Pyre Interview for THC Zine

…Cities reduced to ashen remains, unholy frequencies and Satanic invokkations on 11 in baptism by fire rituals on unsuspecting crowds, sonically and spiritually mangled by the entities of PYRE…

The northern blasphemic quartet has just desecrated all, from local venues to remote destinations in Indonesia to Taiwan, on their current pillaging spree/tour. THC Zine caught up with PYRE for an exclusive interview.

The tail end of their rituals will be completed on June 7, 2026 Sunday, at Blue Knights & Co., at the final date of the Sex Messiah Southeast Asian tour.

THC Zine: Hails Pyre! The band is based in the Northern regions of Benguet, Cordillera. Does the cold, grim north have an influence on your music, lyrics, and ideology?

INFERNATOR: Hails and salutes THC Zine / Rallye! Thank you for having us!

The place has been somehow influential with our creations, being able to isolate in a so-called “city” gives us the space to further explore our creativity.

OSCURA: The native culture and rituals has been a huge factor for me, aside from living in the mountains. This is why we chose to move here.

–

Do your previous/other bands, such as Eirik, Black Goat, et al., carry over influences to Pyre’s hellish blasphemous musick? Are they still active?

INFERNATOR: I actively try to stray away in writing in a similar style for my bands, right now EIRIK is on an indefinite hiatus, I’m 90% done with a third album but with all the commitments with PYRE, I couldn’t say when I’ll be able to finish those.

OSCURA: Ever since I stepped onto the scene, black metal has been my go to genre. I see PYRE as a better and tighter version of BLACK GOAT since that project is no longer active.

–

Your latest release, Inexorable Prepotence, sounds killer. It retains the raw savage black metal sound while having clarity and balance. What were your experiences in recording it, and your views regarding having a raw necro sound vs. modern production methods in black metal?

INFERNATOR: The sessions for that EP were pretty solid, Sam from DISPERSE MEDIA really helped us in shaping the drums and all the strings and vocals were recorded at our own cave, so that was a breeze filled with booze and rituals.

We recorded our stuff digitally while trying to retain that raw, aggressive sound. The raw sound definitely has its place in Black Metal, and we often gravitate on creating something in the vein of those, but modern practicality gives us plenty of solutions in shaping our sound. We don’t want to release something highly polished, we’re not a shitty pop band!

–

Can you tell us about your live recording, Incinerating Nueva Vizcaya? How was it playing in that region, and what are your thoughts about their metal scene there?

INFERNATOR: Just to clarify, that release was a limited promo with a much rawer version of our previously new songs.

Nueva Vizcaya was extremely welcoming, special salutes to Bijay Callejo for dragging us there! Just like all parts of our cunt-ry, they have a small metal scene, but they are extremely tight and supportive!

OSCURA: Their scene is amazing, and we saw plenty of varying Death Metal bands there. Compared to the scene here in Baguio, they have a broader spectrum.

–

How was it recording your first demo? What was the atmosphere like, and what were the band’s inspirations during that time?

INFERNATOR: That demo is filled with hatred and vitriol, same as all of our releases. We did it all DIY, only hard part was one previous member who couldn’t play his shit.

–

Pyre uses eerie keyboards but only for intros and interludes, especially on the EP. What are your thoughts on keyboards in black metal, and do you plan to continue creating these sounds or using them in future releases?

INFERNATOR: We use them to set the mood for the whole record. We really don’t care much about keyboards in Black Metal, people can do what they want as long as it fits their vision. We plan to continue creating eerie atonal noise to blend in with our records.

–

How did you meet and collaborate with your current label, Black Flame Rebellion? What are your thoughts on the label and its current roster?

INFERNATOR: We honestly saw BFR through a social media post first, and from there, we reached out to them and asked if they’re interested in releasing us.

Their current roster is fucking killer! The latest release for CAPA PRETA is worth getting!

–

During your recent Asian tours of Indonesia to Taiwan, what were some of the differences you’ve noticed from their metal scenes compared to the Philippines?

OSCURA: The crowd in both shows was amazing, they inspired me so much and drove me to perform better. The scene in both places are well thriving compared to what little we have here in the Philippines.

HEX: They are extremely supportive of the scene for sure than in our home country. They really care about the music and the sound. Crab mentality is still rife in our home country. We thank those that truly support us.

DIRGE : The support is on another level.

–

That said, do you experience challenges in being a black metal band in the Philippines? Have you encountered christian resistance towards your art, music, and lyrics?

OSCURA: Yes, ever since I chose this path, I’ve accepted that there would be resistance from what other people believe in. This has been my drive in continuing to create and stand with my ideology.

 

HEX: No support at all from pretty much everyone except for those in the know of the scene. Pretty much Baguio at least has resisted the underground culture for sure. The city prides itself being a “Creative City” but ostracizes other music or art that is not to their political or religious liking.

–

You played with Deiphago in Baguio last year, and that show scared the religious conservatives of that city. What are your thoughts and views about these kinds of reactions when it comes to extreme metal art and the narrow views of people who don’t get it?

INFERNATOR: These motherfuckers tried to derail our event but they couldn’t stop us. Honestly, I see them as hypocrites since they couldn’t practice what they preached. Prior to them causing us a shit ton of trouble, these “religious” organizations arranged a protest of support for that paedo, Quiboloy.

HEX: These religious groups used it as political leverage to gain votes. That speaks for itself that they don’t really care about this type of music other than to gain something politically.

DIRGE: I thought it’s funny how those religious groups reacted. They really thought that we are having some satanic rituals and that we are going to recruit young people.

–

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Sex Messiah show on June 7? What can you say about the bands in the lineup?

OSCURA: We can’t wait to see and meet SEX MESSIAH! It’s great that they have this opportunity to do a show here!

HEX: Looking forward to seeing all of them play.

INFERNATOR: Thank you again for having us and we can’t wait to drink with you soon! We’re looking forward to witnessing SEX MESSIAH desecrate Philippine soil!