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Kerasphorus is the latest project of the legendary Pete Helmkamp (Order From Chaos). Following the release of the magnificent Cloven Hooves At The Holocaust Dawn EP he was kind enough to shed a few rays of light on the dark substance of Kerasphorus.
Hi Pete! Thanks for answering some questions for Ice Vajal! You've been in a number of highly regarded cult metal bands before so why did you form Kerasphorus? What does Kerasphorus mean?
Greek: 'Bearer of the Horns'
Cloven Hooves At The Holocaust Dawn is one crushing EP! I find it hard to believe that such a quality recording was done in only two days. Did everything just go perfectly? Anything you'd have done differently in hindsight?
We are very satisfied with the sound, very basic and stripped down. That is our intent with Kerasphorus: to capture on recording what the band creates live.
I love the title of the EP as it brought some really vivid images to my mind even before I heard the music. How did you come up with it?
It seemed a natural representation of band's essence.
Is there a full-length Kerasphorus album in the near future?
No, we plan to record only shorter releases: extreme music is much more effective in smaller doses. We aim for quality not quantity.
Who and what are your biggest influences, musically and lyrically?
We draw from 25 years of knowledge of and participation in the extreme metal scene....
How does Kerasphorus differ from your other bands? Which of these projects do you hold most dear?
Kerasphorus is supreme bestial art: music, lyrics, imagery and occultism all manifest themselves together. We want to take things a step beyond.... To set new standards, to inspire others...
What is the extreme metal scene like in San Francisco compared to Kansas? Is there more opportunity for gigs?
The SF metal scene is one of the largest in the US. It is a great place for bands to play - there are a lot of gigs here, unlike the midwest or in Tampa Florida where I previously lived.
Nuclear War Now! seems to be one of the best labels at the moment for promoting extreme metal. Is this why you signed with them? Are you happy with the collaboration so far?
Kerasphorus and NWN work well together. We have no interest in pursuing a commercial path, so with NWN we can dictate exactly what we want and how we want it: complete freedom with our music and its presentation. As an artist this is of utmost importance to me.
You're playing at the second Nuclear War Now! Fest in Berlin November so are you looking forward to playing for a European audience? Have you played many shows with Kerasphorus in the States so far?
Kerasphorus will be playing two of the Proclamation tour dates in August in the States (Aug 7 - Houston / Aug 15 - Chicago) as well as playing the NWN fest...
You'll also be playing in Order From Chaos at the festival so what's it like to be doing a show with your oldest and arguably best known band again? I know you did a few shows with them in the States too, so did these go well?
The OFC reunion shows were a great experience for both ourselves as well as those that were in attendance. We look forward to playing at the NWN in Berlin in November, should be an excellent culmination of events.
Thanks again for taking time out to answer tese questions. Its very much appreciated and I hope to see you at the NWN! Fest! The last word is yours!
Only four strings are real.
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