Interview: Teloch Vovin
Teloch Vovin has always embodied a Khaotic element hence the use ov many genres ov music since our very first rehearsal promo.
Towards The Inevitable is the latest album NY black metal band Teloch Vovin and it sees the band on fine form with their diabolical black metal assault. Gavin Brown caught up with Teloch Vovin vocalist/guitarist Grigori to talk about the album and its themes and the guest musicians that appear on it.
E&D: Your new album Towards The Inevitable is out now. What has the reaction to it been like so far?
Grigori: So far the reaction has been really positive but the most important thing is that we are really pleased with this release and see it as a stepping stone towards… where Teloch Vovin is headed with the first full length on our “Tree ov Death” Trilogy.
E&D: Did you choose the title of the album because the world is heading that way due to the chaos that engulfs it?
Grigori: No, rather the title is an allusion to Death but since energy is neither created nor destroyed, here Death is seen as Transformation, Dissolution Liberation and Restoration ov the Limitless Divine Essence!!!!!
E&D: Did you feel that the cover of the album is a perfect encapsulation of the music contained within?
Grigori: Yes, and it is also a representation ov something I have seen in vision, dream and trance. It is a representation ov what is implied with the title ov the release itself!!! Eam XI did an amazing job bringing this vision to life!!!
E&D: What have been the biggest influences on the sound of Towards The Inevitable?
Grigori: Classical composers like Mozart, Vivaldi and Bach, on to bands like Morbid Angel, Marduk, My Dying Bride, Abigor, Ophthalmia, Iron Maiden, Funeral Mist, Skinny Puppy, MZ412, Fields of the Nephilim, but I would say the above are more influences on Teloch Vovin on the whole then just this release.
E&D: With a whole host of doom and death metal influences as well as electronic and ambient elements alongside the black metal on this album, do you feel this is your most eclectic album to date?
Grigori: Teloch Vovin has always embodied a Khaotic element hence the use ov many genres ov music since our very first rehearsal promo “I” back in 2012 and I can’t see this ever changing!!!
E&D: The album track ‘Gamaliel – Spectrial Gem ov Southern Skies’ is a beautiful piece of music, do you feel this amplifies the atmosphere of the record?
Grigori: This track is one ov three interconnected instrumentals each reflecting an aspect ov the Dark Mother Lilith… Alma, Whore and Crone. This particular track is a reflection ov Lilith’s seductive aspects. The second part entitled ‘Gamaliel-The Obscene Queen’ is inspired by the Lilith in her guise as the Grand Whore, she who destroys the balance ov Yesod. The Third hasn’t been written yet so I won’t speak on it here.
E&D: Did you always want to conclude the album with the epic and fearsome ‘Panzer Fist’?
Grigori: Once we completed the song we knew it had to be the epic finale to this release. It’s just such a vicious, epic track and the rest ov the entire release is building Towards the Rage, Hate and Passion embodied within ‘Panzer Fist’.
E&D: Is that track a sonic version of sheer warfare?
Grigori: ‘Panzer Fist’ is a work ov Sonic Black Magick at once directed inwards and yet at the same time directed outwards. The song was inspired by a working with the Klithoth ov Golachab, this working was dual headed with one aspect of the working seeking to inflame the warlike side ov myself and direct these energies Towards certain aspects ov myself that I was seeking to overcome. The second focal point ov the Golachab working was to invoke a warlike state amongst mankind and set mankind against himself, both sides ov this working have had outstanding results!
E&D: Sebastian Ramstedt from Necrophobic, Elfödd and In Aphelion plays a guitar solo on the album, how was it having him on the album?
Grigori: Amazing, Sebastian is one ov my favorite lead guitarists in Black Metal, so it was an honour to have him play a Solo on a Teloch Vovin track and the solo he wrote for the song is face melting. And then when we filmed the video he was all in for playing his solo in the video and he even filmed some extra footage ov himself that we were able to use in the video for the song.
E&D: Who else features on the album that you can tell us about?
Grigori: We had a couple ov guests on this release, a friend I will just refer to as Mr Morris wrote most ov the classical compositions for ‘Panzer Fist’ with me, though the second part ov the songs classical composition was written by another friend Ben Karas from the band Windfaerer who also preformed all the classical string instruments. Also one ov my best friends Avi Levi again provided all the Hebrew spoken parts on the release as he will on all Teloch Vovin albums.
E&D: Who would you love to have perform on a Teloch Vovin album in the future?
Grigori: Hmm well I’d love to have Mortuus from Marduk/Funeral Mist do guest vocals and I’d love to have both Bob Vigna from Immolation or Gregor Mackintosh from Paradise Lost play solos on a song as they are two ov my other favourite guitarists in extreme metal!!!
E&D: Do you have any live shows coming up?
Grigori: We are currently not playing live as our drummer had to move back to New Mexico on the other side ov the country. When we get the first full length on our “Tree ov Death” Trilogy recorded I will be assembling live lineup for some shows.
E&D: Teloch Vovin have shared the stage in the past with everyone from Mortician and Shining to Black Anvil and Behexen. Who have you loved playing shows with?
Grigori: Playing with and becoming friends with Peter Hobbs of Hobbs Angel of Death was really kool, the Behexen show was a really killer show. Unfortunately I missed most ov the fest we were we played with Shinning because I had an altercation with a former member and tried to stab him so they locked me downstairs until they could get him out ov there and calm me down. They let me up half way thru shinning set.
E&D: Who would you love to play with in the future?
Grigori: I really haven’t put much thought into that, it’s the music and the practice behind the band that’s more important to me. I guess off the top ov my head, Marduk, Immolation, Morbid Angel or Schammasch or Abigor but they don’t play live!
E&D: Who are the most inspirational bands that you have seen live?
Grigori: Dio, Iron Maiden and Samael on their Ceremony of opposites tour, they were fucking feral, ferocious and furious, hands down the best set I have ever seen an extreme metal band play live. Anetaus was also pretty unhinged live as well.
E&D: How did the listening party for the record at Duff’s Brooklyn go?
Grigori: The listening party at Duffs was a killer night, I am not one to come out often but when I do I head to Duffs and always have a great time. Jimmy Duff is a good long time friend ov mine and has hands down the best Metal Bar in NYC!!!
E&D: What is the black metal scene like in Long Island and New York at the moment and what bands would you recommend to check out?
Grigori: There isn’t one, the only other Satanic metal band of any merit on Long Island is Heirarchy, who play infernal black/death metal.
E&D: Which black metal albums are the most important to you?
Grigori: The first 4 Bathory, Samael – Ceremony of Opposites, Darkthrone – Under A Funeral Moon, Beherit – Drawing Down The Moon, Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, the three Dissection albums, Abigor’s entire catalogue except for their Fractual Possession album (just couldn’t get into that one, Marduk’s catalogue, Hades – Again Shall Be, Ophthalmia – Via Dolorosa, Absu – Sun Of Tiphareth, Judas Iscariot – A Distance In Solitary Night.
E&D: What was the first black metal record that you heard and how did you get into the music?
Grigori: Probably Venom or old Mercyful Fate but I’ve always been into darker music, art movies etc and as such I was always searching for darker, faster, heavier more evil forms ov music
E&D: What else have Telcoh Vovin got going on for the rest of the year that you can tell us about?
Grigori: We are going to be reconvening shortly to start working on the last 2, 3 tracks for the first Teloch Vovin full length, which will also be the first album in the “Tree ov Death” trilogy. The 1st album in the Trilogy will combine some previously released tracks but in newly recorded forms with some as yet to be heard songs. We are also currently working on the 11th track for the second full length in the Tree ov Death Trilogy entitled The Psalms ov Khaos, the first 10 tracks are already recorded and mixed. Hopefully we will be recording Ov Khaos, Entropy and Death Winter 26 and releasing it in the fall ov 27 and then The Psalms ov Khaos album fall ov 28!!
