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Writer's pictureSparky

Mörtemiis - Blodfält and Nihilistium


Mörtemiis is the ever-evolving artist behind the prolific and utterly heavy Nihilistium, a Black Metal project of utter bleakness and internal terror. Blodfält is her new project a musical journey that takes its inspiration from a source of light yet remains true to her uncompromising nature. The formation and inspiration for creating Blodfält (formerly known as Baptiism)? Mörtemiis "It may have seemed a little pretentious of me to create this project, but I just wanted to share something spiritual. 90% of Christians in my town are extremely unforgiving and judgemental. They all seem to think I'm still a child of the devil. I get a lot of inspiration from Psalms".



'It is finished' is your latest release, are you happy with the result? "I guess so... It didn’t turn out as good as it did in my head, but does anything ever turn out to be as good as you expect?" The album title is almost like a statement. Did you have you overcome diversity to release this? "The title refers to the last words of Jesus when he was crucified. Diversity? I don't know anything about that." It is unashamedly black metal and almost choir/gospel like. Was the making of it easy? "I felt it needed a bit more atmosphere. It needed a little 'light'. It took a while to find the perfect sound. All 3 of the tracks had to be re-written and remade. I wanted to release the EP sooner but then again, good music is usually never rushed. To be honest I actually enjoy some Russian orthodox choir." Was it easy to combine them musically? "It took a bit of effort making 'Polyeleos', adding a calming atmosphere and subtle sound effects of old bells or singing bowls. I wanted to create something that soothed my spirit; music for sleep for when I have major trouble falling asleep. I had to re-record vocals on tracks 1 and 2. 'Holy Triumph' had re-written lyrics and was re-recorded several times because I was never happy with how past recordings sounded. In some songs, I like to try and experiment with the sound to get a medieval choir like sound in the background. Something dark but powerful sounding, like Emperor's album 'In The Nightside Eclipse'."

Did you find it hard to overcome any fears or criticism? "Very much so. I got so much hate at first and I was considered to be a 'poser' or kinda 'lame'. I don't care too much about the listener's opinion, but I know I was not put here on earth to impress anyone by any means. Music is just my passion. A lot of people I know like the album, but people who don’t the music or know what the lyrics say, they still call me a child of the devil." What does Christianity mean to you? And how you found this? "My struggle is hard with some things, but it brings me peace knowing that God hears me when I am in distress. Years of pain, fear and confusion is what led me to Him. I am thankful as I no longer need to fear Death. I'm not catholic. I don’t pray to saints or Mary. There’s nothing special of her anyway." When can we expect more music from Blodfält? "Yes. When I have the time and patience, there will be a few more albums with a ‘rawer’ sound than 100% symphonic. I've got animals to look after first." You have also undergone some sort of transformation. Did this happen naturally or the reason for this? "I think there was a gaping hole in my soul. It caused me more pain. I had completely given up hope. I hate the way the world is becoming... I thought only God can save us now... The world is screwed up and I am just another wretched being."

The change to your image and so people can no longer see you? "There are images I've put online I wish I hadn't. I don't mind taking pics in a dark forest wearing corpse paint, as long as it's distorted and grainy high contrast shit. Doing that too often can bore me a little. On the other hand, I can recall myself saying that I wanted to be seen as... the 'Lady Gaga' of black metal, so changing my image and covering my face sometimes is understandable, otherwise I just think I'm getting fat and ugly... I never wanted 'fame' within the metal community..." Is it true you have been unfairly accused of 'white washing'? "Yes. Some people think I'm trying to cover up things that happened in the past and denying that I had a satanic past. However, that's not truly the case. I wrote an old song called 'Lucifer My Father', it was only a video released on YouTube for a short while, then was deleted. Since then, it has been labelled as a single, when it was not intended to be a single, and was never officially released on Bandcamp. When I try to correct people about this issue, they say I'm just denying it ever happened and thus being accused of white washing, supposedly covering things up. People never listen to me when I'm just trying to simply correct them..." Your response to this? "I'm right, you're wrong. Get a life and do something useful with yourself." Where do you think this criticism is coming from? "Unbelievers and elitists who can’t shut up and just enjoy the music. Duh. They always seem to think they are so much more superior than other metal fans. It sickens me." How do you overcome it? "I remind myself that I wasn’t put here to impress anybody. I made the music to share a message and keep myself from going insane. Humans are trash. Screw them. That's what I say to myself every time I release something."

Will Nihilistium continue? And in what form? Is it transforming as well? "I have decided that, under Nihilistium, I will release 1 more album and then bring the project to an end. Life is changing so it seems. I feel no need to write about suffering and depression these days. But if anything, bad should happen to me and my family in the future, I may start a different DSBM project. So, no, Nihilistium isn’t gonna be active much longer. There are songs under the project I regret writing and releasing... I have thought of making a tribute project to Alexi Laiho and Children Of Bodom, as they got me into metal and are one of my all-time favourite bands to this day, but most of their older songs are so difficult to play. I can only dream of it. That dude was a legend, and his music will always have a special place in my heart. My biggest dream of all is (or was) to be in a power metal band, but the chances of THAT happening are, sadly, highly unlikely. Anyway, uh, I'm trying to experiment with my sound and have more variety in songs. I think I might give up the 'atmosphere-with-lots-of-reverb' approach and have a grainy bleaker sound like older, more traditional DSBM bands like Unjoy and Fornicatus. Blodfält is my main project now. That will have a sound like old Emperor and Antivenom." Does DSBM no longer interest you? "Of course, it does! I don't know why some people think that. But I dont have reason to write about being depressed right now. There will be less releases in the future as I only use DSBM as a coping method. I'm generally a happier person these days. Drugs and alcohol really does help. My mp3 player is full of suicidal black metal and depressive rock!" You also have a doom metal project? "Uh, not yet, but I plan on it. I want to experiment with different sounds first so I can see if I can achieve a deeper, gloomier sound. If Beethoven was a musician in this day and age, he would be perfect for doom metal! He probably would've been a huge fan for My Dying Bride too I guess." Any other projects I have missed? "Uh, nothing more yet, but I'm sure I won’t lose touch with you." What's next? What is the future of your music? "I plan on starting a dark ambient, sort of 'ritualistic-background-noise' sounding project, but that won’t be anytime soon. That'll probably come when I'm much older. Nihilist won’t be active much longer; my doom metal project will come in a few years when I have better equipment and the future of Blodfält is unsure. I don't create so many projects for attention, NO! I create projects because I simply love music! I have said this multiple times. Anyway, Whatever happens with any of my musical acts, some web pages will later be terminated, and will re unite under one particular Bandcamp address, let alone through the main website of my label." Your view on the direction of extreme music. And will you always be involved? "It is likely that I'll continue to create metal and dark ambient till I'm an old hag with a dying voice. The direction of the music these days? Too many people are either in it only for the money or for attention. I don’t like that. That's not me. I feel as though decent heavy sound is dying and bands are becoming too sensitive and soft with their sound. It's okay if a heavy band releases at least 1 album with softer music, but if they're gonna continue to play soft and use clean vocals, they might as well start a separate project. Dark ambient albums are cool n smooth. And yes, I'll always be involved with extreme and dark music." Tell us about your label, Ars Mentis Morbum. What is the ideology behind it and the purpose? Will it be about the style of the music or the whole package? (beliefs, imagery etc)? "It started as an idea to create a creepy weird art website where I could publish gory and disgusting artwork and shock videos that featured paintings made of menstrual blood and dead bugs, drawings of things I saw in dreams and creating disturbing videos of the horrors of being mentally ill. Sometimes I thought the videos should be based on creepy urban legends and folk tales, other times I had the idea of using CGI to portray ways people can die. I LOVE blood! That idea kind of failed to be brought to life so instead I made it into an imprint, my personal record 'label' specialising in black metal and dark ambient, and maybe turn a small part of the website into a little store which I create and sell strange items and objects. Bringing that idea to life was much easier. The website or the name has nothing to do with my beliefs. There is a little gallery on the website, but it is always being edited as it's hard for me to decide what pieces of art or photography is worthy of being online." Will you just be releasing your own music or other artists? "Ars Mentis Morbum is my label, my imprint. Like 'Humani Animali Liberati' (the label for all Nattramn's creations), my label is the name under which all my works are gathered into one place. When I become an old dying hag, the listeners won’t have to search for separate Bandcamp pages. I'm not signing other artists. It's just my stuff." Will it be available on all formats and the distribution network? "The music? That will always be available on Bandcamp, in physical CD form, download, and one day maybe vinyl! They will all be gathered in one place on my website, so people sent have to go searching for separate Bandcamp pages.




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