Another completely new band, the first material in the form of "I" demo, which was released in December 2017 on tapes by Russian Living Temple Records. Introducing you the HEXAGON band from Sweden. We do not know much about the band itself, they do not even have a single photo when we asked them for some visuals. I would say the band plays classical Death Metal of blasphemous and dark character with emphasis on rhythm and morbid harmony. Recently, I have a strong impression that almost everything happening in Death Metal today, is just trying to copy the essential icons of this genre from the 90's. There is weak invention, individuality, boredom. It was just HEXAGON where I discovered something special that gives them the shine of darkness, true orthodoxy and brutal energy. The band consists of two maniacs who recorded everything with acoustic instruments. Their sound is as natural and analogous as possible, without synthetically trace. Questions were answered by The Unholy Priest Not To Be Described, who is in charge of drums, guitars and vocals.
Hello. You're quite a new band. What was the main idea behind formation of HEXAGON?
We are not new in that sense of the word. The demo was actually recorded at winter solstice of 2005. The main idea behind the formation was to conjure occult death metal.
Can you manage the band as a duo? Haven't you been thinking about getting at least one another member?
As we are not currently actively rehearsing anything, just recording at home, there are no issues in being a duo. If we would become more active then perhaps we would recruit someone. There is however a shortage of people interested in occult death metal where we live.
Your music could be labeled as blasphemous or dark Death Metal with a Black Metal feel, a little reminiscent of old Deicide, Slayer. How do you perceive your style?
Yes, indeed, but our main sources of musical inspiration for the demo was Massacre (From Beyond) and Morbid Angel (first three records). Nowadays we take inspiration from more modern obscure death metal, such as Deiquisitior, Genocide Shrines, Karnarium, Tetragrammacide, Harvest Gulgaltha, among others.
Do you want to bring some message by your music, or to transform some emotion into music? What your essence comes from?
No specific message or emotion really, we just try to conjure the essence of death and decay into our music.
Do you think your music has a metaphysical overhang for you?
No. We are hard-line materialists, but there most definitely exists hidden knowledge and phenomena, explorable by certain means.
How long did the writing process of "I" take and how complicated it was? Are you detailists who are constantly improving, reversing something, or you go straight to the first raw feelings?
Some parts of the demo was actually written as early as 1998, but most of the songs was composed in 2005. We are not "detailists" as you put it, we rather go for the raw feelings. Nailing songs on the first take is the best way to go.
Do you have any special rituals, whether at composing, recording, or inspiration? E.g. altered states of consciousness, visiting some weird places (ossuary, mausoleum, crypts, old cemetery), or bury the instruments into ground to achieve a more specific feeling?
Composing music always entails some sort of ritualistic behavior, since there are elements of meditative trance involved in repeating certain riffs over and over until all other things than just the vibrations from the strings or drums are the only thing present in mind. But no, we do not bury our instruments in the ground, because that would probably render them useless. Substance intoxication (in moderation) is a good way to go to get the inspirational juices flowing.
You have four lyrics ready for your new songs. Could you reveal the character or the content of what they are discussing about?
Hoc Est Corpus Meum is about demonic possession. Sanctificetur Nomen Tuum is about a journey through Lovecraft-inspired abodes, Chambers of Torment as well. Delirium Tremens relates to having delirious necro-visions from withdrawal after long periods of substance abuse.
Are you worshipers of death in the sense that you are interested in everything related to this subject, and if so, what impact does it have on your creation? Do you think life is just a temporary stay and death is gate to somewhere elsewhere?
We are not worshipers of death, we are observers of death, and of course in some sense interested in the subject. The awareness of death is the main driving force for everything, the primum mobile of existence. Death is the gate to endless rebirth, and rebirth is a transformation of energies and matter from one state to another, be it with fire or through decomposition; from flesh to ash, or flesh to soil.
The demo was released under Russian Living Temple Records. Could you tell how you got together? It came out in the form of a tape. Seems this format is quite as back as LP a few years ago, while tape players are hard to find today. Do you have a special relationship with the cassettes?
LTR expressed interest in releasing our demo some years back, it has been a slow process but we have been in no hurry to release the tape. The tape format is reminiscent of ages past, and conveys some sort of satisfaction for the avid collector of obscure death metal. Since we both grew up in the 80's we certainly have a positive relationship with cassettes, primarily through tape trading.
Your sound is rough, raw and animal, everything sounds absolutely analogous, there is description it was recorded in the Chapel of Necromancy. Could you write something more detailed how it was recorded?
We recorded it in a basement using some equipment and instruments left to us by an old liquidated recording studio. Quite primitive stuff, but it did the trick. Chapel of Necromancy is a moniker for the "studio" where we record a lot of stuff, (such as Flagellant).
Ok, that is all from my side, great thanks for the interview!
Salve Satanas.
The Unholy Priest ... 25. 1. 2018 Mortuary
Hello. You're quite a new band. What was the main idea behind formation of HEXAGON?
We are not new in that sense of the word. The demo was actually recorded at winter solstice of 2005. The main idea behind the formation was to conjure occult death metal.
Can you manage the band as a duo? Haven't you been thinking about getting at least one another member?
As we are not currently actively rehearsing anything, just recording at home, there are no issues in being a duo. If we would become more active then perhaps we would recruit someone. There is however a shortage of people interested in occult death metal where we live.
Your music could be labeled as blasphemous or dark Death Metal with a Black Metal feel, a little reminiscent of old Deicide, Slayer. How do you perceive your style?
Yes, indeed, but our main sources of musical inspiration for the demo was Massacre (From Beyond) and Morbid Angel (first three records). Nowadays we take inspiration from more modern obscure death metal, such as Deiquisitior, Genocide Shrines, Karnarium, Tetragrammacide, Harvest Gulgaltha, among others.
Do you want to bring some message by your music, or to transform some emotion into music? What your essence comes from?
No specific message or emotion really, we just try to conjure the essence of death and decay into our music.
Do you think your music has a metaphysical overhang for you?
No. We are hard-line materialists, but there most definitely exists hidden knowledge and phenomena, explorable by certain means.
How long did the writing process of "I" take and how complicated it was? Are you detailists who are constantly improving, reversing something, or you go straight to the first raw feelings?
Some parts of the demo was actually written as early as 1998, but most of the songs was composed in 2005. We are not "detailists" as you put it, we rather go for the raw feelings. Nailing songs on the first take is the best way to go.
Do you have any special rituals, whether at composing, recording, or inspiration? E.g. altered states of consciousness, visiting some weird places (ossuary, mausoleum, crypts, old cemetery), or bury the instruments into ground to achieve a more specific feeling?
Composing music always entails some sort of ritualistic behavior, since there are elements of meditative trance involved in repeating certain riffs over and over until all other things than just the vibrations from the strings or drums are the only thing present in mind. But no, we do not bury our instruments in the ground, because that would probably render them useless. Substance intoxication (in moderation) is a good way to go to get the inspirational juices flowing.
You have four lyrics ready for your new songs. Could you reveal the character or the content of what they are discussing about?
Hoc Est Corpus Meum is about demonic possession. Sanctificetur Nomen Tuum is about a journey through Lovecraft-inspired abodes, Chambers of Torment as well. Delirium Tremens relates to having delirious necro-visions from withdrawal after long periods of substance abuse.
Are you worshipers of death in the sense that you are interested in everything related to this subject, and if so, what impact does it have on your creation? Do you think life is just a temporary stay and death is gate to somewhere elsewhere?
We are not worshipers of death, we are observers of death, and of course in some sense interested in the subject. The awareness of death is the main driving force for everything, the primum mobile of existence. Death is the gate to endless rebirth, and rebirth is a transformation of energies and matter from one state to another, be it with fire or through decomposition; from flesh to ash, or flesh to soil.
The demo was released under Russian Living Temple Records. Could you tell how you got together? It came out in the form of a tape. Seems this format is quite as back as LP a few years ago, while tape players are hard to find today. Do you have a special relationship with the cassettes?
LTR expressed interest in releasing our demo some years back, it has been a slow process but we have been in no hurry to release the tape. The tape format is reminiscent of ages past, and conveys some sort of satisfaction for the avid collector of obscure death metal. Since we both grew up in the 80's we certainly have a positive relationship with cassettes, primarily through tape trading.
Your sound is rough, raw and animal, everything sounds absolutely analogous, there is description it was recorded in the Chapel of Necromancy. Could you write something more detailed how it was recorded?
We recorded it in a basement using some equipment and instruments left to us by an old liquidated recording studio. Quite primitive stuff, but it did the trick. Chapel of Necromancy is a moniker for the "studio" where we record a lot of stuff, (such as Flagellant).
Ok, that is all from my side, great thanks for the interview!
Salve Satanas.
The Unholy Priest ... 25. 1. 2018 Mortuary
Chambers of Torment
interview
