Chalice Ablaze

 

Rituals of Death & Doom

 Words of Old in Times of Despair & Rotten Spirits

Thank you, first, for your availability. It was with pleasure that I received your acceptance for an interview.

Thank you. My pleasure too.

Chalice Ablaze is, like many, an entity that remains anonymous. Still, what can you tell us more about it, and its history?

Its history is rather short. I have had the idea of the project for some time, but it was not until mid-March this year, when I wrote its first riffs, that Chalice Ablaze came alive. I released the first demo, Beneath Abyssal Graves, a few days later. Then I released an EP, Rites of Abhorrent Redemption, mid-May. And that's about it for now. As Chalice Ablaze is so fresh, I almost exclusively focus on the future. I have many plans for future releases and there are several things in motion at this moment.    

What concept, or idea, did you use to create Chalice Ablaze?

The main idea is, simple enough, to make Black Metal exactly as I like it. Musically speaking, Chalice Ablaze is mostly based on pure, raw emotions. All vocals are improvised and the recordings usually just take a few hours. This allows me to kind of “let go and go with the flow”,and thus create music that comes straight from the heart. It also allows me to make music at a much higher pace than I am used to. That being said, I never release something that I am not happy about. 

Your music is, in a way, relaxing - albeit wrapped in distortion and weight - with delicate ambiences intertwined with the harshness of the vocalizations. Where do you get inspiration for your music?

That's kind of hard to say, strangely enough. As mentioned above, Chalice Ablaze is about pure emotions. Mostly emotions that I do not know how to put into words - or which I do not dare put into words. That is also the reason Why there are no lyrics or even song titles, as I don't know how to express these emotions in written formats. The inspiration comes from within. I am a pretty private individual. I prefer to express myself creatively.

Is your music a reflection of the Norwegian musical heritage? Does the fact that Norway has such a relevant, and striking weight, in the history of Black Metal, in any way weighs on you, as a creator?

For Chalice Ablaze, not really. I have another project which is much more “Norwegian”, both in terms of music and lyrics. As for Chalice Ablaze, I am mostly inspired by what's happening in the international Black Metal underground. The US has a great scene these days, with Lamp of Murmuur and Celestial Sword being my favorites. This has been said for years already, but Norway has kind of outplayed its role as Black Metals torch bearer. There are good things happening in the underground, but as a general, Norway is way too focused on the past. There are certain veteran bands that still make good music, and some of them even push the genre forward without losing the essence of Black Metal. 

How do you analyze the changes that Norwegian Black Metal has undergone since Mayhem's first rehearsed? Can we call evolution to what has happened since then?

The evolution was rapid up until the mid/late nineties. After that, most of the bands have been stuck in their old formulas. Because of that, many new bands got the idea that Black Metal should be regressive and that evolution was a curse to the genre. I do not like innovation for innovation's sake, but Black Metal is perhaps the most stubborn genre of them all.

In a more global sphere, how do you see Black Metal as a musical genre? How do you see the almost Rock Star proportion that some musicians have acquired over the years?

There are a lot of good bands out there. Right now, we seem to be in the midst of an intense retro-wave. Raw, lo-fi Black Metal is the big deal, and everyone makes bands photos as they were Darkthrone in 1993. Personally, I enjoy that. That is the kind of Black Metal that lies closest to my heart, and being a practitioner of these arts at this particular time, is very inspiring. I do not think it is strange at all that certain bands reached rock star-level. It has happened to every genre that became this big. And when you see how fans and supporters treat Black Metal as a religion and its practitioners as gods - they had it coming. No genre in the world has such a loyal, but also blindly following supporters, as Black Metal (hint hint, Watain disciples).

Does this explain why there are more, and more, groups that prefer anonymity? Keep a little of the mystery and danger that the genre had at the beginning, perhaps.

Yes, I absolutely believe so. It is a natural reaction when something so dark, unavailable and dangerous as Black Metal becomes softened and shaped for the masses. 

2021 was an intense year for you, with both Demo and EP released. How did the entire creative process go, taking into account the reality experienced by everyone since last year?

Usually I make the music slowly, piece by piece, over a span of 1-2 months, depending on the length of the release. When it's all written, I record, produce, mix and release it in a few days. I enjoy making music and I spend a lot of my spare time on music already, so I don't feel I have been particularly busy with Chalice Ablaze. The recording process tends to be quite intense though. Then I work 24/7 until the whole product is finalized.  

Both Demo and EP were released independently, and Ruins of Nihil Records edited the Demo, on tape. Does not associating with a label - unless you are in the process of doing so - intend to keep any, and all, decisions on your side? Alternatively, have you not yet felt the need to associate yourself, so to speak, to one?

Ruins of Nihil is actually my label, one I made because I originally thought the demo to be a one-off thing and I just wanted to get the tape out there. It didn't take me long to see that there is more in the future for Chalice Ablaze, and I then started to get in touch with various labels. Some contacted me, some I contacted myself. As of now I have a deal with Lafawijn Records regarding LPs for the demo, and I also have a deal with Bitter Misery Records regarding tapes of the EP. I have no problem being associated with other labels, as long as they understand what Chalice Ablaze is all about.

What is it like to promote musical work in a society that lives from immediacy and the disposable? Especially a genre with the essence of Black Metal. Do you feel that something is being lost, or on the contrary?

That is a good question. Nowadays it's extremely easy to release music - which is why there are insane amounts of bands and projects out there. Therefore, it's hard to attract attention and to stand out from the rest. Fortunately, Black Metal fans are generally extremely dedicated and many people actually listen to almost everything that is released - which gives everyone a certain chance to be heard. There are also some platforms that do a great job to differentiate the good from the bad and to promote the bands they consider as good. One of the most prominent platforms these days is Order Ov the Black Arts (both Youtube-channel and a Facebook-page). They have been able to make an unusually dedicated group of people and bands. Yes, the exclusivity of music is being lost. Black Metal is a mass product these days, which makes it lose some of the edge and the element of danger that it used to have. The up-side is that everything is so available. You do not need a big label to get your music out there - every new band sets off from the same base.  

Did the pandemic come to influence this creative process in any way? Such a situation affects any of us, I dare say. How did it affect you, as a musician and as an individual?

It affected me in the way that I have to spend almost all of my spare time on my own, which gave me the time and energy to make music. My day job is in a field that did not get affected by the pandemic. Actually, I got even more work as a consequence. Personally, I have enjoyed the last year, even though it sounds very selfish. I enjoy being on my own and working with music, and for the last year, I did not even have a choice. That suited me quite well.

What glimpses for our future, as a Society, after this pandemic? Can we expect substantial changes from the Human Being?

In the beginning of the pandemic, I used to think that it would change us forever. But I am not so sure. We have come a long way with the vaccinations in Norway and the number of people being infected is decreasing every day. In addition, already now, people are starting to behave more normally. The parties get bigger, the distance shorter and the face masks are fewer. As for the music, I think everyone, especially the bands, venues etc, want to get back to normal as soon as possible. The whole cultural sector has been bleeding like nobody else for the past year,and they have to get back to normal pretty soon to even survive. The permanent change in our societies will be that we are more aware of pandemics and their consequences. How this awareness will manifest itself is yet to be seen. 

Do you, as a musician, feel that something will change in the way that Music is presented and provided, etc.?

In the long run, no. In the beginning, live streaming of concerts seemed to be the new “thing”, but I think it will vanish as soon as we can attend live shows as we used to.

It was a pleasure. We look forward to more music, more editions, and that we can talk more often! Cheers!

Thank you. I look forward to future interviews.

Chalice Ablaze Official Bandcamp