1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Armrek: We are working on the next album, music is already recorded and artwork is almost done. The next ceremony will be located in French Pyrenees mountains, September 29th, it will be a very special fest with entities like Stile Volk, Ingrid Obled, Gouffre, Carne, to name a few...
2.Recently you have released a new alum, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
« La Mort de l'Infidèle » keep the ritualistic basis of Sektarism, working on trance and devotion, it is Holy Ritual Doom. On this album the sound is far more powerful, the work was done at the Drudenhaus studio, and even if we recorded live as we do on all previous Sektarism's offerings, the great technical abilities of Xort and it's artistic comprehension of what we want at the moment make it clearly effective.
3.All of the other band members also play in black and death metal bands but with this project you go into more of a funeral doom metal direction, how would you compare the 3 different styles?
With Sektarism, we do not do typical doom metal as it is commonly understood, nor funeral doom as the music itself consists on a ritual, even if we play heavy parts, of course.
Someone could say: « why not to play all those styles in only one band as Malhkebre evolve on a close spiritual path? ». To give a simple answer, the interior energy and the imagination necessary to give birth of these creations is not the same at all, and Sektarism, Malhkebre, Malekhamoves are emanations of our multifaceted art.
4.What is the form of Satanism that you bring into the lyrical topics of the albums?
It is about the revelation, the madness brought to Man when this one is close to the breath of the Almighty. It is clearly a sinister and negative form of satanism, and the goal is to reach a level of clear-sightedness, an ecstatic elevation from the abyss... Sektarism is at the same time the depraved man walking on the faustian path and the ascetic religious man crushed by the merciless glory of God.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sektarism'?
We took a simple and evocative term, Sektarism is the modus operandi we choose to express our visions. Anyone who saw us on stage can understand it, we are a sect with it's apostles and with it's disciples. May the Lord bless us...
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
It is a hard question, I am not the right person to describe the result I provoke myself. One of the best performance we done is certainly the last one on Le Rex, Toulouse because of the great venue, the impressive sound and the good amount of spectators. Les Voûtes, Paris was a particular ritual because of the intense devotion from both the band and the audience.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
In fact we are discussing with several individuals/bands about a tour, if you read this and want to do something with Sektarism, feel free to contact us.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal?
Extreme. It is notable that people hate us or love us, which is fine, as Sektarism is not following an easy and common path. Temperance, moderation are are not fitting words to describe our quest, so it is logical that some reviews are awful, ahah! Most important is to see some novices staring wide-eyed after a gig, showing that we are not preaching in the desert...
9.Are you happy with the support 'Necrocosm' has given you so far?
E. Berzerk, the vocalist, is running Necrocosm with the precious help of the disciples of Sektarism N. Kapalika and Vikarious H., so yes we are working like a family. By the way, Sektarism is released by Zanjeer Zani Productions, a sub-division of Necrocosm (the distributor) focusing on doom and related experimental music.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Sincerely, I don't know. Maybe we will explore deeply the ritual/ambient/noise path, maybe we will reinforce the metal side, time will tell...
11.What are some of the musical influences you bring into this band that you are not able to do with your other groups?
Hard to say, all of the band members listen to a lot of different music, from Deathspell Omega to Diamanda Gallas, from Genocide Organ to Reverend Bizarre, from Aluk Todolo to Arabrot... Surely, noise/power electronics has an impact equal to doom for me, at least on stage.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you a lot for your interest on Sektarism! AMSG!
