Das Interview mit der Black Metal Band Temple Of Evil zum Album Apolytrosis (English Version)

Artist: Temple Of Evil

Herkunft: Cyprus

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Folter Records

Link: https://www.facebook.com/templeofevilband

Alle Informationen zum aktuellen Album Apolytrosis findet ihr HIER! in unserem Review.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Hello guys,

we’ve come together today to bring your black metal art from Cyprus to Germany. First of all, I would like to ask you to introduce Temple Of Evil. When were you founded, what influenced your musical style, and how did you get to know each other as musicians?

Temple Of Evil:
Greetings René and thank you for this interview. Temple of Evil came into existence in 2008 by Arkhon Sakrificer. The first years of the Temple were mostly experimental, driving to prototype a unique sound which would later become the foundation of the band’s music. While the first musical direction initially followed a path more orientated towards a death/thrash sound with the relevant influences (Sarcofago, early Sepultura, Infernal Majesty etc), the sound diverged and evolved through the years to a black metal approach and solidified on what became our debut album The 7th Awakening. Apethantos and Nekrocurse joined the Temple in late 2014 on guitars, and Apophis on drums in 2017, on what is now the final line-up, together with Arkhon Sakrificer on vocals and bass. There are endless influences and stimuli that have a significant impact on our music, both musical and not, which is what I would say makes the writing process and the end result unique, having a strong spiritual, mental and musical connection between us.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Cyprus doesn’t necessarily stand for a bombastic metal culture, especially not for a big black metal community. How do you describe the scene in Nicosia?

Temple Of Evil:
The scene in Cyprus, which is considerably small, has its birthing roots in the early 90s with bands such as Godblood and Witchcraft among the first metal bands on the island. Necroterror Records has also been in operation since 2006 and since then a few other labels such as Deathhammer Records, Temple of Flesh and Order Of Theta have surfaced and are active in the international scene to date. There has also been a constant rise in the scene in the past few years from various bands and we are proud to be part of this movement. We are seeing a number of notable albums being released by local bands, such as our comrades Tome of the Unreplenished who have just released their latest album Earthbound on Avantgarde Music.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Let’s get back to you: What does a typical session in the rehearsal room look like? How do you approach songwriting, do you have a leader, and who writes the songs?

Temple Of Evil:
Temple Of Evil
acts as a single entity, following a vision shared by all of us in everything that happens. With that being said, it is the vision that guides us in all decisions that need to be made, in the rehearsal room, on stage, or in any other process/action. We each have the freedom to express ourselves in any way that we see fit, aligned with our vision, bringing different ideas into the rehearsal room. We work all ideas together, going through a filtering process, scrapping a lot in the process and molding everything together into something that represents all of us. It is also for this reason that we refrain from allocating individual credits to each song.

Time For Metal / René W.:
In 2015 you made your debut with The 7th Awakening, it took you six years to write the follow-up Apognosis. How did this long break come about, and what are the differences between the two records?

Temple Of Evil:
The Temple
was formed in 2008, our first album was released in 2015 and Apolytrosis came out in 2021 – it is evident that quantity and frequency is of no relative importance to us. The first few years of the band were mostly experimental, without the need to release a demo, as when having reached our final formative sound, we decided to proceed with a full album instead. During the period between our albums, we played various shows locally and abroad to promote our album, while at the same time working on new material. Having composed the album in late 2019 we entered the studio for recordings. Achieving the desired level of quality is the end purpose, rather than adhering to a set timeline and prioritizing frequency over essence. Each release should serve its own purpose with regards to quantity and timing. The same philosophy applies in all aspects of the Temple; concerts, social media etc.

Time For Metal / René W.:
With Apognosis you switched from your own label to the German black metal label Folter Records. What made you sign with the prestigious extreme metal label, and what are your goals with this strong partner behind you?

Metal Promotions

Temple Of Evil:
The relationship between a band and a label should always be symbiotic, with the combined dynamics complementing an elevated collaboration which makes both parties involved stronger. We released our first album with Deathammer Records, which is owned and run by Apethantos and while we are extremely satisfied with how the album unfolded, we explored the possibility of creating a new synergy with another label. Folter Records was one of the few select labels we decided to contact and once we got in touch with them regarding the release of Apolytrosis ,we immediately agreed on everything. Joerg and Erik are true professionals, few of their kind, thus we are more than proud to have our name engraved in the brilliant history of Folter Records.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Geographically, Cyprus belongs to Asia, but politically and culturally it is usually counted as part of Europe. Musically, this is noticeable. How much does this cultural collision influence you as people and musicians?

Temple Of Evil:
In a world so advanced where everything shared in the globe is accessible and reachable within the click of a button, geographically-infused culture is of limited relevance and importance. Local identities and characters are endlessly fading, with the ‘scenes’ being defined by genres rather than geographical locations. Black metal is a genre that possesses a unique evolutionary element that regenerates itself into relevance. We choose to embrace chaos.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Back to Apognosis: Please tell us a bit more about the new tracks. What themes do you take up? How important are the melodic walls of sound that crash down on the listener? Which artist designed the artwork of the album?

Temple Of Evil:
Apolytrosis
is a concept album, orbiting around self-indulgence and the exploration of one’s inner self, diving into the subconscious and contesting with inmost chaos. Each of the 8 tracks represents a stage in the quest for gnosis, an ouroboros. The basis of music and lyrics is the internal struggle through which we experimented and exposed ourselves to themes and musical paths previously untrodden. Artwork was done by Khaos Diktator, with whom we have collaborated since our first album, having skinned his visual input in the Temple’s identity ever since. The way we work with Stefan is that we discuss our initial concept, providing him with some recordings, and then we work together in coming up with the final designs. While we provide some level of ideas and direction in relation to what we envision, we completely trust Stefan therefore he has complete freedom to work on whatever he believes is more suitable. His work for Apolytrosis speaks for itself.

Time For Metal / René W.:
After the album is before the next one. Do we have to wait another six years for new material or are you already working on new songs?

Temple Of Evil:
We have started working on a few ideas for new tracks over the past months. It is too early to tell what will survive during this process of redefining our sound. As already mentioned before, creation will throne itself as the axis in the sphere encompassing time and existence.

Time For Metal / René W.:
A question that is not so easy to answer at the moment, but what is the Corona situation like at your home country? Are concerts or even festivals possible and are you planning to lay waste to the European mainland this year?

Temple Of Evil:
The situation has been improving for the past months and we are seeing decreasing restrictive measures being implemented. It is now possible for concerts and festivals to take place without any significant barriers. We have a concert scheduled in Nicosia in April 2022 and we are also considering options for European dates in the coming months.

Time For Metal / René W.:
What rituals do you have on stage? Are you into fake blood, animal carcasses or corpse paint while you are blasting your songs at the audience?

Temple Of Evil:
The Temple breathes into life on stage. Each ritual mirrors the current state of the Temple, using whatever means the necessity requires and its priests being the flesh and bone of its substance.

Time For Metal / René W.:
Thank you for the interview and the last word belongs to you, which you can address to your followers and our readers.

Temple Of Evil:
We raise our chalices to all, keeping the flame alight. Indulge to the freedom of darkness.