Blood Incantation have emerged as one of the most innovative and influential bands in extreme metal. Known for their intricate compositions, otherworldly atmosphere, and technical prowess, the band have captivated listeners with their unique blend of death metal, progressive rock, and psychedelic elements. Their latest album, Absolute Elsewhere, is a testament to their artistic vision and ability to push the boundaries of the genre. In this interview, Isaac Faulk, Paul Riedl, and Morris Kolontyrsky discuss the expectations surrounding Absolute Elsewhere, what they are most proud of as a band, the current state of extreme music, the album’s incredible artwork, and much more.
The anticipation surrounding Absolute Elsewhere was palpable. How does the band manage such lofty expectations, especially given the pressure to follow up on their previous critically acclaimed releases?
Paul: This is something people have been asking us since Starspawn came out, yet the answer has remained the same for nearly 10 years. Like all of our albums, Absolute Elsewhere is merely a document of our journey and of a specific time and place relative to our individual and collective abilities of trying our best at any given moment, and we always seek to improve our methods toward more potent results. Listening chronologically to our releases reveals a very clear narrative structure, with the telescoping nature of our progression being easily visible, so it would answer more by framing it “from where have Blood Incantation come before?” rather than “to where shall they go next?” Each record simply enhances the qualities of the preceding one—Everything is increased, be it extremity or ambience. Right now, there is no more accurate presentation of a Blood Incantation album than Absolute Elsewhere, with all past steps leading quite literally leading up to this moment, and we look forward to carrying on in our usual tradition for our subsequent albums, as we have done since the beginning.
You can always expect something different from us, yet it will always be distinctly Blood Incantation—one of our greatest strengths among our peers is that we have never settled to release the same album twice. A band that grows along with its audience, taking everyone involved on a collective journey through art, time, space, and the cosmos—would you really enjoy it another way? We certainly wouldn’t. But, the objective is always growth, expansion, and exercising our creative freedom in ways that push ourselves as individuals as much as the listeners.
It is critical to understand that, first and foremost, we are fans of the music itself and are being taken along for the same ride as anyone else while we follow wherever the music happens to take us. Understanding this approach will give the listener a deeper appreciation of our total discography, seeing us as artists on a collective journey rather than merely a group of individuals releasing a series of albums just for the sake of it. So, there is resolutely zero stress among us regarding the actual expectations or hype people may impose on our band—It’s simply our goal to make the music we love and are trying to hear, not focus on that which pleases others.
Tell me a little about the band’s decision on the album cover by Steve R. Dodd.
Paul: Well, let’s get right into it, then. So, all Blood Incantation releases (except our split seven-inch and live 12-inch) have had these classic space paintings from the 1970s and 1980s: Interdimensional Extinction and Hidden History of the Human Race have artwork by Bruce Pennington, Starspawn and Timewave Zero have artwork by Don Dixon, and Luminescent Bridge and Absolute Elsewhere have artwork by Steve R. Dodd. These complimentary pairings are all part of the overarching aesthetic, with each lending itself to the gradual expansion of the overall concept.
When looking at our releases, one can easily discern, “Ah, this is clearly Blood Incantation,” which is likewise important to the development of the Blood Incantation visual cosmos in the sense that each landscape depicted in the various artworks could theoretically be a new location within the same universe; each illustration expands the perspective of the world(s) our music is exploring if that makes sense. All of these paintings, except Steve Dodd’s, are decades old and were previously published as book and magazine covers, so we worked directly with the estates of the artists themselves to officially license each one and obtain the highest resolution scans. We knew the third album would require commissioned paintings, and it had taken us a few years to finally get in touch with Steve, but by the time we were working on Luminescent Bridge, he was not able to do a custom piece. So, we licensed two contemporary pieces instead of old ones, giving him time to prepare for the Absolute Elsewhere paintings. In early 2023, we sent him a care package of our entire discography, along with a letter detailing our various interests and conceptual ambitions with the band, as well as some mixtapes of both upcoming and unreleased material, for him to fully immersive himself into the making of the new album. This letter, as well as his response, are included in the deluxe media book edition of the album.
I should mention that Steve is a very reclusive fellow, living in a small town where he’s lived all his life, having no phone line, no computer or internet access, and communicates via snail mail with his own family (who also still live in the same small town). His sister Kay would facilitate the bulk of the information between us and was tremendously helpful as well as supportive of our ideas. Steve himself mentioned that our music, particularly Timewave Zero and the mixtape containing instrumental preproduction demos of Absolute Elsewhere and some unreleased ambient improvisations, was great to paint to. So, the cover and inner gatefold art were actually painted while listening to the album in its rudimentary form, which we think is really amazing.
The artwork itself, while not necessarily containing any hidden references, nonetheless takes cues from all of our past covers combined but presenting them in a new way. The font itself was drawn in the 70s by Rodney Matthews, another master of sci-fi/fantasy paintings and was a contemporary of Roger Dean. He did album covers and lettering for bands like Eloy, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Amon Düül II, and many others, and I’d initially reached out to him about a custom font in the vein of the Metromania logo, but he couldn’t take on that project. Still, the font we ended up using was made back then, and the title lettering was assembled from first-generation scans.
What is the aspect of the Blood Incantation journey you are most proud of thus far?
Morris: There have been many milestones achieved but more than any show, magazine cover, or amount of records sold, I am most proud of us maintaining the same line-up since the release of Starspawn. This band is so much more than just playing the right parts at the right time. We are a unique life form that can only be made whole from each of our personalities. Blood Incantation could never be the same without these exact four people, and I am proud to say our bond as friends, co-workers, artists, and brothers is stronger than ever.
Isaac: As we have progressed, it has been so exciting to see each of us change and hone our abilities as musicians. At the same time, our connection as the four members of this band has grown stronger and stronger over the years, and it has meant that this band is an amazing place to explore creativity in a way that I always hoped it could be. We each push each other and build on what we do in all of our other projects. This means we can come to each album with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. I hope we never get to a point where we are bored with it; that being said, I don’t think we will because of that dynamic of different writers, different ideas, and all the spices that go into the concoction of Blood Incantation. Through thick and thin, I am most proud of the fact that we have maintained this same lineup for so long and have reached heights I never would have dreamed of as a teenager first getting into extreme metal. In addition, I am so excited to be in a band with such talented individuals where I can bring ideas, riffs, and songs to them, and we make something totally unique, even beyond my original ideas.
A couple of years back, Paul stated, “The hardest part of good ambient is finding that balance between inner stillness and still keeping it interesting.” What is the hardest part of making good extreme metal?
Paul: It is certainly a more complex scenario in regards to metal, but the most important thing to all heavy music, in my opinion, is the riff first and the atmosphere second. While it is entirely possible to make a deeply effective atmosphere with very simple riffing (which our other bands definitely enjoy doing), Blood Incantation prioritizes The Riff above all else; without great riffs, a band is just a band–regardless of its genre. An inverse exists to your question, where the balance is centered on keeping the riff itself interesting and compelling rather than simply impressive. As the weakest link in the band, it’s safe for me to say that we get better at this with each new composition.
What’s been the biggest surprise or thing you least expected about the Blood Incantation story so far?
Isaac: For me, the thing I least expected has to be the support from people we look up to. Of course, as a young musician, you look up to all kinds of different artists and players, but really, you never expect them to support you, let alone involve themselves in what you do. With each album and tour, we have had incredible support from many different people from around the world. For example, we would not be where we are today without all of the guys in Immolation. For us, that has been paramount in learning not just how to be a better band but also to be better tour mates and, ultimately, people. We also had Antti Bowman from Demilich record a punctual gurgle on our record, Hidden History of the Human Race, another idol of ours that we toured and became good friends with. The people on all sides who support our overall vision astound me, and it keeps growing; our crew on the road and our record label all believe in this crazy band from Denver, surprising me every time.
Morris: One of the most surprising things I often reflect upon is how many fans we have from various different genre circles. Their willingness to take this wild journey with us as the band expands into new territory and sticking by us for so many years. As a kid, I loved the feeling of waiting for my favorite bands to release their next record and soaking up every aspect of the release campaigns (I still do). We don’t play the most commercially accepted form of music so this can definitely come as a shock sometimes. It is, of course, a welcome surprise. Thank you everyone!
What most excites you about extreme music/metal?
Morris: I’ve played in numerous different types of bands before ever being in an extreme/metal group with a full lineup that plays shows. Ranging from Indie rock to Surf, Post-Punk, No Wave, etc. I found that almost always, the group’s individuality never stemmed from the capability of any one player in the band. I felt that metal was the last remaining stronghold of the real rock-roll mentality in the sense that there is still a focus on solos and this larger-than-life character. Ego aside, I wanted to contribute my ear to catchy solos and lead riffs in a way that I saw my heroes in Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Slayer do as I discovered them from a young age. This all still resonates with me as Blood Incantation moves forward. I can feel my skill set growing, and this genre of music ultimately excites me and influences me to know my instrument better with each release.
Isaac: For me, extreme metal was the form of music that got me to really dive into playing music. I played bass in my earlier years, but it wasn’t until I was 14 and I heard bands like Dimmu Borgir and Emperor that I really started to play drums and guitar. I then started writing and recording my own music throughout high school, influenced by all forms of metal. As I began listening to other more progressive bands, e.g., Opeth, Meshuggah, and SunnO))) I discovered Porcupine Tree and the world of progressive rock. I watched an interview with Steven Wilson at the time (around 2005) where he said that extreme metal was one of the few places where those musicians could stretch and perform at levels similar to the prog bands of the 70s. I could trace the DNA of Absolute Elsewhere to that very interview. To me, these worlds exist simultaneously in my creative life, and I think I can speak for everyone in the band that this is the exact reason why Blood Incantation works and why we all share a musical identity. We all come from different backgrounds but unite on this idea that extreme music doesn’t always mean being the loudest, heaviest, noisiest band. It can also come from extremes in dichotomy and dynamics.
While you often seem very serious from the outside, watching the documentary about the album showed a different, more humorous side of the band. Tell me briefly about how humor and levity play a role in the band.
Paul: A little levity never hurt anybody; we’re all friends, and the music is open, so while we take our commitments and ambitions pertaining to the band very seriously; it’s not lost on us that life itself is one big inside joke, in the zen sense.
Lastly, what’s your biggest concern about extreme music/metal right now?
Morris: Trends and loss of self. This goes for all art in general. The classic underground/overground rivalry is ultimately a problem of insecurity. The older I get, the more I get rid of this notion of a “guilty pleasure.” There is no shame in liking whatever it is one enjoys so long as it’s genuine. This isn’t a concern about extreme music or metal per se but more so a critique of the culture of today’s art consumerism, given the vast knowledge at anyone’s fingers at all times. Also, the general criticism of experimentation within a genre that came from trying new ideas against the grain seems hypocritical to me.
Isaac: To me, metal will always be a bedrock. It goes through changes, popularity, and cultural irrelevance. However, no matter the zeitgeist or the way it is perceived, metal is always there, a steady force of art and community. For that reason I am never really concerned with the current state or the future of it since there are always cycles of trends that come and go. The only real concern I have is the effect of AI on art and media. That doubled with the monopoly of streaming services makes it likely we could have completely computer generated albums by nonexistent bands populating the playlists of most listeners in the world. However, just as vinyl sales have picked up in the digital age, I believe fans, especially metalheads, desire handcrafted, human music and, therefore, will always make room for real creatives to exist.
Absolute Elsewhere is available now on the band’s official store. Follow Blood Incantation on Facebook and Instagram for future updates.
