KILL SCREEN 061: Urath of WRATH OF LOGARIUS Finds Power within the Unknowable

For some bands that enter the Kill Display arcade, their references to video video games can both be refined, cryptic or downright shocking. For the seasoned Soulsborne gamers amongst our readership, nonetheless, the connection to at the moment’s topic couldn’t be extra clear. Wrath of Logarius, a comparatively new addition to Season of Mist’s roster, is a direct nod to FromSoftware’s eldritch masterpiece Bloodborne. The Logarius in query is Martyr Logarius, a hard-as-nails however utterly optionally available boss residing in Cainhurst Fortress, a terrifying husk of a person turned punishingly troublesome monster. It’s this tragic determine that serves because the avatar for what the band touts as “formless black metallic,” their home-brew mix of black and dying metallic with an emphasis on the terrors of the cosmic unknown. It appears becoming then that the skull-masked guitarist recognized solely as Urath is chosen as our newest participant character.

For the next dialog, the guitarist opted to put on his stage masks with a purpose to stay each faceless and anonymous. Regardless of the souvenir mori presentation, Urath proves desirous to share his fondness for all issues horror. The Northern California quartet is something however singularly-focused on the sport that spawned their moniker, nor was their admiration for the title a foregone conclusion. Creatively, the band attracts inspiration from bizarre horror from throughout video games, films and books. And with regards to the guitarist, lots of his private picks show surprisingly regular, making the lore of the band extra formless than initially anticipated. Given our pursuits, nonetheless, it’s their bond with digital dread which we’re most . With their debut full-length Crown of Mortis launched into the world, Decibel’s extraordinarily excessive co-nerds are able to face the worry.

Searching for bonus DLC to this blackened interview? You should definitely decide up the latest concern of Decibel (dB248/June 2025) for an unique excerpt from our dialogue with Urath. We promise it’s not almost as troublesome to get by means of because the Orphan of Kos.

What was your very first gaming expertise?
I’d say enjoying on the arcades, like Chuck E. Cheese once I was little. Enjoying, like, Mortal Kombat again after they used to have it. They used to have some fairly cool video games again within the day there. There’s one other place that was native referred to as Nickel Metropolis. You pay a canopy charge to get in, however then all of the video games can be a nickel, so all of us would simply go over there and play Killer Intuition all day or Metallic Slug, stuff like that.

That will need to have been superb as a child. I [James] would have misplaced my thoughts!
Yeah. And what sucks is I didn’t discover out about it, my dad and mom didn’t know, it was at all times onerous to search out out about stuff. It was at all times this rumor and I might by no means work out the place it was. After which lastly I went there for a party and I used to be capable of inform my mother the place it was.

Up to now we’ve heard Mortal Kombat and Killer Intuition. Are preventing video games the go-tos if you’re on the arcade?
Yeah, I do quite a lot of preventing video games and shooters. I used to be a giant fan of Time Disaster and Home of the Lifeless. Silent Scope was actually enjoyable, the outdated Aliens rail shooters and stuff. Jurassic Park, that was a cool rail shooter.

Do you continue to play these sorts of video games?
Yeah, I play quite a lot of video video games really. However primarily I’ll stick with shooters. I type of acquired into the Souls video games slightly in a while after I moved in with some guys, like, 10 years in the past. They began telling me about Bloodborne. I used to be like, “What’s Bloodborne? I don’t perceive.” We began type of going by means of it, and I used to be attempting to play and I used to be like, “Dude, that is like not possible to beat.” So it took years of play, cease, play, cease, as a result of as quickly as you cease enjoying these video games, you type of simply overlook how you can play after which it’s important to begin once more. There’s that huge cycle. However yeah, I play quite a lot of video video games, principally shooters, motion video games.

What have you ever been enjoying these days?
Really, it is a little totally different. There’s this old-school battle racer/road racing recreation referred to as Tokyo Xtreme Racer. They simply got here out with a brand new one for 2025. I used to play this on a regular basis again on PS2. Principally, you’re driving across the Tokyo freeway the entire time searching for different racers to battle. The best way you win is it’s important to create and keep a specific amount of distance to empty their life bar. It’s primarily virtually like a preventing recreation, however it’s a RPG, too, since you’re build up all these items. That’s what I’ve been enjoying quite a lot of.

Clearly, Wrath of Logarius is a reference to Martyr Logarius from Bloodborne. What’s it about this character particularly that you simply felt finest represents this concept of formless black metallic versus any of the opposite characters that you would discover in Bloodborne?
You recognize, that’s type of a very good query. His entire backstory resonated with me extra—being a part of the Executioners and looking for his folks. It actually spoke to me, the kind of particular person he might need been. He looks like he acquired corrupted in some unspecified time in the future and was what he’s. I used to be simply drawn to that character, the best way he regarded and his fortress and every thing. The enemies there are fairly loopy trying, too. I used to be simply drawn to that character.

Did you spend quite a lot of time trying up the lore when you have been enjoying the sport? What was the expertise like if you first encountered Bloodborne?
Initially, I used to be simply attempting to get by means of it, to be sincere. It was a brilliant brutal recreation. You’ve acquired to take a seat there and grind it out. Determining how you can stack various things together with your ranges and what sort of weapons you’re utilizing and all that stuff, after which totally different runes. That every one got here in a while with our guitar participant Vastator. I acquired him into that after which we began enjoying co-op and we ended up beating it and attempting to see how far we might get by means of it. However throughout that point, we’d discover new notes and type of work out what the entire thing was, after which we’d go surfing and hearken to totally different lore. It’s just about all hypothesis, no one actually is aware of for positive. That’s type of what we actually like about it.

A part of the enchantment on the lore for some folks is that it’s important to actually dig into it, spend time on it and actively pursue it. It feels like that’s a component you get pleasure from.
Yeah, we like doing that. We type of preserve it cryptic within the music as properly. We don’t actually say precisely what we’re doing. We at all times gotta phrase it in a manner as for those who discovered a letter contained in the the sport or one thing. The quilt artwork, too, for the brand new album, I actually wished that to type of seem like a canvas you’d discover within the recreation as a result of I do know you gotta discover totally different artworks in Elden Ring. I wished it to type of seem like it was from that period.

Was Bloodborne your first FromSoft ARPG?
Yeah, however I performed Tenchu so much again within the day, too. They made a few the later ones. However yeah, the primary Soulslike was undoubtedly Bloodborne, after which I went into Darkish Souls after which Elden Ring after that.

Clearly Bloodborne has resounded not less than considerably extra contemplating the band title. Is there one explicit motive you discover Bloodborne actually saved you hooked greater than among the different ones?
I feel it’s as a result of it’s extra primarily based off of cosmic horror. I grew up on quite a lot of John Carpenter films, like The Factor. Perhaps you may throw another films in there. Stuff like that or Lovecraftian stuff, it’s simply bizarre. Whenever you learn it, it’s like, What’s going on? And also you begin attempting to piece all these items collectively. I identical to the thought of all of it being up for interpretation, like no one actually is aware of any actual solutions, it’s all simply hypothesis. At its core is what individuals are afraid of: the unknown. No one is aware of what these creatures seem like, no one is aware of what they do, the place they’re from. That’s what actually makes it visceral.

In talking with New Noise journal, you had mentioned, “We have been melting every thing cosmic horror from video video games, books, films, and many others. collectively into inspiration for the band.” Books and films have lengthy been inspiration for metallic bands—that’s not something new. However what was it about video video games that felt like a needed addition to the system?
A variety of it was brutal settings like Bloodborne. The DLC on there’s actually brutal trying. A giant a part of it, what actually type of impressed quite a lot of the melodic sections we use is the soundtracks for the video games. Ludwig’s soundtrack [“Ludwig, the Holy Blade”] is simply loopy. It’s onerous to elucidate, however it offers you this bizarre pit in your abdomen. Identical factor with Cleric Beast—it offers you this extreme anxiousness as you’re battling it. A variety of it needed to do with the soundtracks that they put within the video games and the setting as you’re enjoying it. It simply pairs completely.

Would you say then that among the soundtracks have actively influenced you? Not that you simply’re pulling one thing instantly, however affect a few of your writing, your melody selections, pacing or something?
Yeah, I’d suppose so. I need quite a lot of them to type of sound like they might be virtually like a boss battle or a really disparaging second or one thing for a personality. All these items is all primarily based off of those quick tales that [vocalist] Noctifer and I’ve thrown collectively and talk about the lore primarily based off what every thing is. We wish to attempt to take the thought of, Effectively, the online game builders wished to really feel this fashion for this boss battle, this fashion for this part, that manner for that part, so we attempt to strategy it like that as properly.

The strategy that you simply’ve named it’s formless black metallic. Though Wrath of Logarius isn’t your stereotypical second wave Norwegian lo-fi uncooked black metallic, black metallic continues to be a part of the equation. What made black metallic such a very good base to your interpretation of the FromSoft strategy to gaming?
Whenever you’re enjoying dying metallic, it’s onerous to translate that emotional layer. With Bloodborne and Darkish Souls, no matter factor you discover, you learn it and it’s like, “This particular person’s being tortured,” “This particular person didn’t see their household,” “This particular person died alone.” It’s all this despair you hear about, and black metallic actually had that. It type of accomplished the bundle for us with a purpose to make this extra rounded out and let folks hear what we’re attempting to do.

FromSoft is a reasonably widespread title introduced up within the column. It’s had this seismic affect with regards to underground metallic particularly. A variety of bands now are overtly both writing songs about both Darkish Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, or they’re making refined references—one thing just like the case of Tomb Mildew—the place it’s a bit much less obvious. For you being in a band that overtly wears that affect in your sleeve, what’s it concerning the sequence to you that speaks particularly to the underground metallic mindset?
I’d say as a result of it’s so open, I feel it leaves so much for these folks to type of work out what it means to them, actually. That type of sits slightly extra with that model, finally. Individuals typically on this style, they reside of their heads. It’s loopy. Lots of people are superb artists, superb musicians, and it’s all as a result of they’ve this inside factor happening. I feel there’s quite a lot of that that type of pairs up with it.

Do you have got any hope that Sony’s going to convey a couple of Bloodborne remaster or a sequel? Or are you cheerful to simply let Bloodborne be Bloodborne?
A remaster can be cool, however it’s type of what it’s at this level. It’s been so lengthy, I don’t know if anyone would actually profit from it. Perhaps if we wait even longer when the know-how actually advances, it’d in all probability make a comeback. I wish to see a Bloodborne II that may be open world like Elden Ring. I’ve seen Elden Ring mods on PC that change every thing over to this Bloodborne aesthetic. That was at all times fairly cool. I haven’t modded my Elden Ring to seem like Bloodborne but, however I’ll in all probability attempt to do this. However they’d should do one thing that may be a giant open-world factor. Whether or not or not they do it, I don’t know—particularly with them making one other Elden Ring [Elden Ring: Nightreign], this quick spin-off factor.

Yeah, the longer that they wait, I [Michael] really feel just like the expectations are solely going to develop exponentially till they do one thing. It could be slightly bit onerous to prime what all people desires of their thoughts.
Proper. Everyone has these big concepts of what you are able to do with it. It’s a type of issues the place it’s like, Ehhh, perhaps they shouldn’t do it. I don’t know. You could possibly take Star Wars for instance, proper? The brand new trilogy got here out and all people’s like, “What is that this? I don’t know what that is.” It’s simply not what folks had of their head or what they anticipated. It’s in all probability an analogous concept.

There are many video games outdoors of Bloodborne which have tackled cosmic horror. Are there some other titles or franchises that stick out to you as being of observe or any type of affect to Wrath of Logarius?
Yeah, there’s been quite a lot of stuff. We consider issues like Aliens and Lifeless Area as the way forward for cosmic horror, and we’re type of in Victorian-era cosmic horror. That’s type of how I make sense of it in my head. It’s all type of related. I don’t know, it’s type of bizarre. However I’d suppose that stuff like Aliens and Doom can be the long run, after which Victorian period can be the place Bloodborne sits. I really like just about all that stuff. Silent Hill has a cosmic horror aspect to it. I’d type of argue that simply since you’re simply caught on this nightmare.

I imply, you’re speaking to the most important simp for Silent Hill of all time [Michael].
Yeah, dude. That was big. Once I was, like, 12, I might have written you a strat information for the PS1 model, for positive. I put so many hours on that recreation. I don’t know why they haven’t remade it but. I really like 2, however I wish to play the primary one, too.

Eldritch horror has undoubtedly seen a surge in recognition in no small half to indie builders—clearly taking affect from video games like Bloodborne, Everlasting Darkness, Name of Cthulhu, issues like that—to deal with one thing as lofty as cosmic horror. Do you favor the makes an attempt which can be made by AAA studios which have the larger budgets to tackle such a bigger idea or do you favor smaller builders who’re tackling such a wierd idea with no expectation of return on funding [with] a bit extra freedom to actually get unusual with the mechanics of it?
The indie builders undoubtedly make some some bizarre stuff. I do know I see so much. I feel it has its personal class on Steam. You may click on on “cosmic horror” and possibly see stuff like that. I performed one referred to as Moons of Insanity. It was fairly trippy. I feel the older I get, the extra I type of drift in the direction of PC and indie video games. I’m beginning to take extra gratification in enjoying these indie studio video games, like Tokyo Xtreme Racer. No one’s ever heard of that, however for some motive, you’ll get a recreation with, like, one or two guys making the factor and it’s higher than quite a lot of the stuff that got here out within the final two years, you already know? I’m type of drifting in the direction of PC now and I’m in all probability gonna make the complete transition in all probability fairly quickly.

What have you ever been enjoying on prior?
Normally I play PS5 and Xbox, however I type of simply realized I’m enjoying the identical video games time and again. It’s at all times multiplayer shooters and stuff like that. It’s like, Effectively, I type of wish to get impressed greater than get pissed off at some 12-year outdated child killing me.

It feels like a part of the draw on that’s that you simply wish to spend time on some issues which can be slightly totally different than, say, your Name of Responsibility and stuff. Do you discover that conjures up you slightly extra?
Yeah. Primarily, I’m a extremely visible particular person. I used to be very into sculpting, portray—I did a bunch of various issues, totally different mediums. Once I have a look at stuff, I type of hear issues generally, like, this soundtrack might go together with that factor. I additionally do quick movies and stuff like that, so I’m at all times serious about music that goes with visuals on a regular basis. So once I play video video games, I’m continuously serious about that, too.

Apparent one apart, if you got the prospect to create your individual rating, soundtrack, no matter for a online game, is there a selected title, franchise, and even one thing as broad as a style that you’d be most fascinated about engaged on?
You recognize, I at all times appreciated the stuff in Silent Hill. It’s that bizarre sort of rock. The band Placebo, they type of remind me of the Silent Hill sort of music. I’ve at all times appreciated that—that basically darkish, folky sort music. I don’t know how you can clarify what the style is. The bizarre sounds they’ve in Silent Hill is at all times fairly trippy, too. I’m very into unusual noises and stuff like that. We’ve type of talked about as a substitute of doing an orchestral backing monitor factor for black metallic, what if we have been to do that cinematic, cosmic refrain sci-fi factor within the background? However we gotta work out the place that matches as a result of these noises are so huge and distorted, they usually could possibly be just about no matter. However yeah, I feel a Silent Hill-type eerie folks music factor can be cool.

It sounds sounds such as you’ve already began LP 2. So, you’re transitioning into PC gaming, you’re looking for out this type of headier type of gaming, one thing a bit extra narrative. However you introduced up shooters being your go-to multiplayer expertise, the place you’ve been spending a good bit of time. What, to you, is the worth of being of getting this multiplayer, not-as-heavy of an expertise in gaming? What’s the significance of escapism in gaming to you?
I feel all people type of must have these releases and gaming is only a totally different path so that you can have it, type of will get you considering. One that may get you considering can be Indigo Prophecy, that recreation’s fairly trippy. Stuff like that. I feel individuals who play video video games typically, like I mentioned, reside in their very own head. They’re very artistic folks. It’s to not say that different folks aren’t, however I feel all people’s drawn to various things. Some folks will watch loopy crime dramas and stuff like that, some folks will watch films, some folks bake. I feel it’s essential for folks to have these releases, and I feel that’s actually what it does.

Past Elden Ring: Nightreign—which I feel all people on the planet is counting down the times for—are there some other video games which can be developing that you simply’re excited to take a look at?
I haven’t been paying an excessive amount of consideration to something lately. I’ve been doing all of the music stuff, to be sincere. I like Tokyo Xtreme Racer as a result of I can simply bounce in, bounce out. It performs like a multiplayer recreation the place you simply present up and do your factor and get out of there. However I’ve been so busy with music. I even purchased the brand new Ninja Turtles recreation [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate] and I haven’t actually gotten too deep into that. I’ve been that means to get into that. However so far as new video games, I couldn’t inform you what’s popping out this 12 months, actually.

The best way you mentioned that made it sound like this isn’t the best way you usually do issues. Do you usually regulate the calendar?
I normally know what’s popping out and when it’s popping out. However I’ve such a giant backlog, too. I nonetheless gotta end [God of War:] Ragnarok. I gotta end Resident Evil 4, I feel I made it about midway by means of. Alan Wake 2 is there. I’ve a lot stuff simply backed up. I really feel like I’m type of at a degree the place I’ll simply catch up once I can. I feel that’s a part of why I haven’t actually considered what’s popping out. However yeah, normally I attempt to sustain and I purchase every thing. I type of realized, Effectively, I purchased this and I haven’t performed it, after which it finally ends up on Recreation Cross or one thing without spending a dime. I ought to have simply waited and perhaps performed it without spending a dime.

With the franchises you talked about there—clearly we’ve been speaking about Soulsborne, Silent Hill, Alan Wake and stuff—that Turtles appeared like a little bit of an outlier. You haven’t actually talked an excessive amount of about Nintendo stuff or the bright-colored facet of this. Do you usually lean extra in the direction of the darker or extra severe tones, or do you combine it up with a bunch of this and that from throughout?
I feel it’s perhaps 60 p.c darkish horror stuff and the remainder is simply random stuff that I grew up with, like Turtles. I used to be an enormous fan of Turtles again within the day. That was one other recreation we used to play within the arcades, too—the four-player Turtles. Every time new stuff comes out that’s been in my mind for, like, 25 years, then I’ll normally examine that out.

Do you get to make it to arcades a lot anymore?
Probably not, no. I’ve been that means to construct one, however I normally use emulators and stuff and we simply play on the follow room. It’s sometimes what we do. There’s a couple of arcades right here, however they’re normally fairly noisy and there’s quite a lot of obnoxious folks round. [Laughs]

Is gaming a shared expertise inside the band? You mentioned that you simply teamed up for Bloodborne, however is it a communal expertise or a solo expertise sometimes?
It’s normally communal. We’d play Bloodborne so much, we performed quite a lot of Elden Ring so much collectively. That may be type of it. Name of Responsibility would would occur so much, too. What else? Far Cry 5 was fairly cool. Normally if there’s a very good co-op recreation that everyone likes, we’ll bounce on it at one level or one other. Kind of, it’s 50/50, all people does their very own factor after which jumps on one thing.

Would you say all people within the band not less than has passing pursuits in several video games or is there one particular person within the band who’s like, “Yeah, I don’t get any of this?”
No, I feel all people has a reasonably good grip on what’s happening with stuff. Whether or not or not they play it actively is totally different. I haven’t turned on Bloodborne in perhaps… each from time to time I’ll flip it on to see what I used to be doing earlier than, however I haven’t actually sat there and performed a playthrough shortly.

In case you have been to recommend any person to select up a recreation from the FromSoft catalog, however you may’t decide Bloodborne, which might be the primary one that you’d decide?
It could in all probability be both Demon’s Souls or Darkish Souls III. I’d sometimes say do Darkish Souls III as a result of it’s undoubtedly slightly extra accessible than Demon’s Souls, however Demon’s Souls undoubtedly seems so much higher. It’s simply whether or not or not you may punish your self to get by means of Demon’s Souls.

These are two starkly totally different titles. Demon’s Souls, you’re getting gang jumped into that one. Even for those who’re a fan of the franchise, enjoying that one is tough at instances. It’s powerful.
Yeah, I nonetheless haven’t completed it. It’s so onerous. I gotta burn by means of it. However man, that’s one of many ones that’s in my again catalog, too.

Crown of Mortis is out now through Season of Mist and might be ordered right here.
Comply with Wrath of Logarius on Bandcamp and Instagram.