pinetarbbq

[onlyhurtforaminute]

CARACH ANGREN-Franckensteina Srataemontanus

[anotherghoul666]

Under Our Black Cult tour primer

@battiestbelfry as promised my dear! Now, I don’t have info on Gaerea yet because I don’t know them yet, Imma deep dive in the next few days. But the other 3 bands on the bill I know well, so here we go!

Under the read more: primers and my personal opinions on the bands Uada, Carach Angren and Rotting Christ. Song and album recommendations to start off. And the mask kink thing, with pics. 3/4 of the bands on this bill are or can be confidered masked bands, you know I gotta touch on the mask kink in there!

UADA

Uada, which means “haunted”, are a melodic black metal band from the United States. They are based in Portland, Oregon and have been active since 2014. They are currently signed to Eisenwald records, an independent music label from Germany. In this house we love and support independent labels! They are specialized in black metal and have a very fun roster.

Uada have 3 releases out so far, all full length albums. They don’t do singles, they don’t do demos, they don’t do splits, they don’t do EPs. They make full albums and drop them on a roughly 2 years cycle, though with the pandemic we are at 3 years since the last record, so these mysterious hooded figures are ripe for new material! Their debut album Devoid of Light in 2016 was well received by the metal world as a promising debut, albeit very classic black metal that didn’t surprise much. 2018’s Cult of a Dying Sun seems to be their album with the most acclaim. The sound quality difference between these two is astounding. The tracks tend to be longer, which helps some songs and doesn’t help others. 2020’s Djinn is their latest release and the reception’s been this: Djinn is way more niche, as in, you have to be down for 14 minutes atmospheric black metal songs to like it, but if that’s your vibe? It’s fucking good. Quality up, marketability down. They still don’t do anything super different, but it’s good black metal. It feels like European black metal despite being American, which is what I love, because I’m intensely biased towards the EU scene. US bands have to be either 1)extremely fucking special or 2) European-sounding to get in my good graces XD

The guys are “masked”, in the sense that they play with hoods over their faces with the aim of not being seen, for atmospheric purposes:

They also do “the hand thing” when taking pictures.

But they’re ok being approached in public by fans, as long as you don't pressure them to take a pic with their faces showing. They are not anonymous, their names are out there if you wanna know.

As far as recs go, I would rec all of the albums honestly cause it’s less than 3 hours of music and there’s nothing truly bad in there. My favorite album personally is Djinn but that’s because I fucking love atmospheric albums that make me lose track of time. I’m aware that’s not everyone’s cup of tea xD So, to my previous recs of Devoid of Light, Black Autumn White Spring and Cult of a Dying Sun, I’d add all of Djinn, but specifically the title track and In The Absence of Matter as a first contact.

CARACH ANGREN

Carach Angren are a symphonic black metal band from the Limburg province of the Netherlands. They’ve been active since 2003 and they’re currently signed to French label Seasons of Mist, one of the few major metal labels I feel positively about! The Seasons of Mist roster is INSANE. They specialize in the darker genres of metal, black, death, gothic, doom and some prog. Many of my favorite bands have been on them through the years.

So. Listen. Carach are one of my absolute darlings in the black metal world. When I began my exploration into black metal in the early 2010s, their first three records have been instrumental in making this genre my favorite. I would not be where I am today without them. I will forever have a very special in my heart for these guys. I hung out with them several times, I’m attached, ok? But. And there’s a huge But. Dear fucking god did these guys fall off. I’m still reeling from how perfect their music used to be, and how fucking atrocious the output has been since 2015. In my opinion. These primers are only my personal opinions and ramblings ok XD They’re doing fine, their latest albums did get decent reviews which I? Don’t understand? But you do you, boo? XD They’re one of the big names in black metal right now, they’re headlining tours, they’re doing good on the new material ok. But I can’t fucking stand it hahaha.

The main problem for me was the vibe shift. Carach Angren’s themes are horror stories. They recount fantastic tales of horror, fright and gore, psychological horror, body horror, historical horror, the like. The storytelling in their first three albums is stunning. There was always a sense of realism there, of horror being grounded in reality. It’s classy, it’s tasteful, it’s striking and horrifying but it’s never cheap and nothing is played for shock. 2008’s Lammendam is about “true stories” in a 1700s an 1800s backdrop, a historical version of our “I heard from a friend of a friend that…”, tales from the crypt and all that. Ghost stories that we’ve heard before, la Dame Blanche for example, but set to music. 2010’s Death Came Through a Phantom Ship is about nautical horror. Historical stories of phantom ships, captain-less ships, mutinies and their disastrous bloody consequences. It’s so grounded. Their masterpiece, 2012’s Where the Corpses Sink Forever, is about the horrors of war. We follow soldiers in trenches, feel their desperation, their fear of death yet longing for it. The heart-wrenching beauty to be found on battlefields because they are so human, yet the absolute bone-chilling reality of it. It’s so fucking real. This album, no joke, is one of the best albums I have ever heard in my life. It’s a 10/10 record for me, and I do not give out 10/10 easily. I’m rather critical. I have less than 20 albums that I’ve ever rated as perfect in my life, and this album is unanimously recognized as the pillar of this band, and one of the pillars of symphonic black metal altogether. This is one of the albums that made black metal click for me. It changed everything.

And then, there was a tonal shift. I suspect, coming off from such a resounding success, the band didn’t know how the fuck they could live up to it, and they crumbled under the pressure. 2015’s This is no Fairytale is, as the title suggests, bases in the Grimm fairytales. It’s a weird modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel and like. Yeah. It started to get cheap. The language used in the lyrics shifted. There’s a ton of unnecessary cursing all over this album, graphic depictions of SA, p*dophilia, incest, drugs abuse and overdose, and like, yes, Hansel and Gretel is a tale about child abuse, of course, but there’s a way to approach those topics you know? With feeling, with emotion, with realness, and here it just feels cheap. Ghastly “twists” are constantly played out for shock value, it’s surface, it’s plastic-y. The stage show changed from refined hustorical costumes and atmospheres to, like, female-bodied mannequins being dragged around and getting their throats cut on stage with copious amounts of fake blood, and for what? It’s just, tasteless now. The band lost its delicacy. That’s where it started to feel cheap, and it only went downhill from there. 2017’s Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten is a joke. Legit, this album sounds like a joke. The songs are boring, uninspired, structure-less. The lyrics are so cheap. It’s like we went from a museum quality horror painting that moves and inspires, to a cheap clown trying to be scary at a kid’s birthday party. 2020’s Franckensteina Strataemontanus was very “meh” to me. Less offensive than the previous two, and the story is inspired by classic horror literature like Mary Shelley and the strange scientists that inspired her Frankenstein. There’s potential, but the magic is dead for me. Bad taste in my mouth. I can’t do it anymore, but maybe a fresh pair of ear that doesn’t have the baggage I have with this band will like it? You let me know.

In this context, you’ll understand why my recommendations will only be from the first three albums. If you want to go for it, just listen to all three. There are no duds in any of them. But for specific songs, from Lammendam: Haunting Echoes from the Seventeenth Century, The Carriage Wheel Murder, Heretic Poltergeist Phenomena and my absolute favorite La Malédiction de la Dame Blanche. From Phantom Ship: The Sighting Is a Portent of Doom and Bloodstains on the Captain's Log. From Corpses? Listen to the whole thing man. For real. It’s a concept album, so grab the whole thing, sit down, close the lights, get the lyrics out, and follow along. Prepare to be sobbing by the end. I could recommend every single song, but they hit so much more powerfully within the context of the story.

In terms of aesthetic, there guys are “masked” in the way that they have a very unique look of corpse paint (the face paint typical to black metal).

They coined this look, not corpse paint as a whole, but their style of it. It’s been copied a million times since (like by Cradle of Filth notably, though they'll argue to the ends of the world it wasn't copied. It looks the exact same, it's a bit ridiculous), but it was Carach who did it like this first. The band members have character names, though they are not anonymous. Their real names are out there, but on stage, they’re not themselves, they are Seregor and Ardek (Namtar used to be their drummer. He quit in 2020. I have no clue how the band will record anything else in the future without him because he was the CORE of the band for me. Absolute drummer crush. I digress.) Seregor is a hobbyist mask maker and he makes masks for his different characters from his stories, like these:

Imo they still hit on the mask kink somewhat. The guys on and off stage feel like they are radically different people, and to have met them masked at the end of a show and unmasked at more proper events, there’s a world of difference in the vibe. I love it.

Oh also they have spawn a good few big metal memes like this one XD :

Which they found funny enough they turned it into a shirt XD :

(and yes of course I have one hahaha)

ROTTING CHRIST

Rotting Christ are a seminal band in black metal’s history. They have been at it for 36 years under the Rotting Christ banner, 39 years if we count the first iteration of the band under a different name. Dare I say it? I’ll say it. They’re the black metal daddies. I’m so sorry, I said it, it’s out there now XD They are daddy and I don’t make the rules. Anyway! They’ve been active since 1987, as I said, and they are signed to, yep, Seasons of Mist. I wasn’t kidding when I said this label’s roster is nuts. They are from Athens, Greece and they’re more towards the melodic / gothic side of black metal. They influen ced black meal heavily because this early in the 80s (black metal as a genre really kicked off in the 90s), there were no other bands who did what they did, and especially not in Greek. Rotting Christ have a lot of songs in Greek, in Latin, later in their career they made songs based on Hindu mysticism, their lack of fear when it comes to singing in everything but English at the time was genre defining. They made many songs in English since, but man the ones in Greek just hit different you know? They changed the game before the black metal game was even a thing.

Currently there are only two original members left in the band, brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis, vocals/guitar and drums respectively. Everyone else right now are tour musicians or session studio musicians. As their band name suggests, their themes are of anti-christianity, satanism, occultism of many different cultures, mysticism, it’s all good shit. One more band we traumatized christian kids can heal our religious trauma through, weeeee!! They have 13 full length records out, their latest one being The Heretics from 2019 (we are starving from new material, please feed us) though they haven’t paused during the pandemic, re-recording older material and releasing compilations instead. There was a new single in 2022 called Holy Mountain, and I hope and pray that means new album soon. Sakis Tolis also released a solo project in 2022, Amongst the Fires of Hell, which was fucking DELICIOUS my dude. More laid back, but so fucking crunchy. Highly recommend if you feel their sound.

In terms of recommendations, you’re in luck because they released a massive best of for their 30th anniversary called Their Greatest Spells: 30 Years of Rotting Christ. That’s the must-listen. If you want into this band, start here. You’ll get a taste of the sound of every single full lenght that came befoee. It’s 2 albums, 33 songs: find your favorites, check which album they're from, and go from there! Non Serviam, Grandis Spiritus Diavolos, In Yumen-Xibalba, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, everything’s on here, besides my personal favorite song of theirs, Apage Satanas. It’s a weird chanty, trance-y song but it’s the one that made me fall in love with the band. It scratches at something deep inside my brain idk.

Rotting Christ are not masked, nor is there an aesthetic to latch onto, really. They’re just cool dude doing cool things and doing their part spreading the message. They’re honest and raw. No frills. What you see is what you get. They’re the OG.

And that's the bill! Lemme know if you listen to anything and if the bands catch your interest :D

[bizarrobrain]

"The Necromancer" by Carach Angren - From "Franckensteina Strataemontanus" (2020)

[concerthopperblog]

Under Our Black Cult: North American Tour 2023 - Rotting Christ Returns to The Masquerade!

Well-known and legendary Greek black/gothic metal juggernauts Rotting Christ (and personal favorites of mine) were back touring stateside on their Under Our Black Cult North American Tour with opening support from Carach Angren, UADA, & Gaerea. Originally named Black Church (c. 1984) and renamed later to Rotting Christ in 1987 when brothers Sakis Tolis (vocals/guitars) and Themis Tolis (drums) joined the band. Rotting Christ is considered one of the first black metal bands to come from the Mediterranean Region. They are also responsible for influencing the black metal community in Greece during the onset of their career in the 1990s. Currently, the band consists of Sakis Tolis (vocals/guitars), Themis Tolis (drums), Kostas “Spades” Heliotis (bass/backing vocals), and Kostis Foukarakis (guitar/backing vocals). They have released thirteen (13) LPs, one (1) EP, and numerous demos/compilations/DVDs over their historic musical career.

Their latest release, The Heretics (2019), is an incredible album and deserves more attention even years after its release. The underlining theme for this album focuses on renowned literary icons, poets, and authors who were considered “heretics” during their lifetime, such as Mark Twain, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Paine, and Edgar Allen Poe. You can also check out my first review of Rotting Christ from last year’s Devastation of the Nation Tour live from The Masquerade in Atlanta exclusively on Concerthopper.com by following this link. Anytime Rotting Christ makes the trip to the United States to tour, make sure you attend one of their shows. You will thank me afterward. Non Serviam!

The set list from Rotting Christ’s triumphant return to The Masquerade is below:

·         “666”

·         “Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy”

·         “Fire, God, and Fear”

·         “Dub-sag-ta-ke”

·         “Apage Satana”

·         “Elthe Kyrie”

·         “Demonon Vrosis”

·         “Societas Satanas” (Thou Art Lord cover)

·         “Non Serviam”

·         “In Yumen-Xibalba”

·         “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos”

·         “The Raven”

Encore:

·         “Noctis Era”

Follow these two separate links to Rotting Christ’s Official Bandcamp and to the Bandcamp page run by their label Season of Mist and listen for yourself. If you are going to listen to Rotting Christ for the first time, I suggest listening to their live album, Lucifer Over Athens, as your starting point. I believe this highlights Rotting Christ’s ability to create a symphonic journey through their melodic yet often very shadowy lyrics. The set list used for this album will make any fan of Rotting Christ salivate to witness live, especially seeing them live at a hometown show in Athens, Greece. You can order lots of merch (including vinyl variants) from Rotting Christ over on Season of Mist’s website.

Carach Angren is a symphonic black/horror metal band from Landgraaf, Netherlands that formed as a band in 2003 by Dennis “Seregor” Droomers (lead vocals/guitars) and Clemens “Ardek” Wijers (keyboards/backing vocals). While on tour, Bastiaan “The Butcher” Boh joins the band to play guitar as well. The band has released six (6) LPs, one (1) EP, and one (1) demo. Their latest album, Franckensteina Strataemontanus” was released in November 2020 and retells the age-old story of Johann Konrad Dippel, which inspired Mary Shelly’s novel ‘Frankenstein’.

You can see Carach Angren’s set list below:

·         “The Ghost of Raynham Hall”

·         “The Carriage Wheel Murder”

·         “The Necromancer”

·         “Bitte Totet Mich”

·         “Operation Compass”

·         “Franckensteina Strataemontanus”

·         “A Strange Presence Near the Woods”

·         “Monster”

·         “Bloodstains on the Captain’s Log”

You can hear Carach Angren by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today!

UADA (Latin for “haunted”) is a melodic black metal band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 2014. UADA consists of James Sloan (guitars), James Superchi (vocals/guitars), Nate Verschoor (bass), and Josh Lovejoy (drums). UADA has released three (3) LPs with Djinn being the latest release from 2020. As the only stateside black metal act on this tour, UADA proved to everyone why Rotting Christ invited them to perform on the Under Our Black Cult Tour. What started to be a difficult stage setting to photograph with the low lights and heavy smoke, turned into an exquisitely, dark, and intimate performance by UADA.

You can check out UADA’s set list below:

·         “Djinn”

·         “Retraversing the Void”

·         “Cult of a Dying Sun”

·         “Black Autumn, White Spring”

Want to check out UADA? Follow this link to UADA’s Official Bandcamp page today!

Fellow Season of Mist label mates, Gaerea is a post-black metal band from Porto, Portugal that formed in 2016. The band consists of Guilherme Henriques (vocals/guitars), Lucas Ferrand (bass), and Diogo Mota (drums). Gaerea has released three (3) LPs, one (1) EP, and three (3) singles. They are touring in support of their latest release, Mirage (2022). Also, something worth noting is that the Under Our Black Cult Tour was Gaerea’s first time playing in the United States and Canada. The stage presence of Gaerea is something to behold and had this Concerthopper enthralled as soon as they took the stage. I was not that familiar with the music of Carach Angren or Gaerea before this tour. That would change very fast once the lights went out before Gaerea’s formidable and stunning opening set.

Gaerea’s set from this night at The Masquerade is below:

·         “Deluge”

·         “Salve”

·         “Mirage”

·         “Urge”

·         “Laude”

Follow this link to Gaerea’s Official Bandcamp page and show them some support today!

Unfortunately, the last show for this North American tour was on March 14th (the night after this show in Atlanta) at The Haven in Orlando, Florida. Now the countdown begins for the next North American tour for Rotting Christ. You can still see Rotting Christ on tour in Europe on the following dates:

24 Mar 2023-Capital Death Fest-Galve-(SWEDEN)

25 Mar 2023-Thunder Metal Fest-Antwerp-(BELGIUM)

9 Apr 2023-Dark Easter Metal Meeting-Munich-(GERMANY)

28 Apr 2023-Black Hole Festival-Wetzikon-(SWITZERLAND)

29 Apr 2023-Gothoom Festival-Zemberovce -(SLOVAKIA)

4 May 2023-Karmaggedon Festival-Kopervik-(NORWAY)

12 May 2023-Durbuy Rock Festival-Bomal-sur-ourthe-(BELGIUM)

13 May 2023-Incineration Festival-London-(U.K.)

23-25 Jun 2023-Rock Imperium Festival-Cartagena-(SPAIN)

22 July 2023-John Smith Festival-Peurunka-(FINLAND)

4 Aug 2023-Saarihelveti Festival-Tampere-(FINLAND)

17 Aug 2023-Frantic Fest-Francavilla al mare-(ITALY)

18 Aug 2023-Kaltenbach Open Air-Spital am Semmering-(AUSTRIA)

02 Sep 2023-Rethymno Rocks Festival-Rethymno-(GREECE)

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music related events/festivals such as: Long Time Going Tour: Sierra Ferrell at Georgia Theatre, 20th Anniversary Tour: August Burns Red (Rapids Theatre), Pitch Black Forever Part 2- Hawthorne Heights & Armor For Sleep: Live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), Mental Awakening: Spafford, The Orange Constant, Spaghetti Western, Airshow, Mountain Grass Unit, & The Fixin’s Live at Steady Hand Beer Co., Spring Tour (2023): BongZilla with Wizard Rifle @ Grantski Records, Beartooth & Trivium: Live at Buffalo Riverworks, AmericanaFest (2023), Ghost RE-Imperatour U.S.A. with Amon Amarth: Ascend Amphitheater, The 5th Annual PorchFest, 12th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival, Souls of Mischief: 93’ til Infinity 30th Anniversary Tour @ City Winery (Atlanta), Yob and Pallbearer: Live at the Masquerade, and Morbid Angel: The 40th Anniversary Tour (The Masquerade) by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

[trentsleatherboots]

Carach Angren, interview translation Dutch > English

Published in the magazine Rock Tribune, edition June 2020, nr. 192.

Text by Morbid Geert. Fotos: Stefan Heileman.

WILL THE REAL FRANKENSTEIN STAND UP NOW?

At the end of last year you could already read about how we kept close watch on Carach Angren. Back when they were still heavy in the production process, on Halloween Day we went over to Ardeks homebase and studio to see the first glimpse of their new work and later Rock Tribune got invited to listen to the album in Germany. Now it's almost time for 'Franckensteina Strataemontanus' to be shown to the world and that's why we wanted to take an even deeper look. Weaponed with an oil lamp and shovel we went onwards towards the graveyard to uncover the soul stirrings of Ardek. (Text: Morbid Geert)

---

Ardek, the last time I talked to you the songs were still in a very early stage and what we heard was more of a pre production. Did you tinker more afterwards to come to an end result or did you purposely keep your hands off to avoid overproduction?

"In terms of song structures and lyrics not much changed on the premature songs that you heard. What followed however was another production-finish, where especially the mix and mastering made a big change. That last stadia really lifted it all to another plane and you can really hear that."

A FRESH LOOK.

As far as I knew, Patrick Damiani was still fully onboard working on the songs at Tidal Wave Studio in Germany. How important was it for you to pull an extra producer into the process? After all, you are very much at home with that as well? Or maybe not as much as you'd like?

"Back then he worked on drumediting and played the basslines, but his role is way bigger than that. We've worked together a lot and now we're doing something for L'Âme Immortelle, where we vibe together perfectly and know exactly how to handle such a project.  When he takes on production for Carach Angren however, I notice how much better he controls it. He has so much knowledge about drum sounds, mixing,... and he's really specialised in it. It is nice to add that knowledge, it brings a lot of added value. These days a lot of bands record at home and that all makes it a lot cheaper, but a good producer brings a lot of experience and equipment, it ends up with a whole different result. Besides, we left the mix and mastering to Robert Carranza."

That last one is a pretty big name, who among others worked with Marilyn Manson. I can imagine that has a big impact on your budget, but was it worth it?

"I think so. When I listened to 'Killing Strangers' by Marilyn Manson on headphones and heard the bassline, it went so deep that it turned me upside down. Apparently Robert Carranza mixed that album.  Furthermore he does a lot of different things such as make latin music and win grammy's, but in the extreme metal scene he is totally unknown.  However, he wanted to help himself to our record and yes, the price was steep, but I managed to convince both the band and the label… even though that wasn't without some doubts, since all eyes were on me for a bit. I had a good feeling about it and shared it, with the result being having a record now that doesn't sound like the others.  He had a fresh look on our work and thus we could avoid the recognisability of the average metal producer.  There are too many records that when you hear them you know exactly who had their hands on them and in which studio they were recorded.  Contrary to what you might think, there was constant contact with him (Robert) and a lot of talking about how we wanted it to sound. In particular the clarity of the sound is massive and gives it a bit more of a cinematic effect. There was no compression applied where everything sounds constantly loud and where as a listener you'd get easily tired, but the dynamics were preserved."

DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT ANYMORE.

To refer back to Patrick Damiani: if he does so much and even plays the basslines, do you see him as sort of a 4th band member or is that just a bit too much credit?

"That's not how we see him. He's an amazing producer and musician, who gives us his opinion and helps us out. On the other hand he is not part of the creative process and he isn't on stage with us… but it is a relationship that's been going on for 12 years and something we get a lot out of."

Now I'm saying '4th band member', but after the recordings of your new record ended, your brother and drummer Namtar left the band. Can I ask what happened and if you saw this coming, or whether it was a bolt from the blue?

“In November he recorded his drum tracks and back then everything went fine, but then there came an offer to play at '70000TONS OF METAL'. Since we always looked at the financial side of the band together, we talked about the offer and he was immediately against it.  I thought that was strange and to me it seemed better to sit around the table with three to talk about it. Then it became apparent that he'd been wrestling with it for sometime and in brief didn't feel like it anymore.  We offered him to take a break of a few months instead of just throwing away what we've worked for the last 20 years, but that wasn't a solution.  It wasn't an easy decision, but afterwards we saw it had been an issue for a long time and at that point you rather put a stop to it.  That hit us hard, but you can never force somebody to stay in a band.  To keep our motivation high we played '70000TONS OF METAL' after all with Michiel van der Plicht of God Dethroned as replacement. That pleased us all and he's willing to help us out in the future."

Michiel van der Plicht in indeed an amazing drummer. Are there any plans to keep him in the band permanently or is this an emergency solution and is there an offer still standing?

"I discussed that extensively with Seregor, but together the two of us stay the core of the band. We already have an extra guitarist live and in the studio we will definitely have those people join again, but all decisions will be made by us two in the end.  We want to avoid that other people leave a mark on the band, causing us to lose our individuality (personality). It's about so much more than just making music: the stage decor, our own stage outfits,... for us it is very clear and it's going well, so we only need help to fill in with the music in the studio and during lives."

MILKED OUT?

Let's get to the core of business. At the end of this month is the release of your 6th album, 'Franckensteina Strataemontanus'. Now lends the Frankenstein story itself perfectly for a horror metal band, but I wondered if the story isn't too milked out by other bands… unless you do it with a completely new vision. After all, that's what you did with 'This Is No Fairytale', where Hans and Gretel were transported to the now and the horror became bigger than ever. 

"When we started, I had the same feelings about the Frankenstein story, but there's a twist to it. Everything started for me as a dream, where I flew through an old house. There, I heard dissonant piano tunes and I got sucked into a room where a portrait of an old man hung on the wall. Later I made a drawing of that portrait and it got stuck in my head. When I began doing research for the album months later and even read Mary Shelley's amazing book 'Frankenstein', I found out that there is a theory that when she wrote her book she was influenced by Johann Konrad Dippel, an 18th century alchemist.  Then when I looked him up, he turned out to look like what I had seen in my dream, which personally motivated me to dig deeper. Dippel is an unknown figure for the masses and that's why it seemed fascinating to us to do something with it.  There is fiction and truth mixed in our story. By the way, Dippel lived in Frankenstein Castle near Darmstadt, where he was looking for the elixir to eternal life. He was also a theologist, but he clashed with the church and was therefore cast away. Because he also did experiments on cadavers and sought life extending resources, he would've inspired Mary Shelley for her story. What we did was make a concept around the source of her story instead of following the clichés.  That monster with screws in his head, we've seen it already before…"

Yet it doesn't seem like a concept album, because I notice that you address very diverse subjects.

"It is definitely a concept, since all stories are connected to one another, even if it's not noticeable. 'Operation Compass' is about the North-African desert war between the Brits and Italians. In official documents the Brits were ordered that if there were to be a fallback, to make all sources unusable for the enemy with 'Dippel's oil' (a nasty substance that made water undrinkable but did not poison it, so it was in battle with the Geneva protocols).  In our story it leads to a demonic outburst that went towards the soldiers. So you see, Dippel comes back throughout different moments in history. 'Der Vampir von Nürnberg' is about a real figure that is still alive. He committed necrophilia, killed people and drank their blood, … but is now at large. In our story he lost his ways after reading Dippel's books, which once again links it with the core story. 'Here In German Woodland.', the opening song, is about a boy that gets lost and dies in the forest surrounding Darmstadt, but later comes back and eats his parents. In the closing song 'Like A Conscious Parasite I Roam' it all comes full circle: Dippels life elixir only works for his soul, and his body rots away, so he searches for a guest body and his spirit creeps into that little boy." 

In a few songs, some German lyrics show up. Is that besides the concept also because of the grim sound of the language or is it simply because you live so close to Germany and it has a certain impact? 

"The subject lends itself to it of course and Seregor speaks German very well, which made things easier. And yes, the sound does play a certain role. 'Der Vampir von Nürnberg' sounds way better than the English translation, it immediately sets the right tone."

Some of these stories are the result of reality, but are often at least as gruesome as many fantasy stories: such is the bonus song 'Frederick's Experiments' about the sick science experiments of emperor Frederick II, a man who apparently was not inferior to the Nazi doctors?

"Yes, you can say that he set a good example! Seregor came with the idea and somewhere the story did fit within the total picture, even though we couldn't fit it into the big story. Our label Season Of Mist however asked for a bonus track and that's how we managed to include the song after all."

CROSS-POLLINATION.

What I noticed with the first sneak preview, but what has become clear now, is that Carach Angren this time worked very innovative musically.  Watch out, it is immediately clear that it is from Carach Angren, since you already have your own sound, but at the same time there are noticable things we haven't heard from you before. The title track has a considerable industrial touch and we also hear something from Laibach in it, just like 'Monster'. Is that something you've only recently been getting into or have you maybe secretly been an industrial fan for years?

"It is more recent, even though I've always been appreciative of it. By also collaborating with Till Lindemann for his project Lindemann, I also came into contact with it more and started taking it up unconsciously. Afterwards I got to experiment with it for my solo project and that's how I came up with the song 'Monster'. Seregor tested some things out for singing for that song and it just made sense.  It was very cool to experiment like that, which you should when you're making a record based on Frankenstein…"

It became a musical experiment instead of scientific experiment, but you do create a parallel, yes.

"Inside Carach Angren we like to put a lot of variety in the songs and if you can also give that a different look, then that is something you should try. We ourselves are absolutely crazy about it! Some fans will have to swallow when they hear those songs, but for them there are plenty of old school songs on it."

To come back to Lindemann: he and Peter Tägtgren got you involved since you are so good with classical orchestras and arrangements, but in the end it seems to have become two-way traffic, doesn't it? Have you learned a lot from it and developed other visions? 

"We worked together in a very awesome way and you do learn a lot from that. You grow as a componist, as musician and as producer. It made me compose more compactly and I sometimes pursue slightly less complex songs, like the two more industrial based songs. Always great to be able to take a different approach."

Both those songs have an easier buildup, but in the other songs you go back to the complexity that you left out purposefully 'Dance And Laugh Amongst The Rotten'. Is it a way to generate more contrast?

"In some ways yes, but it depends on how it works out in a song. We tried to make the title track a bit longer, but then the effect fell away and it didn't feel right anymore. But strangely enough I write a complex song like 'Der Vampir von Nürnberg' easier than a less complex piece like 'Monster'.  With less arrangements it quickly becomes hard to keep it exciting(engaging), but seeing as you want to keep the concept to level, you need to have enough variation. The industrial songs sound a bit less complex, but there is a lot happening in the background and they are full of tiny details that make the difference."

MIXING COLOURS.

With the new approach you have opened some doors to maybe do more experimenting in the future. Is that actually your goal or is there nothing reasoned behind it and do such new influences pop up sooner when they seem to be able to improve the song?

"It all almost comes down to what the concept of the album requires. Back when we wrote 'Death Came Through A Phantom Ship' we added swirling waves and custom/adapted sounds to it. With the new record the 'marching' of the pulsing industrial beat seemed to work the best with our Frankenstein theme. You have to see it like a painter who is mixing colours to make a new colour to fit his vision. We don't do any different and we would love to experiment more in the future. If we see what we've already tried with singing now … in the long run we were completely out of control trying to do crazy things."

The singing is indeed a very remarkable part of 'Franckensteina Strataemontanus'. We always thought Seregor had a good black metal voice, but we were very impressed by the way he twisted his voice this time around and helped set the mood.

"We are very happy about that ourselves. He delivered an excellent job and we really pushed everything to get to that point. We actually took several weeks to make sure my home studio was in perfect condition and sometimes Seregor had to redo a certain part up to 10 times to get the result we wanted, but he did it without struggling. A lot of singers that ask so much from their vocal chords are dead on their feet after an hour, but then there is Seregor who gets through the day without complaining, even while screaming his lungs out.  While recording 'Operation Compass' we did however find out it is better to record a deep grunt in the early morning, since your voice is still a bit slow and heavier from sleep.”

MUSIC AS A BOOST.

The whole corona crisis made it so that as a band it is way more difficult to promote an album now, since all concerts got cancelled. Did that have a big impact on Carach Angren or can you make it?

"I myself am very concerned with the people who are really affected by the disease and that is why I can partially ignore the inconveniences for ourselves. Nevertheless, it has a serious effect on the music industry, although that is secondary to me. We are dealing with a pandemic, people are dying and we all have to work to keep everything under control. In addition, it is strange to release an album in a full crisis, but we decided to go for it anyway. It's a cool record and we already started the promotion, so we just keep going. For now, tours are not planned, but that does not mean that we will now stream all kinds of performances to attract attention. We are not that type of band… what is a shame is that our plans for a very cool video clip are now also being abandoned. We had to go to Germany and there are also the social distancing rules, which make such a recording impossible.  But should we really want that and turn it into drama? Of course it sucks to have to promote the release like this, but the whole world is just not what it was a few months ago."

Do you have any alternative ideas to bridge that gap? I know that you guys always have enough visual ideas and there already is a lyric video for 'Monster', but I can imagine that there is more to come.

"We are working on that yes, because last month we made one for 'Der Vampir von Nürnberg' and next month we might take another song in hand. We will keep doing those sorts of things together with some 'making of-' videos that we recorded in the studio, that way we can give the album some extra promotion.  Nothing for us to worry about so… by the way, there is something about releasing a record in times like these. The people have been stuck at home for months and have nothing to do, so if we can give them a new piece of music to listen to to get through the day, then that is awesome too. It would be disappointing for the fans if we just put our new work on the shelf because of this pandemic. Every band should do what they think is best, but we had already started our press campaign anyway and we would also be a lot less driven if we only had to arrive 'with old stuff' within six months or later."

Carach Angren already has a few beautiful video clips which are build up with a real story and don't only have something musical to offer. In addition, there are also the lyric videos, where certainly those for the complete album 'This Is No Fairytale' with comic images by Costin Chioreanu stand out from the crowd. Have you never thought of bundling everything on a DVD?

"We've honestly never thought about that, but that's actually a really great idea! I think it would be nice to bundle everything together and that way we immediately remove some (away) from youtube. That can always be a good idea for the future."

LEARNING SCHOOL.

As songwriter of Carach Angren you may have previously absorbed a lot of influences that shaped you into the musician and songwriter you are today. Can you list the five most essential records or artists that shaped you personally and what exactly were their interests?

"That is a good question that doesn't let itself be answered very easily. In the classical field and orchestras I think Tchaikovsky and Stravinski are very important. They both had a lot of influence on me as a componist. Another important inspiration to me in that respect is John Williams (modern componist famous for his film scores for Star Wars, Jaws, Jurassic Park..) They helped shape me even more when it comes to layered composing, although I don't come close to what they do. As a child I followed keyboard lessons for 8 years, I did a year of conservatory and studied a year of music and media, as well as cinematic orchestration. Those last two were online, but on a serious level and you really had to write pieces for an orchestra. I learned a lot there, but ever since then I kept learning by actually doing it myself, looking through books and analyzing musical pieces.  But if I hadn't gotten the theoretical basis I had as a child, I would've never been able to do this today. On production level I have to mention Nine Inch Nails and, something you'd might find strange, Michael Jackson! If you see how well their albums are produced, and how many layers are incorporated, it's amazingly well done! You can say about Michael Jackson's music what you want, but the way the songs are built up and how much dynamics are in there thanks to the arrangements by Quincy Jones, it is absolutely astounding.  There is no lack of bells and whistles and sometimes, for example, the snare drum comes in in four layers, something you don't hear so loudly even in extreme metal. I mainly listen to those albums as an audiophile to analyze them and see what I can get out of it as a producer. Last week I checked the solo record of Roger Waters, in which I heard effects that seemed to be situated outside the loudspeaker field. Then I want to know how that is done and whether I can integrate it with Carach Angren. That kind of thing is the reverse of the compression they use too often today and you wonder why we don't all go in that direction anymore."

---

Translated by Jeordie/Trentsfishnets.

(For the record, if this interview already exists in English, I will just see this as translating practice C:)

[itttsarkanyokvannak]

Carach Angren  - Franckensteina Strataemontanus              

[albumarchives]

Carach Angren | Franckensteina Strataemontanus (2020)

[valkyrianmusic]

Iza's Highlights of 2020

Iza’s Highlights of 2020

What a strange year… One of the worst in recent history. 2020 will go down in history as the year of the Covid 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. A year of lockdowns, cancellations, quarantines, sickness and death. Yet despite all this hardship, 2020 was also a year during which some great music was created. So as we look to a better and healthier 2021, let’s look back at some of the good stuff that came…

[themetalwanderlust]

The Metal Wanderlist: Number two - 2020

The Metal Wanderlist: Number two – 2020

Greetings, earthlings! 

As the first half of the year has passed, it is more than about a time to unleash some of our very favourite albums according to The Metal Wanderlust staff. Once again, as this site is ALL about being a devoted music fan, passing around the word for the stuff we genuinely believe in (as we have always done and will always do), we really hope YOU find something utterly…

[metalpurgatorymedia]

CARACH ANGREN Finish Mixing New Album In a brief update on their Facebook page, black metal outfit Carach Angren have confirmed that mixing of the band’s upcoming studio album has been completed.

[eldritch-metal-squirrel]

Carach Angren | 2020

{ Photo © Stefan Heilemann / HEILEMANIA }

[bizarrobrain]

"Sewn for Solitude" by Carach Angren - From "Franckensteina Strataemontanus" (2020)

[rastronomicals]

9:04 AM EDT September 28, 2020:

Carach Angren - "Sepulchral Disequilibrium" From the album The Chase Vault Tragedy (October 1, 2004)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: Opera Metal

[my-space-and-all-within]

Carach Angren 2020 (photos by Stefan Heilemann)

[ghostcultmagazine]

Ghost Cult caught up with our old friend celebrity and music photographer Jeremy Saffer about his brand new coffee table book project, Daughters of Darkness, releasing on October 30th, 2020 from Rare Bird Books books. In part two of our interview series, we explored more of Jeremy's mindset of shooting portraits of bands, and how he captured some of the most iconic shots of his career. He also discussed how much work went into the new book, how it came together, some intel on some of the models in the book - including some celebrity easter eggs in it, how he picked the bands for the Black Metal soundtrack to the book with Season of Mist, his huge collection of horror mannequins, Funko Pops, how he has pivoted during the pandemic with his new Patreon page, and much more! Interview with Keefy (https://ift.tt/2LlAx1W), and editing by Omar Cordy of OJC Photography (https://ift.tt/2yTkDJc). Theme music by Salted Wounds (https://ift.tt/31seIpV). Join Jeremy's new Patreon page and get exclusives while you support his art: https://ift.tt/2G9K39J Watch the new video by in This Moment, featuring cinematography from Jeremy, - "As Above, So Below": https://youtu.be/RZYzcPwQN-8 Pre-order the book here: Daughters of Darkness is scheduled for release on October 30 and will be available in four editions: Standard Edition Bundle [Signed] ($60), Blood Edition Bundle [Signed w/ Slipcase] ($100), Extra-Bloody Edition Bundle [Signed Limited Edition] ($150) and The True Daughters of Darkness Deluxe Box Set [Custom Hand-Sewn w/ 24 Extra Photo Pages Not Included In Any Other Edition—Exclusively Limited to 25 Copies Worldwide] ($666). For additional details on each package and for pre-orders, visit https://ift.tt/3bsBwZD. The Standard Edition Bundle includes the book with standard cover, a Daughters of Darkness tote bag, five 4x6 Daughters of Darkness metallic mini prints, two Daughters of Darkness corpse paint guitar picks, three stickers, one Daughters of Darkness phone-pop, and an Introduction by Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe and foreword by Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth. The Blood Edition Bundle includes everything from the Standard Edition Bundle, plus a Blood Edition Exclusive Slipcase, five 8x12 Daughters of Darkness metallic prints, two additional Daughters of Darkness corpse paint guitar picks and three Daughters of Darkness and Rare Bird stickers. The Extra Bloody Edition bundle includes the book with a hand-numbered slipcased limited-edition "Blood" cover not available in stores and adds a corpse paint make up set, a total of six Daughters of Darkness corpse paint guitar picks in a custom tin, a Daughters of Darkness woven back patch, a Daughters of Darkness t-shirt and two Daughters of Darkness and Rare Bird enamel pins to the Blood Edition Bundle. The True Daughters of Darkness Deluxe Box Set bundle includes the book in a custom hand-sewn version limited to 25 copies worldwide with a hand-numbered slipcased ultra-limited edition alternate cover not available in stores. The package also includes a custom handmade Daughters of Darkness wooden box, a crushed velvet alter throw, a signed and numbered Certificate of Authenticity, two black candles, a corpse paint make-up set, a Daughters of Darkness tote bag, 10 8x12 Daughters of Darkness metallic prints, 20 4x6 Daughters of Darknessmetallic mini prints, a Daughters of Darkness woven back patch, a Daughters of Darkness t-shirt, a Daughters of Darkness hoodie, a custom tin with six Daughters of Darkness corpse paint guitar picks, three Daughters of Darkness and Rare Bird stickers, two Daughters of Darkness and Rare Bird enamel pins and one Daughters of Darkness phone-pop. Rare Bird Books and Season of Mist have partnered for the release of a soundtrack for Daughters of Darkness. The Daughters of Darkness soundtrack will feature pivotal tracks from 12 artists culled from the Season of Mist black metal archives, including Abbath, Mayhem, 1349, Watain, Carach Angren, Carpathian Forest, Rotting Christ, Gaahls WYRD, and more, curated by Saffer himself. The record will feature more than 60 minutes of music on limited edition gatefold double 45rpm vinyl. The album will be released as a free companion to the Daughters of Darkness Bathory, Bloody Bathory and box set editions of the book, and will not be available in stores. In addition to the gatefold packaging, the set will include a limited edition poster and liner notes written by Saffer Follow Jeremy Saffer: www.jeremysaffer.com https://ift.tt/3eIynqE https://ift.tt/3czPskS https://twitter.com/jeremysaffer Rare Bird Books online: www.rarebirdlit.com https://ift.tt/2yt0FF7 https://ift.tt/2XYw2lB This video also includes a shoutout to The Polites from Ecuador! To get your band a shoutout in one of our future videos, subscribe to Ghost Cult on YT, IG, and Twitter, and then check out pinned our Tweet for the details! #GCShoutout by Ghost Cult Magazine