Interview by Jeger
As they slept, evil prevailed… As hooves upon old cobblestone do the heart tick and then tock when Carach Angren emerge with all new tales of dastardly nighttime happenings: lore and legend – fabled characters enriched by the essence of the most theatrical/dramatic school of Extreme Metal – the most eloquent art of Black Metal. As within dusty Castles forlorn, corridors energized by the enchantment of the foulest necromancy does the mind awaken to the atmosphere of such an immersive environment as what is the world of Carach Angren: the narrations and the scores, the classical passages and the visuals. The duo began their artistic endeavor under the CA banner in ‘03, and five years later did Carach Angren released their debut LP, “Lammendam” – a concept album that details the legend of the White Lady of Schinveld. Since its release, Carach Angren have only become more ardent in their research and more daring in the execution of their records. Horror Black Metal! Not lame ’80s cheese horror, but the refined and artistic type like Interview with the Vampire. And with all the elegance and the sophistication to go along with it.
Now, a familiar evil is back upon us! Carach Angren are set to release their brand new EP, “The Cult of Kariba”, on October 17 via Season of Mist. With this latest volume, CA has chosen to make a conceptual return to the tale that started it all. The White Lady again, but with added character depth and deeper historical significance. Another grande achievement! So, I decided to have a word with Ardek, so we could go over some of the band’s history, his view of the world of art and literature, and how it stands today, true Black Metal and of course “The Cult of Kariba”. Grab your torches and pitchforks! It’s gonna be one of those nights…
This Is Black Metal: Hails! And welcome to This is Black Metal. A little background to get things started for us: Carach Angren was formed out of the admiration of theatre, classical music and film scores. How did the project officially take form and are the above-mentioned branches of the performing arts areas in which you’ve studied formally?
Ardek: Besides the things you mention, Seregor and I have a shared passion for everything Horror. We formed CA initially as a project back in 2003. I felt it would be clever to have a release early on, so we decided to make a Demo or EP. It made sense to try and tell a story spanning over a couple of songs. We stumbled upon the story of the Chase Vault Coffins, and so it happened. It all grew naturally from that point, honestly. The storytelling element is really something that works for us. I had some former musical education, but for the rest, we did everything ourselves.
TIBM: You both played in a band known as Vaultage before forming Carach Angren. What is it that you feel was missing from Vaultage that made you decide to leave?
Ardek: Vaultage was cool, and I have fond memories of it. It was a different project altogether, but we had a lot of good times. It was more so through that band that I got to know Seregor better, so it was a natural progression for us to move towards a more darker style; hence CA was born. Also, for me personally, it counts that I’ve always wanted to be a main Composer/ Songwriter, and with Seregor agreeing that I have that role, naturally, building upon that, we crafted a golden working relationship that functions like a machine. I’m very grateful for that.
TIBM: Much thought and substance go into every Carach Angren album. Conceptually, each album tells a tale of horror folklore and some of it is rather obscure. I would imagine that a good deal of study goes into your music. How would you describe the writing – more specifically – the lyric writing process for Carach Angren’s records?
Ardek: Once we agree upon a story or subject, we sort of dive into it. It can mean watching movies, reading things, etc. It all happens naturally, because we really are into this kind of stuff. For this release, I was reading short stories by Lovecraft. This gave me the idea for the Cult. Combining this with the existing historical records of Lammendam seemingly led to the main story.
We also don’t allow ourselves to be confined by the story; in that sense, I feel music still has to have priority. We also like to combine literal ways of storytelling with more abstract ways. Here, the story starts rather literary, telling the tale of a cult; mysteriously lurking the listener in. Then we inject some historical context and suddenly: musically and lyrically disrupt the flow with the uninvited attacker in the song “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf”.
TIBM: The Carach Angren story begins with the tale of the White Lady from Schinveld, as detailed by your debut LP, “Lammendam”. Your forthcoming EP, “The Cult of Kariba”, is a thematic revisitation of said tale, but with added elements of historical and character depth. Can you give us an idea of the story behind the White Lady?
Ardek: When we revisited the story, we learned that there are many more layers and spin-offs to it than we initially thought. Some parts go back even into the Dark Ages. I think this is what happens to urban legends. They seem to be “alive” and develop through the course of history. It’s fascinating if you think about it. Some of it is based on facts, but a lot is also fiction. It terrifies and inspires people, and that’s how it manages to stay alive… We found out about a poem written in 1870 depicting the White Lady as a Witch called Kariba.
She would handle poison as her weapon of choice, deceive and kill people who tried to approach her. We think that because of this poem, the stories got interjected. Maybe the White Lady and the Witch were one or maybe not. The story we decided to tell is mainly fictional; based on some historical facts.
TIBM: What kind of surprises can we expect with our new friend Kariba? How does she play into the story?
Ardek: We tell the story of a secret Cult trying to resurrect the ghost of Kariba via sacrifices and rituals. Of course, this goes wrong, and instead, they raise one of her attackers from the dead. He is out for vengeance. This fiend is described in the song “Ik kom uit het graf”. This is why the song musically and lyrically is different from the others. It’s like an uninvited guest. During the last song, the Witch herself comes back to take everything and everyone back into her grave. Happy ending…
TIBM: What does your touring schedule look like in support of the new EP?
Ardek: We just concluded an Asian tour, which was amazing. We did several shows in China and concluded with a show in Japan. We are also booking European festivals for next year and exploring other touring options coming in.
Carach Angren
TIBM: Would you say that Carach Angren’s live performances are equally as important as your studio recordings? I imagine the live CA experience to be quite immersive.
Ardek: Yes, they go hand in hand. First come the songs of course, because without those, there’s nothing to play. We feel the songs give us a very strong stage presence automatically. It feels natural for us to move around the stage based on the musical transitions within the songs.
TIBM: The age of mystification is fading! What to do without all of the Dippels and the Karibas of the world? As we enter further into the future, our story becomes evermore brutal and dull. And people are not appreciating art the way they used to. They are not reading the way they used to. From the vantage point of these soulless days, it’s not looking like the brightest future for art, literature and music. What are your thoughts?
Ardek: Good point. I think it’s futile to try and combat it. A lot of it has been coming for a long time. People talk about AI a lot, but honestly, a majority have been making boring music and art for some time now. Also, making art/music and releasing it has never been easier, but we are seeing the downside now. There is way too much. I think that the only way forward is to just keep going. We have always done this, because we like it. We never did it for a particular result, and that’s why we are still going.
I think that’s the way to do it. If you start making music for success or Spotify plays, you are doomed. Another thing is that even if you have success… it can be gone tomorrow. To me, the good thing about this time is that it forces me to be even better at what I do. If anyone, including AI can make music, it forces me to be honest and make something truly special/unique or at least try. We are fortunate that a lot of people listen to our music, but we don’t take it for granted, ever. We still remember the days when no one was listening, and we still had the greatest time making it. I think that is key.
TIBM: Some curmudgeons would most certainly argue that Carach Angren is not a “True” Black Metal band. Some would argue that True Black Metal is a Satanic art. Others that if it’s not underground, then it’s worthless. Needless to say, people take their Black Metal seriously. Do you subscribe at all to the idea of True Black Metal or the notion that BM should be conserved or even gated? Personally, I feel like as long as it is genuine, then it is true.
Ardek: The reasoning is futile. I don’t care what people call our music or art, to be honest. We never tried to be like certain bands from the early days in the ’80s or ’90s. That much is clear. I was very much into some of the more obscure stuff back then, and still appreciate it. We are doing different things, so I don’t get why someone would get upset about it at all. There is always going to be the random online idiot posting something stupid; projecting his own insecurities into a YouTube comment.
TIBM: Do you have any ideas blooming for a new LP anytime soon?
Ardek: For us, this one feels like a new LP!!! It’s a bit shorter, but for the rest: all the work and energy went into it as usual.
TIBM: Do you have a message for your followers?
Ardek: Thanks for the ongoing support.
TIBM: A special thank you to Carach Angren, Ardek and Season of Mist.