1. POX was born in 2014, why do you decide to create the band? What does the POX name refer to and why do you choose it for the band?
Actually the roots of POX spread back a lot further than 2014. POX is the continuation of a primitive black metal entity that was founded in 2006. Everything remained very, véry underground and non-productive until around 2014 a new guitar player joined the ranks. Consequently we decided to drop a lot of the old, really primitive stuff and started focusing on creating new material. It felt as if a vicious new chapter was being written and a fresh (pun intended) start was taken. We thought that adopting a new band name would only be fitting and as 'Hellhammer' was already taken, we opted for POX.
The pox is a highly contagious viral disease that ravaged Europe during the middle ages. It involves pus, hemorrhages and revolting scars, and during the first half of the 15th century, the glorious pox may have caused more victims in France than the plague. Hard to come with a name that grasps the general band atmosphere more than POX, then.
2."POX" (2015) and "Door den holder verrezen" are your first two Eps that contain a total of six songs, how were the composition and recording process of these two Eps? How would you define the sound of the band in these beginnings?
Apart from the fact that I wonder if ANYONE is actually interested in this kind of shit, I can tell you that the composition procedure in POX is quite an organic process. Songs are built up in a too hot in summer / too cold in winter rehearsal hole, beginning with basic riffs and song ideas and evolving through trial and error (during which the phrase “perhaps you could insert a d-beat there” is uttered at least twice).
The sound of our first EP is quite rough and rather fuzzy. But it was meant as a demo-EP, a first presentation of the band, and we still are fond of the nitty gritty production mr Hammerman procured us with. For the later tracks, including “Raise the claw” which is featured on the B-side of that first vinyl-EP, we cooperated with Lander and Frost of Hearse Studio. Both are top notch guys who know how to combine utter black metal obscurity with a decent and powerful sound palette. Hearse Studio will also be our partner in the recording process of the upcoming full album.
3. In 2017 comes the one shared with Heretic, "Hell's Messiah" where two of your songs are included, one of which is a version. How did the possibility of this shared with Heretic arise? Why the inclusion of the Anciet Rites theme version? Death Messiah "?
The Heretic boys have been friends of us since ages and we played a couple of gigs together as well. They actually came up with the idea for the split-7”. They already had the plan of doing a cover version of the Dutch cult band Countess, so we decided to do the same with a band from our own country. Ancient Rites of course is a fucking legend, and although opinions about their later work might differ, we all can agree that those first three albums are classics in every sense of the word. The track 'Death Messiah' from the first Ancient Rites-album 'The Diabolic Serenades' captures the essence of old school black metal and has been a POX-favorite since day one, so the choice was quickly made.
4. However, "Pocken in Broekzele" also contains some new songs such as "Obsidian Butcher", how has the band's sound evolved between songs like "Sacred Song of the Foul Fog" from your first Ep and the one mentioned as new? previously "Obsidian Butcher"?
I wouldn't focus too much on “Obsidian Butcher” as this one is built upon a foundation of blastbeats. POX will not evolve in that particular direction. Of course we have nothing against blastbeats whatsoever and we apply them from time to time, but there are zillions of bands out there that do nothing else. We prefer tempos that vary from mesmerizing mid to nervous, d-beat-infected rabid violence. So in that aspect, “Obsidian Butcher” might be a one off.
Concerning our music style and sound evolution: I suppose I should state that “our song writing develops” and that “we grow as a band”. But it doesn't and we don't. Basically our music remains straightforward and stripped right down to the essence. Evolution is overrated.
5. The editing of a live is not very common in a black metal band either. Why is the decision made to edit "Pocken in Broekzele" ?, not having much information about the components of the band, what musicians participated in the recording of the album? How do you decide which songs and which concerts will be the ones that enter? to be part of the final edition?
The thing is: our full album should have been recorded late 2018. Studio Hearse was already booked. Unfortunately, in May 2018 guitarist B. suffered a serious traffic accident and the man got quite badly fucked up. Imagine playing the guitar with (amongst others) an arm that is broken in four different places. Anyhow: we decided to put the band on hold. That meant that POX was in a heavy coma for more than a year. But a heavy coma does not necessarily lead to death. One could see this live tape as some sort of a token of life. We are still here and this period of waiting is only the calm before the worst motherfucking hailstorm you've ever witnessed. First rehearsals are coming up as we speak, new songs are being written and it turns out that the album will only benefit from this unwanted delay.
Which musicians participated in Pocken in Broeckzele? All decent fellows, from the first till the last. And concerning the selection of the songs: I reckon we DIDN'T select any songs. We just put the whole show on tape. As every POX-song obviously is as good as, or maybe even better than, the previous one.
6. The theme of death and necromancy as well as certain doses of occultism are present in your lyrics and in your music, why do you choose these themes and why are they interesting for you?
First let me state clearly: we never pretended to be magicians, we don't perform magic (with or without the K) and we are not even self-proclaimed occultists.
That being said: most of us cherish a fascination for all matters dark and twisted on one hand, and traditional heathenism on the other. (Balances tend to bend over more to one side or the other, depending on the POX-member you're talking to.) Combine these two elements and there appears before you a vast amount of glorious inspirational matter. For the darkest corners of local folklore and bygone traditional practices are infinitely more bleak than most of these so called “black metal”-musicians / magicians out there could ever grasp. They are shrouded in a certain kind of spirituality that pulsates in aeon old graveyard sites and on desolate mountain tops, they reach towards us with rotten fangs and claws and thrive upon archetypal fears that STILL skulk in your nowadays degenerate world. POX rides with the Wild Hunt through the Rauhnächte and howls and rattles at your door until you fucking break. So NO - we are not your modern “occultists”, instead we wield the pitch black hammer of chtonic motherfucking doom.
7. What types and brands of instruments do you use to record and compose and which ones to offer a concert?
The same. What kind of rock stars do you take us for?
8. How were your origins in music: first cds you bought, first concerts that you attend? What I miss in your life makes you want to dedicate yourself to music and form a band?
We all had our personal trajectories but the important thing is that, in the end, we share a collective weak spot for dirty, minimalistic and straightforward black metal. I think none of us ever made the well thought out decision to “dedicate oneself to music”. This sort of stuff just happens. With most people, it just remains a nice little hobby, something you do with your “bro's” in the weekend.
But obviously: with other people, it grows into all sorts of extremes.
9. In previous editions of POX you have always worked with record labels to offer your work in physical format, such as the labels: Impious Desecration Records, New Era Productions or New Era Productions, however for the cassette and digital edition of "Pocken in Broekzele" you have opted for self-publishing, why has this been the case in this case?
This is only a “live tape”, you know. An in-between. It's not that we think that it's not important, but we just didn't want to loose any time asking around with labels and so on. Between the first idea of releasing this concert on tape and the actual release, only a week or two passed.
10. Are you satisfied with the media and public impact of "Pocken in Broekzele"?
Yes.
Totally.
One more and we all can give up our day jobs.
11. Although "Pocken in Broekzele" has been published for a short time, can you tell us if you are working on new songs, editions, concerts, etc?
As I mentioned earlier, we are getting ready to finally record our first full album. We expect quite a lot of that one, and it should be a rancid black metal brass knuckle punch right into the disgusting mug of modern society and everybody in it.
As we speak, only two concerts are planned, both in October and with Ancient Rites and Sabathan. For the occasion, Ancient Rites will play a set with only old school stuff from the demos and the first albums. And Sabathan is the project band of ex-Enthroned throat Lord Sabathan, they only perform tracks from the legendary first two Enthroned-albums. These should be two nights of total old fashioned debauchery. First night sold out in about two hours, second night is close to getting sold out as well.
If you want to book us in Spain: we're up for it.
Actually, come to think of it: you SHOULD book us in Spain. And while you're at it, put Báron Rojo and Arkaik Excruciation on the bill as well.
12. Thank you very much for taking the time to Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for the followers of POX, this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
FTW, good Sir.
Recorded live in Brussels supporting the “Abhorrent Desecration tour”, 2017.
Limited to 100 copies
