BLACK ALTAR (Black Metal – Poland) – Interview for KICK ASS FOREVER via Angels PR Worldwide Music Promotion #BlackAltar

Interview conducted & submitted by Marian Nicolaou via Angels Pr Music Promotion

Band Links:
Black Altar: Website: http://www.black-altar-horde.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackaltar
Bandcamp: https://blackaltar.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackaltarband

• Hello guys! I admit, I am new to this band but everything I’ve heard so far I’m really liking, especially your last video “Sacrilegious Congregation”. Thank you for your music!

Hi! I’m glad that you like it. 

• Let us begin by asking first, how and when did Black Altar started?

What made you so keen about the music and the music industry? Why do you play music?

Black Altar started in 1996 as my solo project. From an early age, when I started listening to metal, I admired various bands, I had my idols and it was natural for me that I also wanted to have my own band and start playing. And that happened, although the beginning was difficult, because I had virtually no skills or other musicians to help me, but slowly I was moving forward and shaping my style and improving skills. You could say that I make my youth dreams come true.

• What’s the overall reaction to “Black Altar,” so far?

Overall good. The band has been around for 26 years and has some kind of reputation and a fan base around the world. Not everyone likes what I do, but there are also fanatical fans. So generally it’s getting better.

• What do you hope the listener experiences when they listen to the band?

It would be nice if he stepped out of his comfort zone, felt anxious, and, speaking in earnest, a touch of Evil. To feel the atmosphere, the lyrics, to experience the world that we are trying to create in music and lyrics.

• About being on stage…have you ever had to deal with performance anxiety?

I don’t know because I have never played any gigs yet. I should start next year so ask me in the future. 

• What is your songwriting process like? Where does your inspiration come from personally?

Mostly it starts with some riff, often a chorus, and continues to develop by adding other suitable riffs. Sometimes I also come up with lyrics, usually a refrain to which I put music.

• What’s the band’s biggest problem you’ve had to face and overcome so far?

I think that there is no proper line-up, so far I have encountered different people, either not very committed or without ambition or the right skills, or with some mental problems, etc. Fortunately, that is a thing from the past and at the moment I have the best line-up in the history of the band with which you can achieve almost anything.

• Well, can you tell us about the video for this great song “Sacrilegious Congregation”. Awesome lyrics! You seem that you enjoyed the shots, right?

I’m glad that you like it, especially that I’m an author of music, lyrics and video concept. This track, and the whole split in general, was meant to be a kind of tribute to 90s black metal. In terms of lyrics, I also wanted it to refer to this atmosphere. Therefore, the lyrics of “Sacrilegious Congregation” is about a very typical black metal theme, which is the coven of witches, witchcraft, medieval devil worship, etc. I wanted to add a video clip that would bring this atmosphere. I used excerpts from 2 horror movies, including the iconic “Haxan” from 100 years ago, mixed it with excerpts from my shots that I had left from the previous video “Tophet” (from the the split with Beastcraft). It also seems that everything fits together well and reflects this primal, a bit naive atmosphere of black metal from the 90s.

• What do you like to do when not performing or practicing? What’s your world like outside of music? Any hobbies or fun stuff?

To be honest, dealing with musical matters, especially my record label Odium Records, and promoting the bands, takes me several hours a day, so I don’t have much time for anything else, which I regret, because I have quite broad interests.

• What are the band’s immediate plans for 2022?

This year will be very busy for Black Altar, because we will issue three new releases. Tomorrow will be the premiere of the split with the Norwegian Vulture Lord, later, around May, a compilation of songs from the last 3 splits with one new one will be released for the certain cult label. Around September, a split with 2 cult bands will be released. I don’t want to reveal any names yet. In addition, we are preparing for our first gigs.

• I want to thank you for taking the time out of your extremely busy schedule to speak with us today. Do you have any last words or messages that you would like to share with everyone out there?

I also thank you for your interest in the band and I invite the readers to familiarize themselves with the works of Black Altar. Follow the path of Darkness and you will see the Light!