Interview - OV SHADOWS
If you are unfamiliar with Ov Shadows, see here first.
Guitarist Anders Ahlbäck answered these questions.
1. The Darkness Between Stars is one of the best albums of 2018 so far, how has the response been?
From the few who have actually heard it, it's been great. But, as most are probably aware, the current black metal scene is crowded with several releases each day. Reaching out as a new band is surely a challenge.
2. The Monologues EP (2016) is also excellent, is the album helping the EP get more of the attention it deserves?
Yes, slightly so.
3. Do you have any previous/other bands, and how did Ov Shadows form?
We have all been involved in several bands before Ov Shadows - Obitus, Waning, Clonaeon, Vaticide, Styckmord, Slaughtercult to name a few; Obitus is still active. Ov Shadows formed from the ashes of Waning – we were all feeling strongly that Waning had drifted in the wrong direction for too long. That, combined with a general need to do something 'new', led to putting Waning to rest and reforming as Ov Shadows.
4. How would you describe your sound?
As expressed in by a reviewer: "The music is enormously heavy, deeply chilling, steeped in gloom, and yet magisterial as well as violent." Big words, yes, but they still give a good view of our aim and what we try to achieve in our music. Combining aggression with misery, despair and the beauty in darkness are our key elements.
5. Could you talk a little about the band's lyrical content?
Our concept is inspired by Jungian psychology and the shadow aspects. Previously, we have described it as: “Embrace your shadow self – your dark aspects. Don’t hide away. Let those harmless creatures, turn into raging monsters. Let chaos guide your consciousness. You are Ov Shadows.” We all have chaos and darkness as essential parts of our unconscious – shadows. Some choose to shy away, whereas others choose to embrace. The choice is ours.
6. It’s a clichéd question, but who are your main influences (if indeed you feel you have influences)?
Well, we are all listening to most things black metal, both old and new. That's the scene that we, as musicians and spirits, are belonging to. Trying to carve out our own niche and defining our own sound is fundamental, whether we succeed or not. So, when it comes to composing music we don't have any particular inspirations – we have our own idea of what we're trying to achieve. But, obviously, we are inspired by the black metal genre as a whole and our interpretation of it, without going old-school orthodox. We try to look more ahead of us than recreating what we might see in the rear-view mirror.
7. Do you have any future plans you can share with us?
The current focus is on writing new material and preparing for the next release. So far, we have three new songs that we are pretty satisfied with. Although we try to take on a general plan of how our music should continue to develop, it is not something we fully can control. The creativity of the moment might take you to other places. But embracing that chaos is at the heart of Ov Shadows.
More interviews: Morast / Assumption / Scour / Spectral Voice / Morta Skuld / Solothus / Memoriam / Ataraxy / Soulskinner / Necrot
