Arrogant Destruktor have been busy putting out teasers since their inception in 2011 but have recently unveiled their debut full length, Commandments of War and Necromancy, which sees the duo tighten their ferocious early wave black metal chops. Their 2014 compilation Amidst the Blackest Void was raw, fierce and untamed —- all qualities black metal purists love to hear. However, this time out they’ve taken all that energy and channeled it into an even bigger beast but with better production and a fuller sound that takes advantage of their knife edge style. The album is out digitally and on cassette and will be released soon on CD by Total Death Records. In the midst of these releases we had the opportunity to ask the band our set of Profile questions so head inside to see what they had to say and be sure to grab a copy for yourself.
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How did you first get into playing music, and have you achieved the level of success that you hoped for?
I’ve been playing in bands for years but Arrogant Destruktor formed in 2011 when I met Andy at work and we decided to work on some material. In terms of success, making music that we want to listen to ourselves, to us that is a success, and we are very happy with the new album so maybe we have succeeded in that case.
What’s the most you have ever debased yourself to get your band onto a show, into a magazine or otherwise promoted, covered, and praised? (If you don’t have a story, please tell us any funny/embarrassing story.)
We don’t play live so we don’t have any funny stories in that department, although we have had some offers of live shows in UK and Europe so that may change in the future.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in metal and what are some of the worst things happening inside the scene right now?
The resurgence of the cassette format is great, and our new album has already been released as a limited edition cassette so it’s cool that there is an interest. I think the worst thing in the black metal scene nowadays is too much quantity over quality when it comes to bands. The standard is pretty low, anyone can make some shit in their bedroom and release it on the internet.
It seems that now everyone has a passion for some cause and that those people are very open about displaying their passions. This is probably a very, very good (and progressive) thing socially. What are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you and how do you insert those issues into your music?
We are not against bands expressing socio/political views within their music and lyrics but we prefer to write about standard black metal themes.
What, or who, got you into metal and how old were you? How did your family take the news?
I’ve been listening to metal for as long as I can remember, I got into the tape trading and underground scene when I was 13 so I don’t remember anything different.
What advice do you have for aspiring music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
I think zines are still important, whether online or printed. I like old school printed zines the most but there are also good online ones such as Ave Noctum for example. I like zines or reviews where the writer has personality that comes through, I prefer that than texts written in perfect English but have no personality in them.
What’s your goal? You guys thinking world domination? Maybe saving a continent? Maybe invading one? Any interest in starting a cult? Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share? Whatever it is, please let us know.
As far as we are concerned we already have a cult as we have black metal maniacs contacting us from all over the world! As far as hobbies goes music is all I’m interested in and I go to a lot of shows as well.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently? (Feel free to include non-metal)
I listen to lots of different styles but at the moment Master’s Hammer’s latest is on heavy rotation, also Judas Priest Firepower. I’ve been listening to lots of hardcore/punk like Gauze, Cro Mags etc and some more progressive music. A.T. is really into the new Abigor album too.
What is the 12-month outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
Our new album Commandments of War and Necromancy will be released soon on CD on Total Death Records. It’s already available on cassette from Blackwood Productions, both the CD and tape will be able to buy directly from ourselves too, we will also be releasing the promo video for “Born of Mountain Mysticism” very shortly. We have the music for maybe 5 or 6 songs ready for the next album so we hope to get that recorded in the next 12 months. Maybe we will eventually play live if the offers are good enough.
Summarize your band in exactly one word. (Disclosure: If you include additional words, we will select our favorite for the final publication.)
Blackfuckinmetal
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Many thanks to Arrogant Destruktor for their time!
Commandments of War and Necromancy is available digitally on Bandcamp, on Cassette via Blackwood Productions and on CD soon via Total Death Records. For more information on Arrogant Destruktor visit their Facebook page.
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