A year ago I was blown away by the first demo of the then totally unknown to me Haan Valar. Not because of its brutality, heaviness or speed, but because of the authenticity that ‘Devotion To Xemzara’ exhibited. Much closer to the original, very old Greek Black Metal it actually never came before. Now we are a year further and I am on the eve of the release of the European edition of that fantastic demo with WolfKult Religion, then of course an interview with the American duo is an obvious step…
Hey guys, since we have been in contact for quite some time and I released a European version of your demo with WolfKult Religion, it was only logical to invite you for this Q&A. So, let’s get started right away. Most Greek sounding Black Metal bands are, well, from Greece. Your home turf is basically located at the other side of the world. I asked the Greek bands I interviewed about what that classic Hellenic Black Metal sound means to them. I’m wondering, is that any different for a relatively young band from the USA?
The first time we heard Greek black metal, it had a whole different sound separate from the typical Scandinavian stuff i.e. Darkthrone, Mayhem, etc. That was when we realized it was actually the supreme form of black metal. Before Haan Valar, Mephisto already had been taking influence from the Hellenic black metal scene in his own music. The slow and doomy yet melodic riffs, mid tempo blast beats and overall very occult feel resonates with what our vision of black metal is supposed to be.
Now that we have started with talking about THE sound, I think anyone who has heard your ‘Devotion To Xemzara’- demo must have been stunned by the authenticity and pureness of that recording. Can you tell us something about the creation of these four songs?
One evening Mephisto and I were drinking and listening to bands like Zemial and Darkest Oath. We were inspired to make a demo to worship the Hellenic gods of black metal. We stayed up all night and finished the songs from scratch in one sitting, basically half asleep and drunk. The vocals were recorded the next day and there wasn’t really any mixing done.
Talking to a band about musical influences can not only be interesting and enlightening, but in your case it feels a bit like pushing an open door. While it’s obvious even to Beethoven in his final days that the old recordings of Varathron and Rotting Christ have served as models for your music, I’m still curious about what drives you and what other (Greek) bands have influenced you. So, please share…
Nar Mataron, Varathron, Zemial, Darkest Oath and Rotting Christ are our main influences for Haan Valar. We kind of just wanted to make something based off what we were listening to right before.
‘Devotion To Xemzara’ was your debut demo and as far as I was able to find out, the band has been founded not all too long ago. If you look back at these first steps with Haan Valar, how does that make you feel? Are you happy with how things turned out?
We were not satisfied originally, we felt the demo was held back by the lack of time spent on it as well as our drunkedness. We feel though that the demo is like a snapshot of how we were in that moment since it was made so quick.
The programmed drums in Hellenic Black Metal is something that I love to discuss, as for me they are a vital and essential part of the sound and feel of the music. There are a few new(er) bands that chose real drums, which is something that I have a hard time understanding. Fortunately, you opted for the drum machine. What is your vision on this matter?
We believe that programmed drums and E-kits do have an essential place in Greek black metal, we are no strangers to using these sounds in our music. We prefer real acoustic drums for the majority of our projects, however. But we wanted to keep a more authentic essence for our demo, hence the decision to go with the programmed drums.
Apart from that so typical drum sound, you have also captured the Mediterranean spirit in the demo’s melodies. In the dying moments of the last song, there is even an enchanting melody that has an Eastern feel. Did it come out so deliberate and intended, or is that more of a coincidence and a result of free creativity?
Mephisto is already a pretty Greek sounding project, so he kind of just brought over that same riffing style to his style with Haan Valar, just with a more direct approach. That enchanting Eastern feel you mention came sort of naturally to Mephisto when crafting the demo.
Greek Black Metal is quite spiritual and deeply rooted in ancient and occult religions and beliefs. How is that for you? Can you connect to these same sort of backgrounds or do you get your conceptual and lyrical inspiration elsewhere?
For us, black metal and the lyrics involved are a spiritual aspect, so we wanted to keep that same ideology for this project as well as our others. The lyrics have occult themes that we have studied awhile ago and have been interested in, but there are also subliminal messages of evil and darkness found within the demo.
Sticking at this specific subject, with Google at your side it is not too difficult to find (a rather soulless) translation and superficial information on what “Haan Valar” and “Devotion Of Xemzara” means, yet I’m interested in the deeper (spiritual) meaning of what the band name and title of the demo mean to you. What is the concept of Haan Valar all about?
Haan Valar is a vampyric serpent demon of illusions and deception, a great inspiring figure to Mephisto and myself. Our ultimate goal of the music we create is to spread darkness, evil and misanthropy, so we feel choosing a God with the power to possess the minds of the people with blasphemy would be a fitting choice for the project.
Speaking of spiritual connections, in the interview I had with Ophidian it was revealed that there is split recording with this great Greek one-man band is in the works. He told me you reached out to him with the idea. Can you tell me what you had in mind when you asked Ophidian to team up? Do you already have any details on this split that you can share?
We had found Ophidian’s demo “Descent Into The Labyrinth” online a while back and thought it was a great idea to hit him up for collaboration. We felt that his version of Hellenic black metal was definitely true and carried the old-school cult spirit with it. Ophidian’s side is pretty much complete, but Haan Valar has been held back with Bezaliel shows and other projects. We are planning to resume working and to finish hopefully by the end of 2024.
In recent years, appreciation for the more occult and ancient-sounding Black Metal with a heavy emphasis on atmosphere and feeling seems to be on the rise. In my review for ‘Devotion To Xemzara’, for instance, I drew a comparison with the current Belgian Black Metal scene where bands like Forbidden Temple, Perverted Ceremony, Moenen Of Xezbeth and Phelegthon’s Majesty have adapted much of that ancient mood. What is your perspective on this trend in the current Black Metal scene and do you feel connected to such bands?
We don’t feel connected towards that push towards atmosphere at all, really, and we never meant to hop on to any trends going on. Our goal is to play metal, not atmospheric noise slop. We respect bands that honor the core ideals of black metal such as Ophidian.
The two of you have quite some other activities, including Bezaliel in which you are both active. Is there any exciting news to report about any of these other bands and projects?
We just played our first gig in Hollywood, which was an exciting event for us. We also will soon begin recording a new Bezaliel EP with a vinyl release. Nachzehrer also has a new solo project, Solysium, putting out a new full-length this winter through Mamzer Records, as well as his work on the new Enthroning Nightfall project with a second demo coming within the next few months. Mephisto has Heathendom releasing through Sonorous Night set to be released in 2025. Our guitarist in Bezaliel has a new project on the way as well.
Your guitarist/vocalist Lord Mephisto also runs Mamzer Records, again showing a nose for excellent underground Black Metal. Many interesting bands adorn the label’s roster, however, everything is only available in rather small quantities. This does add to the sense of intimacy and mysticism, but on the other hand it is a shame that the music is not available to everyone, especially outside the American continent. Can you elaborate a bit on the vision you have with Mamzer Records?
Mamzer Records in 2025 will expand to doing more larger quantities of tapes, even doing CD and vinyl. This winter a new batch of releases are set to drop to break in the new year. More info will be posted soon on our instagram @mamzer_records…
Okay, that’s it from my side, I want to thank you for sharing your time with me. Like many with me, I am looking forward to new Haan Valar material, so I will keep my eyes open. For now, the last words are yours…
Thank you for interviewing us, and for everyone reading: BUY A TAPE AND SUPPORT TRUE UNDERGROUND BLACK HORDES…
