A Chat with Ancient VVisdom Ahead of Ohio Doomed & Stoned Festival
In 2015, I was stuck in a motel on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Long story short, I was in a bad way. That’s when I picked up the album ‘Sacrificial’ (2014) and poured into it. It was like salve to my soul and it’s been a continual go-to ever since. So thank you for that.
Thank you, hopefully you are in a better place now! We've all been there before, not in a motel in Sao Paulo but in a bad place. Music to me has a similar effect. I've been told our music has that sort of effect on some people. Almost like experiencing something meditative putting them in a state of tranquility which to me is a giant compliment. And on another note there are bands out there that do the same thing for me, so I completely understand.
It’s been about two years since you brought us the follow-up to that one, ‘33’ (2017), which I know a lot of people resonated with, as well. Much of the lyrical content comes across as a love song to Lucifer, leading us to be curious about what Nathan Opposition’s own beliefs are when it comes to the occult, supernatural, and the Devil himself?
For me, Lucifer is enlightenment. Satan is free will. The devil is a symbol of the manifestation of reality. The goat, the pentagram, the symbolism behind the imagery, the meaning behind the veil is more relevant now than ever.
Today's society needs Satanism. It is an evolved outlook on individualism and freedom of choice. There is acceptance and love within the basic tenets of Satanism and further down the rabbit hole you may even be able to find true self.
People need to dig deep in the emotional paydirt of actually Satanism to find the gateways to unlock the reality they wish to enjoy and experience.
So to answer your question, I've always been fascinated by the topic of the occult. At a very young age. I'm 35 now and the signs of me losing interest in the topic are slim to none.
Read any good books lately?
Haven't been reading because I've been writing. When I'm deep in my writing process I like to clutter my mind with my own thoughts and not someone else's. For me, this allows the ideas to fester and ferment, then I harvest and consume. It has its own timeline, almost like it has a will of its own. I like to let ideas for themselves and when they are ready they will let me know and I will reveal them to the rest of the world.
We hear you’ve got a new album slated for release on Argonauta Records, ‘Mundus’ (2019). What’s the story behind the album title? What lyrical themes do you explore?
Yes, Mundus will be out September 27th 2019 on Argonauta Records. The album title is an ancient roman Latin word for World. The album cover was illustrated black and white pointillism by an artist named Karmazid who lives in Aschaffenburg, Germany.
Longtime friend and fan of the band, when he turned in the album art it said "Mundus" on the banner that is wrapped around an image of the earth being crushed by the hand of doom, my brother Michael guitarist in Ancient VVisdom and I both loved the artwork so much we decided not to change a thing and call the album Mundus. So technically, we let Karmazid name our album.
My lyrics on Mundus are based in the ever growing threat of doom consuming the fears of humanity in general. Too many crazy things happening in this world for something big not to happen. Society is like a dormant volcano right now ready to be active once again. This album has themes that fit the times we live in right now. The fears of the masses and the global problems that a rapidly expanding population has created have brought us to the point of no return. Now it's no longer a question of will it happen, it's when will it happen.
We’re very much looking forward to your upcoming visit to Ohio Doomed & Stoned Festival. What do you have in store for us?
Expect the next level of Ancient VVisdom. We play something off of every album, we have a new rhythm section and my brother Michael and I will be on electric guitars.
When we take over the stage, we transform it completely so expect a production. This will be our heaviest , most focused and thought out set we've ever projected, thank you and really looking forward to it!
How do you like to prepare before a show? Any pre-show routines?
I always like to do some vocal exercises, get the pipes warmed up, pick up the guitar and do some finger exercises. Once I feel comfortable with that I'll set it aside and start presetting our stage.
It's good to stay organized, especially when you have a few extras on stage to set up. It's a lot to keep track of and show settings can be chaotic environments. Best to stay focused.
My brother Michael, his wife owns and operates a record store in Lakewood Ohio called Black Market Records, we have a rehearsal space in the basement. We call it "The Abyss" -- a huge space where legend has it Nine Inch Nails used to practice! So a lot of rehearsing and planning happens there. Other than that good to stretch a little bit and smoke a little bit, get the mind and body right.
The gearheads among us will kill me if I don’t ask about what you’re packing these days -- instruments, pedals, amps, the works. What are the tools you use to work your magic?
We are playing all Peavey amps with Marshall cabs. Jackson guitars, BC Rich guitars, Jackson bass. My brother, lead guitarist, has a Rock Master head with Boss DS-1 Distortion, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, TC Electronic Corona Chorus, Boss tuner.
I play rhythm, one crunchy tone the whole way through. Drums are Sonor Phil Rudd signature kit, loud and booming, all black.
For Ancient VVisdom, we find a real fine balance off sound volume and tone and somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot. It's not about blowing up ear drums but more about finding that nice break up and using the tones to drive the songs at the place they need to be.
It's really a magically thing music is. Especially working with my brother as well as we do. Locking in isn't an issue because we play the same way, only he's way better than me!
