Metalwar: “In the Middle of the Dark Chaos” carries a very intense atmosphere. What inspired the core idea behind this track?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Intertemporal is essentially an album that deals with the life we live, the system, and the structure and mysteries of the universe. We question the true meaning of Time and Light. “In the Middle of the Dark Chaos” is the beginning of this questioning. It describes, with an emotional tone, the process through which humanity first began to think and question.
This song tells us that we should search for answers to classic existential questions such as “Who are we? What are we? Where did we come from? Where are we going?” within what we perceive as an infinite universe. At the same time, it holds a mirror to humanity’s rotten ego, which acts as if it knows everything while actually knowing nothing.
Metalwar: The song combines aggression with philosophical depth. What themes are you exploring lyrically?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Our main goal is to make people think and question. We want people who live like video game characters to question what the real system is. Years ago, this concept entered our lives through a simple narrative in American cinema: the idea of The Matrix.
Today, humanity knows certain things, but many people still lack the ability to question. Our themes revolve around the concepts of time, light, and spacetime.
Metalwar: Bahadır, you wrote both the music and the lyrics — how personal is this composition to you?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Actually, none of the work I do for Moribund Oblivion is personal to me. I and the other members are simply pieces that make up this band, and everything we do is for the band.
I don’t have a “Bahadır style.” For years, I’ve been trying to create a “Moribund Oblivion style.” As a band, we have always shaped and directed it throughout the process.
Of course, like every musician, I try to express my feelings while staying true to our themes in every song. It is very important for us that the stories we tell and the messages we convey remain consistent.
Metalwar: How does this track represent the overall concept of INTERTEMPORAL?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: This song is one of the key tracks on our new album INTERTEMPORAL, and it expresses the album’s main theme in a somewhat emotional way.
We are talking about existence, life, the world, God, and the possibility that religious systems may not be what we believe them to be — that we may actually be part of a completely different system.
“Maybe this life isn’t your first stop, and maybe it won’t be your last either.”
“Perhaps this moment is one you have experienced before, and you remember it through codes you saw in your dreams.”
Intertemporal completely explores this system, the illusion of time, and parallel universes.
Metalwar: The production sounds massive. How important was the collaboration with Erman Aydöner?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Erman Aydöner is one of the most successful people in Türkiye in the fields of production and especially mastering. He has worked internationally and has even written books on the subject.
Working with Erman was definitely a great opportunity for us. Moribund Oblivion is a 27-year-old band, and our productions must always maintain a high standard. Therefore, we will continue collaborating with well-known and successful people like Erman.
Metalwar: Can you tell us about the visual direction of the video and your collaboration with Kenan Haliloğlu?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Like Erman, Kenan Haliloğlu is also a very important Turkish director. He has received international awards in this field, and his artistic vision is extraordinary.
When we first told him the story behind Intertemporal, he was deeply impressed and did his best to reflect this story properly to the fans. He created an amazing music video for us, and the overall feedback has been very positive.
We will be shooting another music video next month, and Kenan Haliloğlu will once again direct it.
Metalwar: The video feels very cinematic. How involved was the band in its creative process?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: One of Kenan’s greatest talents is his strong cinematic vision. Intertemporal is already a highly fantastical story — somewhat utopian as well.
Creating this fantastical world visually is certainly a difficult task, but Kenan handled it masterfully. We told him the story and shared some of our ideas, and then he created the entire project.
Metalwar: After more than two decades, how have Moribund Oblivion evolved musically?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Moribund Oblivion is 27 years old and will soon celebrate its 30th anniversary. That is a very long time for a metal band.
Like every musician and every band, Moribund Oblivion has changed and evolved over time. This evolution did not happen overnight.
Our first album is still very special to us, of course, but times have changed, technology has changed, and our thoughts and abilities have changed as well.
Nothing in the world remains constant. We matured through these changes and eventually found our own identity.
The point we have reached today feels like the best version of ourselves — though even this may still seem insufficient ten years from now.
Metalwar: What keeps the black metal spirit alive for you after so many years?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: Our anger and our insatiable instincts prevent us from becoming ordinary people. We have never lost these instincts, and that is why we continue making black metal.
Black metal is a genre of music, but for us it is also the best way to express these instincts. It is our strongest weapon.
Metalwar: How do you see the Turkish black metal scene today?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: The Turkish black metal scene — and the Turkish metal scene in general — is definitely on the rise. Over the last ten years, the scene has developed tremendously.
We have many talented bands, and their biggest problem is not being able to perform abroad often enough.
The metal music industry is currently facing serious economic difficulties worldwide. Budgets are becoming smaller for everyone, making it difficult for bands to travel internationally. This is always a major challenge for talented young musicians.
Nevertheless, I am certain that we will see more Turkish bands performing on international and especially European stages in the future.
Metalwar: What are your future plans following this release?
MORIBUND OBLIVION: For Intertemporal, we have been performing promotional concerts across almost all of Europe for the past three years, and we are still continuing.
We will keep performing at major festivals until the end of this year. In 2027, we will also appear at several important and well-known European festivals.
Moribund Oblivion is already a “festival band.”
We will release a new music video in the coming months, and we are also planning to release a surprise album or EP before the end of this year.
We invite everyone to attend our concerts. Perhaps there are still people who have not yet seen what a Turkish band can truly do on stage — you absolutely need to witness it.
We also invite you to Istanbul and to the Bosphorus Open Air Metal Fest, which we organize ourselves.
MORIBUND OBLIVION – In the Middle of the Dark Chaos (Our latest video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ledE68i6dtU&list=RDledE68i6dtU&start_radio=1
MORIBUND OBLIVION @ Live in Latvia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb59m0KK8g0
MORIBUND OBLIVION @ Live in Türkiye (Bosphorus Open Air):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57i9LD_wNeI
BOSPHORUS OPEN AIR METAL FEST 2024 / AFTER MOVIE
SODOM – SAMAEL – LEGION OF THE DAMNED – ANCIENT and more..
https://youtu.be/b1Xo9mQ5az4?si=LJXaeQ2c1WwoJuJf
BOSPHORUS OPEN AIR METAL FEST 2025 / AFTER MOVIE
AMORPHIS-OLD AN’S CHILD, LACUNA COIL – ASPHYX – NECROPHOBIC – BELPHEGOR and
more…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt7BYDvDs0Q
