German death metallers Ch’ahom are the band we would assume to be playing along to either fire or water laying waste to your entire field of vision; think Titanic and the band playing along as the ship sank and folks scattered to…nothing. Such is the craziness that rolls through this brain upon hearing the devastating eruption that is the band’s second full length, Anthropic Rites of Sublimation. Vincent dug in deep in his review so be sure to check that out for an in depth look but do head below to see how generous lead guitarist S.P.S. was in answering our Profile questions while you do. And if you haven’t, grab a copy of the album from the links contained within. Trust us: it’s a BEAST of an album we cannot stop playing. Or thinking about. Or recommending. Or…anyway, keep reading.
How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?
S.P.S.: When I discovered Jimi Hendrix I knew I needed to play guitar. It’s very cheesy I know but well… My dad also plays guitar and that did make that instrument a very apparent choice. I think it only took three weeks for me to record my first shitty metal songs and Ch’ahom was my fourth band project at 20 or 21 I think. It was completely the idea of A.G.A.. He created the concept. C.G. and me joined and C.G. contributed a good amount of songs on the first demo, while I wrote one. At that point I played drums, which the guys saw me do in a HC-Punk band called Nihilatör. Since then some things changed and was able to switch to lead guitar.
How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?
Depends. I would mostly describe it as some sort of progressive Death Metal when I wanna keep it very short. But the truth is of course there is all this Von influence and maybe some Disclose or whatever and there is these rough demos that we all feel very strongly about. So it depends a bit if I’m talking to a co-worker who is basically only interested in the terms of small talk or if I’m talking to another metalhead. But mostly I’ll leave it up to them whether they are interested to check for themselves. I don’t like so much to urge my stuff upon anyone.
Is there one (or more) thing about your latest / upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?
Hmmm. I did a handful of interviews recently and really some of these questions, especially from the fanzines, they go really deep! So actually I think a lot has been said already! Maybe I feel a bit like we missed out on a chance to present our “new” member “A.M.”, who already participated in “Covered in the Priests Black Shit” in his new role as bass player, and will also be heard on “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation”. He is a long time friend, with a lot of experience.
Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?
We sure have a lot of fun together doing what we love and developed a shared sense of humor along the way but I think we’ll keep our goofball side of things to ourselves.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?
The good thing is there’s still young people entering the scene. I’m someone who doesn’t hate on those bands who are fortunate enough to “make it big”. They spread the word beyond the underground and that funnels in people who then end up in some of those underground shows.
Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?
Personally I do care about politics somewhat and I wish for the scene to have a certain awareness for what is happening in the world right now to realize our own part in it. The music of Ch’ahom deals with rather historical cultural phenomenons and also more personal and psychological issues. In the moment of the show I care about nothing more than hopefully making someone feel something with me. My bandmates of course but also the audience. If there’s one kid banging their head and pulling a manic grimace then everything is accomplished. In that moment it’s really rather about a total erasure of thoughts.
Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?
We all have dayjobs, I don’t think it’s very interesting. A.G.A.has a huge hobby in reading up on pre-hispanic cultures, the rest of us have our biggest hobby in recording music, aside from making music of course. A.G.A.and I are big on cinema and that directly influences Ch’ahom. Pasolini’s “Medea” or Tarkovsky’s “Stalker” could be named here.
What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
Music is more accessible than ever. Purchasing an album is less reliant on a review. Nowadays checking the music yourself on the internet takes less time than reading a critic’s opinion about it. In my opinion a good critic should try to rate the music or movie or whatever for what it is and try to find a super-personal element. I mean rating stuff by measures beyond your personal taste. “Nekromantik”, the movie by Jörg Buttgereit for example has a rating of 4.8/10 on imdb. That’s just insane and goes to show that people rate it like it’s a hollywood flick or something. The best way to review is by not rating and rather describing so that people who read it can decide for themselves if they might be the actual addressee for the message being conveyed. The whole idea that a critic has a superior taste that others should latch on to is what makes the critic so unlikable.
Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?
Rock till I die. (ed note: best answer ever to this question)
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’m always big on 80s thrash. Artillery – By Inheritance has some of the craziest rhythm guitar work ever. I’ve been hooked on Exhorders Slaughter in the Vatican again. And Nas’ second album “it was written” has been stuck on repeat. I’ll go for 90s eastcoast rap a lot when I have a day off and I’m just going through my day. “Ear to the Street” by the Conscious Daughters is a nice pick from that era too (although not east coast). We’re going back to songwriting these days and we try to let Novalis “Sommerabend” influence us. It’s a Krautrock record with the lyrics fully being poems by the german romantic writer Novalis. On “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation” we let ourselves be influenced by Penderecki’s Utrenja for the intros aside from the usual influences. I got love for all kinds of music and the older I grow the more I dare to seek out new things, while at the same time finding my roots.
What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
February Europe Tour with EVIL WARRIORS.
Summarize your band in one word. (Disclosure: If you use more than one word, we’ll probably just pick our favorite.)
Trance. Hopefully, whether it’s a convulsive, destructive outbreak or a floating dance.
Many thanks to Ch’ahom and S.P.S. for their time!
Anthropic Rites of Sublimation is available now on 20 Buck Spin. For more information on Ch’ahom, visit the Devouring Opaion Instagram page.
Band image courtesy of Schwarze Leere.
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