Norwegian/Australian death pop group Blood Command usher in the apocalypse with nihilistic enthusiasm on their new album, Praise Armageddonism. It’s the Bergen band’s first album since recruiting lead vocalist Nikki Brumen, formerly of the Melbourne black metal/punk band, Pagan.
Brumen relocated to Norway in 2021 and worked alongside Blood Command’s Yngve Andersen, Benjamin Berge, Snorre Kilvær, and Sigurd Haakaas on the new LP. The band cites everyone from Blondie and Depeche Mode to Refused and At The Drive-In as influences, while Praise Armageddonism features lyrical references to the Waco massacre, the work of author Vegas Tenold, and general existential misery.
Blood Command’s Nikki Brumen on ‘Praise Armageddonism’
1. Praise Armageddonism
The title track begins with a speech that resembles one of Marshall Applewhite’s passages, of the Heaven’s Gate religious group. The song was written from the viewpoint of the Branch Davidians, who were part of the Waco siege. This song was written from their viewpoint as it goes hand in hand with the “us against the world” theme that is the main theme for Blood Command.
2. Saturday City
The title, ‘Saturday City’, is about always searching for happiness. It explores living a mediocre life and always wanting to find pure bliss but never quite getting there. We wanted this album to be the most Blood Command sound possible, so the pop songs are more pop and the heavier songs heavier. This is definitely one of the pop bangers on Praise Armageddonism.
3. The End Is Her
A song for the losers, for the wallflowers, and for the people who never quite fit in. It’s a song about feeling so invisible that no matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you. The lyrics are for anyone who has ever felt weak and alone but used this darkness as ammo to become stronger.
We want this song to remind people to never underestimate the outcasts. We have the ability to use the doubt of others to ignite something inside of us, to strike a match and light the world on fire. The title, ‘The End Is Her’, is a play on words that’s representative of heartbreak feeling like the end of the world.
Blood Command – ‘The End Is Her’
4. Everything You Love Will Burn
Everything You Love Will Burn is the title of book written by Bergen-based author Vegas Tenold who went undercover in white supremacist and nationalist groups based in America. The book reports on the findings during his time and his opposing opinions to their beliefs. The song also explores anti-nationalist themes. We contacted Tenold who approved us using the title of his book for our song and he is also, in fact, a Blood Command fan.
5. A Questionable Taste in Friends
This is a song for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast because of the way they dress or the style of music they are into. It’s for anyone who has ever felt like they’ve been picked on for not fitting in with the rest of the crowd. And it’s a fuck you to any social ladder-climbing snakes.
6. A Villain’s Monologue
‘A Villain’s Monologue’ is a song about someone projecting their insecurities onto you. The lyrics are for anyone who has ever been supportive of someone chasing their dreams and wanting the best for them, but over time, realising that support was not reciprocated. It’s for anyone who has ever had to deal with people trying to pull you down because of others’ jealousy.
Blood Command – ‘A Villain’s Monologue’
7. Nuns, Guns & Cowboys
‘Nuns, Guns and Cowboys’ is a song about feeling empowered to believe in what you want. It’s a bit of a fuck you to anyone who might ridicule others for believing in something that may help them get out of bed in the morning. It should be no one else’s business nor should anyone judge someone for something they believe in.
8. Just Want That Movie Ending
‘Just Want That Movie Ending’ is a song about unrequited love. It describes the pain that is felt when the person you love most in the world doesn’t feel the same way; in fact they don’t even know you exist. The title is the heartbreaking realisation that even though you want the fairytale ending, it will never happen as you can’t make someone fall in love with you.
9. Burn the Blasphemer
This song is about not wanting to be a part of the world of those who want to drag you down or envy you. The title is a statement about us setting fire to anything that may try to destroy us.
10. Last Call For Heaven’s Gate
A song about people wanting to believe their own narrative but not actually wanting to face the facts because they don’t want their world to crumble. The title is a metaphor for anyone who wants to join our side and take on the world together.
Blood Command – ‘Just Want That Movie Ending’
Further Reading
Semantics Take Us Track By Track Through Their Debut Album ‘Paint Me Blue’
Stand Atlantic Take Us Track By Track Through Their New Album ‘F.E.A.R.’
Melbourne Punks Pagan Have Announced They’re Calling It A Day
