Interview to Maagher of Arcanum Inferi

Interview by Luis Landeo
Welcome Maagher, nice to meet you, and how are you? For start this interview let me say congratulations for release this interesting full lenght about esoterism and alchemy, how born the idea of write a full lenght about it? 
Hail, firstly thank you for the space that you give us in your zine and thanks for your compliments. The idea to use esotericism and alchemy themes is the basis of Arcanum Inferi’s general concept, not just for this album because the project was born with the intent to put our experiences into music in fact. Ars Hermetica is based on an Opus phase called “Opus Niger” (nigredo), a phase that is strongly linked to death, sorrow, conflict.

How was record this full lenght? in what studios was the recording days? and how is work with: Black Orgon Records? 
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered between August/December 2010 at the Underground Frozen’s Studios by Frozen. Black Orgon Records is a young but very active label, which is promoting our work very well. We really got along with them because we have the same vision of Black Metal and the same opinion about the best ways to give out our message.

The art for this album is like the room of an alchemist that reminds the film: Faust (1920), but what represent that pic? 
The cover artwork wants to be an introduction of the music itself. As you say, it’s an alchemist’s laboratory, the place where the miste studies, examines, experiments, reflects…a place that is the mirror of his path.

I know Ars Hermetica is a latin word but what means exactly Ars Hermetica? 
It means Art of Ermete. The hermeticism was born in Alessandria of Egypt in the age of the remarkable library, afterwards burned by the pig christians. It groups the esoteric knowledge hand downed from the Egyptian temples that, exactly by hermeticism and alchemical tradition, arrived nowadays. Latin is a language that has strong links with the past, and it's between the modernity and our fathers, acting as a bridge between two different ages. Moreover, since it was born, the sounds linked to the letters had a particular sense, linked to the vibration, that helps the alchemist to reach specific vibrator states.

Europe have a great legacy with respect of magic and Alchemy so can you comment about the Italian legacy of magic and Alchemy? 
The Italian esoteric tradition is deep and rich of characters whose value crosses over time and space. Formerly Dante, with his Divine Comedy, hand dawned an extraordinary multitude of information to those who can read between the lines… and from him we can go through the time until recently, with people such as Reghini, Angelini or Kremmerz. Our land maintains intact her knowledge, despite Christian disease tries to destroy any fragment of truth.

The band started in 2009 and the line up never changed, and you know many Black Metal bands always changes of member after of one year, so what is the secret for have a solid line up? 
Arcanum Inferi are made by us, we are the Arcanum Inferi. For us it’s natural…we are “travel companions” on this Earth, we are test drivers, we are brothers. That’s all.

The band in 2010 released a demo of 3 tracks titled: Vitriol and in Ars Hermetica Vitriol was the only song was played in the demo, why? 
Actually Obscura Nox ad Inferos is also present in the full, the track which belongs to the demo too. V.I.T.R.I.O.L., as the same name says, means the alchemical Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificandoque Invenies Occultam Lapidem (visit the inside of Earth and amending you will find a hidden stone). It’s almost the summary of the “secret” of the hermetic art: by searching inside us (the inside of earth) and “amending”, we can obtain “the stone”, the medieval alchemist’s Lapis Philosophorum, the fixity beyond the time or, in other words, the immortality.

Well I know the death metal scene in Italy is hard with bands and no much support with them, but how is the reality with black metal scene in Italy? 
The Italian scene is so rich of very, very interesting band. I could mention lots of them, Valefar, Mourning Soul, Orcrist, Devotion Omega, Mystica Nox, Movimento d'Avanguardia Ermetico, Gort, Xeper, Nefarium and many other…each one of them has a personal style with which shows the own Black Soul, each one of them hold high the honor of our Italy.

Do you have in mind a tour for europe this next year? and when is the comming show of the band? 
At the moment nothing came of it, we are considering some proposals, but we prefer not to add other things.

For end this interview do you have a last message?
The truth is in the darkest part of your Soul. Dive into the Abyss… 

To know more about Arcanum Inferi: 
http://www.facebook.com/arcanum.inferi.3