By Seregor (Carach Angren),
Horror movies are a big part of my life. It’s fair to say that I actually get more inspired by them instead of where Carach Angren expresses itself mainly, which is through music. In our band, my man Ardek rules over this medium with absolute power and translates sounds, tones and music into thoughts and emotional expressions. As vocalist and concept/lyric writer, I’m concentrated on expressing myself visually by giving a face and emotion during our performance. It’s a form of acting and darkness has always been central in my lifestyle. As long as I can remember there was a fascination for death, gore and the mysterious. So, horror movies definitely helped shape my style. It is a crucial part of Carach Angren to translate our concept stories through artwork, appearance, performance and music. As a dark/black theatrical horror metal band we consider ourselves more as a live horror-movie instead of a musical performance. What would we be without all our visual attitudes and appearances? It’s maybe comparable to watching a movie without sound and music. They need each other to become “magic” in art. That magic means “black magic” in our field of expertise because we don’t create in the name of life, love and light. We are artists of horror and death. Remember your first horror movie that creeped you the fuck out? It leaves an impression you never forget. Here are a few I consider precious:
5. The Fly (1986)
A friend in primary school kept describing this movie, so one day it came on television, but I wasn’t allowed to watch because of bedtime. So, my dear grandparents (who raised me) kindly recorded the movie on VHS so I could see it the next day. [Laughs] I never forgot their reaction. Absolutely disgusting!!! I was strictly forbidden to see it because I was nine-years old at that time. So, it’s about a scientist who teleports himself from one tele-pod to another resulting in an experiment gone wrong for another organism was detected in the procedure. The computer decided to meld them into one so the man slowly starts to rot and show the characteristics of a fly. My grandfather was a cabinetmaker and long ago he accidentally sawed off his thumb. It fell in a bag of powdered cement and they could never find it in time to sew back on. My grandmother had to clean that wound and told me how disgusting it looked and smelled. This story she used to explain to me how repulsed she was by The Fly. [Laughs] Did it work? Fuck no!! I kept nagging, whining and bitching and after two weeks they we’re so sick of me they gave me the cassette to finally get some peace. I remember two parts where I had to look away, and got more than I could chew on. It was shocking at first, later the fascination came. I was a Fly-fan and kept drawing tele-pods. This one had the right impact on me, and still is good today.
4. Evil Dead (1981)
Another great cult-horror film. I think I was around 12 when I saw this German news report of some students who lured this loner of a kid into a forest with the promise of friendship. There, they chopped him up to pieces and left him in a hole. They said to be inspired by horror. We all know the unique atmosphere Evil Dead has and the cult status it achieved. It was a new world of horror to me and even more fascinating, the idea of those students killing and dismembering… This was the movie that made them do it.
3. Halloween (franchise)
I used to like Freddy Krueger too in my younger days, so A Nightmare on Elm Street is an honorable mention. But that fascination later on switched to Michael Myers. As a writer, I can appreciate Rob Zombie’s versions very much. Actually, his first re-make got me into mask-making. During the scene where Michael is an adult after being incarcerated for many years, he’s making these papier-mâché masks. His cell was covered with these demonic masks, and this was something I wanted in my own house, too. Meanwhile, I became better than Michael because I have the freedom and tools they’d never give a murderous fucker like him. [Laughs]
2. Insidious (franchise)
Many horror [films] these days are just another horror film. It seems just as hard as making a new album to make it stick out from the rest. When I saw the first Insidious in 2010, I felt immediately inspired by it. It’s James Wan’s work, the master responsible for the Saw franchise. Personally, the first and second part had the best impact on me. I love how the evil entities try to latch themselves on their victim and how father has to find his imprisoned son in the spectral world of the so-called ‘further’. I think the ‘black bride’ is a perfect character of darkness. The second part explains how this evil being became a demonic spirit. This is literally the music to my eyes. A perfect evil that motivates and inspires me. Well done!
1. Irreversible (2002)
Horror films like Insidious I can watch over and over again. The atmosphere simply devours me. But when it comes to Irreversible, well… [Laughs] This is a pretty sick fucking flick. I only show this movie to friends who haven’t seen it yet and most people are shocked by it. The fire-extinguisher scene is one thing… but the rape scene is so brutal it makes your spine crawl. This movie literally leaves you with this hopeless rotten feeling. If you love watching this movie again and again… you might be an evil entity yourself.
** Carach Angren’s new album, Franckensteina Strataemontanus, is out May 29th on Season of Mist. Pre-orders for CDs, LPs, cassettes, digital, and bundles can be found HERE. Order now before Seregor sticks you into a tele-pod with Dani Filth!
