragium.

Depravore: I've had Motorhead's Bomber album on repeat for the past two months, I've literally listened to MAYBE three other albums all the way through (Iron Fist and Bathory's Blood Fire Death being two out of the three). The CD I bought has a bunch of extra live tracks so it's fucking KILLER. There isn't much for new music lately that has caught my ear; I'm usually listening to what ever Sadowulf or Daemonomancer are spinning.

Daemonomancer: I am always all over the place when it comes to music. I have an endless hunger to seek out more of what I enjoy. Being that my personal list could grow longer than this interview so far, I would like to suggest our sibling demonic horde and their projects which continue to devastate! I highly recommend Wrath Bestial, Sorguinazia, Brulvahnatu, Noxius Nex, and Tsalal.

If any maniacs out there have an interest in reaching you, how should they achieve this? Also, can you give us an update regarding any future plans or new material in the works?

Sadowulf: We can be contacted at the following email: goathammersk@gmail.com

And in regards to future plans we will be releasing our 2016 self-titled demo on vinyl in 2017 and we have nearly completed writing our upcoming debut full length. It will be in LP and CD format and will be made available through a certain metal label from the U.S. that we have a great deal of respect for. Unfortunately that's about all I can unveil as far as that goes. There will likely be a few live rituals when it is released.

Thanks for your time! I wish each and everyone of you all the best regarding your future activities, and I'm looking forward to buying the new album when its out. Hails!

Sadowulf: Bestial hails from SK, Canada!! Mutilate the god of cowards with the cursed blade of Sathanas!