(((O))) Interview: Bakka from Necrofier

Texan black metal alchemists Necrofier are shortly going to be bringing out their latest album Transcend Into Oblivion, their first on Metal Blade records, and it sees the band’s sound morph into something even grander than what has gone before, without losing the intensity that Necrofier have always had. Gavin Brown caught up with vocalist/guitarist Bakka ahead of the album’s release to get an insight into Transcend Into Oblivion as well as discussing Necrofier’s ascent, live dates with Acid Bath and a host of black metal related subjects.

E&D: Your new album, Transcend Into Oblivion, is out very soon. How does it feel to be back with this record and how did the creation of it go?

Bakka: I was really happy with how everything went on this record. As far as recording, mixing, the experience from start to finish. I feel like its’s one of  best experiences I’ve had doing an album with any band I’ve been in. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever put out. I have no complaints about anything on it. Very excited.

E&D: What are the biggest influences on the sound and outlook of the album?

Bakka: The album is based a Luciferian dark night of the soul. The three parts of it are awakening, torment and agony and then ascension. We went into the record with the intent that it was going to be like this. The lyrics reflected this, but also the music was trying to get into different parts of trying to invoke those feelings to help transfer what it tells lyrically, but also how it is musically. The influences on the album, it’s been everything from classic black metal, the Scandinavian stuff like Dissection, even a lot of the Trondheim Nidarosian bands like Ritual Death and Mare.  It also goes into influences with all the synthesisers like John Carpenter or Rocky Erickson and different movie soundtracks as well.

E&D: Would you say your sound has evolved since your last album Burning Shadows In The Southern Night, and you’ve gone for an even bigger sound this time?

Bakka: Yeah, because I feel like the band’s been growing and figuring out who we are, and I would say on this record, we stepped up like that. I feel like the songwriting has stepped up, and also we’ve had synthesisers and other things on previous records, but we haven’t really just laid into it as much we did on this one. I  feel like the combination of it really like is a big step up from the last one.

E&D Is the synthesiser led atmospheric sound something you want to explore more in the future?

Bakka: Yeah, I feel something like that will continue strong on the records and things like that. Dobber and I are are really into synths and different soundtracks and bands that use different orchestras and synths a lot, so he’s a lot more versed in playing it than I am. The ideas and everything else go well and it will definitely be part of the albums, going forward,

E&D: Did you always want to make this albums three-act structure with three three-part suites, separated by three instrumentals?

Bakka: I don’t think anything’s ever a coincidence. A concept record is something I’ve always thought about doing, but haven’t done. This record had one universal theme. Dobber brought up is using it, he was like, we should break it into some parts, or movements? I was like, Oh, yes, this works perfectly, I can break it into three parts, and then after that, it was having the three interludes with three parts with three songs on the third record, all kind of just came together.

E&D: You’ve just done a striking video for the album track ‘Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path III’, is the visual aspect an important part of Necrofier?

Bakka: 100%. Especially in black metal, I feel like black metal has certain themes and how it should make you feel or look, that I think sets it apart from just someone playing something. You can play turn low picks and scream and do some other things. But I don’t feel like it actually makes it black metal and for us, what we’re trying to present and invoke is very important. So having the visuals that go along with that is very important to us. Just having something that’s not thought out or done right is not an option,

E&D: Is that the same thing for your live show as well?

Bakka: Yes, for our live show, we have a strong stage setup. We use lighting and other things and it’s important because the whole aspect of the show is special, and we try to do extra things where it’s not just a regular show.

E&D: This is your first album on Metal Blade records. How did you come to sign to this legendary label?

Bakka: Metal Blade had seen us before, and they were interested in us whenever we were free from a contract, they said, let us know. That ended up with an opportunity where we could leave to go with them, that presented itself and I contacted and it kind of just went from there, and then we signed with them.

E&D: What are the essential Metal Blade bands for you?

Bakka: Metal Blade has been around so long, and they put out so many classic albums that it’s insane. Slayer, Mercyful Fate are up at the top for sure.

E&D: Does coming from Texas give Necrofier a different outlook for making the music you do?

Bakka: I think so. I mean, especially Texas in black metal, I feel like American black metal is different than European black metal in numerous different ways. And also, even within the United States, being from Texas, separates us from bands that are from the Pacific Northwest, or Denver or anything like that. The culture we grew up in, how our surroundings are in Houston, we’re close to the coast, but we’re also borderline a tropic swamp. So Texas is different, and Texas is loud and kind of in your face and wants to do what it wants to do. I think all those kind of values and kind of kind of things in the air, make its way into this music.

E&D: Is there much of a Texan black metal scene at the moment and in the past?

Bakka: Yeah, I mean, Absu are from Texas. They’ve been around forever, and there’s different things. Texas, I think it’s more known for death metal, but there’s an underground scene here, but there’s not a ton of bands to play with, so we end up playing with bands that’s somewhat in the same world, but maybe not traditional black metal.

E&D: What black metal bands are impressing you most at the moment?

Bakka: Dervaza is probably one of my favourite current bands. Their live shows are insane. Really great band. Funeral Harvest as well.

E&D: Do you feel that now feels like an important times for US black metal  with bands like yourselves alongside Hulder, Lamp of Murmuur and WORM to name a few?

Bakka: It’s the first time, collectively, there’s been.more of them getting attention, There’s been black metal bands from America, except there wasn’t attention drawn to them, or people getting past a certain range of popularity and things like that, which, and in the real scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter, except it’s interesting to see people appreciating there’s good bands coming out, and there actually seems to be something going around about it.

E&D: What are the all time essential black metal albums for yourself and the rest of Necrofier?

Bakka: Storm Of Lights Bane by Dissection is at the top, that’s why on started writing music like this. Lawless Darkness by Watain, Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy) by Dawn. Ebony Tower by Mare. Blood Fire Death by Bathory and Black Metal by Venom. Dissection are at the top of the list for me though.

E&D: Are you looking forward to playing with Acid Bath, Obituary and High On Fire in March?

Bakka: Sammy from Acid Bath has been a long time friend of mine. It’s really great to see Acid Bath back in general. It’s great to see how well they’ve been doing. and how big the shows have been and everything, it’s been really killer. So I’m looking forward to playing that, besides the fact that playing with Obituary and High On Fire will be great as well. We’re really excited about

E&D: Do you enjoy playing on mixed bills like this rather than  just with all black metal bands?

Bakka: It’s good to mix it up once in a while, depending on what it is like. That bill works out where I’m like, okay, we’re playing with those bands I like, but you know, there could easily be another bill that was a mix of the same styles of bands. I’d be like, I don’t think we want to do that. I feel like it’s the right ones in the combination that makes it like that. I feel like that’ll be a good show for us.

E&D: What are Necrofier’s other live plans when the album comes out, and will you be making it over to the UK and Europe at any point?

Bakka: For sure, I think we’ll be over later in Europe. I’m not exactly sure where, in the fall, but we’re working on some stuff. Within the next year, we’ll have a proper European tour. We’re doing a couple festivals in the States like Maryland Deathfest, and then, we’re doing a festival in Mexico. There’s some stuff we’re working on for tours over here that should come up, and then we’ll be, just kind of all over. Festivals and things that haven’t been announced, or things that should come up soon. We are going to be constantly on the road in support of the new album.

E&D: Are you looking forward to playing these new songs live and would you ever do the new album in full live? 

Bakka: At some point, it would be cool to do the record as a whole, but to start off with, we’re probably just going to add a couple songs. We’ve been playing the same set list for a while. We played a festival in Denver in December, and we played one of the tracks from it. So everything’s going well. So far.

E&D: Do you make live Necrofier shows as intense an experience as possible for the audience?

Bakka: I’d say at least one thing I know we do well, is play shows. With the live show we try to make sure to give it everything we can, make the show really over the top and something different or special. We don’t play shows lightly, it’s more of an event.

E&D: What have been some of the most important black metal live shows that you have ever witnessed?

Bakka: I saw Watain play at Inferno probably three years ago.I had never seen them with all the fire and things, because that doesn’t happen in the States. They also haven’t been to the States in a while for some issues. It was a special show, from the beginning to the end, you could smell the incense in the air, the music they had going before and after the show, then the show itself, the set list, I feel like I couldn’t have picked a better set list, at least for what I wanted to hear. It was something truly amazing. Other stuff I loved, Tom G Warrior did a Triptykon concert where they did the first two Celtic Frost records over here a couple years ago, and that was super special. It was amazing just to see it live, like, jaw droppingly good! . The other one, I would say, is probably seeing Mare at Beyond The Gates, a couple of years ago. The atmosphere they invoke, and their show, is just flawless.