With a total disregard for human life; behold: DETH WORSHIP... This intro of a brief info in 2013 introducing the band name, with the
announcement of an upcoming EP through Nuclear War Now, accompanied by the image
of a grim skull was like a call from beyond. And with an
artist like Ryan Förster behind this project it just could mean one thing…bestial and blasphemous atmospheric darkness...and that´s what “Extermination Mass” is. While I´m longing for the next release I
contacted Ryan to dig (into the grave) deeper…Superion Rises!
If I´m not wrong Death Worship was born in 2013, how
did the concept of DEATH WORSHIP developed into your mind?
Yes.
2013ce was the year that Death Worship became officially active. At that time J
Read signed on and Black Winds also expressed his interest in being involved.
I’ve had this concept in my mind since about 2002ce. Blasphemy stopped doing
shows and meeting up for a few years. So during that gap I started thinking
about doing my own band, but I was always unable to find suitable members that
could help me to produce the music. So in the meantime I was able to help write
songs for Black Witchery, Revenge and Diocletian. Finally Nuclear War Now!
Productions stepped in and was able to finance a way to put everything
together. My ideas spilled out into music with ease after years of being cooped
up in my mind.
What kind of visions, words or any kind of
darkness inspires you, how do these concepts relate to your music?
I’ve been
attracted to paths of obscurity and evil all of my life. The easiest way to
describe this is by using the name of Satan. We call it Superion! This along
with my anger towards the weakness of mankind is what I put into my music.
A
name like DEATH WORSHIP has a direct meaning, but on which way(s) would you say
you Worship Death?
We all
live life in the Shadow of Death, and Death will grasp every one of us in it’s
clutches no matter what! One would try to convince themselves that their god is
real and listening to their pathetic prayers, but only Death is real! By worshipping Death, I can always be
reminded that my time on Earth is limited.
How would you describe your own philosophy and
the one behind the band?
They are
one in the same.
Tell me about DEATH WORSHIP´s lyrics and their
meaning…
These
lyrics are pure hatred, pure anger, and pure nihilism as seen through the eyes
of Death. The next releases will have more profound lyrics though. This time
with :Extermination Mass: I was going for 80s Black Metal primitive style
lyrics. But that is now out of my system.
Musically
speaking, how would you describe the sound and style of the band? Which bands
do you feel have helped influence your musical vision over the years?
For sure
Blasphemy is a major influence (even though I am in that band. “Fallen Angel of
Doom….” changed everything for me years before I joined them). Also hearing
releases by The Lord Diabolus/Beherit, Sarcofago and some others really hit me
to the core. But I also have this sound in my head that I don’t hear any bands
really explore. That is the sound that I am trying to translate to guitar and
ultimately into songs. I think it is important to try an original approach
(without getting too experimental). Or at least avoid trying to sound EXACTLY
like your influences. I am so sick of those kinds of bands.
The sound
and style of Death Worship is pure Ross Bay Cult with no alien influences!!
You are working with James Read and Nocturnal
Grave Desecrator and Black Winds, I guess that musically speaking you know each
other very well for obvious reasons, how this collaboration come about? Were
there many rehearsals before the recordings?
No. There
weren’t really many rehearsals due to the fact that J Read lived 2500+kms away
from me at the time we were composing these songs. He would have to fly to
Vancouver and we would rehearse during his short stays in the city.
With CONQUEROR, you recorded cover versions of Slaughter
and Sarcófago, will DEATH WORSHIP record or play any cult-old song for future
releases?
No. No
covers. I liked what we did with the covers during the Conqueror period;
especially the Slaughter cover. Some people think that this is actually a
Conqueror song and don’t realize that it’s from Slaughter. We took the song and
put our spin on it. To me, that’s what makes a great cover.
Anyway,
with Death Worship, I will concentrate on original songs. No more interest in
covers.
What´s your opinion about classic Canadian bands
like Voivod, Exciter, Razor…do you listen to their early classics?
All of
that!! Don’t forget Sacrifice and Infernal Majesty!!! (None Shall Defy is total cult! - Ed) Dig deeper and find Black
Knight “Master of Disaster” and Voor “Evil Metal”, (Evil Metal is total fuckin pure Cult!! - Ed) etc! Canada has always had a
strong presence in the metal scene and had a major influence on me!
And what about “new” bands such as Necroholocaust,
Nuclear Hammer and Meggido?
I’m
always following newer bands. There are many active bands worth checking out
from Canada! NuclearHammer is really killer along with some others like
Antediluvian, etc. Revenge is the best band out of Canada though.
Please tell me about Ross Bay cemetery and its
influence on you.
There is
a certain mystery surrounding that particular cemetery. There is a lot of
history of Satanic ceremonies, desecrations, and even kidnappings and ritual
abuse that have taken place within the hidden catacombs! Some even say that
this is one of the 7 entrances to Hell that were placed on Earth if you are to
believe such things. Anyway, I was aware of the cemetery through some reading and
of course through Blasphemy lyrics long before I moved to that area. So once I
got there, I visited Ross Bay and was immediately engulfed with indescribable
feelings. I’m so skeptical of anything, but yet Ross Bay had some sort of
effect on me.
When
and how did you become a Black metal skinhead? What does it mean to you?
After
moving nearby Ross Bay Cemetery and frequenting the place, I became really
obsessed with paths of darkness and obscurity. More than I already was before
moving to that area. We had just recorded the Conqueror demo tape and things
were moving in extreme directions for me. One day I decided to get a battery
powered set of clippers and walked over to Ross Bay with a portable stereo. I
blasted “Fallen Angel of Doom….” and proceeded to remove years of hair from my
head. It was something that I had to do. And I haven’t looked back since. 20+
years ago it was a hard statement against the world and it’s sheeple. Today it
is a lot more common to have a shaved head, but I still remain on the path and “keep
it bald and keep it goat” as Black Winds would say.
Who has been responsible for the artwork that
has been the image of the band since it was officially announced?
It’s just
a photo of the skull on my altar that I took. The skull is real. Not a replica.
And in fact, I know no history of this skull. When I got it, there was still
dirt all over it, so I suspect that there’s nothing “legal” about it. And the
cross that I used draped around the neck was buried for one week in the soil at
Ross Bay Cemetery.
How was the live experience at the NWN Fest V?
This was
surreal!! Due to lack of suitable members, Conqueror was never able to leave
the rehearsal space or the recording studio during our existence in the mid to
late 1990s. So when we disbanded, I thought that Conqueror was laid to rest for
eternity. But in steps Nuclear War Now Productions and we were able to put
something together between me and James Read, and the other members of Revenge.
I could
feel the anticipation in the air that night. People traveled from all over the
world to see Conqueror and we delivered a total attack from start to end.
Everything went right and the Hammer of Antichrist smashed everything down!!
Everything was in line with the ouroboros that we had on the cover of our
“Antichrist Superiority” demo. Creation and destruction and resurrection! The
circle is now complete!
We are slowly putting together some
new songs for Blasphemy. It’s mostly up to Black Winds and to Caller of the
Storms to put everything together though, and they are very chaotic individuals
involved in many chaotic activities. So even though things are on the go
regarding new material, it might still be a little longer before we are able to
harness some of this chaos and get it laid down.
What can you tell
about the recently released live album “Desecration Of Sao Paulo”, recorded in
2013, what do you think about the recording and what do you remember about that
show?
I really like the recording of this
particular release. It has a very peculiar and raw sound. However these guys
mixed this, it sounds amazing! Very obscure but still savage!
That whole trip to Brazil was
incredible. We went around Sao Paulo a little so it was cool to get a glimpse
of life in that city. There was a “Metal Mall” that only sells
LPs/CDs/tapes/DVDs/shirts etc. 6 floors of metal!! Unreal! That was like
nothing I’ve ever seen! Of course the show was cult! Totally surreal! There
were a lot of complete die hard maniacs in the audience with passion that you
never really see in North American or European audiences.
Man, I’ve had so many highlights in
my life that I couldn’t even begin to pick just one. I’ve joined my favorite
band…. I’ve watched my own bands become respected within the scene…. I’ve been
on stage in so many countries that I’ve always wanted to visit…. It’s been a
total killer ride! Impossible to choose any particular event(s)….
What´s the
strangest place and the most shocking place you have been?
I am not easily shocked, so I
really don’t have anything here. I’ve been to the catacombs in Paris, France
and the ossuary at Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, etc, but I find those places
fascinating, not shocking or strange.
So what’s DEATH WORSHIP’s
move from here, focusing on your next full length album?
Exactly! Or perhaps another EP….
We’ll see. There will definitely be more music recorded under the Death Worship
banner.
Ok, thanks for your time! Is there anything you
would like to add?
Just a
short self-promotion: The official Ross Bay Cult online shop should be opened
anytime soon. Find information on the Ross Bay Cult Official Facebook page or
the Death Worship official Facebook page. I’ll have many Ross Bay Cult related
items up for sale there.
Death is
Certain ~ Life is Not!!!
Ross Bay Cult Eternal
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