[INTERVIEW] With UK Black Metal Band SIDIOUS!

Following on from my  interview with Andracca, the second protagonist of next months UK tour Sidious, have also been kind enough to spend some time answer my questions. Have a read at what they had to say.

Hail Sidious and thank you for answering my questions. You are gearing up for a UK mini tour with Andracca and Volniir. How did this tour come into being?

"Hail and thank you for your time! We are and we're very much looking forward to getting back on the road. Earlier this year we discussed the possibility of organising some dates in the late summer/early autumn to promote 'Blackest Insurrection' and after shortlisting a few bands we would like to tour with, we decided that a co-headlining run with Völniir, who are still riding high in their debut album release last year, would be the best choice. Once we had Völniir on board with the idea, we all agreed that we should have Andracca join us too, as they are currently carving a great name for themselves on the underground scene and are a great band in their own right." 

Are Volniir and Andracca bands you have shared a stage with often? How tight are the bonds between the three bands?

"In the closing months of 2021 we played a show for the first time with each band, Völniir at their own headlining show and Andracca at Trivax's (another great band we are close to) 10th anniversary show,  both in Leeds.  We felt the musical chemistry between the three of us was strong enough to work as a full touring package.  Plus, on a personal level we are all friends and have been for some years now.  So it seemed fitting to head out on the road together." 

You are taking in an eclectic list of locations. Cardiff and Liverpool book end the tour, and in between Ipswich and Banbury. How were the locations chosen?

"Like all tours, a number of cities were mentioned as potential places to visit on our run and a we reached out to many of them to make our pitch, but as expected some promoters had other arrangements around that time so couldn't commit to putting on our show,  which is absolutely fine.  With help from our tour manager (Dan Tregenna of Nytys Promotions),  we secured the dates we have and are happy with the places we will be playing."

Are these locations and venues that you have played before or are you hitting them for the first time? What are your expectations going into these shows?

"We can't answer for our touring partners,  but Fuel in Cardiff is the only venue that Sidious has played before, so the rest of the tour will be that of new experiences in that case. We're looking forward to playing these cities for the first time!" 

On the flip side of the last question, what Can these four locations expect from a Sidious live attack?

"A straight up Black Metal show is what is to be expected! As always we will do our best to perform a passionate yet aggressive set to all in attendance,  demonstrating that the new material is as ferocious in a live setting as it is on record. We may even throw in something extra, but we will see."  

Which support bands will be joining the tour at each respective show?

"We have Welsh Black Metal outfit Black Pyre opening up the Cardiff show and local Death/Black Metal band Omega Throne joining us in Liverpool. However at the time of writing supports for Ipswich and Banbury have yet to be announced." 

Let's move on to 'Blackest Insurrection', your brand new album. Now the dust has settled on the release, what are your thoughts on the finished opus?

"Proud would be the word.  We're proud of what we accomplished in the writing and recording stage and prouder still of the end result.  Working with Russ Russell was perfect as he was able to help us truly materialise what we had envisioned for the record and I think the album speaks for itself in that way.  We feel that this album is the solidification of our sound going forward and of course we aim to improve even further with the next release."  

What kind of journalistic or fan feedback has the album received so far?

"We've seen a lot of reviews for the record and unless we missed a few, all have praised Blackest Insurrection as a solid release. Of course there's always going to be some criticism and there has been, but we are open to that.  The album received coverage and has been reviewed in magazines such as Zero Tolerance and Metal Hammer. We even had the São Paulo based Underground Rock Report Magazine reach out to us for an interview and review of the album.  Overall, the response has been very positive and we're more than satisfied with the outcome."

Your overall message is one of Nihilism and Blasphemy. Are there any themes of a more specific or related nature on the new album?

"Blackest Insurrection, as the title suggests, is our uprising, with themes rooted in Luciferianism. Lyrically, we venerate the archetype of enlightenment and power through tales of defiance, uncompromising rebellion and warfare."

You teamed up with Clobber Records to put out the new album. How did the relationship form and will you stay with Clobber for your next offering?

"Some time during the mastering stage we started shopping around for labels and reached out to those we would personally like to work with or that we felt we would fit on their rosters.  We did hear back from a number of them and while they liked what they heard,  some just had too much on at the time to take on another artist.  Clobber Records was a label we had spoke about quite early on as we had noticed their dedication to UK music and had released albums by artists we admire and respect. We got in contact and Clobber were keen to release our record, so we signed a deal with them and they really did a fantastic job with everything, for which we are thankful.  As for the future,  who knows?"

How do you feel the new album compares when considered against your previous albums?

"After the release of our first album,  Revealed in Profane Splendour,  line-up changes forced us to reflect on our sound and what we wanted to be as well express in our music for the next release. Isfeth moved away from playing guitar and focused instead on vocals alone, making Indomitus the sole guitarist.  We became a four-piece band and as a result we developed a more focused and stripped back sound on the next album Temporal,  which was a massive change from the grandiose sound we had previously and served as a stepping stone to where we are now.  We were clear that whatever we had on Blackest Insurrection would be what listeners would experience live in its rawest form. It has been a very mature progression from where we first started."

Other than the tour next month, what plans do Sidious have in store over the next 12 months? Anything interesting you can divulge?

"After the tour we will be playing our own headline show in Plymouth in December and shortly after in January we will be making an appearance at Reaper Agency's Jorvik: Bridge of Destiny festival in York,  both of which will be great shows. We have been working closely with our Manager and have laid out our plans for 2023 onwards and there's definitely some exciting things we will be working towards and creating in the near future.  Stay tuned for updates!"

That's all from me. Thanks again for taking the time to speak to me. The final words are yours.

"The pleasure is all ours,  thank you for the interview!  To anyone who has supported SIDIOUS,  we owe you our gratitude and we hope to see you on the road. Cheers!"


Click HERE to listen to Sidious!