Akvan/اکوان (Vizaresa) interview

After many releases including debut album “Forgotten Glory / شکوه فراموش شده” Iranian influenced black metal Akvan/اکوان  lost no time in releasing and planning new material. The proud mastermind Vizaresa proved to be very open-hearted and generous in telling TrueMetal.it the world around his project, while maintaining an aura of personal confidentiality. Enjoy the reading.

Interview by Elisa “SoulMysteries” Tonini

Puoi leggere quì l’intervista in italiano

Hi Vizaresa, welcome to TrueMetal.it.

Hello, thank you for having me. I appreciate you taking the time to interview me.

Let’s start from the beginning, when and how do you have formed Akvan ? What’s moreover the meaning behind its name?

I started working on music for Akvan during the summer of 2014, after moving briefly to Dubai then Iran from the United States. I picked the name Akvan a few months before I actually started working on music for the project, while I was re-reading the Shahnameh, the national epic poem of Iran. There is a story about the legendary warrior Rostam outsmarting the Akvan div in the Shahnameh, and knowing that Akvan was a demon (div or دیو in Farsi means demon), I decided to look into the meaning of the name more and learned that Akvan also serves as the modern Persian word for Aka Manah, the demon of sensual desire in Zoroastrianism. I think it’s a perfect name for black metal that also alludes to Iran’s rich pre-Islamic past.

Akvan are influenced by the art, literature, history, mythology and music of Iran. Your own pseudonym, Vizaresa, refers to a demon who collects evil souls and transports them to hell after death. Could you say more precisely, what inspires you most ?

As someone who has had the privilege of being born and raised in the United States while also having the ability to visit and live in Iran as a dual citizen at my own discretion (I’ve definitely taken advantage of it many, many times), I see the situation between Iran and the United States very differently than what is perceived from either side. I hope to inspire listeners to conduct their own research into the ancient and epic history of Iran. Hopefully, they will come away with a more positive outlook in regard to this beautiful country.

Of course, the same question concerns the musical point of view. Which metal bands do you think have been most influential in your project?

That’s a difficult question to answer. I draw influence from a large variety of artists and the list is continually expanding. As far as metal goes, some (emphasis on some) of the bands I keep coming back to are Dissection, Watain, Emperor, Abigail Williams, Advent Sorrow, and Behemoth.

In addition to being performed by the electrical component, the folk side is also created by local ethnic instruments such as setar, tar. Popular music can be extremely complex in its various types and subtleties…could you tell us, in particular what type of folk do you insert in your works?

I wouldn’t say there is a specific type. I reference the Dastgah system, but I tend to just write whatever I think sounds good. I have no training in Sonati (traditional Iranian) music. That’s something I would definitely like to pursue in the future.

What relationship do you have with the traditional instruments you have chosen from a large number of possibilities? Are you planning to add more of them in the future?

I picked the tar because I’ve always loved the way it sounds. There’s just something really deep and sorrowful about it that I find appealing. Same with the setar. Both instruments are ancestors of the modern guitar, which made learning to play them easier for me. In regard to adding more instruments, I’m not quite sure about that at the moment, but it has crossed my mind before and I’m always open to trying new things.

When composing, do you think of traditional instruments or guitar first? It’s music or lyrics created first?

The guitar is my primary instrument. I use an electric microtonal guitar when composing a song and later assign different parts to the other instruments. The music definitely comes first.

You have recently released on Bandcamp ‘حلبچه / Halabja’, single from the upcoming album “City of Blood / خونین شهر”. Personally, it seems to feel more brutal – even with a profound epic vibe – than the previous releases.
Can you tell our readers what awaits them in the new album, both thematically and musically? What will differentiate it from “Forgotten Glory / شکوه فراموش شده” ?

I think what will differentiate City of Blood most from Forgotten Glory and my previous releases is the subject matter it is inspired by. The album draws heavy influence from the Iran-Iraq war and examines the human cost of war whereas previous releases were more focused on stories from the Shahnameh and pre-Islamic Iran. I feel like the musical and lyrical content are coming from a more gritty and primal place on this album.

Also on Bandcamp, you recently published “Soraya / ثریا” sort of collection which include instrumental improvisations. The sound is the opposite of your usual standards, being somewhat acoustic and minimal instead, with almost a songwriting flavor. The title-track – on certain harmonies – reminds me a little of artists like like Leonard Cohen and italian artists like Fabrizio De Andrè. The second one, on the other hand, is more hypnotic and melancholic and I feel something blues-like. Do you plan to release an entire album on these sounds in the future? Or more generally, on the acoustic side like some tracks of the previous works ?

It’s definitely something I’ve loosely considered, but for now I’m not sure. We’ll see.

Your works have constantly a raw production, this makes me think that is a desired choice. The acoustic component, on the other hand, seems to have a clearer and a sharper appearance

The raw production is intended. The production on the instrumental tracks isn’t much different, I just think the varying environments in which they are recorded in are a major factor in how they turn out. I don’t have a set space for recording since playing this type of music is potentially punishable by law. As a result, I’ve had to record in different places throughout my stay in Iran.

In addition to defining the Akvan style as Iranian influenced Black Metal, you also call it True Aryan Black Metal. In this sense, reminds me the Vedic metallers Rudra, who composed the album “The Aryan Crusade”. Unfortunately, from the facts that led to the Second World War, the original meaning of the term has been mislead in the negative sense (as happened for the swastika, moreover).

If we look at history, the term Aryan / آریایی originates from Iran, where it has been in use for thousands of years. It is a term that denotes merit as opposed to race/ethnicity. From what I’ve read and understood, Aryan was a term reserved for those among the most accomplished of society, top military leaders, scientists, engineers, kings, etc., in ancient Iran. As the Persian empire expanded, so did the use of the word Aryan to include the entire population of Iran. Iran itself translates to “land of the Aryans.” It’s also not surprising to me that other bands and modern nations use “Aryan” by its true and only definition, considering how vast the Persian empire was. Long before there was a Hitler or a Nazi, there was Iran, and there will still be an Iran long after the extinction of such barbaric ideologies. I take strong pride in the fact that my ancestors ruled through bloodless conquest and the embrace of other cultures. Just because thousands of years of history are ignored by the West in favor of a false definition created and perpetuated by cowards, doesn’t mean that the rest of the world has to accept and comply.

What do you think of the Iranian metal scene? I personally appreciate artists like Farshid Arabi and bands like Safeer-e Arsh and Master of Persia. The first artist is the author, under the pseudonym of Penhan, of the first official heavy metal album in Persian (released in 2004). He had to wait a long time before he got permission from the Iranian government to publish it. Bands like Confess have been accused of blasphemy and sentenced to imprisonment and corporal punishment and, more recently, Arsames were sentenced to 15 years in prison for playing “satanic music” and fled the country. Two different attitudes towards metal music. Perhaps Farshid Arabi, inspired also by the poet Rumi, managed to “bypass” government austerity someway …

I reserve the deepest respect for all artists in Iran given the circumstances they have to deal with and I wish them all success and prosperity. That being said, I generally keep to myself. It’s just the way I am. I’m not really involved in the Iranian metal scene so I don’t feel like I can really comment on it.

What are Akvan’s goals in the big picture ?

Akvan will always be a labor of love. While I love music, I’ve never had any plans for a “big picture.” This is something I do for my own enjoyment. While I’m truly grateful for the numerous friends I’ve made and the reception the music has received, I already have a stable and fulfilling career in healthcare and don’t see myself moving away from it any time soon in favor of “making it” with Akvan. I’m a simple person and I’m happy with having an honest job that allows me the opportunity to help others while affording me the free time to travel and continue making music.

The interview is over. In this space you can greet the readers of TrueMetal.it as you prefer. Thank you very much for kindly giving us your time.

Thank you for providing me with this opportunity and thank you to all who have supported and enjoy listening to Akvan.