Conducted by Robert Mallett
To the uncultured and uninitiated, vampires are found only in Netflix series and glossy Hollywood–style productions created to provide an entertaining and utterly safe sense of darkness. Such bovine nonsense is nothing more than titillation and cheap thrills designed to ‘frighten’ the feeble-minded and the gullible. Because of course vampires, witches and other such supernatural beings simply do not exist in the cosy, bovine world of modern human society.
In a similar vein, Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel has spawned a swathe of childish goth rock and teenage fashion noir that no doubt generates large revenues for its creators but is equally vacuous. But when kvlt Black Metal musicians delve into the black soul of the blood demon or blood in Ritual practices, expect a rather more sober and real interpretation. Because this will be for real, and not glossy faux danger that merely entertains and generates dollars.
This is certainly the case with Italian musician N.S. Nosfer, whose recent album release, Luxuria Sanguis Plenlunium, under the moniker Vampyriia, we recently reviewed here at Black Metal Cult. This is not some pseudo-romantic paean to lustful vampires in medieval castles. On the contrary, Luxuria Sanguis descends deep into the soul of the blood demon and explores the solitary, outsider status of the vampiric entity as only true Black Metal can.
I recently caught up with the mysterious Nosfer to talk about the new album and the inspirations that drive his musical vision.
In terms of Black Metal, which artists past and present inspire you?
I started listening to Metal in ’86, when I was 6 years old. I was given a 90-minute TDK cassette containing Metallica’s Master of Puppets, plus a compilation of Megadeth and Venom tracks, including the seminal Black Metal.
Two years later, Bathory and Celtic Frost arrived. Then, in the ’90s, the Norwegian scene, especially Darkthrone and Burzum, and the French Legiones Noir scene, especially Vlad Tepes. These are my primary Black Metal influences. There are some more recent bands I appreciate, but I can’t call them my influences because, even though Vampyriia is a recent project, I’ve been playing since ’95 and had several other projects before this one.
What has been the enduring appeal of Black Metal for you, and how would you explain its continual evolution?
For me, since the ’90s, Black Metal has been synonymous with “returning to the roots.” When Extreme Metal became blatantly commercial, first thanks to Thrash and then Death Metal, Black Metal signified a return to something rawer and more visceral. It was something real, something that wasn’t in the hands of major labels and glossy recording studios. Sure, I was only 13 when I reached this realisation, but I had the help of a mentor far older than me. He was the owner of an Extreme Metal shop called Orion in my hometown. He was a guy in his forties, with long, wavy grey hair, a bushy beard, and thin, round glasses. Thanks to his knowledge and that ghostly, crepuscular sound, I was captivated by the nascent Black Metal scene.
What led you to create Vampyriia? Is the name drawn from a specific character or historical epoch?
As I said before, Vampyriia wasn’t my first project, but the natural evolution of previous ones. Over the years, I’ve played Black Metal, Death Metal, and Funeral Doom, and experimented with other genres outside of metal, such as jazz and dark ambient. The name Vampyriia comes from the fusion of several terms, including the word “vampire,” of course. But I don’t want to say more. I prefer to leave this question a bit of a mystery.
Do you see the idea of vampirism purely as a concept founded in notions of evil or as a deeper, more complex metaphor?
Everything we know about vampirism and the figure of the vampire are legends passed down orally by humans. Humans have always placed the figure of the vampire in a context of pure evil. And I have always hated the “common sense” of the majority of humans. Furthermore, it is said that legends always contain a grain of truth. Starting from this assumption, I consider vampirism to be something deeper and more complex than “a simple and speculative rhetoric of evil”.
Has vampire literature and cinema inspired you? If so, which works in particular?
Those drawn to the dark side of existence turn, at least initially, to certain books and/or films. I too have read Bram Stoker’s Dracula and seen Murnau’s Nosferatu. But in these stories, I see the human representation of the vampire figure, a representation devoted to pure and simple evil. So no, these stories have not been a source of inspiration for me.
And, honestly, I don’t appreciate those bands that use the theme of vampirism through the gothic imagery of these stories. Humans have a tendency to demonise everything they can’t understand due to their atavistic fear of the different. And I hate this attitude. It’s no coincidence that one of the recurring themes of Vampyriia is misanthropy. For me, the vampire is not an absolute evil, but an outcast, cast out by the rest of humanity because of his differences. A being who, sadly, ends up becoming the monster everyone fears because of the hatred he endures. Hatred, apathy, sadness, and loneliness can corrupt even the kindest of souls.
Can you explain how you came to write and record the new album, and how you achieved that sinister sound?
This album is the result of everything that came before, and I’m not just referring to Vampyriia’s previous releases. As I said, I’ve had a long formative journey. Over time, I’ve gained experience both as a musician and as a sound engineer. Through trial and error, I’ve reached a certain maturity, both as a musician, composer, and audio engineer. This album is far from perfect, but I don’t seek perfection. Today, perfection is synonymous with a plastic, unnatural sound. Instead, I prefer an organic sound, where imperfections add substance, rather than being a flaw. Having my own studio, where I can compose and record calmly and only in moments of true inspiration, was helpful. This way, a production is released only when I’m 100% satisfied.
Do you plan to perform live? Have you already?
I’ve never played live and I don’t intend to. I’m not interested. While I was learning to play my first instruments, I had some experience with other bands. Mainly Thrash and Death Metal. Black Metal wasn’t highly regarded among the musicians in my area. I always joined these bands as a vocalist, because I’ve always had a particular predilection for singing. But we never got beyond rehearsals, because there were always disagreements among the musicians involved. The classic prima donna mentality. On more than one occasion, I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but then I got impatient. I couldn’t stand that attitude anymore. And so I stopped looking for bands to join. I was even on the verge of giving up music and dedicating myself to something else. But music literally saved my ass on more than one occasion. I couldn’t turn my back on it. So I thought, “Fuck it! I’ll do it myself.” And so it was. I began to take my first steps towards artistic maturity and, from that moment, I never looked back.
What are your future plans as a musician?
By not playing live, I can dedicate all my time to what interests me most: composition and experimentation. I have several active projects, both metal and non-metal. So, inspiration permitting, I will focus on producing new material. But I don’t rule out the possibility of dedicating myself to other things. I’ve been playing for over thirty years now. I’ve achieved the goals I wanted to achieve, so I can say I’m satisfied. However, outside of music, there are things I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. I enjoy photography, reading, and writing. And I’d like to achieve something along those lines. So I’d like to take some time for that. But music has always been my greatest passion. So, I’ll definitely return to composing something new. But not just in metal. I’d like to continue collaborating on my jazz and ambient projects. Time will answer my questions…
Those familiar with Italy and its deep, dark history will be only too aware of the place of the blood demon within the national psyche, and especially in the lonely and remote rural regions where I, for one, grew up. The Strige (witch vampire), the Zuqqiddu (plague revenant) and the Vampiro (seductive revenant) have been present in the soul of rural Italian folklore since pre-Roman times. Rooted in ancient demonology, medieval Witchcraft and the revenant beliefs of the Black Death era, these traditions have endured and prevailed.
Why? Because they refer to unseen but, for the few, tangible realities. Peasants historically and across geographies have drunk animal blood in conditions of extreme hunger, scarcity, or necessity as a survival measure. But to many of us in the underworld of Black Metal entities like Hekate and Lillith are equally as real, only too real in fact.
And this is the magick of Vampyriia. To give this life and make it a reality, and not only a musical one. Never forget, “Blood is the covenant of the Italian night spirits; in every drop they remember the living and curse them.”