Interview to BLACKENED AURA (Hungary)

1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Hello, my friend, thank you for the opportunity, I’m happy to be here! Right now, I’m in my room in the small town of Pécel, located in Pest County. The walls are a deep red, and the acoustics of the space are fine-tuned by several panels. You know, everything is dominated by the experience of listening to music. Many would say this is no longer just an ordinary room – I feel the same way.

Under the equipment, there are glass panels several centimeters thick and VibRacsi vibration damping foot ensuring a more dynamic, aggressive, and musical sound, which is especially important for extreme metal. My guitar is here with me, a Chapman Ghost Fret, and I’m currently working on the foundations of the second album. I’m curious to see where and how the sound and material will develop.

2. The band was formed in 2024. How did you come together to create the band, and what motivated you to start making music under the name Blackened Aura?

Blackened Aura is actually a one-man project. I had previously been involved in several bands, such as HoltaK, which was a Hungarian-language band with János as the vocalist, and it originally started as a one-album project. But I wanted to do something similar, but this time closer to the spirit of black metal, both in terms of vocals and guitar riffs.

The vocals were initially a necessity because János was no longer active, and Marci Tóth, my friend from the Akrasia band, whom I wanted to collaborate with, was working on other material. However, I’m glad it turned out this way: the vocals received a lot of positive feedback, and the entire project ultimately shaped up according to my vision.

The name Blackened Aura came naturally, especially after the song “Heart of the Catacombs.” The name refers to a darkened, distorted aura – that invisible energy that religious faith often tries to portray as pure and sacred. For me, however, this aura doesn’t shine, it actually darkens. The name expresses that the life believers think of as true and redemptive is often built on lies; there is no salvation, resurrection, or promise after death – only emptiness. All the positive hope that faith nurtures eventually fades and darkens. Blackened Aura is the sound of this realization: the sound of the moment when the illusion falls away, and it becomes obvious that divine promises are often nothing more than human self-deception.

3. Band is from Hungary… What genre of metal is most popular in Hungary among younger generation of metalheads?

Good question, but I wouldn’t want to present a personal opinion as a general truth about the younger local metal generation – that wouldn’t be fair. I think rock and newer, modern metal bands are the most popular. The more extreme and old-school styles are definitely present, but they attract far fewer listeners, which is a bit sad.

4. At what age did you start listening to extreme metal? Which bands would you cite as influences both fundamentally and in regards to your band’s sound?

I probably started listening to extreme metal when I was around 14–15 years old. I had two major role models: Death and Bathory – both represented different styles, but I was completely obsessed with both, and that fanaticism still exists today.

Chuck Schuldiner’s guitar playing inspired me to pick up the guitar myself. Fortunately, my parents supported me in everything, so I quickly got the basics. The early period was pretty typical: I tried to make music that resembled Death or Bathory in every way, and of course, I was always dissatisfied with the result. I knew it wasn’t worthy of the greats’ legacy, but the practice was a fantastic period, and I learned a lot from it.

Later, I stopped worrying about trying to meet expectations and focused on my own melodies and ideas. 'Whatever happens, at least this is me,' that mindset helped me keep moving forward.

In terms of sound, Emperor had a huge influence on me. I tried to get the most out of my music, and I paid a lot of attention to mixing and recording. The album was recorded using a Line 6 Studio UX2 audio interface, and I recorded the vocals the same way, which I think really helped the final sound.

5. The new album “Doomsday” is very aggressive and with a healthy dose of melody (to say the least). How are you able to maintain that momentum and intensity?

Thank you, I’m glad you hear it that way because that was exactly my goal. It was important for the album to be both aggressive and melodic, which is why the use of synthesizers was a conscious part of the sound.

There’s no set 'technique' for how I maintain the momentum; I mostly work based on feeling. Often, I already know what guitar I want to use just from the drum patterns, and the rest of the instruments almost come naturally. As I move forward, I always know what comes next and how the mood will evolve.

What also helps is that I often listen to different effect sounds in the background: soft winds, storms, rain, or deep, continuous rumbling sounds I’ve created myself. This last sound gives a crypt-like, underground atmosphere, which inspires me and helps maintain the album's intensity and mood. Well, now you know... that’s my little secret! Haha.

6. What factors played a part in deciding to record the album on your own, as a one-man project with no musicians support?

As I mentioned before, this situation originally came about more out of necessity, but in retrospect I’m glad I was able to make the album on my own. This way, no external influences or compromises affected the final result, and I had complete freedom to shape the sound, the music, and the lyrics – for example, the lyrics ended up being in English, which may have helped the music reach a wider audience.

Of course, there are downsides as well: when more people work on a song, more ideas can collide, the workload is less exhausting, and creativity is shared differently. At the same time, as a one-man project, I was able to directly realize all of my ideas, and that was especially important to me at this point.

7. With nice distinctive tracks on the album, how do you ensure that each song stands out individually while also contributing to the overall flow and cohesiveness of the record?

For me, it’s very important that every song is enjoyable on its own, as if it were the best track on the album. That’s my core principle: each song has its own identity, while still serving the unity of the album as a whole.

It’s frustrating to see that with some big-name bands, an outstanding track is released months before the album comes out, while the rest of the songs feel like mere “filler,” lifelessly padding out the record. I think this is largely the result of today’s online world and social media – one good song is enough to generate big likes and views, and the rest no longer matters.

I try to work in the opposite way, making sure every track remains interesting and meaningful throughout the album. I’m not saying this always succeeds, but I feel it worked well on this record, and I managed to adopt the old-school mindset that every song should be a “hit.” That doesn’t mean I think everything was better in the past – there are plenty of excellent bands and professional productions today – I simply like it when every part of an album offers something to the listener.

8. What kind of sound you were going for? Are you satisfied with final results?

The goal was clearly black metal, specifically a sound that evokes earlier eras. At the same time, I wanted the music to have its own unique character, so I added dynamic and fresher elements. Balancing these two poles – old and modern – is naturally a challenge, but I think I managed to find a solid middle ground.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the result, but it has also opened up new directions for me. I already have exciting ideas for the next album, and I’d like to further develop the sound world I began shaping with this release.

9. What are the most challenging aspects when writing a song and how do you go about the approach?

I genuinely enjoy songwriting; for me, the entire process is inspiring – from the first idea all the way to recording. It’s always an exciting feeling when something is just taking shape. That’s one of the best parts of creating.

If I had to name a challenge, it would definitely be the technical side. The classic situation where everything worked perfectly yesterday, and today, seemingly for no reason, nothing works. Software, settings, unexpected bugs – these can knock me off track instantly!

I enjoy working on a computer, but these unexplained technical obstacles really test my patience. Sometimes it even turns into a literal argument with the computer… Can you imagine that?

“Mr. Computer, obey me!” Haha!

But in the end, this is also part of the creative process – although it might just be me suffering from this phenomenon...

10. With so many metal bands coming up these days, how do you manage to keep your material relevant? How challenging is it to come up with newer material?

It’s definitely a challenge. There are a lot of strong metal and black metal bands out there today, and their numbers keep growing year by year. When my album was released, I was surprised by how many quality releases came out on the same day, even on a local level.

With this release, I didn’t have overly high expectations – I’m grateful to anyone who discovers the music and truly listens to it. Even so, there have already been people who reached out and said they’d be happy to support the next album in some way, and that means a lot to me.

For the next release, I’ll probably take a more conscious approach: I’m not only thinking in terms of self-releasing or online-only distribution, and there will be more emphasis on communication and background work as well. I’m not trying to chase trends – I simply want to give the material a better chance to reach those who are genuinely open to it.

So the challenge is there, but it motivates me more than it holds me back. I’ll definitely prepare for the next material in a more deliberate way.

11. Are there particular songs that you feel best define the Blackened Aura sound or perhaps ones you find most notable for whatever reason?

There are several songs that strongly define the Blackened Aura sound. In Doomsday, for example, after the guitar solo there’s a break where the synthesizer comes in quietly at first, then develops into a short, independent solo. A similar approach appears in Queen of the Dust, where the organ plays an important atmospheric role.

The overall sound of the album is built around dark, rhythm-based guitar riffs. For me, it’s important to break these up with bouncier, more melodic sections, creating a balance between coldness and melody. The various synth layers aren’t just background elements – they actively shaped the final sound, often determining the direction of a given song. In the end, the entire production was aligned with this concept, and that approach runs consistently throughout the album.12. The underground metal scene has its own dedicated following. How do you navigate this scene as a band, and what role do you feel Blackened Aura plays in keeping the spirit of metal alive?I don’t follow trends – I play what comes from within. In the underground scene, that’s the most important thing: staying honest. For Blackened Aura, keeping the spirit of metal alive isn’t a mission or a role, but a natural state of being.

13. If you had to highlight one important message behind your music, what would it be?

Transience – and the fact that everything in this life is impermanent...

14. As a black metal band, what are your opinions about the stereotype that the “original black metal” (formed in the 90’s by the early Norwegian bands) is fading away from its true origins?

This question comes up often, but I don’t see the situation as that dramatic. There will always be musicians who try to keep that old flame alive. Anyway, over time, even the great predecessors have changed – that’s natural. The early Norwegian bands of the ’90s laid the foundations, and those foundations are still with us today, even if they appear in different forms. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the exact same music to be created again and again, since the world and the audience are constantly changing. Well, I don’t believe the true roots of black metal will ever completely disappear. There will always be smaller bands that return to that spirit – even if the sound or production is more modern. Truly classic, ’90s-style Norwegian black metal may become rarer, but it will never vanish entirely.

15. That's all the questions I have for you man. I'll let you have the final words by saying whatever you'd like to our readers and your fans out there.

Thank you very much. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity — to you, your readers, and of course to everyone who supports and listens to my music. None of this would exist without the fans. As long as there are people who believe in it, metal lives.

https://www.facebook.com/people/Blackened-Aura/61582074223191/