[IMGLEFT]http://www.russell.ultimatemetal.com/Interview/KoMcover.jpg[/IMGLEFT]By Russell Garwood
If you like your black metal thrashier than an epileptic fit, or your thrash blacker than the chambers of a dead nun’s heart (cheers Nick!), then Key Of Mythras should be right up your.. dimly lit alley of woe and destruction. Blasting their way out of Austria with grim intent and an equally unforgiving sound, UM recently got the chance to catch up with creative force Duncan to talk about the band’s recent split with Daemonlord, burning churches, and more.
“KoM is mainly me”, Duncan begins, “I write all the music/lyrics, play all string instruments and do the vocals. For the recording of the first album and the split 7” EP with Daemonlord I enlisted the help of a session drummer. In the future I probably won’t work with him again, because I found a new session drummer that fits my new KoM style better. I come from Styria, which is the green heart of Austria. It´s nice living here; lots of mountains, lakes, beautiful landscapes, and also home of myths and legends.”
The band’s name, it transpires, comes from “Blot–Sacrifice in Sweden by Blood Axis” the guitarist expands. “On this album, you´ll find the song ’Lord of the ages’, whose lyrics are based on a poem by Ruynard Kipling about the roman Mitras cult. I was studying a few sources about this cult and got really interested in the philosophy; a cult for warriors only, which sacrifices bulls to their god to get his power and strength in battle. Also it was a cult for wisdom and inner piece. Through history this cult began to get a mythos, so I was thinking about to combine the words “Mitras “ and “Mythos” to Mythras. So you can see the band name is a synonym for the key to power and wisdom. I plan to change to name after the second album, mainly because the music has nothing to do with the old stuff.” KoM began “after my departure from a local Black Metal group, where I was the vocalist. I decided to create something new. Because of they kicked me out of the band, and my ego doesn´t tolerate such behaviour, I forced myself to practise the guitar until I was ready to write my own songs. That was in April 2002. Some of them can be found on the debut album Demonspeed Metalstorm which got released in December 2003 by Italian Pulsar Light Records. My music differs very much now from the debut album. The first CD has a very raw sound, and the songs are really straight but nevertheless powerful. DM was often compared to early Impaled Nazarene stuff. The song on the split EP has a much better sound and is not so fast. Everything is just much better produced. Better song-writing skills will be heard on the next album. “
“Your first album was released via Pulsar Light Records, how did this work out?” I continue. “I saw an announcement in a well known German magazine,” Duncan explains, “and I sent them a promo copy of the debut album. A few days later I received an offer. I was happy to get a contract so I signed. Next time I will read the fine print better… After a lot of problems, I lost contact with the label in February 2005, have never heard from them since. I was sending registered letters to the PLR office address but I got them back unopened. Seems that PLR is history… Hereby I want to take the chance to warn every young band out there check every contract you get with a lawyer. Don´t let anyone take away the fun and the passion behind your music, only because you got fucked by a tricky label guy” The recent split EP with Spanish band Daemonlord (released on Ashen Productions) came to be as a matter of chance. “In the last few years I was in contact with a lot of people around the world, spreading my demos and doing some promotion activities. One day I got a package back, I forget where from, but there were some Daemonlord flyers attached. I always search for interesting bands around the globe, so I downloaded some of the samples on their homepage and was totally blown away. I got in contact with Kepa, who is their main-man, and after a few mails he offered the chance to do a split EP. I agreed and we searched for a suitable label. In summer 2004 I was visiting the Party-San open air in Germany, and there I got a flyer from Nocturnal Empire Records. Back home again I got in contact with the owner, Frank, and he offered to release the split EP when I find someone who will help him, cause vinyl releases are still very expensive... A few days later I got a mail from Ashen Productions from Austria, and because I know the owner I asked him if he wants to help us out. He agreed and here we are!” the guitarist laughs.
Duncan is also currently working on a new CD – “The song-writing for the second album was finished months ago, along with the lyrics. So, the only problem is the drummer position, but right know I think I have found a suitable replacement for the original drummer, and so I want to record the album at the beginning of the next year. The title will be Hail The Reaper, and it will feature 10 songs with a total playing time of 45 minutes. You can expect something really special! Like there was a change between the debut album and the split EP, there will be a new sound for the second album. This time there are more slow moments, more Death Metal, and also lots of modern – although I wouldn´t say nu-metal - influences in the music. I will keep the trademarks of the band alive, but I never want to do the same thing twice. Also I don´t want to have the “Black/Thrash Metal” image anymore. My attitude towards the writing and my guitar playing skills improved for this record. Some of my old songs are done very spontaneously, and maybe too fast, for the song for the split I was working a few weeks longer to get it as good as possible. The first album was recorded in a studio near Vienna and the song for the split in a rehearsal room of a band I know. Because of my playing skills and the vision I had for the single song, the result was much better. The second album will be recorded in a studio in Vienna, where I know the owner and I like his work. Song titles include:
Moonlit Phenomena
Faceless
God Is Dead (I Ate Him)
Cocoon
Hail The Reaper
63/64 - Under The Udjat Eye
When Ember Becomes Fire
Thespian
Millenium Dragon
I Am 666”
As for the label we can hear this release on, it is currently still up in the air. “I am in contact with a few labels, but nothing is sure for now. The main priority is the recording, then I will send some promo copies to the labels I know and wait to see if the music will find someone’s interest. Because I know that the new stuff is really strong and worth getting spread I am convinced I’ll be able to get a deal I will also do a video for one song, but for that project I have to wait until the songs are recorded. At the moment I have a few really cool and strange ideas for the video, so I hope I can make it reality.” On a more general note, KoM’s goals are to “get as big as possible, and maybe someday live from the music. Well, my more realistic plans are to record the album and release a band shirt. As for the rest, time will tell, but I hope for the best and await for the worst.”
Influences and inspiration for Duncan’s music come from all over the place – “In the late 80’s, I started to listen to Metal, (bands like Iron Maiden, WASP, Running Wild, Europe, Manowar and so on), and I think that the music from that time still has an influence on me and my style of song writing. But time doesn’t stand still for me, and I grow not only as a man but also a fan, and throughout the years I got to know some heavier bands with an occult/satanic image, which was a great experience and brought forth my interest in dark and mystic subjects. Because of the second wave of Black Metal, which was coming from Norway in the early 90’s, I got in contact with Satanic and occult orders from around the world; I was consuming a lot of books. The internet wasn´t that strong in those days, so a lot happened by snail mail…. Well, I study a lot of different opinions and tried a lot of different ways to find my own personal religion, through reading books and also speaking with people who were involved in satanic circles. I never was - nor will I ever be a member of a satanic order - but I always go my own way. Maybe that’s the real satanic belief in modern times. I know that LaVey does have a similar philosophy and I respect the CoS but for me it would not be the right way. Through all these thoughts, I got my inspiration to create the lyrics and the music. It´s the expression of my very personal philosophies and beliefs!”
This is echoed by the burning church on the cover of KoM’s latest split. “Do you not think these actions give metal fans and the metal genre as a whole a very bad name?” I enquire.
“I see the cover on an other point of few. About a few decades ago, Elvis Presley was shocking the people with his sexual and rebellious behaviour. Since that time, Rock and especially Metal was always a form of standing against the norms and rebellion against the conservative laws of today’s morality feigning so called modern society. Standing against the Catholic Church is more standing against the people who represent it than against the religion itself, is also a part of this rebellion. No-one will give a flying fuck about a band who (only) say something against the church, but if you find a strong symbol, like a burning church, there is a bigger chance to get someone’s attention. I am not a preacher, I am just a man with open eyes! The subversive provocation of the cover was something we had to do, but I think because of the comic like character of the painting hits not that hard as it may could.” This ties in with the lyrical themes; “The old songs on the debut deal with the dark side in its different forms. For example ’Necrotica’ about killing love, ’Hecate’s Chamber’ is about ancient goddess Hecate in her different forms and her different meanings. The last song ’Night Of The Metal Manics’ is a funny song about the typical metal things - the Sex,Drugs and Rock´N Roll stuff. The song on the split EP deals with the ultimate circle of life, the dying of mankind and the resurrection. It´s about decadence, demonic sexual desires, totally perverted point of views on life itself, and it´s also definitely a nice little critic on the Catholic Church. The next album will deal with similar things, but I think there is more socio-political criticism in the songs than ever before. Take a look at the newspaper, there is a lot of things which are totally wrong today, and the church is surely not the main problem!” And on that cheerful note, our interview ends. But next time you want to scare the living shit out of a Catholic priest, why shove on some Key Of Mythras!
Official KoM website
If you like your black metal thrashier than an epileptic fit, or your thrash blacker than the chambers of a dead nun’s heart (cheers Nick!), then Key Of Mythras should be right up your.. dimly lit alley of woe and destruction. Blasting their way out of Austria with grim intent and an equally unforgiving sound, UM recently got the chance to catch up with creative force Duncan to talk about the band’s recent split with Daemonlord, burning churches, and more.
“KoM is mainly me”, Duncan begins, “I write all the music/lyrics, play all string instruments and do the vocals. For the recording of the first album and the split 7” EP with Daemonlord I enlisted the help of a session drummer. In the future I probably won’t work with him again, because I found a new session drummer that fits my new KoM style better. I come from Styria, which is the green heart of Austria. It´s nice living here; lots of mountains, lakes, beautiful landscapes, and also home of myths and legends.”
The band’s name, it transpires, comes from “Blot–Sacrifice in Sweden by Blood Axis” the guitarist expands. “On this album, you´ll find the song ’Lord of the ages’, whose lyrics are based on a poem by Ruynard Kipling about the roman Mitras cult. I was studying a few sources about this cult and got really interested in the philosophy; a cult for warriors only, which sacrifices bulls to their god to get his power and strength in battle. Also it was a cult for wisdom and inner piece. Through history this cult began to get a mythos, so I was thinking about to combine the words “Mitras “ and “Mythos” to Mythras. So you can see the band name is a synonym for the key to power and wisdom. I plan to change to name after the second album, mainly because the music has nothing to do with the old stuff.” KoM began “after my departure from a local Black Metal group, where I was the vocalist. I decided to create something new. Because of they kicked me out of the band, and my ego doesn´t tolerate such behaviour, I forced myself to practise the guitar until I was ready to write my own songs. That was in April 2002. Some of them can be found on the debut album Demonspeed Metalstorm which got released in December 2003 by Italian Pulsar Light Records. My music differs very much now from the debut album. The first CD has a very raw sound, and the songs are really straight but nevertheless powerful. DM was often compared to early Impaled Nazarene stuff. The song on the split EP has a much better sound and is not so fast. Everything is just much better produced. Better song-writing skills will be heard on the next album. “
“Your first album was released via Pulsar Light Records, how did this work out?” I continue. “I saw an announcement in a well known German magazine,” Duncan explains, “and I sent them a promo copy of the debut album. A few days later I received an offer. I was happy to get a contract so I signed. Next time I will read the fine print better… After a lot of problems, I lost contact with the label in February 2005, have never heard from them since. I was sending registered letters to the PLR office address but I got them back unopened. Seems that PLR is history… Hereby I want to take the chance to warn every young band out there check every contract you get with a lawyer. Don´t let anyone take away the fun and the passion behind your music, only because you got fucked by a tricky label guy” The recent split EP with Spanish band Daemonlord (released on Ashen Productions) came to be as a matter of chance. “In the last few years I was in contact with a lot of people around the world, spreading my demos and doing some promotion activities. One day I got a package back, I forget where from, but there were some Daemonlord flyers attached. I always search for interesting bands around the globe, so I downloaded some of the samples on their homepage and was totally blown away. I got in contact with Kepa, who is their main-man, and after a few mails he offered the chance to do a split EP. I agreed and we searched for a suitable label. In summer 2004 I was visiting the Party-San open air in Germany, and there I got a flyer from Nocturnal Empire Records. Back home again I got in contact with the owner, Frank, and he offered to release the split EP when I find someone who will help him, cause vinyl releases are still very expensive... A few days later I got a mail from Ashen Productions from Austria, and because I know the owner I asked him if he wants to help us out. He agreed and here we are!” the guitarist laughs.
Duncan is also currently working on a new CD – “The song-writing for the second album was finished months ago, along with the lyrics. So, the only problem is the drummer position, but right know I think I have found a suitable replacement for the original drummer, and so I want to record the album at the beginning of the next year. The title will be Hail The Reaper, and it will feature 10 songs with a total playing time of 45 minutes. You can expect something really special! Like there was a change between the debut album and the split EP, there will be a new sound for the second album. This time there are more slow moments, more Death Metal, and also lots of modern – although I wouldn´t say nu-metal - influences in the music. I will keep the trademarks of the band alive, but I never want to do the same thing twice. Also I don´t want to have the “Black/Thrash Metal” image anymore. My attitude towards the writing and my guitar playing skills improved for this record. Some of my old songs are done very spontaneously, and maybe too fast, for the song for the split I was working a few weeks longer to get it as good as possible. The first album was recorded in a studio near Vienna and the song for the split in a rehearsal room of a band I know. Because of my playing skills and the vision I had for the single song, the result was much better. The second album will be recorded in a studio in Vienna, where I know the owner and I like his work. Song titles include:
Moonlit Phenomena
Faceless
God Is Dead (I Ate Him)
Cocoon
Hail The Reaper
63/64 - Under The Udjat Eye
When Ember Becomes Fire
Thespian
Millenium Dragon
I Am 666”
As for the label we can hear this release on, it is currently still up in the air. “I am in contact with a few labels, but nothing is sure for now. The main priority is the recording, then I will send some promo copies to the labels I know and wait to see if the music will find someone’s interest. Because I know that the new stuff is really strong and worth getting spread I am convinced I’ll be able to get a deal I will also do a video for one song, but for that project I have to wait until the songs are recorded. At the moment I have a few really cool and strange ideas for the video, so I hope I can make it reality.” On a more general note, KoM’s goals are to “get as big as possible, and maybe someday live from the music. Well, my more realistic plans are to record the album and release a band shirt. As for the rest, time will tell, but I hope for the best and await for the worst.”
Influences and inspiration for Duncan’s music come from all over the place – “In the late 80’s, I started to listen to Metal, (bands like Iron Maiden, WASP, Running Wild, Europe, Manowar and so on), and I think that the music from that time still has an influence on me and my style of song writing. But time doesn’t stand still for me, and I grow not only as a man but also a fan, and throughout the years I got to know some heavier bands with an occult/satanic image, which was a great experience and brought forth my interest in dark and mystic subjects. Because of the second wave of Black Metal, which was coming from Norway in the early 90’s, I got in contact with Satanic and occult orders from around the world; I was consuming a lot of books. The internet wasn´t that strong in those days, so a lot happened by snail mail…. Well, I study a lot of different opinions and tried a lot of different ways to find my own personal religion, through reading books and also speaking with people who were involved in satanic circles. I never was - nor will I ever be a member of a satanic order - but I always go my own way. Maybe that’s the real satanic belief in modern times. I know that LaVey does have a similar philosophy and I respect the CoS but for me it would not be the right way. Through all these thoughts, I got my inspiration to create the lyrics and the music. It´s the expression of my very personal philosophies and beliefs!”
This is echoed by the burning church on the cover of KoM’s latest split. “Do you not think these actions give metal fans and the metal genre as a whole a very bad name?” I enquire.
“I see the cover on an other point of few. About a few decades ago, Elvis Presley was shocking the people with his sexual and rebellious behaviour. Since that time, Rock and especially Metal was always a form of standing against the norms and rebellion against the conservative laws of today’s morality feigning so called modern society. Standing against the Catholic Church is more standing against the people who represent it than against the religion itself, is also a part of this rebellion. No-one will give a flying fuck about a band who (only) say something against the church, but if you find a strong symbol, like a burning church, there is a bigger chance to get someone’s attention. I am not a preacher, I am just a man with open eyes! The subversive provocation of the cover was something we had to do, but I think because of the comic like character of the painting hits not that hard as it may could.” This ties in with the lyrical themes; “The old songs on the debut deal with the dark side in its different forms. For example ’Necrotica’ about killing love, ’Hecate’s Chamber’ is about ancient goddess Hecate in her different forms and her different meanings. The last song ’Night Of The Metal Manics’ is a funny song about the typical metal things - the Sex,Drugs and Rock´N Roll stuff. The song on the split EP deals with the ultimate circle of life, the dying of mankind and the resurrection. It´s about decadence, demonic sexual desires, totally perverted point of views on life itself, and it´s also definitely a nice little critic on the Catholic Church. The next album will deal with similar things, but I think there is more socio-political criticism in the songs than ever before. Take a look at the newspaper, there is a lot of things which are totally wrong today, and the church is surely not the main problem!” And on that cheerful note, our interview ends. But next time you want to scare the living shit out of a Catholic priest, why shove on some Key Of Mythras!
Official KoM website
