Interview with Max of Usul

 

USUL

By: Corix Baluca

 

Hails Max! How are you brother? Whats spinning on your stereo while answering this?

I’m all good brother! Always alone but still kicking..

While I’m writing my answer, I’m plucking my guitar with some discordant chords to feel the warm night.

First off, let’s start this interview traditionally, and for the readers sake also, pls. tell us you band bio, just a short one.

Usul is a one-man band formed under the creed of solitude. I created Usul last January 2012 and started to experiment different musical approach but still focusing on Black Metal genre adding Asian melodic folk songs to feel more emotional.

You were one of the pioneers in the Philippine underground metal in the early 90’s, but at that time how did you discover metal?

I love playing guitar since I was a kid and I discover metal when I was in 3rd year High School wayback 1990. I’m a fan of Metallica and Slayer. When I started my 1st year college in FEU - I meet Darkkon in 1993 and we started to formed a band but things didn’t work-out well… we struggle on what type of music we want to achieve and what beliefs we want to express… we dig deeper… Rotting Christ, Mayhem, Acheron, Unleashed, Samael and Marduk are the bands that influenced us most. At the same year we decided to take our stand on Black Metal and live our life under blasphemy - until we called our band “Incarion” - Incarnated Legions of Blasphemy.

We recruited Lucifernicus on guitars and Emptiness on drums. Years pass by, we play many live gigs in the Philippine underground and recorded our demo “Blasphemiak” in 1997. Those are the golden dawn of Incarion.

What are you doing in Saudi Arabia? How many years you’ve been working there now?

I’m working almost 6 years as Digital Art Director in Ad agency here in Riyadh. Creativity, hardworking and politics are ways to survive in the field of Advertising.

Been there in Saudi Arabia last 2006 until 2009 and it is a very strict country, can you pls. share your experiences about their religious laws? The Mutawas and stuffs like that?

Religious laws are bullshit! Sometimes I cant enter in the mall while wearing some of my shirts that consist of inverted cross, blasphemy, demons, pentagram and others because it is prohibited by Mutawas and once you are caught you are straight to the jail with no argument. Long hair is not allowed because you might be harrass by Saudis and most of them are ignorant. They only rely from what they think is normal.

 

Besides all their religious bullshits, of cors there are good times also there like sadike, hashish and some drugs, did you enjoy drinking sadike there, man?

Yeah I used to drink sadike here in Riyadh - it is also called “battery fluid”. It is colorless like water but it kicked like horse! Some of my friends are taking also meth but if you were caught you will be beheaded.

Let’s go down to your band Usul, the depressive hymn and solitude of your sound blows me, are you in a process of writing new materials now? What can we expect for the new ones? Is it still in the vein of Asiatic Ancient Black Metal like the Flames and Blasphemy?

I have recorded 4 new songs and I’m still working on the 5th one. The next album will be more sorrowful with depressive splendid riffs that makes you feel sick and distress. I would like to say that this will be the real path of Usul and will continue the solitude for what I have started. A trademark of Asian sound to blight your mind.

Who were Usul’s influences and inspiration in making music unique like this? If there’s any? How about the lyrical theme, how did you come up with the inspiration in creating lyrics?

Uaral is one of my inspiration to form Usul. Ancient, Burzum, Nargaroth, Silencer, Nocturnal Depression, Xasthur, Misanthrophic Black Metal and classical Spanish music are the ones who sustain my solitude to express my emotions.

Lyrical theme is more on nature, war, destruction, suicidal, sorrows, anti-religion and cosmic. I always putting myself on the situation to experience the real feelings and emotions. From there I can write the experience which will bonafide all the scenario.

Is Usul intended as one man army only? Or is it because it is hard to find members there in your current place? Is there any plan in making Usul a full band?

Its my intention to form Usul as a one-man army. I have two reasons why it is more effective. First I can create a song and record it anytime on my own way as what my innerself dictates me. Secondly, time is always a problem with other band members. They always have excuses once you scheduled for arranging songs and it is difficult to find a dedicated true member with my same vision.

I have plans to form Usul as a full band once I found a dedicated drummer and bassist who can contribute more sickness on our path.

How did you meet the drunken bastard Roy of the 3rd Inferno? Are you in contact with him way back in the Philippines?

Roy published Incarion’s interview on his website long time ago and and it happens that we are in the same flat in Abu Dhabi wayback 2007. We’re hanging out in the bar, drinking and listening to music till midnight. It was a good old days for us and having a metal brother that support me purely and truly. 

By the way, in your cover art, where did you set the fire? What’s the exact location? The place looks like familiar to me, is that part of the red sand place where Filipinos gathered?

It is not in Red Sands. Its the opposite direction going to Al Uyeinah - a province of Riyadh. They called it “Edge of the World”. The trail was too rough and you need 4x4 to reach on the rocky mountains. The cliff was too high and rock formation in the side was carved by the winds thousand years ago. Once you are stepping on the peak of the cliff you will feel the strong winds that pushes you down and seeing in far distant a dramatic horizon. Its was a great experience!

Anyway, since you are one of Philippines Black Metal veterans what can you say about our black metal scene here? Are they in its truest form? How about our underground scene in general? Some says its dead already.

I would like to say that Philippine underground scene is not totally dead. There are still organized gig in the bar that you can find some old bands from 90’s and being true from their beliefs and from what they have started. I always praise those bands that keeping the flames burning even more than two decades have passed.

But some bands of today are trendy wannabes - kids are into Black Metal, Deathcore and some thrash crossover- and dont give a shit on what is the true essence of Black Metal. It is shameful wearing a pentagram and inverted cross but not true from their inner selves - lack of ideology, unpure and untrue are characteristic of total failure. Those are bunch of posers and rusty idiots that are trying to corrode the iron steel but they will not succeed.

Usul in Arabic means origin, the beginning, and since your music has also some cosmic inspired, do you think the world will end or even the universe? Do you believe in Aliens? How about the supernaturals?

In my opinion, there will be a total destruction of human race and nature. War will end our world and only the strongest nation will survive. It will end up where everything was completely dead and gone! Another planet will soon be discover where new life will begin. We will travel decades across the universe and live in the new planet where we advocates prosperity and harmony between humans and aliens.

Aliens are definitely true. NASA are not revealing the truth to mass people as we know it will create complete disrespectful and contempt to all religions - where the said sacred will turn to lies and fooled mankind for more than thousand years.

Supernaturals are proven. Our ancestors from the past are believers of paganism where talismans and amulets are their source of power. And there are many mysteries on earth that cannot be explain by scholars or even science but I still believe those will be revealed some day.

What to you is the concept of God and Satan?

It is a representation of holy and evil - good and bad. The idea of “God” is created to answer all the questions of mankind on how, why and where we came from…  The scholars created religions to support the advocacy of God because human instinct is to protect and survive! Faith, forgiveness and hope are being introduced to mankind to prevent killing each other and despise suicidal in times of failure.

Satan is representation of evil - it is to distinguished the act of selfishness, betrayal, greediness, power and anything that are opposites of good. This two are Yin and Yang that will exist forever but both them are methaphoric idea from our blighted mind.

Lastly, what’s up with Incarion? Are you still part of the band since you are now in abroad?

As one of the founding member of Incarion - Im still part of the band even I’m in abroad. I already finished the arrangement of all songs from our upcoming album. We have recorded 4 songs in the studio 2 years ago and we still have 4 remaining songs to be recorded. It is halted because most of the member are always having difficulty on schedule due to other priorities. But we still believe that some day our album will be released!

Thank you brother for sharing your thoughts and views and giving time answering this! Your last message…

Usul next album will soon be release next year 2016. Prepare yourself in more sickened and sorrowful mourns that will make yourself dreary!

If you want to purchase Usul - Flames and Blasphemy or trade in some Black Metal stuff, you can email us:

usul.unlight@gmail.com

underworldzinecomp@gmail.com

For more updates, check-out Usul fan page:

https://www.facebook.com/usulhorde

No Bullshit Zine, thank you for providing me some space and time in your zine. Appreciate everything brother! For those who bought my album, thank you for your support – You know who you are!

Total support to No Bullshit Zine!! Lets prolong the plague arghhhhhh!!!!!!!!