Interview with INFERNO (Cze)

Answers by Adramelech (vocals, lyrics) and Spící hrdlo Antikrista (concepts)

1. 1. Hail Adramelech, welcome back to Antichrist magazine. We have spoken before back 2017 when you released your previous work of excellence Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution). It’s a pleasure to have you back with us again. Despite the shitty situation with the pandemic it’s great to see bands still releasing great albums. How was you approach and songwriting different from the previous album?

Adramelech: It might sound weird but this time we approached the composing in a way an artist approaches a painting. That is the reason why we use the work soundscapes when referring to our music because for us the guitar tones are the colours and with them we paint visions. The creation of music and concepts also shifted to personal isolation (even before pandemics), everyone worked with their own soul, created their own musical or conceptual universe with me coordinating the process and providing my own input. Another important thing is that when composing and recording demos the guitarist Ska-Gul utilized only simple programmed drums. The previous album’s material was rehearsed with drummers and this time our new drummer Sheafraidh (who also assisted with the recording) was requested to transform the primitive rhythmic foundation into something cathartic and personal only when the music was more-or-less finished. Though we did several important changes in composition later during the recording phases.

1. 2. Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution) was trippy and going places at times, but Paradeigma really took it on another level. Was this the plan from the beginning or something that happened along the way?

We definitely wanted to take every aspect of our music further and make the material darker and more idiosyncratic. However, the creative journey was full of unexpected turns and twists. So even though we had quite specific plans when it comes to music and concepts, the final form of the album was surprising even for us.

1. 3. As it was mentioned, the album was influenced by books “The Cosmos as Self-Creation” from Czech writer Michal Ajvaz, “Time Reborn” by the physicist Lee Smolin and “The Red Book” by Carl Jung. Were you always into this kind of books and how did it seeped in your music?

Spící hrdlo Antikrista: Me and Adramelech have enjoyed scientific literature since always, even though the albums “Nikdy nepokřtěni”, “Black Devotion” and “Omniabsence Filled by His Greatness” drew almost exclusively from the esoteric and decadent literary sources. But for example “Ω ≻ 1 (Oscillation in Timelessness)” from “Gnosis Kardias” presents a collision of the kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum with Roger Penrose’s conformal cyclic cosmology.

The three books you mention provide the fundamental background of the concept and they were linked by various synchronicities. The music and concept were created independently on each other, though there were moments when we discussed the intent of our personal work and found out how strongly interconnected we are subconsciously. It was truly magical to realize how our creative journeys met at the mutual point and enriched each other. But I would say that music eventually had a greater effect on the concept/lyrics than the other way around.

1. 4. Besides these books are there any other that you would like to recommend to our viewers who are interested in these kind of subjects?

Spící hrdlo Antikrista: I will limit myself and mention only authors who had a direct impact on Paradeigma. What greatly influenced our notion of cosmic self-organisation were Ilya Prigogine´s Order out of Chaos and Erwin Schrödinger’ What is Life? Though in this case we mostly drew from Ajvaz’s book, which is not available in English.

What deserves the mention is Roger Penrose and his cyclical cosmological theory with orchestrated objective reduction theory. Bataille’s limit experience or Eliade’s writings on the perception of time had a lesser but still recognizable impact. We also felt influenced by Austin Osman Spare approach to magic and art or the poetic nature of Andrew Chumbley’s Azoëtia. Eugene Thacker’s Horror of Philosophy trilogy convinced us that misreading philosophical and/or scientific writings as works of a different genre can be very inspirational. And we will always owe much to the foundation of our European civilization, the wisdom of Ancient Greek philosophers. Also make sure to acquaint yourselves with the ouvre of Carl Gustav Jung. So why don´t you start right away with Man and his Symbols? That one is quite accessible.

1. 5. Who did the cover for the album? What was the theme behind it?

Adramelech: We worked with Elijah Tamu (Ikonostasis Art) on the artwork. We gave him an outline of our concept, provided some architectural and artistic references and then he blew our minds. Personally, I interpret the cover art as something you might hallucinate when dreaming lucidly in some sanctuary. The daa´thian light seeps from beyond the shapes and forms dreamed forth by the devilgod and the sounds of Paradeigma accentuate this liminal experience.

1. 6. You are under a new label Debemur Morti Productions, which have other excellent bands like Blut Aus Nord and Behexen, what happened with World Terror Committee? Was it a similar situation like with Agonia records?

Adramelech: Activities of WTC slowed down a bit in the past few years but the truth remains that our cooperation was excellent and we hail Sven for his support. We simply like to try new things and generally sign contracts for single albums. Thus, last year we approached several prominent European labels that focus on Black Metal about the release of our new album. When we received positive replies from most of them, we discussed a few important things and then decided to release the new album through Debemur Morti as we wanted to join the splendid company you mention. And as expected, the cooperation has been remarkable.

1. 7. You also changed the producer; Stephen Lockhart for this album. How was it to work with him?

Adramelech: Definitely beneficial. We tried our cooperation out when working on the “Zos Vel Thagirion” split with Devathorn and took things way further with “Paradeigma”. Stephen had some great suggestions and worked hard on realizing our very abstract goals and demanding requirements, for which we salute him. It also helps that his band’s opus “Tabernaculum” is one of the greatest black metal releases (musically and soundwise) of the past decade and that he is also a great fan of Inferno.

1. 8. Let’s switch gears a bit; what made you pick up the microphone and who are your influences as a vocalist in a black metal band?

Adramelech: Well, a bunch of teenage metal fanatics met who wanted to start a band and a vocalist was needed. I also enjoyed writing lyrics, even dabbled in poetry at that time and so I took up the microphone and screamed my lungs off. Back then I might have looked up to giants like Mille Petrozza, Chuck Schuldiner or Quorthon but since I have never considered myself a talented vocalist I had to find my own ways of expression. Which I did.

1. 9. Inferno has such a rich history of releases and the last three albums are really something else which I come back regularly, but which album/track is your personal favorite from your catalogue?

Adramelech: I do not really have favourites but it is true that I have had strong experiences when performing “The Funeral of Existence”. It is more about my personal communion with the lyrics and how the words, for example, work with the music. For that reason I look forward to play “Stars Within and Stars Without Projected into the Matrix of Time” from the latest album.

Spící hrdlo Antikrista: From the old catalog I would definitely recommend people to try “Uctívání temné zuřivosti” as the songs “Tyranie nesvatého umění” a “Vidím v plamenech tvou víru skrze černý kov” give me goosebumps even after more than 10 years.

1. 10. Adramelech, thank you so much for your time, congratulations on your great new opus and hope to see you live as soon as possible. Take care and stay heavy.

Adramelech: Thank you for the support over the years. The war never ends.