Let’s keep this brief: Cult Of Daath is among the most underrated American Extreme Metal bands. When one of the two brothers comes up with something new fifteen years after the last Cult Of Daath demo, I naturally jump at the opportunity! I immediately contacted Tom “Obscurum” Kapsalis…
Hi Tom, thanks for having this conversation with me. I think to understand Unapproachable Light properly, we need to go back a few steps. If people already know you, it is for your involvement in Cult Of Daath. That band’s last feat was a demo called ‘Doomed By The Witch’ from 2010. There’s some uncertainty around the current status of the band. What happened?
Greetings WolfKult, I appreciate you giving me the time to answer a few questions. Cult of Daath was very active from 1999 to 2009. Around the time we recorded “Doomed..”, I went through a transitional period in my life. Starting a new job, getting married and welcoming our first child into this world. A second child soon followed. As any working parent knows, especially two working parents, life becomes a whirlwind of time constraints. There just isn’t enough time for extracurricular activities. Any precious free time that was left over I dedicated to physical activity (working out/hiking/biking), I hate sitting and being lazy. I also continued playing drums and guitar, I never stopped practicing. Cult of Daath did not have a jam room anymore, so it was difficult to practice/rehearse. We got together a few times to trade riffs, but that didn’t go anywhere, it died on the vine. And when I say we, I mean my brother Jim and I, there were never any other members. We decided that Cult of Daath will always be the brothers, no outside influence. During that time I slowly stopped going to shows (I worked evenings), and eventually I lost all my contacts in the underground Metal scene. It was a gradual process, other interests and responsibilities took over. It wasn’t a conscious decision to leave the scene. I still continued listening to Metal, that will only stop when I’m in my grave. Around the late 2000’s I stopped searching out newer Black Metal bands, I lost the enthusiasm. I’d rather listen to “Svartalvheim” and “Nachthymnen” for the billionth time. Cult of Daath is not officially dead, just residing in a shallow grave.
When Cult Of Daath started out, around the turn of the millennium, you guys were rather prolific and put out a good few releases, with the ‘Razor War’ 7″ EP being one of the very first releases on Nuclear War Now! Productions. As a whole, how do you look back at those early days of the band? Is there any moment or memory you cherish specifically?
I started getting into Metal in 88/89, the usual stuff like Metallica and Maiden. My older brother later turned me onto Venom, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Kreator and Death. Also Hardcore like Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front. It was both frightening and exhilarating, something about this type of music really connected with me. And then hearing Immortal’s “Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism” sometime in ’94 really blew my mind. It was dark, mystical and epic. Unlike the Death Metal bands I was listening to at the time. In High School I was obsessed with all of these mysterious groups. I kept discovering bands like Darkthrone, Emperor, Rotting Christ, Graveland, and Abigor. When my brother and I finally got to release the “Triumphant Holocaust” demo in 2000 it was exciting. It was the first thing I ever played on, I was proud of that crude release, the title track is still one of my favorites. My brother Jim was in a Chicago Death Metal band called Dark Oasis in the mid 90’s, they had that old school vibe like Master. After that he joined the Black Metal band Ezurate, who’s early demos are hidden gems. So he had experience in the Metal scene before Cult of Daath. Ezurate had a few interesting members cycle in and out, like Blake from Nachtmystium and Patrick from Lethal Shock/Brazen Horde. Tony, one of the founding members of Ezurate was also in Pazuzu. That guy always had the hook up if you needed any rare hard to find releases/shirts or zines. I have fond memories of tape trading with those early demos. Trading with Erik from Watain (he had a Zine, I forget the name), sending Drakkar Productions a master tape with 50 covers haha, who knows what the quality of those dubs were. Sending an envelope of cash to Stellar Winter hoping the Russia mob wouldn’t steal it. Luckily my Branikald tapes arrived a few months later. The whole process of being in the underground ecosystem before the internet really exploded was a blast. I need to find my box of hand written letters and flyers, there must be some interesting gems in there. Speaking of the “Razor War” EP, Matthias from Negative Plane did the artwork, he had a unique style.
I ran into the band with the release of your second album, ‘Slit Throats And Ritual Nights’, which I reviewed for Vampire-Magazine (now VM-Underground) when it came out in 2005. I loved the ultimate old school sound that harkened back to bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Nunslaughter, Profanatica, Demoncy or even Samael. Can you remember how the reviews about the album were back then?
They were mostly positive. We didn’t want to play the typical “Norsecore” style or depressive Black Metal that was gaining popularity at the time. We had a lot of the proto Black/Death influences like the aforementioned bands you mentioned. We wanted to stay heavy, evil, and keep the “Metal” in Black Metal. We wanted it ugly, but still be able to bang your head to it. That album was a co-release with Deathgasm Records and Blood Fire Death, which was Neil from Krieg’s label. They had a lot of clout in the scene, so that album really gave us some good exposure. The CD cover is awful though, I have no idea why we didn’t use our logo. The red font is obnoxious. Luckily the vinyl version on Nuclear War Now looked great, Jeff Whitehead (Leviathan) did the artwork and Annick Giroux (Cauchemar) provided the hand drawn typography. An absolutely amazing layout. I did an interview in Metal Maniacs for that album which was one of the biggest Metal magazines in the USA, that really put us out there. I was quite busy around 04/05. Besides Cult of Daath, I was recording and playing a ton of shows with Superchrist. We also would play Motorhead tribute shows as The Motorheads, we absolutely killed! “Overkill” was always the encore. I was also recording session drums for Nachtmystium during that period. It was a whirlwind of activity.
Around the same time you started with Cult Of Daath, you were quite an active member of the American Black Metal scene, also participating in both Krieg and Nachtmystium. How do you look back at being part of that scene in general? Do you still feel connected to the music and the way you experienced it some quarter of a century ago?
I have fond memories of that time period. I first met Blake(Nachtmystium) when he played guitar for Ezurate and then he started working at Metal Haven, an amazing record shop. Metal Haven was the epicenter of Chicago Metal in the 2000’s, it was a block away from Reckless Records, another great record shop. The Belmont/Broadway area was a wealthier part of Chicago full of yuppies, hipsters and homosexuals. Smack dab in the middle of this was Metal Haven, where all the Metal scumbags would assemble and drink beers on Friday/Saturday nights. A who’s who of the Chicago Metal scene would be there, also any underground bands that would be touring would stop by. We would hang out, drink beer and listen to Metal till well after closing. Chris Black of Dawnbringer/Superchrist/High Spirits fame also worked there. Through Metal Haven I got to know Blake better and eventually became Nachtmystium’s studio drummer for 4 albums (Self-titled album through “Instinct Decay”). The Metal Haven/Chris Black connection is how I eventually joined Superchrist. Regarding Krieg, I first started talking to Neil through the AOL “Black/Death” chatroom in ’99, I remember he went under the name “RasAlgethi”. We were always in touch after that. I would see him at some shows, I recall hanging out with him at the Milwaukee Metal Fest. A bunch of us were talking shit and laughing at the disgusting crust/punk kids begging for cigarettes. They were roving junkie nomads. I still have memories of a filthy crust kid passed out in the corner near the merch area covered in flies. Maybe he overdosed, who knows. Neil started collaborating with Blake and they asked me to play drums for the “Songs of Resistance” cassette and some other split 7 inch/EP’s. We recorded everything in one night. I remember Yosuke from Nuclear War Now! was there, we were using the rehearsal space from the Chicago band Forest of Impaled. Their “Mortis Dei” demo/EP is highly recommended. Andy (Akhenaton) from Judas Iscariot recorded the session on his trusty Tascam 4-track, he was a wizard on that machine. Such a great experience. There were no prior rehearsals, I learned the songs on the fly. That goes for all of the Nachtmystium sessions too, we never rehearsed prior to recording. The drum set I used for every Cult Of Daath release and Nachtmystium albums was hilarious. It was the dumpiest flood-damaged old Royce kit that my friend gave me in the mid-90s. That piece of warped shit was flogged hard, but it never failed us! Though I did have decent cymbals and good hardware. It lives in a crawl space at the moment, maybe I’ll shine her up for old time’s sake.
I am particularly curious to know how you viewed the developments surrounding Nachtmystium over the past ten years. Blake Judd’s antics, which led to his downfall and current resurrection, caused quite a stir. How did you experience that as a former insider and now as an observer? Have you had any contact with him at all since you left the band?
Blake is a character, he’s a talker. A promotion machine. I could see him working in corporate sales, or as a used car salesman. I personally have nothing bad to say about him, he was always a cool guy. I know he screwed people out of money and merch, but I was not in contact with him at that time. I did not experience the junkie side of him. He knows he fucked up, he admits it. Unfortunately, he burned a lot of bridges. You can’t mend all of those wounds, your reputation take an eternal hit. Nachtmystium was really on a roll at one point, if their momentum didn’t stall they could have been one of the bigger U.S. extreme metal bands. They would have been a mainstay on the festival circuit. I have fond memories of recording with him. I never asked for cash or any sort of payment for those sessions. I did it for the fun and comradery. The self-titled album was recorded by Andy (Judas Iscariot) in Blake’s parents living room. Andy was quite a mysterious figure in the USBM scene back then, there was a weird aura around that guy. He was really reserved, hard to read. “Eulogy IV” was recorded in a cabin somewhere in Michigan. We were in the grips of winter, it was snowing, the atmosphere was absolutely perfect. I recall that the toilet didn’t work, we would have to melt snow in a bucket and pour it down the toilet to get it going haha. Jeff from Autopsy Kitchen Records was also at the cabin, he was so drunk he kept swinging around a sledgehammer. Luckily nobody received an accidental kill shot to the brain. Blake and I had some great experiences together, I’m glad he is sober, hopefully he continues on this path. Chris Black recorded and produced most of the Nachtmystium catalogue. It was a very incestuous scene back then, I assume that’s the case for most local scenes. He did “Demise”, “Eulogy IV” and “Instinct Decay” while I was there. He also worked on the bigger albums that followed, but I wasn’t much of a fan of those releases.
— Cult Of Daath brothers —
Although there may be fewer juicy stories to tell about Krieg or Superchrist, I am still curious about them. Can you share with me what you see as your highlights as part of those two bands?
Neil was always a big supporter of Cult of Daath from the start, I always appreciated him promoting us, especially with Blood Fire Death Records. Besides seeing him at some shows, and the “Songs of Resistance” recording session, we didn’t hang out a lot. He’s an East Coast guy. We communicated mostly through chat rooms/email and forums, specifically the old Fullmoon Productions Board, I’m sure you remember that place. Superchrist is a different story. I started playing drums for them in 2003 (late 2002?), we rehearsed for a few weeks and then started playing shows immediately. Superchrist was a Punk/Metal hybrid. Equal parts Motorhead, Turbonegro and maybe old W.A.S.P. We played gigs all over Chicagoland, we even played a few gigs in Nashville and Boston. In Boston we stayed at the Bestial Onslaught Records guys house, I forget his name. I drew the shortest straw and had to sleep on a pile of cardboard in a storage closet. We put on a great show, crowds were always into it. The highlight of my time in Superchrist was playing with the mighty Metalucifer! Sharing the stage with the Heavy Metal Chainsaw was a great memory. Blumi from Metal Inquisitor/Desaster was playing guitar for them, Julio Viterbo from The Chasm was on second guitar. What a killer show. We played with Punk bands, Rock bands, Death/Black bands, we didn’t care. We would throw in some covers by Saxon, Bathory, Turbonegro, and Trespass. Like I mentioned before, we also played gigs as The Motorheads. We would often share the bill with Last Caress, an amazing Misfits cover act. Not sure if they are still active, but they were as good as it gets. I have fantastic memories with that band. I left them around 2006, it was time, I was getting bored by then. Chris Black and Hank Bitchlover were good guys, they are still out there gigging.
As said, your last feat was Cult Of Daath’s ‘Doomed By The Witch’ demo from 2010. That means that you have been silent for fifteen years. At some point you must have gotten a bit of a spark I suppose. What made you decide to get back into making music?
It all started in 2020 during the Covid hysteria, the hectic schedule grinded to a halt after a decade. I was off of work for a while, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was 41 at the time, and it really hit me. Time waits for no man. I’m not young anymore, time is slowly running out. The road ahead is getting shorter. Anyone in their 40’s knows what I’m talking about, years fly by in an instant. So I started writing some riffs again, coming up with ideas. During those years of inactivity I still played drums and guitar, I didn’t get too rusty. I wrote and recorded the track “Silver Dawn”. It’s actually a really old track, it would never have fit with Cult of Daath. It was ok, mildly shitty. But it was the spark that got me off my ass. Unfortunately, after I released that single, my tinnitus got really bad after a bout with the flu. I took another break for a year and a half. Tinnitus can be quite hellish, luckily it subsided, not quite to baseline, but I can manage. I didn’t record another track till “Glowing Hills” in late 2023. I really like that song, it was the template for the “Mesmerized…” demo. It showed that Unapproachable Light has potential.
Instead of reviving Cult Of Daath you decided to start something completely on your own. Cult Of Daath, of course, was a the result of a duo with Culggath Immortum providing the guitars and bass. I am very curious about your decision not to go with Cult Of Daath but to go completely your own way and work alone on what has become Unapproachable Light. Tell me more!
At the time, the ideas I had would not fit with Cult of Daath. I was not interested in writing barbaric proto Black/Death riffs, the lyrics/ideas I had were not evil, demonic or violent. I didn’t want to add melodic riffing to Cult Of Daath, Jim would not be into that. Cult of Daath will always be raw old-style Black/Death, if we resurrect it, it will stay the same. As I got older my perception changed, I wanted to create more of a mysterious atmosphere. My lyrics these days are based on the mythological, paganism, nature worship and the hidden forces of the unknown. Don’t get me wrong, Unapproachable Light is still Raw and Ugly at times, but not in a way that would be suitable for C.O.D. I needed to be in complete control and build my own vision. It’s just easier going at it alone right now. I would like to collaborate again in the future, Cult of Daath does have some unfinished business that needs attention. I really love the last demo we did, we will see. Unapproachable Light is my priority for the foreseeable future.
Your demo debut, ‘Mesmerized By The Unknown’ has recently been released in digital form. I think it is a very solid start, especially taking in consideration that you’ve been away from making music for quite a while. In what way do you think Unapproachable Light differs musically from your previous work?
Of course you can hear the Cult of Daath influence in some of the riffs and rhythms, I have a specific way of writing and tying riffs together. There is always that “Metal” element in my writing. I can’t write droning and flowing Black Metal. There will always be a crunchy Varathron riff to spoil the mood. Greek Black Metal is a huge influence on me. I am of Greek descent, my parents are from the Epirus region in northern Greece, so that scene is quite special to me. It’s the opposite of the cold, freezing atmosphere of Norse BM. There is a hot, steaming, ritualistic aura to the early Greek scene. I remember being in Athens in ’94, and discovering Varathron in a Metal Hammer issue (I think). It was a review for “His Majesty…”, the description sounded occult and mysterious, the pic of Stefan Necroabyssious was unsettling. In 2002 I recorded a demo with my project Alioth entitled “Channeling Unclean Spirits”, it was a tribute to all of those demos/EP’s I love by Thou Art Lord, Varathron, Master’s Hammer, Zemial, etc. You can find it on You Tube, check it out, I love it. Unapproachable Light definitely has some of that sound. But it’s mostly influenced by the melodic riffing of early Gorgoroth, Graveland and Ancient. Even some Root/Old Tiamat influence creeps in on the new material. Unapproachable Light is basically a slurry of all the Black Metal bands I worship from the early/mid 90’s.
Although it seems that the music of Unapproachable Light seems slightly more focussed on the Second Wave of Black Metal (as opposed to the First Wave focussed Cult Of Daath), it feels that you haven’t really changed your approach to Black Metal. It is still fairly basic and fixated on repetitiveness and primitive energy. Or am I wrong?
You are not wrong, there is more focus on Second Wave BM, especially the melodic riffing and atmosphere. And like I mentioned before, there is always a Heavy Metal feel to the songwriting. Not Priest and Maiden riffs, but memorable choruses and phrases. You can hear that in Cult of Daath, especially on the “Doomed…” demo. “Ancient Eyes of Gold” and “Magic Taphos” both have that influence. My music will always be on the simpler side, which means I will not dazzle you with technical prowess. But I try to keep it interesting. I don’t want to blast constantly, I like twists and turns. Accents and build-ups. I don’t like riffs lingering on too long and becoming repetitive. I can’t write songs with 2 riffs that drone on for 8 minutes, I get antsy. My vocals are lower register, closer to Death Metal. I never liked shrieking, my voice is not made for that. I’m trying to enunciate better so the lyrics come through a bit clearer.
As a whole, do you think that you being fifteen+ years older has reflected in the music of Unapproachable Light? And, more generally, how has time influenced your view of Extreme Metal as a phenomenon and musical genre? Did that also change the way you listen and compose music? Are the influences, both musically and non-musically, changed over those fifteen years?
Of course we all mature to some degree, some more than others. I’m 47, I have been listening to Metal since the late 80’s, I have seen the ebb and flow. Trends that came and went. Metal had an amazing run from 1970 with Sabbath till it’s final form, Black Metal, around 94/95. The amount of innovation in that 25 year period is staggering, unbelievable really. I’m not doing anything new, I’m just using the framework of those ancient Metal bands as a template to try to create something worthy. I hope I can achieve that one day, better late than never. I compose riffs/melodies the same as always, on the acoustic guitar. I have always enjoyed fleshing out ideas on an acoustic, the rustic sound calms my mind and helps me focus. My influences are still the same. Living in the Midwest, I get to experience the 4 seasons in all of their glory. And it dictates what I am listening to. Summer is usually Heavy/Power Metal and Death Metal. Fall is filled with Doom Metal and stuff like King Diamond/Danzig. Winter is when I delve deep into Black Metal again. The early works of Ancient, Abigor, Graveland and Gorgoroth are my mainstays. 70’s Prog and Electronic/Ambient is year round.
The “Unapproachable Light” symbolises the separation between God and man. It is the holy light, too pure and intense for sinful humanity, the reason why we are not able to see God with our own eyes. Quite a theological name for a Black Metal band. What made you choose this name, and does this religious name also explain the title of this first demo and the transition from light to dark on the cover of ‘Mesmerized By The Unknown’?
I read that term years back and it always stuck with me, it was only mentioned once in the Bible, in Timothy I believe. A mystery so profound, impossible for a human to behold. Immortal, athanatos! I’m not using the term in the strict Christian sense, I’m just fascinated by what the term is conveying. A mystery unattainable, unfathomable! I have always been enthralled by mythology, the occult, the supernatural. I remember reading the Man, Myth and Magic encyclopedias when I was a freshman in High School, I was absolutely spellbound. Luckily, I found the complete set for $100 25 years later, in pristine condition of course. I still read them to this day. Growing up in the Greek Orthodox Church was a mystical experience unto itself. From the chanting, the haunting icons, the candles and scents. I didn’t understand it as a kid, but I knew there was profound energy in these ritualistic acts. I wanted the demo cover to convey a cryptic and dreamlike quality, the invisible force beckoning us to search for the hidden, the unknown.
The mystical sounds, which sometimes even resemble those of old Greek black metal bands, not least because of the similar kick drums, seem to me to fit well with the song titles, but I can’t really substantiate that. What is this first demo about and do you feel it is a continuation of what you did with Cult Of Daath?
“Mesmerized By The Unknown” is about just that, the fascination with the hidden spiritual world around us. Once you leave the urban hellscapes and venture forth into nature, you start to notice things. A feeling, a vibration, concealed messages. Even meditating in the middle of the night, the silent darkness is a conduit to these forces. Man has spiritual energy, it’s innate. But living in the modern technical world dulls these senses. When I watch the winter sunset through the trees, I can feel the light deities. Be it Apollo, Baldur, or Helios. We live in a world full of spirits, it has always been this way. Some are unclean and demonic. This is a continuation of my musical journey, a rebirth so to speak. But Cult of Daath is a separate entity, both musically and thematically. There are some similarities here and there of course. I did play drums, sing and write half of the riffs in Cult Of Daath. It’s going to naturally rub off on Unapproachable Light.
As mentioned earlier, your relationship with Nuclear War Now! Productions goes back to the early days of Cult Of Daath, so it’s perhaps no big surprise that Unapproachable Light also found its way to that label. Was your first idea to check whether your old contact was interested in working with you again? The result of that renewed collaboration is that the demo has been released on cassette tape. Are there any plans to release it on vinyl as well?
Over the summer of 2025, I reached out to some of my old contacts. It was great to reconnect with old friends like Blake, Alex from Thornspawn and Yosuke. People that supported me since the beginning. I was accustomed to tape trading, flyers and forums. I had zero social media, it’s a whole different world out there when it comes to promoting music. I can’t just jump on the Fullmoon or Nuclear War Now-Message Boards like the old days. Yosuke was always a big supporter of Cult of Daath, it was a no brainer to send him new music to check out. He was excited about the demo and offered to do the tape release. I have always respected what he’s done with his label and his work ethic. He doesn’t fuck around, he has the samurai spirit. There is no plan for a vinyl release right now, if a label is interested I am all ears. Fun fact, my brother Jim was the house graphic designer for Nuclear War Now during the 2000’s. He did some great layouts, the Abigail vinyl was unbelievable.
‘Mesmerized By The Unknown’ has been out for a few months now. Having had the chance to let everything sink in, how do you look back on the run-up to the creation of this first demo? Are you satisfied with the result and what are the things you will do differently for your next release?
The reception has been quite positive so far, I haven’t seen anyone shit on it, but there is still time. I think it came out ok, it obviously doesn’t have the best production, I had minimal equipment to record. I didn’t even use a bass, I just pitch shifted my guitar, oh well. It’s not noticeable. I did purchase a bass recently, that will be rectified on the next release. I do like how powerful the vocals turned out, while they are raw, you can clearly hear the lyrics. “Ancient Eyes of Gold” has such a triumphant feel, and the mid-paced chorus section is heavy and dark. “Blazing Horizons” is an instrumental, it also has an epic/triumphant feel, I used some synths for the first time on that song “Magic Taphos” is my favorite track, I love the vocals during the clean guitar parts, and the simple leads turned out well. “Eternal Dreams” is definitely something different than I’ve ever done before. Dreary hypnotic guitar, clean vocals and a floor tom. It really sets the mood. The lyrics continue the “Magic Taphos” story about a ritual to attain immortality. I would like to expand on the clean/spoken vocals on future releases.
Which brings us nicely to the final phase of this interview: you’ve already got this first demo in the bag, but what can we expect from you for the rest of this new year?
I currently have 5 new songs written, and I plan to start recording soon. The production will be much better this time, especially the drums. The material is similar to the demo, Graveland/Gorgoroth style melodic riffing with Greek Black Metal influence. Of course there will be few surprises along the way. I am not ready for a full length quite yet, there is no need to rush. I have enough material for an EP right now, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. I hope to have everything recorded and mixed by summer. At that point I’ll send it out to labels and see if there is any interest. I wouldn’t mind another cassette release, but I would like to see a CD/vinyl release for this EP if possible. I would also like to find a band to do a split 7 inch with, I’ve always liked that format. Towards the end of the year, I want to record a few Alioth songs that I wrote 20 years ago for the 2nd demo but never recorded. That project is Occult Death Metal, like the very early Greek and Czech scenes. Like I said earlier, time waits for no man, procrastination is not an option.
Many thanks for your time and sharing your thoughts and words, Tom. I’ll leave it up to you to round off the interview, last words are yours…
Felix, I really appreciate the opportunity to do this interview. Hopefully I didn’t ramble on too much. It has brought up a lot of memories that I haven’t thought of in many moons, I enjoyed that immensely.
