Today we premiere Burning Gold, the three-song demo from anonymous stateside black metal duo Fire Magic. Little is known about Fire Magic, but what was revealed concerning this new force in the underground some weeks ago via the Stygian Black Hand Bandcamp, e.g. their sound, their song titles, their demo title, their logo, their name, their mere existence, was all promising enough almost to guarantee that the other two-thirds of Burning Gold would likewise deliver some raging fiery majesty as what’s displayed prominently on “Tribulations Upon their Flesh.”
Of course we reached out. Tried to find out what we could about these two calling themselves Fire Magic.
They assure us, “The anonymity is quite intentional.” They confirm: “There are two of us.”
They continue, expounding on what inspired their coming together to make black metal. “While we did not set out to write in a certain style, intrinsically the melodies and themes of the music we create will be characterized by bands that have come before us,” Fire Magic say. “There are plenty of contemporary bands that both of us enjoy, but we are not trying to replicate any of it. Of all the old guard, Bathory is our Polaris.”
Burning Gold
Fire Magic’s demo is available today on pro-tape from Stygian Black Hand.
Their name “came to [them] in the infancy of the writing process,” they say. “It seemed fitting, given our approach, to have a title that conjures feelings of mysticism and power.”
The album title, Burning Gold “is the passion of existence,” they say. “It is the wild heart that drives us to go past the point of pain or reason.”
According to Fire Magic, Burning Gold is actually “the second set of songs” they’ve written since assuming this name. “The first set, while no less furious, will be released at a later date,” they say. “Our writing process is simple. We act as conduit for the ideas we wish to express. At times the music has seemed to be already written and, with concentration and persistence, we can discern the songs in their entirety from the first few notes.”
Regarding the recording process for their demo, Fire Magic say, “We decided early on that we would record everything ourselves. Intentionally, little attention is spent towards the minutiae of guitar tone or drum sound. Recording ‘quality’ does not interest us as much as capturing the raw energy of the songs. Obviously, there is a level of fidelity that we try to maintain in the mixing and mastering process, but we prefer to let the material manifest itself without our interference. As our intent in the creation of these releases is quite primitive, we follow that ethos in how we record.’
And their amazing logo, Fire Magic inform us “was created by Amalantrah Workings.” They say, “We feel it perfectly captures the blazing soul of our craft and are grateful for their involvement in this regard.”
Looking ahead, Fire Magic say, “We are slowly writing a follow up to the demo. As far as the future is concerned, we will continue writing and releasing music as long as we want to. Our motivations are purely internal. As such, we are not beholden to any idea of being a ‘band.’ Expect more of the same.”
