Interview: Sathamel

Tell us about your latest release: the main concept; what fans should expect; what were/are your goals with it:

The concept was a catharsis. The band returned from a lengthy hiatus of almost 2 years with a brand new lineup and total reinvention. Horror Vacui means fear of empty space and we used the title in a more literal sense in terms of the void we felt while the entity that is sathamel had halted all activity.

Did you have a specific sound in mind when you formed the band, or did that grow and evolve as you played together?

We just continued with the path we followed on previous releases but wanted to create a more cohesive sound. Generally the focus is memorability and creation of hooks, which comes fairly naturally from our tastes in music and what we like to hear.

How does your writing process normally work out?

On our newest release (Horror Vacui) the majority (80%) was written at a computer – with I, KVN (Guitars), recording riffs and programming drums with Kruk (Vocals) offering his opinion in terms of the material itself and the arrangement. Once we had around 6 or 7 song ideas in the works we then began advertising for new members to complete the band once more. Within a month we had a full lineup. When Cygnus joined and added his parts here and there but almost completely wrote the title track. All Demos were recorded on my home computer, we then selected the 9 songs you hear today.

What are your ambitions and how far do you want to push your band?

As far as possible.

What are your influences/musical references and the impact those same influences had in your sound?

Behemoth
Hate (Poland)
Belphegor
Svart Crown

What’s next for you?

We plan to push the release of Horror Vacui as far as possible. We hope to embark on some larger shows towards the end of 2019 with a view to heighten the profile of the band in 2020 and beyond.
We have also begun writing for a new release but nothing is planned as yet.