Ninkharsag Interview
Ninkharsag Interview by Ioana
I am fairly sure that almost every person who is well versed in the black metal underground has come across Ninkharsag at some point, most likely through their outstanding record, The Dread March of the Solemn Gods. I remember that being the case for me, and ever since their latest EP, I’ve been more than certain that these people know what they’re doing with their music. My interest prompted me to try and reach out to them, as one does, and guitarist Paul Armitstead was kind enough to answer a couple of questions about Ninkharsag’s overall approach to songwriting, concepts and some other interesting stuff.
Greetings, and thank you so much for taking part in this interview, it is a true pleasure! Since the release of your latest EP, “The Black Swords of Winter” , you have been receiving a significant amount of support, and you have also scheduled a tour of Scandinavia that will start on April 25th. This being said, how are things looking for Ninkharsag at the moment?
Thanks for wanting to ask us some questions.. we always appreciate the support.
Reception towards the E.P has been great so far. We can’t complain really and have been flattered with the international support being shown, to us we still feel like a small band from the U.K.
We currently have no tours planned but we did do a tour of Scandinavia last year.
We did “Dread March over Europe” and then Scandinavia the following year with Glemsel, Naxen and Anti inferno. All great bands with the nicest people you could want to tour with.
Speaking of “The Black Swords of Winter”, you have described it as the continuation of its full-length predecessor, “The Dread March of the Solemn Gods”, both musically and thematically. Could you delve a little into the concept behind these releases? Also, do you plan on doing more records continuing this concept?
Musically we were never going to stray too far from how we already sound, so it feeling like a continuation would be natural. Lyrically, Kyle’s lyrics either have a story to tell or can be interpreted personally by the listener and from what I remember the lyrics were still being written while we recorded the e.p. As for it being continued on a future record, who knows at the minute. No lyrics have been written for any newer material.
Soundwise, you have described Ninkharsag in the past as a sort of legacy act, meant to carry the torch of the bands that came before, most notably Dissection. Over time, however, you seem to have crafted your own sound, whithout compromising on the original premise. How did you exactly find the balance between honoring the past and shaping your own musical identity?
We started out wanting to write music that would fit in with the classic black metal bands we liked. Not to just copy and paste their sound, but to be able to be put on the same shelves as our influences.
There is a fine line between copying and trying to retroactively coexist in a scene that ended decades ago, but there will always be a lot of “us” within the songs as we write for ourselves. We are flattered when we get compared to such legendary bands as we wouldn’t be writing this without them.
Partially due to the melody-focused songwriting, your music has developed in such a way that it is much more expressive than the average black metal. Is it important for you to have the music transmit certain emotions, and if so, which ones do you tend to focus on the most?
There is such a wide range of black metal sounds within the genre, but regardless of sub genre they all have some sort of emotion. All music should have feeling but it shouldn’t be forced. We don’t write with an intent, its never “let’s have an aggressive section” or whatever, its just a song and let’s see where it goes. We do want it to have an epic overall feel or to take you somewhere while listening. Like emperor can make you feel in a different world completely with just their music.
On a similar note, I couldn’t help but notice what a significant role the vocals take in highlighting the expressive aspects of both “The Dread March” and “The Black Swords”. Is this a way to bring more attention to the lyrical content and the concept overall, or just another example of musical proficiency?
Kyle’s vocals and lyrics are great. I don’t think there’s been a song that the rest of the band haven’t been impressed with his subject choice or words to express it. He has a natural knack for writing and performing and its definitely another part of the music and not just screaming over the riffs.
Going back in time a little, Ninkharsag as a project has existed so far for about 16 years, starting back in 2009 as a one-man project. How did the ideas for this band appear, and what did the early years look like? Also, what was the moment that you would say defined the band?
It started due to my previous band not liking some ideas as they were “too black metal” so I separated material while writing. Then as that band died me and the drummer continued on with the black metal side. Then we met Kyle and once we heard his vocals and riffs we immediately wanted him involved.
Early years were slow but we got through it all and we fought through a lot of external stresses to keep going. I don’t think there’s been a time where its been particularly easy for us to be honest. Between things happening in our personal lives, health issues and delays between releases I’m amazed we’ve come this far.
A defining moment for the band for me was when we kept songs off of our 1st album because we could see the more melodic approach we were going for and those songs didn’t fit with the older material. That was when I could first see how we were going to sound as we progressed.
As mentioned before, given your artistic direction, the sound of Ninkharsag is similar to that of Swedish bands such as Dissection, Sacramentum and Dark Funeral, even though you are based out of the United Kingdom. Did your local musical climate impact your sound in any way? What does the relationship between you and the UK underground look like?
Not particularly. All the black metal bands we were influenced by were Scandinavian generally. Also a lot of our influences that aren’t black metal are similar to what influenced those bands.
The UK underground scene has been an odd one with us really, at the beginning it was tough getting out there but got easier as it went on. Some bands locally were absolute pricks for no reason.
On a similar note, your debut album “The Blood of Celestial Kings” bears significant differences to the material that followed it. What caused this shift in style, and how much of an effect did it have on the songwriting process for “The Dread March”?
As mentioned in one of the previous questions. We had material written to go on celestial kings but it was too melodic so we kept it back as it didn’t fit in. Then all the following songs were working with that as a standard. The 1st album feels more like a demo and us getting or heads around what we wanted. Its influences were generally more strictly black metal and not classic metal as another layer or any major melodic intricacies.
Given your loyalty to the old-school sound and overall way of doing things, it can be deduced that you do not necessarily search to follow the direction most modern black metal bands choose. What are your thoughts on the current state of the black metal underground, and where would you say things went sideways for it?
We will check modern bands out, but like us they are stuck in a position to either try and innovate and become too far removed from what is considered black metal, or remain the same as whats been set as the standard and be criticised for not doing anything new. It’s a bit of a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. The further it strays from traditional the less inclined id be to listen personally. But like our detractors say, why listen to them doing that when there’s this band already? So unless there is something there as well as that original sound to make you want to listen, then are you just another tribute band? It’s a tricky one.
Your live performances are something to behold, with plenty of energy involved, capturing the minds of the audience without relying on any sort of stage apparel or theatrics. What prompted you to stay away for the most part from the typical black metal attire, and would you say that it takes away attention from the music?
We love when bands go all out with the stage gear and elaborate theatrics. And we do have a few things we usually do like smoke machines, back lighting or darkness. Even had a candelabra onstage at times. Because you do have to cater towards people who are going to see a show. But we generally dont “suit up”. As awesome as the full stage get up may be, unless you are seeing it live then will the music still have that impact just listening at home or wherever you listen to music? Sure a band look more aggressive playing fast covered in blood and corpse paint onstage, but does that aggression transfer to listening without the visual imagery? I’ve enjoyed seeing bands live for the show but then left without being able to remember a single riff. So what does that say in the long run about the music. You shouldn’t need constant visual stimulation or an image reminder for a song to have the desired effect.
On another topic, judging from the album art and song titles alone, I can’t help but notice a fantasy, or overall literary influence on Ninkharsag. Have you ever been inspired by literature in your musical endeavors? If so, what works?
Kyle has always had a book of sorts on him since we first met, and I’m sure he takes inspiration from many of his favourite authors. I cant speak on his behalf for what ones exactly at the minute but hes definitely well read.
Lastly, thank you once again for your time, and I hope you found the questions interesting. I leave the last words to you.
Thank you for wanting to speak with us! We appreciate any genuine interest and support.
Check out our latest E.P “The Black Swords Of Winter” available through us directly or via our label Vendetta Records.
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