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Devotion To Absolute Evil
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The year of 2021 finds black metal at a strange place. Much to the chagrin of older heads, the genre has at least partially progressed over the decades into more mainstream realms – we are now suffering a deluge of bands whose sole purpose for existing often seems to be to gain as many “fans” and sell as much merch as they can. Even some of the ancient ones from the birth of the second wave now fall into that woebegone category. Artists are splicing black metal with all manner of decidedly non-black influences, some seemingly trying to hit upon the “next popular sound”… however, as always, there still remains an eternal diabolic core of bands seething within the deepest underground, staying true to the original intentions and simply creating the most disturbing and non-consumable sounds they can, raking the filth off the very bottom of the cavern of wretchedness. Bands like Nigrum Pluviam.
Coalescing into physical form in 2019 as part of the French Garde Noire collective along with VzörbrëzV, Mörmoo, Morteharas, Nözaakr, Atrium Malum, Mürmurio, Concordia Diaboli and Sräthr Kraïhuas, the dark ambient infused raw black metal conjured by Nigrum Pluviam (Latin: “Black Rain”) calls to mind another famous French collective in Les Légion Noires. The old Nietzsche saying goes “If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you”, and that describes the utter darkness and misanthropy of sole practitioner Kraëh Määtruum‘s sorceries perfectly – much like the black hole left by the LLN. There is no light. There is no hope. There is nothing to cling to. Whilst the Nigrum Pluviam sound has undergone a metamorphosis since last year’s Lueur jonchée d’ombres pour l’éternité demo, you will still not find an inch of accessibility within… we only find ourselves exploring evermore warped and delicately demented realms of hatred and evil.
Now, we at Black Metal Daily are proud to unveil the full stream of Eternal Fall Into The Abyss alongside an extremely rare interview with Kraëh Määtruum himself. Releasing October 1st on LP under the black banner of Signal Rex (cassette already sold out via Asylum Tenebris), Eternal Fall Into The Abyss is true outsider black art, negative in every sense. A decaying subterranean vortex of tenebrific misery and death. Once this abyss locks eyes with you… there is no escape.
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Greetings, Kraëh Määtruum. Sincerest thanks for speaking to us today for the unveiling of Eternal Fall Into The Abyss, the debut Nigrum Pluviam album. Your previous works were already great, but for this offering it seems you almost channel auditory expulsions from another dimension; one can imagine you in a trance state as the music flows through you and into this realm. What is the conjuration of a Nigrum Pluviam recording like for you?
– I recorded the demos and the album the same way. In a room dedicated to creating all kinds of morbid and unhealthy things. I create my music based on how I feel and little is calculated. I put forward the atmosphere above all. Indeed, from the moment I record, nothing exists around me. Only death is present.
How much of your writing process would you say is predetermined, and how much is out of your hands?
– The writing process for Nigrum Pluviam is fairly calculated but when it comes to recording, I very quickly let myself be overwhelmed by the unhealthy atmosphere that emerges. This is when my hatred comes out.
Eternal Fall Into The Abyss also seems to induce a trance in the listener, sinking them into an hypnagogic hallucinatory state filled with dire nightmares and terrifying shadow – a fall into the abyss indeed. Is this the intention of the album?
– Yes indeed, Eternal Fall Into The Abyss somewhere evokes the fall of humanity in a deep abyss. If the listener appreciates the darkness of the album, it is because he understood. Otherwise, let him listen to something else.
Following on from that, what would you say the purpose of Nigrum Pluviam is as a whole? Why was it forged back in 2019?
– Simply to spread more darkness and hatred in this world. Nigrum Pluviam was founded in 2019 because I was busy on many other projects.
As is to be expected on the jump from demo to full-length album, since last years excellent demo Lueur jonchée d’ombres pour l’éternité the sound of Nigrum Pluviam has taken a leap – becoming fuller, with more depth, and somehow even more wretched. Did you utilise any different equipment or techniques throughout the recording process this time around?
– Yes the keyboard has entered and a few other instruments but nothing more in particular. the recording was a different job but always with my equipment (which is not very professional). The mixing was a little different than for the demo but still nothing professional. I know what I want.
Further than that expected sound improvement, this new album sees the album title in English and the individual tracks bestowed with names, as opposed to being given Roman numerical values. Why did you decide to work in English for the full-length?
– For this album, the lyrics were more work than on the demo. This is why the titles are in English, after that it may change for a next demo or album. Language is important, but not that much.
Nigrum Pluviam is part of the Garde Noire collective, a mysterious French group consisting also of VzörbrëzV, Mörmoo, Morteharas, Nözaakr, Atrium Malum, Mürmurio, Concordia Diaboli and Sräthr Kraïhuas. Could you tell us a little about this shadowed collective, its origins and its purpose?
– The Garde Noire is a collective of several projects which includes several members who share the same dark ideas. We have created an unhealthy atmosphere that revolves around the Garde Noire. Some projects are very different than others but it always has the Garde Noire atmosphere. But the ideal way to discover this collective is of course to listen to the different projects.
Garde Noir seems to share a similar spirit to Les Légions Noires (even utilising Gloatre-esque text for some projects). What are your thoughts on this? Have you been in contact with any LLN members?
– No, we are not in contact with LLN. We very much appreciate what they have done in the past but our plans are still different.
And finally – if it can at all be divined, what lies in the future for Nigrum Pluviam?
– What I can say is that Nigrum Pluviam is not dead.
Sincerest thanks once again for your time, Kraëh Määtruum. It has been an honour. Any final words or wisdoms for us all?
– Thanks to you too. Nothing to add.
Eternal Fall Into The Abyss releases October 1st on LP via Signal Rex. Cassette already sold out via Asylum Tenebris.
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Pre-order Eternal Fall Into The Abyss on digital and LP from the Signal Rex Bandcamp HERE or on LP from the Signal Rex webstore HERE.
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