Servants of Chaos – Spotlight: SLIDHR

Founded 2005 in Ireland by composer and multi-instrumentalist J. Deegan, SLIDHR has consistently delivered venomously misanthropic and powerful Black Metal. Nothing less can be expected from their only performance of 2024 - including the live premiere of tracks from "White Hart!" - at Servants of Chaos festival!

Following a well-received demo, a few EPs, and several split releases, SLIDHR rose to prominence via two landmark albums: "Deluge" (2013) and "The Futile Fires of Man" (2018).

Emerging from the shadows only for selected live performances, SLIDHR spent recent years crafting third album, 2023's "White Hart!", as they returned to DMP to complete the cycle begun with their "Deluge" debut.

Listen below to this masterclass in fervent Black Metal:

Swallowed in Black zine hailed "White Hart!" as "an uncompromising, explosive Black Metal album that roars resistance and rage." This same intensity can be expected of SLIDHR's onstage fury! Furthermore, SLIDHR invited Dungeon Synth oddity GEHEIMNISKNECHT to their live line-up for the festival. His twisted soundscapes will add a unique layer to the band's performance.

We spoke with composer J. Deegan about what to anticipate from their forthcoming rare live appearance at Servants of Chaos festival – performing material from "White Hart!" for the first time.

Q: You will play Servants of Chaos festival this October, the first time you will perform songs from "White Hart!" in a live setting. How are preparations going?

Correct, this is the first time we'll play these new songs live, so this makes it a bit of a special event for us. We are pretty well prepared already for this one and excited to bring the songs to life. Nothing feels especially tricky to play live but I wrote the songs, so they more or less come naturally to me. They are in my muscle memory I suppose.

Q: As far as I know, SLIDHR have a partially new line-up compared to a few years back. Can you tell us who will be playing live at SoC?

We have a new guitarist and bass player on board and considering they are both German you should expect some trademark intense German precision. It feels great to have such talented guys as a part of SLIDHR for this event. Aside from this, the core of the band has been Bjarni and myself since 2011 when we recorded "Deluge". Before that I was recording all instruments alone so it's really cool to stand back and see how things have evolved.

Q: Apart from the new album, you will surely play some classics from your discography. Could you give the audience a little insight into which older songs they can expect?

The setlist will be pretty varied with something from most of the releases in our discography. Besides the tracks from the latest album, there is nothing we haven't played before although there will be some extra elements that we've never had live before so it should be a unique show.

Q: You have played various gigs with different bands throughout your career, and, of course, in Germany. What are your memories of the German audience? How do you like performing in Germany?

Germany is a country that is passionate about Metal and I love that. No other country I've been to is so obsessed. Not to mention the fact that touring in Germany is where I met the guys who would later join us. SLIDHR and SHRINE OF INSANABILIS toured together in 2016 and we have great memories of that tour. So for sure, Germany has a special place in my heart for many reasons.

Q: Next year SLIDHR will have existed for 20 years, quite an awesome achievement. Do you have anything planned for the birthday?

20 years, what a waste of time. It's interesting to think of all the life changes that have taken place in that time and SLIDHR has always been there in the background. We don't have anything special planned but maybe we should...

Q: Last question: which performances at Servants of Chaos Festival are you most looking forward to witnessing?

I almost view this event as a whole rather than individual bands but of course there are a few that I particularly need to check out. AKHLYS seem like a solid live band, and I've never caught them live.

SLIDHR will perform at Servants of Chaos on October 19th. For event details and tickets, click here!