Interview with Simon Nagington of Oakenthrone by Dave Wolff

Interview with Simon Nagington of Oakenthrone

Based in England, your solo project Oakenthrone underwent a period of experimentation over three demos. Your latest demo “Embers of Reverie” has reached a balance between grim and grandiose moods. Was this search common with English black metal bands or was it more personal for you?

I would say this is much more personal to me, or at least I'm not aware of location being a factor. The way I write music, as the sole member, is in my studio. So once I have finished writing a track I have a demo. Essentially those earlier songs are me showing my working out. You can see a linear progression from the original two “Blood Moon” tracks through “Rune Lord” and “Ashen Ritual”. You can hear all these influences come together finally in “Embers of Reverie”, I hope. Those original demos are important, but for me Oakenthone really became the entity I wanted it to be once I finished writing “Embers of Reverie” and “Communion”.

Could you explain the significance of the name Oakenthrone, if any, in relation to your approach to black metal?

The name Oakenthrone isn't of huge significance. It does loosely refer to the world tree, Yggdrasil, though. Conceptually being a throne for Odin when he was hung and discovered the runes (the concept for the track "Rune Lord"). The Anglo-Saxon Āc (ᚪ) rune, referring to oak, is used quite a lot in my promotional material as well. As for its relationship to black metal, obviously “throne” is a significant suffix, but it wasn't necessarily part of the thought process.

Aside from the "throne" reference, how much study have you given to Norse and Scandinavian folklore and how has it been influential to your project so far?

Some of the Black Metal bands that have had the biggest influence on me are of the Norse mythology/Viking ilk. Windir, Enslaved, Moonsorrow etc. Scandinavian folklore is something that I have a great interest in personally, it's a mythology that is so intertwined with nature; and nature - and its preservation - is incredibly important to me. I am not religious, or spiritual but the stories and folklore do appeal to me. This will obviously find its way into some of the themes of Oakenthrone. It can be seen the most in “Rune Lord” which extracts directly from The Old Norse, Poetic Edda for its lyrics.

Did you learn about Scandinavian folklore via books and documentaries? Which of these would people get the most from?

Quite a lot of books and late night internet rabbit holes! It's hard to recommend, but the two I have to hand for inspiration are a dusty old “Book of Runes” by Ralph Blum and “Viking Poetry for Heathen Rites” by Eirik Westcoat. These aren't education books on the top. The first is purely around the meaning of runes and how they can be interpreted and the second is a collection of ritual poetry in traditional verse.

If location doesn’t have bearing on what you compose for Oakenthrone, would you say there are still no guidelines to writing black metal and extreme metal as some people might think?

Black Metal as a genre can be so expansive and diverse, I think that's one of the reasons it endures as well as it does. There will be more stringent methods of writing certain forms of it, I'm sure. For me though, Oakenthrone is much more of a creative outlet and I find that sticking to guidelines can stifle that creativity. Things only move forward and develop with innovation.

Some people still seem to think every black metal band sounds like Venom or Bathory. And seem to think the genre lacks diversity and innovation and summarily classifies its listeners as idiots. Granted there are some gatekeepers, but how much innovation do you hear?

I certainly wouldn't agree with anyone being classified as idiots for that?! And if so I will proudly be among the idiots. Venom and Bathory are great bands to sound like and there is definitely a place for people continuing in that spirit. Innovation and diversity can include tradition and people flying that flag are just as valid as those that are trying to expand the boundaries. There are gatekeepers in all walks of life and I think that shows what passion and love for this music that there is in this community. But just listen to whatever you want to listen to and create the kind of music you want to create. You will never please everyone - it is much better to be someone's shot of whiskey than everyone's cup of tea.

Having watched video reviews of classic metal albums, I’ve gained more appreciation for how much they contributed to underground music in general, rather than just being noise. Not to say I never listen to anything else, but it mostly depends on the mood I’m in.

This circles back to just how diverse a genre Black Metal is. Personally I listen to all sorts in and outside of the Black Metal genre, entirely depending on mood. Some of those influences find their way into Oakenthrone (especially the more funeral doom aspects). I think to confine yourself to just one form of music - and even more so when it comes to one particular niche from a subgenre - is to rob yourself of some fantastic potential influences. Kudos to people who know what they like and stick to it though.

I can listen to Mayhem, Nile, Loreena McKennitt and Sarah Brightman in one day, but never felt my expansion was forced. If people are really open minded they don’t have to shove it in your face. Are there any gothic inspirations in any funeral doom songs you listen to that improve the songwriting?

Yes, exactly that. I'm not sure why anyone would be shoving their music tastes into anyone’s face anyway. I don't think you should give a shit about what anyone thinks about your music tastes. Do what makes you happy. We'll all be dead soon anyway. As for the inspirations you mentioned to improve songwriting; I suppose for me personally it's about incorporating those long heavy chords and not being afraid of taking your time with a riff and letting the melodies do their work. As a guitar player, first and foremost, I think a criticism I could have of my previous writing was that natural sprint to get from one killer riff to the next. I've learned to let things breathe a little more to give a greater sense of atmosphere.

Can you recommend any specific funeral doom bands you've been listening to that have been an inspiration to you?

If you want a perfect example, I cannot think of anything finer than “Stygian” by Atramentus. It's phenomenal. I would not claim Oakenthrone to be in the same genre as them, but it is a massive influence for me.

Is there anything you would like to tell the readers about Atramentus, and why people would be interested in hearing the band if they were fans of funeral doom metal?

The atmosphere in that album is just so perfectly sinister and dark. For me personally it is what I think of when I think of Funeral Doom, but there are a lot of great bands around. I caught Bell Witch play in Manchester earlier in the year and they were brilliant.

What about Bell Witch can you relate to the readers? What aspects of the band would the readers find worth listening to?

The soundscapes they create are so massive and full of atmosphere. Seeing what they can do with just two members is really impressive. I wouldn't describe Oakenthrone as a funeral doom project. But that genre has been a huge influence on my more recent writing, and I think it is that influence that makes “Embers of Reverie” stand out from my previous demos. That's the hope anyway!

In your studio, what is the process for completing a track prior to recording it? Did you select your equipment in order to obtain specific sounds for your recordings?

The writing process and the recording process are completely intertwined for me. I sit down with some ideas, record them, develop them, then chop, change and rearrange directly on the DAW. Once I have that down, everything is rerecorded properly. As far as equipment goes, everything is selected beforehand. Most of my equipment is old, cheap or free. This is very much a home recording set up, but I manage to get some ok tones out of it.

For the sounds they produce in your studio, do you mean to say prefer older, inexpensive equipment over new and state-of-the-art equipment?

Well if I could get hold of expensive state of the art equipment I certainly wouldn't be complaining! But you can have all the gear and still no idea. I don't shy away from using digital amp modellers and IRs. The spirit of these demos is to use what I have available to me and to hopefully rely on my musicianship and engineering capabilities to make the music I want. You don't need the best gear around, especially these days, to make good sounding demos.

What are some ways in which the digital equipment you use enhances what you record with analog, while keeping your desired sound?

It's more about the practicalities of using a home studio. I can refine my sound much easier on these demos with the use of digital equipment as well, but if the opportunity presents itself in the future to go down more of an analog route then I would happily take it. Especially for the low and slow sections, there is a warmth to a purring valve amplifier that can't be replicated through digital means. That being said, for a modern DIY approach to home recording, I have no complaints going digital.

Do you have methods of making songs sound more natural when digitally recording?

Most of the tone in the guitar comes from the playing. That is a hill that I am willing to die on. If you are reliant on effects and equipment then I believe you're looking at it from the wrong angle. These should be tools to enhance your playing and not the be all and end all. The drums are MIDI triggered samples and I do go into very fine detail to manually humanize them and make sure that the velocities and timing are as natural as possible.

What is the extent to which overreliance on effects diminishes the quality of a song or album?

I wouldn't necessarily say that over reliance diminishes the quality. More that I don't see it as a substitute for real skill and musicianship. I think a good musician can make music with whatever equipment they can get their hands on. And in this day and age the means of recording decent quality demos is pretty cheap and accessible to anyone.

What are the pros and cons of recording equipment being accessible to almost everyone? What impact has it had on the amount of new material released?

There should, in theory, be way more bands and musicians self-releasing demos, like I have done with Oakenthrone. So I suppose you could say that is both a pro and a con. There should be way more choices when it comes to finding new music, but that could also flood the market. In the end, I would suggest it is positive though. More choice and more music can only be a good thing.

Is it more or less of a good or bad underground metal (black, death, etc.) has received more mainstream attention than it did previously?

I don't see it as a bad thing. Similar to when we talked about gatekeeping, you always get that in any community. But the more mainstream bands can act as a gateway for people to delve deeper into this world. And that would hopefully only be to the benefit of the smaller independent artists, like myself, ultimately. You would hope anyway!

From your initial demo to your current demo, how would you describe your progression? Is it evident how your material has changed over the sessions of recording?

The first demo [“Blood Moon”] was my first real experimentations with using an open modal tuning (D at the time). It was much “riffier” than the later demos and the style is probably a little more in line with what I now write in my other project, Crown of Ichor. For “Rune Lord” I utilized the simple, epic melodies to a greater extent and put more thought into the arrangement and structure. I feel like Ashen Ritual introduced the atmospheric tones and I started making the most of those huge open harmonic chords you can get from the modal tuning, this track was also the first time I really concentrated on the lyrical themes.

How long have you been working on Crown of Ichor and how do you elaborate on your “Blood Moon” demo in that project?

Crown of Ichor is only around a year old. We have a few tracks out there but it is very much in its infancy. I draw the comparison to the “Blood Moon” demo because both of those are more guitar based and riff heavy. Crown of Ichor is written with somebody else, so I can worry less about the composition as a whole and display a bit more of my technical ability and let loose a little.

Are you still working with your band Acral Necrosis? I heard that they had been on hiatus for some time. Can you tell me what their current status is?

Acral Necrosis has been on an indefinite hiatus since around 2012. We're all scattered around the place now. Al, who co-wrote everything with me, is in New York (his trad heavy metal band Shadowland is well worth checking out) so there's no real chance of a reunion for the band any time soon. I actually kind of went on a bit of a personal hiatus from writing music for years after Acral Necrosis. It was only creating Oakenthrone that properly brought me back into the fold. That's one of the reasons it took a few demos to find my sound, I had to dust off some of the cobwebs! It was a great time with Acral Necrosis though, we were still kids, really, playing black thrash and drinking way too much. Good times.

Was Acral Necrosis the first band you worked with? What did your experience with them teach you about being a musician?

It was my first serious band, yes. It taught me a lot. My songwriting has developed a lot further since then, but certainly when it comes to playing live and touring. Things have moved significantly since then though, so if I ever do go down that route with Oakenthrone it will be interesting to see if any of those lessons are still relevant. I suspect not!

Do you know whether any of the material you released with Acral Necrois is still available?

I'm not sure where you would get hold of the Acral Necrosis material now. We did an EP and a three way split with Witchtrap and Warfist. I doubt there's any physical copies around now and I don't think Spotify was even a thing back then!

Regarding the two tracks recorded for “Embers of Reverie”, how would you characterize the mood and the impact you wanted them to have?

My aim for these tracks, although incredibly dark and gloomy, was to ensure that they do have a slither of hopefulness. They are structured in a way as to hopefully convey a story with the music alone. The title track, “Embers of Reverie”, for example, starts and ends with the same doom heavy riff, but the melody is altered in a way that there is a little more light amongst the darkness. This is to try and show that even if that heavy burden of negativity we all carry never leaves, you can still see things in a different light and make positive changes despite it. This is always the order I do things, the music is my initial expression of a concept and I tailor the lyrics to fit the themes of that.

What are the ways in which “Embers of Reverie” expresses the concepts you described?

The structure and song writing I mentioned are the main ways I express those concepts. But obviously the lyrics follow suit as well. As I say though, they come after the music.

Do you see it becoming more common to inject funeral doom and black metal with more of a positive/hopeful undertone? Or as still somewhat of a rarity?

I should probably clarify; the hope I mentioned in my music comes from a foundation of utter bleakness. The title track is about finding those last, faint, embers of hope in a vast abyss of despair. It is in those desperate attempts to make the unbearable bearable where the hope I talked about comes from. But whether that is ever ultimately possible is another question entirely. I certainly think it's an area that is worth exploring and I'm sure there are plenty who have before me. But it wouldn't be Black Metal, or Funeral Doom, if it was too positive or hopeful. That hope has to come as a consequence of despair.

What can you tell us about the castle appearing on the cover of “Embers of Reverie”? Does it have a cultural or historical importance people would find interesting?

That is Scarborough Castle. I visited the area for Fortress Festival back in June '24. I wanted something old, abandoned by man and given back to nature. Monolithic, but also a reminder of how fickle life is, and how easily it can be taken away. Ruins are a fantastic reminder of this and suited the themes of these tracks perfectly. So this was more of an aesthetic over any significant heritage.

What is the history associated with Scarborough Castle? Does the castle play a significant role in English heritage?

England obviously has a lot of heritage and we have an abundance of castle ruins. This one in particular is no different to any other the others, and no specific significance that relates to this release. But that is part of why I used it. It all crumbles to dust eventually and is reclaimed by nature.

What is Fortress Festival? Is it a yearly event? Where can people get information about it online if they’d be interested in attending?

It's a black metal festival. It's pretty new but very popular so I imagine a lot of people will be aware of it. Last year was headlined by Wolves in the Throne Room and Tryptykon.

Which bands besides Wolves in the Throne Room and Tryptykon appeared at last year’s Fortress Festival, and what sort of advertising was employed to get word around?

It was stacked. Panopticon, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Ultha, Thy Light, Lamp of Murmur, Gaerea, Sunken and a ton more. I couldn't tell you about promo and advertising I'm afraid though. I'm just familiar with the promoter and other gigs they put on.

Do you have any musical or lyrical ideas for a future release? When you resume writing and recording, how do you think you'll continue refining your concepts?

My next release is well on its way to being completed actually. I will be following a similar path to Embers of Reverie and releasing a limited cassette with two tracks. I aim to get it out before the end of the year, but I won't rush it. I have stuck with the same style. Hopefully I've expanded on that in interesting ways too.

Tell us about your project's web locations and how we can order and stream your releases online.

The Bandcamp page is the best way to support me. The only social media I have is Instagram. The tracks are available to stream in most of the big sites too.

Oakenthrone at Linktr.ee

-Dave Wolff