“I WILL NOT BETRAY MY LIFE, MY CHOICES, MY PATH … I WILL SEE DEATH BEFORE SUBMISSION” – FINIAN PATRAIC (IFERNACH)

In the dying embers of a tyrannical, hysterical calendar year that saw a fresh wave of church burnings erupt gloriously across Canada, Ifernach – an infernal force celebrating deep-rootedness in nature, heritage and soil, expressed through its creator’s utter disdain for modernity and reverence towards ancient traditions – masterfully reignited the blazing spirit of early ‘nineties Black Metal with incendiary, evocative fifth full-length, ‘Capitulation of All Life’, a work which basks defiantly, resolutely in the glow of fierce antichristian resolve. Saluting the arsonists whilst paying homage to the old ways / days, torchbearer Finian Patraic contemplates the glorious re-emergence of paganism; carrying the weight of living in increasingly offensive times; staying true to one’s beliefs and true essence as the world shifts on its axis; the irony of a lone wolf finding itself locked out of society; non-submission; expressions of free will and self-determination; drawing strength and solace from the spirits that wander in forests; and safeguarding the future by holding onto the past.

With Christianity once more firmly in the crosshairs, the latest Ifernach full-length, ‘Capitulation of All Life’, is a particularly ferocious and contemptuous sonic onslaught against humanity, uncannily original whilst simultaneously empowered and elevated by the soaring, dangerous Black Metal spirit of the early ‘90s. The album is magnificently crafted, seamlessly integrating savage barbarity with more reflective synth passages to conjure a record that remains elusively timeless in nature. Did you consciously set out to create an album that pays worthy homage to the founding forefathers of Black Metal or do you compose your music intuitively / instinctively, starting with a blank canvas and no preconceived goal?
“It’s just directly linked to what I listen to in the moment. This album is bleeding the ‘90s, but I will not come out and say ‘fuck the new albums coming out’ because recently I got into the new Graveland and it kicks me right in the heart. I feel some classics have more power than others, speaking about the ‘90s, and my music is somehow trying to replicate that feeling, but layered with my own taste and vision of this world, the land surrounding me, the people trying to steal away my heritage, my own blood, and trying to kill the warrior spirits that defended this land in terrible but necessary wars.
“I play guitar probably two-three hours per day, just riffing and walking around playing what I like. During the Year 1, I played a lot of Motorhead. I like the speed freak vibe, riding fast and not giving a damn about anything. Just running full speed right into a wall. It helped me mentally, when no one was willing to break the curfew and come down to my place, I was drinking and playing with Lemmy all night.
“But on this album it’s really more about my obsession with Euronymous at the time he made ‘De Mysteriis…’. I have always been a Varg worshipper, but trying to play ‘De Mysteriis…’ from front to back just drowned me in a very dark vibe and I love it. Really I don’t re-invent Black Metal with this release but I hope it kicks people up to a point they want to start a war or fight some people. Sid Vicious meets Euronymous – that’s how I would describe my sound. Even if these two icons can’t go along, I feel now, living in a safe zone freak world, that those two are enemies of the modern world. And they both wanted to be hated … popular but spreading chaos and fear.”

As album titles go, ‘Capitulation of All Life’ is a very powerful and emphatic one, graced also with suitably alluring artwork. Musically, it’s a rich and diverse tapestry (albeit always remaining within the confines of traditional Black Metal) that is bound together wonderfully. Is there a conceptual theme, either historic or fictional, woven into the record?
“Well, that archangel thing came from Samhain obviously, and I wanted to draw a portrait of archangels renouncing religion while cutting off the head of the Christian beast. I feel that as mixed blood or native, or Canadians, we were all baptised, so, in a way, we had those wings growing back in the day. Someway, somehow you have to cut the wings and become the creature they fear. I don’t feel the need to unbaptise myself; it just means nothing and it even means less to undo it. So when I found that Bosch painting, it was just the perfect thing to represent the whole concept. I like to have the artwork before doing the music. I spend a long time starring at it to make sure that when I get back on the guitar I can try to create with the inspiration the image is giving me. Paintings from the old times are so powerful. So, fictional but surely coming real close to reality, talking about mental issues and how tired I am to carry the weight of living, or the pressure of the world to force us into becoming like them, at all costs. I feel I am strong and willing to fight, it just gets me sometimes and I fall, but I get back up and swing the axe again at these bastards. Also, I left behind some land themes. This record is just made to battle and fight, there is not that much land poetry in this one. I am just pissed, sick, tired but still fighting.
“We waited a year to get the record in our hands, meanwhile the churches were burning all over the country. To witness all of that is just pure emotion, seeing paganism rising back from the dead, I am proud to witness all of that, to be here and having the possibility to speak about it, supporting it and thinking that finally someway, somehow payback is coming. As of myself, I would love to burn one, just the feeling of standing there watching it collapse, but I don’t think I am ready to deal with the media backlash, going to prison, not being able to wander in the forest or around my land anymore. Being convicted with their laws is the worst thing, I guess. But I truly support the arsonists and I raise my axe to them.”

The scorching Black Metal of ‘Capitulation of All Life’ is accompanied and greatly enhanced by the presence of more ambient, sometimes-classical-sounding elements, which were certainly conspicuous in the first wave three decades hitherto. Are you a classically-trained musician, or self-taught, or a combination of both? Are you a student / fan of classical music and why do you think it is such an effective foil to visceral, violent, chaotic Black Metal? Also, what can you tell me about the thought process behind realising the obscure but rather wonderful Offenbach cover that closes the album, ‘Fenian Sword Of Redemption’?
“I started out with playing classical guitar, learning ‘Moonlight Sonata’ or ‘Concerto d’aranjuez’. Classical music is deeply connected with Black Metal, everyone knows that. Nevertheless, I enjoy raw Black Metal with pure disdain for everything, not willing to add any taste to a very true and dark sound. There is so much insanity within the way the old time classical songs were composed, I am fascinated with that. It is part of Ifernach, and it is a huge clash, having a very raw and savage core, surrounded by all these master-classical themes. I felt the idea was perfect; when I watched the movie Black Robe, they contrasted these two worlds and it works perfectly. I was greatly inspired by that, because this music is straight up European, although I worship America. The style of Black Metal is very much inspired by Norway, Finland, France. This is just the result of having a heritage of travellers arriving by sea and, having such a historical context, that just bleeds straight into the music. It is very difficult to craft the sound of your own land … still trying to do so, I guess.
“Regarding the Offenbach cover, which is a band I grew up listening to, it was basically a challenge and I accepted it. This song is very special, even the original version is so gloomy, so heavy, so melancholic. It shook me when I got into it for the first time, I am into Black Metal to feel these kind of emotions. I basically recorded it in one night, near Xmas last year, I am very pleased with the result. The fact it has no drums leaves so much space for multi-layers of guitars and delay, it is a very atmospheric Black Metal song, digging back into the core of my sound back in the Gaqtaqaiaq days. Somehow, in the end, I get back to what is was before this battle.”

Since the unholy genesis of Ifernach in 2016, you have been an incredibly prolific force of nature, releasing five full-lengths, eight EPs and four splits within a decidedly short period of time. Where does the seemingly-boundless inspiration emanate from to channel such a wealth of dark art? Are you in complete control of the creative process or do you sometimes feel that you are being driven – subliminally or subconsciously – by unseen or unknown forces?
“Driven subconsciously, I would say. But these forces are known, they are from the land, voices that speak to me. I am like a tree rooted in here, if you take me to another place, I will die. I began recording my own stuff back in 2010, when I started to be a one-man band officially. I do everything in a very strange way, using the most basic equipment. My laptop is 15 or 16 years old, the battery inside is expanding, and if I plug it out, it dies instantly. It has been opened since 2015, I think. I did probably a hundred EPs or albums using this laptop and just an external sound card. The bigger task stands between the guitar and the player. This is where you create everything. And how you play it out. Playing Euronymous and Varg took me to another technique of hitting the strings. Equipment never gives you the power to create, it just amplifies your sound, the one you make the way you play it. My goal is simply to create, and to invade the whole world with the projects I make, like a plague, with hordes of new bands terrorizing the music network, and just giving back to extreme metal its true essence and meaning, at least as I see it. I want to leave my trace for sure, pissing people off or making them content … it doesn’t really matter which. Anger is a very powerful emotion. It drives me so much. Now it’s just easier for me to do an album, just having everything set up in the laptop and just riffing. I hired a drummer so it kind of opened the way to much greater possibilities. We will see, but I think I am done with doing new Ifernach albums. I came back to the point I was at six years ago, still pissed, angry, depressed, burned out, not really enjoying life. But hey, I would never do happy Black Metal, so I just need to go away and focus on other music projects for a while. I am very satisfied with the albums I have been making and having the support of like-minded people and artists, for me that is a real paycheck.”

You broke with tradition by enlisting renowned producer Arthur Rizk to mix the new album, culminating in arguably the most professional-sounding Ifernach recording to date. What prompted you to get the music professionally mixed this time and how did the end result match your vision or expectation? Can we expect Ifernach to continue to become subtly less raw-sounding going forward or will that familiar, comforting, distant, cold, raw sound always remain an essential component of your aesthetic?
“Well, it wasn’t my idea! Working with labels now, you get connections with people you don’t know or you will never meet. Tour de Garde really helped me with this one. And I think Arthur was having a rough time with the pandemic, trapped in his own studio trying to do what he likes, not looking outside at the world. This adds so much to the record. It feels like the reality we were going through, the album theme, the way we recorded it, and mostly the will of Arthur to put his signature on my shit tracks and the not-so-perfect drum takes we did with a soundman in the afternoon. I will respect him forever just for doing that. I want to work with real people, dedicated to the art and surely not doing it for fame. Arthur has mixed a lot of big names and I am not one of these, so I salute him, and thank him, from the land of Gespeg.
“But hey, I have my own ‘Capitulation…’ mix and I like it. It is very raw and we have the drum mix straight into your face. But when I get in the car or in the room to spin the vinyl, I know that having this powerful mix was just the best thing to do. In the end, it just made the music louder, more powerful, meaner and darker! The next Ifernach release – probably the last one in ten years – is really not what you would expect. It is raw, unmixed, ugly and light. I feel ‘Capitulation…’ is the best-sounding album I can make. I will take time to enjoy it.”

The label’s announcement of the new album references ‘Capitulation of All Life’ as a hideous concerto in homage to all the arsonists who destroyed Christian temples from West to East Canada during Year One of a new era. As one who expresses a strong antichristian ideology, you will no doubt have noticed the emergence of a repulsive new religion over the past two years – the Cult of the Covidian, characterised by a devil that has never been proven to exist and a fraudulent god who is neither safe nor effective. From mass psychosis and blind faith down to the ruthless excommunication and persecution of non-believers, doesn’t the zealotry and fanaticism of those indoctrinated by the new world order bear an uncanny resemblance to the hysteria of brainwashed, radicalised religious disciples?
“First of all, I said that I will not talk about this using my art. So that means I will never do an album about it and it will not influence my lyrics or sound. But, as a middle-class worker, son of a mother and a father who dedicated their lives to work, I am willing to express an opinion. This is where I step out of the Ifernach frame… You are right to talk about it religiously, because this is what I believe, it’s religion coming back. Like Varg said, now I know how they managed to spread Christianity worldwide, seeing the people falling miserably to it, under pressure, under menace. It is the same thing. Am I wrong? We will know in a few years to come. This world shifted. I saw it. I saw some of my surroundings shifting too, being scared and parano-maniac. I feel sorry for the ones I had a lot of respect for, some people I admired. I am just laughing, and so proud of staying true to myself, to what I believe in. It’s better to be wrong in this situation. What if I am right? When this world will finally be installed and ready to operate, it will be too late. Another weird socialist type of war machine that I will never accept … never in my whole existence. Regarding the virus, well I got sick twice in the last six months. I believe the virus is real. I battle against how they politically control the masses with it. I run every day, I drink alcohol, I eat meat, I sleep a lot, I work hard, I play music. If I ever die from sickness, that means I am too weak to be in this world. There is no place for the weak. I already started down the path of the lone wolf years ago, I am thankful for that. It took me a year to adapt, mentally, physically. Now that I am naturally immune, in shape, strong mentally, proud, standing tall, speaking loud, and surely never will bend the knee, they will try to put me away because I speak against them. At war against everything! I know it is dividing people a lot; well I never wanted to be alone so much as I do now.”

Due to your unflinching opposition to obscene ‘vaccination’ mandates, Ifernach withdrew from the 2021 edition of Montréal’s most famous Black Metal festival, Messes Des Morts, which proceeded in far-from-ideal circumstances in late November. As a performing artist, how frustrating was it to find yourself placed in this ludicrous lose-lose situation? And how surprised are you to see ostensibly underground events – which by their very nature are proclaimed to be part of a counter-culture movement – proceeding under such submissive and pitiful conditions, where extremely invasive, debasing and dehumanising interventions (such as producing proof of ‘vaccination’, the donning of useless, demeaning masks and mass testing) are enforced upon attendees?
“Your question is a statement that I approve with deep conviction and heart. Messe Des Morts provided me with a stage to perform upon alongside big names and in front of a crowd of dedicated metal fans, willing to support your art when they see a good show. I enjoyed playing that festival in the past, but this year’s fest was totally different. Not the same venue, not the same vibe. I was off when I heard it was in a bar instead of the big Cathedral. I know it isn’t their fault but it’s easy to put everything on the pandemic.
“Second, I still don’t know why I don’t get that connection with the guy behind the festival and Sepulchral Productions … it will never work, I guess. Like I said to him face to face, I truly respect the work he’s been doing, setting up one of the biggest metal festivals in North America, and also never backing down after the Graveland drama, he still went on and organised it again the following year. Still, I believe that as humans we can’t coexist. I believe I should at least have the option as an artist to talk with the organisers, to know how it’s going to work, what is going to happen with the passport, my non-vax band mates. Plus, I had session musicians hired for the show who dropped out because of my vaccine situation. I never got my questions answered. Also, we never really spoke, like a real dialogue. Often, my messages were left unanswered. So, I never knew if I was still going to play – because it would not have been impossible for me to have had my access to the venue denied on the day of the show after travelling twelve hours for nothing. Plus, my vision and my art supports freedom of speech, act and will. No way I would embarrass myself just to play live and get some live shots to put on my social media page. To be honest, I thought other bands would have followed me. But, I guess I am too stupid or a teenage rebel. Never mind. I will never kneel down to play a show, even to keep a job, whatever. I heard they weren’t really checking the passports. That is not the point. The reason why we are stuck in this mess again is because of shit like that, people not willing to fight or stand up. I feel I have not been respected by the festival. But, let’s be clear, this is not drama or a war between us. I don’t feel bad about it, this is what happened from my perspective, they have their own view. But, at the end of the day, I still don’t want to join this madness, especially when your art strongly advocates non-submission and operating free from any restrictions. I don’t see myself above anyone else or any other bands, but if you treat me like shit, don’t be surprised if I do the same.”

Is performing live ceremonies a critical aspect of the overall Ifernach artistic expression? And – considering that the measures currently in place are looking increasingly indefinite / permanent with each passing day – are you resigned to the fact that Ifernach’s days of taking to the stage could be all but over?
“Not really, I mean, when you don’t play live often, it’s making the thing more magical, mystical. I don’t want to play on a regular basis, and I want every show to be unique, special and unforgettable: rituals, as they should be. That being said, I will go on stage before the fall of 2022, in a show that I will organise myself, on my land, my own way, my own say. The only thing you will need is a ticket. I’m having a limited crowd so I can move the show to another place if some bizarre parano freaks try to cancel it. I don’t know what I will do after, as we probably both know this will not fade away soon, like everybody told us last year. I never believed for a second that things would get back to normal. They will never. We need to adapt now. And regarding the show, it would represent perfect timing to put an end to live appearances. I don’t need to be the leader of the sheep, and I don’t need the respect of the mentally weak. Sometimes I get mad at people following bands, they seem to forget that Black Metal is far from generic, it is extreme with no boundaries.”

That bands, promoters and fans alike are agreeable to effectively policing the enforcement of Cov-ID tyranny and medical apartheid is not surprising considering the identity crisis that has plagued Black Metal in recent years. There exists a chasmic divide between those who continue to subscribe to and endorse the original, authentic Black Metal spirit and a safer, commercially-orientated, kaleidoscopic bastardisation of the subgenre more concerned with making money and protecting potential earnings than celebrating Satanism, misanthropy, disdain, non-conformity, reverence for nature, pride in one’s heritage and / or antichristian hostility. The pretenders have never been more conspicuous than today … perhaps it is a welcome development to see wolves and sheep so irreversibly segregated from one another?
“To me, Black Metal was a radical division when I first experienced it. So yes, if it’s isolating ourselves more from the shit we despise, like you said, they can’t be dressed as a wolf any longer now. Shit will hit the fan, it will get you. I am ready to die, by my own hand or by whatever means, but I will never see myself in jail and I will never see myself kneeling down. My father gave me that resistance, he brought me when I was young to the Paper Mill protest, the day we did a bridge blockade. It takes balls to do that. Still to this day he says that it wasn’t worth it, nothing changed. But that’s obviously not the truth, we are the children of this. I grew up with mad anger, fire burning inside, will to rebel, and strength to survive when the time has arrived. This is what it’s all about: survival. Cutting the hand that feeds you, standing up against the whole world. Why aren’t you joining us? I don’t have kids, I don’t work for a company, I don’t have a girlfriend. I am independent, so maybe this is why I am still not having the jab. But these were all the choices I’ve made in my life. I will not betray my life, my choices, my path … I will see death before submission. And this means that if I get cancer, they won’t want to treat me, if I have an accident, if I have a newborn child, I won’t be assisting or witnessing the birth. Still not backing down, gotta hit me harder than that. This is Satanism in its purest form. Cursed be the false and weak! Yesterday I dated a woman who basically was trapped inside her house because she was sick. I ate a covid pussy for an-hour-and-a-half … guess I will die soon!”

Speaking of pride and heritage, if our fighting ancestors – whose blood flowed into the soil that sustains us, offering up their lives so that we might live freely – could see us now they would surely recoil in disgust and question what they sacrificed themselves for. Humanity has evolved into such a meek and spineless species that we are worthy only of scorn, mockery and revulsion. As we passively surrender our freedoms to those who hold us in utter contempt, acquiescing to demands and mandates that any self-respecting individual would revolt against, we are unwittingly but willingly contributing to our own enslavement. Thus, perhaps we deserve to be enslaved?
“Well, this is our destiny, right? The system don’t want us to rebel. They don’t want us to be self-sufficient hunters with empty pockets and fully-stacked fridges of meat. They don’t want us to be warriors. But I see people out there saying ‘what are you going to do about it?, you won’t do shit’. Well, just being non-vax is a huge step. As for my life, I just keep going down the path I have been choosing since a few years ago. Being apart from society but, if inside, totally different and alien among them. Become the beast they fear. So, it will be enslavement or civil war, I guess. Because the vice keeps closing on us. It will never stop, until something really bad happens. Since I am mostly alone in all of this, I will fight alone. They can come and get me, some of them will end up dead. I have guns and a shitload of reasons to reach the madness. I never said I would go up to that point, but what if I have to, having nothing left for me? If you keep taking everything away from me, then I will end up with nothing to lose. That’s when it’s becoming dangerous. Keep going, fucking socialist snakes!”

It’s incredibly depressing and infuriating that we have arrived at a time and place where – all over the world – a significant proportion of the population is being blatantly scapegoated and discriminated against by their own governments. For the crime of refusing to surrender bodily autonomy in order to volunteer for the largest and most hideous medical experiment in history, ordinary citizens are being effectively cast out of society, forbidden from socialising, dining, drinking, performing, working, studying, travelling – essentially stripped of their basic rights. Isn’t it alarming that a single person on the planet is okay with this, let alone the vast majority?
“Sadly, I always knew I was alien to most people. I knew at one point that if society were to turn around and corner me, I am an easy target. I think most people can’t see through the smoke. Back in the time of Kristallnacht, we can compare these events to now. When you have a movement into society, supported by mass media, propaganda, political leaders … well, everyone will follow, not by heart. But here’s the most interesting part about it: I don’t cry about losing my rights and this is really important. I fight to get them back, by refusing to surrender. Very different. I always wanted to travel to Iceland … well, maybe it’s going to happen in another life. I think 75% of the people here got the jab to play hockey, to travel, to go to the restaurant. But mostly, they cannot accept being the alien in society. They can’t stand up for themselves, they can’t deal with the pressure of being the black sheep. Personally, this is what I think. But hey, let’s be honest, I don’t see everybody as a piece of trash. If I can have a good conversation with you, a debate, I will respect your opinion and ideas. I don’t want you to think like me, as long as you can think for yourself…
“But being a lone wolf, living outside society, you can still create dark arts worshipping everything that’s happening right now. Isn’t it so beautiful to witness innocent happy people drowning in their pitifulness, sorrow and crying about their lost rights, wearing masks and being scared as hell? Don’t ever complain, but fight! Or escape… refuse, resist!”

Two-tiered societies are now fully operational in most – if not all – western nations, with those who refuse to unquestioningly do as they are instructed demoted to the status of second-class citizenry. While it is perhaps the ultimate insult to be barred from participating freely in society in your own homeland, as a self-professed lone wolf, is there a part of you that relishes the challenge presented and feels empowered – more determined than ever – in the face of this authoritarian adversity?
“Yes. Like I said, when you are born into a certain world and it was already like that, you can’t really change it. There will already exist some rules and codes that you can’t really debate. But now, seeing this world shifting, I refuse to take part in it. I have the freedom to do it, I have the will and the guts to do it. But yet, do I want the whole world to be free? Let me think about it. There are a lot of rotten places in this world. Infected with real plagues, not bullshit ‘flu. Problem is, if this whole thing is empowering these vermin, I want the world to be free. But if in a way it can destroy some pillars of a very corrupted world… let’s see how far it will go. It’s affecting big business, it’s affecting a lot of people in the economics world, but it fires back straight on us, with prices of gas and food and other things rising. You have to take it as a challenge, before it crushes you. We are far from the trenches of old-time war but I feel this one is a mental war. Not really the same battlefield. But I am willing to take the fight. That is for sure. Do I want to be the leader? No. Do I want to be followed? Not really. But people gotta stop complaining and instead focus on getting things done. Reorganise your life, surroundings, people around you. It can really fuck you up when you have lost all sense and reason; they make you doubt things that are very easy to understand. I feel that forests and the spirits that wander there are very helpful in these times, more than any social support or people or friends. Fuck society. City life sucks! Get back to the faraway lands and you will see: life is the same, nothing has changed.”

Just how bad are things in Québec for those who refuse to bend a knee to global tyranny? An all-too-familiar picture seems to be unfolding all around the world. Observing from afar, it looks like – as is the case in many states and nations – despite a very high ‘vaccine’ uptake, the situation has moved further than ever from returning to anything remotely resembling an acceptable normal. How badly have you been impacted upon in a personal / professional capacity (in terms of relationships, employment, career, etc.)?
“As we speak, they say it’s worse than ever. They just closed gyms, bars, restaurants again. Reinstalled a curfew. From my perspective, having a nurse as a mother, I know this healthcare system hasn’t functioned since forever. My mother has been burned out three times in her career. Our leaders were always greedy politicians who had barely no experience in reorganising the health system properly. They are all businessmen and accountants. Last year, I almost got into a fight because I wasn’t allowed into the hunting camp anymore. I got kicked out of my local gym, seeing my 15-year membership cancelled. I am self-employed so, in that case, I lost a lot of jobs but managed to do something else. I can’t take a walk or go skiing where I was normally going, because I don’t have the pass. Now, I refuse to take tests, I don’t give my name to anyone. I go to private events and I do shows in my own house. I am a supply teacher at the school, not wearing the mask and trying to have an open-minded discussion with the kids. I speak my mind clearly and loudly about what I think of this. I don’t shy away from an argument in public. I don’t go to the grocery store anymore, I have moose meat for all winter and I have some friends giving me vegetables in exchange for a service. We need to go back to the small community we once were, helping each other out. I am really anti-social in life, but I am tribal. I have love and respect for my people. Just not for everyone. Mentally, it wasn’t hard to see the media spreading paranoia, I always knew the power of television. It’s just that I saw people changing in a very bad way – some were close friends, some were family. Now, to me, they just don’t exist anymore. I don’t want to hear what they have to say to me, because they are mentally collapsed. This is the most difficult part to swallow for me, seeing people surrendering so miserably to this mania.”

Do you share my concern that this so-called pandemic is never going to end and that humanity is being ushered inexorably down a road that inevitably ends in a social credit system, universal basic income, digital IDs and the permanent loss of all the freedoms and rights we enjoyed pre-2020? Are we in a battle that cannot be won or can you envisage any eventuality where this tiresome ordeal can have a positive ending either for individuals or the collective?
“Here’s my dark view regarding the future ahead of us: nobody is getting out of their houses without permission. There will be curfews where we can’t go out freely at night. Virtual reality. People trapped in their homes and enjoying it. Fake lives, fake relationships, fake worlds. It’s already happening. But, it will not happen everywhere. I believe the faraway lands will not fall into madness and will someway, somehow survive without engaging fully into the concept of virtual reality. We keep holding on to traditions and the past, like we always did. Especially now when we are heading towards a social crisis, by nature we go back to basics. As long as they can let us choose. But if you get too close to the radar, they will spot you and make you believe what they are saying. Also, while they keep creating safe zones and suppressing every power in each human life, leaving empty shells in empty spaces, the beasts are gathering in the outside world, and when they get inside the safe zone, it will be damn ugly. Hopefully, we can go back to a tribal world with clans and wars to make, like it should be, like it was before. So they will stop glorifying the weak, only the strong survives! And the Kings are Kings for a damn reason.”