1. When did you decide to create the group? Why did you choose the name Altar ov Asteria and what does it refer to?
M- The inspiration for this project dates back to early 2020 when I kept up with recent issues of Justice League where you get introduced to an Amazon named Asteria. The idea of a legendary female warrior, enduring for centuries and standing against gods, resonated deeply with me. Her name immediately left a mark on my mind. Coupled with my passion for Greek mythology, it became the perfect starting point. In myth, Asteria is celebrated for her defiance of the gods, particularly Zeus, making her an ideal figure to honor. After commissioning Dispayandas-Arts to design the logo, I immidiently set out to find like minded musicians. That’s when I connected with Satyra, and our partnership clicked right away.
2. “Ena” is your first release, how was the process of composing and recording this first album? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
M- I used a Dime Razorback for the lead parts and a Solar for the rhythm sections. The bass was recorded with a Warwick Corvette. For amplification, I used a Diezel VH4 for the guitars and an Ampeg SVT for the bass.
3. You belong to other bands such as Nekropsie, Moor or Øn, all of them related in a major minor way to black music, what does the possibility of working in Altar ov Asteria offer you compared to these other bands? Is it very difficult for you to combine work in all the projects you are part of?
M- With AoA, my goal was to create a "plug-and-play" project—something independent of schedules, bandmates, or other commitments. I wanted the freedom to record music whenever inspiration struck. Another key objective was to push myself musically, particularly in terms of guitar techniques and speed. Since AoA is a home recording project, I can focus entirely on creating and refining my music without the pressure of performing in a rehearsal room or on stage.
S- Actually, it’s not difficult at all. At least from my perspective, all my bands are different. AoA is very efficient due to remote coordination, recording and dedicated tasks. It makes this band quite independent from the typical band topics, e.g. time management for rehearsals, organizational questions for gigs etc. And since it's just two of us we can find agreements much faster than in a traditional band with several members. Moor is a very dynamic project, with DIY subtasks, many live performances, a place for me personally for creative escalation, from artwork to orga. Øn doesn’t exist any longer and is transformed to a different band. However, I have another wonderful black death metal project with very talented new people and a dark-folk duo Venenatum, both evolving and will come to light in the next future.
4. Although your sound is based on a solid and direct black metal, it is also true that it is gradually gaining different nuances, thanks among other things to the incorporation of keyboards that add a touch of darkness that eventually turns towards almost ritualistic terrain. How would you define the sound of the new album for those who have not heard it yet? What bands and styles are an influence for you when composing music for Altar ov Asteria?
We deliberately dont use keyboards and synth/ambient effects, focusing on preserving a raw, unfiltered sound that stays true to our roots. Our music blends raw intensity with avant-garde atmospheres, dark, emotive melodies, and eerie, haunting vocals. Influences that shape our sound include Dark Funeral, Gaerea, Kvaen, Firtan, Marduk, Advent Sorrow, and Satyricon.
5. Could you reveal something about the theme of your lyrics? Who writes the lyrics? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
S– lyrics are my domain at AoA and they disclose all kinds of human imperfections, humans erosive impact on his environment and himself. We all bear some evilness and destruction in ourselves, so the topic is not new, but timeless. The lyrics are written in three languages: German, English and Russian. Each language has its own individual phonetical characteristics and sound completely different what makes the lyrical side very dynamic, vivid and brachial.
6. Regarding the recording, mixing and mastering process, have you taken care of this yourselves or have you resorted to the work of an album producer?
M- I handle all the mixing and mastering myself, as I enjoy taking on challenges and continuously improving throughout the process. While the next record will likely have a similar vibe, it definitely won’t sound the same, as I plan to take a different approach this time.
7. Regarding the cover, who was in charge of the cover design, what does it represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?
The original plan was to commission a custom design, but the cover ended up being a pre-made piece by Last-Light-Designs. While browsing through his artwork, one design immediately caught our eye—it was absolutely perfect and felt like a natural fit. We can't fully explain why it works so well; it simply resonates with the music.
8. Despite being your first album, you have released it with a record label like Dusktone. How did you get in touch with Dusktone and the album's release? Are you satisfied with having the vinyl release of your debut album from the start?
We are totally glad to have Dusktone on our side and for their investment in us. We got the chance to put our music on vinyl and how could we reject this opportunity Releasing an LP right from the start feels amazing. It’s the first vinyl for both of us, which makes it feel even more special on a personal level.
9. You wear masks in the promotional photos for the presentation of the new album. What do you want to convey to your listeners? Is it an issue related to anonymity or is it more related to the content of the album?
Instead of drawing attention to our personal characteristics and being objectified for factors beyond our control, we prefer to be visually associated with something that can be changed. For example, wearing a different mask for each era of the band to symbolize transformation and evolution. This idea is also deeply rooted in Greek mythology, where masks were often used in theater to embody different roles, personas, or even divine entities. Just as the masks in ancient plays allowed characters to transcend their individual identities and represent universal themes, our masks symbolize the ever-changing nature of our music and identity as a band.
10. You come from Germany and you are two women leading a black metal band. How have you been received in the scene? Do you feel undervalued in any way? How would you describe the black metal scene in a city like Dresden? Which bands would you recommend from your area?
M- So far, the response to our work has been overwhelmingly positive. Of course, we’ve also encountered black metal elitists who believe women have no place in metal, but it’s attitudes like theirs that fuel our determination and reinforce why we’re here in the first place.
S- I didn’t experience discrimination for being a female in a metal band. On the contrary and from live performances with my other bandmates, there are many people, who support bands with female members. However, I would rather not focus on sex. It doesn’t matter for me if the music is made by men or women as long as it sounds good and doesn’t harm anyone in any perspective.
11. Do you have in mind to take Altar ov Asteria's proposal to the live stage? What would have to happen to take this step? With which bands, due to affinity of sound, would you like to go on tour?
If the opportunity to bring AoA to the stage arises, we’ll definitely take it, but for now, it’s not our primary focus. When we’re ready to perform, we’ll begin searching for the right band members. Personally, we don’t have a specific band in mind to tour with—we're completely open to working with the right people, as long as we can connect with their music and the vibe feels right. A Tour is something for the long-term perspective and we don’t have a vision for this in the moment.
12. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to be musicians?
M- My journey has been a chaotic one. A friend once left a guitar at our house because he didn’t have space for it, and out of boredom, I picked it up as a joke. To my surprise, I ended up getting hooked. At that time, metal was completely foreign to me since i was only listening to Techno, but everything changed around 2011 when I discovered Ozzy Osbourne through Guitar Hero. From there, I plunged deep into the world of metal and couldn’t escape. Even though I gravitated toward heavy metal and doom, my first concert was actually Volbeat, followed by Halestorm shortly after. I wasn’t exposed to extreme genres until much later, when I joined Nekropsie, and that’s when I was fully consumed by it.
S- Shall I really disclose it? Well, it was back in 1999-2000 three thousand kilometers away from Germany in a snowy freezing Russia. I started listening to Sepultura, Kreator, Venom and then finally Satyricon who was omnipresent in my life since 2006. Since this time my BM journey began. Back in my history, I listened a lot of Immortal, Carpathian Forest and alike (and also death metal stuff) and then, year after I year i came to black gaze and DSBM. Never thought to end up singing in black metal bands. Once I first listened to BM, it unveiled something in me and was like a trigger that also changed my personality. Nowadays i am still loyal to this genre, but have diverse music in my playlists like dark folk, gothic, technical death metal etc.
13. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What latest albums have you bought?
M- The albums that truly represent the essence of black metal to me are Haeresis by Noctem and Traum und Trauma by Temple of Oblivion. They come from very different corners of black metal, yet both are incredibly multifaceted. Lately, though, I’ve been listening to less metal and have found myself drifting more into electronic genres like pop, EDM, and synth music.
S- There are too many bands making good black metal albums to highlight one above all. But to name one - Dark Medieval Times from Satyricon, out of respect to the (my) history. I recently bought an album of DSBM band from Saalfeld called Unheil, good stuff.
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Mortality - My Last Day on Earth 6,99 €
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