AMESTIGON (EN)

– Hello, thanks for taking your time. How is everything doing right now into the AMESTIGON’s camp? What’s keeping you guys busy?
Actually we are really busy after the release of «Thier». We thought that we are going to have a period of incubation, but the flow came back immediately and so we keep on writing songs. In addition we’re working on several concepts in parallel, a new album and some options of doing split releases.

– You were formed back in the 90’s, and your first album came out in 2010 so, as this is our first interview with you, would you mind to tell us what was the band up to throughout those years and what kind of activity did it have?
From the 90’s to 2010 you’ll find two Demo’s, two Split Releases and two EP’s. The actual line-up was formed in 1998 and at first we had the idea to stick to EP’s and Split Releases, but all of a sudden we had enough songs for an album. So we got a new direction, worked for it and released “Sun of all Suns” in 2010. Of course we are also a very slow band, as the second release took 5 additional years.

– Your newest album is «Thier», which was released in May. Now that you can look at it with some perspective, what are your feelings on the result obtained?
We are still quite content with the result of course. “Making” the songs was a very long, sometimes meditative and sometimes exhausting process. Speaking about the music, «Thier» contains the basics of the songs we rehearsed and changed for quite a long time until we felt it was right. Apart from the basics (we’re talking about drums and rhythm guitars here) nearly everything else was improvised and just happened. Still there is no single line that was recorded we would change. You can’t step two times on the same water of a river, as Frater V:.D:. once stated. Tharen managed to capture the exact sound we had in mind for this record. After SOAS we worked on our setup to obtain a better sound. At the moment we are quite close to where we want to get, but there are still minor changes all the time.

– Thier is an old way of writing the German word «Tier», which if I’m not wrong translates as beast, which can have a really wide interpretation, especially into an occult piece. What does «Thier» mean in the context of the band and the album?
Thier is the Egregor of the Ordo Liberorum Luporum, the Demiurge of a spiritual crystallization who emanates through chemognostic and/or sexmagical Hochpolung. Satan and Lucifer are different vectors of the movement of His will. Thier is the entity the Adepts of the O.L.L. have chosen to give shape to our impulses and willing nourished by the black flame.

 
– With songs as «358», which is a powerful number into numerology, often linked to the Serpent, I get the impression «Thier» refers to the creator. Am I wrong? Would you mind to shed some light on the whole concept of the record?
The role of the Serpent/Lucifer in the Myth of Eden varies in different interpretations. For us it’s crystal clear that the Serpent is the creator of humanity in a spiritual sense. If that’s what you mean with “creator” then you are absolutely right.

 
– In fact I read lyrics deal with the doctrines of the Ordo Liberorum Luporum, but I must admit I don’t know this order. What are some of the doctrines and the traditions it is based upon? I see some Left Hand Path traditions, am I wrong?
There is not much to know about it. It’s a loose alliance of magickally interested people, without any hierarchy or interest in gaining notoriety. We consider ourselves as the awake among the dreamers. We don’t want to proselytize anyone. In asserting and maybe even prolonging our self-determination and succeeding to stay awake, maybe we find our way into their dreams so they can free themselves from the clutches of impuissance.

 
– While «Sun of all Suns» felt like a really earthly, physical album, «Thier» feels much more earthless, more metaphysical so to speak. Is this just something that happens naturally, kind of the album heading into its own direction, or do you look for a different concept for each release?
In fact we are looking for a different concept for each album, but we also want to link the concepts together. So you’re right, SOAS was very much related to Malkuth. Our aim is of course to engross the decline we’re all facing in the Kali Yuga and thus enable the completion of destruction. We like to see it as an opener for releases to come. SOAS is some kind of gate, which seems to be clearer when you hear the bonus track which is going to be on our vinyl release. On «Thier» you find a part of our cosmogony and so this is a completely metaphysical album.

– In fact you manage to convey the overall concept with your music. How could you say you achieve this?
Thanks, we take this as a compliment first of all. We discuss a lot about upcoming releases and concepts. Therefore we start with new concepts at a very early stage and we always bear in mind where the path leads us. So this is somehow a subconscious influence. In addition we have an overall basic attitude towards our music and the ideas which lie behind this music.

– For instance on «Thier» there are quite ritualistic parts. Was this how you envisioned the album beforehand?
Well, not beforehand since we never know how the songs turn out. We never sit together and think “this song should sound like this or that” or anything in that direction. Nobody of us is practising on their own, home alone. Being musicians is not our main goal. The songs appear during our rehearsals in a process we consider to be a very inspirational one. If there are ritualistic parts in it, they developed because we had a very ritualistic endeavour. As explained above, we already had a concept in mind when we wrote the music and in case of «Thier» even some of the lyrics were already finished at that stage.

– Also the atmosphere seems to play a bigger role, or at least feels stronger. How important is the overall ambience of the album and what elements of the whole record do you think it depicts/transports? As it feels like you face your arte as a wholeness.
Atmosphere feels stronger because we worked on our sound and we had a good progress in this section. We want and we need our music to sound monolithic, because this is what makes it authentic. Our rehearsals are chemognostic rituals following a liturgic process. Amestigon is one band which has to function as a unity.

 
– In fact songs here are longer than on your debut album. Was this something necessary in order to properly develop those mentioned ritualistic parts?
The long songs were part of the concept from the beginning and those ritualistic elements too. For us those two elements are closely interlinked.

– I also noticed wider musical influences, ranging from Death to Black Metal or even Folk. What could you say have been some of the most influential music styles for this release? Does AMESTIGON have any limit?
Well, compared to SOAS there are neither more nor less musical influences because we didn’t change our style of absorbing music. The most influential style is Black Metal of course, because Amestigon is a Black Metal Band. But you’re right; we set ourselves hardly any limits when it comes to musical influences.

– The album opener is «Demiurg», which feels like picking it up where you left with «SOAS». Somehow it feels like a cycle, like an introduction for a new chapter. What could you comment on this song? Is kind of a way of building a bond with your previous release?
«Demiurg» was actually the first song we did for «Thier» after SOAS. So it’s no surprise that it feels like a continuation or cycle as you call it. Though the song changed during the time and grew with the concept for «Thier» you still can hear how we were led to this song through channelling the power of Thier. So maybe this is our genuine Amestigon way of playing which makes you feel reminded of SOAS. But as mentioned earlier we also follow the concept of cycles and we also want our albums to be linked together.

– Anyway the rest of the songs are totally different to the tracks included on your debut album, so that makes me wonder how was the songwriting process and how long did it take you.
Actually we don’t have the feeling that the other tracks are totally different compared to the debut or even compared to earlier releases. Some patterns are always recurring; this is a part of our style. In addition when we are writing songs we always write several songs in parallel and during the process of writing we also interchange elements between the songs or add completely new elements. So the songs develop together in parallel. As soon as we feel that a song has a finished structure we are still rehearsing this complete song several times to see if everything fits.

– So we could say the band has been through a notorious musical evolution but, being this an album that revolves around your beliefs, is this musical evolution also linked to a personal/spiritual progression?
Our musical evolution is faster than our spiritual progression because we started with music at a later stage and we have much to catch up. Personal and spiritual believes didn’t change a lot since SOAS, they rather got strengthened, because we got reassurance that we are on the right track.

– On the other hand, the cover artwork is really attention-grabbing, both due to its symbols as for the really characteristic aesthetic. How did you work on it and who was the artist?
The artwork was done by a young and promising artist from Austria called Irrwisch. We liked the artworks he did for e.g. Der Blutharsch and the Church of the leading Hand or Urfaust and luckily we had the same vision and understanding about the presentation of “Thier”. We gave him all the images we needed to use and also the music and he draw and designed it in his way. It’s intended to be plain and simple.

 
– As I said, it’s a cover that holds a lot of meanings and symbols. For example, among many others, there are references to different planets. Would you mind to comment a little bit how do some of the symbols on the cover relate to the content on the album?
For all the intelligences, energies, archetypes and demons we deal with, there are planetal correspondences that are in relation to or even identified with each other. The symbols we use are taken from a Grimoire which is very important to us. Sapienti sat!

– Once again you mastered the album at Pure Sound Recordings. After several years working with the same team, how do you think this (working on an already known environment) affects the final result?
For us it’s very good to work with Pure Sound Recordings. Tom is a very close and long known friend of ours. We already worked with him on our «Remembering…» EP, which was the first release with this line-up. So we also watched him grow and progress and he has a very good understanding of where we want to go. This is an essential element why «Thier» sounds like it does.

– All this about «Thier» being said; how could you describe it?
All is said, nothing more to add.

– So far your two albums have only been released on CD, but I read a vinyl version for both would be available this year. Are they already available?
Vinyl for both records should be on its way to our label. Release date was scheduled for 28th of Dec.

 
– I also read you are already working on new material. Is there anything you could already comment on this?
We are working on a new album, the concept is in discussion some songs are in the making and we can already tell that we will stay metaphysical. In addition we have several possibilities of doing split releases. This is also in discussion and will be decided somewhere next year.

 
– Now before we wrap this interview up, and as the end of the year is drawing nearer, I would like you to tell us what have been your 3 favourite albums of the year as well as the worst one.
This is a really tough one. As always, there have been tremendous works, some hypes (justified or not…) and tons of shit records. We can’t and don’t want to say anything about the albums we don’t like. Listening to music is our raison d’être and if we listen to something that doesn’t appeal to us we don’t waste any further energy to think about it. But there were great releases like Hetroertzen – Ain Soph Aur, Grudom – Troldviser I Granskygge, Serpent Noir – Erotomysticism, Zombi – Shape Shift, Golden Void – Berkana, Barshasketh – Ophidian Henosis, Black Trip – Shadowline or Crypt Sermon – Out of the Garden. All in all too many to mention.

– And finally, what are now your near-future plans? Is playing live something you would consider in a future?
In the setup we are rehearsing playing live is not an option, but we have to admit that we got some very tempting offers and we are discussing those options. We would need several additional musicians and of course we would need to rehearse together. This takes time and we’re not sure yet, if we want to invest this extra effort since not all of us think that Black Metal should be performed live.

Tania Giménez
tania@queensofsteel.com