Spirit Above Matter: An Interview w/ Philip Dellas of WOTHROSCH

To transcend is the true Black Metal way. Not to merely transcend the norms of the industry and of the scene, but to truly search for enlightenment - illumination upon the deepest exploration of the innermost self and the outermost cosmos. A relinquishing of one’s entire self unto his art must transpire. For some artists, a Black Metal record is not just a collection of songs, but the fruit of suffering or an expression of his deep-running spiritual beliefs. Black Metal as a conduit into sacred places, into forbidden places and into places forlorn. To experience a recording of this magnitude is to not only experience art in its most precious form but to also share in the bounty of spirit - that piece of self that is left behind by the artist within each volume for us to cherish. Very few artists or bands possess the same uncanny ability to accomplish this feat like Philip Dellas and WOTHROSCH. During this interview for Frozen Moon Promotions, Philip casts a crepuscular luminance upon the essence of the art, the music behind WOTHROSCH. 

FMP: Hails, Philip! And welcome to Frozen Moon Promotions. Let’s begin with a little background since there’s not much to be known about WOTHROSCH. Why did you start the band and what was your vision going in?

Philip: Greetings. The origins of WOTHROSCH may be traced to the year 2018. It was then that we conceived a vessel, both sacred and profane through which to channel our energies, inquiries and descent into the unseen. From this crucible, our truest and most harrowing expression of art began to take form. From the outset, our purpose has remained unwavering; to listen with reverence and dread to the voice of the Daemon that dwells within.

FMP: What would you say motivates you the most?

Philip: Both as individuals and as a collective, our impetus dwells in the relentless pursuit of knowledge; knowledge that encompasses the mysteries of the human condition and the vast enigma of the cosmos. The essence - immutable and eternal is to tread the path of illumination, and through that sacred journey, to wield the fruits of understanding in service to the solemn weight of our craft. We do not seek comfort in the known, nor do we linger in the shallows of consensus. It is in the abyss where reason and madness entwine that we draw our breath. For every revelation bears the mark of sacrifice, and every truth demands the forfeit of illusion. Bound by neither dogma nor doctrine, we reforge meaning through the crucible of experience; guided not by blind faith, but by the whispering echoes of forgotten wisdom. What we gather is not for ornamentation, but for transformation. Knowledge, in our hands, is not a trophy, it is a blade - tempered in silence - drawn in necessity.

In this Great Work, there are no idle observers. Each step is a vow, each action a ritual. And as the veil grows thin, and shadows lengthen across the threshold of perception, we walk forward, not as seekers of light alone, but as those who have dared to look upon the dark and call it by name.

So let it be known: this is our path. To know. To become. To endure.

FMP: I couldn’t really find anything out there as to what sort of concepts WOTHROSCH explores through music. Can you tell us about your ideals and about your mission as a Black Metal band? 

Philip: The concepts we have traversed in this shadowed creative pilgrimage are those that encircle the human condition and the mortal plane. Endless cycles and haunting dualities: pain, suffering, faith, atonement and death. The individual’s covenant with the Divine, his fragile place within the crumbling catacombs of society and the spectral reflection of his psyche cast upon the labyrinthine machinations of existence and their whispered reciprocations. We are servants of the Dark Arts; bound by a solemn oath. Our mission, and above all, our sacred purpose as an extreme act has been and shall forever be to conjure creations that provoke the restless mind and demand contemplation. To rend the veils, to unveil the shadows that shroud our being and to gaze beyond the thresholds of the known into the abyssal unknown.

FMP: You released your debut LP, Odium, in 2023 under the representation of Hammerheart Records. What can you tell us about the process of recording the album and what kind of insight can you provide as far as the album’s theme?

Philip: In many ways, Odium defies the limitations of a mere album. For us, it stands as something far more vast - akin to an epic in the literary sense, yet steeped in shadow and introspection. This is not merely due to the duration of its creation, but rather the depth and breadth of the themes it dares to traverse. The genesis of Odium dates back to 2018, coinciding with the formation of the Collective. What followed was a year of deliberate refinement; a forging process meant to summon the sound we envisioned. In time, we entrusted George Emmanuel and the hallowed halls of Pentagram Studio to serve as the vessel for its manifestation. The recording sessions were not taken lightly; they became acts of ritual precision. Each detail agonized over with near-obsessive intent. The path was not without disruption. The shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic loomed large, stalling progress and distancing souls. It is partly why Odium emerged into the world nearly three and a half years after its inception. Yet, even in that forced stasis, we found opportunityto delve deeper, to further distill and shape the sonic identity of the work. That imposed stillness became fertile ground. But the true crucible lay within. Those years bore witness to personal upheaval: the loss of kin, severed bonds, the psychic weight of isolation, dread, and disintegration. All members of WOTHROSCH were marked by it. These wounds, both visible and unseen, bled into the fabric of Odium; infusing it with a visceral, lived darkness. For these reasons, I do not see Odium as a simple collection of songs. It is an ordeal, a passage, a descent. It is an epic not in scope alone, but in the existential terrain it traverses.

FMP: I picked up some heavy misanthropic vibes during my experience with Odium. This is also evidenced by track titles like “Tumor”, “Disease” and “Sinner”. Broad question, but how do you feel about the current state of humanity?

Philip: At its innermost core, Odium is an invocation - a descent into the labyrinthine corridors of the human soul where shadows multiply beyond comprehension. It is not merely an album but a ritual - a misanthropic sigil etched against the veil of existence. We dwell in an era of spiritual entropy where meaning is dust and purpose has withered into myth. The architecture of decay now reigns supreme; enthroned in every aspect of the human condition. Odium became our obsidian mirror; forged not only to reflect the world’s silent collapse, but to summon forth the hidden specters within ourselves. We did not glance, we peered, unblinking into that inner abyss. What emerged from the depths was not a self we could embrace, but a revenant - a reflection steeped in ash - bearing no warmth, no light - only the truth that lies buried beneath illusion.

FMP: WOTHROSCH has acquired the representation of Zazen Sounds - a record label that’s run by VP Adept (Αχέροντας), and has a reputation of not only artistic integrity but also for signing bands that are known for their spirituality. VP is an Occult practitioner who’s well known for his practices both in and out of studio. How much does spirituality play into the work of WOTHROSCH?

Philip: Spirituality is the cornerstone, the axis and the sacred foundation upon which the identity of WOTHROSCH has been forged. The genesis and manifestation of our creative vision are born from states of deep meditation; channeled through rites of inner stillness and aligned with the spiritual doctrines/metaphysical path we have chosen to walk. Each of us alone, yet all as one. As with our art, the fervent and ever-deepening study of the esoteric philosophies to which we are bound has, over time, transcended mere inspiration. It has become an alchemical force; reshaping not only the creative current that animates our work, but also the very fabric of our personal existence.

FMP: What are some of the biggest differences between being signed to Hammerheart and to being backed by Zazen?

Philip: The fundamental divergence lies in the fact that, with Zazen Sounds, there exists a far deeper commitment to, and reverence for, the artistic current we channel - a current that moves beyond the hollow mechanics of an industry too often preoccupied with commerce over creation. Here, the sterile scaffolding of conventional principles is deliberately cast aside in favor of something far more sacred: the unfiltered, uncommodified essence of artistic truth. For us, this was nothing short of liberating: a shedding of skin, a return to something primal and pure. From the very first moment, we felt as though we had crossed a threshold and arrived not at a workplace, but at a sanctum. I extend my deepest gratitude to VP, whose vision has summoned this space into being - a place where the creative spirit is not merely accommodated but honored with a rare and solemn respect. In this sanctuary, our process is not interfered with, but understood; our vision, not negotiated, but upheld.

FMP: You’ve got a new record in the making. It’s scheduled for a tentative 2026 release. Will it be a continuation of Odium?

Philip: Odium emerged as a vessel shaped by its time - a manifestation of the shadows that loomed over its creation. Bound as it was to the specific energies and circumstances that birthed it, its essence remains singular, irreproducible, even should we will it so. To echo its voice would be a betrayal of our nature. Repetition is a doctrine we have never sworn to. Thus, let it be known: the forthcoming opus shall not serve as a continuation of Odium, but rather as a divergence, an evolution wrought in deeper, darker flame. While traces may linger, motifs subtly expanded and spectral echoes further explored, what we have summoned will confound expectation. And yet, the devoted - those attuned to our relentless pursuit of transformation, to the ever-morphing geometry of our sound, will sense the inevitability of this descent. Heed this omen: the second ritual of WOTHROSCH is no mere recording. It is a tempest of abyssal fervor - a merciless invocation of infernal Athenian extremity.

FMP: What are you doing differently with the new record?

Philip: If there were a single word to distill the essence of this record, the atmosphere in the writing room, the cadence of the recording sessions and the overarching spirit of the creative process, it would be “focus”. Unlike Odium, which bore the marks of a more impulsive, perhaps even chaotic genesis. This album emerged from a space of precision and intent. Every element, from the arrangement of tones to the silence between them, was shaped with a sense of discipline that bordered on ritual.

There was a structure, an almost clinical order to the recording process, and within that framework, the music found a sharper edge; a deeper clarity. That edge, I believe, cuts through the surface of the album, giving it an intensity that lingers. In retrospect, it’s clear that the material demanded such an approach. It would have resisted anything less. There’s a weight to these songs that could only be born through method and not instinct alone.

FMP: There’s a lot of talk about AI recently and its capacity for poisoning the scene. Black Metal is not just a genre of music. It’s a way of life for many people and the thought of AI Black Metal is an unsettling one indeed. How do you feel about the way technology is impacting music?

Philip: The question you raise is both convoluted and weighty; one that cannot be answered lightly, but demands a response equal in complexity. What we are witnessing with AI is not merely progress; it is a rupture. The pace is exponential, the unfolding utterly without precedent. In this light, to focus solely on its implications for Black Metal would be to miss the forest for the trees. The deeper, more pressing concern is its impact not only on the arts, but on the very fabric of life itself. When it comes to art, our stance has remained unflinching from the beginning: we reject the use of AI in any form. That position is neither flexible nor open to compromise. So long as the power to choose remains within our hands, we will always seek to involve living, breathing artists - souls capable of suffering, dreaming and conjuring. That is the path we walk. That is the oath we keep.

Now, as for the second part of your inquiry, on technology’s role in the evolution of art and music, there is no denying its influence. The recording process is now almost wholly digital with 90 to nearly 100 percent of it severed from analog roots. Likewise, in the realm of visual art, digital tools have become inseparable from many artists’ workflows. These are realities we do not contest. But here lies the divergence - subtle to some, but to us, absolute: technology, at its best, is a servant to the human creative will. It amplifies. It refines. It extends the reach of the artist’s hand without extinguishing the fire of intent. AI, however, does not serve, it supplants. It replaces the human with the hollow. It eradicates the essential flaw, the sacred imperfection, the soul. And that, for us, it is unacceptable. It is a betrayal of everything art was ever meant to be. We do not stand at the edge of innovation; we stand at a crossroads of meaning. To create is to suffer, to remember, to resist oblivion. AI knows none of this. And therefore, it has no place in our domain.

FMP: Any closing thoughts?

Philip: I will bring this conversation to a close with the words of a wise man, who also happens to be my spiritual teacher and mentor: “In order to dare, we must know. In order to will, we must dare. We must will to possess empire and to reign, we must be silent. Spirit above matter.” ~ Philip Dellas / 666

You can purchase the band’s music on their Bandcamp or stream it on their Spotify.