Some Black Metal bands have made this remarkable genre just funny and embarrassing show with spectacular masks, fire and disgusting poses. As if they have forgotten the real roots and the main philosophy of the genre. Fortunately, there are plenty of underground bands worshiping traditions, philosophy and, in particular, anticommercial antihuman attitude with the symbol of hatred in it. We are pleased to present you an interview with an interesting band called SARDONIC WITCHERY with two full-lengths. The first one is "Kult of the Underground Warrior" '14 and the new "King of the Midnight Legions" '17. There were a few splits and mainly the multi split with Silva Nigra, Inner Helvete and Irae. If someone was interested in where the band came from, then of Portugal, but King Demogorgon, as the only member of the band, moved to Dallas, Texas, to spread the evil in the form of black thoughts and deeds. But let's talk King himself, who willingly answered my questions.
First I would ask why you chosen SARDONIC WITCHERY band name and what is it’s meaning for you. Is That a name fully aligned with your philosophy and musical content?
King Demogorgon: I chose the name SARDONIC WITCHERY because the moment I started the project strange things were happening around me. I can say that the SARDONIC WITCHERY philosophy is not only about “witchcraft” but more about Satanism, lust, war, and hedonism…. although sometimes I get in that way because to achieve what you want, you have to resort everything that is within your reach and witchcraft is a clean way of reaching things spiritually.
One Man Band certainly has a lot of advantages, but obviously also a few disadvantages, specially about live acts. Why did you choose this way of a solitary warrior?
King Demogorgon: In fact, I have been in bands since 1993 until 2003 when I decided to work as just a duo in INFERNAL KINGDOM, I recorded all instruments and Naamah Satana was the one who did the lyrics and vocals, and for the live acts we had session musicians… so in 2011 when I decided to put an end to INFERNAL KINGDOM and start all over again with the name SARDONIC WITCHERY, I always thought about finding a vocalist, but after much searching without satisfaction, I finally decided to do it alone. After many long years in bands and in projects, and also as a live musician for others bands too, I do not have the patience to compose with people anymore. I definitely prefer to work alone and then have interested musicians play the live rituals with me.
Raw and primitive Black Metal with charismatic but also chaotic elements with a little Punk’s access to rhythm. How much is your style, orthodoxy and attitude important to you as a Black Metal, artist?
King Demogorgon: An Orthodox attitude is at the top of everything for me. Black Metal is an underground style in which since entering, I never thought about leaving. Corps paint and raw sound is one of the great principles, I can even tell you that some very good studios have propositioned to record my music for free with excellent sound quality, but again, I actually prefer to do it all on my own, how I want …when that I want…with no fucking compromises. For me, the important thing is not the quality of the sound but the spirit that you can feel when you hear SARDONIC WITCHERY. I do not want to say that one day I will not record again in a professional studio like I did last time in 2004, but for now this is my philosophy. With that I can very well define my music as “Old School Black Thrashing Metal,” because that’s what I really do.
It is sure essential for Black Metal creator to take it very seriously, making a lot of energy, art, creativity and especially to achieve a dramatic, negative or magical atmosphere. Do you think Black Metal musician must have more elements for his work than other regular Metal musicians, for which is often the most important element only music satisfaction?
King Demogorgon: Without a doubt, Black Metal is not only music. Creating the true spirit of the message that I put into my music and lyrics is the most important essence of what I do. Maybe this is why I love to play live, because on the black altar I can create and provide the true feeling of my music to Hell maniacs. On the other hand, this is also one of the reasons that SARDONIC WITCHERY is a one man band, because it would be very difficult to find someone who thinks 666% like me. So to find musicians that are only designed to play my music live, makes me free to express the true essence of my raw attitude so SARDONIC WITCHERY will never have 2 or more paths.
What characteristics of Black Metal are the most important for you, and on the contrary, which ones do you think have absolutely nothing to do in this genre?
What is the greatest absurdity you have ever encountered in this genre?
King Demogorgon: Black Metal is the essence of hate and the most offensive Metal genre in Extreme Metal… so fuck off all those who feel offended by this or that… Black Metal is Satanism, Death, Lust, Individualism, War, Destruction, Terror, and fucking HATE….the real truth of life is that you are born to die, and Black Metal will never let you forget that you were born alone and you will die alone. All fucking who are offended pussy pieces of shit on this scene: please get out of my way, you are not in the right way…please go fucking suck on your mother’s tits, because you don’t know what it is fight for yourself -- you are a poser. All who are “ANTI” are like pure sheep. I’m not “ANTI” and I never will …I praise the supremacy and the control and the discipline of wisdom.
Black Metal is definitely a spiritual, deep and complex music, although many bands worshiping traditions can appear primitive and simple at first glance. Do you think this can only be perceived by a person who has certain sense for this conceived art? What do spirituality and supersensible spheres in your music represent?
King Demogorgon: Many bands play Black Metal without really feeling what they are doing just because nowadays it’s in fashion to play Black Metal like in 90’s it was the fashion to play Death Metal or 80’s Thrash Metal. The big difference is that nowadays everybody has and plays an instrument so there are too many bands playing shit without real devotion…but only the true ones will survive. I do not really waste my time talking or thinking about what’s not worth anything for me. Spirituality in the darkest and coldest sense, total devotion to the master of hell is the only and true path of the Underground Black Metal art.
I’d like to ask about this topic even deeper. Is SARDONIC WITCHERY for you a metalphysical affair?
King Demogorgon: Not really. There are many things that are still to be understood in this world, but since I am not at all a scientist so I do not want to waste my precious time on this world searching for answers that will never really be fully proven. SARDONIC WITCHERY is the quest for total personal and spiritual satisfaction and the pursuit of the strength to achieve my goals, dreams, and luxuries. Fuck off to all the rest of shit.
From which areas can you draw inspiration for the creation, of course, apart from music? I mean, for example, occultism itself, special dreams, nature night and so on…
King Demogorgon: Actually, I have more inspiration when things in my life are not very well…it seems that I need misfortunes to be able to do better music. I do not know why but it is a fact. The good thing is that in this life we have only a few days of happiness so maybe that’s why I do music fairly regularly jajajajja.
Anyway…Nature and night are things that really inspire me.
How do you approach to the writing process? Is it always the same to you or something change every other day? Here obviously, a certain ritual and experiences also plays some role, but do you think you are moving forward?
King Demogorgon: The night (low light), candles, old whiskey, beer, and cigarettes, are among somethings that make me feel good in the process of music and lyric composition. I can do a fucking album in one day but sometimes I only do trash shit for months. This is why if I feel that I’m not really inspired to compose I prefer not to -- because I know that I need to be on (“True day”) to do something that I will be proud the next day. It’s all part of the experience of self-knowledge…when having self-knowledge, things can only move forward.
Do you use some special rituals at writing process or recording for a more dense atmosphere, highlighting certain elements in music and performance for full authenticity? I mean, for example, even altered atates of consciousness, sleep deprivation, meditation, anything?
King Demogorgon: As I mentioned, I need to have the self-knowledge that it is the right day to accomplish good work. Then feeling that the day has arrived for the realization of the artifact, I just have to think about preparing all my equipment, and most importantly, the atmosphere of the room in which I will perform the darkest work. This means that I will need to going shopping jajajajaja because candles, old whiskey, beer and cigarettes can’t be missed!!!!
Have you ever had a sleep paralysis experiences? According to medical theory, it is a state where the brain is half-active and half sleeping, which causes nquite interesting feelings for the sleeping person. On the other hand, it is also possible to look at this phenomenon from mystical point of view. What do you think?
King Demogorgon: I think everyone at various times has strange sleep disturbances. I don’t have a lot of experience with this but I have talked to people who have. I think it is mostly a normal physical condition. The mystical aspects don’t come into effect until the person having the paralysis tries to use this state to master new experiences. It is an ideal state to lucidly transcend otherworldliness, but I don’t think there are many who really can do this for anything useful.
What role does death play in your band? Are you interested in thanatology? Do you take yourself as a worshiper or an observer of this phenomenon? What does death symbolize to you and how do you perceive it in the course of time when you grow old?
King Demogorgon: My music focuses more on immortality and indestructible spirits. Life is for the living, and death is for the dead. Of course, as humans we are observers of death. Everyone we love can die at any moment and we are faced with our own mortality. This forces us to live under the knowledge that we must live to the fullest extent whether old or young. There is no second chance.
http://sardonicwitchery.bandcamp.com/
King Demogorgon 11. 4. 2018 Mortuary
First I would ask why you chosen SARDONIC WITCHERY band name and what is it’s meaning for you. Is That a name fully aligned with your philosophy and musical content?
King Demogorgon: I chose the name SARDONIC WITCHERY because the moment I started the project strange things were happening around me. I can say that the SARDONIC WITCHERY philosophy is not only about “witchcraft” but more about Satanism, lust, war, and hedonism…. although sometimes I get in that way because to achieve what you want, you have to resort everything that is within your reach and witchcraft is a clean way of reaching things spiritually.
One Man Band certainly has a lot of advantages, but obviously also a few disadvantages, specially about live acts. Why did you choose this way of a solitary warrior?
King Demogorgon: In fact, I have been in bands since 1993 until 2003 when I decided to work as just a duo in INFERNAL KINGDOM, I recorded all instruments and Naamah Satana was the one who did the lyrics and vocals, and for the live acts we had session musicians… so in 2011 when I decided to put an end to INFERNAL KINGDOM and start all over again with the name SARDONIC WITCHERY, I always thought about finding a vocalist, but after much searching without satisfaction, I finally decided to do it alone. After many long years in bands and in projects, and also as a live musician for others bands too, I do not have the patience to compose with people anymore. I definitely prefer to work alone and then have interested musicians play the live rituals with me.
Raw and primitive Black Metal with charismatic but also chaotic elements with a little Punk’s access to rhythm. How much is your style, orthodoxy and attitude important to you as a Black Metal, artist?
King Demogorgon: An Orthodox attitude is at the top of everything for me. Black Metal is an underground style in which since entering, I never thought about leaving. Corps paint and raw sound is one of the great principles, I can even tell you that some very good studios have propositioned to record my music for free with excellent sound quality, but again, I actually prefer to do it all on my own, how I want …when that I want…with no fucking compromises. For me, the important thing is not the quality of the sound but the spirit that you can feel when you hear SARDONIC WITCHERY. I do not want to say that one day I will not record again in a professional studio like I did last time in 2004, but for now this is my philosophy. With that I can very well define my music as “Old School Black Thrashing Metal,” because that’s what I really do.
It is sure essential for Black Metal creator to take it very seriously, making a lot of energy, art, creativity and especially to achieve a dramatic, negative or magical atmosphere. Do you think Black Metal musician must have more elements for his work than other regular Metal musicians, for which is often the most important element only music satisfaction?
King Demogorgon: Without a doubt, Black Metal is not only music. Creating the true spirit of the message that I put into my music and lyrics is the most important essence of what I do. Maybe this is why I love to play live, because on the black altar I can create and provide the true feeling of my music to Hell maniacs. On the other hand, this is also one of the reasons that SARDONIC WITCHERY is a one man band, because it would be very difficult to find someone who thinks 666% like me. So to find musicians that are only designed to play my music live, makes me free to express the true essence of my raw attitude so SARDONIC WITCHERY will never have 2 or more paths.
What characteristics of Black Metal are the most important for you, and on the contrary, which ones do you think have absolutely nothing to do in this genre?
What is the greatest absurdity you have ever encountered in this genre?
King Demogorgon: Black Metal is the essence of hate and the most offensive Metal genre in Extreme Metal… so fuck off all those who feel offended by this or that… Black Metal is Satanism, Death, Lust, Individualism, War, Destruction, Terror, and fucking HATE….the real truth of life is that you are born to die, and Black Metal will never let you forget that you were born alone and you will die alone. All fucking who are offended pussy pieces of shit on this scene: please get out of my way, you are not in the right way…please go fucking suck on your mother’s tits, because you don’t know what it is fight for yourself -- you are a poser. All who are “ANTI” are like pure sheep. I’m not “ANTI” and I never will …I praise the supremacy and the control and the discipline of wisdom.
Black Metal is definitely a spiritual, deep and complex music, although many bands worshiping traditions can appear primitive and simple at first glance. Do you think this can only be perceived by a person who has certain sense for this conceived art? What do spirituality and supersensible spheres in your music represent?
King Demogorgon: Many bands play Black Metal without really feeling what they are doing just because nowadays it’s in fashion to play Black Metal like in 90’s it was the fashion to play Death Metal or 80’s Thrash Metal. The big difference is that nowadays everybody has and plays an instrument so there are too many bands playing shit without real devotion…but only the true ones will survive. I do not really waste my time talking or thinking about what’s not worth anything for me. Spirituality in the darkest and coldest sense, total devotion to the master of hell is the only and true path of the Underground Black Metal art.
I’d like to ask about this topic even deeper. Is SARDONIC WITCHERY for you a metalphysical affair?
King Demogorgon: Not really. There are many things that are still to be understood in this world, but since I am not at all a scientist so I do not want to waste my precious time on this world searching for answers that will never really be fully proven. SARDONIC WITCHERY is the quest for total personal and spiritual satisfaction and the pursuit of the strength to achieve my goals, dreams, and luxuries. Fuck off to all the rest of shit.
From which areas can you draw inspiration for the creation, of course, apart from music? I mean, for example, occultism itself, special dreams, nature night and so on…
King Demogorgon: Actually, I have more inspiration when things in my life are not very well…it seems that I need misfortunes to be able to do better music. I do not know why but it is a fact. The good thing is that in this life we have only a few days of happiness so maybe that’s why I do music fairly regularly jajajajja.
Anyway…Nature and night are things that really inspire me.
How do you approach to the writing process? Is it always the same to you or something change every other day? Here obviously, a certain ritual and experiences also plays some role, but do you think you are moving forward?
King Demogorgon: The night (low light), candles, old whiskey, beer, and cigarettes, are among somethings that make me feel good in the process of music and lyric composition. I can do a fucking album in one day but sometimes I only do trash shit for months. This is why if I feel that I’m not really inspired to compose I prefer not to -- because I know that I need to be on (“True day”) to do something that I will be proud the next day. It’s all part of the experience of self-knowledge…when having self-knowledge, things can only move forward.
Do you use some special rituals at writing process or recording for a more dense atmosphere, highlighting certain elements in music and performance for full authenticity? I mean, for example, even altered atates of consciousness, sleep deprivation, meditation, anything?
King Demogorgon: As I mentioned, I need to have the self-knowledge that it is the right day to accomplish good work. Then feeling that the day has arrived for the realization of the artifact, I just have to think about preparing all my equipment, and most importantly, the atmosphere of the room in which I will perform the darkest work. This means that I will need to going shopping jajajajaja because candles, old whiskey, beer and cigarettes can’t be missed!!!!
Have you ever had a sleep paralysis experiences? According to medical theory, it is a state where the brain is half-active and half sleeping, which causes nquite interesting feelings for the sleeping person. On the other hand, it is also possible to look at this phenomenon from mystical point of view. What do you think?
King Demogorgon: I think everyone at various times has strange sleep disturbances. I don’t have a lot of experience with this but I have talked to people who have. I think it is mostly a normal physical condition. The mystical aspects don’t come into effect until the person having the paralysis tries to use this state to master new experiences. It is an ideal state to lucidly transcend otherworldliness, but I don’t think there are many who really can do this for anything useful.
What role does death play in your band? Are you interested in thanatology? Do you take yourself as a worshiper or an observer of this phenomenon? What does death symbolize to you and how do you perceive it in the course of time when you grow old?
King Demogorgon: My music focuses more on immortality and indestructible spirits. Life is for the living, and death is for the dead. Of course, as humans we are observers of death. Everyone we love can die at any moment and we are faced with our own mortality. This forces us to live under the knowledge that we must live to the fullest extent whether old or young. There is no second chance.
http://sardonicwitchery.bandcamp.com/
King Demogorgon 11. 4. 2018 Mortuary
King of the Midnight Legions
interview
