Glemt – The Foggy Sights of Black Metal

Nowadays Black Metal scene is, perhaps, at its highest level of popularity. Oh no, popularity and Black Metal in the same sentence… heretic I be. Do not give a damn! The Black Metal has given exquisite examples of how the genre transcends Music, and is still – in some cases – quite honest to the principles of Spirituality and Human Element. I have been enjoying the fact that the paradigm that we once knew of Black Metal and the Nordic countries (mostly) has moderated, showing music fans that there is more side (read, countries) to it.

We "flew" to the UK, London more specifically, and had a chat with an Artist that I have been following for a while now – Orobas – and with whom I identify quite a lot.

"Eclipsing Through the Womb of Twilight and Dementia" is his most recent piece of Art… go check it you have not already. Mr. Orobas, you may begin…

Thank you so much for the opportunity. I have an idea of your view of the press associated with Heavy Metal, which makes this opportunity an even greater achievement on my part!

This One-man-band is a concept that nowadays is in vogue – I dare say – a little all over the World, essentially in Black Metal. Is being such a particular sub-genre, with such a specific load, "obliges" – perhaps amplifies is a better term – to individualism that we do not see in other genres of Heavy Metal?

Now more than ever it is easier to start a solo band, most people have access to some kind of recording Equipment no matter how primitive it is and people can just make programmed drums without ever leaving the house and write their music out of boredom and nothing else to do. Contrastingly there are solo bands that have so much time, craft and emotion put into them, I always found there to be a lot of honesty in these one-man-bands, even if musical they are not the most proficient at their instruments there is something powerful about a person who plays music that means the world to them and they are not doing it out of boredom or trying to gain the attention of people.

What is your vision of Black Metal these days? In the eyes of a fan, in the middle of the 20th century. XXI, does the genre remain honest to itself? I know how cliché this issue is, but we have seen the Underground becoming less and less Underground, fans increasingly given to an exaggerated exposure on social networks... is the genre – and why not those who support it - losing a little thought? 

I think some bands still retain the darkness and honesty of black metal that originally drew me into this way of life. But I have seen an increase of trends within black metal in terms of bands sounding the same and looking the same especially with these new social media ``hype” bands getting even more popular. I don’t think a lot of these bands live up to the unrealistic expectations that are set on them, to be honest. And some of these bands feel disingenuous to me like they don’t honestly mean what they do, this kind of behaviour is not only disrespectful to people that have before within the scene but themselves as well. Be honest with yourself and those around you! 

What image, what representation of Black Metal, do you intend to pass on to those who listen to you? What is your concept of Black Metal, in a way?

People have labelled Glemt “depressive” even though this has connotations with DSBM, Glemt is not DSBM, Depression and Suicide are inherently part of Black Metal, I find this somewhat a generic and pitiful sounding sub-genre within Black Metal, but that is not to say that I don’t like some bands within the “DSBM” category, good “DSBM” sound like you are fucking dying not whiny rubbish that people get away

with recording now. Bands like Shining and Happy Days, for example, trying to be Black Metal celebrities, peddling their music and merchandise to a 14-year-old girl. This type of behaviour is the antithesis of stupidity and attention seeking. Furthermore, Glemt is not meant to be a nice experience for people to participate in, it is meant to be a connection with the void a complete reflection of darkness, the Devil and the depths of insanity. Everything that Glemt does is honest, this, above all else, is the most important thing Glemt brings across. 

2019 was the year you decided to move forward with Glemt. What led you to start this project, considering that you already had - and have - Morktar? 

Glemt started on the 25th of February out of total fucking chaos and sleepless nights. I felt my life was spiralling beyond my control at that time and I felt like I could see the void before me, Glemt manifested itself from this void and made its self know to me. I didn't want to play black metal because I thought it would be fun, it came out of hatred and disdain. Mørktår serves a different purpose for me that I couldn’t have gotten by myself, for me, Mørktår represents utter disgust for humanity, the liars and dishonest people on their high horses who are not willing/able to learn from their mistakes. I utterly and wholeheartedly despise them!

Being a "solitary" project, the whole concept, the whole creative process, everything, comes from you and your work. Compared to a collaborative creative process, how does your disposition/approach have to adapt?

I feel like I am only the Cipher for Glemt, This comes from a darkness that is greater than me, that being said, I feel like it’s hard for me to solely take credit for Glemt. In that sense yes it is a very different approach to a collaborative process with people, usually, I always try to the best of my ability to serve the music and the meaning behind it no matter what it is I am a part of. 

The fact that you do not have to give in to the normal pressure of being part of a band, allow you to "dispose on the table" everything that fills you, as a Human Being, and an active part of this Society?

There is no pressure with Glemt whatsoever, ever since I was early teens I have been a part of bands so when Glemt first revealed itself it was something very new for me. Because Glemt solely comes through me, I had to learn how to do a lot of the technical side of what goes into something like this, it was a great learning curve and I am still very much learning. But the most challenging thing actually talking to people and approaching people even though it might not seem like it, that kind of thing has always been out of my comfort zone but this has become much easier for me in the last two years.

How much of you is Black Metal, and how much of your creation is a mirror of you as a person, and artist? Somewhat cliché, but I have always regarded Black Metal as the most honest genre on the Heavy Metal spectrum, and the Artist as an omnipresent element in its music.

I very much agree with this statement, Black Metal is about honesty. Black Metal isn’t just a sub-genre, nor it never has been as some trendies within this scene may think, Black Metal has very much become intertwined with me as a person. It represents the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, truth, complete and utter fucking darkness like lingering traumas. These ideals reflect strongly in the Occult and Magick, Glemt is an extension of this and thus me.

Last year we were "attacked" by a pandemic, which immediately forced us to change habits and practices, but that did not have a visible effect on you as an Artist. Demo, EP, Split and Compilation, it was a busy year. How did you do it? Can we take that COVID worked perfectly in a way (creative process, of course)?

I felt like all the releases I put out would have happened regardless if there was not a pandemic, that is not to diminish the impact of the pandemic in my life and those close to me. Within this isolation, not talking or seeing those close to me had an effect on me and in turn Glemt but not to a large extent where it would have affected an integral part of what Glemt put across to the listeners/participants. 

Let us talk about the Splits: Marabbecca, Sykelig Englen and Hellmoon. How did these happen, and more importantly, what made you cooperate with these specific artists? 

Firstly, Morbid of Marabbecca and I were talking about doing a split around the time I put out the first Glemt demo, we still talked a lot and have met up a few times as well since we both live in the UK, we hold very similar views on Black Metal and I respect him and his work immensely. With Sykelig Englen, I was approached with the offer of doing a split, my side of this split came together extremely fast. Within a week both of these Glemt tracks were finalized. How the spilt with Hellmoon came about this that Plääg is a very talented artist, he made the artwork for “Forgotten Remains of Unforgiving Malice” and we talked more and our views on black metal were very similar, as well for the people reading this who don’t know he plays in Nocturnal Departure and I was following them since their first album so it was an honour that Plääg wanted to do a split.

2021 has already given us a new Split, this time with Vampirska. And what a Split! Congratulations on the result, both of you. Do you have anything else planned for 2021, or are you going to put Glemt on pause for a while? 

Thank you I am glad this split had meaning to you, it was truly an honour to work with Vampirska and the labels that made the split possible. And yes I do, as of writing this now, I am doing two Splits and Glemt’s Debut Full Length. The first Split with Amargor from Spain is going to be on 7”, Tape and Limited edition Floppy Disc, this is to be released by Dybbuk Productions in late Autumn hopefully. These are the first lyrics that shall be available since the Glemt/Marabbecca split.

The second Split is a 4 way Split between Crucifixion Bell, Celestial Sword and Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect out through Crown And Throne on tape in late August and there will be some limited vinyl from Crown and Throne later on down the line as well.

Glemt’s Debut LP Entitled “Eclipsing Through The Womb Of Twilight And Dementia" will be out through Inferna Profundus on the 1st Of November of this year, The first sermon “Under Lamenting Romanticism Of Nights Torment” is already available as a music video and a single. This album features Hrafn Of Thy Dying Light, Vampirska and Funeror (Plääg) Of Nocturnal Departure and Hellmoon, I really wanted to collaborate with these people on this because not only do I highly respect them, I also felt like they would add their very individual voices to the rituals whilst still retaining the essence what’s taking place. After these three releases, I have no way of telling If Glemt will go on pause, as I said before the output of Glemt is beyond my control.

Thank you so much for the opportunity. It has been a pleasure and an honor. Greetings from Portugal. 

Cheers, mate!

Glemt Official Bandcamp