Good evening, thank you very much for answering these questions. How are things going in
Germany?
R: Hi, thank you for your interest in THE INFERNAL DECEIT. Everything is fine here with us. Apart from all this madness going on around the world. Really crazy times! Hope you're doing well too!
1. The Infernal Deceit began its journey around 2018. What led you to create the band? Why
did you choose the name The Infernal Deceit and what does it refer to? What links exist between Witchtower, the band you are or were part of, and the creation of this new project?
R: I've actually been a fan of Scandinavian-style mid-90s melodic black/death metal from the very beginning. I just wanted to do something in that direction. There have been some strong releases of this style of music on the market again for a few years now.
I've known C for a long time. We played together in WITCHTOWER for a while, but that was over 20 years ago. The contact never broke off. I knew that he still liked this music. That's why I asked him if he would like to do something in this direction with me. As you can see, he was very interested.
There is no other concrete musical connection to Witchtower. But of course I'm still part of the band. I suggested the band name back then. C liked it very much. It's about the fact that it's not really clear who represents good and who represents evil. Especially in religious terms. Religions are essentially based on manipulation and dependency. Incidentally, the foundation is built on lies and deceit.
2. You will soon release your second album, "The True Harmful Black," which comes almost four years after its predecessor. What was the writing and recording process like for this new album? Is there any evolution between the sounds of both albums? What brands of instruments did you use in the process?
R: After we released THE FORMLESS GRAVES, there was actually a creative break. But that's probably the case with most bands. The songwriting process of THE TRUE HARMFUL BLACK was actually similar to the first album. C has certain song ideas that
he plays to me. I then look to see which vocal lines might fit and the song gradually comes together. We then basically agree on what could be changed or left as it is. The important thing is that we are both happy with the material. We have remained loyal to our style. The new album is perhaps a little more brutal than the first. But both albums definitely have a certain catchiness, a lot of melodies and epic passages.
The recording process was actually similar to the first time. We were and are very satisfied with the recording and the drumming of Jörg Uken. That's why we approached him again. Cool guy! He was immediately enthusiastic. The only difference in the process was that this time we had more concrete ideas about the album. THE FORMLESS GRAVES was designed in such a way that we didn't really know what the end result would be. In the end, we were surprised how good the album turned out. So this time we already knew what we were capable of. I can't really say anything about the technology used. The SOUNDLODGE studio is already a professional music studio. I won't say anything about the brands of the instruments because we don't want to do any hidden advertising. After all, we don't have any endorsement contracts, haha.
3. Your sound reflects the influence of classic black and death metal, giving it all a melodic and somewhat epic quality. You also offer a very personal tone, especially when it comes to the progressive approach to guitar work and the importance of vocals. How would you define the sound of the new album? What bands or styles have influenced you when composing the music for the new album?
R: As already described, the new album THE TRUE HARMFUL BLACK is very much influenced by mid-90s melodic death and black metal. Even back then, it was not unusual to incorporate epic passages into the music. Of course, we are very pleased to hear that you also recognised a certain originality. That was very important to us. It's clear where we come from musically. However, we also wanted to bring in our own style.
The progressive touch in the guitar playing clearly comes from C. He's totally into progressive music. He is a very good guitarist and, in combination with his preferences, can write unique riffs that still fit into the overall concept. I try to enhance the mood of a song with my vocals.
Bands that have a clear influence on our music are especially Unanimated, Necrophobic, Dissection, Naglfar, Sacramentum, Decameron, Vinterland, Eucharist etc. But we've always liked stuff from Dismember, old Morbid Angel or Death. But these bands have perhaps not had such an obvious musical influence on our music.
4. I mentioned earlier how important vocals are when it comes to understanding your music, and the lyrics are no less important, as I think they're crucial for you. We find references to death and the falseness of organized religion. What specific themes do you address in the lyrics of the new album? Have the lyrics been adapted to the music, or vice versa?
R: The lyrics proceed in a similar way to the vocals in general. The aim is to create a mood that reinforces the mood concept of the song. Thematically, it is about death, religions and religious terrorism, schizophrenia, arrogance and decadence, fear, self-destruction and darkness. These are certainly not unusual themes in the genre. But we live in a time when it feels like the majority of humanity is going crazy, and hey, we still play extreme metal. I don't know whether all listeners can get anything out of the lyrics.
Everyone has to decide that on their own. Of course, the lyrics are direct in their choice of words in some places, but the meaning isn't always obvious.
5. Jörg Uken collaborated on drums for the new album. This was also the case for your previous album. What does it mean to you to have a real drummer when recording the sound of your new songs? How did this collaboration with Jörg Uken come about?
R: It was clear to us from the start that all the instruments in THE INFERNAL DECEIT would be played by humans. The lyrics were also written personally. Without AI or any of that shit!
Although we worked with a drum computer for the songwriting process, Jörg was free to contribute his own ideas to the recording right from the start. I've known Jörg for several years now. I've recorded albums with him for Mortal Form (NL) and Witchtower. I also knew that he is a good drummer. We wanted to make a professional recording, so I simply asked him if he wanted to do the drums as well as the recording. He was immediately enthusiastic about our songs.
6. For the release of the new album, you worked with the record label Personal Records. How
did the opportunity to work with them come about?
R: Jacobo, the label owner, had written to me in 2021 asking if we had any new material from Witchtower. He would be interested. But unfortunately we hadn't. That's how we came up with THE INFERNAL DECEIT. But our first album was already in the pressing plant. We released the CD ourselves, later on THE FORMLESS GRAVES was also released on vinyl by IDIOTS RECORDS. But the contact and interest in working together remained. When THE TRUE HARMFUL BLACK was produced, we finally decided to do something together.
7. You mixed and mastered the album at Soundlodge Studio. Why did you choose these studios to record the album?
R: As already mentioned, I already knew the studio from other recordings. It's also a very established recording studio in the metal sector. Jörg always does good work. We wanted a good production. The sound turned out really great.
8. Roberto Toderico worked on the album artwork. It depicts a labyrinth and an archway through which one gains access to space. What does this cover represent and what does it mean? What was it like working with Roberto on the album design?
R: The collaboration was very relaxed, just like the first time. We told Roberto our ideas and he then designed it according to our wishes. The cover turned out to be very dark and therefore very well suited to the music. Even my son contributed to the concept. The labyrinth symbolises life with all its complicated facets. To believe that there is a heaven waiting for us at the end, where we will find redemption and everything will be fine, seems absurd. There is so much that we as humans cannot understand. How can people be so arrogant or stupid as to believe that they can find the answers in some nonsense religion?
9. I don't know how your other band, Witchtower, is doing, but have you considered the possibility of bringing The Infernal Deceit's work to life and playing a concert?
R: So far we haven't really thought about performing live with THE INFERNAL DECEIT. We only consist of two musicians. Jörg lives quite far away from us. He is not a permanent band member. He's also very busy with his other projects and the recording studio. In principle, however, there are musicians who would support us if we wanted to perform live. We'll see what time brings and how the reactions to THE TRUE HARMFUL BLACK will be.
10. You've been active as musicians for over two decades. How do you think the extreme metal scene in a country like Germany has changed during this time? What do you miss most about those early days?
R: I personally believe that the metal scene has changed fundamentally since the 90s. But well, that's how old people always talk, haha. In my opinion, music used to be perceived much more intensively. You didn't have the opportunity to access this mass of music immediately. When you held a record in your hands, you were proud that you could expand your collection. It sometimes took weeks to receive a record from abroad. I have the impression that many people no longer recognise this feeling at all. Collections are replaced by playlists and that's it. Everything is available immediately through streaming services. Sound carriers are almost no longer wanted. Underground bands and underground labels in particular are struggling to release music. I think this is a terrible development. Streaming services are destroying the underground. No money reaches the bands. In the end, all users are only financing the streaming providers and the big pop stars. You can also see that in the concert prices. Everyone says that concert prices are exploding because everything is simply getting more expensive. That's bullshit. Because bands can no longer sell records, they have to find other sources of income. As a result, festivals are increasingly degenerating into pure party events. Everything has become more superficial, just like society as a whole. However, it's really bad that you're now forced to give away your music, which you've put a lot of heart and soul into, on streaming services. On the other hand, there is still a small metal community that remains true to the real values of metal, which is really cool. And that's our target group.
But I'm only speaking for myself here. C has a more progressive view of these things, haha.
11. How did you get started in music: your first concerts, your first albums? What event in your lives inspired you to become musicians?
R: I can only speak for myself here. I think my first contact with heavier sounds was in my childhood with bands like AC/DC, Guns N' Roses and Metallica. The first albums I bought were probably also by these bands. But I can also remember buying records by Axxis and Bonfire. But I don't have them anymore because the music wasn't hard enough for me back then, haha. The first death metal albums I bought were Death - Leprosy, Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick and Massacre - From Beyond. I have to admit that I wasn't at all interested in the second wave of black metal, especially from Norway in the early 90s, and I'm still not interested today.
I went to my first metal concert in 1993. It was Metallica in Düsseldorf. Many more concerts followed. I think my first death metal concert was actually by Death. But I also went to concerts by thrash metal bands like Sodom, Kreator and Tankard. I think the first pure black metal concert I went to was Satyricon and Dissection in 1996, but I had also seen Dissection earlier on tour with Dismember. I can't get it together anymore. That was so long ago.
12. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What recent albums have you bought?
R: We are not the typical black metal fans. Important releases are, above all, the first two albums by Dissection. But of course also albums by the bands already mentioned. Watain's The Lawless Darkness is also a very special album. I continue to buy dozens of albums. Now I have to think about which ones to favour. They're not all brand new anymore. I'll just name a few: Hunters Moon - The Great Pandemonium, Kalt Vindur - Magner Mater, Night Shall Drage Us - Lunatic Choir, Ninkharsag - The Black Swords Of Winter, Voodus - Emanating Sparks, Ossilegium - The Gods Below and many more.
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add something for The Infernal Deceit fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
R: Thank you very much for the interesting questions. And of course many thanks to the interested readers who made it to the end of this interview, haha. It was an honor! I don't know what else to add at the moment. The focus should be on the music. Just listen to our debut THE FORMLESS GRAVES and our new album THE TRUE HARMFUL BLACK. The new album will be released on 11.4.2025. If you want to get in touch with us directly, you can write us an email to: theinfernaldeceit@t-online.de or contact us via Facebook or Bandcamp. We wish you all the best with your Internet Mag. Keep the flame alive! Satan!
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