KILL SCREEN 061: Urath of WRATH OF LOGARIUS Finds Energy 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 as we speak’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 elective boss residing in Cainhurst Citadel, a terrifying husk of a person turned punishingly tough monster. It’s this tragic determine that serves because the avatar for what the band touts as “formless black steel,” their home-brew mix of black and dying steel 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 so as to stay each faceless and anonymous. Regardless of the souvenir mori presentation, Urath proves desperate 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 in terms of 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 concern.

On the lookout for bonus DLC to this blackened interview? Make sure to choose 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 tough to get by means of because the Orphan of Kos.

What was your very first gaming expertise?
I might say taking part in 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 known as Nickel Metropolis. You pay a canopy payment 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 Steel Slug, stuff like that.

That should have been wonderful 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 arduous 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 celebration and I used to be capable of inform my mother the place it was.

To date we’ve heard Mortal Kombat and Killer Intuition. Are preventing video games the go-tos while you’re on the arcade?
Yeah, I do a whole lot of preventing video games and shooters. I used to be an enormous fan of Time Disaster and Home of the Lifeless. Silent Scope was actually enjoyable, the previous 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 a whole lot of video video games really. However primarily I’ll stick with shooters. I sort of bought into the Souls video games slightly afterward 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 sort 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 taking part in these video games, you sort of simply overlook tips on how to play after which you need to begin another time. There’s that huge cycle. However yeah, I play a whole lot of video video games, largely shooters, motion video games.

What have you ever been taking part in recently?
Truly, this can be a little completely different. There’s this old-school battle racer/road racing sport known as Tokyo Xtreme Racer. They only 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 on the lookout for different racers to battle. The best way you win is you need to create and keep a specific amount of distance to empty their life bar. It’s primarily virtually like a preventing sport, but it surely’s a RPG, too, since you’re build up all these things. That’s what I’ve been taking part in a whole lot of.

Clearly, Wrath of Logarius is a reference to Martyr Logarius from Bloodborne. What’s it about this character specifically that you simply felt finest represents this concept of formless black steel versus any of the opposite characters that you could possibly discover in Bloodborne?
You realize, that’s sort of an excellent query. His complete backstory resonated with me extra—being a part of the Executioners and attempting to find his folks. It actually spoke to me, the kind of individual he might need been. He looks like he bought corrupted sooner or later and become what he’s. I used to be simply drawn to that character, the best way he appeared and his citadel and all the pieces. The enemies there are fairly loopy trying, too. I used to be simply drawn to that character.

Did you spend a whole lot of time trying up the lore whilst you had been taking part in the sport? What was the expertise like while 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 sport. You’ve bought to sit down there and grind it out. Determining tips on how to stack various things along with your ranges and what sort of weapons you’re utilizing and all that stuff, after which completely different runes. That each one got here afterward with our guitar participant Vastator. I bought him into that after which we began taking part in 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 sort of work out what the entire thing was, after which we’d go browsing and take heed to completely different lore. It’s just about all hypothesis, no person actually is aware of for positive. That’s sort of what we actually like about it.

A part of the enchantment on the lore for some folks is that you need 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 sort of preserve it cryptic within the music as effectively. We don’t actually say precisely what we’re doing. We at all times gotta phrase it in a approach as if you happen to discovered a letter contained in the the sport or one thing. The quilt artwork, too, for the brand new album, I actually needed that to sort of seem like a canvas you’d discover within the sport as a result of I do know you gotta discover completely different artworks in Elden Ring. I needed it to sort of seem like it was from that period.

Was Bloodborne your first FromSoft ARPG?
Yeah, however I performed Tenchu loads again within the day, too. They made a few the later ones. However yeah, the primary Soulslike was positively 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 identify. Is there one specific 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 based mostly off of cosmic horror. I grew up on a whole lot of John Carpenter films, like The Factor. Possibly you’ll be able to throw another films in there. Stuff like that or Lovecraftian stuff, it’s simply bizarre. Once you learn it, it’s like, What’s going on? And also you begin attempting to piece all these things collectively. I similar to the thought of all of it being up for interpretation, like no person actually is aware of any actual solutions, it’s all simply hypothesis. At its core is what individuals are afraid of: the unknown. No person is aware of what these creatures seem like, no person 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 had been melting all the pieces 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 steel bands—that’s not something new. However what was it about video video games that felt like a needed addition to the method?
A number of it was brutal settings like Bloodborne. The DLC on there’s actually brutal trying. An enormous a part of it, what actually sort of impressed a whole 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 arduous to elucidate, but it surely 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 number of it needed to do with the soundtracks that they put within the video games and the setting as you’re taking part in 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 decisions, pacing or something?
Yeah, I might assume so. I would like a whole lot of them to sort of sound like they might be virtually like a boss battle or a really disparaging second or one thing for a personality. All these things is all based mostly off of those quick tales that [vocalist] Noctifer and I’ve thrown collectively and focus on the lore based mostly off what all the pieces is. We need to try to take the thought of, Properly, the online game builders needed to really feel this manner for this boss battle, this manner for this part, that approach for that part, so we attempt to method it like that as effectively.

The method that you simply’ve named it’s formless black steel. Despite the fact that Wrath of Logarius will not be your stereotypical second wave Norwegian lo-fi uncooked black steel, black steel continues to be a part of the equation. What made black steel such an excellent base in your interpretation of the FromSoft method to gaming?
Once you’re taking part in dying steel, it’s arduous to translate that emotional layer. With Bloodborne and Darkish Souls, no matter factor you discover, you learn it and it’s like, “This individual’s being tortured,” “This individual didn’t see their household,” “This individual died alone.” It’s all this despair you hear about, and black steel actually had that. It sort of accomplished the bundle for us so as to make this extra rounded out and let folks hear what we’re attempting to do.

FromSoft is a reasonably widespread identify introduced up within the column. It’s had this seismic affect in terms of underground steel particularly. A number 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 Mould—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 in regards to the sequence to you that speaks particularly to the underground steel mindset?
I might say as a result of it’s so open, I feel it leaves loads for these folks to sort of work out what it means to them, actually. That sort of sits slightly extra with that type, in the end. Folks typically on this style, they dwell of their heads. It’s loopy. Lots of people are wonderful artists, wonderful musicians, and it’s all as a result of they’ve this inside factor occurring. I feel there’s a whole lot of that that sort of pairs up with it.

Do you may have any hope that Sony’s going to deliver a few Bloodborne remaster or a sequel? Or are you cheerful to only let Bloodborne be Bloodborne?
A remaster can be cool, but it surely’s sort of what it’s at this level. It’s been so lengthy, I don’t know if anyone would actually profit from it. Possibly 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 will be open world like Elden Ring. I’ve seen Elden Ring mods on PC that change all the pieces 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 try to try this. However they’d should do one thing that will be an enormous 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 is likely to be slightly bit arduous to prime what everyone needs of their thoughts.
Proper. Everyone has these big concepts of what you are able to do with it. It’s a kind of issues the place it’s like, Ehhh, possibly they shouldn’t do it. I don’t know. You would take Star Wars for instance, proper? The brand new trilogy got here out and everyone’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 the same thought.

There are many video games outdoors of Bloodborne which have tackled cosmic horror. Are there every other titles or franchises that stick out to you as being of be aware or any sort of affect to Wrath of Logarius?
Yeah, there’s been a whole lot of stuff. We consider issues like Aliens and Lifeless House as the way forward for cosmic horror, and we’re sort of in Victorian-era cosmic horror. That’s sort of how I make sense of it in my head. It’s all sort of related. I don’t know, it’s sort of bizarre. However I might assume that stuff like Aliens and Doom can be the longer term, after which Victorian period can be the place Bloodborne sits. I really like just about all that stuff. Silent Hill has a cosmic horror component to it. I’d sort 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 sport. I don’t know why they haven’t remade it but. I really like 2, however I need to play the primary one, too.

Eldritch horror has positively 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 like the makes an attempt which are made by AAA studios which have the larger budgets to tackle such a bigger idea or do you like 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 positively make some some bizarre stuff. I do know I see loads. I feel it has its personal class on Steam. You’ll be able to click on on “cosmic horror” and possibly see stuff like that. I performed one known as Moons of Insanity. It was fairly trippy. I feel the older I get, the extra I sort of drift in the direction of PC and indie video games. I’m beginning to take extra gratification in taking part in these indie studio video games, like Tokyo Xtreme Racer. No person’s ever heard of that, however for some motive, you’ll get a sport with, like, one or two guys making the factor and it’s higher than a whole lot of the stuff that got here out within the final two years, ? I’m sort of drifting in the direction of PC now and I’m in all probability gonna make the total transition in all probability fairly quickly.

What have you ever been taking part in on prior?
Normally I play PS5 and Xbox, however I sort of simply realized I’m taking part in the identical video games again and again. It’s at all times multiplayer shooters and stuff like that. It’s like, Properly, I sort of need to get impressed greater than get pissed off at some 12-year previous 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 are slightly completely different than, say, your Name of Obligation and stuff. Do you discover that conjures up you slightly extra?
Yeah. Primarily, I’m a very visible individual. I used to be very into sculpting, portray—I did a bunch of various issues, completely different mediums. Once I have a look at stuff, I sort 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 occupied with music that goes with visuals on a regular basis. So once I play video video games, I’m continuously occupied with that, too.

Apparent one apart, if you got the possibility 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 curious about engaged on?
You realize, I at all times appreciated the stuff in Silent Hill. It’s that bizarre sort of rock. The band Placebo, they sort 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 tips on how to 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 sort of talked about as an alternative of doing an orchestral backing observe factor for black steel, what if we had 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 might be just about no matter. However yeah, I feel a Silent Hill-type eerie people 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 sort of headier sort 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 everyone sort of must have these releases and gaming is only a completely different route so that you can have it, sort of will get you considering. One that will get you considering can be Indigo Prophecy, that sport’s fairly trippy. Stuff like that. I feel individuals who play video video games typically, like I mentioned, dwell in their very own head. They’re very inventive folks. It’s to not say that different folks aren’t, however I feel everyone’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 everyone on the planet is counting down the times for—are there every other video games which are developing that you simply’re excited to take a look at?
I haven’t been paying an excessive amount of consideration to something not too long ago. I’ve been doing all of the music stuff, to be sincere. I like Tokyo Xtreme Racer as a result of I can simply leap in, leap out. It performs like a multiplayer sport 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 sport [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 yr, actually.

The best way you mentioned that made it sound like this isn’t the best way you usually do issues. Do you usually keep watch over the calendar?
I normally know what’s popping out and when it’s popping out. However I’ve such an enormous 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 sort of at some extent the place I’ll simply catch up once I can. I feel that’s a part of why I haven’t actually thought of what’s popping out. However yeah, normally I attempt to sustain and I purchase all the pieces. I sort of realized, Properly, I purchased this and I haven’t performed it, after which it finally ends up on Recreation Move or one thing without spending a dime. I ought to have simply waited and possibly 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 aspect of this. Do you usually lean extra in the direction of the darker or extra critical tones, or do you combine it up with a bunch of this and that from throughout?
I feel it’s possibly 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 sport 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 verify 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 usually what we do. There’s just a few arcades right here, however they’re normally fairly noisy and there’s a whole lot of obnoxious folks round. [Laughs]

Is gaming a shared expertise throughout the band? You mentioned that you simply teamed up for Bloodborne, however is it a communal expertise or a solo expertise usually?
It’s normally communal. We might play Bloodborne loads, we performed a whole lot of Elden Ring loads collectively. That will be sort of it. Name of Obligation would would occur loads, too. What else? Far Cry 5 was fairly cool. Normally if there’s an excellent co-op sport that everyone likes, we’ll leap on it at one level or one other. Roughly, it’s 50/50, everyone does their very own factor after which jumps on one thing.

Would you say everyone within the band not less than has passing pursuits in several video games or is there one individual within the band who’s like, “Yeah, I don’t get any of this?”
No, I feel everyone has a reasonably good grip on what’s occurring with stuff. Whether or not or not they play it actively is completely different. I haven’t turned on Bloodborne in possibly… each every so often 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 had been to counsel anyone to choose up a sport from the FromSoft catalog, however you’ll be able to’t choose Bloodborne, which might be the primary one that you’d choose?
It might in all probability be both Demon’s Souls or Darkish Souls III. I might usually say do Darkish Souls III as a result of it’s positively slightly extra accessible than Demon’s Souls, however Demon’s Souls positively seems loads higher. It’s simply whether or not or not you’ll be able to punish your self to get by means of Demon’s Souls.

These are two starkly completely different titles. Demon’s Souls, you’re getting gang jumped into that one. Even if you happen to’re a fan of the franchise, taking part in that one is tough at instances. It’s robust.
Yeah, I nonetheless haven’t completed it. It’s so arduous. 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 by way of Season of Mist and might be ordered right here.
Observe Wrath of Logarius on Bandcamp and Instagram.