PHOTOS BY: Stian Andersen
Welcome to Artist Spotlight, our series where we introduce you to fresh and exciting artists you need to hear now! This week, we chat with Witch Club Satan, the fiercely feminist Norwegian black metal band who are making some of the most spellbinding yet extreme music the genre has seen in recent years. With the release of their latest single, "The Kids Will Kill Us," as well as recently embarking on their first-ever US tour, Witch Club Satan are set to leave an indelible mark on the heavy music scene, not only through their signature blend of frenetic and almost primal musical offerings, but also through their fearless lyricism. The band confronts the world's greatest injustices head-on with venomous reproach and a touch of optimism, encouraging others to unite in protest and action.
Through an onslaught of blast beats, tremolo guitar riffs, and throat-shredding vocals, Witch Club Satan invites listeners to take part in their spiritual and musical ritual and rise up in the face of oppression, misogyny, and social collapse, because strength in numbers will always prevail. As far as what comes next for Witch Club Satan, the band is hard at work on their next album so stay tuned for future updates!
In a conversation with Haus Of Cult, Witch Club Satan discuss their ritualistic approach to songwriting and live performances, Norwegian roots, touring the US for the first time, their latest single, "The Kids Will Kill Us," and so much more!
Let's first touch on the origin story of the band. Considering Witch Club Satan is based in Norway, the true birthplace of black metal, what were some of the collective musical influences that brought you together when the band first formed? Additionally, how do you feel your country, culture, and environment have shaped the band's sound and artistic identity overall?
Witch Club Satan: I think the history of the black metal scene in Norway in the '90s inspired us as much as the music itself. It’s important to remember that this is a short history. Much has happened during the last 40 years or so. Black metal in Norway went from being a tiny subculture that scared the whole country, with much help from the Norwegian media, bringing “Satanic Panic” with church burnings and murders, to becoming somewhat of a national treasure, becoming one of the most important cultural exports. Soon lifted out of the underground and into some of the most influential Norwegian cultural institutions. Behind it all was a small group of very young individuals who were rebelling against the white picket fence (if to use an American expression) and who were competing amongst themselves to be the most gruesome.
I think we saw through much of the "being a mean dick” bullshit and connected with the punk counterculture part of things. After COVID, when we all came together, we had built up aggression towards the “fat and happy” state of our corner of the world not acting upon the injustice our abundance was creating, slumbering through what felt like a sinking ship because waking up and taking action would be so uncomfortable. Cultivating the somehow youth-like anger toward injustice was the first step for us. Growing up in Norway is an extremely privileged starting point, yet the nature, cold, and dark landscapes can be a brutal and dramatic scene, definitely a good match with the black metal aesthetics.
PHOTO BY: Stian Andersen
Beyond musical influences, Witch Club Satan is obviously rooted in strong feminist ideals, resistance to oppressive conservatism, and outspoken political expression. What was the original mission statement behind the band when you first started, and how do you feel that mission has evolved as you've gained a wider audience and achieved greater success amid a global political climate where oppression, injustice, and inequality seem increasingly prevalent?
Witch Club Satan: In the beginning, our mission was to make sure the injustice of the innocent murdered women during the witch trials, especially in Norway, was not forgotten. We wanted to trace the misogynist patterns that we have inherited from that part of our history. We aim to reclaim the power and become witches ourselves, to break free from that history and culture. We were very aware that stepping into the genre was a feminist action in itself, based on the simple fact that we were all women. Later, we have been more outspoken about other contemporary issues and injustice, with feminism being the backdrop behind it all.
Walk us through the meaning and backstory behind your latest single, "The Kids Will Kill Us." What message were you hoping to convey lyrically, and what do you ultimately hope listeners take away from the song?
Witch Club Satan: Walking you through it would be taking the magic away from it. We prefer the ears, brains, and hearts of the listener to decide what to take away from a song, always. We wanted to write a song where the voice of the youngest generation and our generational shame could meet in dialogue.
While your music is fearless in confronting injustice and calling attention to the darker realities of society, there is also a strong sense of hope running through your work. Many of your songs seem to encourage listeners to use their voices, challenge the status quo, and come together to create meaningful change. How important is it for you to showcase that hopeful side as well, and what do you encourage people who connect with your music to do within their own communities to help enact positive change?
Witch Club Satan: Hope is brutal. It is such a risk to be hopeful in the times we live in. Hope is like a curse. It will not let you rest, and we feel like this is the kind of thing our audience, our coven, and we have in common. Most of our songs are written as spells, many of them to encourage action. You Wildflower is our ultimate hope-spell.
As a media outlet owned and operated by a practicing witch herself, we're especially curious about the role spirituality plays in your lives. How does spirituality or ritual factor into your daily routines, and how does it influence your creative process when writing, performing, or conceptualizing new material?
Witch Club Satan: We are very different practitioners and witches. The rituals and practices we do in our daily life are very personal and nothing we would share. As a band, we consider ourselves practitioners of music magic. We find the coming together in a room and the temporary community such a potent space, and live music a very transformative power. Intention is always the most important part of the magic we try to create on stage. First, we set an intention, then we build a ritual around what we want to happen. The very general intention is always about empowering the coven and opening up space for the crowd to connect with their own powers, without trying to define how and what it should be used for.
As we're also a fashion brand in addition to a media outlet, how do each of you like to express yourselves through fashion, both on and off stage? Are there any particular aesthetics, inspirations, or visual themes that you find yourselves naturally drawn toward?
Witch Club Satan: We don’t put much thought into traditional fashion. On stage, we work very closely with friends of ours that are designers, who encapsulate our vision, that helps us bring out the different kinds of witches within us that are needed to be present.
As a fun question, if Witch Club Satan's music could serve as the soundtrack to any film, whether classic or modern, which film would you choose and why?
Witch Club Satan: Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick has one of the most haunted soundtracks. It’s simple, yet genius, and very punk in its classical simplicity. At the very least, it’s music that inspires us. It might be stupid to fuck with it, though. But it's at least the kind of soundtrack we wish we wrote, to twist the question a bit! But actually, we just made the soundtrack to our first movie! Hex is the documentary about Witch Club Satan, and the production company Herstory and the director Maja Holand asked us to create the tracklist. It was a very interesting process!
At the time of this interview, you're wrapping up your first-ever North American tour. What has that experience been like for you, and are there any particular memories, highlights, or unexpected moments that stand out?
Witch Club Satan: We were definitely a bit nervous about traveling to the States with the current horrific political climate there. But what met us was an audience more devoted and beautiful than ever. The US coven was younger, more female, more queer, and more freaky. Top of the pops! It is just absurd to cross the ocean and go to places where you have never been to find people who know the words to your songs. It ended up feeling like the most perfect time ever to go. We felt welcome, wanted, needed, and very free to speak about the hellish state of the States. It’s such a privilege to provide a room to rage in, together.
Lastly, it's safe to say you're gearing up to release more new music in the near future. What can listeners expect from the next chapter of Witch Club Satan? Without giving too much away, where do you see the band's sound, themes, and overall artistic vision heading next?
Witch Club Satan: Death is the main theme we are working on. Surprise, surprise! We will bring more dust and air and texture to the new album. Dandruff and ashes falling from the sky. And ghosts! We hope to collaborate with spirits.
PHOTO BY: Stian Andersen
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