Interview: SAVAGE NECROMANCY

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’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2011

WARNING: The following year end rant contains numerous piss poor attempts at humor and a healthy dose of cynicism.  Reader discretion and a grain of salt are advised.  THKD cannot be held responsible for anyone suffering from a severe case of butt-hurt as a result of exposure to this rant.  Thank you for your support.

Mournful Congregation – The Book of Kings (20 Buck Spin, 2011)

As a metal journalist and critic, I occasionally run into albums that are so fucking good that they’re confounding.  No amount of hyperbole will suffice with which to convey the brilliance of their myriad layers and intricacies.  Such is the case with The Book of Kings, the fourth full length from Australian funeral doom practitioners Mournful Congregation.  In listening to it, I feel as if my meager skills as a wordsmith are completely incapable of describing such a masterful recording, and yet I’m still compelled to spill the digital ink in service of this great work.

Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium (20 Buck Spin, 2010)

“(insert band name) is the best band you’ve never heard of!”

It’s one of the oldest clichés in music journalism.  In the case of Washington-based quintet Christian Mistress, that shit is true.  After the relatively quiet release of a demo and a 7″ last year, the metal world at large first started hearing about the band thanks to Darkthrone drummer/walking metal encyclopedia Fenriz, who espoused their virtues in various interviews. But whether or not you subscribe to the ’80s-obsessed norseman’s cult of personality, Christian Mistress is a band not to be missed.  Their debut album Agony & Opium is a true barnburner; one of the most righteously rocking slabs of traditional metal to be released in the past few years.

There are tons of retro-wannabes trying to ape this style.  Forget about them. Christian Mistress are the real deal, possessing all the rough ‘n’ ready qualities that made an album like Diamond Head’s Lighting to the Nations so completely unfuckwithable.  This is goddamn electric twin-guitar sorcery of the highest order, conjuring the ghosts of the NWOBHM.

As great as those guitars are though, Christian Mistress’ not-so-secret weapon is vocalist Christine Davis.  She sounds like a denim ‘n’ leather clad version of Bjork, and it’s fucking awesome.  On tracks like “Omega Stone” and “Home in the Sun”, she’s a metal goddess in the making, her voice meshing perfectly with dueling six-strings.  Her vox lead the band’s hard-charging attack like a valkyrie riding into battle.

At only 27 minutes and change, the album runs painfully short.  Albums don’t need be an hour long, but when the music is this good, you can’t help but want to hear what else the band can do.  Like an all-too-brief set from a stellar opening band, Agony & Opium leaves you thirsting for more.

http://www.funerot.net/cm/home.html

Download “Home in the Sun”

Blitzkrieg: Rants, Raves and Recommendations #2

It’s probably a bit silly to be all ridiculously excited about a band based on the strength of one song, but I’m pretty psyched for Christian Mistress‘ debut album Agony & Opium, which comes out later this month on 20 Buck Spin.  Ever since I heard “Home in the Sun”, I’ve been looking forward to hearing what else this young band can do.  My initial reaction to the song was “Bjork fronting a classic NWOBHM band”, and I still think that is as good a descriptor as any for their rough ‘n’ ready trad-metal sound.  I haven’t heard the band’s demo, but if “Home in the Sun” is any indicator, Christian Mistress are going to have one hell of a debut on their hands.

Although, they’re going to have some pretty hefty competition in the traditional metal sweepstakes from Sweden’s Enforcer.  The band’s second album Diamonds has more hooks than Orlando Wilson‘s tackle box, just check “Midnight Vice”, “Katana” and my personal favorite and candidate for song of the year, “Running in Menace”.  I’ve seen some reviews and such questioning this band’s “trueness”, but give this album a few spins and try to tell me these dudes aren’t as sincere as it gets.  Besides, they’ve got the Fenriz seal of approval and that motherfucker is like a true metal bloodhound.  Heavy Artillery Records actually offered up Diamonds as a free download for one day only late last month, but if you missed out on that the record is definitely worth a purchase; pure oldschool heavy metal bliss for diehards of the likes of Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest!

On to deathlier things, have you fucking heard Disma yet?!  The Jersey-based quintet are OSDM to the bone, a blast of macabre filth straight from the crypt.  The band features former Incantation throat Craig Pillard, but that detail only partially betrays Disma’s sound and influences.  Sure, they do bear some minor resemblance to John McEntee’s legendary doomed-out death squad, but Disma are their own band.  Their three track demo cassette The Vault of Membros displays a knack for varied and catchy songwriting with some ridiculously thick, bulldozing grooves that will rattle your skull into next week.  If you don’t have a cassette player, do whatever it takes to dig one up and give this demo a listen.  If you’re not inclined to track down a tape deck, all three songs from the demo can be streamed on Disma’s official myspace page (see link above).

Indeed, part of what makes Disma so great is their overall approach.  More than likely the band could have landed a record deal based strictly on its member’s extensive death metal resumes.  However Disma chose to do things the right way, throwing down with an extremely competent demo to get themselves noticed.  The band will also reportedly be releasing a two-song 7-inch prior to their Profound Lore debut.  In the digital age there is something refreshing about seeing a band that has actually paid their dues and worked their asses off succeed, instead of getting a record deal based on how many friends they’ve racked up on Myspace.

In an unexpectedly awesome turn of events, NPR is streaming Summit, the new album from Louisiana sludge metallers Thou.  Summit is easily the band’s most accomplished album to date, aided by a production scheme that makes the band sound heavy and powerful rather than clattering and somewhat toothless, which was how they sounded to me on their last full length, 2008’s Peasant.  According to the band’s label Gilead Media, the stream will only be available until the album’s August 11 street date, so if you want to get a sneak-peak of what is arguably the year’s finest doom/sludge album, get to it now!  Expect a full review of Summit coming sooner than later.

Lastly, Earache Records is having a pretty cool Summer sale at their webstore.  They’re clearancing out a ton of stuff for ridiculously low prices, some great, some crap, some shit I’ve never heard of.  Anyway, the sale allowed me to fill two glaring holes in my collection, as I was able to pick up Left Hand Path and Sleep’s Holy Mountain for a mere $6.66 a pop.  I’m not sure how long the sale goes on for, so you might want to head over there asap if you’ve got the ducats to spare.

That’s all I’ve got for this installment of Blitzkrieg.  If you’ve got any recommendations of your own or suggestions for things you’d like to see me weigh in on in future installments, leave a comment.