By now, we the educated, know well the line from Nietzsche. Included in “Beyond Good and Evil” is Aphorism 146: “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby becomes a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.” What this means exactly is a point of debate. Personally, I believe that Nietzsche’s bit of wisdom is commentary on one of the intellectual’s occupational hazards. Namely, those who seek the dark truths of life are bound to be infected by those same dark truths. Ultimately, Nietzsche knew that no one comes out unscathed, or, to quote another philosopher, you’ll “never get out of this world alive.”
Despite his widespread dissemination throughout the world, Nietzsche remains firmly entrenched in the difficult and idiosyncratic world of German philosophy. Because they were never conquered by the Romans - Europe’s great arbiters of Hellenic culture - the Germanic peoples (who did eventually adopt much of the Graeco-Roman world, but with some reservations) formed a worldview based more on their warrior ethos then on such ideals as city-states or republics. In their world, the chief was the strongest and thus had a right to rule. Even after they converted to Christianity, the Germanic peoples created a hero Christ that is more akin to Beowulf than a Middle Eastern pacifist.
Given this history, the Nietzschaen ethic of the “Overman” (the “Superman” term belongs more to Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw) appealed to many in the Germanic world, especially the völkisch types who created an odd brand of elitist populism. The elitism came in the form of racism - an ideology that Nietzsche himself attacked frequently - and a spiritual belief in the superiority of Wotanism, or the worship of pre-Christian paganism. These ideas obviously influenced National Socialism, but they continue to persist even after the worldwide defeat of Nazism and fascism.
When it debuted with a firestorm, Norwegian black metal cloaked itself in the aura of the revolutionary right. As a part of this, Nietzschaen philosophy came to the forefront, with such artists as the scholarly Ihsahn of Emperor and the repugnant Varg Vikernes of Mayhem and Burzum paying homage to the Continent’s most difficult and controversial thinker. For many, this underlying philosophy is a turn off. Although it does not run throughout the entirety of black metal, that sub-genre is often guilty of being overtly elitist.
Historically, doom metal has been the opposite. Doom metal’s small collection of adherents has always had more to do with its timing than its philosophy. When bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble, The Obsessed, and Death Row (soon to revert back to Pentagram) first started releasing albums, the thrash metal movement was underway. The emphasis then was on speed and more speed. Doom metal’s slow, deliberate approach was not in fashion, and frankly, it seemed “born too late.”
Currently, in the age of the Internet, musical experimentation is the name of the game. In metal, all the sub-genres are busy mixing with themselves, thus creating a polyglot universe wherein the traditional genre tags and labels no longer tell the full story. Heirs of the Void, a two man band from the Saxon town of Aurich, are such a mixture. “Evil Spirit,” their debut demo, combines the low-fi quality and shrieking cadences of black metal with the snail-like pacing of funeral doom. Singer/guitarist Christian Hedden oscillates between demonic, larynx-destroying barks and the type of operatic moans that are favored by goth rock vocalists. In the midst of these alternating movements, Hedden’s fuzz tone and bassist Wilke Freesemann’s low end commingle in order to make shockingly gloomy auras.
On tracks such as “Adore the Void” and “Everlasting Darkness,” the duo craft long-winded tunes that are riddled with sadness and melancholy. When Hedden sings cleanly (which he does well), “Evil Spirit” becomes a funeral oration. When he descends into black metal chaos, “Evil Spirit” becomes a post-burial ghoulish romp full of misanthropy and black deeds.
Because it is so open, what with its long passages of dissonance and feedback, “Evil Spirit” allows for numerous of moments of listener interpretation. The void inside of the sound of Heirs of the Void is the important part, not the moments when the band provides lyrics or recognizable bits of song structure. The problem with this though is that Heirs of the Void are too simplistic in their approach to blackened doom metal (or is it doomed black metal?). The programmed drum machine on “Evil Spirit” is annoying in its repetition, while the incessant drone at the heart of each song goes without coloring or even a shade of complexity. “Evil Spirit” is more feeling than music, and despite catchy titles like “The Wrath of the Great Old Ones,” this demo is a slough and not intended for those listeners who like hooks, crescendoes, or arpeggios. Simply put, “Evil Spirit” is a miasma of sound that will, at best, only have a few followers. Nietzsche probably would have wanted it that way.
Track List:
1. Adore the Void
2. Everlasting Darkness
3. Evil Spirit
4. Wrath of the Great Old Ones
“Evil Spirit” is a self-released demo that is currently available online.
Words: Benjamin Welton
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Despite his widespread dissemination throughout the world, Nietzsche remains firmly entrenched in the difficult and idiosyncratic world of German philosophy. Because they were never conquered by the Romans - Europe’s great arbiters of Hellenic culture - the Germanic peoples (who did eventually adopt much of the Graeco-Roman world, but with some reservations) formed a worldview based more on their warrior ethos then on such ideals as city-states or republics. In their world, the chief was the strongest and thus had a right to rule. Even after they converted to Christianity, the Germanic peoples created a hero Christ that is more akin to Beowulf than a Middle Eastern pacifist.
Given this history, the Nietzschaen ethic of the “Overman” (the “Superman” term belongs more to Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw) appealed to many in the Germanic world, especially the völkisch types who created an odd brand of elitist populism. The elitism came in the form of racism - an ideology that Nietzsche himself attacked frequently - and a spiritual belief in the superiority of Wotanism, or the worship of pre-Christian paganism. These ideas obviously influenced National Socialism, but they continue to persist even after the worldwide defeat of Nazism and fascism.
When it debuted with a firestorm, Norwegian black metal cloaked itself in the aura of the revolutionary right. As a part of this, Nietzschaen philosophy came to the forefront, with such artists as the scholarly Ihsahn of Emperor and the repugnant Varg Vikernes of Mayhem and Burzum paying homage to the Continent’s most difficult and controversial thinker. For many, this underlying philosophy is a turn off. Although it does not run throughout the entirety of black metal, that sub-genre is often guilty of being overtly elitist.
Historically, doom metal has been the opposite. Doom metal’s small collection of adherents has always had more to do with its timing than its philosophy. When bands like Saint Vitus, Trouble, The Obsessed, and Death Row (soon to revert back to Pentagram) first started releasing albums, the thrash metal movement was underway. The emphasis then was on speed and more speed. Doom metal’s slow, deliberate approach was not in fashion, and frankly, it seemed “born too late.”
Currently, in the age of the Internet, musical experimentation is the name of the game. In metal, all the sub-genres are busy mixing with themselves, thus creating a polyglot universe wherein the traditional genre tags and labels no longer tell the full story. Heirs of the Void, a two man band from the Saxon town of Aurich, are such a mixture. “Evil Spirit,” their debut demo, combines the low-fi quality and shrieking cadences of black metal with the snail-like pacing of funeral doom. Singer/guitarist Christian Hedden oscillates between demonic, larynx-destroying barks and the type of operatic moans that are favored by goth rock vocalists. In the midst of these alternating movements, Hedden’s fuzz tone and bassist Wilke Freesemann’s low end commingle in order to make shockingly gloomy auras.
On tracks such as “Adore the Void” and “Everlasting Darkness,” the duo craft long-winded tunes that are riddled with sadness and melancholy. When Hedden sings cleanly (which he does well), “Evil Spirit” becomes a funeral oration. When he descends into black metal chaos, “Evil Spirit” becomes a post-burial ghoulish romp full of misanthropy and black deeds.
Because it is so open, what with its long passages of dissonance and feedback, “Evil Spirit” allows for numerous of moments of listener interpretation. The void inside of the sound of Heirs of the Void is the important part, not the moments when the band provides lyrics or recognizable bits of song structure. The problem with this though is that Heirs of the Void are too simplistic in their approach to blackened doom metal (or is it doomed black metal?). The programmed drum machine on “Evil Spirit” is annoying in its repetition, while the incessant drone at the heart of each song goes without coloring or even a shade of complexity. “Evil Spirit” is more feeling than music, and despite catchy titles like “The Wrath of the Great Old Ones,” this demo is a slough and not intended for those listeners who like hooks, crescendoes, or arpeggios. Simply put, “Evil Spirit” is a miasma of sound that will, at best, only have a few followers. Nietzsche probably would have wanted it that way.
Track List:
1. Adore the Void
2. Everlasting Darkness
3. Evil Spirit
4. Wrath of the Great Old Ones
“Evil Spirit” is a self-released demo that is currently available online.
Words: Benjamin Welton