Interview with Magister Templi 2013

By Bradley Smith

Your debut album, Lucifer Leviathan Logos is finally seeing the light of day.  After hearing it a few times It seems the traditional metal influences are more obvious.  What steps did you want to take with the album after your experiences with your debut EP?  How do you feel that Magister Templi grew as a band and how does that show on the new album?  What does the title of the album mean?

Baphomet: There’s no conscious thought behind the steps we have taken musically since the EP. We usually start from scratch on every song, starting with some riffs and adapting the sound to the lyrical themes back and forth. I guess the music that influenced us during the writing period has an effect on whatever we’re creating. What you can hear on the new album is that the band as a whole has been a bigger part of the creative process. This lineup was rather fresh when we entered the studio the last time. 

Abraxas: The title of the album is an idea of mine about presenting the three mystical figures Lucifer, Leviathan and Logos as three arch-concepts of human existence in a musical form. And then it developed from that. Regarding the development from the last recording I, myself had more time on my hands this time. So I like to think that this has done the vocals some good.

Iao Sabao was an important step in the band's development.  Can you tell me about the EP, what was your aim with it?  What is the Bornless Ritual that was the central theme for the EP?  And how do you marry your lyrics to your music and what is the songwriting process for the band?

Baphomet: The EP was mainly a step to get our music out there, so we could get gigs and start playing live, which was a main goal from the get-go.

Abraxas: Usually the marrying is done by me and Baphomet and some beers, and usually we try to both bring some ideas to the table and work on them together. Usually we start with a theme or an idea of what kind of song we want and take it from there. Then of course there is a phase of heavy duty darling massacre resulting in something quite different from the original idea.

Baphomet: …which I guess is why the songs has so many diverse movements.

Not too long ago you Magister Templi supported Pagan Altar.  How was it to play alongside one of your musical idols?  How did the show go and what made them so special to you?  How do you feel about live shows in general and what are you trying to achieve when you get on stage for a performance?  And if there was a single band you could play live with, who would it be?

Abtraxas: The Pagan Altar show was great! Pagan Altar has been among our heroes from the very beginning. And on top of that they are ever so nice people. Regarding live shows: That is what we’re all about. The whole point is playing live. We’re like the inverted Darkthrone.

At this point a concert with Pentagram or Saxon would be about the coolest thing that could happen.

Baphomet: (nodding)… Black Widow would be fun too.

Abraxas: Agreed! Black Widow it is.

Lyrically Magister Templi centers around mystical themes. What about these topics interests you and do you practice or adhere to any specific esoteric religions/philosophies?  Do you think there is a place in the modern world for spiritualism?

Abraxas: No, I don’t… Or rather I think that spirituality has to assume quite a different place from the one it has had so far. To modern man, merely believing is not enough. That is why occultism is so great! We cheat. We make a way of conducting spiritual/philosophical experiments in our own subjective selves. Occultism is not necessary about finding the ONE objective truth, but rather about finding a way of making your own life work. For occultism to be interesting today it has to be progressive and take post-structuralism, deconstructivism and existentialism into consideration. Anyway, I’m one of two people I know who actually care about meta-occultism, so I won’t bore you with any more of this stuff…

With Iao Sabao it seems you were quick to catch the attention of the underground and were even named Fenriz's band of the week.  How was the overall reception of the metal community and how did it feel to get that much recognition so quickly?  Do you think that spoke to the quality of your music?  And how much do you value the opinions of the fans?

We don’t know if our impact has been that deep, but some people seem to like our stuff. It seem we were very well received by a rather small group of people who were really about old school stuff, and to us that is just as great as selling a million records. After all it was for those people we made the record. The music, we made for our own sake.

A lot of people I think seemed to just lump Magister Templi in with the doom community and ignored the traditional metal influences that were a strong part of your songwriting.  Do you think that is the case and why do you think people did that?  How does that make you feel when people disregard your older metal influences?

Abraxas: That was expected, but only because doom was kind of hot and heavy metal wasn’t.

Baphomet: I guess people automatically relate our occult themes to doom metal and discard the heavy metal influences.

Together (chanting ecstatically): We draw more inspiration from Trouble than any other doom band and they are just as much a heavy metal orchestra. 

After a veritable death of Norwegian doom bands there seems to be a rising tide of doom in Norway with Devil, High Priest of Saturn, Altaar and Magister Templi among others.  Why do you think the time is right for this growing interest in doom in Norway?  And one thing I noticed is that even though the bands are united by a central style, in execution you are really musically diverse and sound completely different from each other.  Why is there such a divergent take on the central core of the doom metal?

How is a Hawaiian guy so up to date on Norwegian doom? The thing is, and always has been… Norway is very small. So we all know each other, and like each other, never mind the finer points, we’re all in this together. How on earth (or in Norway?)  would we amuse each other if we played the same kind of music?

On your facebook page you posted a thread about some old games that were available called Have Fun With The Occult.  It seems so strange to me that there was a time when these things were available.  Did you own any of them as a kid and how were your parents in relation to their opinions on exposing you to occult themes?  What do you think Norway's opinion on the occult is in the general populace?

Abraxas: I think that we occultists are considered utterly insane in Norway as everywhere else. My mother was cool with it though. Her father was an occultist too. No idea about the games though… seemed fun at the time… As a matter of course: I don’t expose my daughter to anything having anything to do with the occult.

Baphomet: Even though Norway probably is one of the most godless countries in the world, it still has a general fear of the occult, thinking that it’s all about worshipping the old sod on his throne. I guess the 90’s scared people a bit and made them narrow minded.

The title of one of your songs is The Innsmouth Look.  An obvious reference to Lovecraft, what do you think of his writing style and work?  What's your favorite story and why do you think his writings appeal to metal minded people in general?  What are some other important authors to Magister Templi?

Abraxas: My favorite Lovecraft stories are (not surprisingly) “A Shadow over Innsmouth” and “Mountains of Madness”. Other authors that are important to Magister are: Dostoyevsky, Murakami and William Shakespeare.

Baphomet: Lovecraft is one of the original writers of twisted and epic horror. Metal Heads being suckers for all things twisted and epic will always crave for this stuff…

Abraxas: Also he has to be the one introducing psychology to horror, thus inviting the horrors into your living room and your mind.

So what are your upcoming plans for Magister Templi?  Any new material or special shows?  Are you going to have any special events to mark the release of Lucifer Leviathan Logos?

There will of course be a release-gig in Oslo on the 7^th of May, a Norwegian festival (Til Dovre Faller), and we’re planning a pre-listening party, but apart from that our schedule is rather empty. Frankly put we’re hoping that people will like our album and book us.

Thanks again for the interview, I'll leave you space to explain the relationship between alchemy and Magister Templi!  Any Final Words of esoteric enlightenment you wish to impart upon us?  Doom On!!!

Abraxas: Alchemy is simply how I choose to express myself lyrically. Alchemical symbols are quite an integrated part of me, so that is what keeps pouring out when I write.

Final words: If you are ever in Oslo, make sure you visit the Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum!