27 years into their career in black arts, Greece’s Varathron still release albums seething with malice, darkness and sinister euphoria. With a new album to follow 2009’s masterpiece, Stygian Forces Of Scorn, coming up, we could not stand with our arms folded (no matter how cool this position looks). In the little time left before they play the Zero Tolerance Sponsored NWN! Festival in Berlin, we contacted the band’s singer, demonic invocator and only remaining original member Stefan Necroabbysious to discover that evil is, indeed, eternal.
ZT: The band appears to be firing on all cylinders. Your previous, Stygian Forces Of Scorn is one of your best in people’s minds – no small feat for a band that released classics like Walpurgisnacht and His Majesty At The Swamp 20 years ago. How do you keep the quality that high? Where is the inspiration coming from?
Necroabyssious: As you say, Stygian Forces Of Scorn is great and very similar to our first few, cult albums. The result for Untrodden Corridors Of Hades is perfect and the new album is even better than the previous one! I think we have the flame inside of us. It seems we have the same beliefs and the same spark of madness that we had in our early years. We have so much passion and desire for new psalms and new hymns… this leads us in strange dimensions. I sometimes feel like I’m the same mad metalhead that I was in the early 90s, when I started this band. The black flame is alive and I think it will be immortal.
ZT: When is Untrodden Corridors Of Hades expected to be released, and by which label?
Necroabyssious: The new album will be out late November in Europe and early December in the rest of the world. Untrodden Corridors of Hades will bear the seal of Agonia Records – hats off to Filip for doing such great work for us!
ZT: How different is Untrodden Corridors of Hades from your previous, post-2000 works?
Necroabbysious: The new album is a step above the previous one, more evil and dark, more occult and abyssic! The obscure atmosphere permeates the songs, the titles, the lyrics and of course the riffs. I can’t wait to hear what my friends-brothers around the world have to say about it! Five years after our last album, that is the total statement that they want! Pure, Immortal Evil!!!
ZT: How different are Varathron now compared to how they started?
Necroabbysious: The band retains its personality in the underground scene. Varathron’s beliefs, ideas and oaths remain unchanged! The ‘faces’, the members have changed but the spirit remains the same from our beginning until now. The new members are deeply rooted in the Varathron history and they continue Varathron’s great work in an amazing way! I feel very proud to work with them – they rule!
ZT:The titles for ‘Untrodden Corridors Of Hades’ sound very much like instructions for some weird invocation – a walk through the untrodden corridors of Hades, perhaps… What are the lyrics about?
Necroabbysious: The lyrics on the new album are dark and apocryphal. They speak of ancient unholy invocations, battles and wars, pain and lust, black masses and witches’ gatherings. They speak of fallen bizarre thoughts, dreams and nightmares, astral trips and unknown words.
ZT: Your live appearances are incredibly few. Are you planning to go on a long tour to promote this album?
Necroabbysious: We have had a lot of problems with live shows in the past. The current line-up is strong and we have big plans for live shows. Of course we have our day-jobs and I’m not sure if we have the time to go on a tour, but I know that for sure: We’ll play a lot of shows around the world. All these years people have been asking for that and now is our time. Yes, Varathron on stage is quickly becoming a reality.
ZT: You are playing NWN! Fest 4 this year. Looking forward to it? How do you decide which songs make it to the set list?
Necroabbysious: Yes, we will appear at NWN! Fest. It is a dream coming true for me! So many brothers from great bands, fans from so many countries and an amazing atmosphere! Our setlist will include songs from demos and the first album- total aggression!
ZT: What should we be expecting from this upcoming album?
Necroabbysious: Total darkness, psalms that rape the ears of all unfaithful souls. It’s pure Armageddon my friend… soon you will feel it!
ZT: Anything you’d like to add?
Necroabbysious: The dark kingdom is coming!
