This one is for TGW - sorry I kept you waiting. It was not as if Averse Sefira was asleep these past few months, but we weren't exactly awake either. Lovecraft has whole stories based on this premise. Sometimes a small hiatus is needed in order to regroup and attack with new vigor. We are starting to do this again. Our first performance of 2010 was in support of Inquisition and Order From Chaos in Houston. We did very well even though we hadn't performed since our appearance with Marduk last November. The crowd was smaller than I would have expected, and it didn't grow as the night went on. Still it was another good set for us and an agreeable return to form. There were a couple of people up front who knew the words to everything we played, even the nine-minute "Vomitorium Angelis". It seems like Advent Parallax has finally made a home in many minds over the last two years. We are a slow burn, and I would not change it for anything. I am satisfied that we have given our name a lasting reverence, and that our work will endure over time. This is additionally guaranteed by the continued (and sometimes overwhelming) tributes from our supporters.
I've said this before, but the idea that anyone would want to carry our name with them all the way to the grave is a genuine honor, but it's also hard to believe. Regardless, it obligates us to continue with the same degree of dedication and vision that we had even before anyone cared.
The single most popular question these days is "When is the next album?" The good news is that album 5 is beginning to take root, but we are not going to rush it. Traditionally, we've only issued a new album every three years so by our reckoning we are on schedule. It has to be right, now more than ever. Black metal is effectively in zombie-mode now; all the bands who staked their claim early on continue to have the last word on it. Consider any band that formed past 1998 and look at where they are now, or perhaps what they've become since black metal stopped offering superficial fame. It's nothing to be proud of, and it certainly didn't bring any additional prestige to the movement.
Thus, we will not rush. A misstep now would be a terrible move, as the transitional scenesters and media want us to fail. They want black metal to go away. They don't understand why we can't change into some pre-stressed jeans and do something vague and inflated like all the new bands. They will try to pick us apart with their smugness and snark if we offer anything less than our boldest statement. The wait will be worth it.
In the meantime, we have a headlining appearance in Portland, Oregon, on May 22 as part of the Northwestern Black Circle Festival. We are rehearsing new material from Advent Parallax that has yet to be performed on stage. It feels good to finally break those seals, and it will make for a singular event. There will be more to read here in the days after, and in the creation of the next album. As always, keep watching.
