Country: Philippines
From: San Pablo, Calabarzon
Genre: Black Metal
1. AM: Tell us about how Omenfilth came to be. How did your paths cross?
Omenfilth: The genesis of Omenfilth began 11 years ago, in 2013. I was and still am playing with my main band, PATHOGEN which was a more Death Metal band and over the years of writing music, I come up with riffs the didn’t exactly fit the PATHOGEN mold because they sound more atmospheric and more “epic”, for lack of a better term. And one hellish evening in July of 2013, things were bursting at the seams, and the urge to create an entity band to realize these songs and riffs that were forming inside my head, so I decided to create another side project with the desire to create energies and atmospheres that would differ from PATHOGEN. I asked drummer and guitar player, whose style of playing appeals to me, from a local band for a jam session along with old comrade, Guiller Morbid slaughter to join on bass guitar and few days later I asked another individual from another local band to do the vocals and that five-piece line up recorded the first rehearsal demo, “Diaboli Mortuo Infinitum” (2014) and the debut album, “Opus Sanguinarium”. After that, I took over the vocals starting with the 2017 EP, “Iconoclasis Of Venomous Transfiguration” and up to today the only difference now is we have a new drummer and second guitar player. It is only I and Morbidslaughter who have remained from the original lineup but our goals and visions to create atmospheric, ominously dark, evocative and powerful music have remained the same.
2. AM: How would you describe your style of Black Metal?
Omenfilth: Cold, esoteric, epic, malign and suffocatingly dark.
3. AM: How did you choose the name of the band?
Omenfilth: We did not choose the name of the band, rather the name chose us. It is an integral ingredient to the music we execute. The moniker embodies everything the aural energy that we create.
4. AM: What bands influenced your sound? Who would you point out as your main inspirations?
Omenfilth: I would say, that the style of Black Metal that we play is a combination of all the bands we collectively listen to such as old Samael, Mystifier, Rator, old Rotting Christ, Necrophobic, Revenge, Abysmal Lord, Revenge, Blasphemy, Nuctemeron, Varathron, Sarcofago, old Emeperor, old Alastis, Dead Congregation, Embrace Of Thorns, Mercyful Fate and legendary local bands, Kambing and Ebwa. I could go on forever...these just some of the musical entities that inspires us. And the alchemy and amalgamation of such musical styles is what we attempt in order to create our very own dark spells of aural vibrations.
5. AM: How has your sound changed from the demo to the latest album?
Omenfilth: Our abilities to actualize our musical visions has increased significantly since the early demo days. Indeed we have become more musically confident now compared to those early formative days and having two new members now gave us a new energy to further advance and enhance our creative forces.
6. AM: What role does each member play in the band? Tell us about each of you.
Omenfilth: I am the guitarist/vocalist/ main creative force, and Morbidslaughter plays the bass guitar and writes some instrumental synth parts, while we have a new drummer a new lead guitarist and together we collaborate contribute to the overall arrangements of the new material we are currently writing.
7. AM: What were the biggest challenges the band faced along the way?
Omenfilth: Thus far, the sudden abandonment of our old guitarist and drummer resulted in a period of inactivity the entire 2022 up to the middle of 2023-our longest hiatus. Morbidslaughter and I were left somewhat in a lurch and I lost the inspiration to write new material so we focused on other projects at that period of time. But since we found two new members, our energies to forge ahead and do what we are superior in doing, has been re-ignited and rejuvenated.
8. AM: The band has been together since 2013. What was the most memorable event over the years of the band's existence?
Omenfilth: The victorious moments are great and there are plenty, but it is the hard, challenging times of trials and tribulations are what tested our limits and defines our character. And they are the most memorable for me. When I look back that’s what makes me proud!
9. AM: Do you rehearse? How often do satanic events happen in your region in general?
Omenfilth: Right now we rehearse quite often. About once or twice a week, we have a new drummer and bass player so it re-energized our will and determination as the dark forces are constantly guiding us to delve deeper into this path. We are in the process of writing and arranging new material for our upcoming full length album. Satanic events? You mean live shows? Not much here in out city. We would have to go to far away cities in order to play a show. Our very recent was on September 10th this year when we opened for Rotting Christ in Davao City.
10. AM: How does Filipino culture influence your music? For example, on Metal Archives it is stated that the themes of your songs are related to local mythology. Tell us more about this.
Omenfilth: Metal-Archives was probably talking about our third album, “Devourer Of The Seven Moons”, which was a concept album about the Philippines mythical dragon, The Bakunawa. Which was based on the Philippine mythology and demonology. It was an ambitious effort that was mentally draining in terms of creativity, but once again we have proven that we are up to any challenge! Other than that, I don’t think we’ve written anything else related to ancient Philippine mythology and/or culture.
11. AM: Is there a recurring theme in your lyrics?
Omenfilth: For the most part, our lyrics revolves around the malign path-the left hand path. They are lyrics that oppose the degenerate, dead brain modern world of egocentricsm and apathy and our extreme hatred towards such behaviors. These lyrics are concepts which evokes the true feeling, spirit and energy of destruction and creation and transcends time. They are both symbolic and literal.
12. AM: As far as I know, you have had 3 split albums. How have you collaborated with other bands on split albums? Tell us about these bands.
Omenfilth: That’s correct. Most recent was the split with the excellent Greek band, Ceremonial Worship in 2021. The first one was with the Polish black/thrash outfit, Sulphurhaze in 2017, that was followed by “Triumph Of Evil” 4 way split cassette with local acts such as Sacrosanct, Inferium, and Paganfire in 2018. We don’t really want to do too many split albums. We’d like to focus more on our full length albums since they are more challenging to create.
13. AM: What does Black Metal mean to you?
Omenfilth: In a deeper sense, black metal connects man to the destructive and creative power of cold, harsh elements of unforgiving nature that symbolizes revolt, while evoking deep spirituality, contemplation introspection and intense raw hatred towards the despicable acts of modern man. Black metal is the music of the dark forces.
14. AM: What do you think of the current trends in Black Metal?
Omenfilth: Trends are always disgusts me. It seems as though everything that is pure and substantial eventually becomes trendy every spiritually weak people has wanted tio claim black metal as well because they think it’s “fashionable” but they are just jumping into one trend after another. I don’t give a fuck about trends since I was young and I have always hated it! I always go against the grain. We never strived for popularity or fame, those things are irrelevant to us. We only care about the quality of the work we put out in Omenfilth and we will continue to this path because we deem it necessary.
15. AM: How is the Black Metal scene developing in the Philippines? How traditional is it or does it tend to change?
Omenfilth: Black metal has been in Philippine underground metal scene since the 90’s with Deiphago, Sacrosanct, Incarion Kambing, Ebwa and many others. Yes, it has changed a lot since the 1990’s when bands here sound more like old South East Asian black metal such as Abhorer, Profancer, Rator and Finnish and South American bands like Beherit and Sarcofago, and then the Norwegian style Black Metal became a big trend along with the Gothic-tinged styles of Cradle Of Filth clones from the mid 90’s to early 2000’s and since then it is the Bestial War/Black Metal thing that is a big trend up to now. I never really cared about trends like I stated earlier but I am very much aware of what’s going on in the local scene since we I constantly play live with my Death Metal band, PATHOGEN.
16. AM: What bands would you recommend from your region?
Omenfilth: As far as local black metal act goes, some newer bands from the Philippines that I’m into right now are Sadistor (black/thrash), Rapist (Bestial Black Metal) and Wartorr (Black/War Metal) are just some of the newer bands I’m always listening to at the moment. The old legendary bands that already gain some international recognition in the underground scene I can also recommend such as Deiphago, Korihor, Kambing, Ebwa, Maniak and Incarion among few others.
17. AM: What are the problems in the Philippine Black Metal scene?
Omenfilth: Like in any other “scene” there are many problems such as rumor-mongering, factions, and other senseless shit that we don’t want to be involved in. We distance ourselves from such conflicts and behaviors. We have no time for those things. We only concern ourselves with perfecting our craft and writing better albums.
18. AM: How do locals perceive metal culture? Black Metal?
Omenfilth: It’s still not and possibly will never be accepted by the general public and it doesn’t need to! Music this powerful is not going to be embraced by the general public.
19. AM: Are there any censorship issues in the Philippines regarding Black Metal?
Omenfilth: Fortunately, no we never really had problems expressing ourselves without any hindrance from the authorities even though black metal or even metal, in a general sense, is regarded as a music for outcasts, disenfranchised and rebellious individuals, the government very much tolerates our existence. Our country have a lot of freedoms in terms of beliefs, music, political views, etc. So it has never been a problem for us.
20. AM: Where can those interested find your music?
Omenfilth: We never really “advertise” our music very much. We assume those who seeks for our music are informed individuals who have a need for this kind of music. Those individuals can always do a search for the labels who have released our music such as Moon Records (Poland), Eternal-Death (USA), Metal Throne Records (Greece), Espiritus Inmundos (Peru), and a few more whose names, I can’t remember right now.
21. AM: Thanks for the interview! Is there anything else you would like to add?
Omenfilth: Darkest hails to you, Vladislav for this very interesting interview. Things are underway for the recording of our upcoming album, which will be recorded sometime next year. We will just need to write a few more songs to complete the materials for it. All maniacs into devilish and morbid underground can contact us though our email: [email protected]
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December 2024
Interview for Articulo Mortis