interview by: Roberto Martinelli
Not so many years ago, the concept of "Californian black metal," (or even US black metal) as a particular, notable style to be paid attention to seemed ludicrous. What? Sunny beaches, oranges, surfing, and black metal? Hilarious, the world thought.
But pioneering bands like Leviathan and Xasthur have put California firmly on the map. And now, with upcoming bands like Mamaleek, Kerasphorus, and the subject of this interview, Palace of Worms and its sole member, Balan, the metal world is going to start to think that there’s like a whole bar full of black metal musicians milling around, feeding off each others’ creativity, just as we think it’s like in Norway.
Maelstrom: Could you talk about the name you've chosen as a project and for your first record? What meaning / philoshophy is behind this?
Balan: "A Palace of Worms" is the title of a song by the English Neo-Folk group Sol Invictus. That is how I came across it. However, I liked the possibilities that the name held both in the archaic, Lovecraftian vibe it gave off and its function as a metaphor for a rotting corpse, which I guess ties into any philosophy that the music might hold; the philosophy of death, decay and hopelessness. The titles of both the records are references to the callous, corrosive will of nature.
Maelstrom: How much does California black metal have to do with the sound you've created? Where do the roots of Palace of Worms' music come from?
Balan: I would say [they come from] the feelings have been festering deep in my soul since before I could remember. It's complicated: I like living in California, but I also hate it. Its like an old, used whore that’s been fucked too many times and had too much junk shot into her veins. Generations have used it as the focal point for their idealism and pipe dreams and just about ever worthless, low-life sack of human waste can be found within the walls of her cancerous uterus.
But, yes, Californian black metal definitely influenced me. American black metal has a much more individualized persona considering we don't really have a cultural tradition. We have no identity as an ethnicity or a culture, and so all that leaves is the psyche.
Maelstrom: What can you say about that persona?
Balan: A lot of repression. I wish I could say that I'm this hedonistic maniac who's completely in touch with his "satanic side," or whatever, but I'm really not like that. I have always been more about moderation in my life because I have found myself slipping much too quickly into paranoia and sickness when I let my guard down.
I have a weak mind and I really hate the fact that it seems to be part of my nature to strive for misery. I never seem to be able to enjoy what I have despite the fact that I have struggled to obtain what little I do have. Maybe I should just go on a drug, drinking, and sex binge and die with a smile on my face — it might be better than living a life where I delude myself into thinking that I'm somehow different than the idiot sheep who embrace the "party lifestyle."
Maelstrom: But America is the land of the free and free thought. Where would the repression come from?
Balan: I think the repression has less to do with external circumstances (government, etc.) than something deeper in me. A seed of paranoia. I don't really know, when I think about it, it tends to make my brain melt. However, I do think that American culture is lapsed into a rut of tremendous stagnation and apathy. Creativity and individual thought are out, and irony, kitsch and novelty are in. I would consider myself an extremely cynical person, but I still take my emotions seriously. This hipster culture thing has blown way out of control and its propelled by a generation of people who can't take their emotions seriously or freely admit to genuinely liking something "uncool" without lathering it up with a hefty dose of irony. It makes me sick.
Maelstrom: Ah. I thought you meant Californian black metal in general rises out of repression.
Balan: I can't speak for others. A large part of it could very well rise out of deep-seeded repression. I really know only a few American black metal musicians personally... a couple of them are pretty complex individuals.
Maelstrom: Could you talk about your writing process?
Balan: There really is nothing unique about the way I write the music. I have this little voice recorder that I obsessively carry around in my pocket. If I hear a melody or something in my head, I'll hum it into the recorder. No one seems to notice on the street anyway since they all have their faces glued to their fucking cellphones and ipods!
Maelstrom: What do you like about living in California?
Balan: Well, as far as living in the Bay Area is concerned, I do enjoy the landscape. That is... if I want to get away from humanity for awhile, the mountains and wilderness are just a few hours away. SF is a good city as far as walking goes. Sometimes when I can't stand to be in my room anymore, I will walk for hours. I walk to the beach, I walk through the park, I visit all the highest parts of the city and drink gallons of coffee like a pompous ass. It helps me think. I have a very boring life.
Maelstrom: Any more insight you'd like to offer as to who Balan's alter ego is?
Balan: In many ways there is a very fine line between Balan and myself. We are both wrathful, vindictive beings. In some ways, however, the separation couldn't be greater. In the beginning, the idea was to make Palace of Worms this sort of interdimentional form of communication, like automatic writing between my mortal self and the Goetic demon Balan. I would fall under the control of the demon, in a trance, and when I would come to, there would be the resulting communication in the form of music.
Over time, I realized that Balan was just a manifestation of all the hate, fear, anger, insecurity and egomaniacal emotions that lay repressed in me for so long. So it became the development of my true "demonic" side that had been hidden under layers of my usual grey, boring demeanor.
I don't consider myself much of a musician in any real sense of the term. Sure, I play and make music, or whatever, but I approach it with an automatism that is unconcerned with any notion of career ambition or even real enjoyment. The latent productive force in me has always been there regardless of the presence of other beings (i.e. Balan).
Maelstrom: Tell us about your recording and post-production process.
Balan: I use a computer that was given to me by a close ally of mine. It has Cubase on it and I record direct through various effects pedals and such. Pretty basic. Said ally also did most of the engineering and mastering for The Forgotten, so I am eternally grateful to him. The next record will be recorded completely by myself, however. I think I drove him crazy with all of my nitpicking and endless takes. Sometimes I will hammer away at a riff forever until my brain melts, and it still won't sound right.
Maelstrom: What other plans are there for the second record? Where would you like Palace of Worms to go from The Forgotten?
Balan: I really would like to take things in a more midtempo / melodic direction. I'm a huge fan of ambient music and I've been working on some ambient tracks that will figure heavily in the next record. Musically, I want it to be more along the lines of Strid crossed with Lustmord, or something like that. I really love turning all the lights off and just letting a good piece of ambient music take me in its warm (or cold) embrace.
One of my favorite ambient records is defintely Cold Summer by Lull. It’s one of the most goddamn eerie pieces of music I've ever heard and it really helps me get to my dead place. I have been messing around with some funeral doom elements a bit as well, and did a couple tracks for an upcoming comp for The Flenser recordings, which are really different and not the direction I want to take the project. Oh, well.
Maelstrom: I also understand there's a Palace of Worms demo floating around incognito. What can you say about that and how your music has evolved since then?
Balan: Ah, yes. The first demo was a learning experience. It was recorded down in some hole in the Tenderloin by a friend who was not familiar with black metal. I borrowed most of the instruments for it and the end result was interesting, but not really what I had originally had in mind. It’s really messy, weird and spastic!
The Forgotten is closer to how I wanted that one to sound, and I think the evolution of the music had simply to do with the fact that the realization of the sound and the themes were much more solid the second time around. I would like to eventually give the demo a proper release some day. I don't hate it; I just don't think about it, really.
Maelstrom: If you'd like to tell us about other projects you're in / have been in, please do so.
Balan: I've played in a few bands in the past, but I usually don't stay in any for long. My first "real" band was a thrash metal band in high school which was actually called Maelstrom! I played mostly bass and only really attempted to seriously tackle other instruments with Palace. It was a fairly frustrating experience at first.
Maelstrom: What's your main instrument? What other instruments were tough for you?
Balan: I guess my main instrument is the bass despite the fact that I really haven't given it that much attention recently. It’s the instrument I usually get stuck with when I play with other people. My first bass was some horrid Yamaha piece of crap that this guy ripped off from the band room. The neck was so bowed it looked like you could shoot arrows with it!
Guitar was no problem for me; drums were a colossal pain the ass. I told myself in the beginning that there would be no drum machines. Being that it is my nature to do things the hard way, I borrowed a drum kit and pretty much taught myself to play while I recorded the first demo... and it shows! Ssince then, I purchased a Roland digital kit so I can play in my apartment. That is what I used to record The Forgotten. I love the drums now, though.
I have the Roland TD-6. In reality all of the Roland kits have pretty much the same sounds, just more or less of them. I have only the one V-Head on the snare and need to get more for the toms since I hate the black rubber pads. I would rather not the use the digital kit [in the future] however. I want the next full length to use a full acoustic kit. It’s just a pain recording drums in a different place.
Right now I'm playing bass in the Oakland-based black metal band Elk. I don't really get along too well in band situations, but those guys are pretty cool and I like the music. I've also been doing some session guitar / keyboard work with another project by this guy Eld called Dead as Dreams.
Maelstrom: Oh, yes. I've heard of Elk. But not heard. Same with Dead as Dreams. When I heard the name, the first thing I thought was "Weakling's hand strikes again!" What's that music like?
Balan: Haha, yeah. They should invent a new term in music called "the Weakling effect," but Dead as Dreams is pretty solid song writing. It’s epic stuff. I wouldn't say it completely mirrors the Weakling formula, but that element is definitely there. It’s very melodic and intricate: a lot of dual melodies with the guitars, which is something I really like a lot. I love the Chameleons (UK). They had probably two of the greatest guitar players ever. They really helped shaped the way I see guitar-based music. I tend to be attracted to anything that utilizes those dual melodies.
