– Hello, first off thanks for answering to our questions. How is everything doing at the moment into the HOATH’s camp soon after having released your new album?
Hello, we’re just fine, thank you. Taking it easy mostly, but already doing some preparations for Codex: IV alongside other projects. Hoath has never been ’ a touring band’ so we’re definitely not taking too much pressure on playing live, but we might throw a few gigs in the future. We’ll see.

 
– Before digging into your newest opus I would like you to comment a little bit about how did you come up with both the band name as well as your logo, as it’s the Babalon Star.
Babalon star is a perfect symbol for Hoath, as it represents the Mother of Abominations. To the consensus these ’Abominations’ are peoples’  aspirations to push themselves out of their comfort zones and break the spiritual chains that bind them into ready-made frames in life. Sounds a bit cheesy if one puts like that, but it’s a symbol of  disruption – if you will. About not settling to what is given to you, but instead making your own way and pushing yourself forward to constantly learn and progress. It’s about chaos, change, disruption, evolution…

 
– Your new record, «Codex III: Crown of the Mind» is coming out 12 years after your debut album was released. What have you been up to during these years? How has the band evolved during this time?
The whole history of Codex: III is a bit of a saga in itself, but to put it short, we had it already recorded once, but the tracks were corrupted during a change in our recording devices. Then there were the usual reasons of being busy with our other bands, and life in general. And we’re the kind of personas who need a strong inner motive to do something, and if our focus is somewhere else – as in our other bands – then there’s no point in recording anything. So, it just took a few years to find enough time to make all the pieces fit together again. It’s nothing special really, just about finding the right time to do it.

 
– You are a band that deals with occult themes so, is your musical evolution somehow linked to a personal/spiritual evolution too? Does it resonate in the music itself?
Well, let’s put it this way, if there is no personal emotional link between the music – or any form of art for that matter – and the artist, what it is then? I mean, you touch certain emotions in the creative process, and that’s all there is. Or should be. When it comes to the mere choice of ’style’ in music, then it’s a matter of what we want to do with different bands. We just channel our different ideas into different bands.

 
– You are now working with Saturnal Records. How did this cooperation arise?
Quite simple – we published 2 few songs from the promo we recorded and they made an offer to work with us, meeting our terms and wishes.

 
– The songs on the album have references to different entities and magic systems, is this reflected on the cover artork? Would you mind to tell us how did you work on it and who was the artist in charge?
Artwork on the album was made by Khaos Diktator design based on album lyrics and atmosphere. Hoath is lyrically a constant study and process and as such, there can be elements from anything we have found to be of interest at the time of writing songs. Most of our focus is within the realm of thelema however.

– In fact I feel like you face your art as a whole thing, enclosing music, lyrics and artwok.  Is this sense of wholeness your vision of your music? And what is your music for you?
Despite stripping down to quite basic death and thrash we chose from the beginning to avoid the typical «war metal» lyrical content and as a whole, becomes what Hoath is and represents. Since many of the lyrics are nothing short of visionaire, they needed to be included to be able to step inside this realm of thought as well. Music is constant creation, manifesting in art by form and beginning anew in creation.

 
– The album title itself, «The Crown of Mind» can have different interpretations, I for instance see it as a reference to the Tree of Life and Keter specfically but, what is the actual meaning behind it? How do you explore this theme throughout the songs on the album?
The title itself is mainly that one song, even if a lot on the album deals with the same theme and experience. The classical occult theory as above, so below, fits here perfectly.

 
– As I see it as a reference to Keter, is it somehow a way to create a bound with your previous album? Like creating a cycle?
Original plan was to name the releases based on certain cycles, which however did not happen in the end for a majority of reasons. The same revolving themes can be found as in the very beginning of Hoath and will be found in the future as well connecting our existence to our beginning.

 
– On the album there’s songs as «Sixth Theorem», is it inspired by sacred geometry?
Not really. It has that reference but it’s based on spiritual metamorphosis through Luciferian fire, yet there is no magick without the significance of number.

– There’s also an «ode» to Babalon, «To the Mother of Abominations». Considering your logo, how important or how does Babalon inspire HOATH?
Significance can be none or everything, depending on what phase we are in each passing cycle. There is not one single god, or goddess, to bow down to. There is however time when each in your workings should be honoured.

 
– The last song is «Qlipoth», so all in all we could say  there’s a lot of the Left Hand Path and of the Qliphotic Qabalah on this album. Are these the currents or systems you have worked most with? Is it based on your personal experiences?
To be honest, the entire album was written both music and lyricwise more than a decade ago so many of the themes on it are not exactly current, but none less relevant. A lot of Hoath lyrical magic has been written after meditation and after reaching a wanted state of mind, and, given that there are still many references that are at best vaguely understood even by ourselves when the mind is «clear».

 
– How important is to believe and really feel what you are singing about?
For us, everything. For a listener, that is up to them. We have done our work and crowned it with creation, recording it, represented for the masses.

 
– Nowadays the occult seems to be for many bands something that just fits certain aesthetic. Do you have any opinion on this or just focus on do your own thing?
Define the actual word occult and the truth is simple. When it’s about aesthetic and cool pictures, it may serve some need to expose an image but eventually serves someone. In many cases the people channelling the current do not necessarily understand what they’re channelling.

 
– Musically «Codex II» mixes Black, Death and some Thrash, always with being raw and straight forward, with a really spontaneous feel. How was the process behing creating the album? Was it as spontaneus as its sound?
It’s basically as spontaneous as it can get. We didn’t do any major changes to the songs during the silent period, so when we picked them up again, they we’re kind of ’new’ to us, as well as having stood the test of time already. And as for other arrangements, we did most of the stuff in the studio then and there as the ideas rose. So, there was no pre-production or actual planning, and what you hear on tape is the result of a very loose creative process. It’s all there, for better or worse.

– Sound-wise the mix is just perfect for an album like this; dirty and natural. How did you work on the production and who took such duties?
The recordings were more or less a serie of fortune and luck, driven by intuition. It is simply what pleased our ears at the moment of finalization.

 
– All this about «Codex III: The Crown of Mind» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Occult death metal.

– Before we wrap this interview up, and now as the end of the year is drawing nearer, could you please tell us what have been your 3 favourite albums of 2016?
Difficult to say, given that there are many genres to choose from, as well as the opinion of our separate tastes so it’s better left unsaid.

 
– Finally, what are now your near-future plans? You now have a full live line-up so, any shows for 2017 planned?
Nothing certain yet. As I mentioned, we’re not a touring band, but we might do a few selected shows if there are interesting opportunities. And no, there is no full line-up, Hoath is dependable on live session members.

Tania Giménez
tania@queensofsteel.com