“Naturally, we are happy to be part of Underground for the Masses festival this year… We might have surprises though for the Romanian gig that need to be kept secret at the moment…” said Heimoth as we interviewed the mighty French black metal act Seth, only ten days before their first trip to Romania.
DinIntunerec: Hello, first of all thank you for getting on board with this interview. What has been going on in your dark pits recently?
Heimoth: Hello, everyone! Since January we’ve just had a couple of French gigs to rest from the one month and a half Rotting Christ Tour that took place last October throughout Europe. We are then embarking on a few shows to be played in countries where we haven’t set foot, including Romania !
DinIntunerec: Seth has been part of the French black metal scene for quite a while. Can you take us back to the band’s origins? How did you all come together? Also, why did you choose this name for the band (as far as I know, you don’t use imagery of themes related to Egyptian mythology)?
Heimoth: It’s been picked back in 1995 when it all started. We wanted a short name and this one had found much appeal due to its ubiquity in both Christian and Egyptian believes.
DinIntunerec: Over the years, the sound of Seth has evolved significantly. How would you describe the progression of the band’s musical style from the early days until now?
Heimoth: I basically needed the band to offer a different kind of music on each record. This has lasted over much of the years of the band up until La Morsure du Christ that sets the band on a kind of tribute to the roots of the band, i.e. there was a desire to set out a reenactment of what is was like when writing black metal back in the days. So there’s been huge evolution throughout the years, but right now it has slowed down for a genuine revival of the true feelings of the nineties black metal.
DinIntunerec: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the band. Are there any special shows scheduled, in celebration of this anniversary?
Heimoth: True, as a matter of fact we’ve been really busy doing this tour with Rotting Christ so it was like it did consume a lot from us and as time went by we didn’t find enough time to actually make it come true. Let’s wait for another 5 years..!
DinIntunerec: Each band has defining moments, or turning points… What are the key events that shaped Seth into what it is today?
Heimoth: Possibly the release of Les Blessures de l’Ame (19998) and La Morsure du Christ (2021). Both releases have shaped what the band actually is today and they have provided Seth some kind of artistic model to be followed as the true essence of what we are now.
DinIntunerec: What were the main obstacles that you had to overcome during those three decades of activity?
Heimoth: Longevity, that is facing the uncountable scars of time. Having a band is like what you feel to your own body.
DinIntunerec: Let’s take a journey back in time… Your debut album, Les Blessures de l’Âme, was released in the late ’90s. What were some of the key influences behind that album and the band’s formation at the time?
Heimoth: We were four people, now we are six musicians which makes things a lot harder to manage. There used to be a very genuine atmosphere back in the days since there was not much challenge involved and we were basically redoing the music we loved listening to, such as Norwegian black metal and other European bands.
DinIntunerec: What do you think has changed in the black metal scene in France and globally since the band first started? Do you think the genre has evolved in a good direction?
Heimoth: In France we have a lot of bands whereas it has taken a very long time for the scene to develop. Many bands such as Alcest have sprawled out of the borders of France which is for sure enjoyable. Overall, I however think the BM genre suffers today from consensuality in which music as well as image strives towards some kind of embellishment to please as many people as possible.
DinIntunerec: Your music blends traditional black metal elements with some symphonic aspects. How do you approach the songwriting process, and do you try to push the boundaries of black metal with each album?
Heimoth: The goal is not to push those boundaries, rather to do what we like. I guess throughout the years we’ve forged our own black metal style, but I wouldn’t claim our music is essentially original. To me, what counts is to deliver some music with a strong identity and I believe we do it rather well. When you hear Seth there is some kind of trademark that’s been built for 30 years… Which is long enough to claim some kind of identity shaped by both music and lyrics.
DinIntunerec: How does the songwriting process work for you? Do all members contribute, or is it primarily one person’s vision?
Heimoth: I mostly write the whole of it then I suggest the songs track by track to the band.
Saint Vincent: I write the lyrics.
DinIntunerec: Can you elaborate on the meaning behind the title of your latest album? What themes are explored in it, and how does it reflect your current mindset or artistic direction?
Saint Vincent: The latest album title, La France des Maudits (France of the Cursed), is dealing with the hordes of the rejected ones, the ones rejected by god, by providence, that were finally the chosen ones after the downfall of Notre Dame de Paris and the western spirituality which was the essence of our previous album La Morsure du Christ. The light of Lucifer offered to them allows themselves to rise and conquer this falling world. All the ones who feel outside of this world and hate it, being put aside, are among them. Considering the theme, the French Revolution was chosen to illustrate the topics and gives visual symbolism and design elements.
DinIntunerec: The cover artwork of your latest release is intriguing, please tell us about its significance.
Saint Vincent: Several different significances could be thought. Imagine the deathly revenge of the one who was once rejected from the former order, threatened by the scythe of death.
DinIntunerec: Your previous full-length La morsure du Christ is one of the best black metal albums of that year (together with Darkthrone’s Eternal Hails) Tell us more about the creation process of this album, the lyrical themes and the cover artwork.
Saint Vincent: Thank you. The cover shows the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, burning. It was an important event for us and a shocking destruction worldwide. It could have been seen as the symbolical downfall of western world old religion and spirituality. The event, we considered as important as 9/11 on a spiritual scale, gave us the inspiration to write this album.
We offered even some ashes from the burnt cathedral as special items on a limited edition. The lyrics are the allegory of this crumbling old religion order, in a new world where the damned would be set free, which is the topic of the latest album. Is it good or bad ? What would happen now ? The French-Romanian author Cioran (I really love his writings) said: “As serfs, these people built cathedrals; emancipated, they build only horrors.”
DinIntunerec: Seth is known for incorporating a lot of atmosphere and visual elements into the live performances. How do you approach the creation of stage visuals and the overall live experience?
Saint Vincent: The music is a magic ritual that needs all the artefacts to create the deepest ambiance possible, to capture the souls of the public. Art is music, visual, faith and meaning.
DinIntunerec: Less than a month from now you’ll perform in Romania, at Underground for the Masses. What do you know about Romania in general and in terms of underground metal? Naturally, we are glad and honored that you decided to play in Bucharest. Can you tell us more about that?
Heimoth: Our friends from Merrimack and Hell Militia played UFTM last year and they loved it – so naturally we are happy to be part of this new edition. We can’t wait to be there as we don’t know much about your country. Yet, there is a strong mystery around it that needs to be filled! Sadly, we wont have much time for tourism !
DinIntunerec: What can fans expect from a Seth live show? How do you prepare for such intense performances?
Heimoth: We all live scattered across France, so we find it hard to practice on a regular basis. However, when we do, we make sure to do our best. We try to play songs from many different albums and usually deliver gigs that last about an hour. We might have surprises though for the Romanian gig that need to be kept secret at the moment…
DinIntunerec: Any particularly memorable shows that stand out to you? What about fan interactions?
Heimoth: Hellfest is always great to play. Last time we played was more than intense with a heat of 42° inside the massive tent facing 10 0000 people !
DinIntunerec: What is next for Seth? Do you have new music in the works, and are there any upcoming projects or tours that fans can look forward to?
Heimoth: We will be working on a new album asap, as for now we are just focusing on playing live.
DinIntunerec: What is the most important life lesson that you have learnt so far, as artists?
Heimoth: Not to rush for “celebrity”, wait and enjoy your time spent to maintain your band alive on the long run.
DinIntunerec: Thank you for your time! The final words are yours!
Heimoth: Obviously, we can’t wait to land in Bucharest and deliver some epic show !
