Interview: Ars Veneficium

Interviewed: S.

A band from Belgium that’s on the rise after having proving themselves to always deliver high quality black metal since their formation in 2013 is Ars Veneficium. With a new album recently out titled Usurpation of the Seven it was time to talk about the bands history, future, black metal in Belgium and the Corona situation.

Tell me how did Ars Veneficium come to life?

The band basically grew forth from my former band Eratomania back in 2013 when 2 members made the decision to leave due to other priorities and interests. It was then that Ronarg (who’ve recently joined Eratomania a week before) and myself decided to continue. From there on, I asked my old Drummer (Sorath) to join us again and after a few rehearsals, which led to a whole new sound, we decided it was for the best to start all over under a new name which eventually became Ars Veneficium.

You’ve been with Immortal Frost Productions since the debut EP The Abyss, how did you two get in touch?

Well, fun fact is that I’m the owner of Immortal Frost Productions. So it made sense for me to release my own band as I have full control over the promotion, distribution, release formats etc. I could push everything the way I want.

How is the Belgian scene for black metal? The little I hear from bands from the country delivers, such as yourself, but there seems to be so few black metal bands. Is it a PR thing (as in there are many bands, just not known to the masses) or is there simply not a lot of people wanting to play black metal in Belgium?

Lately we actually have a very good scene if I have to be honest. The past 5 years or something bands are really stepping up their “game” again and delivering in full force. Our scene might be small, but we have a great number of black metal bands in this country. PR could be blamed I guess, perhaps since our country is so small we don’t get the attention we should, but if one would dig in properly, you will find at least 15 black metal bands worth checking out.

To name just a handful: Possession, Slaughter Messiah, Heinous, Dikasterion, Saqra’s Cult, Sabathan,…

Your lyrics revolve a lot about Satanism, what’s the members religious belief?

My lyrics present several topics such as Satanism, Demonology, Luciferianism, my obsession with death and what comes after life. I wouldn’t confirm it as a religious belief, but more as a free way of thinking, exploring and absorbing wisdom in one’s interests. After all, I have an utter disgust for monotheism.

What fuels the darkness in creation for Ars Veneficium? How goes the process when creating a new album?

The fuel behind my music has always been my hatred, disgust and personal life experience. Everything I see in our daily life, how people interact with one another, how religion still manipulates the weak minded, the brutality towards the beauty of nature. This all reflects my view upon the world and humanity which I eventually translated into my lyrics.

The process of writing a new album happens between myself & Ronarg. He delivers the song writing of all the instruments which I give a final adjustment regarding structure and details right before I write the lyrics to these songs and we call it “complete”.

With your new album Usurpation of the Seven having been out for almost a month when I write this has it had the reception you hoped for?

Our new album has been received very well I noticed. Reviews have all been very positive, however for some strange reason we’ve noticed that everything’s kind of put on hold half way into March. Reviews haven’t been delivered, sales have stopped drastically, distribution is on hold..

Has it something to do with the Corona Virus? I seriously can’t say. Perhaps our album isn’t that good after all? Maybe the reviewers weren’t interested? Perhaps, it wasn’t the right time? (hahaha) Anyway, I find it a very strange situation to be honest.

Sadly your album release tour got cancelled due to the Corona virus, it sucks hard and many bands are suffering right now. How are you holding up, how has it affected you and how can fans help you guys out?

Correct, under normal circumstances we would have toured China in May for 2 weeks to present our new album to a whole new scene (where we’ve of course never been before). Unfortunately has our tour been cancelled due to Corona Virus as well as our album release show at Dark Easter Metal Meeting festival. And we’ve heard that our other planned festivals for this summer will most likely be cancelled or postponed as well. Which is unfortunate, but understandable regarding the whole situation.

How can fans help us? By checking out our new album online and show their support by purchasing it through our record label; http://smarturl.it/usurpationoftheseven

Speaking of tours and lets just dream for a bit. What would be a dream tour for Ars Veneficium, who would you tour with and why?

Honestly I personally have no dream tour. I guess any tour with like-minded people, good vibes etc could be nice.

What’s next for Ars Veneficium?

For the moment we’ll wait out this “storm” and see if our shows will be rescheduled or not and focus towards what comes after this current situation and hopefully our album will get noticed a bit more during this quarantine.

With that I guess we both go back to the quarantine life. Got any last words?

Thank you for this short interview and interest towards Ars Veneficium.

Ars Veneficium
https://facebook.com/arsveneficiumofficial

Immortal Frost Productions
https://immortalfrostproductions.com
https://shop.immortalfrostproductions.com
https://digital.immortalfrostproductions.com
https://youtube.com/user/ImmortalFrostProd
https://facebook.com/immortalfrostproductions https://instagram.com/immortalfrostproductions https://soundcloud.com/immortalfrostproductions

Albums of the month: February

What a start of the year we’ve had! This years January has probably been the strongest start of a year since I started this blog with loads of great albums coming out and February is just as strong, if not stronger. One band even dropped two great albums on the same day, Cult of Fire with Nirvana and Moksha. While January was a bit short on the black metal front February had that in masses, or what about Faustian Pact, Kvaen, Faidra, YGG, Tombs, Necrowretch, Svart Crown and Cénotaphe (just to name a few even) all dropping albums you need to dig into right now if you haven’t already! Another thing worth noting is that Beneath the Massacre has come back in style with Fearmonger being some of their best material yet, welcome back! Two months in 2020 and we’ve already been offered loads of superb metal, this year is looking very bright.

Album of the month:

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre

On one of the last days of the month it was unleashed, The Funeral Pyre! Oh does it shine bright as this is some of the best black metal I’ve heard in months. Incredible debut album and has everything I’m looking for, a contender for album of the year in my opinion. You can read the review here.

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre was released February 28th via Black Lion Records.
Bandcamp – https://kvaen.bandcamp.com/album/the-funeral-pyre
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1RXqAO2dPkKQGip9qU45pg?si=BjEd_IIpQ8WGwXCq5oj3oA

Runners-up:

Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger

What a comeback by Beneath the Massacre! Eight years after Incongruous came out they release what I think is their best album yet in Fearmonger. This hits hard!

Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger was released February 28th via Century Media Records.
Bandcamp – N/A
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1q7U1NxOyWTzoS3cpqtQpS?si=2e90Jez_Qpu2Xgu3n6zw_A

Plague – Portraits of Mind

I generally don’t see Greece as a death metal country but more into black metal. However Plague has shown there is a lot of life (or death) in the scene there too as Portraits of Mind had me on the hook straight from the start. One of the best death metal albums released so far this year! You can read the review here.

Plague – Portraits of Mind was released February 14th via Redefining Darkness Records (NA) and Nuclear Winter Records (EU).
Bandcamp – https://plague-gr.bandcamp.com/album/portraits-of-mind
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0u934ElljYYWNif8V6ysuz?si=kwVdxSnKStCxpo5LCNbOIA

The Spirit – Cosmic Terror

The Spirit is one of those bands I feel is underrated because I feel both their debut Sounds from the Vortex and follow-up EP Pillars of Doom were very high quality black/death metal in the veins of Dissection, Sacramentum and Thulcandra. However maybe a bit too close in the sound. With Cosmic Terror though they’ve really come a long way and while the influences are still there they’re finding their own sound more this time around.

The Spirit – Cosmic Terror was released February 7th via Art of Propaganda.
Bandcamp – https://thespiritmetal.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-terror
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/00TpgegQ8rs1WK0hqZDyjd?si=UOuBpr86S5OtHaKaw3LvUg

Night Crowned – Impius Viam

Their EP Humanity Will Echo Out showed a lot of promise and when I reviewed it back in 2018 I thought this band could be the next big melodic black/death export from Sweden. That seems to be the case still as their debut full-length is another step in the right direction and Night Crowned is on the path towards greatness with their apocalyptic heavy style that leaves no prisoners.

Night Crowned – Impius Viam was released February 28th via Noble Demon.
Bandcamp – https://nightcrowned.bandcamp.com/album/impius-viam
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0xbLmjAA1qgYnm7phVTPUS?si=msBbLB07SDWiun9Yu9G4bg

More great albums of February:

Faustian Pact – Outojen Tornien Varjoissa
Schizogen – Spawn Of Almighty Essence
Slaughter Messiah – Cursed To The Pyre
Shandrazel – Le Paysage De Mes Pensées
Faidra – Six Voices Inside
Hæresis – To Drown​.​.​.
Cénotaphe – Monte Veritá
Abated Mass of Flesh – Not Burned
Necrowretch – The Ones from Hell
Horresque – Chasms Pt. I – Avarice and Retribution
Serpent Noir – Death Clan OD
Svart Crown – Wolves Among the Ashes
God Dethroned – Illuminati
Sepultura – Quadra
Sylosis – Cycle of Suffering
Conjureth – Foul Formations
Neptunus – Planetary Annihilation
Skyforest – A New Dawn
Sentient Divide – Haunted by Cruelty
Artach – Chronicles of a Black Winter
Xenobiotic – Mordrake
Cult of Fire – Nirvana
Cult of Fire – Moksha (yes they released two albums!)
Blåådpalt – Sliced to Perfection
Thokkian Vortex – Thy Throne is Mine
Tombs – Monarchy of Shadows
Infirmum – Walls of Sorrow
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber – Ascension
Innards – Back From The Grave, Straight In Your Face
Ossaert – Bedehuis
Izthmi – The Arrows of Our Ways
Akiavel – V
Deprived Of Salvation – Destination : Decay
YGG – The Last Scald
Ars Veneficium – Usurpation of the Seven
Black Royal – Firebride

The Metal Gamer Songs of the Month Spotify playlist:

Ars Veneficium – Usurpation of the Seven (Black Metal)

What’s this? 3rd review in three days!? Yes that’s right I’ve been busy and it just clicked this time, don’t get used to it though haha. From black metal new blood in Kvaen to death metal veterans Wombbath I have now landed in more black metal realms as Immortal Frost Productions has been so kind to start sending me promo’s. I obviously had to dig right into it!

When thinking of black metal from Belgium there is really only three names that comes to my mind, Ancient Rites, Wiegedood and Enthroned (Oathbreaker in a way but I personally don’t consider them black metal). What I’m saying is Belgium isn’t really known to have a vast black metal scene so it’s fun to get a promo from a band hailing from that country I haven’t heard of before. Enter Ars Veneficium, a band that was formed back in 2013 so in all honesty they got a few years together by now. Prior Usurpation of the Seven the band have released an EP titled The Abyss in 2014 and a full-length in 2016 which was called The Reign of the Infernal King. I obviously had to give those two a listen before digging into their new release and I was pleasantly surprised. This was hard hitting aggressive black metal with blasting drums and riffs with lyrical themes of darkness, death and Satanism. Just the way I like my black metal!

While the first two records were good black metal I didn’t find them that memorable (do check out “As Flames Spread Into Chaos” and “Bringer of Light” however), were a bit inconsistent and could use a touch up on the production. Here I find the new album Usurpation of the Seven taking a big step in the right direction on all three points. The onslaught of sweet riffs and thundering drums remains but it’s more evil, wicked and simply just a showing of a band that’s had more time together, honing their craft. “Wrath of Life” is only the first track on the album but it’s already clear this song is better than anything the band has released previously. “Devour of Light” cements my thoughts as it’s just as good, by now I am certain that Ars Veneficium doesn’t play around and has made the best of their time between the albums to unleash a much better output this time around. What start as what I originally thought was a weaker song eventually becomes the relentless fury that ends “In the Fires of Eternity”, ending it on a high note and after a few listens becomes one of my favorite tracks. Funny how that works sometimes and says a lot on why you shouldn’t judge a song too quickly. The closing tracks “Under the Wings of Beautiful Darkness” and “The Flame of Endless Yearning” are great outputs as well, with the tempo-changes made to look easy in “The Flame of Endless Yearning” especially catches my attention.

In the end Usurpation of the Seven is a prime example of fast riff driven black metal done right. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before truth be told but Ars Veneficium does it very well and has risen to new heights since their last album. Fans of black metal in the veins of Sargeist and Human Serpent don’t miss out on this one!

Artist: Ars Veneficium
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
For fans of: Sargeist & Human Serpent
Release date: February 28th, 2020
Favorite song: The Flame of Endless Yearning
Score: 3.5/5 Very good