“EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD IS NOW OVERCROWDED, WE CAN STILL CHOOSE WHERE TO FIND INSPIRATION” – CHELMNO

As Dolomitic Black Metal standard-bearers Chelmno break a decade-and-a-half-long silence with their third full-length offering from the pale mountains, ‘Decadence of Ego’, founders, custodians and literal blood brothers Ferghus and Vidharr mull over the mediocrity of man measured against the might of nature; connecting with origins through immersion in natural surroundings; insulating oneself against the folly of modernity; the self-production of authentic Black Metal remaining true to the adversarial spirit; the shared values and distinguishing nuances of the close-knit hordes comprising the rare Dolomite scene; and dispersing the cloud(s) of ego to better understand our place in this wretched world.

Your music is inspired by the ancient, awe-inspiring Dolomites, which pre-date the arrival of man by hundreds of millions of years and will outlast all civilisations. For all our delusions of grandeur, the natural world towers over and dominates us. Would you agree that man’s achievements, dreams and petty squabbles amount to nothing when measured against the might, majesty and permanence of nature?
“The outsized ego of most humans has led us to forget how small we are compared to our surroundings. Large cities and technology have further fuelled our detachment from our natural origins. The concept of mediocrity has failed, and this will probably lead us to believe that we are in control of nature and turn us away from its beauty and majesty. I don’t know if our music draws inspiration from the majesty just outside our front door. However, the awareness of our smallness and impermanence in the face of nature has surely guided us to who we are today.”

It is of course nothing new for Black Metal to be shaped and characterised either primarily or to a degree by the creators’ geographical surroundings, Dolomitic Black Metal being a prime example of this. A stark contrast must surely exist between the timeless grandeur of the pale mountains as they reach for the heavens and the urban sprawls and tourist traps spreading out beneath their gaze? The ancient world and the new one existing side by side; one sacred and eternal, and the other cursed to damnation…
“When you move away from your origins to the point where you no longer recognize where you started from, you grow up thinking that the urban sprawl you speak of is your real home. However, our minds and nature are still tied to the timeless grandeur of the pale mountains. These are obviously two very different things, but they are not necessarily in stark contrast. Individuals make the difference: even though the world is now overcrowded, we can still choose where to find inspiration.”

With dizzying vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a network of narrow, deep and long valleys, here sits some of the most spectacular mountain landscape in the world. Is it enough to gaze towards the snow-capped limestone monoliths for inspiration or do you need to hike, climb, fish and camp there to truly absorb their power? Are there still some remote parts of the Dolomites, its ancient forests, wild meadows and lush lakes that locals can explore in peace? Do you venture often into the belly of the beast to escape the madness of the modern world and seek spiritual nourishment?
“I believe that immersing ourselves in the natural surroundings of an area allows the spirit and body to reconnect with their origins, achieving peace and serenity that can also inspire. If we train ourselves to do so, we can draw great power from the admiration we feel when we see something beautiful; immersing ourselves in the environment greatly enhances this effect.
“While the arrival of social media and ski lifts has made the most scenic views accessible to all, there are still many places where one can find peace and spiritual nourishment. These places are not difficult to reach, and as soon as we have some free time, still nothing can prevent us from leaving for a hike.”

The soaring third Chelmno full length ‘Decadence of Ego’ is upon us and it’s fair to say that a lot has changed in the world since its predecessor ‘Horizon of Events’ materialised through fog and shadow beneath the cold night sky 15 years ago. Considering that Black Metal is the most adversarial musical art form of all and is at its most potent when brandished with blazing antagonism as a weapon against the modern world, is Chelmno more relevant, more potent, more motivated today than ever before? Has humanity’s ever-worsening plight provoked you to take up arms again or are you immune to the madness all around you, existing and operating within your own bubble?
“As you say, many things have changed since our previous album was released. The world is constantly changing, but so are we, always changing as well. In recent years, we have consciously abandoned many means of information, through which people’s minds are often influenced or brainwashed. Living in a mountain community, this sort of bubble, as you called it, allows us to remain fairly immune to the folly of the modern world.
“We are no longer the youngsters we were twenty years ago, who were angry at everyone and everything. We no longer see black metal as a weapon against the modern world, instead we perceive it as an art form that evokes deep emotions through its vibrations. We experience, or rather, we try to experience all this in a much more peaceful way.”

Musically, you remain very much on the same (left hand?) path – unapologetically channelling fierce, defiant traditional Black Metal that honours the old masters whilst remaining fresh and timeless thanks to the immense levels of enthusiasm, energy, authenticity, emotion and inspiration guiding the songs. On one hand, as ‘Decadence of Ego’ stays true to the original template of pure ancient Black Metal, there is arguably nothing new here, yet it’s a masterful and rare creation in that it contains so much of what traditional underground Black Metal is all about. Was this what you set out to achieve and how difficult is it to get the balance right?
“What you say really honours us and we are pleased to hear it. Of course, in the way we produce or compose this new album, there is not much new compared to the past. This is probably what the true black metal genre needs, given the various directions it has taken. We have always tried to stay true to the original model you mentioned. We have never sought originality, but rather authenticity.
“The magic of how an album sounded in the 1990s has almost been lost by now. That said, we don’t want to presume to be its representatives, but our way of composing and recording aims to follow that path of authenticity. That was our goal. Finding the right balance and not being tempted by the abundance of technology that is easily available at the moment is not so simple. Total self-production helps us to guarantee this.”There’s never any shortage of drama around Black Metal, and the argument about what Black Metal is and isn’t rages on and will never be settled. What would you say are the essential qualities, ideologies or intentions that need to be in place before a band can legitimately claim to perform under the banner of Black Metal? Or, put another way, what are the non-negotiable prerequisites, conditions or motivations behind your own recordings?
“It’s not easy to answer this question. We’ll give you our opinion, and it’s important that it remains just that. We didn’t create this exciting and magical genre; we would have to ask the bands who started playing it in the first place. However, personality during the composition and production phases is very important. Those emotions I often talk about when listening to black metal emerge more easily when a band tries as hard as possible to carefully craft their own production and trusts that instinct that, along the way, will give life to the final result.
“Having the good fortune of friends who share our expectations gives us a significant advantage. Perfection does not exist only in terms of sound quality and power; the standardisation of modern recording studios does not always go hand in hand with this musical genre. Our motivation has always come from the pleasure and exhilaration of turning up the volume when listening to the final result of our work.”

Speaking of friends, there seems to be a collective of like-minded spirits within the Dolomitic Black Metal movement – a scene within a scene! With members of Chelmno also active in other notable local bands such as Tenebrae in Perpetuum, Near, Lorn and Gorrch, to mention just a handful, there’s a clear overlap in personnel. How tight and close-knit is this brotherhood and how completely aligned are the core ethoses and intentions of the various hordes?
“What you say is correct. Within the Dolomite scene, we all know each other a little, and some members of Chelmno, both past and present, have been and are part of the bands you mentioned. There is a really great friendship between us and we often get together. However, each project has its own uniqueness and style, and it is not always the case that the fundamental principles and intentions are the same. We share certain values and ideologies, but there are also differences and nuances that distinguish us. I believe there is a lot of respect between us, and this is really important among people who share a common passion.”

Further adding to the independence and autonomy of the Dolomitic Black Metal scene, a new label has surfaced in the last five years or so, and ‘Decadence of Ego’ is the first Chelmno recording to be released on Dolomia Nera, which ‘spreads only Dolomitic sound rituals on analogic formats exclusively’. I’m unaware of who runs the label or whether any of your band members are directly involved, but has spreading your art through Dolomia Nera proven to be a more straightforward and fulfilling experience? Or is this something you are doing for more artistic or principled reasons rather than practical or logistical ones?
“Dolomia Nera is an independent record label that focuses on releasing black metal music from the Dolomite scene. The analogue releases are the result of an artistic and philosophical approach. Behind Dolomia Nera are some of the people who make up the bands of the Dolomite scene. The close friendship between us and these guys was bound to lead to this collaboration. Dolomia Nera was interested in releasing this album even before listening to it, because we share similar values and visions.”

The music for ‘Decadence of Ego’ was recorded in 2014 and it was a further ten years before new member Necromorg delivered the vocals. What were the circumstances that led to this delay and the ending of it and, considering that Ferghus doubled up as vocalist on previous recordings, why did you opt to change things up? Is there any prospect of live performances now that you appear to have an expanded line-up?
“The instrumental part of ‘Decadence of Ego’ was recorded in 2014. That year, the band underwent some line-up changes: Vidharr wanted to contribute to the writing of the riffs and Chimsicrin joined the band as drummer. We rehearsed a lot during that period and as soon as the songs were ready, we immediately recorded everything except the vocals. From there, a long break, mainly due to a lack of motivation, probably delayed the completion of the album. The idea of asking Necromorg to take care of the vocals came from his performance on an album by the band Starbenzeit, recorded a few years earlier by Vidharr at Necropalace Studio. His performance and friendship with the band led to this collaboration, which added significant value to the success of the album. Although we have a complete line-up, as far as live performances are concerned, we’re talking about something that has never been of interest to the band. It would have to be a very special occasion for this to happen.”

Is there any underlying or overarching concept, theme or idea(s) behind ‘Decadence of Ego’? My mind goes back to your first answer where you referenced the smallness and impermanence of man compared to the might of nature – something the ego prevents us from fully grasping. Going full circle here, and back to the beginning of the interview, is the best means of stripping away the ego by reconnecting with nature and understanding, accepting and being at peace with our (modest and perhaps meaningless) place in it?
“The concept of ‘Decadence of Ego’ should prompt reflection on the smallness and impermanence of man in relation to the majesty of nature.  It is the ego that can cloud our perception and keep us from recognizing where we belong in the natural world. Overcoming the limitations and illusions of individualism to reconnect with nature should lead us to a process of self-awareness and humility in order to understand and accept our place in the world. The idea of ‘Decadence of Ego’ invites us to reflect on all this. In conclusion: if we could overcome our ego and reconnect with nature, we could find greater peace and serenity.”