| 1. How did the band get started? How did you meet
and how long have you been together? Wrath: Sanguine and I formed in 1996. We had been running a metal radio show here in Austin and we realized we were of the same mind on what death and black metal were about, and we deicided to try and contribute something to that ideal. 2. How would you describe your music? Wrath: Black Metal. 3. What are your biggest influences? Wrath: Bands of merit, strength, and vision influence us. 4. What influence do you think your bands has in music and metal today? Wrath: That's hard to say. We are only now starting to see any kind of impact from our work. There's a new band in Canada called Wraith that cites us as an influence and apparently does a cover of one of our songs when they play locally. We also get mail from younger fans and bands who seem to think we have "made it" so I suppose that's an accomplishment of sorts. As far as our role in metal music, we are upholding the proud tradition of black metal as well as we can, free of compromises or hindrance of vision. 5. What made you want to be in the band? And if you weren't in the band what would you be doing now? Wrath: I wanted to create something as a tribute to bands I admired. I can't really imagine what life would be like not playing music in some form or other. I've been in bands since I was 15 and I really can't remember how it feels to not have that in my life. 6. Are any band members in side projects? If so what are they, and explain a little about them. Wrath: We have no side projects to speak of. 7. How would you feel if a band took their sound from yours and became very well known? Wrath: That's a good question. I've wondered before what that would be like. It would have to occur at a point when we were established enough to have a proper distance from it. Most likely we'd be surprised and honored that we were able to contribute to someone else's vision in that way. 8. What current bands do you like or respect? Wrath: That's a long list actually. Immortal, Absu, Immolation, Nile, Antaeus, Krieg, Funeral Mist are what I am currently listening to (and perennially so). There's a myriad of bands I like and respect beyond these few, of course, but that would take forever. 9. How many demos/albums do you have? Tell me about them!! Wrath: We have one demo and then the two albums: "Blasphomet Sin Abset" (demo 1997) - very nascent in the band history as they were the first 3 songs we ever wrote and they appeared in the order we wrote them. It was a very important formative effort for obvious reasons and it was its own short story- an infernal love story actually. This demo proved to be the blueprint in how we would proceed with further efforts. "Homecoming's March" (album, Arrogare Records 1999) - As "Blasphomet..." was the blueprint, this album was the bedrock foundation that brought us to present day. Here we made much longer tracks and learned to explore the space within them. This was the first genuine attempt to learn how to write an Averse Sefira song. Ultimately "Homecoming's..." taught us more about the necessity of riff economy that served as the basis for the songs on "Battle's Clarion". "Homecoming's March" will always be very special to me, because it was a complete act of will. We had no drummer, we had no label or external funding, and yet we pulled together and put out something more elaborate than many established labels would consider releasing. It was a proud effort for us. "Battle's Clarion" (Lost Disciple 2001) - We are all very happy with this release. On this album we had appropriate label support and thus could spend all our time concentrating on song writing and the finished product. The presence of The Carcass on drums added a new facet to what we wanted to do with our songs, and thus they are more chaotic in many ways. I can't help but feel that this album will be the one we will be forever known for, but time will tell in the end. Averse Sefira's life span isn't even half over yet. 10. What demo/album do you like the best? Wrath: I think they are all valid and essential in the end. I don't feel that any of our work has been amateurish. Have we improved and progressed? Of course but that doesn't mean our first endeavors are lesser in the wake of "Battle's Clarion", any more than "Battle's" would be when we release a follow up. 11. What are the bands favorite songs? Wrath: I think the common favorite of the band right now is "Fallen Beneath the Earth", though "Condemned to Glory" comes in a close second. We are happy with them all; no one song is any less valid to us than another. We don't write throw away songs. 12. What does the future hold for the band? Wrath: Conquest of Europe and South America would be the goal ideally. Within a year we should have another album ready to go. We will simply continue moving forward until we arrive at a point where there are no more lands to conquer and nothing left for us to say. 13. If you could play with any band who would it be and why? Wrath: It would probably be Abigor because they have never played live and that would be an event. I'd like to play with Absu, Demoncy, Corvus Corax, or Immortal. Absu and Immortal are amazing live. I have yet to see Demoncy, but just based on their releases I'm sure their concerts are a black ritual. Corvus Corax apparently had amazing prop-intensive shows where they used to play live. We'd love to participate in something like that. 14. Who writes the majority of the music? Wrath: Sanguine writes most of the principle music. I aid in arranging the songs into their final form with help from The Carcass. As I said before it has become a team effort. 15. Who has been the favorite band you've played with and why? Wrath: We finally played with Immolation after knowing them for years and never successfully playing a show with them. That was to date our best show. Our performance and response were to our liking, and Immolation played one of their best sets ever. 16. Where did you get the band name from? Wrath: It comes from the QBLH. 17. Describe what the band is like live? Wrath: Crazy, loud, almost too fast. Live playing is when the entity of this band takes hold and eradicates our "mortal" forms. You will not see the people beind those guitars, paint and spikes. You will see one unified consciousness playing to destroy, to convey the spirit of our work by undermining the corporeal vessels that deliver it. 18. If you are gonna do any kind of video what would be in it? Wrath: It would most likely be abstract and layered - a tapestry of images and impressions that combine to create a single idea, whatever it might be. I don't think about it much as videos are for MTV and the like and we don't plan to be appearing in that venue. 19. Are there any touring plans made; if so tell me about them? Wrath: Right now we are going to play the Milwaukee metal fest in August. We are also to play in Quebec in October but I don't have the date confirmations for those shows yet. 20. Where do you think the band will be 20 years from now? Wrath: We will be in the pages of metal history, hopefully with a paragraph or two devoted to us. |
