YHWH: “Our songs remain unchanged since they were composed years ago”
Originally conceived as a studio-only project, YHWH has quickly evolved into a focused and uncompromising entity within the extreme underground. In just over a year, the project has released multiple recordings, driven by a refusal to conform to expectations, trends or conventional ideas of success.
By Sandra Pinto
In this interview, YHWH speaks with complete frankness about its path so far, its songwriting approach, its relationship with the underground, and its deeply critical view of society, music and human behaviour. Free of rhetoric and uninterested in pleasing, the conversation reflects a project guided by conviction, discipline and absolute artistic control.
How do you see yourself as having gotten to where you are today?
I do not appreciate it when people are wasting my time: I wanted to record these old songs that never had been used previously, nothing else… For this reason, YHWH was not supposed to become something bigger than a studio project. We just finished to record our third EP “Baghavat” and we still have material for a split EP that will probably be recorded within a few months. We are globally satisfied about what we have done in a bit more than a year, and it is not over yet. We will slow down a bit soon: as you probably know, the release of a physical record in the underground takes a little longer.
What is your songwriting process like? And do you prefer playing in small clubs or large festivals?
I guess our songwriting process is not a lot different compared to other bands, it never was even in other bands. I know a lot of bands summon demons as Murmur in order to write music, but this not our case…
I appreciate more the energy of small clubs, not large festivals. Small festivals, up to two 1500 – 2000 people, are okay.
How has your musical taste changed from when you first started playing to your latest release?
Nothing has changed, we still listen mostly to the same old bands. We are not reluctant to newer bands, but nowadays almost everything sounds in the same way. We still have many things from the past to discover, it would be sad to limit ourselves only to current bands.
Can you describe a performance where you faced unexpected challenges and how you handled it? Do you feel that rock/metal music has a significant role in society!?
Every performance is a bit stressful, no matter if you play in front of only a few people or in front of large crowds. Tours are stressful, you never really know what will happen the day after. You have to stay focused and react quickly anytime. We have no opinion about that. From the inside you might think metal is something huge, but it remains niche music.
Are there any non-musical influences that shape your sound or lyrics (e.g., books, films, visual art, political events)?
We never wrote about books or films into YHWH so far, we write about social issues, society, misanthropy, sadness and misery, among others.
What is your favorite or most inspirational place, and how does it influence your work?
We are not influenced by any particular place, this whole planet is shit. We are filling the gaps in the best way as possible while waiting to die, and get far away from here…
What is the one message you would give to your fans, and why? What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Our fans have free will. They can do their own researches, there are enough prophets in this world.
But… if you proposed me to spread a message, it would be: “smash speciesism”, more than anything else. We went vegan for love, now we hate everyone… It is complicated to make people understand that almost all the problems they have are linked to speciesism: human and abortion rights, slavery, sexism, racism, etc. We try as much as possible to put our egos aside into our daily lives, because “ego” means “conflict” and conflict leads to war. Everybody is a leftist until you bring up veganism, everybody is against oppression, exploitation and abuse until you bring up veganism…
Some people categorized us into “vegan metal”: we are not, we are simply logical people who would like to live in a peaceful world.
I can predict YHWH will not get the success it deserves: when you play extreme music, as black metal, people expect you to be transgressive: the line between transgression and stupidity is thin. It would be cool if they enjoy our music, whatever the reason.
Can you walk us through the story behind a specific song on the new album?
Our first song on this new EP is called “Übermenschen and Underdogs”, which is about resilience and positivity. It speaks about how to reset your mind in order to become the master of your own existence.
The second song “Chains of Slavery” speaks about hypocrisy, on how oppressed people reproduce on others mistreatment, whatever their beliefs, culture, skin color or sexual identity. This song also encourages the listener to think otherwise and defy authority.
Our third song “Heavenly Blasphemies” is more primitive, lyrics are anti-christian in the old school South American style.
The fourth one, called “Dead Inside” is about depression and mental illnesses. It questions the meaning of life.
Our fifth song on “Baghavat” is called “Filth City”. I was inspired by a poor and small town in Belgium, filled with inbred people, drugs, alcohol and domestic violence: the kind of town Lovecraft was talking about in his short stories…
Last but not least, if you are patient enough, perhaps there could be a surprise at the end of this record.
What do you do outside of music that contributes to your musicality, in essence, a hobby you turn to for creative rejuvenation? In your opinion, what event was the best you’ve ever performed and why?
Nothing really influences our musicality. Our songs remain unchanged since they were composed years ago. We have not played live yet with YHWH. We focus first on recording, we are not in a hurry.
What can fans expect next from you, or what is your long-term vision for the band’s legacy?
We will record a split EP with an American band in the following months, this is all I can write you for now.
What do you think are the biggest stereotypes about rock/metal music? What makes rock/metal culture unique compared to other genres?
People into metal are often seen as “rebels”: they are mostly pretenders, not rebels… It was easy to realize it during the Covid-19 pandemic: everyone is against governments until they ask you to obey politely when you have to get vaccinated. These so-called rebels sacrificed their honor, pride and integrity in order to eat any shit outside and live even more under control. Metalheads are not different from the average moron.
Metal is very close to classical music, their respective audiences are composed solely of enthusiastic, dedicated people: something I have never seen anywhere else, not with the same intensity and passion.
Do you have any final words to the audience?
No. Thanks a lot to everyone at Look Mag for this interview. Cheers to Goatritual, Schem HaMephorash, and everyone at WormHoleDeath!
https://thetrueyhwh.bandcamp.
