Inconcessus Lux Lucis

Metal Mayhem: Where in Manchester are you from?
Inconcessus Lux Lucis: I (Malphas) am from the shit-hole of the northwest known as Stockport, about 20 minutes outside of Manchester.

MM: How long have you been playing black metal?
ILL: I have played instruments all my life, but I decided to start writing music in around 2005.

MM: What does black metal mean to you?
ILL: Black metal is firstly, a form of high art, it is also an expression, a philosophy and a way of life, and I mean that quite literally. There are too many bands out there playing this dark, forbidden music, with little or no interest for what it truly means. To answer your question simply, black metal is the perfect vehicle for my religious/spiritual beliefs; the two go hand in hand.

MM: What support have you had for your band from people in the area?
ILL: None.

MM: Why was there a change from Whorethorn to Inconcessus Lux Lucis?
ILL: My beliefs are in a constant state of flux, constantly being formed and rapidly becoming a greater part of my life. To have a name such as Whorethorn didn’t do justice to something as holy and important as what I’m trying to convey. Inconcessus Lux Lucis is far more fitting. It means forbidden light in Latin.

MM: Do you think there is a black metal ‘scene’ in Manchester?
ILL: No, even if there was I wouldn’t care, most people are too stupid and ignorant to contribute anything of any worth, anyway.

MM: Is this different from the rest of the country?
ILL: I don’t think so, I don’t go to gigs, and I don’t generally go out of my way to speak to people about these things.

MM: Do you think Death metal makes up most of the extreme music fanbase here?
ILL: I think so; I have noticed that a few death metal bands are getting some recognition now.

MM: Are you in contact with many BM bands from this area?
ILL: No, I’m only in contact with one active band and they’re (he’s) situated in Wales/Chester.

MM: Black metal has never seemed to gain as much of a foothold in the UK as on the continent – why do you think that is?
ILL: I suppose one reason for this could be that we live in a very disgusting, materialistic society, where you have to be a clone to be accepted, and where any spark of individuality is usually extinguished by the blind masses. But then again it’s the same in most of the developed world. Fuck, I don’t know, it’s difficult to form an articulate response to something you’ve never thought about before. I’m always focusing inward, not at what’s going on around me.

MM: One of Manchester’s longest running and most significant alternative music clubs, Jilly’s Rockworld, recently closed its doors – do you think this will have any effect on the black metal scene?
ILL: I don’t know, I only remember posers going there. I don’t really think it would have any impact on the black metal “scene” as if you have the will to succeed; you won’t let something as insignificant as a venue closing down stop you on your path.

MM: Are you touring this year?
ILL: Not with I.L.L.

MM: Have you played in Manchester before, and if so, what was the reception like?
ILL: No, we’ve never played a gig before.

MM: Many black metal bands shun popularity – do you think this is keeping black metal under the radar in the North West and Manchester, and would you like this to continue?
ILL: It’s a fucking joke; bands that want to remain unknown and underground are, nine times out of ten, shit. Simple as that. I want to make money from my art, I refuse to fit in with society and work the nine to five. I refuse to work alongside all the sub-human robots, just to make enough money to survive.

MM: Are there many labels / promoters / distributors of black metal in Manchester?
ILL: I don’t think so. I think, like you said; death metal is the dominant extreme metal sub-genre in this area.

MM: Was it hard for you to find a label?
ILL: Yes and no. It was easy to find small labels, but they’re useless to us. I had to create my own label to have my material released properly. I’m currently looking for a new label, but I’m not settling for a poor offer.

MM: What kind of feedback have you had for your 2009 demo “Part 1: The Awakening Of Him”?
ILL: What I’ve heard has been very positive, and I’m not surprised, it’s the best black metal demo to have ever come out of Manchester.

MM: What is next for Inconcessus Lux Lucis? Live tour? Full Length album?
ILL: Well, I have many, many ever-changing ideas. Firstly I shall find a suitable label to release our new album, the re-recorded version of The Awakening of Him. There is a split with Nyarlathotep, coming soon. I also have the concept for an EP sorted out (but that will most likely not be out for quite a while). Finally, we will be touring in 2011, you do not want to miss that, I have something rather special lined up. Oh, and I almost forgot... There will be a “Part 2” album, I have written a couple of songs for it already.

MM: What do you see on the horizon for the future of black metal a) in Manchester b) in general?
ILL: Well, in Manchester, I see black metal becoming more widespread; it’s leaked into the mainstream media, meaning anyone can listen to it, whether the majority will see it just as a form of music, only time will tell. As for black metal in general, I think it will just grow and grow becoming more and more diluted and devoid of meaning until a new genre of music has to be spawned, and you’d better fucking believe Inconcessus Lux Lucis would be spearheading that genre!

MM: What were your main BM influences (band-wise)?
ILL: I tend to try not to be overtly influenced by other bands, I’d rather listen to a piece of music and think “I can do better than that”, I like to set myself challenges musically. However, I enjoy listening to; Dissection, Glorior Belli, Arckanum, Craft, Ofermod, Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Armagedda, Forgotten Woods, Xasthur, Malign, Peste Noire, Watain, Teitanblood and many more. In my opinion, true art is an expression of the self, not a reflection of other’s work, and these are just a few bands that I respect and enjoy to listen to.

MM: As a newer band in the scene, what do you think of the old tape trading tradition, and is it still relevant today?
ILL: I think it’s obsolete nowadays, as of course; we now have the Internet, where we can pirate as much obscure music as we like. Fifteen years ago, if you wanted to listen to “underground” music, you’d have to really search for it. It’s a shame somewhat that this art is now available for the masses, but development is always good.

MM: Do you think politics have a place in black metal?
ILL: No, political beliefs are usually based on an old, stagnant set of values that do nothing but hinder spiritual development. Black metal is (or should be) Satanism/Luciferianism, which should be partly about breaking all laws and smashing down all restrictions imposed on us by society, nature and the universe. To get caught up in something as trivial as politics in something as ultimate as black metal simply doesn’t make sense.

MM: Some of the more outspoken black metal artists have extreme political views – do you think this has an effect on the spread of BM through the UK?
ILL: Perhaps, most so-called normal people will choose to ignore anything that doesn’t fit in with their indoctrinated, super liberal moral code. Personally, I couldn’t give a fuck. Politics is something created by this disgusting society. Why would a Satanist want to be part of that?

MM: Some may argue that the headline-grabbing antics of early BM pioneers in places like Norway brought BM to the attention of many who wouldn’t have heard of it – do you think the lack of anything like this in the UK is behind why BM hasn’t taken root as much?
ILL: Of course, but I don’t necessarily think that that’s a bad thing. A lot of the bands from Norway these days are just riding on a twenty year old gimmick, there’s no substance to their art, it’s just music.

MM: Who do you see as the key black metal bands in the UK today?
ILL: Apart from Inconcessus Lux Lucis, I do not know. I want to mention a couple of names and I do mean a couple, but I’d rather not, more publicity for them is less publicity for me!

Article by David Keane