how we work; he is a modern-day genius, in my humble opinion. We provide him with rough ideas about the art we have in mind, and the lyrics, and he comes up with these stunning masterpieces. The Wheel of Fate is something that has been used throughout all the Weapon artworks. It appears on the 'Drakonian Paradigm' cover image, under Lucifer's feet. It appears again on the 'From the Devil's Tomb' image, between the inverted hanged man and the demon. Now it appears as the foundation of this image for 'Embers & Revelations'. The Wheel is ever revolving, ever turning, and in the process, it crumbles. The Tiger and the Wolf pertain to my dreams. Benjamin Vierling, the master and the genius, saw them flanking the Wheel in this manner: guardians, adversaries, and heraldic totems all at once. The daemonic skull has layers of meaning, being simultaneously an invocation, a conquering and a memorial. The red eye on the brow demonstrates profound vision; seeing beyond seeing! The crown is an allusion to the 'Shahenshah' - the King of all Kings. The star emblazoned on the crown of disillusion also has special significance; the serpents are also classic motifs, insinuating divine gnosis through venomous initiation. You hail from Bangladesh, a huge country with a small, yet growing metal
scene, ironically the same could be said of Canada, your current location. How do the two nations compare in terms of appreciation for your music? Most 3rd world countries have vibrant metal scenes with rabid fans, and Bangladesh is no different. Their reaction to live metal is nothing short of fanatic and savage! Metal fans in North America are spoiled. They tend to take things for granted. Yes, there are some total diehards in North America and we got to witness many of them firsthand when we have performed live, but the numbers need to grow. You are one of the few bands to criticise Islam in your lyrics. Are you surprised that there aren’t more metal bands willing to tackle this thorny subject? It’s not surprising at all. The average person knows very little about Islam aside from what they see on CNN or Fox News. To criticise something one needs to know what they are talking about. Also, people are also afraid to be called racist, even though I don’t see how attacking a religion through music
can make anyone a racist. That’s why most shy away from critiquing Judaism and Islam. Do you have any plans to tour in support of your new album? Are there any bands you would most like to share a stage with? There are plans, yes. We just have to sort out which route we want to pursue. I personally would like to tour with bands like Loss, Mithochondrion, Rudra, Ares Kingdom, Nightbringer, Azarath, Prosanctus Inferi, Hour Of Penance, Inquisition, Adorior, Wodensthrone, Svart Crown etc. Given your name, what is your weapon of choice? (Gun, blade etc) Brass knuckles. Any final words for the readers of Ghost Cult? Why should “Embers and Revelations” be on Christmas lists this year? What better way to mock such a “sacred” time of the year than with a piece of satanic art? www.weaponchakra.com
“The average person knows very little about Islam aside from what they see on CNN or Fox News. To criticise something one needs to know what they are talking about.” ghost cult magazine | 21