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Arguably as one of the most prolific acts among today’s vast flood of raw black metal projects, KOMMODUS stands out with the combination of

“First and foremost, I am completely enamoured with Mishima’s novels. I was reading them during a particularly terrible time in my life and it was a reprieve to be sucked into his mad creative world. In regards to parallels, I emphasised the martial elements and ideas of samurai / imperial lineage to make the art more congruous with the prior established themes and aesthetic of Kommodus.

I’m not interested in his politics in a personal sense and it seems through reading the two main biographies by Stokes and Nathan, a lot of the more extreme elements of Mishima’s actions and personality cult were multi-faceted and arguably performative. He was a lifelong contrarian, rife with hypocrisies and idiosyncrasies. Ostensibly militaristic but avoided World War 2 conscription, obsessed with portraying a hyper masculine aesthetic but also extremely fragile and openly homosexual, nationalistic but obsessed with the west and European antiquity, could speak fluent English and French.

This ambivalence and duplicity was thoroughly ingrained in his psyche. He regarded his emperor worship as the enemy of ‘any totalitarian system on the left or the right’, so his personal politics, I believe, were not at all black and white. His suicide was planned over a year in advance and it would appear his final day was a very considered and dramatic pre-text in order to commit Hara-kiri alongside his lover Morita. A quote that stood out to me when reading Nathan was that Mishima’s attempted coup was ‘conceived by Mishima as merely formal. A gesture without meaning or value in the logic of the warrior, unless it was ratified by seppuku.’ Meaning Mishima always knew his actions would fail, he always planned to die, even ensuring all his work were completed and his affairs in order before the final day. This desire to die violently and be a martyr was metastasising within him since early on which can be seen in many of his novels, and other areas such as his obsession with Saint Sebastian. What I’m trying to clarify here is that Mishima is a very difficult figure to put a finger on, but I believe this is what’s made him such an interesting, charismatic artist which has drawn in people like myself, and many others to want to explore. He even stressed to biographer Stokes that the Tatenokai (his militia) was ‘non-ideological and romantic’ and that instead he wanted to inspire people with a sense of national pride. He was also caustic towards the conservative politicians that revered him. Though of course you could argue this stuff all day. But yes, like I said, you can’t put him in a box. He was a true individual and an artist that transcends labels which is why he’s appreciated by people of all walks of life. I’d recommend the Paul Schrader film to anyone interested.

The other element of Mishima that has inspired me immensely is what you mentioned, his discipline. His body of work was so vast, and he was accomplished in so many fields. Literature, theatre, body-building, acting, the list goes on. Ultimately the idea of discipline was the driving force behind my release. To inspire the listener to try and summon even some of that positive monastic drive and devotion in their chosen paths, whatever they may be.

The parallels I’d draw are simple ones. Overcoming weakness in-self, glorifying an ancient past and lineage, and carving out your own path.”

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