In the ever-expanding landscape of extreme music, where tradition and experimentation often clash like steel and storm, few bands have managed to carve their own current as boldly as Italy’s BlackStream. Emerging from a country more commonly associated with raw occult fervor, BlackStream instead channels a different kind of darkness,synthetic, pulsating, and relentlessly forward-driven. Their sound fuses the cold precision of electronic textures with the feral intensity of Black Metal, creating a hybrid that feels both futuristic and primordial.
As their following grows and their sonic identity sharpens, BlackStream stand as one of the most intriguing forces in the Synthetic Black Metal underground. Today, we dive beneath the shimmering digital surface and into the shadows that fuel their art, welcome to our interview with BlackStream.
BlackStream combines an Italian background with a synthetic, futuristic approach to Black Metal.
How does Italian culture , from Gothic architecture to Italian Futurismo, influence your sound and aesthetic?
Hails Peter!! Thanks for the space you’ve given us. The culture, history, and the mysticism woven through every era of our peninsula definitely influence our compositions, our lyrics, and our imagery. Italy has always been a forge of great minds, innovation, and experimentation—something we’re proud of, despite all the issues that plague it. All you have to do is look around, wherever you go: whether it’s a Gothic church, an ancient ruined chapel in the fields adorned with monstrous frescoes, or even a modern building clashing against these older realities… all of it gives us daily inspiration to channel our madness into music.
The name BlackStream suggests both fluidity and something flowing beneath the surface.
What does “the stream” symbolize in your universe?
The origins of our story begin in a putrid rehearsal room in a tiny, fog-soaked town in Northern Italy… it was frequented by a bunch of losers called “Lifestream”… and that’s where our name comes from, haha! It was all already written.
However, we like to see “Stream” as a constant flow of ideas and creativity—always overflowing.
You’re often labeled as Synthetic Black Metal. What does “synthetic” mean to you: technological, philosophical, or even esoteric?
It can be a blend of all three themes: our choice has always been to create filthy Black Metal but with synthetic instruments, ever since it was just the two of us in that rehearsal room I mentioned… with few resources but plenty of ideas.
Starting from the second demo, Synthetic BM Manifesto, we abandoned the primitive themes of the classic BM we used to play in the beginning (à la Profanatica, Von, etc.) and embraced subjects that are much closer to us, in a truly mystical way rather than some pseudo-philosophical/intellectual approach. Also because these sounds fit naturally with that kind of imagery.
…through keyboards and “sick” effects, it feels natural for us to create visionary, psychotropic atmospheres.
How do you construct a track? Does BlackStream begin with the synths, the riffs, the rhythm, or a conceptual atmosphere?
Together, we usually start from a concept or an image we want to develop through music… Occultus Rex lays down the foundations with keyboards and drum machine, and I (Mephisto) create the lyrics and the various vocal approaches to vomit over them. After that, we record everything, both in analog and digital form.
Much of Synthetic Black Metal blurs the line between human and machine.
Where do you place that boundary? Or do you strive for complete symbiosis?
As you said, we try to merge the human spirit with the machine… to create a sort of occult transhumanism that carries the listener away, making them travel through other dimensions or into our own mental trips, where our nightmares and insanities take form.
Is there a narrative thread running through your releases? Is BlackStream building a larger universe?
Our imagery contains mental journeys and real nightmares we have… we also tell distorted local legends, twisted and adapted to our sound, making them as deranged and putrid as possible. I (Mephisto) am a huge fan of horror—especially 70s occult and supernatural horror, particularly the Italian kind. Our latest and upcoming releases will be completely steeped in this passion of mine .. In the future (distant? near?), we’ll experiment with adding mystical concepts mixed with mental and horror-driven trips… …you’ll find out!
Do you see Synthetic Black Metal as an evolution of the genre, or as a rebellion against it?
We are two very “anarchic” individuals when it comes to sound and imagery… what we offer is the result of who we are: always against stereotypes (which have no place in our vision). So you will never find anything repetitive in our releases or clichéd themes (little trees, frozen forests, etc., etc.).
How do traditional Black Metal purists react to your work, and how relevant is that tension to your art?
Haha!! Twenty years ago, during our very first period, we were taken less than seriously: in a completely stagnant, dead, and “self-proclaimed elite” scene like the Italian one back then, we got more ridicule than praise… though we never gave a damn about praise or others’ opinions anyway. Add to that our young age at the time and the prevailing ostracism, and we weren’t able to react as we would have wanted.
Since our 2020 reunion, our spirit has remained unchanged. However, we’ve noticed a renewed interest—especially from abroad—towards different ways of approaching BM that are close to our vision. Currently, we’re receiving excellent responses that we never would have expected.
You have a split LP coming up with the Finnish band Witchcraft. How did this collaboration come about?
So… in the past we’ve done various trades with them, their approach always pumped us up, and we proposed a split together. Recently, I met Juha during his Italian tour with Beherit, and between discussions about obscure horror films and other things, we sealed the alliance. It’s about to be released as I write this, through WOLFKULT RELIGION, in limited LPs… you’ll find a handful of infernal tracks, some of the most aggressive we’ve ever recorded.
What other plans do you have for the future? Is there a chance we’ll ever see BlackStream live?
Well… as we write this, we’re fresh from the latest recording sessions for our upcoming full-length, expected around mid-2026… it will be a compendium of tracks dedicated to 70s occult and supernatural horror, sprinkled with psychotropic elements and personal madness…
No chance of seeing us live, unless it’s by appointment at the pub, haha!!! DROWN YOURSELF IN THE SYNTHETIC HELL!!!
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WolfKult Religion:
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