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Photo Credit:
Celestial Light
February 5, 2022|FEATURES

Born Of Obsidian – Track by Track with Kurokuma

Most concept albums just serve to tell a tale. The debut record from Kurokuma is something a bit more potent though.

Alchemised deep within the confines of the Sheffield sludge scene by the red-eyed enchanters Kurokuma, Born Of Obsidian is less of a standard concept record and more of a mind altering musical conduit that drags one right back into the esoteric violence of ancient Mesoamerica. Through the group’s carefully cultivated blend of Psilocybin-tainted psychedelia, corrosive sludge and tangibly thick atmosphere, the band transport you right back into the gored heart of the Aztec and Olmec civilisations. Times where human sacrifice to appease the gods was a part of daily life, where the holy obsidian was used in both magic and construction and when the almighty jaguar was feared and revered. It’s a deeply vivid record rich in the power of influencing the minds eye into staring past the primordial chaos and astrally viewing the bloodstained magic long dormant in our collective genetic consciousness.

With Born Of Obsidian out now independently, we got in touch with drummer Joe Allen to guide us up the steps of the great pyramid of Tenochtitlan and to break down the record, track by track.

Related: Kurokuma – Born Of Obsidian | Album Review

Smoking Mirror

“The first track on the album was written around the theme of Tezcatlipoca, Smoking Mirror. He was the Aztec god of the night sky and obsidian, among other things.”

“Obsidian mirrors were instruments of magic, and it’s said sorcerers could travel to the world of gods and ancestors through gazing into them. Scrying basically. Of course, they would reflect the viewer as well, and so Jake also turned the lyrics to introspection on the self, particularly the darker aspects.”

“Linked to this, we picked ‘Born of Obsidian’ as the album title because you could say the Aztec civilisation was founded on obsidian. It was used in daily life, for weapons and in a lot of sacrificial rites as well. They basically never had a need for metal because they had this substance.”

“I think this track had to be first on the album. The way it’s structured it’s like the perfect introduction, almost like an opening to a play or something as the curtains raise. That’s how I hear it.”

Sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli

“Track two is about human sacrifice to the sun god, Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs thought that if they ever stopped sacrificing people the sun would stop and an eternal night would come. There’s plenty of documentation of this practice so we know it’s not fiction.”

“Human sacrifice was a huge part of Aztec civilisation. It set the tone for everyday life and was the very visible focus in the centre of the capital. It’s always fascinated me since I was a kid learning about Aztecs in school.”

“Basically as this track is more of a straight ahead death metal one we wanted some simple but gory lyrics for it.”

Jaguar

“This one was written as more of an incantation than a standard song. Going back in time, the jaguar was the most powerful creature for the Olmec civilisation, kind of like a god. It was said shamans could transform into jaguars, and there are plenty of stone carvings that show this. This track is pretty much the soundtrack to such a transformation.”

“I think this is the most unique track we’ve written. It took us a long time to perfect and it always gets a unique reaction live. All of our music is meant to be transportive, but this one is special.”

“It turned out to be a good choice for the first single. The response has been great so far.”

Ololiuqui

“Back to the Aztecs, ololiuqui are morning glory seeds that Aztec priests used, along with magic mushrooms, for their ceremonies.”

“This is an older track of ours and you can definitely feel the stoner/doom riffs. I love the break at the end where it’s just George and me playing that simple riff for ages, before Jake comes smashing back in with the guitars. I feel the spirit of Sepultura on this one at the end. We definitely took some inspiration from Pteranodon by Ozric Tentacles as well.”

Under the Fifth Sun

“This one is about the end of the Aztec empire, so had to be the final track on the album. They were hit by what’s thought to be a plague of smallpox brought over from Europe, and that made it easier for them to be conquered by the Spanish.”

“The fifth sun is a reference to the epoch the Aztecs believed themselves to be living in, with four suns having preceded them. Jake also intended the title as a reference to Under the Sun by Black Sabbath.”

“This track actually comes from our very first release, our demo from 2014. We rewrote it and improved it, and here it is on our first album, which I’m pleased with. This album truly has been a long time in the making.”

Born Of Obsidian is out now independently. Purchase the record here