AN NCS INTERVIEW: SULPHUR AEON

(Today we present Comrade Aleks‘ recent interview with members of the German extreme metal band Sulphur Aeon. Their new album Seven Crowns and Seven Seals will be released on October 13th by Ván Records.)

Sulphur Aeon is the one of most productive extreme metal bands among those which spread the ruinous gospel of Lovecraftian cosmic horror and crawling chaos. They’ve treaded their path with absolute dedication, and they’ve provided three quite individual full-length albums since their foundation in 2010.

The band’s new release Seven Crowns and Seven Seals seems to be going off H. P.’s plots, but things aren’t as simple as they seem sometimes, and it’s always interesting to know what lies beneath the surface.

Sulphur Aeon’s members are known mostly just as T. (guitars), M. (vocals), D. (drums), S. (bass), and A. (guitars). So let it be, as the music is what really matters. Though the official release date was set on the 13th of October by Ván Records, we got in touch with Sulphur Aeon almost immediately, and M. along with T. replied.

 

 

Hi gents! Let me congratulate you and Sulphur Aeon on the forthcoming release of your new album Seven Crowns and Seven Seals. How do you spend this current period? I didn’t find if you have planned an exclusive release show or a big tour to support the album. 

M: Thank you! Well, we don’t have any specific plans yet. We have two shows left for this year and I don’t think we’ll add any more for the rest of 2023.

 

These songs were recorded back in 2022. Is this material topical for you still? Or do you see it like an already passed chapter and you’re thinking about new tracks already?

T.: We are really looking forward to playing the new material live, so it is actually our main focus, so to say. I have at this moment not thought about new songs, this will need some time.

M: Of course, it is. It’s our most recent material. The way I see it is that each album opened a new chapter without completely shutting the previous one.

 

You recorded these songs with Michael Zech and Simon Werner as your sound-producers, just like it was with your previous album The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos. How do you collaborate with them in the studio nowadays? Are you open to some proposals from their side or do you enter the studio with a totally composed album and don’t need any advice?

T.: Both of them are really important parts of the Sulphur Aeon-sound and we are always open for their ideas. For the last two records there was a pre-meeting, where I exchanged ideas with Michael about the guitar-parts. It’s not about changing a complete arrangement (I would even be open to that, if it serves the song), but Michael has an amazing feeling for music and added some great melodies, and for example the ending-riff of the title track.

But when we enter the studio, the material is written and it’s about getting the perfect take and sounds. Simon and Michael were also involved in some drum-arrangements, some details to get the best result. When it comes to mixing, we are not even present and have total trust in their vision. We got some updates of the progress, and this time we were happy with the result from quite the beginning. There were only some very small details where we had to think about “this, or that way”…

M: I am very much open to suggestions and ideas. There usually is a rough vision in my head of what I want to do that needs to take shape. Sometimes, things happen spontaneously. The question is never “Should I do it?”, it’s more like “Am I able to do that?”. Michael and I exchange ideas, we talk about them, we try out. He understands me and I understand him.

 

 

The band’s first album Swallowed by the Ocean’s Tide was released ten years ago, how far did you move from it with Seven Crowns and Seven Seals?

T.: That is hard to answer, because for me that is a flowing process over all the years. Of course, our debut was very strongly rooted in old-school death-metal, and then other elements found their way into our sound and got more room. The black-metal influence became stronger, but I think that all our releases have this typical Sulphur Aeon atmosphere.

I became much more open-minded and don’t care about “genre rules” anymore, and this is reflected in our music. Vocal-wise M. also became more and more confident… it is all a natural process.

 

You gained a good reputation with each new album; did you feel a kind of responsibility composing and recording the new songs?

T.: Not more than on anything that followed our debut. During the songwriting process I don’t think about listeners’ expectations — the songs have to catch me, I have to feel them. Of course, it is not easier with three albums in the back and not using a special formula. As I said, it is all about creating this certain atmosphere within our songs. But of course, when the album is done and released, I’m curious about how people will like it. But I have no influence on that anyways, there will always be some people complaining, but that is totally ok. 

 

 

How smooth was the recording of Seven Crowns and Seven Seals? Did you have some technically difficult moments for example?

T.: There were no real difficulties during the recordings. Of course some parts were challenging. But for example, the guitar recordings were super-smooth, and to be honest they felt much more relaxed than I expected. Seemed that I was well-prepared and the guitar-tracking was a great pleasure. With every layer and sound-sorcery, it felt better and better. We had enough time, so there was no pressure of rushing things, which I highly appreciate.

 

The band’s well known with its dedicated approach to Lovecraftian myths, but it looks like the new album is rather built around Apocalyptic scenarios and related infernal themes. Why did you choose to switch to another concept this time?

M: Seven Crowns… follows an apocalyptic concept, yes, but not in a biblical sense. The premise was something like, what would happen if the Great Old Ones awake and rise from their slumber. And so I tried to envision a nightmare scenario with epic proportions.

I even had dreams about it. While trying to come up with a concept for the cover, I dreamt it. And I even painted my version of it. It wasn’t good enough for the actual cover, but I showed it to Paolo [Girardi] along with a detailed description and he kinda nailed it.

 

 

There is gorgeous ambient tribute to Lovecraft; Black Widow Records just released their own double tribute which includes most of their bands, and I remember that there was prog rock tribute to H.P. as well. The Cthulhu Mythos has inspired a lot of black metal bands too. Do you feel Sulphur Aeon is a part of this Lovecraftian undercurrent? Can you imagine the band continuing its existence without the guiding light of Yuggoth?

M: Not intentionally, but I guess you could say we are part of it. But that Black Widow Rec. compilation seems interesting, I guess I have to check that one out. To be honest, I did not know they were still active. Gotta check some of these Italian artists out. Of course, Paul Roland, Mortiis or Death SS is known stuff, also Il Segno del Comando is killer stuff.

As for the last part of the question, no, I don’t think that we’ll quit the bloodpact with good old H.P. The pale Yuggothian moon always shines on the entity that is Sulphur Aeon.

 

Which of your songs do you see as the most precise manifest of H. P.’s philosophy?

M: I would call it “vision” rather than philosophy. Cause, you know, dude had severe xenophobic views, so his “philosophy” is – in most parts – not relevant for us. On the contrary, we do not share his views.

But when we’re talking about visions, it’s songs like “Devotion to the Cosmic Chaos”, “Gateway to the Antisphere”, and the likes. But on the contrary, songs like “Yuggothian Spell” or “Onward towards Kadath,” etc.. are more true to the original stories.

 

Which of H. P.’s stories do you consider to be most realistic?

M: Difficult. I think to a certain degree, each story is. Well, not counting the Dreamquest stories, of course or some of his weirder shorts like “In the Walls of Eryx”. But the stuff playing in the rural areas of Providence, I can see that. You know what I mean? It’s a bit like nowadays backwoods horror, only Lovecraft goes full supernatural instead of just the “regular” inbreeding, haha.

 

M., you did artworks for all Sulphur Aeon’s albums, and these images naturally correspond with the band’s sound and lyrics. Who would you call your teachers in painting? And which metal albums’ artworks influenced your vision of how it should be dealt?

M: I only provide additional artworks (Logo, drawings in the booklet) and I do the layouts for our releases and the occasional merch. Most of our frontcover artworks have been made by Ola Larsson in the past with the exception of our new album, which has an artwork manifested by the incomparable Paolo Girardi.

So, I guess this also answers the second part of the question. I’m not really influenced by a specific artist. I like a lot of stuff but I don’t have any idols here.

 

 

Ván Records also prepared the reissue of Sulphur Aeon’s first demo Sulphur Psalms. What do you value in this early material?

T.: It was the beginning of this musical journey. When I wrote those songs, it was only about doing this without anyone else having the slightest influence on the material. I was in a way done with the concept of a band. M. was the first one, who came into my mind when it was about “who could do the vocals?”, and I was very happy that my longtime friend liked the stuff.

I had not listened to the demo for years, until the talking about the re-release became serious (Christian “Krugi” Krug from Ván was the driving force behind it and wanted me to do it for years). But when I did, yes… I really like it for what it is.

 

Thank you for the interview gentlemen… I know, that you’re busy, so it’s much appreciated! How would you like to finish it? Did we skip something?

M: I am not a man of big words. So, I humbly thank you for your interest in what we do. Thank you to your readers and our followers worldwide. It’s an honor.

http://www.facebook.com/SulphurAeon

https://sulphuraeon-vanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/seven-crowns-and-seven-seals

https://sulphuraeon.bandcamp.com/