Today we feature a band with an album and single coming out very shortly! Tomorrow sees the release of Reincarnation, and its video is due to drop at 9am tomorrow (assuming you’re reading this on Thursday 13th!). Scroll down and sort out a notification so you don’t forget to watch it…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are based throughout the Southern shores of England.
How did you meet?
There have been many incarnations of Aklash. However the most recent founding took place very organically. Many of the members had been friends previously and when the band underwent a total overhaul we all just rallied to the cause.
The two remaining original members, Chris and Nicholas knew Marco from playing with Nomos. Yiannis was introduced through a mutual friend and immediately became an integral part to the project.
How long have you been playing as a band?
The current lineup has been together since around 2021, though the origins of Aklash go back to at least 2011. We’ve been through a series of lineup changes, though the most recent has been the most dramatic and has had the most profound effect on the overall sound of the band.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
This used to be a closely guarded secret, but as it has come up more and more frequently, I believe it’s beginning to be better known. So, inspired by many of the early black metal bands who took their name from the works of Tolkien, (Gorgoroth, Isengard ect.) Aklash is likewise inspired by these works.
The word Aklash is taken from Orcish, and translates to “Music”.
What are your influences?
We’re into all sorts of different things, from extreme metal to prog rock, folk, jazz, goth and post-punk, ambient and electronic music – all of these things filter through into our sound in their own ways. You’ll hear this all across the new album in a variety of different ways.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We blend a bunch of different influences together and the result is something that is uniquely “us”, while you can arguably hear all those influences, it’s all about the way they come together that makes our sound unique. We don’t really sound like any other British band currently playing extreme metal.
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Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
The libretto set to the music of Aklash has always been prone to gravitate towards certain themes, mainly the anthropomorphism of the natural world, heathen or classical spirituality and philosophical ‘discussions’ based around the tenants and shortcomings of the modern era. Efforts have been made to stay away from the common tropes associated with the genre, we don’t sing about the dark evil forest or the snow capped mountains, because we’re not from Scandinavia, however, as the singer comes from rural Ireland, many of the topics of the lyrics do reflect a deep seated love of nature, but much more references to the “blossoming meadow” or the “expansive ocean horizon”.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Aklash have been performing for over a decade and during this time the stage craft has been honed and tempered with experience. We’ve played countless shows across the UK, and as far and wide as Portugal and the Ukraine.
With a shorter set, audiences can expect an electric, rapid fire rendition of our eclectic material, old and new, interspersed with introspective medleys on folk instruments, adding a nearly ambient or atmospheric “breath” to the experience.
When we have the luxury of time to indulge with a longer set, we like to really reinforce the spiritual, even mystical element. Cloaking the stage in smoke and incense, free thought sermons and ornamentation.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I suppose, playing metal music you come across all manner of crazy things on the road, and at festivals. But maybe some are more appropriate for print than others.
One of the most ridiculous feats we concocted was the Great Guinness summoning of Reaperfest 2023.
Essentially we got called in at the last minute to fill a set higher up the bill. We made a real impression, we played a great set and it was really well received. However, at about the halfway point, we made a sorrowful lamentation to the crowd about the trials and tribulations that went into making the performance happen. (something about setting off from Brighton at the crack of dawn and the length of the drive). This was rounded off with a final plea to the effect of “if you can find it in your hearts to donate pints of Guinness…”
Lo and behold, no less than 13 glorious black pints adorned the front of the stage, precariously nestled between the monitors.
So, they got demolished pretty rapidly, and the remainder of the set was just a race against time before the blood alcohol level hit its tolerable maximum threshold!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Guitarwise, we play Jacksons primarily with Orange amps. Our bass player uses both Fender and Aria Pro II basses with Tech21 amps. Marco uses a groove drum company custom snare and an array of multiple brands worth of cymbals. For kicks he uses Tama ‘Iron Cobra’. In terms of pedals, it’s largely Boss, Electro-Harmonix and EBS. We also use a Korg Wavetstate, a Violin and a Flute. The album also features other uncommon instruments like a Bouzouki, Oboe and a real church Organ.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Right now, all systems go towards the new album launch. Released on the 20th and commemorated with a blow out show at the green door store, Brighton on the 22nd! We’re going to be playing the album in full, pulling out all the stops. It’s going to be a great time!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
We’re going to be playing as many shows as possible to promote the album. As well and trying to get some tours heated up on mainland europe. Alongside this, we’re already conceiving new material for another studio album. We just love writing, touring and making music!
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We’d like to play a sold out arena gig opening for KISS, with enough pyrotechnics to pose a significant environmental threat. And to open for us, it would have to be our boys in Andracca, just so we could watch Kieran talk the ear off Gene Simmons about Judas Priest.
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Header image by Ajit Dutta
If you want to check out more new music, then fire up our Headline Act playlists on Spotify and YouTube!
