Aguascalientes, Mexico the birthplace of Servus. An unrepentant multifaceted black metal collective of individuals united in the creation of pure extreme music. It is bleak yet dripping atmospheric perfectly capturing the essence that is black metal, unforgiving and armed with the knowledge that they are part of a larger experience, forming the inspiration of the band and its ambitions.
Khamûl(drums) In general terms, Servus was born because -, Derelict and I met with the intention of creating a new black metal project (I thank my good friend Fere for introducing us). Personally, I wanted to try different styles than the one I was playing at that time (blackened death metal in Nocturnal Sacrifice, another band also from Aguascalientes), particularly atmospheric black metal, melodic black metal and, also, DSBM. Coincidentally, and for our good luck, we three founding members share an interest in these styles.
— (Leading Vocals): The emptiness of human life. Servus is the key to face existential void (which is something totally artificial).
Aethani(guitars): I cannot answer this question fully as I was invited by the founding members to be part of the band, but they did mention it was a need to make black metal music with the concept of the complexity of the human mind and how it can be blissful but at the same time a torment depending on how it’s used or how it’s configured.
What is Cosmic chaos? And how do you control the hostile mind?
Aethani: To me I think it is the concept of the fact that we all form part of something much bigger that we cannot even dimension, and so since that all is in constant change, some of the stages of that change have to do with chaos. It is very important that chaos exists as it helps things reorganize. Chaos is part of order and there cannot be order without chaos.
—: The name came from a conversation with a friend, who mentioned it as a metaphor of the pain as a master in life and all it provokes. I wrote it and kept it for a title, and I didn't know that it would become a song. So Cosmic Chaos is about how we experience -that- desperately and how our conceptual and emotional obscurations disrupt reality....
The Pride and purity of black metal
Aethani: Yes, I’m proud that our music is considered black metal because that’s what we want to do. We like the sound, the essence of it and the vibes it gives. To keep it pure I don’t even know if it remains pure because we all band mates orbitate around the different faces that black metal has and we all contribute in the band, so it ends up being a mixture of the different faces we represent.
—: I'm not really proud about it. I'm proud to make music in a freeway and I'm gonna keep it as an anonymartist. I'm not interested in recognition; I have a commitment with music to always make something really pure and honest.
Khamûl: Well, of course I'm proud, but more than for being known as a member of this band, it's for the fact that I can share some of my intimacy with people, including my bandmates. For me, being part of Servus means a lot: it means belonging to a team not only of exceptional musicians, but of people who like to express all those ideas and feelings that we share, using black metal as a medium. Here the important point is to make music from what we consider appropriate or relevant for us; We could say that falling into the category of "black metal" has been, partly, an accident.
Where does your aggression come from? Are internal or external forces that inspire you?
Aethani: Personally, for me it is internal aggression. I’m the kind of person who actually is kind and smiley, but creatively I love chaos, disgrace and pure darkness and that’s all I love to compose.
—: Always internal forces, all the noise is just a reflector that happened inside of me…
Khamûl: In this context I understand "aggression" as an aesthetic category; Does Servus make aggressive music? I guess the fact that we play extreme metal is equivalent to claiming that we make aggressive music. Now, I believe that this aggressiveness comes from both external and internal sources, which have directly to do with the concept of the band: external because I conceive of the (anthropogenic) world essentially as a source of suffering or pain, and internal because it is natural to respond to this (external) hostility with aggression, seeking a means of expression and channeling in art, in this case, music.
Where does the unique nature of your extreme music come from? Is it continual perfection of your vision and music?
Aethani: The nature of our music comes from the artists who have influenced us and also the context of our individual existence. In my personal context, it is about how to express things I have inside and how the story of my life molded me. Things happen in your life but a great part of what defines you have to do with how you take what happens to you and what you do with it.
Khamûl: This has to do with my answer to the previous question: firstly, our music draws from the preference that we all share for black metal; and secondly, (and personally) I believe that much of what our music tries to represent is the natural condition in which human beings live, which is characterized by constantly denying this same nature (that is why it is painful, in part). Now, I don't know if I could speak of an ideal of "perfection" in our music, because, again, in this context I understand "perfection" as an aesthetic category and, therefore, part of subjective judgments. However, I do intend for Servus' music to evolve, taking as a criterion the general life context of each member of the project. Thus, I intend that our music responds to very specific life circumstances.
How do you explore the nature of human existence?
Aethani: I’m very introspective, but we as human beings need to interact in order to understand many things and even our own nature, so I personally listen to stories, take the time to know people, I always analyze everything that surrounds me and then introspectively I get to know myself even more, also because I’ve been seeing the psychologist for many years know. I always gather information and transform it and give it some meaning. Also, it helps me to share information. Rather, exchange info and opinions with others. Dialogs are really inspiring and enlightening, but art also teaches and even more than words.
—: As a constant pendulum, accepting the laws that rule the universe and trying not to get attachment to what’s pleasant, nor rejection to what I perceive as unpleasant.
Khamûl: Since I was a teenager, I always liked to observe people's behavior in order to identify specific patterns. Furthermore, I was also interested (and still am) in identifying the beliefs that causally determine those patterns. I think, in very general terms, this has helped me get a little deeper into the exploration of "human nature" (if such a thing exists, but I'm assuming it does). And, as I've said before, I like to use Servus' music as a means to represent these "discoveries."
Is this where the agony and expression of the vocals is so important?
Aethani: I think that vocals call the attention of the spectator a lot because musically it is the expression that gets the closest to our human psyche because it is the instrument that forms part of our body, so its expression influenced us way before anything else: being words that our moms told us even before we were born, or when there was need to make music. That’s what I think, of course. And also in metal, vocals are aggressive and loud and that allows us to scream whatever we need to express to the world.
—: Yes, the vocal technique is the way to thrill who is listening to us. If that happens, my job is done.
Khamûl: I think so, but not just vocals, but the entire musical complex, seen as a whole. I think this is so because, for me, vocals (especially in extreme metal) serve as another instrument, along with others that have melodic and harmonic functions.
Is it a nihilistic or spiritual experience?
Aethani: Both.
—: Nihilism is just one extreme point of spiritual experience, Servus is about -that- journey of confusion.
Khamûl: Firstly, I could not affirm or deny that Servus’ concept revolves around spiritual experiences, since the existence or non-existence of any entity that we can refer to as "spirit” is verifiable. On the other hand, I consider that part of the concept of our music is nourished by nihilistic existentialism, at least in what refers to the denial of the meaning or purpose of human life, BUT in anthropogenic terms, that is, “artificial” or "illuminative."
How to describe darkness? Is it something to embrace?
Aethani: We need darkness definitely. Especially in today’s society where there’s this trend of the toxic positivity. Society now alienates sadness, anger, negativity in general because “it’s bad” and “we have to think positive” blah blah blah. That’s equally sick. Sadness and anger have an evolutive use for the human being because otherwise, how do you defend yourself against danger? How do you get past problems? Society needs to embrace darkness and the ever-existing human duality.
—: Darkness is an implicit part of life as it is Death. Meditating in death is something that delights me in every moment and I don’t have a bad connotation on that. On the contrary, it’d be sad to avoid it.
Khamûl: For me darkness is not literally the absence of light (in the manner of Plato or Saint Augustine). It has more to do with everything on which one tries to "shed light", that is, everything we try to beautify or, rather, deny. If what is denied is the natural and limited human condition, then this is darkness. Thus, darkness is an inherent part of we humans, and much of our existence is based on trying to illuminate it (deny it).
Does music help combat loneliness? Is it a source of hope?
Aethani: Hell yes. Music helps us in many ways. Even the least musical person listens to some shit. We all need it as we need art in general. We cannot get rid of that need. Of course it is a source of hope, wellbeing, energy, etc.
—: I don't feel loneliness, I love to be alone, but loneliness is just a paranoia (and I think the same for -hope-). Being able to externalize the most intimate through music, that is the sublime.
Khamûl: Good question. I think so, and there are some reasons more obvious than others. First, there is the socializer dimension of music: as a member of a band, you work as a team, which forces you to constantly socialize ideas and experiences with your bandmates, in addition to sharing physical spaces (rehearsal rooms or stages, for example). Secondly (and this is less obvious), there is the "intimate" or "aesthetic" dimension of music, in which the environment or atmosphere that music generates becomes the listener’s companion; it is part of the aesthetic experience that music can produce. And in third place, it is a fact that listening to music releases dopamine in the brain, which is better known as the "pleasure hormone," which can help emotionally to counteract the also emotional effects of loneliness.
The debut album? What will it feature?
Aethani: Around May or June if I’m not mistaken. It is brutal, expressive and I hope it connects with many people! Stay tuned on our social media:
ii. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/servus.bm?igsh=emU2c2lkMXEydWV4
Khamûl: If everything goes well, our first full-length album will be available in physical and digital formats in May of this year. It’s made up of ten tracks and is titled 'Cyclical Existence'.
Final thoughts?
Aethani: As artists and in this case as musicians, we all influence each other, and I don’t think I could make music the way I do if it wasn’t for all the great artists out there who have something to say. I also hope to influence more people because that’s one of the purposes. We all connect with each other because we all are part of the same thing, so, yeah. I also would like to thank my band mates because we all work together, and we are happy with the final results. They are great and talented people.
Khamûl: “The light is here, but the darkness makes me feel alive” (‘Cosmic Chaos’)
Top 6 albums of all time?
Aethani:
‘Puritanical Euphoric Misantropia’ – Dimmu Borgir
‘Dusk and Her Embrace’ – Cradle of Filth
‘In the Nightside Eclipse’ – Emperor
‘Damnation’ – Opeth
‘Black Sabbath’ – Black Sabbath
‘At the Heart of Winter’ – Immortal
—:
Sacrimoon - Reflections Of My Suicide Melancholy
Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows - Dead Lover's Sarabande (Face One and Face Two)
Khamûl: In no specific order:
‘Hate Them’ – Darkthrone
Enki’ – Melechesh
‘Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory’ – Dream Theater
‘Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia’ – Dimmu Borgir
‘Braveheart (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ – James Horner
‘The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ – Howard Shore