Over the course of an EP, a split and debut full length Feathers Fall to Flames, Phoenix, AZ’s Savage Necromancy have blazed a path of bestial black/death metal devastation that shows no signs of letting up or slowing down. The band recently re-released Feathers Fall to Flames via the venerable 20 Buck Spin and after just a few years of existence are already poised to take the metal scene at large by storm with their knack for crafting songs that are catchy and memorable without forsaking any of the crushing ultraviolence the genre is known for. In honor of the re-release, I caught up with guitarist/songwriter Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations via email to discuss Savage Necromancy’s plans for world domination.
THKD: For readers that might not be familiar, tell us about the formation of Savage Necromancy. How did the band come to be and what goals did you have in mind when starting out?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: The Grand Marshall of Hell and myself started this band just with the intention of making heavy straight-forward war metal songs. We had absolutely no goals besides working on being tight before playing shows and to put out a demo.
THKD: You released your debut album Feathers Fall to Flames last year. What was your mindset going into the writing and recording of the album and what did you hope to accomplish?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: My mindset in writing was to create very intense and razor-sharp black metal and to solidify us as a more serious band than what was previously shown on our demo and split. It was intentional to start adding more variation to our black metal with SE Asian/Brazil and black/thrash influences.
THKD: What is the songwriting process like for Savage Necromancy? Is there a single primary writer or do you work on the songs as a band?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: For the most part I write all the songs (the intro track was written by Grand Marshall of Hell). When I am satisfied with a song being complete we practice it. Lyrics don’t really come into play until we record. I would say I write the majority of the lyrics on the new album and GMOH arranges and structures the vocal patterns. Lately for our other band we have been writing and demoing the songs on a DAW before practicing them as a band so we might do the same for the remainder of the full-length tracks.
THKD: One thing that immediately impressed me about Feathers Fall to Flames is that it is violent and brutal but still manages to be very catchy and riff-driven. Was this intentional or just a natural evolution of the band’s approach to songwriting?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: It’s intentional. We want to be razor-sharp and have strong memorable songs including more influence from other styles of bestial black metal. I see a few comments saying this is not war metal because we are not chaotic enough and that’s fine, this is our evolution of where we want our black metal to go.
THKD: Feathers Fall to Flames is being reissued by 20 Buck Spin. How did you come in contact with the label? Will you be releasing any other material through them?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: Yes, we were currently writing the next full-length for 20 Buck Spin! I believe what happened was Nate from Spirit Adrift told Dave [Adelson, owner of 20 Buck Spin] about us and Dave was interested, and Rippy (our friend who recorded this album) relayed the message to us. We contacted Dave and it was a very smooth process and we are extremely happy to be on the label.
THKD: You released your debut ep in 2019, followed by the split with Genocidal Sodomy in 2020 and Feathers Fall to Flames in 2021. Are you currently working on any new material and if so when can fans expect to hear it?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: Yes as mentioned before writing another full-length for 20 Buck Spin, we are maybe 2-3 songs deep into it so far. I imagine this will take a while so hopefully by Fall/Winter of next year.
THKD: What does the rest of 2022 have in store for Savage Necromancy? Are there any live shows/tours in the works to support the reissue of Feathers Fall to Flames?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: As of writing this I can’t give exact details yet, but yes there are plans for all of these!
THKD: Savage Necromancy hails from Phoenix, Arizona. How would you describe the metal scene in your home city/state? What new bands from the area should readers be on the lookout for?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: Be on the lookout for Moribund Dawn, mystical & imperial Swedish style Black Metal praising Vinterland, Dawn, & Dissection!
THKD: It seems as though in recent years there has been a proliferation of war metal or bestial black/death metal bands coming out of the US and Canada. Why do you think this is? Do you consider Savage Necromancy to be part of that movement?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: I don’t know honestly, and history will tell!
THKD: I often see Savage Necromancy being compared favorably to Archgoat online. Do you consider them to be a primary influence? What other bands have inspired you?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: Archgoat has for sure been a primary influence on this band and we don’t hide it. In Feathers Fall To Flames further in writing the album I was being more influenced by bands like Impiety and Nifelheim and I see our progression going more towards this sort of bestial black/thrash influenced path.
THKD: What are you currently listening to and what are your favorite releases of 2022 so far? Do you have any recommendations for THKD’s readers?
Conjurer of Putrid Desecrations: I’m currently listening to the same Chemlab song on repeat. Very much been on an industrial and old-school EBM kick lately. I’m in full-on riff writing mode now and I don’t like listening to adjacent stuff to what I’m making (especially if it’s recent)
THKD: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
Black Metal Victory!!
Special thanks to Earsplit PR for arranging this interview.
THKD 