Interview: Sicarius
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Interview by Jeger
The more you see, the more you hate. Such is the way of life here on planet Earth among the wretched Herd. Our experiences with one another as humans define our outlook on the world. For some people, people who have perhaps seen too much, this is where misanthropy and nihilism are born. Or just a really maligned view of humanity in general. One thing is for sure, and that is the fact that all of this makes for great Black Metal, violent and vengeful Black Metal for gagged mouths and hammered fingers, for torture and for that blessed release when the kill is made…
Sicarius is a band of astute Black Metal Artists, versed in the ancient art of killing and proficient in their delivery of highly aggressive BM. Their goal? Simply to embody the fury and violent spirit of Black Metal through music that properly represents the genre. Mission accomplished…
Christian fundamentalism is back on the rise in The States, religious hysteria is taking its grip and Armageddon has unofficially started. Now is the time for chaos and hatred! Now is the time for Sicarius… During my latest interview for This is Black Metal, Greece, Argyris of Sicarius goes into some of his military background, his worldview, the current state of USBM and Sicarius’ brand new album, “Nex”, scheduled for an April 10 release via Adirondack Black Mass.
This Is Black Metal: Hails! And welcome to This is Black Metal. I was instantly on board with you guys once I read about your modus operandi: “to embody the fury and violent spirit of Black Metal”. Aside from this bold statement, what are some of your values and ideals as a Black Metal band?
Argyris: In a nutshell, you summarized it overall. Our intent has always been to showcase the dynamic of violent potential in the art form.
TIBM: I can think of a few bands that can compete with your level of aggression. Revenge comes to mind. Both of you evidently have a deep-seated disdain for humanity in general, as evidenced by, well, everything you’re doing right now… What is it that inspired you to start creating music of such a volatile nature?
Argyris: I’d say for me, personally, the inspiration always began in Afghanistan in 2012. I was deployed there in the Marines in an infantry battalion. You develop an honest look at the world. You visit different countries, continents and cultures. You fight in foreign countries, fundamentally opposite from your lifestyle. War is just a different animal. It shows how raw and primal things can be, and it changes you.
You come back to “normal” society and things do not compute. You have friends who kill themselves because they can’t switch back. For me, this kind of art was an outlet to bleed all those experiences into. Destroyers create things or else they destroy themselves…
Sicarius
TIBM: I interviewed another band a couple of years ago, Wuldorgast, that reminds me of Sicarius as well. The project visionary had some choice words to say about the current USBM scene. Something along the lines of the scene being full of weaklings. I’d say that the USBM movement is one that is finally starting to develop a real identity. How do you feel about the current state of USBM?
Argyris: We don’t really care about what others do. Black metal scenes are like pirate havens; everyone has their own objective. Sometimes objectives align and bands work together or form bonds, but at the end of the day, this genre is about the darker energy of our species. This is a very chaotic genre of Metal that inherently comes with clashing ideals, but it usually governs itself.
I will say this: the current political climate of the United States has been brewing a revival of Christian fundamentalism, one that we haven’t seen since the 1980’s and 90’s. And we allowed it to fester and it’s only getting worse. We have a new generation being brainwashed by the Jesus machine. In vast numbers. If Black Metal is supposed to be a war, then we choose to address the priority threats, rather than shit we could not give less of a fuck about.
TIBM Let’s get into your new album, “Nex”, scheduled for an April 10 release through Adirondack Black Mass. If you had to attach a concept to the record, what would it entail?
Argyris: Death, rebirth, vengeance.
TIBM: You resurrected Sicarius with your comrade, Carnage before recording “Nex”. What made you wanna give Sicarius another go? How has it been so far and a little insight into the writing/recording process for the new LP, please.
Argyris: I stepped away from music in 2018. I hadn’t really talked to anyone for a few years. When I reconnected with Carnage, he was essentially the last remaining member, as COVID derailed the momentum. So, we decided to rebuild with a new focus. Writing honestly came naturally. Carnage already had a bunch of material. I immediately had material pouring out after I re-joined. We combined it all together and had the songs figured out within a couple of months. The recording took about nine months with one month of preproduction.
TIBM: “Nex” feels very much like a statement of an album. Would you say that “Nex” is the album that best represents what Sicarius’ stands for and the message you’re trying to convey?
Argyris: Absolutely.
TIBM: What was the greatest difficulty you faced in making the new album?
Argyris: We didn’t have a drummer when production started. Myself and Kyle – our engineer/studio head – had the drums programmed but it wasn’t really hitting for me. Levi Xvl is an insane drummer and a friend since Sicarius’ early days and it was a pleasure having him drum on the record.
His style complements the attack we go for. We also didn’t have a vocalist anymore, so we recruited Akefalos halfway into the recording process, which was the perfect fit. He and I wrote a lot of the lyrics/arrangements etc. Overall, the recording process, while being our longest, was the least difficult by far.
TIBM: I would say that Sicarius is a true Black Metal band, because you’ve accomplished your goal in embodying the spirit of what is much more than a genre of music to some, but a way of life. But how do you feel about the people (and there are plenty of these guys out there, Micayah from Ofermod in particular) who believe that only Satanic BM is true BM. Thoughts?
Argyris: I think Black Metal has always been deeply rooted in black magic, and in my opinion, it should hold some connection with that element. However, I don’t think it’s mutually exclusive. Black Metal is about chaotic rebellion and hatred – opposition. I incorporate elements of death worship into this, as I believe my connection and fascination with death aspects like Qayin and Santa La Muerte go hand in hand with the violent mantra this band has always stood behind.
TIBM: How’s the future looking for Sicarius?
Argyris: We’re currently rebuilding momentum, we’re performing in Hollywood on our album release date and are currently looking at booking in other countries later in the year.
To war we ride…
TIBM: Thanks for your time!
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