DECEMBER 3rd 2023
BLOOD PYTHON EXCLUSIVE

Metaltitans Metal Mom had the opportunity to talk with M. Horn of BLOOD PYTHON, an Eastern Norwegian occult heavy metal band, and deep into NWOBHM.

Let's find out about this band.

MT - How did you come up with the name Blood Python?

I think snakes are cool, so when I researched around for a band name I came across “blood pythons” which are a sub-species of python snakes. My original idea was to call the band “Blood Python Mercenary Cult”, but I had a change of heart, since it would be too long.

MT - What makes you an occult heavy metal band?

The music is definitively inspired by the heavy metal of the 1980s, so there’s the “heavy metal” part. I guess the “occult” aspect comes from wanting the music to have a dark and mysterious undertone. I am a big fan of the early works from Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and Ghost, so I wanted to implement that kind of atmosphere into Blood Python. In addition, I am a fan of the Norwegian black metal from the 1990s. I am very into that kind of ominous, occult atmosphere those bands wove into their music. 

MT - Why did you decide to be the soul person , doing all instruments and vocals?

It was something I wanted to do for a long time. There is something relaxing and creatively stimulating about working on your own. Of course, sometimes I miss other musicians to play ideas off, but I am generally happy with working on my own.

MT - Were you in a band before your own?

Yes, I have been in many bands over the years. I started with black metal as a teenager. Since then I’ve been in punk, doom and thrash bands. The last band I was part of before I started Blood Python was Tempelheks. We were active between 2014 and 2022. We released a couple of albums. That band started out as doom/stoner metal, but the last album we released is more polished 80s heavy rock. Check it out.

MT - Did you have anyone who inspired you to create and do your own thing?

Yes, I am a big fan of the first couple of albums from Burzum and Bathory. Since I was a teenager I have been inspired by that “one man, one vision” approach to metal music.

MT - Must be a hard process writing everything to create ?

It can be sometimes. Some parts of the process can be really tedious, like for example making the drum parts. But when it all comes together, it’s really worth all the work. I really like making guitar riffs and writing lyrics, so those things come more easily. One of the most positive sides by being a one-man-band is that no one can second guess your ideas. I am the dictator of my music.

MT - When did you decide to create BLOOD PYTHON?

It was definitely a covid-thing. I really needed that creative output when there were no live shows, band practices or social meetings. It really helped me keep my sanity through that period of time. At that time I was listening alot to Thor’s album “Only the Strong”. That lo-fi home-made-ish sound inspired me even further to start my own project.

MT - Where do you get your ideas to write the lyrics?

All the bad, evil and terrible aspects of human nature and behaviour. I am especially inspired by ancient empires and kingdoms. The violence, religious practice, social injustice, and so on. These are all things that happen in our modern times as well, I just feel the ancient world fits more stylistically to Blood Python’s music. That’s the great thing about writing metal lyrics: there are always a ton of miseries in our world to use for inspiration. A good example is the lyrics for the song “Swamp Sacrifice”. That one is inspired by the “bog bodies” from the Iron Age of Northern Europe. I recommend reading about them if you’re into history and things that are metal.

MT - You have a new album out called "Thunder City", and was released in September, how has the response been so far?

The response has been good. It seems to have reached the underground metal fiends around the dark corners of the internet. It has sold an ok amount on Bandcamp and I have gotten some awesome feedback from some cool people. All in all, I am happy with the release. NWOTHM on YouTube was kind enough to feature the album on their channel, so there have been a lot of people listening to it there.

MT - The artwork was done by Erik Alm, did he come up with the cover, or did you give him some ideas?

Erik is an old friend of mine. He has made a lot of the covers for bands I have been in through the years. I usually have pretty specific ideas of what I want. So I present my ideas to him, then he runs with it. 10/10 times it comes out much better than I had envisioned. He is really talented. He also plays in an awesome stoner band called Steinsopp, so be sure to check them out if you’re into that kind of stuff! The cover for Thunder City is actually inspired by a photo I took when I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Early sunrise over that temple city was unforgettable. And so ominous…

MT - You have 8 tracks on this:

01. Witch’s Brew
02. Omens
03. The Wolves Ain’t Far Behind
04. Conqueror
05. Empire
06. Swamp Sacrifice
07. Lord Of Night
08. The Gods That Fell To Earth

Do you have a favourite among them, I know when I listen to albums, I usually have a favourite, and if you do, why that one?

Yes, I have to go with Omens. It was one of those songs that I really did not like until I got well into the mixing. It has an awesome chorus with all the vocal tracks hitting like a truck after the verse. I also want to mention The Gods That Fell To Earth. That one was the result of me being kind of tired of songwriting. It was the last song I wrote for the album, so I thought “just fuck it, I’m going with my gut feeling on this one”. Turned out pretty cool despite this I think. It has a narrative character to it that really fits the lyrics as well.

MT - Did it take a long time to get from writing the lyrics, to actually getting it down to the finished product ?

Well, that depends on how you define “long time”. The whole album took about a year to make - talking about everything. I think that’s a short period of time. For a touring band, I think that is almost impossible. When I am in the process of making an album, my brain constantly comes up with ideas. Even in my sleep. So I have to just continue working, or else I lose my mind I think.

MT - How do you come up with the names of the songs, or do you come up with that first? 

For Thunder City and Acheron I wrote the lyrics first, then I came up with titles after. I did that consequently for all the songs because I wanted the titles to really capture the essence of the lyrics. For the next album I will do it the other way around, just to try if that works as well. Got some awesome titles already.

MT - When you record, what gets recorded first, and why? As you can tell I am not a musician, but interested in the process.

Since guitar is my main instrument, I always start with them. When riffs and melodies come to me I record it, either at home, or on my phone if I’m out. There have been times when I have been sitting at a pub with my friends when a riff comes, then going to the bathroom to hum it into my phone’s recording device. At home on my computer, the second thing I record is bass guitar. I then try to play somewhat percussively, so that I can base the drums on that later on. Lastly are vocals.

MT - Do you do any type of touring when you are one musician that does it all?

Not at all. I really like playing live, but Blood Python is not a project that is “designed” to play live. Maybe some time in the future if the stars are aligned, but my main focus is writing and recording.

MT - What is next for you ?

I have begun working on the lyrics and concept for Blood Python’s next album. So when the Yule times are passed, I will start writing the music as well. Aiming for a somewhat higher quality of production this time, so I might get some pros to do the mixing. I also feel like experimenting more with the songwriting and production. Looking forward to sharing the result with you all.

MT - Finally, tell us something about yourself ?

Just a normal old school metal head, drinking beer, worshipping ancient gods, sacrificing virgins and writing some ominous music here and there. Enjoying life, revelling in the misery and darkness of the human species while cursing the Nordic winter winds. Spit in the face of depression, corrupt politicians and the inevitable Death. Also, take care of each other.

Thank you (Takk!) for taking the time to do this interview with us here at Metaltitans, and we wish you much success with your new album "Thunder City".

Sjøl takk!
 -M. Horn


Words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ