In a time when metal music in Turkey was more developed both musically and literarily, I had the opportunity to interview the vocalist of the underground “black metal” band Episode 13. Although Episode 13 wasn’t a band that had been on my playlist for a very long time, they entered my life due to my time in Eskişehir. I ventured to Kadıköy to meet with Ozan Akyol for this interview, which I think you will find intriguing. If you can, put on one of their albums, the grittier the better, and then dive into the conversation. Personally, I had images of snowy, muddy albums playing in my head during the interview…

Additionally, Episode 13, along with other hardworking Turkish metal bands like Cenotaph, Thrashfire, Helak, and Maledictory, will be performing tomorrow, December 2nd, Saturday night at Kadıköy The Wall Saloon, opening for the Canadian band Cryptopsy.

Let’s start with the classic question that everyone asks in almost every interview: What inspired Episode 13 to make black metal? Was there a particular sound or band that you referenced when you entered the studio to record albums?

• Let me answer this classic question in the way it’s usually answered. Our inspiration for starting to make black metal was clearly the bands we loved and listened to. Norwegian black metal bands significantly shaped and developed our musical taste during our teenage years. Bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Satyricon, Emperor, and Dimmu Borgir shocked and captivated us. Despite the limited resources we had back then, we still managed to learn about this specific style through fanzines, magazines, and friends’ recommendations, which pushed us into this realm.

The Challenges of Being Underground

In Turkey, non-mainstream musicians and bands, not just in metal but across various genres, have always been influenced by certain factors. Despite knowing that these factors would negatively impact them, they continued making music for years. Can you talk about the positive aspects of being underground, aside from the negatives?

• I think what you mean is the inability to professionalize and the lack of financial return. When such a scenario is created, bands, organizers, and people in the media side of this business eventually find it dispensable, even if reluctantly. We suffered from this a lot. Who knows, if we had lived under different and better conditions, we might have accomplished many things in 7-8 years continuously, instead of doing them intermittently over 20 years. Unfortunately, this is the case. People have to prioritize fighting for their lives at some point, which we can call a survival instinct. At some point, we had to give more importance to our careers, professions, or social lives. However, if that spark is still there, it takes a strong desire to rekindle it. Everyone involved in this business is aware of the drawbacks of being underground. There is no steady income. But the positive side is that you never allow any commercial trend to direct or change you. In the context of metal music, the biggest gain, in my opinion, is transforming into an identity that knows and defines itself after living a life inspired by certain influences. Currently, I don’t need anyone telling me how to make a new album, and even if someone does, I can say, “Mind your own business, I make my music.” This is probably the best aspect of being underground, being able to determine your own fate in every sense…

Returning to Physical Releases

We discussed the challenges earlier, but when we look back at the audience, there is a significant return to physical media as a source of music. There is a serious group in our country that collects vinyl and CDs in the metal music scene. Does Episode 13 plan to reissue physical releases given the current conditions? This would undoubtedly have a financial benefit, but how would such an endeavor feel in terms of the tradition of album listening and vinyl collecting?

• We are definitely considering it. We actually released our last album only digitally, as per our agreement with Norwegian Misantrof Records, but we wanted it to be available as an LP or vinyl as well. However, due to financial difficulties and organizational issues the company faced at that time, we lost contact with them. We did not receive a proper response from them. Now that the band is back, we didn’t return just to do a couple of concerts or release an album to feel good. We seriously started reevaluating all our albums from every angle. We took steps to remaster our previous three albums and prepare them for physical production. Especially, I want to see “Death Reclaims The Earth” in physical form. Our albums “Tabula Rasa” and “Pitch Black” have CD copies, but we are in talks with labels to physically release “Death Reclaims The Earth” and the upcoming albums.

Independence in Music

You mentioned earlier about labels, so I didn’t want to repeat myself, but in your last album “Death Reclaims The Earth,” released in 2010, you worked with Misantrof ANTIRecords. When I first heard of the band and listened to the black metal produced by Episode 13, like any listener, I analyzed the lyrical themes. Did this stance and opposition drive you to become an independent band?

• As I mentioned in the previous question, Misantrof Records was going through a dissolution phase during those times, and they took a few more records along with ours and then ceased their activities, I believe. For the new album, we haven’t agreed with a label yet because we wanted to record it as we wished without any label pressure. We wanted to prepare our material independently and then find proper labels to proceed. However, even if nothing happens, we can definitely continue financing ourselves. Of course, having a label is our priority because it helps us get listed alongside good examples of the genre and tour abroad. We plan to finalize the album first and then start attacking as much as we can.

Research and Information Discrepancies

Since I first got to know you and requested this interview, I have constantly researched the band. Without many physical sources, I tried to gather information online and listened to the albums through digital channels. I noticed that information or albums found in one source were not available in another, leading to inconsistencies. Can you provide an update about the band members and the work you’ve done so far, including the split with Sadistic Spell, the demo “Expected Damnation,” and the albums “Tabula Rasa,” “Pitch Black,” and “Death Reclaims The Earth,” as well as the two singles?

• For the early periods of the band, from 2001 to around 2009, I can say we were quite a scattered group. One of the reasons was not being able to work with productive people. For example, we waited nearly two years for our first album to be released. An album finished in September 2003 came out in May 2005 through DJ Club Records from Eskişehir. We later learned that the delay was due to another band in the label giving advice to the label’s management. At that time, we didn’t have anyone to manage our affairs, so we tried to reach out to forums, festivals, and magazines ourselves, which was a tiring and scattered system for us back then. But now, although late, we want to gather all our works under one roof and make our music more accessible. Alongside our old albums, there are also two singles named “Sagawa” and “Corpus Vile.” Their remastering processes are also ongoing. The current lineup is me on vocals, Murat Şentürk on guitar, Çağlar Karataş on bass, and Onur Özçelik on drums. You may know Onur from the band Carnophage. After the album was finished, we realized we needed another guitarist for live performances. Sermet Duruşan, our former bassist, joined the band as the second guitarist. So, Episode always has a pool of friends, and we form our team and carry out our work within our own circle. But currently, the core lineup is as mentioned.

Black Metal Scene in Different Cities

The band’s members mostly live in different cities, and I live in Eskişehir, where the band was founded. In this region of the country, especially around the time the band was formed, Ankara’s relationship with metal music was quite developed. How did you distinguish yourselves from other bands?

• When we first formed the band in 2001, we were three kids from Eskişehir, but after getting into university, I went to Istanbul, and Murat had to go to ODTÜ in Ankara. Can continued his life in Eskişehir. Therefore, we kept the band going while living in three different cities. This continued for a long time; Murat returned to Eskişehir, but Can left the band. We also had some very valuable session members from time to time. Serkan Zengin, who was part of the lineup during “Death Reclaims The Earth,” greatly contributed to the album and the band’s tour at that time. During the “Sagawa” and “Corpus Vile” periods, the former Dark Eden members Mehmet, Ali Erdem, Hamed, and Baran provided tremendous support to the band in every way. As you mentioned, we were never a team living in the same city at the same time. This time, I can say we broke the devil’s leg after 20 years. I moved to Eskişehir, and everyone else is there too. Being able to have studio sessions every week, progressing by playing, and creating things this way is much better than meeting for rehearsals once in a blue moon or only seeing each other on stage. It significantly contributes to production. It’s also very true that Eskişehir is like a city in the middle of Istanbul and Ankara, but its proximity to Ankara is more in a musical sense than just in kilometers. Throughout middle and high school, whenever I skipped school, I made plans to go to Ankara for the day, go to Hayri’s and Karanfil Street, buy tapes, and return to Eskişehir. Ankara has been very influential, and I have always loved the bands from there. I can definitely say that our bond with Ankara is more organic than with Istanbul.

Taking a Break

What was the reason for taking a break at that time? I know you are one of the older black metal bands in our country, and there were other really good black metal bands that emerged around the same time as you. For example, Black Omen from Eskişehir, and Pagan and Moribund Oblivion from Istanbul. Currently, there are also some black metal bands that I listen to with great enjoyment and that exude a lot of gloom. What was it like in the past, and what has changed now based on your listening experiences?

• The reason for taking a break was that significant turning points in all of our lives coincided. During the transition from youth to adulthood, plans such as career, profession, and marriage can sometimes take precedence over certain things. As mentioned earlier, being in different cities also exacerbated this situation. At one point, we all worked very intensively in our own jobs, but we always maintained our connection and never experienced a break-up as a team. Even though we didn’t release any products, there were times when our concerts continued. We started playing again slowly since 2016. We did absolutely nothing between 2013 and 2016. From 2019 onwards, Murat and I came up with the idea of doing something again. As I said, life hit us during that period. Now, we are in a situation where everyone can see ahead, and our music has revived again. Something that was lying dormant was waiting to break free from its cage, and it succeeded. Yes, there were very successful bands in the past, and new bands are also very good. I don’t think it’s right to engage in nostalgia by saying it was like this before and now it’s like this. Good music always creates formations that deserve support. There are many current bands that I love. Especially from Istanbul, there are quite a few bands that I follow with interest. I think we can mix together again.

Corpse Paint and Ideology

Speaking of the past, some people saw you perform on stage with corpse paint. Will Episode 13 return to this “corpse paint” look? It’s a classic move in black metal. Are there aspects of this genre, whether in terms of appearance or thought process, that you or the other members of the band have embraced?

• The “corpse paint” situation was something we did back then because we wanted to. If we feel like it again, we might do it again. We are at an age where our own ideas have matured and become more objective. As a band, our only goal is to produce good music and perform it well on stage. I think the best stage show is being able to play the song very well on stage, beyond just the appearance. Everything else is “make-up.” But I’m not saying this in a pejorative way; sometimes, make-up is necessary. Every band has different ideas about black metal. Some prioritize lyrical themes, while others prioritize musical themes. In general, we as Episode 13 have always tried to stay within that template. While producing black metal, we always created our music without ignoring the ideological aspects of it. Of course, our idea is original to us, and we don’t take a stance of “let’s make this similar or go outside this mold” when it comes to lyrical themes. There is destruction in everything humans are involved in, there is chaos, there is belief, disbelief, consciousness, unconsciousness. Therefore, we always believe that the darkness and helplessness that come with being human should be reflected. Instead of being a supporter of a movement or ideology, we have a perspective based on re-evaluating the life we live, especially in our latest album.

Just a week before this interview, on November 19th, you held a launch concert in Eskişehir. We saw the new album’s name, “Life Terror,” on the Eskişehir concert poster, and you also mentioned it during the concert. The setlist included the first few songs from the upcoming album, and we had the chance to listen to them. Can you give us a specific release date and more information about the album before it comes out?

• Actually, that wasn’t a launch concert because we haven’t released the album to our audience yet. It was just a concert where we focused on our new album. I can’t give you an exact release date before the album comes out because we are still in the mastering process. Once mastering is complete, as I mentioned before, we will wait for responses from the labels we sent the album to, with whom we would be happy to work. The album consists of 7 tracks and is approximately 45 minutes long. Ilgar Gökhan helped us during the recording process and produced the album. He is the bassist of the band Zifir and a very talented music person in my opinion. We did the drum recordings at Istanbul MIAM, the vocal recordings at Istanbul Kara Sinek Sound Studios, which is also the studio of Meriç, our former bassist. We did the guitar and bass recordings in Eskişehir. This was the first time we entered an album recording process with such meticulous planning and feasibility, making it the best album we’ve ever made in every aspect.

Balancing Two Personas

Finally, I want to touch on something different. This might be an indirect question about how you reflect on the band. You host a widely followed podcast/show called Kalt. Followers know that you are humorous and quite cheerful there. Is there any conflict between the Ozan Akyol from Kalt and the one who performs black metal with Episode 13?

• Actually, Kalt is more of a YouTube channel than a podcast, and it’s been around for about eight years. To be honest, I don’t separate the humor I create on Kalt from the music I make with Episode 13 in terms of flavor. Both have a dark and pessimistic stance mixed with sarcasm, just like the music we produce and desire. Humor fundamentally contains aggression and protest, which are very human elements, so I don’t see it as separate from the music I make and the stance I take. Yes, on Kalt, I interact with people in a more humorous way, but as I said, the overall stance is not very different. On the other hand, I am a persona on both Kalt and Episode 13. We are never exactly as we are at home. There is a performance involved, and I adapt to that.

Our conversation ended there. From the discussions we had before and after the interview, I can say I gained some valuable insights from him. We talked about the early days of making black metal and about Çağlan Tekil for a while. Anyway, one important thing: below are the band’s Bandcamp, Spotify, and SoundCloud links. You can follow Episode 13 there for updates. Love and regards…

https://episode13.bandcamp.com/music