Vorkreist: brutal and catchy as fuck



For the past 12 years french black metal commandos Vorkreist been terrorizing the landscape with their brand of militant black metal. With two members back in the fold after their involvement in Secrets Of The Moon and Merrimack. The militant anti christians are back with their new opus of black metal terrorism titled "Sigil Whore Christ" on Agonia Records. Armed with a new album and new label Vorkreist is ready to terrorize again. Recorded at Drudenhaus Studio the band describe the album as brutal and catchy as fuck. And I had a conversation with A.K.

Hello how's it going? I hope all is well in France?
Everything's fine here. We're in the middle of presidential elections. Time to be cynical....

First, how well is your new release "Sigil Whore Christ" is doing right now and what have been the reaction the band recieving so far from the fans so far?
Up to know, it's too early to have reactions from the fans, as the album has been released couple of days ago. But the reviews are really great, so far. So I hope, it will goes the same concerning people who follow us.


This is the first time hearing your music and I like what I'm hearing so far.
Good.


In all fairness, how differs this album from the band's previous works?
Talking about the concept, the previous album, Sickness Sovereign, as suggests obviously its name, deals with the threatening power of sickness above the feeble condition of life. Like a shark hidden in troubled waters, the claws of decay are always open near you, or the virus might already be in your cells already. Which means that you are condemned whatever you try to do to escape the reality of this atrocious condition. The new album is a strong reaction to that previous statement. A reaction through magic as a channel for concentrating force and affirm will facing the tragedy of existence. "Sigil Whore Christ" : A symbol to act over the fake hope of salvation in this deathly reality. Convergence of will , making the band more united than ever, writing the black magic signature of the band. An allegory to SataN, as the real effective will and action in this world of non sense where God is a shadow and trapped humanity in vault of Death. SataN as the will to control Death and to have Death in our own hands, to finally face God and screams at him : "You are nothing and I have the same Power than you, I can Kill and I celebrate SataN in his greatest artistic destruction of your world !"


Musicaly, we wanted to keep the feeling of nausea that lies through  the entire previous album, Sickness Sovereign, but we kind of missed the violence and the catchiness of our 2nd album, Sublimation 29A. So we made the perfect combination of the 2, with Sigil Whore Christ that now represents exactly what Vokreist has to be.


I met your guitarist when he was touring the USA with Merrimack. Has any other of you experience or the opportunity to do a stateside tour with other bands?
Yes, LSK, our bass player did an US tour with Secrets Of The Moon, some years ago. It's something that we really would like to do with Vorkreist. I guess our new album is shaped to be played live. So we can't wait to play as often as possible, everywhere.


When Vorkreist ever going to tour the States in support of the new album?
Preview question


Can you give the fans a little summary of some of the songs on "Sigil Whore Christ"?
I won't detail everything, but here is some explanations on some songs :


"De Imitatione Christi" : This is a direct reference to the book by Thomas von Kempen. But there is also, as I said before, samples from «the last temptation of Christ» movie. This song is opening the album with the duality of the temptation of flesh and the deep need of a spiritual discipline. This is also a reference to the devilish work as several occult writers considers the Devil imitates the work of God and that is one of the greatest blasphemy to imitate Christian figure in an immoral way. But to go deeper and simpler this song describes the tension between the natural impulse to live its own life guided by its desire and the natural way of things, and the somewhat irrational need to get closer to your own ideal and spirituality. Closer to what lead you to transcendence through efforts and spiritual discipline, instead of enjoying the feeble and ephemeral fruits of life. The song is an incantation, a prayer, to put aside common human desire and turn oneself into a prophet. Though obviously it is not to spread the gospel.


"Deus Vult": We could go allegoric this way. Bringing back, with faith and blood, our spiritual own sacred ground. Each time a long trip, a long fight, to bring back to Earth what we explored emotionnaly, what we bleed, what brought us to ecstasy, to finally give birth to an album that is a testimony and an act of faith. “Per Aspera Ad Astra” sounds also a good motto for a crusade. Though, I had pleasure, with all the songs, to put several different levels of understanding in the lyrics. The crusade in Deus Vult is more a threat coming from the outside. As a logical sequel to “De Imitatione Christi”, the threat is the pressure from life to follow the natural, divine path of creation. To grow up, to feed oneself, to breed, to die. That is one strong and insane satanic will to leave this natural mechanism. But this is a powerful one. This natural order is commanded by God. That s the meaning of the title, Deus Vult. God wills it. All what you have will be taken by the next generation. You will lose everything, that is the will of God. The source of black magic, enpowered with the ego, is fueled by the rage to overcome and trick this natural process. “Per Aspera Ad Astra” once again is connected to the main title “De Imitatione Christi”. The path of the prophet, the difficult path, is the path “Per Aspera Ad Astra”. But the song deals with the fantasy and the cowardice to trick this path. Another black magic approach, by torturing and giving pain to another human being. To bring this human into martyrdom . And to observe it as it dies and goes through sanctification.


"Dominus Illuminatio Mea": This song is a real psalm, glorifying transcendence above the medicrity of life,  celebrating faith. And I will let you guess which Lord it is, as there is just one who is named after the gift of Illumination.


"Memento mori": Same as Deus Vult. To live, to breed, to die. It's a song dealing with the anguish of death, the obsession of dying. The motivation is to fail the spell of Death at all cost. Another root of the black magic will.


"ecce homo": I tried to be out of time and not relate to any contemporary times neither ones easy to identify. I 'm in the myth, and I deal obviously with the biblical references like in all the other tracks. Ecce homo is used here as as the original Ponce Pilate sentence pointing to Christ. But these words are put in Satan's mouth directly, and are considerations about the vanity and the total failure of Christ message in humanity. Which is an everlasting remark as you take a look over history. And nowadays as well. This song also foresees the end of times and the arrival of the Antichrist. As the real messiah who will have power unto the world. The message of the song to the believers is : “you've been deceived, you've been betrayed”. That is quite a traditional black metal topic.


"Ad nauseam": The album starts with the dilemna between the choice of a normal life and a life where you express your faith with a spiritual disciplin. The song “Ad Nauseam” ends it the same way. But it leaves the  mystical and religious tunes of the other tracks. It goes back to the root. It's the story of a common sexual intercourse. With a overall global bad feeling. Irrational anguish, despair. And after the climax, the crude reality. Sperm and female fluids. And a sudden, desparated and disgutful revelation. This is life. All the glory of the eternal magic of life is there. There is no soul, nothing, just nauseous fluids. This is like the resume of all the joys and hopes on Earth. Nothing more.  And you end on the Scalae Gemonia. The stairways of torture and human trophy of an Emperor that could be Satan. At the end there is just the first song Prophet side that is worth it. You ll end up the same, but your life had a meaning.


With this album I wanted to take distance with the traditional obscenity and filfthy side of the band to gain more religious depth. And the message is there: Satanism is worth it because it's a religion of truth, knowing who really rules this world, and will always put your life above this everlasting non sense.


Tell me about the studio the band used for the making of "Sigil Whore Christ"?
We are very satisified with the Drudenhaus. Xort is not just a sound ingineer. He takes time to meet the band, to talk and listen, in order to feel which aura has to be spred from the record. All the important steps are discussed with the band. We had an idea, a feeling of what we wanted for the album, and he managed to bring it into shape. Someting brutal and filthy at the same time. Very organic, oldschool, and with a lot of dynamics.


How long has the band been in the studio for recording and production of "Sigil Whore Christ"?
We were in studio for a bit more than 2 weeks.


Is the band happy with the job Agonia doing far as promoting and supporting the new album?
Up to now, we are very satisfied with this collaboration. We really feel the label behind us, and they are not kind of guys who makes tons of promises just to please us. So, now we are back with a solid collaboration, unlike with Trendkill recording, our previouw label...


When the band going to hit the road in support of "Sigil Whore Christ" and which bands Vorkreist going on the road with when the tour starts?
Nothing has been decided yet. But we hope starting a tour in automn, something like that.


How the album doing so far in the States?
To early to say, as it has been released couple of days ago.


I like to thank you for taking time out of your schedule, is there anything else you like to add?
Thks for the itw. You can « hate » us on Facebook, if you want to follow our path.