by Niklas Göransson

As embers of Death and the Black Work smouldered, Nightbringer fortified a stronghold deep in the Colorado wilderness. With sharpened blades and new blood swelling the ranks, they fixed their gaze upon the Apocalypse Sun.

 

NAAS ALCAMETH: I first met VJS at Gathering of Shadows in 2005, where he played guitar for DEMONCY. When we crossed paths again the following year, he came right out and said, ‘I’m moving to Colorado and joining NIGHTBRINGER.’ It wasn’t a question – it was a declaration.

VJS: Indeed. I’m always ready to commit myself fully to anything I consider worthy, and I’ve found aggression, arrogance, and assertiveness to be the most effective tools. They don’t just reflect dedication but also prove your work ethic.

American multi-instrumentalist VJS made the acquaintance of NIGHTBRINGER’s core members – Naas Alcameth, Nox Corvus, and Ophis – at the 2005 edition of Gathering of Shadows. The following summer, they reunited in the Colorado woods, where the off-the-grid black metal festival hosted several of VJS’ projects.

A year later, in May 2007, CRIMSON MOON, DEMONCY, and TENEBROUS – all of which featured VJS – embarked on a tour across the US and Mexico. The final two performances, in Salt Lake City and Denver, saw NIGHTBRINGER added to the bill, further strengthening the alliance.

VJS: It felt like an immediate brotherhood, though that might sound cliché now. Back then, it carried real weight. We were all so scattered yet bound by the same Father. I knew our destinies would eventually converge; it was inevitable. Especially in those days, INCURSUS and early NIGHTBRINGER shared a similar high-pitched tremolo guitar style, so joining forces made perfect sense.

Sprouting from a 1990s project called BLACK WINTER’S EVE, INCURSUS officially began in 2001 with VJS handling all instruments and his close confidant Horidus on vocals.

VJS: I wanted to create something that didn’t exist at the time – a fiercely aggressive black metal sound imbued with the spirit of “Under a Funeral Moon” (DARKTHRONE), THORNS, and “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” (MAYHEM). Atmospheric black metal can veer off in countless directions, but I aimed for an unrelenting intensity that still felt cold. A kind of hypnotic hostility.

When VJS joined DEMONCY on guitar in 2004, the band’s founder, Ixithra, helped get INCURSUS off the ground by stepping in on drums. The trio recorded a self-titled demo in 2005, which secured them a deal with Forever Plagued Records.

At that time, VJS was living in an all-black house in Atlanta, Georgia, with the remaining DEMONCY members. Then, in early 2007, he and Horidus packed up and travelled roughly 1,250 kilometres (780 mi) to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they were set to record INCURSUS’ debut album.

VJS: After leaving the black house – and following a period of wanderlust that even saw me squatting in an abandoned tomb at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia – I ended up staying in the mouldy cellar of Forever Plagued Records for a few months, living my best life. By then, I’d already spent years on the road with nothing but a coffin holding all my belongings secured in the back of my pickup truck.

 

After another cross-country drive to Colorado – 2,700 kilometres (1,700 mi) – VJS moved into what became known as the ‘NIGHTBRINGER cabin’, a large wooden house in the forest with two bedrooms and a shared living area.

NOX CORVUS: Most of us lived there on and off for a few years. During my brief stay, I slept upstairs in the attic. Let’s see… I think Kyle (Alcameth), Ophis, and VJS were there at the time.

VJS: They’d already finished recording their debut album, “Death and the Black Work”, but it hadn’t been released yet. Now that enough members were on board, our plan was to transform NIGHTBRINGER from a studio project only performing at Gathering of Shadows into a fully active band.

ALCAMETH: At one point, we boarded up all the windows so NIGHTBRINGER could rehearse in the living room. It was a wild and sometimes harsh period, but I look back on those days with great fondness now.

NOX CORVUS: One night, a buddy and I were sword fighting, and he ended up slicing my hand open – severed a tendon and broke my knuckle. I landed in the ER, and the surgeon told me I wouldn’t be able to play guitar anymore.

That must’ve been even more painful.

NOX CORVUS: Oh yeah, that was devastating. Thankfully, I proved him wrong. No more sword fights, though. When Curtis the Barbarian heard about it, he suggested I take up archery instead.

 

ALCAMETH: We’d light giant bonfires in the backyard and blast black metal. Next thing we knew, the fire department showed up, putting it out in the most over-the-top way imaginable – then they invited themselves in to search our cabin. It’s funny because when you move to the woods, you think stuff like that won’t happen.

I’m assuming relations with the locals were a bit strained.

ALCAMETH: We were not hugely popular with the conservative community there, no. The sheriff loathed metalheads and harassed us constantly. Especially after VJS moved in because he’s a fucking wild man. Before Gathering of Shadows in 2008, he found a dead deer on the side of the road and stashed it under our front deck.

VJS: I’ve been collecting roadkill since I was a teenager. Two weeks before the Gathering, I discovered a large buck and, running purely on adrenaline, managed to load it into my truck. INCURSUS had done the death cauldrons the year before, so I wanted to incorporate this somehow – maybe by draping ourselves in entrails or mounting its severed head as a display.

ALCAMETH: VJS suggested I drain some of the deer’s blood for the NIGHTBRINGER set. I tried using a kitchen knife, but the animal was too long dead – the blood had basically turned to jelly. It smelled fucking horrible, and within a week, flies swarmed everywhere. That’s when our closest neighbour called the sheriff on us. Again.

VJS: I stood outside the cabin with a hacksaw, removing the deer’s head, when the sheriff showed up. He already hated me, and we began arguing. Eventually, I frightened him off. It was a very Christian, conservative area, and I think the sheriff’s superstition stopped him from pushing too hard in case it endangered his soul.

 

By 2008, attendance at Gathering of Shadows had grown to several hundred. Alongside INCURSUS and NIGHTBRINGER – now with VJS on drums and Nox Corvis on guitar – the fifth edition featured SANGUIS IMPEREM and two Australian bands: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS and CEMETERY URN.

ALCAMETH: Oh my god, those Australians were total maniacs. Lots of cocaine flowing that year. I remember… <laughs> before NIGHTBRINGER played, I had this antique communion chalice I wanted to drink my own blood from. Coked out of my mind, heart beating like crazy, I cut myself to fill the cup. Unfortunately, it bled way more than expected, and I ended up feeling nauseous.

Cocaine and bloodletting are best enjoyed separately, as the heightened heart rate can lead to excessive bleeding – which, in turn, causes nausea.

ALCAMETH: Maybe not the most novel idea, but the funny thing was, by the time we’d finally set everything up, the blood had completely congealed. Expecting to drink a warm liquid, I instead swallowed something akin to cold phlegm. It made me gag – I sort of choked, and the clotted mess came right back out of my mouth.

NOX CORVUS: It was curdled, obviously. Great idea in theory, but probably not the best plan. He didn’t puke, so I guess it could be considered a success. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, though.

 

CEMETERY URN frontman Damon Bloodstorm was slated to perform with HOLOCAUST WOLVES OF THE APOCALYPSE, a one-off project intended to cover songs from his former band, BESTIAL WARLUST.

ALCAMETH: After CEMETERY URN, the singer wasn’t feeling well, so they cancelled the HOLOCAUST WOLVES set. It felt like such a letdown; BESTIAL WARLUST were incredibly important to me as a teenager, so I pulled Damon aside and tried my best to convince him. But the situation turned hilarious – there I stood, quite intoxicated, in the middle of the woods at night, pleading with this enormous man still wearing his sunglasses. He just looks down at me and says, ‘Not gonna happen.’

In a 2023 Bardo Methodology feature, GOSPEL OF THE HORNS drummer Marcus Hellcunt recalled that one of the bands – INCURSUS – had a severed deer’s head, which they threw into the bonfire.

ALCAMETH: INCURSUS refused a fixed timeslot and insisted on going on unannounced, without even identifying themselves – and that’s exactly what happened. After their set, they all vanished into the woods behind the ‘stage’, retreating to a hidden campsite and weren’t seen again. Fucking genius.

VJS: I instructed Myrddraal, the main Gathering of Shadows organiser, to announce that the show had ended. Two hours later, we began. Our goal was to appear completely inhuman. No one saw us beforehand – the audience stood before a forest filled with amplifiers. Then, these ghouls emerge out of the darkness, assaulting the senses like priests from nowhere before disappearing just as suddenly. That separation between the conductors of the ceremony and those witnessing it became our entire focus. I knew how lethal we were, so identifying ourselves didn’t matter.

 

With the release of their debut album, “Death and the Black Work”, on the horizon, NIGHTBRINGER wanted to take their live performances to the next level. As a first step, INCURSUS vocalist Horidus was brought in on bass.

VJS: It was a joint decision, especially since Horidus had also moved to Colorado. Bringing him in felt natural – we were all part of the same circle.

How did he fit in with the rest?

VJS: Oh, I don’t think Horidus ever really fit in anywhere – and I mean that in the best possible way. We were an intense group, but all of us valued each other’s quirks and extremes, for better or worse. Similar to Ixithra and me at the beginning, the NIGHTBRINGER guys were excited to find others who took this as seriously as they did. We all amplified one another’s inhuman traits.

NOX CORVUS: I’ve spent a lot of time teaching incoming bassists – probably seven or so over the years. It’s always the same: writing tabs and going through every note. Horidus and I would meet halfway between our homes, somewhere in the woods or a quiet park, and break out our guitars to practice.

In October 2008, NIGHTBRINGER performed as support for the Denver stop of WATAIN’s Fuck the World Tour.

VJS: I honestly don’t remember much of the set itself. That would’ve been one of our earliest proper venue shows, and after only performing in the woods, playing in a club felt strange. I was on drums, which isn’t my usual role, so I just focused on holding it together. Beyond that, the details are hazy.

NOX CORVUS: Playing alongside WATAIN was awesome, but the atmosphere in a club comes with certain distractions: artificial stage lights, exit signs near the bathrooms, and a glaringly bright bar. Still, it felt like we’d graduated to a new level.

VJS: I do remember what happened afterwards: we ended up in a potential street brawl. Things escalated further because I was bleeding everywhere, and my maenad – or subjugate – started drinking my blood in front of everyone, which didn’t sit well with some onlookers. A group of people tried to surround us as we were unloading gear, but luckily, we had friends ready to step in.

 

Full Moon Productions released “Death and the Black Work” in December 2008. To promote the album, NIGHTBRINGER performed at several American festivals – including Gathering of Shadows VI: Procession of the Wicked, which featured ABYSSMAL NOCTURNE, FUNEREUS, GRAVECODE NEBULA, KRIEG, RAVENSBRÜCK, SPICULUM IRATUS, TERATISM, VELNIAS, and VESTERIAN.

VJS: I’d noticed how most of the workload fell on Myrddraal’s shoulders, so I stepped in as a liaison and sound manager. By then, I had my studio gear in Colorado, so I brought a mixing board, proper microphones, and everything else needed to accommodate the bands. Remember, no money ever changed hands; this was strictly ritual. Some musicians travelled as far as twenty hours to perform, so we made a point of showing professionalism and respect for the trust they placed in us.

ALCAMETH: The longer Gathering of Shadows went on, the wilder it became. And yeah, chaos ensued. For instance, Myrddraal beat the shit out of some drunk for spilling beer all over the soundboard. There were other fights – and at one point, someone got stabbed.

NOX CORVUS: Every year, we had some kind of madness – perfectly capturing the spirit of the festival. It wasn’t a venue; it was an anti-venue. That’s as good as it gets.

ALCAMETH: Honestly, though, that’s how it should be. I hate to use the cliché ‘make black metal dangerous again’, but that was our thinking. ‘If you want to show up, you need some mettle – you must have steel in your soul. If you’re too scared, then stay at home.’

 

Did you feel that “Death and the Black Work” was well received?

NOX CORVUS: Absolutely, and that didn’t surprise me at all – all of us knew we’d created something special. NIGHTBRINGER kept pushing forward, moving to the next phase of our career. Seeing respected labels equally excited confirmed that we were onto something.

ALCAMETH: I really think we killed it on “Death and the Black Work”. To then move from Full Moon Productions to The Ajna Offensive was such a sign of success to me. Great label – Tyler and I used to talk every day.

In a 2024 Bardo Methodology interview, Ajna Offensive proprietor Tyler Davis mentioned that he was drawn to NIGHTBRINGER not only for their seriousness in esoteric matters but also because of the Gathering of Shadows association.

VJS: I think Alcameth felt more excitement about that. He always had his finger on the pulse of up-and-coming black metal labels and bands. He’s like a chancellor, in a way, bringing together resources and people to accomplish goals. Still today, this is one of his seemingly endless talents! I am naturally inclined to remain obscure and didn’t keep up with most of what was happening.

The first official collaboration between NIGHTBRINGER and The Ajna Offensive came in early 2010, with a split album titled “On the Powers of the Sphinx” – a curious combination of bands curated by Tyler Davis.

Featuring SATURNALIA TEMPLE, NIGHTBRINGER, NIHIL NOCTURNE, and ALUK TODOLO, the album is described as ‘a collaborative exploration of occult themes across different musical styles’. Davis envisioned the project as a way to involve musicians actively engaged in occult practice, with each band focusing on one principle central to Western ceremonial magic – knowledge, intention, courage, and secrecy – as representations of key aspects of spiritual mastery.

ALCAMETH: Tyler is a maniac, and I appreciate his ideas. I was so unfamiliar with the other bands that I didn’t even hear them until the split came out. I realise it probably throws some people off – maybe you’re not into this or that genre since the album covers such a broad spectrum. But overall, I thought it came together really fucking well. Nox Corvus wrote our contribution, “To Will”, and it’s an amazing song.

The cover artwork for “On the Powers of the Sphinx” was created by Benjamin A Vierling, a longtime contact of Alcameth.

ALCAMETH: Benjamin is deeply invested in traditional witchcraft; the dude gets it. He pulled the entire cover art together, down to every last detail. I thought, ‘This is fucking perfect!’ I’ve had the chance to meet him in person a couple of times – once on tour and again at the Seattle Esoteric Book Conference.

 

Over the preceding years, The Ajna Offensive had become closely associated with the emerging wave of orthodox black metal. This movement introduced a newfound gravity and seriousness to a scene where the expectation of treating the subject matter with sincerity had largely diminished.

ALCAMETH: If we’re talking about NoEvDia and associated acts, I’ve always loved it. DEATHSPELL OMEGA is an interesting case because they’re often grouped into that category – but if you dig into their lyrics and beliefs, it doesn’t align with theism so much as it leans toward philosophy.

VJS: Honestly, I stayed mostly unaware. My focus has always been on pursuing extremity and ‘darkness’ in other unrelated areas of life and art. I’ve only heard DEATHSPELL OMEGA once or twice, believe it or not. And honestly, the more people tell me about a ‘movement’ or label, the more contrarian I become. Nevertheless, I’m sure many of those bands had the right intentions, and I respect them for that.

The Ajna Offensive served as the official US distribution point for French label Norma Evangelium Diaboli, or NoEvDia – home to the likes of DEATHSPELL OMEGA and FUNERAL MIST – while also developing bands of its own, such as MORTUUS and NEGATIVE PLANE.

ALCAMETH: I used to be in contact with Matthias (Bestial Devotion) from NEGATIVE PLANE, and I remember… <laughs> This is obviously a long time ago, but he was like, ‘Black metal is Satan. If it’s not Satan, then it’s not black metal.’ I appreciated the die-hard stance but went, ‘Well, then I don’t know what to tell you; I guess I’m not black metal.’

How do you feel about Satanism today?

ALCAMETH: I’m totally fine with it, as long as it comes from a place of genuine belief. At this point, though, the notion of Satan as an absolute, theistic being isn’t something I could invest myself in. To me, it doesn’t exist. But that’s not to say you can’t take a devotional approach. If someone believes with all their heart and fervour in a god-like entity and devotes themselves to it, things will happen.

VJS: In Catholic terms, you’d call it ‘faith.’ I use that word outside the Judeo-Christian context, but belief is one of humanity’s greatest powers – projecting awareness toward something and transforming subjective ideas into objective reality. Faith, devotion, intention… they’re all intertwined. The exact framework matters less than the overall dedication.

ALCAMETH: In black metal, there’s this prerequisite to say, ‘I am a Satanist; the Devil is the law.’ But that stance often comes before any meaningful mental process of navigating reality, life and death, metaphysics, and all those deeper concepts. Ideally, there should be a process driving you forward, leading to more legitimate spiritual pursuits.

 

Aside from “On the Powers of the Sphinx”, NIGHTBRINGER had been hard at work on “Apocalypse Sun”, the follow-up to “Death and the Black Work”. This album marks the point where NIGHTBRINGER’s grandiose elements fully emerged. Alcameth has previously mentioned drawing influence from composers like Richard Wagner for this record.

NOX CORVUS: Kyle kind of disappeared for a year, then reappeared with this completed work – and it sounded fantastic. “Apocalypse Sun” is one of our best.

ALCAMETH: The idea was to write everything out in tablature to see how the notes interacted. You take a great guitar line and then drive it to its limit: ‘What if I add this? What if I add that?’ I imagine the process is similar to how classical composers work – they start with a basic theme on paper and gradually expand upon it, pushing the idea to its extreme.