The wounds created by Lightning Swords Of Darkness
About three months issiac of blackened death thrashers Blasphemous Creation told me about this black horde from LA. Taking him up on his suggestion went out and check out these filth mongers Lighnting Swords Of Death at Reno's in Dallas. This band plays old school USBM. Which is somewhat reminds of the great godfathers like Bathory, primitive and ugly.
First I want to say I enjoyed your performance at Reno's last August in Dallas. It was a pretty good set.
We are glad you enjoyed it, it was out first time in Dallas. A busted tour vehicle forced us to cancel the last time we were booked in Dallas so it was good to finally play there.
Can you give the readers a brief history of the band and how long the band been together now.
Our first release came out in 2007, and we had been demoing for a couple years before that, different line ups etc. Our music has always been driven by something more than just a desire to record metal and tour shit holes. We our motivated by forces much larger than any music scene or stupid trend. This band is a weapon with which we shall burn a whole through Earth, the wound it creates shall devour all.
Who came up with the band name Lighting Swords Of Death?
It was a group decision, we were all familiar with the phrase and had been using it to describe some other aspect of our lives.
How did the band manage to caught the attention of Metal Blade Records?
They are based in Los Angeles of course, as are we. Metal Blade had been hearing of our antics and finally witnessed what we do at a music festival called the "Los Angeles Murderfest", we signed a couple weeks later.
Not too long ago Lighting Swords Of Death did some dates with Jungle Rot and lablemates Woe Of Tyrants which I caught in Dallas. In your own words how well the band in their first baptism in fire?
I would not call that tour a "first baptism of fire" first of all. We have been touring since 2007 with bands such as Behemoth, Kreator, Valdur, and Abigail Williams. The Jungle Rot tour was interesting because it was not our typical audience at all. Many old school death metal heads out for Jungle and the younger Death-core crowd for Woe of Tyrants and in all honesty I really did not feel we fit on the bill however we wanted to pick up some dates because we had new material out. I must confess torturing the uninitiated with our hymns brings me a rare pleasure. This is increased when I am spitting the bile of hell upon douchebags in "affliction" t-shirts who have no idea what black metal is. They stand there wondering if they should hardcore dance or commit suicide, naturally we suggest the ladder.
How was the response to your new album "The Extra Dimensional Wound" been so far?
Quite excellent. It seems to catch many off guard actually. Especially abroad where they seem to have thought all USBM is eco-black metal drone with photographs of foggy trees on the covers or fucking hipster shit. It has been amusing watching the neophant scramble to understand exactly where we are coming from conceptually and I am forced to smile when I notice some journalists actually doing their homework.
What been the fan's feedback to the album so far?
The horde that has followed us from the start has swelled since we began. The initiated were ready to receive the wound are already with us for the next step in this complicated spell we are casting upon the current membrane of consensus reality.
I also seen the band also have another album too, can you tell about that album. That album you can only get from the band right?
It is called the "Golden Plague", it was released in 2007 by blackmetal.comand as I understand it they are sold out. We may have under 10 left in our merch and than that is it. It was self recorded in Roskva's bunker. At some point we will release it on vinyl but I don't know when..
Being from Los Angeles how hard is it for a band like like Lighting Swords Of Death to get a decent gig? I know Los Angeles is not exactly known for black metal.
It is no problem at all, Los Angeles has a healthy metal scene and being one of the only real black metal groups in the city has been quite good for us.
Is there any black metal bands from the Los Angeles area in your own opinion worth checking out?
It is a growing scene as far as black metal is concerned. Some of the younger bands are beginning to develop and come into their own rather than sound and look like whatever bands inspired them to do this. If there were a band I would suggest checking out it would be Valdur who plays often in LA but are actually from the mountains of Mammoth Lakes. Their new cd "Raven god among us" is quite excellent, we did a split with them a few years ago, but good luck finding it...
What are some of the things that fuel Lighting Swords Of Death to play nasty, filthy black metal?
Ritual magick, fringe science, the occult and folklore.
What bands you listen to the most when you're not wrecking noise, filth and warfare with Lighting Swords Of Death?
I have been listening to a lot of Atomizer, Vomitor, Neutron Hammer, Urfaust, Cold Cave, Zola Jesus and Witchgrave lately.
Got any new material ready for the next album?
Oh yes.
What touring plans the band got going? I was hoping you guys would tour with Watain that would been a killer tour.
That would have been something huh? No touring plans for now beyond local rituals.
Can you name some of the songs you have written for the new album?
NO. However, all will be revealed in time...
Thanks for your time got any last words?
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."
