New Jersey-based brazen black metallers Abazagorath have sprinkled the last six or seven years with splits and an EP, but October 7th of this year will see the release of their first album in ten years. What does the band have in store for you on their nearly-dawned The Satanic Verses? How do you feel about losing limbs, face flesh and copious amounts of blood from your neck? Abazagorath promises all this (with occasional interludes so you can fully absorb what is happening to you) and threatens to turn your brain into an inescapable hall of dark rituals.
A month ago, Invisible Oranges threw us all a bone with a premiere of the new album’s lead track, “Mahound,” and now you can hear “The Angel Gabriel” here at the Deciblog. Read below and find out about the band’s plans, influences, and why the next album will not take another ten years.
Can you talk a little about the members of Abazagorath, what your lives consist of, and how that affects the band’s recording/performing schedule?
The black cult of ABAZAGORATH consists of three demonic entities: Warhead (Thermonuclear Drums of Doom, Verbal Hate Amplifier), Ciemnosc (6 String Razorwire Decapitation) and Aversario (Subsonic Volcanic Emanations). As far as our personal lives it’s no one’s fucking business what we do in our personal time, all you need to know is Abazagorath practices on a weekly basis and we continue to create music we enjoy Christ Raping US Black Metal.
What was the drive behind starting Abazagorath in the first place? What do you think has changed musically/conceptually about your songs over the past 10 or 20 years?
In June of 1995, ABAZAGORATH was formed with the intention of creating original Black Metal with a dark and haunting atmosphere. ABAZAGORATH reflects the initiates’ deepest fantasies of hatred, war, melancholy, darkness, evil, the occult and death. The sonorous magick of ABAZAGORATH represents a union of warlike ferocity with an eerie, mystical aura. As far as the songs over the last 19 years, real simple we have all matured as musicians. But it is also due to a desire from all the bands members to create and release music that is constantly fresh and constantly taking things a step forward. Abazagorath is a band that has never done the same album twice and we have always been looking for ways to advance and improve our sound while still retaining the fierce, hateful, uncompromising attitude that has defined Abazagorath throughout our career.
What bands or experiences do you think have influenced your writing/playing style?
VENOM was my personal inspiration and what got me into Black Metal, but you can hear early 90s Norwegian / Swedish Black Metal as well as the original early to mid-80s Black / Thrash movement in our music. While we still refer back to these points of inspiration, we are not content to churn out a mere re-hash of these styles, but are trying to build up on the influences to create something that is not so simple to classify as just stereotypical Black Metal.
How did The Satanic Verses come together? What was the writing process like for these songs? Was recording a straightforward or difficult process this time around?
The writing for the new album was just like the last 2012 self-titled EP. The guitar tracks were recorded with a drum machine and then handed out to each member to learn. I would add my own drum style and Ciemnosc would then add harmonies, solos, etc. Once everybody learned the material we would start practicing the material live. The recording was straight forward and relatively easy. All the drums were done in one take, plus we had the luxury of recording at Ciemnosc’s studio Wrong Planet.
What tour plans do you have to support The Satanic Verses?
As far as shows for the year we only have 2 live rituals scheduled. Signature Riff presents Friday December 5 The Acheron Brooklyn, NY (Abazagorath record release), with fellow Eternal Death artists Sangus and One Master. We will also be playing Baltimore MD Saturday Dec. 20 with long time war brothers Bloodstorm and Kult Ov Azazel. I am currently working out tour dates for 2015 so stay tuned.
Do you anticipate an extended break after The Satanic Verses, or do you expect more immediate future work with Abazagorath?
NO.New material is being crafted and honed to lethal precision and previously unreleased hymns may force their way unto the world. Once again the Horns of ABAZAGORATH will Impale the Heavens!!! Arrogance & Wrath….
The album can be ordered from Eternal Death here. Be sure to check out all things Abazagorath at the band’s Facebook page and their Bandcamp site.
