BR: Greetings. We're an extreme metal band from Bangalore, India. Formed in 2015, we recorded our debut EP "Fireborn" in 2016-17, got signed by Cyclopean Eye Productions in 2017 and put out the title track as a single in March 2018. The lineup that recorded this EP is Avi S (drums), Ajay N (bass), Clinton S & Sailesh K (guitars) and BR (vocals).
2.So far you have released an EP and single, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on these recordings?
BR: Some of our main influences are Morbid Angel (early), Sarcofago, Possessed, Necrovore, Angelcorpse, Morbid Scream, Absu, Destroyer 666, etc. This served as a good reference for us when we started out, but we had our own takes and idiosyncrasies while writing this music that we put to good use. We just wanted to write and record the most hateful music we could while keeping the old traditions alive - a focus on riffs and a decent degree of musicianship to translate our thoughts to music.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
BR: The lyrical topics include war, violence, death worship, the occult, a need to break the barriers of human weaknesses to truly achieve greatness and a whole lot more.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aempyrean'?
BR: "Aempyrean" is just an alternative spelling for the word "empyrean" - a realm of fire that is supposedly the highest level of a celestial body. The name of the band, what we titled our record and everything within it ties back to simply this: it's supposed to represent who we are and what we aspire to be - ruthless in our pursuit to achieve what we set out to and leave behind the "clayborn" decay.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the EP cover?
BR: The cover art was designed by Sang Moon (Vhan Artworks, Thy Sepulchral Moon, Shadows of Black Candlelight, etc.), an extremely talented and intuitive artist who's also an accomplished purveyor of vicious black/death himself. The artwork depicts wolf-faced humanoids slaughtering humans while leaving their structures and establishments in ruins.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
BR: We've only played a handful of gigs so far in our hometown and have had well-received performances sharing stage with some of the best bands in India like Kryptos (heavy metal) and Dying Embrace (death/doom metal). However, our best live performance was opening for Sri Lankan black/death warlords Genocide Shrines in 2017. As far as describing our performances, we go onstage with murder on our minds and just deliver absolute furious black/death/thrash.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
BR: We do plan to play live and tour in future if the right opportunities are presented and it makes sense for the band.
8.On the EP, you had also done a cover of Morbid Angel's "Chapel Of Ghouls', what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?
BR: Call them what you will today (and much of the negative reaction from the die-hards is very deserved), but Morbid Angel from 1986-1993 were untouchable. There were few extreme bands that even came close to sounding as ferocious and demented as they did, and even fewer who sounded that genuinely evil. Obviously, Altars of Madness is a hugely influential record and we were jamming Chapel of Ghouls during practice. When it came to planning our EP, we decided to commit our tribute to Morbid Angel on record. It doesn't differ much from the original as we tried to stay faithful to the old sound.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and thrash metal?
BR: Only a few have actually got their hands on this record outside of our country, and the official worldwide release is 1st December (which is still a few weeks away). But thus far, the reaction from maniacs, who genuinely are into this extreme art form, has been very positive.
10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
BR: We commence writing soon and intend to be back in the studio mid next year to record a full length. I just expect our music to get heavier and more twisted in the future. We have a new addition to the line-up that we'll be announcing later.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
BR: I've mentioned some of our collective influences earlier. However, there's a lot of individual influences that sometimes creep into the music and we run with it if it makes sense. For example, everyone in the band are huge fans of classic rock and metal. Our drummer (Avi S) is an accomplished percussionist who has a background in prog, jazz and Indian folk and classical music in addition to metal, and our bassist (Ajay N) is a very well-rounded musician with varied tastes.
Some of the bands I'm listening to lately, in addition to the usual classics, are Infernal Execrator, Weregoat, Tetragrammacide, Spectral Voice, Tomb Mold, the Chthe'ilist EP, Mournful Congregation, Ritualization, the new Portal, Desolation Realm, etc.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
BR: "Fireborn" releases worldwide on 05th December via our label Cyclopean Eye Productions. Reject the pretenders, denounce the herd and crush the pious. Thanks for your time and support. Hail!
ORDER "FIREBORN":
https://cyclopeaneyeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/fireborn-black-death-metal
OR EMAIL at: mail@cyclopeaneye.com
MORE INFO:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/aempyreanin
https://www.facebook.com/cyclopeaneye
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWJooSKCjxypGAEsa7Qjhg
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