Search the net and you’ll find very little about Nine Covens, a band shrouded in mystery…
“Featuring current and ex-members of some of the key extreme bands from the last decade, Nine Covens came together to explore the darker, more brooding aspects of Black Metal and in doing so have created a virulent, belligerent and passionate account of the weakness that exists in humanity.
Their need to challenge these human failings and those of all enemies of reason have resulted in their debut album …On The Coming Of Darkness. A confrontation to the eternally weak and all who follow without question to reflect on themselves and consider an alternative.”
Intrigued I checked out a track on bandcamp and immediately had to purchase the album. If you’re a Black Metal fan it’s simple, you need to check this band out, screaming hellborn vocals, mid paced epic parts, fast blast beat sections, galloping riffs, the album is simply stunning.
We recently contacted Nine Covens about doing an interview, and they immediately got back to us with some seriously in depth and interesting questions, showcasing a band with a lot more to say than the average group. I’d like to seriously thank them for taking the time to answer so quickly, hopefully giving a bit more insight into the minds behind this mysterious band.
In a recent interview on alternative matter you mentioned the reason for staying away from revealing who is in the band was to avoid the hype and let the music talk, however by the fact it’s been marketed as featuring names from key UK bands, and somewhat of a super group this has created preconceptions. Was this another case of record companies and promoters doing what they do and not what you had hoped?
Our only hope is/was that people listen to the album for what it is, and not what its creators have done before it, as we think the record stands up on its own without being over sold on the basis of our collective previous works. That’s not to say the record company or the promoters should say nothing about it. They are in the business of selling and promoting albums, and our intentions were based more on controlling how this was done a little closer. We’re happy for people to know we have done, and continue to do other projects, just not which ones. That way there is no preconception about this album and it will hopefully make people more likely listen to it with less bias. It may even mean they pay attention to what it has to say rather than busily compare it to our previous works. It may also mean that the media has to review the music rather than relying on the crutch of a press release to base their material on. As has already been mentioned in other interviews, the identities of the members involved will no doubt be raised or speculated about at some point, but for the minute we want to remain anonymous. If it comes out then I don’t think it harms what we do, but it is not a necessary element of this band for us at the moment.
The new album starts with an acoustic track similar in style to the ‘Kveldssanger’ period Ulver, before part 2 hits and drops you straight into the pits of hell. With the way the album is in 4 separate song titles that are then broken down into further parts, is it intended as 9 separate parts, or as 4 movements so to speak (perhaps intended as a double LP with each 2-3 part track having a side each?)
The album is made of 9 distinct tracks, numbers of which are joined up under a lyrical context that progresses through a whole concept. That is not to say the individual tracks are supposed to flow in and out of one another, rather the message they contain within the sections is linked and continuous. I am loathe to over explain elements such as this as this can be deduced from the lyrical content of the album inlay and can be related to by anyone interested enough to follow and interpret what is being said therein. As for the LP, that arrives on Mordgrimm Records very soon. Perhaps it would be wise getting a copy and seeing what is done on it.
You also mention a development of a British Sound in the previous interview and the slow but sure build up of an actual black metal sound and scene we can finally call our own. Do you feel sometimes that the British public can be a tad overzealous about foreign bands? By this I mean it seems fairly small foreign bands like Negative Plane or Alcest can come over and sell out small venues and yet we don’t get the same kind of crowds for the British bands like Winterfylleth, Fen etc. unless it’s at an all-dayer.
I would disagree with you on that point as I don’t think bands like Alcest etc are particularly small as a global presence. I think what needs to be appreciated is that people realise it is difficult for bands such as these to come over here and play shows, so perhaps make more effort for the occasions when they do. I would also disagree about the British bands, massively. If like me you have been to a lot of these shows over the past 3-4 years I have seen a much different side to the fans and a genuine excitement for the breed of British BM bands that are coming to the fore.
You finish your interview with alternative matter stating “people open your eyes” explaining further that people should read and learn more about what is going on around them. The early black metal bands were misanthropic in their attitude towards humanity and society in general. You mention moving towards political stand points opposed to corporations and establishments and shifting power towards humanity. This seems quite social/left wing, a sign of the times (?), or is it more relevant in the current situation the worlds governments are putting all of us in?
I think to say that what we are discussing in Nine Covens is politically social/left wing is potentially a misinterpretation of what we are putting forward. Contemporary left/right wing politics have downtrodden us all as a people so much within our own life times that they are not something that should be advocated in any sense. Whatever your personal politics are, be it left, middle or right, the people who you vote for and stand behind are interested in maintaining (1) their own personal power and (2) propagating the levels of existing power structures over you. Not representing what you view to be agreeable within each brand of politics. Your views on what a particular political leaning should stand for, and do for you are far removed from the actuality of what they do stand for. So at the crux of it, it becomes clear that the current political model holds no collective purpose other than to propagate the same levels of power over the everyday person (regardless of their own political view) in whatever guise they appear, and patently continues to do so in this country in light of us moving from a majority left to right wing government.
I think the relatively naïve left wing/anarchist notion of smashing everything down and being anti capitalist or anti corporation is a token gesture to what actually needs to happen within all so called democracies or free markets. While I agree that there is a need to shift power back to humanity, I think the view on this has to be in a more holistic sense and not necessarily just about regulating banks or capitalism. These things are no doubt part of the problem, but are only a by-product of the power structures some groups of people or certain families have managed to maintain through the last 100 years or so. We do not live in anything even resembling a democracy as it stands, and we certainly do not have any power to decide our own fate and that is what we need to reclaim. We need to combat the root of the power structures that exist in our various global cultures, which is the “old boys” network of families, banks, companies who actually own everything we all think we own, by enslaving us with debt and the need to sell ourselves as labour in order to pool enough money for ourselves to get by in life. There is an argument that this view would fit into elements of left, right and indeed libertarian political stand points, so as such our traditional view of political inclination is rendered almost useless in looking at problems when we consider the power structure that sits on top of it and dictates its every move.
There are numerous examples in history of how various societies have become aware of the power relationships that sit behind politics, banking, corporations and establishments and have taken steps to remove them for the betterment of all people. There are also a similar amount of examples of how certain interested parties have come together in a conscious effort to reform them after their removal and consciously not learn from history. Thus showing how the need to create a power structure over others comes before the wellbeing of our nations or societies. This is something that all people should be able to view as unsustainable and unjust.
I think there is way too much content about this subject to discuss it fully in a short interview, but what I would suggest is that interested parties go and investigate the works of truth movements in their local area and/or look into the work that people like Mark Cocking are doing on this whole subject. It is a fascinating and startling subject area; elements of which we are trying to represent with our musical/lyrical output. If you aren’t informed about this and continue to live in denial, then you have no right to complain about being constantly downtrodden and held back. Be informed.
Whilst i love vinyl and CD’s I actually purchased your album on emusic an online subscription service. Whilst it’s cheap, (and means the band get money unlike the millions of illegal extreme music blogs that are about) it means no glorious inlays, lyrics etc to accompany the digital download. What are your thoughts on the way the music industry is going, it makes it a lot harder for a band to spread its thoughts when most people don’t even get to read through lyrics, or hold a physical copy to look through. Would you prefer to have your music sold physically only to show the full message/concept?
I think you’ve covered it off in your question well enough.
As music can be obtained for nothing from any illegal site at the click of a button, people have commoditised it to the point where if you aren’t careful as an artist or a label, it can lose its meaning or its impact. You could argue that this takes away music’s ability to impact people and make them think. Perhaps it has become somewhat of a power structure in this sense, regardless of its original intentions.
It is things like this which (1) make having something real to say and (2) inciting genuine interest in people as a result, a positive thing for music. If you make music to fit into certain trends or images, then it becomes hard for you to get your message out there, so I would warn other musicians to actually have a point in what they do. Music can be a hugely powerful medium for change and thought provocation, so I guess for me it is better if people have a physical product they can see, hold and relate to the content of. It makes it easier to engage with the artist directly and also allows you to view what is being said and interpret it for yourself. This argument is bigger than us, but is one that needs sorting out positively if music is to remain as relevant to people as I has done in the past.
Due to the fact I purchased the album via digital download and have no lyrics to look at, and I’m sure many others will be in the same situation; would you care to expand on the ideas and concepts the album deals with?
In short they refer to the overthrowing of ‘Religion / NWO / Domineering Power’ by the forces of ‘Reason / Enlightenment / Knowledge’ using the metaphor of humanity rejecting religious belief as a concept. The songs are split into various parts as they have a lot to say, and because you can’t always say enough about one idea in 4 minutes, or indeed within the confines of a particular song idea. So the concept flows along with the album.
The songs themselves map out the different stages of humanity realising the ‘submission’ they have been held under by the doctrines of religious belief, and people questioning this while coming to terms with the need for a change. It then moves onto humanity rejecting the old ways of thinking, as people look at themselves and think how they can create a new way of living. Following this it moves into humanity coming to terms with the fact that without the establishments and doctrines they have been used to and come to rely upon (through indoctrination) that humanity will still survive.
What is the message behind Nine Covens, you’ve mentioned 4 people creating a black metal album that has something “real” to say, what do you mean by this and are you saying others don’t?
To me, it is important that albums are about ‘something’. Something real and tangible that is, by rights inherently part of their creators’ outlook. So I made a decision at the beginning of the lyrical process to have a ‘central theme’ and concept in this album. As a fan of extreme music as well as a writer/band member, I despair all the time at albums that are collections of random, unrelated concepts, stories and thoughts as they usually feel forced to me. Or if not, then they come across like the artist’s have nothing good or focused to say, and are only making albums for the sake of it.
I don’t think we view Nine Covens so self importantly as to delude ourselves into thinking we are saying something that others don’t or can’t. I just feel like what we are saying is worth more to people than many other who are happy with singing about drinking, losing their girlfriend or something equally as inconsequential. What we are doing is putting across a real life issue that affects us all and inserting our take on it into an album and concept.
Is the completion of the second due to the fact with no touring you can concentrate on writing? Do you have plans to play live any time? If so how do you plan to handle this with the secrecy surrounding the band members?
The completion of a second album is due to us all being writing members of the band and being collectively creative, not necessarily as a result of us not playing live. As I’m sure you aware we are all members of other bands, so we still play live, just not currently with Nine Covens. So in essence this has nothing to do with it. Most bands suffer from one member being the core writing member and are reliant on their creativity for the progression of new material. In Nine Covens we are all writing and contributing to what it is and will be. So because we have that collective drive then we have the ability to move quicker with newer material.
As for live performances, I’m not keen on over discussing every element of being in a band to the ‘n’th degree. If we do decide to play live then you will have to come and see for yourself.
What are the future plans for Nine Covens?
The future plans for Nine Covens are to continue to make albums and to keep being creative and informative in everything we do. For the moment we are concentrating on the release of our recent album ‘…On The Coming Of Darkness’ and making people take notice of its message.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions; do you have anything you would like to finish with?
Be informed.
Nine Covens website: http://www.ninecovens.com/
Candlelight Records website: http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/
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