Forward thinking Black Metal outfit Code suffered from a series of crippling line-up changes, which made the band disappear below the radar for a couple of years. With a brilliant new album, entitled Augur Nox (Agonia Records), in tow, the band is back with a vengeance. Guitarist Aort is more than willing to put in his two cents on Code’s past and present, the new record and the struggle for musicians to make ends meet with their craft.
It’s been four years since the release of the last Code album. Where have you guys been?
A lot has changed for us since the last album. Code essentially had to be built from the ground up after the departure of key band members. The music for Augur Nox had been written for some time but the first task was to build the solid line-up which we have needed since we first began. Since our inception, we have had to struggle with none of our members being co-located which was problematic for a number of reasons. I decided that the only way that Code could survive would be if we were a strong unit located in close proximity and all with the same outlook on what we wanted to achieve. It took a long time to do this and then further time was spent just simply rehearsing together to establish how we interacted musically. This had to be done before we could create a coherent an album, so months and years passed until we were ready….and here we are.
What does the album title mean and how does this tie in with the themes and subjects touched in the lyrics?
The literal description of the title is along the lines of ‘divinations at night’. The basic principle of the album is one of the viewing and experiencing of a collection of images of sorts, almost a gallery and the lyrics are a reflection of those interpretations. The title refers to the search for meaning or guidance in these images in a range of situations. It is a very abstract concept but one that reflects the rather introspective nature of the album.
What I really like about Augor Nox is its experimental/avant-garde feel, while you managed to retain a certain black metal feel. How did you manage to achieve that?
I think that combination of the avant-garde and black metal elements is something that code have always shown so it is quite a natural style for us to operate in. As time has passed, the more overtly black metal aspects have been held back and I feel we have become more progressive in nature but the grounding has always been in black metal so I don’t think that will ever disappear. It has never been a goal to combine the black metal and avant-garde in a contrived way, but this is just a form of music that comes out of naturally. If we were to force a particular style, the honesty in our music would vanish and that is something we always strive to retain.
Can you take us through the motions of writing and recording Augor Nox?
It was a very long and torturous process. All of our albums have been a struggle and this album was no exception. As with all of our output, the music is essentially written by myself in isolation. The real spice comes when the other members add their twists and turns to the details of the music through rehearsals and improvisation and gradually the final songs take form. We had a few tracks that we worked through in rehearsals and played live a few times over the last couple of years but the majority were developed through the recording process. The actual recording and mixing took place over a number of different locations so pulling it all together was a challenge and the whole process from recording the first note to finishing the final mix took about two years.
You guys were in talks with ICS Vortex to join the band but nothing came of it. How come?
Working with Simen was one of those things which I just think wasn;t supposed to happen. We were full-steam ahead on a couple of occasions when Kvohst left the band but it was another case of distance and schedules making it practically impossible. I guess the closest we came was prior to Resplendent Grotesque when Simon was originally stepping in to replace Kvohst, indeed some of Simen’s arrangement suggestions were implemented on that album but he is a busy guy and it just wasn’t practical. It would have been great to work with him of course but our output would have been even slower than it is today if he was involved so the balancing act is always there.
Code is often seen as a black metal band, but your sound encompasses so much more. What are your own thoughts on this?
Ultimately it comes down to one those old cliches were we just do what comes naturally. The music of code has I guess defined itself over the years. Initially black metal was probably the strongest element of our sound but the character of what we do has come through more over the years to the point where I that undefinable feel of what code is has come to the fore. I think now we use whatever tools necessary to capture that vibe for want of a better word and pure black metal is not the only ingredient and indeed, that has become less important over the years.
What do you make of (black metal) purists who scorn any sense of musical growth and forward thinkingness?
To me that boils down to how you present the music. If we were to say that we were a black metal band that would be rediculous. I am quite a purist myself and code does not fit in my definition of what black metal is. We have elements of black metal in our sound but I would not want to kid people that black metal is what they will get if they listen to our album. I think as long as it is presented in a way that is honest then I don’t see how one can complain. If you like it, you like it.
Being a musician in an extreme metalband was never easy, but nowadays it’s next to impossible to break even. What keeps you going and how do you get by?
I have never even entertained the idea of trying to make any money from music so this doesn’t have much of an effect on me. All the members of the band work full-time so there is no pressure to try and make money out of music. Of course it would be nice to get something financially in return for all the years of blood and toil but we play in a very un-commercial genre. If anything, this has all been a big expense with all the money spent on equipment, rehearsals, travelling etc. When we do play live it ends up being a case where we just about break even for a trip so there is no money for us to make. The music industry is what it is, it does seem that everyone makes money (albeit not very much) except the musicians. That goes for producers, engineers, artists, labels, promoters….these jobs seem to be the ones that have some kind of commercial viability…. the guys that write and play the music fall into the other camp so our benefits come from the satisfaction and non-financial rewards. I learnt to live with this a long time ago.
Code is signed to Agonia Records nowadays. How are things going between the band and the label so far?
Just fine, we are hopeful that it will continue to be a good relationship as we don’t want to jump from label to label. We have not had the greatest of luck in the past so we are hopeful that this will be our home for some time to come. The work the label have done sof ar has been very good and there is a lot of passion coming from them so here is to the future.
Which plans are there for touring in support of the new album?
Our first plan is for a release show we have scheduled for the 30th November in London. It will be a chance for us to play a good length set and really concentrate on playing a lot of new material. It is a blast playing these new songs so we are looking forward to that a great deal. We are working on other opportunities at the moment. We have no tours planned but we hope to get on a good few shows next year to show people what we can do. We are a much better live band than we ever have been so please do check us out if you can.
Raymond Westland