Blot
Worship Of Fire

13.12.2015

Blot from Norway’s Kristiansand, made a gold in mid-October, when their self-released debut album saw the light of day. The release that follows the self-titled 2009 EP was named "Ilddyrking" ("Worship Of Fire"). Norwegian extreme music webzine Norskmetal.net referred to this work as “impressive”, and this is indeed the case. No proud words are able to describe Blot’s material as long as you haven’t heard it yourself. And when you have, you cannot but come to the conclusion that any musicians playing viking/black metal would be proud to have such songs as "Fimbulwinter", "God of War", "Death to All" and "Victory" on their releases. The questions below were answered by the band’s singer and guitarists.

Hi everybody! What is the band up to at the moment, what is the latest news?

These days we’re planning our first show in our hometown, and have started writing a few new riffs for the next album. We’re all busy with other bands/music projects as well.

Could you introduce the members of the band?

The band consists of Ruben Gentekos (guitar), Jan Åge Lindeland (vocals) and Bengt Orstad (guitar). Ruben and Bengt writes the music, and Jan Åge writes most of the lyrics. Live session musicians are Stig Reinhardtsen (drums) and Osvald Egeland (bass). Ruben also has a folk music project called Chaos Predicted, and Jan Åge and  Bengt play together in Mental Disaster.

Could you please say a few words about the history of Blot?

Ruben and Jan Åge talked for a while about starting a black metal band with viking/folk feel to it, and after they decided to go for it they brought in Bengt as well.

You released both the 2009 EP and the debut full-length independently. Weren’t there any labels interested in releasing such solid material? Or maybe you were not satisfied with the proposals you had received? What was the number of physical copies printed?

When we released the EP we had no clear visions for the future, and not that much time to put into Blot, so signing with a label back then would just have been wrong. With the EP we had 300 copies printed, and with “Ilddyrking” 100. So if you own a copy it’s quite exclusive.

In October this year “Ilddyrking” became the album of the month on Norskmetal.net. What were other contenders for this title?

Aspiration, Vreid, Evig Hat, Kvesta, Hades Almighty, Repulsive Aggression, Blindfolded, Servi Diaboli and Beaten To Death.

Why did only two out of five songs off the EP make it to the full-length album?

We saw no point in reusing more of the songs for “Ilddyrking” as we had enough new material we wanted to include instead, and thus presenting our listeners with more new songs.

Who is responsible for the band’s lyrics? What are your lyrics about, and what inspires you to write them?

Apart from a couple of songs, Jan Åge write all the lyrics. Life, history and Norwegian nature are the strongest influences.

Various media have come up with different definitions for your musical style. What term does the band themselves use to describe your music?

Black metal with strong influences from Norwegian folk music. Viking/black metal is the term we’ve seen used most, and that goes together well with our lyrics.

What studio did you use for recording the full-length, and how much time did it take?

The album was recorded in Chaos Studio, over a period of 6 months. It is mixed and engineered in ODIR Studio.

As far as I can see from reviews in international media, “Ilddyrking” has been received favorably. And what response are you getting from fans?

The response has been just fantastic. We keep getting emails and Facebook messages from people, who have stumbled across “Ilddyrking”, saying how much they love it. This of course is a humbling experience, and aids in pushing us forward to meet the expectations for our next release.

There was a break of six years between the EP and the full-length – it’s a pretty long time. What kept you going while you were silent?

We all have a lot on our plates, so it just had to take the time needed. We knew where we wanted to go with “Ilddyrking”, but we never wanted to rush it. Other bands/project also demanded our attention during those years, but when we were ready and time was right our focus shifted solely to Blot and the making of the album.

How often do Blot play live? Have you ever played outside Norway?

So far Blot has been a studio band only, but we’re planning our first gig in our hometown in April 2016.

Would it be fair to say that the band’s main influences are Bathory and Dissection?

Both Bathory and Dissection has a huge part in our lives, but as influences go I think we have to go with Emperor and Taake. ("Ilddyrking" includes a cover version of Dissection’s "Where Dead Angels Lie". – ed.).

Reviewers have also compared your full-length with  Einherjer. How would you comment on that?

We would say it’s an honour being compared to some of the titans in viking metal.

Blot’s music is quite melodic. What are the sources of these melodies?

We’re very much inspired by folk music, as well as traditional instruments, I guess you could say those are the sources.

Even though your debut full-length has been released not long ago, I would like to ask you about new material. Have you started working on it, and do you have any release dates in mind?

We’ve started writing a few new riffs, and there will be a follow up, but we do not have any dates yet. Jan Åge and Bengt are currently busy recording the new Mental Disaster album, so that will have to be done before proceeding with Blot.

How much of your time is devoted to music?

Since we all are involved in more than one band/project, we guess it’s safe to say that a significant amount of time each week is devoted to music.

Do you follow the latest developments on the metal scene? Do you check out new releases, or are you mostly enjoying classics?

We follow new music as well as enjoying the classics.

What do you think about life in Norway? What are the best aspects of living in your country, in your opinion?

Life in Norway is quite comfortable, and the best part would have to be our magnificent nature. There we go to draw inspiration, enjoy ourselves or just find some peace of mind.

Could you please say a few final words to our readers?  

Thank you so much for the support given us this far, it’s truly overwhelming.

Blot on the Internet: https://www.facebook.com/blotnorway

Magomed Gadzhiev
December 9, 2015
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