Adabroc is a one man black metal band that immediately caught my attention. Considering the self-parody that “black metal” is today, I find it more difficult than ever before to discover young but quality bands. In this interview I speak with Dómhnall Alasdair MacIlleMhuire, the mastermind behind the project.
- Tell us about the formation of ADABROC. What influences (both musical and non-musical) inspired you to create the band? What is the meaning of the band’s name?
I formed the project in 2010, when I decided to take my music in an epic atmospheric black metal direction under the influence of various artists such as Drudkh, Burzum, Negură Bunget and Agalloch. It began as a very personal project, dealing with very internal themes; since the release of Tùrsa the primary inspiration has been the landscape, nature and history of the Isle of Lewis. Adabroc is the Gaelic spelling of the name of the village of Adabrock, my ancestral home in the far north of Lewis. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but like the majority of placenames in the Outer Hebrides it is undoubtedly of Norse origin. I believe the second element probably reflects Old Norse brekka meaning ‘slope’.
- As a one man project, you are responsible for all instruments. Which instrument (if any) do you consider your primary instrument? How does this affect your song-writing process?
The primary instrument is without doubt the guitars, which form the central focus of virtually every song. The guitars are always the first part to be written. The bass always follows the guitars closely, never stealing attention, and the programmed drums are kept very simple. I have, however, incorporated tin whistles into the most recent release Iolaire, which occasionally draw the primary focus away from the guitars.
- On your website, you provide links to download all of your music for free. It is still relatively uncommon to encounter music projects that do not charge for their songs. Why did you choose this for ADABROC?
Adabroc began life as a purely digital project, and the thought of charging for downloads never crossed my mind. Distributing my music to as great an audience as I could was my priority, and giving it away for free is, of course, the most effective way to do this. The first ever Adabroc physical releases became available only a little over a year ago, and since then I have never considered ceasing to make everything available digitally for free.
- You have released several successful demos and EP’s during the band’s history. Do you have any plans for releasing a full length album?
While I have been content with releasing only EPs so far, I do intend to eventually compose a full-length album. This will probably not be for another year or two. The next few Adabroc releases will be splits with other artists, the first of which will hopefully be out in a few months.
- My personal favorite ADABROC release, Eilean An Fhraoich, was released by Le Crepuscule du Soir Productions on CD. How did you come in contact with this label? Will any future releases be done by the label?
The first physical releases of both Tùrsa and Eilean An Fhraoich were in the form of limited edition digipaks by Le Crépuscule du Soir Productions, who approached me in early 2013 offering to release those two EPs. After a long delay due to circumstances outwith anybody’s control, the Tùrsa digipak was not released until late that year; Eilean An Fhraoich followed in early 2014. In April 2014 we agreed that Iolaire would be released in the same format, but I have not been able to get in touch with the label since then. As a result I decided to independently release Iolairelater in the year, followed by re-releases of the others; I don’t know if any copies of the digipaks can still be ordered from Le Crépuscule du Soir.
- In my opinion, ADABROC is not an exceptionally dark project; while many black metal projects focus on cold and frozen atmospheres, ADABROC creates an atmosphere that brings to mind other natural elements, such as the rivers, the ocean, and the earth itself. Would you agree with this statement? How much influence does the Scottish landscape have in your music?
The vast moorlands of the Isle of Lewis, the rugged coastlines and the restless ocean are among the natural elements that Adabroc attempts to invoke. However, while Tùrsa was inspired by cold, desolate winter landscapes, Eilean An Fhraoich was, in contrast, an attempt to capture those same majestic landscapes under the brilliant light of the warm summer sun. Iolaire views the same elements in the context of history and past loss.
- Recently a few Scottish bands (Saor, for example) are enjoying a period of relatively high popularity in the Metal underground. How do you feel about the current Scottish metal scene? Do you believe more bands in the future will begin to gain international recognition?
These days I have fairly high hopes for the future of Scottish metal and believe that much progress has been made in the last couple of years, Saor in particular being the clearest example. I believe that the profile of Scottish black metal will continue to increase, and that more artists – Adabroc hopefully included – will begin to make an impact internationally.
- One thing that stands out to me about ADABROC is the excellent use of synthesizers in the music. Many metal bands struggle to find the correct balance between synth and metal, while ADABROC manages to use synth effectively to enhance the atmosphere of the songs. Are you a fan of any synthesizer based music? Do you believe that there are musical links between ambient and black metal?
I am not interested in any purely synthesiser-based music myself, but I believe that there are clearly links between it black metal, as both strive to create powerful, emotive atmospheres from relatively simple sound. I always use synth to add another layer to the music and generate a more atmospheric sound, but I do in fact sometimes find it difficult to achieve the correct balance.
- What can we expect from ADABROC in the future?
The current sound of Adabroc will continue to develop as it has done over the last couple of years, possibly with the addition of further instruments or a greater range of experimentation. Expect acoustic passages, greater folk influences and possibly guest vocalists. In the meantime, as I said before, several potential split releases are in the works and hopefully these will be unveiled before too long.
- Thank you very much for taking the time to answer this interview, we at Barbarian Skull are looking forward to hearing what ADABROC has to offer in the future. Any last words are yours!
Thank you for your interest! Slàinte mhòr!
