Unmother is the brutal reflection of the dystopian society that threatens to engulf them. Declwa (guitars and bass) and Azoso (guitars and vox) are half of the London based outfit that refuse to compromise when others choose to do so and accept the untenable to their core beliefs.
‘’The band was created by the need to play the -back to the roots black metal- music that we grew up with. All of us are musicians in other bands in different genres but none of the genres that we deal with can evoke the same feeling. Venla has released quite a few ambient records, Azoso used to play in punk and doom bands whereas I (Declwa), have a few personal projects quite far from the metal genre. Mother is a strong word and motherhood a strong concept, especially taking into consideration today´s reality. At the time that we chose the name it felt even stronger with all the things that were happening in US and Europe regarding abortion laws (well, still happening). Your purpose is clear .Where does the vitriol against racism sexism and fascism come from? ‘’These are our personal beliefs and we wanted to make sure that we expressed these through our music. Additionally, and considering the past and current state of black metal, we believe that it is important to take a stance. Too many bands keeping equal distances regarding outspoken Nazis and this is something we want to make very clear that we oppose. Is black metal the only outlet to release this tension? ‘’Yes and no. It feels natural to use black metal as the medium to release this tension, however I can utilise some of my other non-metal music projects for the same reason and have to admit it feels the same way. It would be interesting to see if that tension from the other non-metal projects is perceived by others the same way though!
‘’It feels natural. Most of the music I like is usually intense regardless of the genre. Regarding elements I would exclude, even though I am up for mixing all sorts of different influences on my projects I would not see myself experimenting with anything like djent or anything from the NWOSDM scene. Not my cup of tea. Your music goes directly against the fantastic elements of Black metal. Why aren't more bands tapping into this? ‘’I have no idea really. I grew up listening to a lot of second wave of black metal bands and while I enjoy the music, I must admit that the imagery and lyrical themes are a bit ridiculous. Am I supposed to find trolls, demons, witches, or blood more frightening than the current late stages of capitalism that we are experiencing? Hate-crimes, economic suppression, slave wages, persecution based on race, sex and sexual orientation affect us in a direct way, it’s not a story from a Tolkien book. Your dystopia is frightening, is urban black metal a more accurate descriptor?
‘’Definitely yes. That is the main atmosphere/feeling we wanted to convey on our album. The terrorizing dystopia and loneliness of an urban environment in current times. Are your products of your environment? ‘’Definitely affected by our environment, and in some cases direct and indirect products of it. A realistic answer would be that we are just spectators of it. It is a very personal almost hypnotic album? It is for me. I really hope that someone else might see it that way, it would be fantastic if our album could mean something to someone else as well!
The decision to include atmospheric elements. To create a duality within the music? Yes, to create some sort of contrast with the more aggressive parts of the album. We tried to get this more ambient sound, almost like a more intense blade runner type of synth. These influences will be more and more present on the new stuff. Your lyrical inspiration? Real life experiences as opposed to art and literature?
‘’I am afraid I cannot speak on behalf of Venla. They are the sole contributor when it comes to the lyrical aspect of the album and would not want to misinterpret any of their lyrics. I find the lyrics of the album brilliant in a terrifying way. The cure for intolerance? And why has society regressed to such an extent? ‘’An open mind and acceptance. We are all different but all equal. Thinking anything else than that is a problem. This is a multi-faceted issue; however, economic deprivation could be considered the main factor. Your album Lay Down the Sun, is immediate yet also textured. Was it a long time coming? ‘’I think so! Some of the riffs were written many years ago and the initial material was really raw sounding. Due to geographical limitations, the creation of the album included many backs and forth online recordings with Venla. I believe that the atmosphere of the album was fine-tuned during this exchange, however the mixing and production process by Azoso played a big part as well on reaching our destination. New music on the horizon and the direction it will take? ‘’Yes, lots of stuff coming up, hopefully soon. We are working on a 3-track EP now which will keep some elements from Lay down the Sun but emphasise heavily on the atmosphere some of the non-traditional tracks of the album had. I would say the new tunes are drifting more and more away from the more classic 2nd wave influences you would find on the first album. Plans for the future? A new EP coming out hopefully in the next 3 months and maybe a split ep with a Greek black metal band. Not sure yet with the time-schedule, the older you get the less time you are able to devote to the things you love unfortunately! Top 6 albums of all time Declwa: Pink Floyd – Wish you were here Mayhem – Grand declaration of war / Ordo ad chao GZA – Liquid Swords Iron Maiden – ST Bjork – Homogenic Slayer – Show no Mercy Azoso: Led Zeppelin – IV Pink Floyd – Animals Gojira – Magma David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Frank Zappa – Hot Rats Nuclear Assault – Game Over
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