Old Burial Temple – Sounds From the Depths of the Human Soul

Black Metal, as a genre, will never be seen as an easy one to understand. I might sound like an old man, praising the Old Sound as the Only Sound, but truth be told… I am starting to become that man. Is there no quality, honest, true Black Metal at this time and age? Sure there is, and some of the best have lived in the virtual pages of this Fanzine – from my perspective at least – but others go Slow, Deep and Hard (all hail Steele), breaking mental barriers to achieve a sound, an artistic goal…

But what do I know, actually?! Very little. The sounds that maneuver the Mind, that satisfies the Human Inner Beast. In the end, were do we find peace?! 

Old Burial Temple Official Bandcamp

Thank you for your time and for your words, it is a pleasure! Let us start with today: this reality has come, like everyone else, to force adaptations and changes in your life, I suppose. What was it like to restructure a daily process to reconcile the existence of a global pandemic? This is, nowadays, the cliché question (not funny). 

Hi and thanks for making contact with me. Nothing has changed much in my life, generally speaking. The day-to-day grind has remained quite the same as it ever was. The normal never changed.

I do not go out too much, so stuff like that never had an impact as such. 2020 that whole year I was recording the new Old Burial Temple record "Submit Your Body as the Tenement for Evil". This is a completely new approach and experience from those demos from 7 years ago.

What can you tell us about the story of Old Burial Temple? Where does it come from, what is the concept, what is the intention behind your Art, etc.? 

Well, it wasn’t actually intended to be anything public. In truth, at the time I had many issues going on. I had tried various meditations and whatever I could get my hands on to etc. At that time in my life, years surrounding 2013 - my life was a fucking mess to put it simply. 

Anyway, I became obsessed with the concept of meditation music and spiritual connection between the two, serving as a medium for exploration and experimentation bridled with my unorthodox manner of music and it progress naturally that slowly became darker. I am fascinated with various cultural funeral processions/ discarding of the body, which cultivate sounds in my mind.

For example, Dakhma, where life, death, and the elements of nature, come together. Just thinking about this barron construction filled with decay my mind marvels on what sounds are heard there. This is a very basic example of Old Burial Temple. There were two names I had in mind that I felt captured this entity, as a name and so OLD BURIAL TEMPLE became it. My intention behind Old Burial Temple, nowadays, is much as the same as it once was, although the natural progression in elevation is a normal thing to happen I think. For me it is a form for dark meditation purposes and is much more than what words can describe.

I want to create an unsettling audio experience that will haunt your dreams.

Free from genre, free from limitations and allow myself to take things as far as I possibly can in any direction of wonder. Last year (2020) after much thought, I decided to take a new direction with O.B.T and create more consciously to a theme like a movie soundtrack. It was somewhat humbling to be able to do so, though at the same time still felt like it was more natural happening and translated well. The new Old Burial Temple first full length is entitled "Submit Your Body as the Tenement for Evil" that comes out on Lp, a joint release through Ratking Records and Signal Rex.

One day you have been a music listener, a musician. What impelled you to create, and more specifically the music you create? Since this – for some of us – is such a sui generis musical genre, I venture to say that Artistic creation leads to certain commitments to this Art, right? In a way also the listener has - or should - assimilate Art in its entirety to better internalize it, no?

For people that know me, know that music is my life. I take it very seriously, and do not like periods of downward thought. Music is a great part of who I am. Without it I’m miserable. I grew up listening to Rock n' Roll and Heavy Metal bands, and reading about the occult. My curiosity grew more with music. Becoming more extreme and darker, something that I’m drawn towards from a young age and this hasn’t waned. What impelled me to create? I do not know, it was so long ago that thought dawned on me. Music has always been a release for me. You are correct! The Arts have a great part to play in all music I create. It is vital and its law.

Questioning whether the public can assimilate the genre, and its entire burden, don't we run the risk of "painting" these more airtight sounds as elitists? 

Well, when speaking of public opinion etc., I couldn’t care less for that stuff. I do not set out to do shit for other people's satisfaction or acceptance. Music is very personal, whatever their take on my music is. The past demos in particular, the songs have no names. They are just movements for meditation/ritual - no preconceived guidance. As for elitist, absolutely!

Where do you insert the music, you create? Ambient, Darkwave, Synth, Black Metal... Do you understand that the Art you create is not exactly linear, or easy to assimilate, correct?

I completely agree with you, it isn’t linear or easy to assimilate OBT unlike other project/bands kicking in today's genres. That is something I have never bothered to care all for that much regarding Old Burial Temple. I guess people will call it what they want at the end of the day. For me, it is Pure Audio Darkness exploration. Would be cool if OBT was assimilated alongside other names out there such as John Carpenter, Joseph Bishara and Abruptum.

Do you want the listener to travel and be “forced” to use the mind beyond and senses?

Yes.

Do you consider that the message and content – though absent from words – are correctly assimilated/accepted by the public? What structure is your Black Metal based on? We have words here; we have a message.

iT is absolutely correct on its conveyance as far as I’m concerned. As for what other people accept it as, that is never a concern for me. If someone likes what I create - cool and if someone does not like it - cool. I don’t care. My ideology for Black Metal is H.H.L./ S.M.A.

Can the musical evolution – or transformation – of the genre, the consequent openness to an increasingly generalist audience, the acceptance by the specialized media, etc., can we consider these realities as being "harmful" to sounds like yours?

Acceptance for what? and by who? the mainstream ? Harmful… Yes. 

To what extent do i make the premises of Black Metal - can I generalize? – is it still faithful today? Classifying your sound as exclusively Black Metal would be like "neutering it", yet both live nearby, I venture to say. 

Black Metal is very personal for me. I have my own ideologies that I stand by. Although I do see a lot from a far. Unfortunately things do divide over time, new waves come and go but fundamentally the same consensus of approach that once was - still is here - the underground- for those that are on the same path know. Old Burial Temple and my other BM projects - Drohtnung, Pestis Cultus, Mors de Corpus and The Ninth Departure are still the same stronghold in nature and ideology.

Speaking of creation: what are the premises that guide you to create?

The Left Hand Path, Expressionism, Experimentation, Limitless, Inward Contemplation, and UNHOLY!

At the musical level, what influences do you have close to the work you produce? The identifiable ones, in a way, but also those that, even if not "visible" in your music, are there. 

I have a diverse taste of music from classical, traditional folk to rock etc. What I guess would be similar in feeling with O.B.T, if I had to choose would be stuff like Stalaggh, Dead Can Dance, Gnaw Their Tongues, Schloss Tegal, Klaus Schulze, Abruptum, SPK and Indonesian Gamelan music.

I read and watch footage of the paranormal along with my own experiences. I find that is inspiring which I draw from directly. I love early medieval and gothic architecture, specific nature… not all, even the sound of the wind I find influential. Influences come from near to everything for me. It is something I think is momentary. So to say a specify one thing you find as some core or pinnacle point of inspiration is hard for me to answer.

Old Burial Temple is a particular entity, in my opinion. It turns out to be, in a way, like the soundtrack for less positive moments, unpleasing images. Is that how you "paint" your Art? With shades of black?

This is something the music maybe invoking, your most vulnerable inner fears that become presented more clearly to you. Darkness is very primitive, empowering and symbolic in all my art. 

From where do you channel energy into your Art? I do not want to assume; I think you must go right to the bottom of the well to get these sounds. Is it a heavy creative process?

I channel energy from the world around me, the world divided, inner silence and experiences. It can be a heavy process that takes time to prepare and to come back from. There were moments during the latest recordings that the night/months did not feel right and I couldn’t get any clarity. There is a lot that goes into this pre-recording. which I prefer to keep nonpublic.

Do you prefer a solitary creative process or a shared creative process?

Solitary. I need silence and zero distractions. When I am in the writing process or recording process for any project, I refuse to listen to music during the period of writing and hardly socialize, so nothing can disrupt my passages of thought.

I suppose a lot of you is projected onto the Art you do, but do your compositions come naturally or are they forced, via certain moods?

Depending where my mental state is at the time. Nothing is forced; it comes naturally, circumstantial to my moods and surroundings. Nothing should be forced; this is a toxic formula that breeds weak and empty art.

Your creative mind does not recognize the word rest, from what I see. How do you do it? The amount of involvement, sacrifice, love, must be very high, otherwise it would become impossible to achieve what you achieve. How mental, and emotionally, exhausting it is?

There is a war inside my head! I need to get this noise out of my head! Be it music, art, writing etc. I cannot sit for long. I do not like procrastinating for long periods either. I have months where I have mental downward spirals, sleep and am extremely depressed, sometimes I do not even know who the fuck I am or why I am here.

I find it hard go out, and find it easier to block the outside world out at times. There is 365 days in a year, a lot can happen. My expectations for what I do and what I am, are high, which is not always a good. Just like a lot of other people out there, who are on the same path. It is fucking hard, it is disappointing, it’s lonely, it is stressful but all that does not mean anything once the journey is finished and you hear the final birth from months/years that you’ve put into a song, or demo, or album.

What do you want to achieve with each of the projects you create? I do not speak in the sense of popularity or anything similar. I speak in the sense of personal achievement, in a way. You are the source that feeds each, and everyone, but they live independently of each one. Your last work - "All is All" - dates to 2015. Meanwhile you have created Drohtnung, Mors de Corpus (brilliant Split with Mr. Vulturius), Pestis Cultus, The Ninth Departure, and I think it's all... sure? Why the interregnum? Can we "blame" all other incarnations of your creative Being, or are there other reasons for it?

Sometimes I feel like it is all for something beyond me and there are times it all feels pointless. It truly is a love/hate thing at times. What do I want to achieve? Profunda Cognitio sui et Tenebrae (Deep Knowledge of Self and Darkness).

I have been writing music since 1999. My first project Black Impale, I still got that shit on tape in a box somewhere. Another project was Old Dark 2002, Night Funeral 2003, Grafasfolc 2004 with 2 demos that was renamed to Drohtnung end of 2004 which is something that is always in the background . Every 6 years or so, something will come out. 2005-2010 I join a local metal band Wardaemonic on vocals and guested in a few Aussie BM bands: Forest Mysticism, Drowning the Light, Woods of Desolation, Broken Spirit to name a few and a some overseas bands. 2011-2020 I was the bassist (aka Gaap) for Pestilential Shadows (NSW). Mors de Corpus (myself and BH on drums) came after I dismantled the live element for Drohtnung. I had a show booked for Drohtnung and I kicked everyone out and with the show locked in, Mors de Corpus had a few songs ready to stick to the previous commitment. Pestis Cultus (ex-snorri) started 2016 and has countless lineup changes over 5 years. The Ninth Departure (2020) is a renewal of the other side of Drohtnung.

Yes, you can blame me for it ALL.

Speaking of Mors de Corpus: how did your affiliation with Signal Rex and Irae, happen? How did both opportunities arise?

The Mors de Corpus split with Irae came from an offer from the label Signal Rex. Both BH and I like Irae, we agreed to this, the rest is history. Great respect for IRAE, and co. 

O.B.T.'s next release will come out for Signal Rex, am I right?

Correct Signal Rex and Ratking Records (UK) will be co-releasing the next release. The New O.B.T record is in fact the first full-length album to come from this project and also is a collaboration with J. The album is entitled "Submit Your Body As The Tenement For Evil" and was completed in December 2020. It was to be released by the end of 2021, thought setbacks ensued so it is now set to be released early 2022. Gatefold Oujia Board foldout on vinyl.

I am very curious about Mors de Corpus, and if you allow me, I would like to dwell a bit more into your craft in such entity. What is core of your work with M.de C.?

Depression.

You have designed a deep, dense, and truly melancholic sound, and your “Promo” (2017) is superb. You were able to give us a dark, and yet lovely, image of Black Metal. Where was your mind at, at that time?

Firstly, a lot of shit happened around the time that was actually written and recorded. The message is within the name Mors de Corpus. Some unfortunate circumstances took place. To put it blatantly, my dad is now a quadriplegic on 24-hour ventilator dependent, and my mother and siblings have been trying to hold everything together since. My mindset was very well fucked and broken, so Mors de Corpus was my emotional release at the time.

Do you have plans for more releases under this moniker?

We do have somethings coming out that has been agreed upon with another label. I think we (BH and I) are on the same page about writing new stuff… just a matter of setting out time and place to commit to it.

What have you got planned for the future of your creations? O.B.T., Pestis Cultus, etc.? Have you been able to have the willingness – physical and mental – to work in music since the pandemic caught us?

Well, Old Burial Temple latest record entitled "Submit Your Body As The Tenement For Evil", should be out in few months at latest… I hope. Along with two split releases that were discussed last year. In regards to Pestis Cultus, a lot has changed and I have been in the process of writing new songs for the 2nd record or demo. When travelling abroad is possible, I aim to get over to Europe and UK to plays shows, which was planned until this pandemic fucked everything up.

Once again, my sincere thanks. A lot will be asked, but I've stolen enough oif your time. For a next one, who knows? It may be when new Mors de Corpus's work comes out, for example! Cheers from Portugal, mate.

Thank you for the interview and your interest in what I do.