With raw production, blazing guitars, shrieking vocals and blasting drums, black metal has always purported an extreme display of individualism, making every effort to reject all things politically correct and socially acceptable. Like everything however, human beings have turned those sparks of individualistic expression into hackneyed, formulaic practices, which have become little more than parodies of themselves. It takes an overwhelming dose of praxis for this cycle to be broken. The somewhat reclusive members of Wolves in the Throne Room who hail from Olympia, Washington and are some of the few individuals who strive to break these patterns. Not only do they defy most typical black metal forms of tradition, but also black metal culture as a whole. “We have no intention of contributing anything to traditional black metal. The orthodox thinking involved in the construction of traditional black metal is repugnant and stifling” Rick (no last name given) states.

The members live peacefully and self-sufficiently together in a house secluded by the forests of Cascadia, and feel that their music shares a symbiotic relationship with the lifestyle they’ve constructed and wilderness that surrounds them. Dubbed incorrectly by some as “hippies”, Wolves simply choose to avoid participation in the urban sprawl that oh so comfortably devours the majority of us, trading it for a natural lifestyle growing their own food and cultivating livestock.

With their new album Two Hunters recently released, and their first national tour underway, waves are being made as their ideologies are expressed unto many for the first time. “Our live performances are concerned with transcending the ubiquitous confines of the here and now, leaving both band and crowd shaken free, in however small degree, from the smothering edifice of our modern culture.” Although many audience members may only be attending the show for loud music, there are also those who will be there to truly listen, “we endeavor to rouse those in attendance from the psychic torpor society demands of its constituents”. Even amidst potential anxieties over their first US tour, the Wolves seem optimistic about the opportunities that approach. “We look forward to the chance to play with bands we respect and admire as well as seeing new places and people.” When asked about how they might react to visiting various cities, some of which being rather large, Rick responded with “we feel that any negative effects from the trip will work themselves out on stage as you suggest and will be greatly mitigated by the hospitality and kindness we’re sure to find in each city.”

The press release for Two Hunters states that the recording process “was very organic with very minimal use of any digital effects or manipulation.” While the band members reject follies of modern society, they don’t deny the irony in utilizing a studio to record music, or the use of modern instruments to perform their craft. Regardless, the experience of recording Two Hunters is quite a different experience from their first album, Diadem of 12 Stars. “Diadem emerged from a very condensed, confined place; a frenetic spirit animated us throughout the session, strengthening our purpose and resolve to create what we sought despite shortages of time and sleep.” However despite some of the differences in recording procedures between Diadem and Two Hunters, there is still a strong sense of cohesion between the two releases. “We had more time with Two Hunters, both for writing and tracking, and took advantage to explore methods and techniques in the studio unavailable to us before. We had no trouble translating our vision to Randall (Dunn) and felt enriched by his insight throughout the process.”

While metal can be seen as a blatant assertion of masculinity, some bands attempt to balance this out with the inclusion of female vocal elements. Rick explains, “our lives are full of powerful women and naturally these experiences find their way into our music. We seek to honor the glorious nature of womanhood in our music as we do all the primal forces around us.” Wolves’s first album included the talents of Jamie Meyers (Hammers of Misfortune), and the recent release of Two Hunters showcases the talents of Jessica Kinney (Eyvind Kang, ASVA) who provides her femininity to two of the four tracks on the album. “Jessica is focused professional with a powerful talent.” Rick continues, “She quickly internalized our lyrics and ideas about her contribution and effortlessly surpassed our expectations with a performance more meaningful than we’d hoped for.” The band yields a strong reverence for femininity not only in their beliefs, but also when creating their music. “We have worked to make all representations of women in our music and art true to the feminine spirit as we have experienced it and find the prurient manner in which women are portrayed in the culture at large and metal specifically utterly sickening” Rick continued.

Black metal to many fans is simply a style of music, or a means to individualize themselves from the herd. However it has developed clichéd traditions and tired theatrics that have very little value beneath the surfaces of corpse paint and wrist spikes. I asked Rick about a previous statement I had read in regards to Two Hunters being “a tribute to the genre”, wondering why they so boldly defy what black metal has become. “Our tribute is more to the radical and innovative spirit conjured when the bands at the genesis of black metal created something new and engaging with their music rather than to the sounds or appearances that spirit manifested as. Tribute by rote mimicry is a hollow gesture.” It could be said that these roots and this spirit which was evoked when the medium of black metal was created was not only inspirational, but completely essential. What once was vapid for many has been made new again with a “cleansing fire”, and by seeking out these roots, the pallid representations of what black metal stems from can be interpreted in a new light, beneficially. “Our influences for Two Hunters were much the same as for Diadem, as well as the new material we’re currently writing. Life, death, horror, awe. There are never any unadulterated veins of influence in what we do as everything is a collaborative venture, the three of us continually working and reworking everything.”

But aside from all of that, is human expression, art, or even black metal just another form of deep rooted narcissism? Rick goes on to explain, “the intrinsic and elemental human experiences reflected in black metal resonate with us and will always be fertile and valid inspirations for art in any medium.” Exhibiting intense feelings of misanthropy and woe calls for conjugation with an extreme medium. For many, this is why extreme forms of metal continue to be such an abundant catharsis. Rick summarizes, “it will always be important for humans to reflect upon the world and puzzle at their place in it; whether it be rapture in the presence natures glories or the revulsion and disgust felt when faced with misery and death. To express these considerations is life itself.”

When you look at the natural earth around you, one can clearly see merciless displays of flourishing beauty. This is also one way to describe the music Wolves in the Throne Room create with a great deal of romanticism and conviction. The true spirit of black metal is alive and well, deep in the forests of Cascadia.

 

 

Originally written and abridged for SLUG Magazine.