Interview: AORLHAC: "I believe we have then managed to evolve towards our own style"

On September 24th, a new album by French Melodic Black Metal band AORLHAC is scheduled to be released. For the occasion, we decided to do this interview to learn more about them and their new opus.

First of all, thank you for granting us this interview. Let’s get on with it:

 1. You guys have been around for 14 years and with a 4th album about to be published, AORLHAC has become one of the most important bands from France within the Black Metal genre. Were you guys expecting this success when you formed the band?

 Spellbound: "Hello and thank you for your interest and questions. No, we were definitely not expecting such an exposure when we formed the band in 2007. We created this project from scratch, in a desert region with an almost inexistant scene. In any case, we had it at heart to play the music we wanted to hear and offer something personal. It has been a long journey since the creation of the band, and many major events took place. Some of which were difficult, but most of them were very positive! We have evolved and grown up together with our project, as most of us were only in their 20’s, so it’s a true life project, and we are proud of what we achieved!"

2. It is very unusual to find bands named after the native city of its members. In your case, you named your band after the city of Aurillac, but with a twist- you named it AORLHAC as is it is written in Occitan language. Why did you decide to name your band after your hometown?

 Spellbound: "Simply because we were deeply rooted and influenced by our homeland, since the band was formed in the heart of the city Aurillac. Our whole thematic principle comes from this will to talk about old stories of our region, and of Country d’Oc in a more general way. Given that most of our members come from that department and that our themes are rooted in the folklore of all these historical places, it made sense to name the band after this city."

 

3. Within the Metal genre there are many sub-genres. Why play Melodic Black Metal and what are your main influences?

 Spellbound: "Our main composer NKS is deeply influenced by Nordic Black metal scene from the 90’s, with bands such as Emperor, Ulver, Taake… And I think it all goes back to that. I believe we have then managed to evolve towards our own style. But we never forbid ourselves to use more folkloric, rock or even heavy metal passages for guitars, because we didn’t want to go around in circles, and bringing diversity to our compositions is a necessity to us."

 

4. Your previous album from 2018 "L’Esprit Des Vents” was a resounding success. Personally, I think it’s a masterpiece. What can you tell us about the receptivity of this work in Europe?

 Spellbound: "Thank you! It is true that “L’esprit des vents” has marked a turning point in our evolution, especially thanks to the exposure brought by the signing with Les Acteurs de l’Ombre. Let’s say the stars were aligned, we managed to take advantage of this period and bounce back after an 8 years long absence, which is a good thing! We have witnessed the warm welcome it has had in Europe through many reviews and interview requests from all countries, and also through the shows that we did outside of France after the album’s release, in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, England… All of which was new and particularly exciting to us!"

5. This September will see the release of your 4th album, "Pierres Brûlées", of which we already have listened to 2 songs to date. Brutal and very much in line with your previous album. In your opinion, what would be the main difference between your previous and this new opus?

 Spellbound: "It is always difficult to express oneself without having much perspective after the release of a studio piece, but I think this album differs from the previous one on several aspects, even if I understand that people compare both releases. We don’t sing a different tune nor have we made a complete change of course, but things evolve, in detail. First, what has changed the most is the fact that unlike our other albums, this one includes all our live members on the studio project. NKS took care of the composition and recorded the guitars, K.H. the drums, Alex the bass, and Wÿnter Ärvn the acoustic guitars. NKS and myself used to handle the whole process, but now there are 5 people involved. It changes everything. The global playing is pulled up, and we are really satisfied with it. Secondly, I think the fact that we came out of our comfort zone in terms of production, entrusting Fred Gervais (Henosis studio) with mixing and mastering, really changed the way the band sounds. We now have a truly solid and powerful production. Furthermore, I think I have pushed my vocal experiments further than on our other opus, once again thanks to NKS’s compositions, and this team spirit is what makes the album sound differently from the rest of our discography."

6. How was the writing and recording process of the songs? Taking into account the restrictions due to Covid-19.

 Spellbound: "It all went pretty quickly, thanks to the amount of time we had because of this “pandemic”. I insist on the fact that 8 years had passed between the releases of our two previous albums, and we didn’t want to wait too long after “L’esprit des vents”. Everything was spontaneous and fast, but I think it has brought a touch of coolness and danger that pushed us forward."

 

7. For the cover of this new album, you decided to work with the French artist Stanislas Decker, who has also worked with bands like DRAGONFORCE, ASATOR, HELLRAISER, STRYPER, and many others. Why did you choose him?

 Spellbound: "We had collaborated with Stan on our previous release, and we really enjoyed his work. His style fits perfectly with us, and repeating the experience with him was natural. Just like for “L’esprit des vents”, we only gave him little background and a narrow lexical field. You know the result! We are once again very pleased with his work, he knew how to give life to the themes that the album conveys. We find it important that the cover is linked to the lyrics, which is perfectly the case here, at least according to us!"

Stanislas Decker

 8. Changing the subject to another issue: what is your opinion on bands that have chosen to hide their faces such as MGŁA, UADA, GROZA, GAEREA, and in some cases even their identities?

 Spellbound: "I have to admit I never really asked myself that question. I guess sometimes it can be useful and give a true aura to the band, in terms of scenic game and identity, in a more general way. Maybe it can even become a “standard” or a “fashion”, because only a few create or innovate, and many are just following without a true motivation. At the end of the day, everybody does what they want, and I don’t really care about all these questions. Black Metal cannot really be the same as what it was a few decades ago. The arrival of the Internet has changed way too many things, and of course not only positively, but this is a fact, and I think we have to adapt to all these changes, try to take advantage of them for the sake of the group. In that sense, hiding one’s identity or face can be a way of staying in the back and not overexposing oneself in a world where everything is watched, framed, recorded, warped…  Let me tell you something, everybody has an opinion about everything nowadays, and I think people should try to create and produce things for and by themselves before spending time badmouthing about nothing and everything."

 

9. In Latin America there are very good Melodic Black Metal bands. Do you know any? What do you know about your followers in our continent?

 Spellbound: "I have to admit I’m not really familiar with the Latin America scene, but I’m indeed convinced that you have valuable bands!!! Of course I’d be happy if you could show me the most striking projects from your country. As regards our fans, I know we have people who follow us on your continent, and we would be glad to come and play there!"

10. What does AORLHAC seek to convey with its music and lyrics?

 Spellbound: "We don’t try to convert anyone, we simply seek, in all humility, to pay homage to our history and our country, and also to bring old local character’s feats that were hidden or unknown."

 

11. Regarding your live performances, tell us a funny anecdote that happened to you and a negative one.

 Spellbound: "Many unprecedented or forbidden things happened on the road, and I think it’s best to leave these stories where they belong… [laughing]"

 12. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about AORLHAC?

 Spellbound: "Nothing in particular. We can’t wait to introduce “Pierres brûlées” to the public and keep bringing life to the project through our discography and future gigs, hoping that we can make this adventure last for as long as possible, and push it as far as possible."

 

13. Thank you for your time. We hope to have you in Latin America soon. Is there a message you’d like to send to your fans in our continent?

 Spellbound: Thank you for your questions and interest towards the band, thank you to all our South American fans, and we hope to come and play for you guys soon!

Link: AORLHAC - L'esprit des vents (Full Album)

Link: AORLHAC - Au Travers de Nos Cris.

Link: AORLHAC - Les vésanies d'Aymérigot Marchès.

Interview by: FEBRUUS FENRAEL.