Régis Lant, better known under the name Nornagest, is a vocalist and composer, best known for his vocal works with the Black Metal band Enthroned. The band, who crawled out of the deep black lands of Belgium in 1993, made a name for themselves inside the scene, toured the world and has released a total of 11 full-lengths; album number 12 is in the oven right now and will be their first in five years with Season of Mist ! I had a very interesting talk with Nornagest, who has currently moved to Norway. We spoke about his musical background, the next steps of the band, his thoughts and vision on current Black Metal and about his work in the field of graphic design!
INTERVIEW
OBNUBIL: Hi Régis! Thank you very much for being able to do this interview. I would like to know a little more about you! Please tell us about your musical roots. How did you get started in music, and what led you to become a musician?
RÉGIS: As a child I loved AC/DC & Kiss. Every time both bands were on TV, my dad or grandad called me up to watch the videos or clip when it was airing. I got my first vinyl for my 11th birthday which was “Dynasty” from Kiss, which I still have in my collection to this very day. As a musician, it happened “shortly” after that, I bought myself my first guitar and amplifier with my student job when I was 12/ 13. I jammed a bit before that on a shitty Samick bass guitar and joined a local band named Dementia which never released anything until we changed name to Heresia. Which performed one show with mostly covers plus a couple of our songs and recorded a rehearsal demo tape in 1990 if my mind doesn’t betray me.
OBNUBIL: You are better known as Nornagest. Can you tell us about the meaning behind the name Nornagest and why you decided to adopt it as your nickname?
RÉGIS: When I was a kid, I received for my birthday a French translation of the Flateyjarbók & The Sagas of Olaf Tryggvason. The Norse king has history as far as In Belgium, his daughter being buried in the Saint Peter’s Church in gent (Belgium), it was fascinating to learn more about history, sagas and legends from all over the world. Especially if they had something to do with the place I lived. I became quite a nerd when it came to history and such. The story of Gestr or Norna-Gestr particularly spoke to me and how the hero of that saga got betrayed by Tryggvason and the Christian concept. So, I took the name when I was about 16 and it grew apart from the sagas and from the hero with the same name to become something completely different, which has nothing to do with Norse or Belgian sagas anymore. The meaning or what it does mean to me for the last 30 years is, of course, personal and I wouldn’t expect anyone to understand, but it would represent that part of my being which is the fighter, the practitioner, the challenger etc... basically, the one who tears down obstacles to go forward in some specific domains.
OBNUBIL: You initially started your career with the Belgian metal band Heresia and were invited to join Enthroned for their debut album, Prophecies of Pagan Fire, in 1995 but declined. What led to your decision to later join Enthroned, initially as the lead guitarist and then as the lead vocalist in 2007? You finally come to be the band's key member over the years!
RÉGIS: I don’t know if I am the key member as a band doesn’t exist without a collective, it is a group effort. I am the longest remaining member / composer and keeper of its original concepts thus reason to exist. Also, I did not decline to join the band. I was invited to audition as rhythm guitarist and I got the job, I simply was not ready to record anything and most of the album was already done by the time I joined the band. There was also, already, a lot of delay when it came to the release of “Prophecies…” and I did not want to delay the band any further by adding my guitar lines to the album, when I would be ready, as it was suggested back then.
OBNUBIL: Is Enthroned your sole musical focus at the moment, or are you involved in any side projects as well?
RÉGIS: As of today, Enthroned is my sole musical focus. But I got a couple of proposals from bands here in Norway, that I am strongly thinking about considering, but my only nemesis, in this case, is time.
OBNUBIL: Enthroned, which emerged from Belgium’s black metal scene in 1993, has released 11 albums, a live record, and several splits and EPs while touring internationally. As you mark 30 years of black metal prominence and prepare to release your 12th album, which will be your first in five years with Season of Mist, can you share the current status of the album? Is it complete, and do you have an estimated release date? What details can you reveal about this upcoming release?
RÉGIS: We basically composed enough material to record three full length albums during the last five years, but we were not satisfied with some of the material, we had a few line-up changes, which means that people take their songs with them or we simply decide to restart from scratch with the actual line-up. Is it completed? No.
Do we have “something” we are satisfied with? Definitely. Will it be released this year? I don’t know. Will it be different? In the dark, belief representative and violent sense of the word: absolutely. All I can say is that the new material sounds promising to us, and, to me, it will be the album I wanted to do for a looooong time!
The 3rd era of Enthroned is nigh.
OBNUBIL: Enthroned have been present since the early days of the Belgian black metal scene and never doubted their path and after 30 years of dedication towards their craft, one can only show respect for their artistic energy throughout these years. Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you've faced while on tour with Enthroned?
RÉGIS: Dealing with people who don't get “the why” this band actually exists is the biggest challenge. It is tiring and after 30 years +, I am exhausted to deal with them, to be totally honest. To the point where me and Menthor took some drastic decisions when it comes to the future of Enthroned. What Enthroned was and is will never change. We are conscious that it doesn’t work very well with modern times (selling yourself on social media, doing special shows with props, 1st albums only and carnival outfits…) but we do not care. We are who we are and our goal never was to be popular but to do what we do for our reasons and for our own pleasure/ satisfaction. We are liked along the way, cool. If not, it is the same. Black Metal was never a genre one should go for if you are looking for popularity, far from it. Those parts are challenging. But every show is a memorable moment and exchange and too many to single out one peculiar show in my humble opinion.
OBNUBIL: After completing your recent tour in São Paulo and Santos, Brazil, as part of the Prophecies of Sin Tour 2024, what’s on the horizon for the band? Will there be soon an upcoming European tour for the new album, what are your next moves?
RÉGIS: We are now actively working on the 12th album with the new line-up and putting in place the changes that occurred within the band as of late, which are more representative of who we are today. As for tours etc… we have a few things in the making but too early to mention something officially at the moment. We are now working with a new team and booker: Dragon Productions and we are very curious to see where this collaboration with lead us.
OBNUBIL: What are your thoughts on the band’s fanbase, and can you share a memorable experience you’ve had with a fan?
RÉGIS: Our actual fanbase is very loyal, but in the case of Enthroned, we have that peculiar situation, where our fanbase is divided in two segments: the old era with the first vocalist and the fans who or doesn’t care or are following the band actively since 2007. Some are busier with this than I am, which is, when you look at it, quite hilarious. But you know… people… But in general, our fans are really dedicated, we saw this on the last tours and shows we did. The last tour was mostly sold out and we met some very interesting individuals. The best moment is when you can have an intelligible conversation and just share the moment, with common interests as individuals living the moment. One memorable moment, was when I met that fan from Sweden, who had cancer and told me that my lyrics and our music were the things that gave him the strength to go on and survive that mountain. It is a feeling which is very hard to describe and understand, but it is something that I am not ready to forget.
OBNUBIL: Which Enthroned song do you enjoy the most during live shows, and why does it stand out to you?
RÉGIS: “Through the Cortex” without a doubt. It represents everything I stand for, also a reminder of a certain period of my life AND a condensed version of my belief system all at once.
OBNUBIL: In your opinion, what is the current state of the black metal scene? Do you think the merging of black metal with genres such as blackgaze and post-black metal has improved or hindered the scene?
RÉGIS: I honestly don’t give a damn. There are bands I like and respect. Old and new, for the individuals that composes them or for what they bring to my ears and soul. I don’t know what Blackgaze is to be honest and call it post, pre, true, fake, Norwegian or Eskimo, to me it is all the same. The only thing I can state to give you a proper answer is that it is not what it should be and it is, in my opinion, in a pitiful state for at least the last decade. It got even worse since Covid. I don’t feel any connection to this “new” scene or at least how the “scene” turned into. How can I relate to black metallers filming themselves cooking and sitting all day long in front of a webcam, neglecting their own life, values and what surrounds them for a podcast and reaching as many people as the can which they will never meet, just for a bit of popularity?!
OBNUBIL: Let’s dive into your music collection: What three classic records are irreplaceable to you, the ones you’d grab in an emergency? And what are the three best underground albums you’ve discovered recently?
RÉGIS: “Piece of Mind” Iron Maiden
“Author of Incest” Adorior
“Les Ténèbres du Dehors” Elend
But that’s a tough choice, I would probably grab “Decade of Aggression” from Slayer along also.
And three best UG albums discovered recently… well…
“Ebony Tower” by Mare
“Liber Lucifer II: Mahapralaya” by Thy Darkened Shade
“The Broken Seal” Lvcifyre
The last Marduk album is also a damn masterpiece!
OBNUBIL: Having moved from Belgium to Norway a few years ago, have you found the transition challenging? How do you find life in Norway compared to Belgium, and what are the significant contrasts between the black metal movements in these countries?
RÉGIS: It was not a simple task but definitely worth it. I enjoy very much the tranquility and peace in the middle of the mountains and forest, compared to the over social life and noise of a country with a town every square inch so to speak. And useless to say that Norway is much more used to Black metal than Belgium on so many levels. The contrast couldn’t be clearer. The scene in Norway is way more personal, everyone minds their own thing and have a “reason” to be involved in BM. While in Belgium, even if there are some individuals that follow the same principle, the scene is more social and “metal” based? To make it simple in Norway the word “BLACK” is more on emphasis and in Belgium the “METAL” part is. If that makes any sense…
OBNUBIL: You work as a designer and illustrator under the name “Ibex Designs”, designing covers, merchandising, logos... you have designed for Enthroned itself, but also for others such as Behemoth. Do you think that in the world of metal the importance of image and aesthetics is often underestimated? Should the production of an album be given the same importance as its visual packaging? What do you consider your best design made so far?
RÉGIS: Every aspects of a release is important, as each element is an ingredient to the recipe. An image should not be cool, it should be representative, just like the music, lyrics etc…
And yes, I definitely think that the world of Metal is too often based on “wow that’s cool, because there is an awesome monster and naked chicks on the cover”… well, you know what I mean… It should be more about a reflection of the identity than the cool aspect, and that’s a lot harder and complex to achieve than to simply put a cool looking creature or so on a visual aspect. Same goes for photography etc... Imagine Darkthrone with a production like Behemoth… or vice-versa… that wouldn’t make any sense at all. Same goes for every single aspect of a release to me.
My best design? I don’t know about that haha, I would say the design I made for “Son of Man” or “Baphomet Over London” which was just published on my page (not designed for any band).
OBNUBIL: With a career spanning many years, what accomplishments are you most proud of, and what do you hope to achieve in the coming years? What are your long-term aspirations within Enthroned and your goals outside of the band?
RÉGIS: My aspirations are centered around constant growth and enhancement. I am always trying to better myself in my work, life, with Enthroned, in my garden or at my job.
By continuously improving yourself and your skills, you aim to bring innovative strategies to the table and contribute to a collective success in reaching new goals, new ways to express your art and skills in a better way without having to rely on a given budget which would do the job for you. This does not mean in anyways that my aspirations are work / job minded exclusively. To me, a peace of mind and focus of the soul asks a LOT of work on yourself but what a reward it is when you can claim to be as much in balance with the self than with the work and occupations. I am always looking to create songs, lyrics, drawings or paintings that will reflect exactly what I want to express or vehiculate.
OBNUBIL: To reach an end to our interview, if you could choose any musician in history (living or dead) to write a song with, who would it be and why? And in relation to the design, who would you love to be able to design a cover for or what already designed cover would you have liked to have designed yourself?
RÉGIS: Hector Berlioz without any hesitation… but my skills are laughable compared to his genius. He had a way to bring chapters of intensity and modest tempos to other levels and made them explode by dividing his symphonies into chapters of emotions and using some instruments into an unexpected way within the genre. I am truly a fan of his work.
I would love to do a design for Funeral Mist, but Arioch is perfectly fitting and sufficient in what he does for his band both musically and visually.
And lastly, it is a difficult question as it doesn’t reflect the way I think but I really like the artworks from Mayhem’s “Daemon” by Daniel Valeriani and Akhlys “House of the Black genius” by Agostino Arrivabene.
OBNUBIL: It has been a pleasure talking to you and getting to know you a little more! Thank you so much for taking your time answering the questions! Is there anything that you would like to say to the readers and to your fans?
RÉGIS: Thank you for the interest and conversation. It has been some time since we released new infernal music, but it is coming and in a different, more violent and darker form as ever before, so keep an eye open. The Third era of Enthroned is Nigh!
Interview done August 2024. Promo photos taken by David Fitt, Stefan Raduta and Unknown.
