Interview Lamenting Satanas

With Invocations, Lamenting Satanas push the boundaries of blackened death metal, blending ritualistic percussion and experimental textures while staying true to their raw, uncompromising sound. Here's our conversation.

1. "Invocations" feels like a significant evolution in your sound. What was the vision behind this album, and how did it shape your approach to composition compared to your debut?

The vision behind Invocations all started with an idea to expand our sound beyond what we’d normally be comfortable with. Whereas Scorn set the stage for us in terms of intensity and vigor, we feel that Invocations brings about a new era for us in terms of production and experimentation all while incorporating a very different approach to songwriting. 

2. The integration of folk elements and eclectic instruments like tablas, lamellophones, and rainsticks is both unexpected and powerful. What inspired you to explore such a diverse palette of sounds within a blackened death metal framework?

The incorporation of folk and traditional instruments was a decision that presented itself to us on the first song we wrote for Invocations and the more melodic we got, the more of a void we heard in our sound. Many ideas came up to fill that void(pianos/choirs) but landing on a more percussive sound just felt correct for this record. And honestly, it would be pretty boring if we just wrote another “Scorn”.

3. Despite these new elements, "Invocations" retains a razor-sharp, cold atmosphere. How do you balance experimentation with the core extremity of your genre?

We will always be uncompromising in our sound in terms of intensity and Invocations expands on our sound by essentially dialing everything up, the melodies are darker, the speeds are faster, the production is more chaotic. Balancing any percussive elements came naturally after that.

4. The closing track, "Invocations: Light Take Me", is an epic 10-minute journey. What does this track represent for you, both musically and thematically, and why did you choose it as the album’s finale?

Light Take Me was the last song written for Invocations. It tells a very vivid story of a cult that must appease an ancient god with human sacrifices and after a few missteps later, the world ends. We found that it’s quite a fitting ending to an album about the occult.

5. The anonymity of the band adds an air of mystique. How does staying anonymous serve your artistic vision, and do you see identity as a limitation or liberation in extreme music today?

We don’t see the need to reveal ourselves and revel in any form of ego. We are only our music.

6. You’ve cited a wide range of influences—bands like Aara, Angelcorpse, and Ashenspire. How do these inspirations manifest in your songwriting, and where do you diverge from their paths?

All these bands achieve something very special. When we take influence, it’s not so much the songwriting as it is the production, stylistic approaches and atmosphere. As for those examples, we love the chaos behind Aara, the aggressiveness of Angelcorpse and of course the sheer vocal emotion of Ashenspire. 

7. The album was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by a member of the band. How important is full creative control to Lamenting Satanas, and what challenges does that present?

Full creative control is pretty much everything to the band. II lives in his studio and aside from mixing and mastering, there’s always new material in the works. 

8. There's an almost ritualistic quality to the album—especially in its percussive textures. Was there a spiritual or philosophical concept guiding the creation of "Invocations"?

Spiritual, not so much. Philosophically however, we just wanted to stay as open minded as possible going into this album.

9. Extreme metal often wrestles with tradition and progress. Do you see "Invocations" as a confrontation with genre boundaries, or as a deeper dive into its essence?

I see it as a deeper dive personally. This record was definitely meant to be a respectful approach to Blackened Death Metal while furthering its reach into other genres.

10. Finally, with such a bold and expansive step forward in "Invocations," where does the path lead next for Lamenting Satanas? Are there future sonic territories you’re already planning to explore?

We have another album in the process of completion right now. Invocations was just the beginning.

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