Showing posts with label Astrum Malum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astrum Malum. Show all posts

Friday, November 21, 2014

Astrum Malum Interview


Interview - ASTRUM MALUM
For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Astrum Malum was created in the autumn of 2014. The first songs were created quite fast since I had a very clear picture of how this project should sound like. The music is done completely with a single software, except for the guitars and vocals. This is how I plan to work in the future as well.

Recently you have released an Ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
 In my view, about half of the music is a combination of quite minimalistic “Neo Classical” sounds combined with electronic Ambient and Industrial sounds. The other half is a combination of Doom, Sludge and Black Metal. In the future I intend to include more Noise and electronics in general, as well as more Symphonic orchestral feelings.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
The themes of the Ep deal with the loops and mirror-houses of human consciousness, and on the other hand spiritual death. Very Alchemical and Buddhist actually, although most of the world’s spiritual systems deal with these same topics, ideally.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Astrum Malum'?
 The name in Latin means “Evil Star”, at least that’s how I’ve meant it, and is a symbol of basically two things: The human consciousness itself, and the cultures it produces. The project wants to fuse the ancient with the modern, and the destructiveness of Western culture and the spirituality of the East, on some levels.

 With this project you record all of the instruments while you have some help with the lyrics and vocals, are there any plans to hire a full time line up in the future?
 I have had so much bad experiences with working as a “band” with many people in the past, that with this project I try to handle things as much as possible on my own. I am however fortunate to have two individuals co-operating with me with on the Ep with the lyrics, the other one of these also speaking Latin. I hope this will continue in the future as well.

 Recently SisSixSix Music have released your Ep and another recording from one of your other projects. Are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
 Actually Astrum Malum is the only project I have that’s been released by SixSixSix Music. Steve has been very helpful, and has many years of experience in label-work. He’s a pro!

 On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to this musical project by fans of black metal?
 It’s hard to tell, since the Ep has been out for such little time, but there have been a few positive reviews at this point. This is the first interview I’m answering with Astrum Malum.

 What is going on with some of the other musical projects these days that you are involved with?
 I have been doing Black Metal -related music since the mid-nineties, and there have been a lot of small projects, but may main bands at the moment besides Astrum Malum are: Taatsi (creating Nature Mystical Black Metal), and Vinoristi (formerly known as TKNKNTJ, Punk-influenced impetuous Blackened Metal)

Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
With Astrum Malum, I will continue along the paths begun with the Ep, releasing a full-length album in 2015.

What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I listen to so many different styles of music, it would be a long answer to list all the things I love, but in the case of Astrum Malum I have (always) wanted to create feelings mixing Dead Can Dance with the Tron: Legacy OST by Daft Punk (if you know what I mean), mixed also of course with Sludgy Black Metal.

How would you describe your views on Satanism, Luciferianism, and Occultism?
The proper nouns Satan and Lucifer mean today in peoples mind quite the different things they originally stand for, but I have been fascinated by the characters in the works of for example Milton, Dante, Bulgakov and Goethe since a kid. I have also quite liked the sense of humour Anton LaVey had. There have been periods in my life when terms like “Luciferian” or “Satanist” have meant a lot to me, but now at the age of 34 these would not be my first choices of words describing myself.
I have been into Ritual Magick, studying different religions and spiritual systems etc. since my early teens, but these days my practice revolves mostly around Yoga, Meditation, and Kabbalah.

 What are some of your non musical interests?
Besides the above-mentioned activities, I am for example into reading psychology and neurology, psychedelic themes, lifting weights and training boxing, as well as raising my daughter.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Like I mentioned earlier, this was the first interview I’ve done with Astrum Malum, many thanks for that, and your support in general! The Ep “Nether Knot” is available from SixSixSix Music, and a full-length album will be released by an yet unnamed label in 2015!

Bandcamp

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Astrum Malum/Nether Knot/SixSixSix Music/2014 EP Review


  Astrum  Malum  are  a  1  man  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  neo-classical,  dark  ambient,  black  metal  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of    2014  ep  "Nether  Knot"  which  was  released  by  SixSixSix  Music.

  A  very  symphonic  and  epic  neo-classical  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  they  also  mix  it  in  with  heavy  guitars  and  grim  yet  deep  black  metal  growls  and  screams  and  the  programmed  beats  bring  in  a  militant  and  industrial  feeling  and  at  times  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  At  times  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  utilized  on  this  recording  along  with  the  slower  riffing  bringing  in  a  very  heavy  sludge/doom  metal  feeling  and  when  solos  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,  talent  and  skill  and  on  the  last  track  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  aprts.

  Astrum  Malum  creates  a  very  original  sound  with  his  music  taking  a  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  which  he  mixes  in  with  the  slower  riffing  of  sludge/doom  metal  and  the  atmosphere  of  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  divided  into  a  3  song  concept  and  have  a  very  dark  subject  content  to  them.

  In  my  opinion  Astrum  Malum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal,  sludge,  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Part  II".  8  out  10.

Bandcamp