Summon: How did the band get started?
Nimerius: I used to live in Chalkida, GR and I had the idea to make a black metal band as a young man excited with the whole BM scene. You know, everyone has dreams for his band etc. I found some guys who were living there to share those dreams and so we set this up, although none of them stayed in the band. I moved the band base to Athens, having found new members there and slowly the present line up was formed.
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Nimerius: It is based on the black metal sound but we call it Imperial Black Metal because we have integrated elements that evoke this atmosphere.
Setesh: It is weird just to connect our music to something so generic like “black metal” so we had to find a name to describe more precisely. It uses the symbolism of the Self’s empire. But black metal is dominant in our music still.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Nimerius: Some are positive, some are not. We don’t really care about opinions but anyone is free to express it. We do what we want to do and the rest are insignificant.
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Nimerius: Our first vocalist suggested that name but is it not even an existing word so we prefer to give this word a meaning according to the band’s philosophy.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Setesh: Vocals
Nimerius: Guitar
IakXaos: Gguitar
Baal: Cello
Nazfell: Synth
Beleth: Drums
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Nimerius: Music is written by me and Setesh mostly but all the members add ideas. Lyrics were written by me up until the EP but from there on are written by Setesh mainly.
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Nimerius & Setesh: Spiritual development and communion with the higher Self. You know,
limits are something we don’t like to have musically and the same goes with our lyrics and philosophy.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Nimerius: Ah, this isn’t a question you can answer in two or three lines. I can say for myself but not for every band member. I call Satan the power which pushes you to make things you know they are wrong, according to your morality or logic, but you have an advantage of it so you do those things nevertheless. Occultism it’s the general process of attaining your spiritual aim, if you have one…
Setesh: Satanism, as introduced by LaVey, is for me another byproduct of the Christian religion. Christianity deserted the flesh for the “glory of the Spirit” – LaVey wanted to do the opposite and I respect that it is needed as a measure of restoring the balance in modern society. But I am no Satanist even if I embrace Satan as a figure and meaning (after all it is a form of the god Pan..), I prefer the Luciferian and Promethean approach to the LHP. Occultism is many things that cannot be discussed further here but I can say that it is a way of becoming truly alive.
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Nimerius: We have released one EP under the name “The Eye” and we are on the way for our new album. We’re on the editing/mixing process right now.
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Setesh: “The Eye” EP has 4 songs, written in various periods of the band’s early years, the whole production was done by me in my personal studio. But you will have to hear them; music is usually not described well with words alone.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Nimerius: Beleth also plays in Released Anger and Vigour, Setesh has the band Adyton and also plays in Reclaim, IakXaos also plays in Exarsis and Reclaim and Baal plays in the Athenian Orchestral of Youth.
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Nimerius: My musical influence is mostly folk music but also a lot of inspiration comes from visual arts as well.
Setesh: I perceive everything as music so influence can come from anything.
Summon: Which current bands?
Setesh: Each and every one that I may listen to. There is no way to keep any information out of the process; everything is influence as I’ve said before.
Summon: What is the band like when you play live?
Nimerius: We are into space and occult themes so our appearance on stage follows likewise. Setesh: Each performance itself is perceived by us all as a ritual – every aspect of it, both musically and visually, is precisely approached in that sense.
Summon: Have you guys ever played in another country?
Nimerius: Not yet.
Summon: How big of crowd shows up at shows usually?
Nimerius: about 150 people I guess but it depends on the venue, the town, the other bands that play with us etc.
Summon: How is the crowd response when you play?
Nimerius: Personally I am staying focused in our playing and performance so 100% of these are delivered so I don’t really pay to much attention to other things.
Setesh: One must not fall into the trap of watching for crowd responses while performing. We open the gate for those who want to pass it, but we can force none. Some join us, some don’t.
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Nimerius: I appreciate and I am open to listen to every band that creates music. US have many respected bands that have played essential role to the BM and death metal music. My favorite from the new bands is Abigail Williams.
Setesh: I started my musical journeys with Death Metal which I have to say I still consider it to be perfected in the US. As for US Black Metal scene, it wasn’t until 3-4 years back that I got introduced to some bands (i.e. Inquisition) and got stunned by their unique atmosphere. Great potential resides there.
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Nimerius: I don’t know many things about the “scenes”, I just listen to music, I don’t even support a scene or something, I listen to whatever I like and that’s all…
Setesh: I am very much into Australian BM, Japanese BM as well. Again the whole different musical perspective is the key for quality there.
Summon: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Nimerius: Secrets Of The Moon, Winterhorde, Carach Angren, Darzamat.
Setesh: Elffor, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Inquisition (and many others which I don’t even consider to be “new” but, hey, as long as it isn’t Mayhem and Burzum it is new right?)
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Nimerius: For now we are focused on our first album so the idea of a second album it’s not something we are thinking about– but composing new material has nothing to do with the idea of an album, it is just something that comes naturally.
Setesh: When we have a lot of good music we can think about a next album. The deprivation of the extreme musical genres nowadays is partly due to not allowing inspiration to flow naturally but forcing chords and lyrics to form mere tunes. We do not plan to do so.
Summon: What does the future hold for the band?
Nimerius: We are looking for a good label to promote our music, book some lives in Europe and outside of it and keep composing good music.
Setesh: As for what the future holds, we prefer to focus on the Present instead..
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Email: diablerygr@gmail.com
