Suzanne Slaughter is a name synonymous with underground metal in Australia. As one half of the creative duo behind Seance Records, she has worked tirelessly the past four years to release a diverse range of music that showcases the best blackened and dark acts the nation has to offer.
But her roots go much deeper than this. Almost a decade prior, she was instrumental in helping to bring together some of Australia’s most subversive acts in an annual event known as Armageddon Festival. Taking place in Adelaide, a capital city often forgotten on many tour trails, this gathering saw fans come from all corners of the country to experience music that was a rare beast in those days.
CVLT Nation talked to Slaughter recently as she reminisced about the early days.
Images provided by Seance Records and Max Hale Photography.
CVLT: When did you first get into black metal?
SLAUGHTER: My first exposure to black metal was in the mid nineties, pre-internet, when the world was a very different place in terms of how music was discovered and consumed. Exposure to the genre came from reading zines, hearing albums at other people’s houses and sharing dubbed tapes. This kind of music was still completely underground and often hard to find out about, especially in Australia.
What was the first album of this genre that you came to love?
SLAUGHTER: The first black metal album that I bought was Darkthrone’s Blaze in the Northern Sky. It was a blind purchase on cassette tape. I immediately became obsessed with the album’s intense, evil atmosphere and raw heaviness! At the time, death metal was massively popular, so this was completely unlike anything that I had heard before. It was a huge revelation. But the impact this album had has to be put into the context of the time. You could not preview or read about bands on the internet, this music was not easily accessible in Australia and music, especially import music, was hugely expensive back then. Black metal was still new and relatively few people had even heard of it, let alone heard it. To take a chance on a blind buy and hear something like this out of nowhere was memorable and life-changing. It was what I was looking for, and nothing can recapture the thrill of those early discoveries like Darkthrone. The cassette is on its last legs these days and remains one of my all time favourite albums.
Who were the first Australian Black Metal acts you saw live?
SLAUGHTER: There were very few black metal bands in Australia pre-2000 and fewer playing live. As I originally grew up in Adelaide, the first ever black metal band that I saw was Darklord. This was not long after their self-titled EP was released. Their first show was unlike anything I’d seen before, just an intense wall of Beherit-influenced noise – as if hell had opened up to devour the venue and everyone inside. It was decimating, evil and visually impressive considering the huge nails, spikes and corpse paint in which they were attired. Other notable black metal bands in Adelaide who played live in the later 90’s were Nocturne’s Mist and Dream Sovereign.
However, the most influential black metal band from Australia in the live arena at the time for me was Nazxul. Not only very early in the context of Australian Black Metal, but again one who presented the entire visual spectacle of the genre along with massively epic songs, heaviness, intense on-stage dynamics and captivating occult energy. To create a complete experience musically, visually and emotionally was what they were about. Ninety-nine percent of what was going on in Australia on the live scene through the 90’s and well into the 2000’s was death metal. While there were many great death metal bands, to see Nazxul was unlike anything else at the time in the country. Australia was so insular. Few bands and no black metal bands came from overseas at this point in time to play, so a band like Nazxul was in a way many people’s first exposure to the genre at least on a live level.
It resonated with people on a deeper level as something new and was extremely memorable.
Could you give some background to the origins of the Armageddon Festival?
SLAUGHTER: Armageddon Adelaide was first held in 2000 and was organized by myself and my co-conspirator Jak Deathstrike. The idea for the festival was one originally of drunken inspiration and impulsiveness. We used to do a regular club called the Black Dawn, which hosted bands and DJs playing classic metal. We started to talk about all the bands we wanted to see play live, as Adelaide is far away from the main cities of Australia and often ignored. We decided on the spot to plan a gig of epic proportions and started phoning people from bands asking if they were keen. They must have been as drunk as us because the response was overwhelmingly positive.
It was a two-night festival and Misery headlined both nights. That was a massive honor for me, as they had been my favourite Australian band for years. I had seen them live previously interstate and was blown away every time, but they had never been to Adelaide. It took some convincing, as Adelaide is about as far away as possible from them. But no one was disappointed, people turned out in droves to see them. They ravaged the stage like a filthy death metal beast and everyone had a great night. It was personally massively rewarding and enjoyable for me.
There were three Armageddon Adelaide’s, which were held annually. They all begin to blur into one, so to recall the exact line-up of each year is hard. The festival was renowned for its drunkenness, fun revelry and hilarious acts of intoxicated stupidity from which we as organizers were not exempt. This is partly why all my memories are a haze of Saxon’s Denim and Leather playing endlessly, bottomless drinks, excellent bands, great company, very little sleep and bad hangovers!! Now that those hangovers are all but forgotten, all my memories are positive. It was an event where people gathered from Australia-wide to meet-up once a year and enjoy some of the best Australian underground bands and act like maniacs!
The festival hosted some of the best of Australia’s extreme metal underground. Highlights of the line-ups over the years include Misery, Nazxul, Gospel of the Horns (who were a festival regular), Portal, Psychrist, Stargazer, Cauldron Black Ram, Myrddraal, Virgin Black, Raven Black Night and many more.
What was the status of Seance Records at the time and how did the festival become linked?
SLAUGHTER: Seance Records did not exist in the days of Armageddon Adelaide, I had done a small distro and zines prior to starting Seance Records. The original shows were almost a decade before the inception of Seance Records, which happened after I had moved to Sydney. This move was one reason why Armageddon Adelaide did not continue. The logistics of organizing a festival from halfway across the country was too hard and we decided that the festival should rest in its former glory, rather than continue.
The Armageddon festival in Sydney by Seance Records was due to a last minute name change after all the problems we had with the Black Mass festival, which I’ll talk about later. However, the moniker was appropriate, considering that Armageddon is biblically the war between good and evil, which has a certain suitable irony to it considering what happened.
Can you give a bit of background about how the label first got up and running?
SLAUGHTER: Seance Records was founded to release the black metal that we feel strongly connected to. It was started in 2010 and is the joint venture of myself and Wraith, who is in several bands including Nazxul and Drowning the Light. We have worked together on small distros and zines in the past. The label supports the music that Wraith is involved with, as well as those of our friends and new bands that we believe in. Seance Records seeks to support and promote Australian black metal via the promotion of live shows and our releases.
We began with the re-issue of Nazxul’s iconic Black Seed EP and demo material on this album. This was followed by Pestilential Shadows fourth album, Depths; Erebus Enthroned’s debut album, Night’s Black Angel; the Drowning the Light and Vampyric Blood Split and Crowned’s debut album, Vacuous Spectral Silence. We have also released limited 7” EPs by Nazxul and Pestilential Shadows.
All releases have been received positively. The Nazxul recordings were continually in demand, warranting this re-issue and the Depth’s digi-pack by Pestilential Shadows has sold out and now been re-issued also. Erebus Enthroned produced a truly superb debut and has proved themselves continually with their intense live show, which has made our job relatively easy based on their merits. I have been playing Crowned’s debut album constantly. It’s a real piece of 90’s styled black metal – subtle, completely mysterious, atmospheric and crafted with intelligence.
Currently, we have just released the phenomenal second album Temple Under Hell by Erebus Enthroned and very soon will be releasing Pestilential Shadows fifth album, Ephemeral - which will be out later this month. Following this, we will be releasing a split 7-inch EP by Spire and Midnight Odyssey, new material from Nazxul, Drohtnung and Nocturnes Mist.
”A sad day for music fans: Newtown RSL (Returned Services League club) has cancelled the Black Mass Festival due to pressure from Christian lobby groups.” Musicfeeds.com.au, 2010.
“The poster for the event did feature a pentagram on the skull of a goat above an RSL address – a bad look for an institution with firm Christian values, and a catastrophic misjudgment by the booking agent.” Sydney Morning Herald, 2010.
“I take the point it was not going to be [a] black mass. But I think the advertising for it was offensive to what the RSL stands for. And Remembrance Day was only last week, so its principles were still very much in my head.” Siobhan Reeves, a protester against the 2010 Black Mass Festival.
“The League is a national, non-political, non-sectarian organisation of returned and ex-servicemen and women formed to promote the interest of the ex-servicemen and women and their dependants.” Returned Services League Australia website, 2014.
2010 was a turbulent year for the festival with the cancellation of Black Mass due to pressure from religious groups. Had you met this scale of opposition before in your role as a festival organizer?
SLAUGHTER: Black Mass was our first festival venture as Seance Records and was intended to be an excellent accumulation of current live Black Metal acts with Nazxul headlining. There had never been an entirely black metal-oriented festival in Australia, so this was set to be something special with some of the best old and current bands playing live such as Nazxul, Astriaal, Drowning the Light, Wardaemonic, Moon, Spire and many others.
Never before this moment had we met with opposition of any type in regards to our shows. Even in Adelaide, the ‘City of Churches’, we never had a single complaint.
The cancellation was unexpected and unreasonable. It massively inconvenienced so many people, organizers, bands and fans alike who had booked flights and made preparations to attend the festival. There was nothing that we could do as two weeks prior to the event the venue backed out and refused to host the show. They would not enter into any negotiations to make it happen nor would they return our emails or phone calls. It’s important to note that actual military people had tickets to the event and were upset when it was cancelled because they stand for freedom.
This decision was based on the lobbying of fundamentalist Christians, many of whom were not even from the local area, state or even country. They ran a Facebook campaign with most of the email complaints and phone calls to the venue coming from overseas. Among their many claims were that there would be ‘casting of spells’, ‘conjuring diabolical evil on Sydney’, animal sacrifice and all the other typical fare these types have been spouting against rock’n’roll since the 50’s. These lobbyists are the same people who lobby against gay rights, female reproductive rights and many of the general freedoms that we enjoy in this country. However, on this occasion we were unlucky enough to be targeted by them.
What did you take from this experience?
SLAUGHTER: Apart from the joy of manually refunding hundreds of tickets, everything I took was positive. It was an extremely disappointing situation, but we did manage to organize various meet-ups and a small last minute replacement show for the bands and fans who could not change their flights. While it was not all that we had hoped for, everyone was overwhelmingly supportive and we did our best to support those who had come from a distance to play or attend. In the end, it was an excellent weekend. The adversity resulted in true camaraderie, good company and many new friendships which were strengthened by this and still remain strong today.
We received many emails of support and read lots of discussion about it on forums and social media. It actually made me proud that so many people had intelligent things to say and were making themselves heard. I strongly believe that people should have a say and, if these lobbyists can, we can too. Just because we are into this kind of music doesn’t mean we are lesser people or can be pushed around. We still vote, pay taxes and exist in this society. If anything, this opened people’s eyes to the existence and rise of fundamentalist Christianity and conservatism in this country. It has been seeping in slowly while we are busy at work and play. Then one day it bites everyone on the ass. It was not something that most people had considered or thought could happen before in Australia. Hearing a bunch of teenage metal fans engaged in intelligent discourse about freedom of art, speech and religion in this country is positive. The discussion which arose from what happened made people think.
In the end, you take the good with the bad and the show must go on. People will keep playing and following this music no matter what happens.
With Armageddon festival held successfully the following February, did Seance receive the same backlash as the year prior?
SLAUGHTER: No. As far as I am aware, there was none. The lobbyists and original venue received a huge amount of criticism and negative feedback from the music community and press after the show was cancelled. The volume of emails and phone calls from upset, inconvenienced and outraged people far exceeded the original complaints against the festival. As a general rule, people do not like to see music censored or have a minority imposing extreme views on art or fans of music. It is perceived as an infringement on their lives.
The venues that we worked with for Armageddon were resolute about hosting the show and being professional. They would not be bullied or set the precedent of being bullied by a minority group.
It was a show of unity by all involved and the best line-up of old and new Australian Black Metal in one weekend that has ever happened here. It highlighted a true appreciation of the genre within our country and great enthusiasm from the fans and bands Australia-wide who supported the event. The setback of Black Mass only resulted in a bigger and better festival with more bands that went for two-nights, instead of only one. So if those lobbyists had the intention of trying to quash the metal genre in any way, they in fact did the opposite. Not only did they generate for us a large amount of publicity but they sensationalized and aroused interest in Australian black metal and all of the bands involved. Therefore, giving us a better turn out than we could have originally expected.
Why do you think the behavior displayed by these pressure groups still occurs?
SLAUGHTER: This action against music was fairly isolated and a case of bad luck. However, I believe that in the end their lobbying against this event became too troublesome for them to peruse with any great commitment again in the future. They received a lot of bad press and negative feedback from metal fans, as well as the general public, so it probably isn’t in their best interest to keep targeting music of any kind. This event was also targeted because it was extremely well publicized, as opposed to the average underground show. Christian and parent groups against music have had their day in the past and society overall has moved on from the sensationalist ‘evil music’ scares of the 70’s and 80’s. The lobby is the voice of a few who have easier targets and causes to work on. While it’s not to say that something similar won’t happen again in the future within Australia, lobby groups for the moment seem focused on their usual platforms like contraception, anti-abortion, anti-vice and prostitution campaigns, anti-euthanasia and trying to quell gay rights and gay marriage within Australia.
What elements do you think Australian Black Metal have come to stand for?
SLAUGHTER: The Australian Black Metal scene is an extension of the wider underground movement internationally. Black Metal was and always will be an international movement which defies boundaries and borders. It seems to have resonated with people worldwide and has sprung up even in the farthest reaches of the world. Australia has gone from a scene of just a few great early bands like Nazxul, Nocturnal, Lord Kaos, Nocturnes Mist, Abyssic Hate and Darklord to a thriving black metal scene with so many brilliant AUBM bands existing at the moment. There has also been a transition from Australian fans mainly following European Black Metal to following our own scene and regarding it as serious and equal to other international scenes.
It is a scene that has grown in and always existed in isolation from the rest of the world. These circumstances have shaped the bands and scene in their own way. Now the internet makes everything more accessible to everyone, so for bands to be heard outside of Australia is easy. However, the live scene has remained isolated with few international black metal bands touring here and few able to travel to play overseas. Therefore, shows like our black metal festivals’ are an important convergence of bands and people who would otherwise remain isolated by distance.
So black metal is an international movement and has resonated with people regardless of their origin. What Australian Black Metal stands for is the same as what it stands for worldwide. Aside from its isolation and influence from physical surroundings it is about creating dark music and a personal expression of mood, atmosphere and subject matter which is as diverse as its creators.
We are extremely proud of the bands on our label such as Pestilential Shadows, Erebus Enthroned and Crowned. Other AUBM bands that we greatly admire include Midnight Odyssey, Spire, Drowning the Light, Austere, Woods of Desolation, Ill Omen, Arkheth, Moon, Elysian Blaze, Drohtnung, Nekros Manteia, Nekrasov and Order of Orias.
What has become the most important part about bringing the Australian black metal community together at Seance-run festivals?
SLAUGHTER: Apart from us personally enjoying seeing the bands, it is an opportunity to bring together bands from all over the country who rarely play, and for people to come from all over the country to see them. It has turned in to a regular meet-up, a place for bands and labels to spread music and merchandise. But most importantly, it is an event where new bands have the opportunity play with more established bands and in front of larger crowds. We aim to show the quality and diversity of AUBM and expose the audience to new bands that they will hopefully be interested in. It is the hope new bands will be championed so the scene will continue in the future and perpetuate its self without good bands slipping into obscurity due to lack of opportunity, interest and isolation.
We will certainly do more shows in the future when the time is right, when there are some new bands to join us and established bands have new material to play live.
Find out more about Seance Records releases and upcoming shows at www.seancerecords.com.
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