Cultus Sabbati was an anonymous
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
noise music
Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise within a musical context. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical ...
trio formed in 2006. The three members, whose identities are unknown even to their labels, began making music as a form of ritual magick after meeting through their other projects. Their music has been called
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
,
power electronics, "occult dub",
dark ambient and they themselves refer to their music as "witchnoise".
The band announced their dissolution on their Facebook in 2013. In May 2014 the former members of Cultus Sabbati announced the formation of the group HK8 (pronounced hek ate) and the release of their first album on June 21.
Origins
Thematically Cultus Sabbati's albums draw from ideas of
cunning craft, traditional
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
,
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
and
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
. Their work tends to draw from literary pieces as well as from occult ideas. Descent into the Maelstrom takes its name from the story by
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
of the same name. Garden of Forking Ways takes its name from the ''
Sandman'' comic by
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
.
While little is known of the personnel the band states that it is a trio with its members using the names "Malak Taus" (vocals), "Malak Azrael" (electronics) and "Malek Israfel" (guitars). In interviews on
The Quietus and
Pitchfork the band states that it performs its music ritually inside of a circle with its musical equipment and recording devices inside the ritual circle and the amplifiers outside.
The band claims to have met while touring in other projects at festivals.
The name Cultus Sabbati translates from the Latin to "worshipper of the sabbath." Yet the band apparently draws its name from a group of witches founded by the late occultist
Andrew Chumbley
Andrew D. Chumbley (15 September 1967 – 15 September 2004) was an English practitioner and theorist of magic, and a writer, poet and artist. He was Magister of the UK-based magical group Cultus Sabbati.
Career
Chumbley published several limited ...
.
Location
Brandon Stousy of
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
quotes the band as saying they "try to avoid locations" although Stousy claims in the same article that they reside in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Various blogs have claimed
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and other countries of origin, though none are confirmed.
Discography
Albums
* The Auraeon - 2008 (self released)
* The Garden of Forking Ways - 2010 (Rococo Records)
* Descent into the Maelstrom - 2011 (Land of Decay/Buh Records)
* The Hagiography of Baba Yaga - 2012 (Land of Decay)
* Asgardsreia - 2012 (Pitchfork)
EPs
* Modraniht - 2011
* Woden's Galder - 2010
Video
* Beyond the Walls of Layla (35min video EP) - 2012
* The Serpent Hewn - 2011
* Mouth of the Beast (directed by Shazzula) - 2011
* Descent into the Maelstrom - 2010
* Garden of Forking Ways (Shining Edit) - 2009
* Garden of Forking Ways - 2009
* Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinéad O'Connor cover) 2008
* Defiled Opposer - 2008
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
Noise musical groups
Black metal musical groups
Dark ambient music groups