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To Mega Therion

Viscerine: This project has been around in several forms since 1994 but was always on the back burner from other projects and bands I’ve been involved in 'till December of 2005, when I came up with the name To Mega Therion. But it really didn’t come to fruition 'till about five months before our first performance in January.

How would you characterize the music of To Mega Therion to someone who hasn't heard your material?

Viscerine: I call it black noise; it’s power noise with a black metal attitude and feel.

Between the make-up, the occult themes, and the fact that you describe your music as 'black noise,' it seems like you have some pretty strong black metal influences. How do you translate those influences to a purely electronic model?

Viscerine: That’s the challenge of the project and why I love it so much! I love metal of all kinds, have been in several metal bands, and have played guitar for 16 years, so with this project I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could make music that at times would have the same effect on the listener—as if they were listening to a guitar-driven band—without any guitars, basses, or a live drummer. Also, I wanted to do something different, something no one has heard or done before. I’ve always loved noise and industrial music and have been involved in just as many bands doing that as I have metal ones, so it came to me to take these two things and bring them together, and to a new level.

You have a new EP, The Blood Rituals, coming out on Sistinas Music. Tell us a little about that; what sorts of remixes are on there?

Viscerine: There are remixes on there from Ah Cama-Sotz (who is a huge inspiration for this project), W.A.S.T.E., Embodi, Vuxnut, Endif, and Alter Der Ruine. Herman of Ah Cama-Sotz is actually mastering the disc.

What other musicians and artists are you most influenced by?

Viscerine: Well, besides Ah Cama-Sotz and my best buddy in W.A.S.T.E., Shane, I’d say I’m influenced by NIN, Converter, Combichrist, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Throne, and Swans. But seriously, the list could go on forever; I love all kinds of music.

Your octopus logo looks like something out of H.P. Lovecraft. Was he an influence? What other books or writers have impacted the themes you're exploring with To Mega Therion?

Viscerine: H.P. Lovecraft is a huge inspiration and is the source of the Cthulhu emblem. As for the name To Mega Therion, I got that from Aleister Crowley. He used to be called The Great Beast 666, which in Greek is 'To Mega Therion.' I’m a big connoisseur of occult literature, history, ritual magic, and any kind of forbidden knowledge.

You're known for your very dramatic live performances, a rarity in the power noise scene. Describe a To Mega Therion show for someone who hasn't had the chance to see you play.

Viscerine: Bloodshed, mosh pits, injuries, summoning of demons, sacrifices, possessions...with dancing in between.

With the robes and make-up, you're definitely more theatrical than most power noise acts. Do you worry about alienating people who aren't familiar with what you do?

Viscerine: Absolutely not. People love it. In a lot of ways, I think this is something that everyone in the power noise scene has been wanting.

You're at work on your first full-length album, Black Noise. How is that progressing, and what can you tell us about it without giving too much away?

Viscerine: Well, the metal influence is going to be much more apparent than on this first EP. 'The Brotherhood of Sleep' on The Blood Rituals EP is intended to be a small taste of what is to come on Black Noise. I’ll leave it at that.

Do you have any other upcoming plans you can tell us about?

Viscerine: More stage props, more tricks and surprises, more theatrics, more of everything! The To Mega Therion legion is on the rise, and this is just the beginning!