Albums of Purgatory interview Acolytes Ruin

Firstly, whats the band up to right now?

Well, we're pretty busy at the moment actually. We're doing the final recordings, and starting to mix, our new demo which will have 4 songs: 2 new ones, a re-working of an - In Blood and In Death - track and a cover. We're also writing new material, and preparing for a gig this saturday (21st June) in Reading. It's with Thus Defiled, 7th Child and TBAC, so it should be pretty cool, it's free entry.

How would you describe the Acolytes Ruin sound?

Before now I would've said black metal, but now I'm not so convinced. There are definite parallels that can be drawn, but I think overall we have progressed beyond that style. It wasn't intentional, it's just the way we've matured as musicians. Particularly since Andras joined on guitar, he's certainly influenced to make a real mastery of our music. It will be interesting to see how people react to it, because - Satanic Death Camp - was so cold and stark sounding.

How did you get involved with the band?

I mentioned to a mutual friend of mine and Herodian's that I was looking to experiment with music, combining what I'd learned from college and what I'd learned from metal, black metal in particular, and also with a technological slant. Herodian was looking to do that too, so we got together and just decided to see what we could do. We came out with - The Findings. I was previously in a band called Darken Reverence with Xanathan and a session guitar/synth guy, Dave, now performing synth for Season's End.

Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?

Yes, the first Acolyte's Ruin gig was on Hallowe'en '99 or 2000, I can't remember which. The years get kinda blurry sometimes. We were supporting Season's End, funnily enough. It went pretty well considering it was our first gig together in front of a crowd. It was my first gig ever, so that was interesting, and I seem to remember being pretty happy with our performance.

Are you involved in any other projects and if so how do they compare to Acolytes Ruin?

I am involved in Reign of Erebus and Falsorum Deorum Cultus. Reign of Erebus is a more volatile soundform, the music is very aggressive and intense. Where Acolyte's tends to enjoy the music a lot and indulge in it, with Reign the music is always driving on. It's always going somewhere, fast, and it takes you with it. Kind of like a journey, I guess. Falsorum Deorum Cultus is a project of mine that I started about a year ago, it was recorded whilst being written and is very intense. There's a lot of headbanging there and a lot of stark noise, it works really well. It compares to bands like Gaahlskagg and Trelldom, and includes a Gorgoroth cover.

Also, Herodian drums with Archaicus and Andras plays with Ligature.

What are your favourite Acolytes Ruin tracks?

That's a difficult question. There aren't many that I don't like for some reason or other. Every song has a purpose, there's something in it that it is supposed to instill in you. When I get that feeling I remember why I liked it enough to record it.

What are your favourite all time songs?

Another difficult one.

Emperor - Thus Spake the Nightspirit
Metallica - Fade to Black
David Bowie - Slip Away
Ulver - Gnosis

and plenty of other things very non metal you wouldn't even want to know about.

What the first record you ever bought?

Megadeth - Rust in Peace

Which album was it that got you into metal and can you explain why?

Indirectly it was Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction, because although it's not metal, it was the first album or band that made me take music seriously, and how it can make you feel. From there I bought Megadeth's Rust in Peace off their reputation and it goes from there.

Whats the last album you purchased and what did you think of it?

It was either Enslaved - Below the Lights or The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan.
SRV's a great guitarist, but I haven't listened to Enslaved in too much depth so far, there are some really cool sections on there. It's an extension of the Monumension style which I really like. It is very natural sounding, and has a great natural vibe, it feels very live. That's what we get more of with the new Acolyte's Ruin material, it feels very and jammed out. Like the band are playing it every time you hear it.

What would be your dream band line-up?

Garm - Vocals
Grutle Kjellson - Vocals
Ihsahn - Guitar
Kirk Hammett - Guitar
Skoll - Bass
Frost/Fenriz - Drums
The Autechre guys - Programming

It would never work, I can't see those people ever agreeing in the writing process. But you know that you have the talent and if they were to work cohesively, the outcome would be incredible. You could even involve David Bowie in there and it would make things really interesting.

If you could do a cover for a tribute album to any band, which song of which
band would you pick and why?

I really cannot pick one. I like different forms of music for very different reasons, there are some things which blues can do that black metal cannot and vice versa, and same goes for all types of music. On different days I will give you very different answers, depending on my mood.

What do you think of the position of metal and music in general today?

Incredibly diverse. There are so many sub-genres of metal that you could spend hours trying to explain it to someone. The problem with this is that there is a lot of bad music around at the moment. But some interesting creations are around.

Which other bands stand out for you at the moment?

Enslaved definately and Ved Buens Ende, and a lot of old stuff like Metallica and G n' R, and I'm exploring blues again, so I'm listening to very varied people. The new Gorgoroth and 1349 albums are great. Black Metal is getting nasty again after the surgence of nicer bands. And the speed of Buried by Time and Dust....

Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?

Yeah, every week funny things happen, because we're all friends and hang out a lot and with the Reign of Erebus guys. I guess the last funny thing was at a gig we did recently where my full guitar stack fell over mid-set and we had to stop to sort it all out. And Xanathan snapped a bass string again, and had to borrow a bass from Mulch. Then Andras's guitar cut out inexplicably. Major equipment failure. When we played the Underworld I went through 3 guitars in the first two songs and had to do the rest of the set just performing vocals....

and finally, what do you see in the future for Acolytes Ruin?

Hopefully a contract and some larger scale distribution and support to some good bands. We'll see what happens.