Interview: Αχέροντας

Interview by Jeger

Is everybody in? The ceremony is about to begin… A ritual! To harness the currents that weave existence and to transcend the illusion of death. I thirst for this kind of knowledge, this profound insight into the workings of the great craft of occultism, so naturally, when the opportunity to interview VP Adept of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ arose, I seized it like the day. Not only is VP a musical artist of the world-class variety who’s been a pioneering figure within the Greek scene, but he is also a practitioner of many different currents of magick. And to have been afforded the opportunity to unlock just a sliver of this sacred knowledge is always an honor. This is where esotericism and the most precious dark art of Black Metal converge. The result is nothing short of breathtaking. During my latest interview for TIBM Greece, VP Adept of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ provides a priceless look into the science of his occult practices and the music behind what has always been more than a band, but a coven.

This Is Black Metal: Hails VP and welcome to This Is Black Metal Greece. ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ was born officially in 2007 following the disbandment of Stutthof and has been a force to be reckoned with on the scene ever since. What or who have been some of your biggest musical influences? You seem to have an affinity with Classic Cult Rock, but I could be mistaken.

V.P. Adept: Thank you for the Invitation. Music, in its truest form, is more than just sound—it is a gateway, a tool of Alchemy that alters the Mind and Spirit. While our roots are firmly planted in the esoteric realm of Black Metal, our influences extend far beyond its borders. The original Hellenic Black Metal scene shaped our foundation back in the middle of 90s, but the haunting echoes of ‘70’s Rock, the hypnotic resonance of ritual Dark Ambient genres and experimental art and even classical compositions have contributed to the essence of ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ And to me personally, the real inspiration comes not from genre but from vibration—music must carry a current, a hidden force that speaks beyond words and melody. True art is not bound by limitation; it is a weapon, an invocation and a ritual all at once.  

TIBM: ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ operates under a full lineup. Have you chosen an entire band of artists who are dedicated to occultism or just to musical mastery?

V.P. Adept: ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ has never been a conventional band. This is not a term to create an Aura around us for fame and provocation. It is a Magickal Coven, a vessel through which forces beyond the mundane manifest. While musical mastery is crucial, it is only part of the equation. Each member is chosen not only for their ability but for their devotion to The Path. We are not mere musicians—we are initiates of the Great Work, practitioners of the Arcane Arts and seekers of transcendence. The music we create is not entertainment; it is an offering, a tool for transformation and a bridge between the seen and the unseen. Those who walk this path must do so with absolute dedication, for it is a road that demands sacrifice, discipline and unwavering will. In simple words, our art is based on our Nightside Empiricism. Perhaps this sounds harsh, but it is the very reason I have been forced to reshape the coven’s ranks time and again over the past 28 years. A lack of seriousness or fake intention—and more importantly, a lack of Ethos—has no place on this path.  

TIBM: It’s said that the new LP, “ΝΕΚΥΙΑ – The Necromantic Patterns” deals in the destruction of the mortal illusion to reveal the hidden currents that weave existence. The late Jon Nödtveidt believed in the supernatural idea of the Formless Spirit, and Michayah Belfagor of Ofermod believes in an afterlife of his willful design that naturally caters to his willful desires as well. What are some of these hidden currents that weave existence, and if mortality is an illusion, then what have you learned about life beyond passing?

V.P. Adept: Mortality is the greatest deception, a veil draped over the eyes of the uninitiated. The hidden currents that weave existence are those of Will, Gnosis (Theory), Sophia (Practise) and Transformation—the forces that shape the eternal journey beyond flesh. Life does not begin at birth, nor does it end with death. To the Adept, the mortal coil is but a temporary form, a momentary expression of the infinite.

Through intense practice, ritual, and direct experience, we come to understand that existence is not linear but cyclical, a vast interplay of forces where time and space collapse. Those who fail to recognize this remain trapped, doomed to repeat the same patterns of ignorance and decay. But those who awaken to the hidden forces realize that the true Self is boundless, unshackled from flesh and time. Our Work is not to passively accept death as an end but to actively engage with the process of transformation, shaping the path beyond the veil with intention and mastery.  

Αχέροντας – Νekyia – The Necromantic Patterns (2025)

TIBM: I was doing a little research into Sumeria and Drakonian Blood, and it took me to a site that explains the importance of Dragons in Sumerian Mythology. They represent chaos on one end and are keepers of priceless information and ancient wisdom on the other. Does any of this resonate with what you study/practice through the current of Drakonian Blood?

V.P. Adept: The Dragon is the perfect embodiment of the dual nature of existence—both the Destroyer and the Creator, the embodiment of chaos and the keeper of wisdom. In many traditions, the Serpent is the initiator, the first and final gatekeeper of forbidden knowledge. In the Drakonian Current, we acknowledge the serpent as the force of transmutation, the primal energy that both dissolves and recreates.

Ancient Sumerian and Babylonian traditions spoke of the primordial Dragon as a being that bridged the abyss between Gods and mortals. To those who walk blindly, it is chaos incarnate; to those who see, it is a source of power and wisdom. The Drakonian Current flows through multiple traditions—whether Sumerian, Egyptian, or Hermetic—each revealing different facets of the same hidden flame. To align with this current is to awaken the sleeping fire within, to dissolve the self and emerge reborn, a vessel for forces far beyond the limitations of the flesh.  

TIBM: So many of us are plagued by the inevitability of death to the point of just wanting to shut down and wonder what the hell it’s all for. We spend more time running from the reality of grim death than we realize. I would wager that as a practitioner who’s versed in the science of ritual and magick that your understanding of life and rebirth has got to be liberating as both a human being and as an artist.  

V.P. Adept: Deathism is an illusion—a weapon of control forged by society, religion, and corrupted philosophies built on contradiction. Before one dares to walk the path of sacred sciences, they must first master history, philosophy, and ancient traditions—sharpening their discernment to extract truth from the mire of deception.  

Death is not to be embraced—it is to be conquered. The ancient Egyptians understood this well, seeing death not as an ending but as the final enemy that must be overcome. The greatest Pharaohs did not resign themselves to mortality but actively sought to defy it, building vast necropolises, preserving their physical vessels and crafting elaborate rites to ensure their sovereignty beyond the grave. This is not metaphor but reality—through the correct practice of Magick, Ritual, and the mastery of Will, one can extend existence beyond the threshold of death. The ancient texts of Egypt, from the Pyramid Texts to the Book of Coming Forth by Day, were not mere funerary traditions but blueprints for Godhood. The Adept does not surrender to the cycle of decay but seeks to break free from it, to achieve the state of the Akh—the perfected, luminous Self.

Through our Work, both musical and spiritual, we continue this tradition. ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ is not an act of artistic expression alone but a method of ascent, a declaration of defiance against the forces of dissolution. Death is not the liberator—conquest of death is. Yet most so-called practitioners are more obsessed with crafting a hollow image of darkness, mistaking theatrics for depth. True spirituality is not Black Metal poetry, nor is it a playground for childish “evil” manifestos. It is far beyond such empty posturing. Unfortunately, most interior people want to be gurus and teachers… True wisdom lies in always maintaining the spirit of the student and humility. Megalomania and the need for superiority and distinction are a form of inner death and delusion.

Unfortunately, the Occult has become a mask for pseudo-elitism for many, serving as an escape from the mundane world due to a lack of will to seize life with strength and might. One cannot live as a slave or an agoraphobic during the day and still strive for illumination in the shadows of the night. You are what you are in every aspect of life. Meditation and inner transformation do not occur solely in dark chambers but also in the mundane existence that so many choose to ignore. As Above So Below.

TIBM: The idea of astral Vampirism is seemingly a two-faced concept where on one end of the spectrum, you have the idea of an astral being that draws energy from the living. And I was also reading about the concept of psychic or energy Vampires, which are metaphors for people who drain you of your energy and motivation by wearing you down with manipulation and their negative energy. What exactly is astral Vampirism and what’s been your personal experience with the Astral Plane?

V.P. Adept: Astral Vampirism is not a mere metaphor nor a product of abstract philosophy; it is a path of power, a conduit between the physical and the unseen. It is the act of drawing forth the essence of life, the prana, from the currents that weave through existence, not in a parasitic sense, but in accordance with the Will of the Adept. In the ancient traditions, those who mastered this current were not mere leeches but vessels of transformation, wielding the energy they siphon as a force of spiritual evolution. To walk the Astral Plane is to navigate a domain where forms dissolve and true nature is revealed—an experience that is both intoxicating and perilous. There the veil is lifted, and one comes face to face with the echoes of their own Will.  

Αχέροντας – Νekyia – The Necromantic Patterns (2025)

TIBM: I was also reading about your delving into Luciferian Magick. My discussion with Semjaza of Thy Darkened Shade was a profound one. He was explaining to me his experience with Lucifer as a vastly complicated one. It seems that only a decades-long adept could even handle being in the presence of such power. What’s been your experience with Luciferian Magick and have you ever made contact with Him via ritual summoning?

V.P. Adept: Luciferian Magick is not a singular doctrine nor an easily deciphered system—it is a torch within the abyss, illuminating both the ascent and the fall. The essence of Lucifer is beyond the constraints of myth and dogma; it is the flame of rebellion, the liberation from imposed illusions, and the path of self-deification. To stand before His presence is not to invoke a deity as a supplicant, but to reflect upon the divine spark within. My workings in this current have never been those of blind servitude, but of exploration and transformation—rituals of fire and gnosis where one’s limits are burned away and a new form is forged in their place. Those who merely seek power will find ruin, for Luciferian Magick is not a path of simple desires but of total transfiguration.  

TIBM: You don’t seem to be at all influenced by Satanic practices.

V.P. Adept: The word “Satanic” has become a diluted term, often shackled by cultural projections and dogmatic interpretations. I have no interest in adopting labels that serve to define or constrain the spiritual path. True magic is not bound to religious or anti-religious ideologies; it is an ancient current, predating and surpassing the dualistic struggles of modern definitions. The Left-Hand Path, in its true essence, is the road of self-sovereignty where the practitioner becomes the architect of their own destiny, not the prisoner of titles.  

TIBM: Some bands like Lucifer’s Child incorporate live summonings into their music, I guess as a way to better convey a ritualistic kind of energy to the listener, but George Emmanuel explained to me his reasoning behind why he doesn’t discuss occult matters and I guess it made some sense, so I’ll never know if these summonings were performed by the band or if it’s just a recorded segment.

Has any of the new album been inspired by ritual and did you incorporate any rituals into the music of the new album?

V.P. Adept: Our work has always been inseparable from ritual. Each album is not merely a collection of songs but a sanctified act, an audible gateway to the spiritual currents that drive us. The new album is no exception. The process is one of true invocation—where the music is not just composed, but channeled, breathed into existence through rites that transcend the mundane. Every note, every passage is aligned with the Will, carrying the resonance of sacred workings into the material plane. This is not performance; this is an offering.  

TIBM: You’ve been at this since long before ΑΧΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ as a pioneering artist of the second wave Greek scene. I can honestly say that the Greeks have done a most noble job of maintaining a level of staunch genre integrity. Even your biggest scene players, Rotting Christ and Varathron, still operate below surface level. How do you feel about the idea of mainstream black metal?

V.P. Adept: Black Metal was never meant to be embraced by the masses. It is a force of opposition, a fire set to burn illusions, a vessel of spiritual transmutation for those who dare to walk its path. To seek acceptance is to defile its essence—to strip it of its adversarial nature and render it a hollow shell. The Greek scene has endured because it was never forged in the pursuit of trends or commercial validation in the past. It was born from necessity, from a Will that rejects the mundane plastic Society and aspires toward something far greater.

Those who attempt to dilute this essence in exchange for recognition have already betrayed the very currents that Black Metal was meant to channel. True Black Metal is not entertainment; it is an act of defiance, an offering to the Unknown, a descent into the abyss to emerge reborn. It will always remain beneath the surface, hidden from the hands of those who seek to bend it into something palatable. Its flame must remain untamed, its spirit untouched—forever a weapon against stagnation and submission.

TIBM: What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned about life through your time spent as a practitioner and Black Metal artist?

V.P. Adept: That true power lies in Iron Will & Ethos. The path to transformation is paved with sacrifice. That freedom is not given—it is taken, earned through struggle and unyielding devotion. We are not bound by flesh, nor by time, nor by the illusions imposed upon us by the world. The only limitation is that which we fail to destroy within ourselves. The Black Flame is eternal. The Work never ends. The Great Serpent coils ever onward. Theory without practice is an empty Womb. Practice without theory is Blindness. Spirit above matter!  

TIBM: V.P. Adept, thanks for your time!