by Niklas Göransson

From inception to ascent, through trials and triumphs, Nightbringer has carved their legacy into the black metal pantheon. Now, as this chronicle concludes, they stand before Terra Damnata – a scar upon the earth, marking all that came before.

 

ALCAMETH: I felt really positive about “Death and the Black Work”, but “Apocalypse Sun” had an abysmal reception. I took this to heart; “Hierophany of the Open Grave” was an improvement, yet things didn’t come back together until “Ego Dominus Tuus”. I believe we nailed it there, and that brought a sense of vindication.

Season of Mist released NIGHTBRINGER’s fourth album, “Ego Dominus Tuus”, in September 2014. The response far surpassed previous works, earning favourable reviews and landing on multiple top-ten lists.

ALCAMETH: I was like, ‘Here you go, motherfuckers. This is my vision for NIGHTBRINGER.’ I think “Ego…” felt a little less abstract and more direct in terms of atmosphere while still carrying those hallmarks and nods to the bands that influenced me the most – without rehashing anyone.

VJS: “Ego…” is where we learned to balance technicality and atmosphere more effectively. Otherwise, it’s easy to veer into LIMBONIC ART territory, where everything becomes overblown, or drift into BLUT AUS NORD realms – grandiose and avant-garde but lacking that demonic, typhonic edge. We aimed to maintain complexity, like Prometheus reaching for the flame, while staying rooted in our essence.

 

In November 2015, NIGHTBRINGER embarked on their second European tour – this time with LYCHGATE. The lineup had expanded to include Shatraug from Finnish black metal band SARGEIST, whom they’d toured with the year before.

The LYCHGATE members give a somewhat more mellow and introverted impression than SARGEIST, so I imagine the touring atmosphere was a bit different.

VJS: Yeah. Apart from LYCHGATE’s vocalist – who’s quite old school – the rest weren’t sure what to make of us, probably because we barely slept <laughs>. We embraced iniquity yet still delivered top-tier shows each night, while these people seemed more inclined to rest. No disrespect, they were gentlemen, but I think their impression was, ‘Those NIGHTBRINGER guys aren’t human.’

How did the crowd reception compare to the US?

ALCAMETH: The audience each evening is always a roll of the dice, but overall, I resonate more with the black metal culture and mentality in Europe. Maybe I’m just idealising, or perhaps this really is its home – its root, its origin – and that can be skewed when viewed through an American lens.

The following month, NIGHTBRINGER performed at the final edition of the biannual Nidrosian Black Mass. Originally held in Trondheim, Norway, since 2007, its 2013 edition was relocated to Brussels, Belgium.

 

November 2015 saw a series of coordinated Islamic terrorist attacks in France, with some perpetrators linked to Molenbeek – the same Brussels suburb as the festival’s venue. Still at large, they were believed to be hiding in their hometown when the festival began a week later.

ALCAMETH: The timing felt incredibly volatile. Belgium stood on the brink of martial law, and cancellations swept through scheduled events. For a while, it was unclear whether the show would even happen.

VJS: Kyle (Alcameth) and I immediately said, ‘We’re definitely going!’ It felt oddly inspiring – in that we now stood defiantly against yet another Abrahamic abstraction. Many bands were too afraid to come. A few performed, then left the venue and flew out immediately. To us, that revealed their true colours.

ALCAMETH: The venue was in a predominantly Muslim area, and I remember standing outside as cars passed, their occupants shouting at us. The tension hung heavy in the air. But despite everything, it turned out to be a fantastic show.

VJS: Undoubtedly the best black metal festival we’d played since Gathering of Shadows. I have dark, powerful memories from that event – especially DARK SONORITY’s set, one of the most sinister I’ve ever witnessed.

ALCAMETH: Being part of the final Nidrosian Black Mass felt deeply significant. I hold immense respect for that scene; they’ve kept the flame of Norwegian black metal alive. A shame it didn’t actually take place in Nidaros, though.

VJS: The aesthetic of A Thousand Lost Civilizations captured a communal understanding. Every band on that bill – aside from maybe the Norwegians – had already played massive, commercial festivals and seen their limitations. Groups like ARCHGOAT or us, once given the chance to do things properly, relished it. That created a ‘synod’ of like minds.

 

Once NIGHTBRINGER returned to Colorado, they shifted focus to their next album, “Terra Damnata”.

VJS: Fresh off touring and fully confident – at our physical and technical peak from relentless rehearsals – NIGHTBRINGER had never been stronger. In earlier phases, a single song might take months or even a year, with constant revisions. But I remember composing something like “Wolves Amongst the Ruins” in two days through sheer willpower.

Expanding upon their collaboration for NIGHTBRINGER’s contribution to the split with ABIGOR, THY DARKENED SHADE, and MORTUUS, Alcameth and VJS made the song “Serpent Sun” another joint effort.

VJS: We never overthought it – I just told Kyle, ‘This track needs finishing, so send everything over, and I’ll complete it. Co-writing worked on the four-way split, so let’s do it again.’ It came together seamlessly.

ALCAMETH: “Serpent Sun” worked so fucking well because when you have someone on the same level, you write a riff, and suddenly they layer something over it that makes you go, ‘Oh, fuck. I wouldn’t have thought of that.’ Then I go, ‘Well, how about this?’ It becomes a positive competition.

VJS: To me, “Serpent Sun” also echoes earlier NIGHTBRINGER, without the baroque flair of some bigger tracks – more streamlined, and nobody got lost in labyrinths of their own ideas. On paper, “Terra Damnata” may not seem as technical as “Apocalypse Sun”, but performing it demanded the highest level of technique we’ve ever attempted.

 

“Terra Damnata” was recorded with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado, between June and August 2016. Ophis now contributed a significant share of vocals, adding a theatrical flair that contrasts Alcameth’s chant-like shrieking and ar-Ra’d al-Iblis’ invocations.

Another new element is the expanded complexity of the bass, courtesy of Norgaath.

ALCAMETH: Any skilled guitarist can handle bass, obviously, but the instrument has its own nuances – it’s an art in itself. After spending so much time writing an album, I usually leave bass for last. Bringing in someone who composed his own basslines was a welcome change.

VJS: Norgaath genuinely impressed us. Previously, the idea of someone navigating our Power Tab notation seemed impossible. We handed him a massive chunk of technical material – the full set of songs – and before long, he sent back his own basslines, seamlessly integrated into our Power Tab files. That left us speechless.

ALCAMETH: My reaction was, ‘I probably wouldn’t have done that.’ I’d have kept it basic, maybe throwing in a few inspired moments here and there. Letting Norgaath run wild with the bass was great – it took a lot off my plate.

 

Season of Mist released “Terra Damnata” in April 2017, two and a half years after its predecessor. The initial response was overwhelmingly positive, building further on the success of “Ego Dominus Tuus”.

The following month, NIGHTBRINGER returned to Europe to perform at Finland’s Steelfest.

VJS: This was NIGHTBRINGER’s first show in Finland, but I’d played there multiple times with SARGEIST. Also, P.E. Packain of ADAESTUO is Finnish, so I’d already spent months in the country – recording, roaming the tundra, and losing myself.

ALCAMETH: Steelfest is fucking amazing – almost like stepping into a time capsule. It reminded me of festivals from the early 2000s. No one cares about the political bullshit; that’s all out the window. I respect the organiser’s bravery in standing firm and keeping the focus on music.

I watched some live footage from Steelfest. Usually, unless the vocalist is a raging firebrand, I’m not fond of black metal frontmen who don’t play an instrument. NIGHTBRINGER, however, has two – neither possessing a thread of hair to headbang with – which might strike some as bold.

VJS: I think they complement each other perfectly, adding a symmetry we’d lacked before. To me, it creates a reverent, almost choral aesthetic, which I really enjoy. If we ever play live again, I hope Carl (ar-Ra’d al-Iblis) will be part of it.

 

Soon after its release, the initial momentum of “Terra Damnata” shifted focus.

The otherwise instrumental track “The Lamp of Inverse Light” features a sample from a 1971 interview with Italian philosopher Julius Evola. Trouble arose when Decibel Magazine highlighted his esoteric writings as an influence on NIGHTBRINGER, and the editor inserted a disclaimer that an American linguistics professor once described Evola as a ‘fascist racist’.

VJS: Political agendas were starting to seep into black metal, just as they had in every corner of life. Decibel took it upon themselves to single us out for our perennialist, traditionalist leanings – ideas far older and longer-lived than any politics. We consider Evola’s works as one of the sharpest tools in that philosophical library.

Did it even occur to you that the sample might become an issue?

VJS: Absolutely not. I suspect Decibel felt outraged that one of the best contemporary bands wouldn’t fit into neat boxes. Unable to criticise our music – NIGHTBRINGER obviously being top of its class – they instead latched onto Evola in an attempt to smear us, unwilling to let an elitist example be set for a scene they should never have joined in the first place.

ALCAMETH: It’s infuriating to think these motherfuckers want to shut shit down. And it’s always the black metal tourists – Johnny-come-lately, twenty-something kids.

What did Season of Mist have to say about this?

ALCAMETH: Comments were made that NIGHTBRINGER could’ve been much bigger if not for this – almost as if we’d somehow fucked things up. But I don’t see it that way. I’ve never cared about being a big band. What matters to me is releasing strong albums and having the support of a label that truly understands where we’re coming from.

VJS: Kyle explained there were issues. I don’t maintain much of an online presence or handle band PR, so it mostly fell on him to deal with the nonsense. The more these things creep in, the less I bother getting involved. I refuse to engage an enemy when no clear victory is possible. It’s all The Art of War – never commit forces to an unwinnable battle.

ALCAMETH: The suggestion is often made: ‘Why don’t you issue a public statement?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, because that usually plays out so well. That always goes swimmingly, right?’ Not only is apologising the weakest fucking thing you can do, but it never works – it just fuels the fire. You don’t make apologies.

VJS: We owe them nothing. Keep in mind – all the touring, festivals, and major-label stuff are just extras. If we were banned from every stage tomorrow and could only record albums, I’d be fine. Nobody can stop us from composing, dreaming, or following our philosophies. Ultimately, they have no real victory because I’d just return to the obscurity I command.

ALCAMETH: If anything, I’ve doubled down on something I used to say years ago: ‘In a world of enemies, I am the enemy of the world.’ If you don’t like it, don’t listen. Boycott NIGHTBRINGER, get us cancelled from every show – we’ll go back to playing in the fucking woods. Fine by me. I’m all for that atmosphere.

VJS: In the end, I got my revenge. While playing with SARGEIST at Maryland Deathfest soon after, I confronted Decibel’s owner so aggressively that security had to drag me away.

 

Both SARGEIST and NIGHTBRINGER were scheduled to perform at the 2017 edition of Maryland Deathfest, but disaster struck.

ALCAMETH: Standing at Denver International Airport, ready to leave, I found out my suitcase full of merch was way over the weight limit. They charged me something like $300 in fees. Meanwhile, several NIGHTBRINGER members had a changeover in London, but British Airways’ entire electronic system went down.