Interview with Craven Idol

           

LONDON BLACK METAL fourpiece CRAVEN IDOL have existed for 15 years. They’ve recorded two demos (the last of which being the 2008 underground classic ‘Recrucify’). In 2010 they made waves with the release of their 5-song e.p ‘Ethereal Altars’, followed by two full length albums: ‘Towards Eschaton’ (2013) and their magnum opus ‘The Shackles Of Mammon’ in 2017, a raw and savage masterpiece of old school black thrash. The latter earned them worldwide acclaim and established them as arguably the biggest black metal band in the UK. Then in August 2019 the band announced that they had finished tracking a new album, but New Year came and went with nothing more being heard, and by April Covid19 and the ensuing lockdown had brought most bands to a standstill. So I contacted CRAVEN IDOL vocalist/guitarist SADISTIK VRATH to ask for news, and to talk about the band’s origins, Greek mythology, and the UK black metal scene:

How did Craven Idol first come about and what were your main influences/motivations?

Vrath: CRAVEN IDOL was formed a two-piece in 2005 by J. Scourger and I. We were new to London, having moved there from smaller towns, and keen to explore the opportunities the big smoke had to offer… and of course form a band. The initial idea was to write some Teutonic-style thrash (SODOM, POISON, MINOTAUR), layered with the booming Australian black/thrash scene of the time (GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, D666), and the COGUMELO cult (SARCOFAGO, VULCANO, MUTILATOR). We rehearsed in a tiny, loud-as-hell, basement near King’s Cross with the sole intention of recording a 3-track demo. I ended up mixing the tape, explaining the horrendous sound. We never had any intention of gigging. Of course, that all changed with the release of the Ethereal Altars EP, which saw a deal with Hammer Of Hate and a debut performance at Armageddon Festival in 2010.

It's been 3 years since 'Shackles'. What will the next album be like, and how will it compare to 'Shackles'?

Vrath: At the time of writing (05/20), our third album is ready to be sent to printers. I am immensely proud of the entire band - performances and contributions alike. This one really was a true team effort.  As ever, the new album will combination of everything we have done before… you will hear the core influences, but also plenty of old school heavy metal and punk. The album follows a chronological story based on the return of the Greek Stormgod Typhon. But don’t worry, we aren’t going all concept album on you!

How does UK black metal compare to what comes out of Scandinavia? Which do you prefer?

Vrath: Firstly, there isn’t an awful lot of British black metal… neither were there many bands back in the Second Wave. As a Finn, I hands-down prefer Scandinavia and Finnish black metal to its British cousin. I think it’s probably based on mentality, lifestyle, and psyche… British heavy metal anno NWOBHM was the best in the world, but that was certainly its zenith. Black metal here always had more of a tongue-in-cheek side to it (in the vein of VENOM in the First Wave), which doesn’t really suit its ‘90s incarnation. A lost gem from that time I can recommend is DEAD CHRIST.

Do you prefer the old school of the 80s/90s or modern black metal?

Vrath: Old school, without question, it’s what all our music is based on. The modern black metal bands that I enjoy are few and far between. Metal as late has, by-and-large, become incredibly formulaic, safe, and predictable… productions stale and digital. 

Your lyrics are in a league above the usual BM fare. From where do you draw lyrical inspiration?

Vrath: We did start up with writing fairly generic, anti-Christian gibberish, but soon moved on to a more mythology/history-based approach. J. Scourger was the main lyricist up until his departure in 2015, after which I took over. As mentioned above, the new album will follow chronological story throughout the album (without becoming tediously ‘concept’). It delves into the legend of the Father of Monsters, Typhon, from Greek mythology. According to legend he was entrapped under Mount Aetna by Zeus during the latter stages of the Titanomachy. The album explores the return of Typhon, and acts as a sequel to the initial myth, written by greats like Ovid, Virgil, and Nonnos (to name a few).

 

The BM scene gets criticised for the right-wing politics of some bands. Where do you stand on this issue?

Vrath: Whilst we are in no way political, individually we all stand left.   

What is the most memorable experience you've ever had with Craven Idol?

Vrath: Now that’s a tough question. The first show, the first vinyl release, signing to Dark Descent, performing across the continent. But when it comes down to it, our 2018, month-long, European tour with the mighty MYSTIFIER from Brazil has to be up there. If you haven’t heard of them, check out 1993’s Göetia, a black metal masterpiece. The tour took us to Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, UK, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, and concluded in the glory of Rome (including a ‘rest’ day in Venice). A sold-out show at Berlin’s Never Surrender festival was a major highlight. It was fantastic spending a month alongside a band that we have worshipped for most of my lives… surreal even.

How has Covid19 affected the band and its plans?

Vrath: If it wasn’t for the Novel Coronavirus our third album would undoubtedly already be out. The financial and general uncertainty has plummeted record sales, and of course most pressing plants are at standstill. It also doesn’t allow us to plan for any gigs, release shows, or rehearse. Either way, this is a mere temporary setback (for everyone), but given how busy we have been as of late, its perhaps also a welcome one… at least musically.

What attracts fans to Craven Idol and your music?

Vrath: That’s hard to say from my angle… I’m perhaps too close to the music to judge. We don’t have an agenda, except to play what comes naturally. When asked, I tend to dub out music as old school extreme metal, referring to the late ‘80s/early ‘90s when there were no frameworks and rules to govern what can or cannot be done. This pioneering spirit is all but lost these days, but it’s what made metal great and the fire that fuels us.

Which current UK black metal bands would you recommend?

Vrath: ADORIOR, GRAVE MIASMA, CROM DUBH, DYSEMBLEM, ISENSCUR, DUNGEON, SCYTHIAN, TERRA, NECROMANIAC, LVCIFYRE, INSURGENCY, SALUTE, SEPUKU, FUNERAL THORNE, SUFFERER, ESOTERIC…

Any further comments?

Thanks for the interview. Our third album will be out later this year (2020) on Dark Descent Records. Stand strong against the raging tide!

 

 

J. Cooper

Copyright Metal Punk Inferno (2020)