The Belgian multi-instrumentalist on 30 years behind the guitar, his new black metal work with The Desolation Process, and why authenticity keeps him going.

INTRODUCTION

Few musicians balance a life in heavy music with a career of service the way Mattias Theuwen does. Best known as the founder, guitarist, and screams vocalist of the Belgian band Thurisaz, he has spent more than three decades shaping one of Belgium's most distinctive names in atmospheric black-doom metal, while also working as a social worker and running the Headache Music Agency booking agency.

With five studio albums, a live acoustic album/DVD, and new projects such as the post-metal act Ka'Una and Mathieu Vanlandtschoote's black metal band The Desolation Process now in motion, Thurisaz continues to explore themes of loss, tragedy, and human suffering through its heavy, melancholic sound. Senem Semiz, on behalf of Black Metal Chronicles, spoke with Mattias Theuwen about his musical beginnings, artistic inspirations, vocal approach, and the future of the band.

Band Profile

Thurisaz is a Belgian band founded in 1997 by guitarist and vocalist Mattias Theuwen. Playing a rare blend of black, doom, and atmospheric metal, the band has released five studio albums and one live acoustic album/DVD, establishing a strong presence within the European metal scene. Their latest album, Re-Incentive (2020), has surpassed 10 million streams, making Thurisaz one of the most-streamed Belgian metal bands.

https://www.instagram.com/thurisazbelgium/

Interview with Mattias Theuwen by Senem Semiz

Hello Mattias! To start, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Mattias, best known as the founder, guitarist, and screams vocalist of the Belgian band Thurisaz. I’m from Wervik, a border town in West Flanders, right next to France. Away from music, I work as a social worker, mostly supporting young people going through a hard time.

How did your musical journey begin, and which bands or musicians inspired you along the way?

Music was always a big part of my life growing up. My father played guitar and taught me my first chords. He would often put on vinyl records like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Genesis, and that introduced me to the heavier guitar sound. Later, through friends, I discovered bands like Korn, Metallica, and Life Of Agony, and that pushed us to start a band of our own. On my 13th birthday, I got my first electric guitar and amp, which sparked a passion that’s been going strong for over 30 years now.

Early on, artists like Devin Townsend (Terria, Deadhead), Empyrium (Songs of Moors and Misty Fields, Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays), and Opeth (Still Life, My Arms, Your Hearse) were huge sources of inspiration and motivation for me. Later I was especially drawn to Anathema, Cult of Luna, Porcupine Tree, and Sólstafir. And plenty of others, of course.

What projects have you been involved in so far?

For many years my focus was solely on Thurisaz. We handled everything ourselves, both musically and practically, which was already like a full-time job. A few years ago we started Ka’Una, a post-metal project with Hannes Leroy (also from Thurisaz) on vocals. The drummer, Stijn Decoene, previously played in bands like The Rg’s and Scrape. Both are long-time close friends of mine.

More recently, together with Pepijn De Raeymaecker (Thurisaz drummer), I joined The Desolation Process, a black metal project by songwriter Mathieu Vanlandtschoote. We’re planning to release our debut early next year, so definitely keep an eye out. I also recorded guest vocals for VroK, the one-man project of Youri Seynaeve, a multi-talented musician who will soon release his own album. That’s another one to watch.

Outside of music, what are some of your hobbies and interests?

Outside of making music, I volunteer to help organize an annual music festival in my hometown of Wervik, where I mostly take care of the practical side and logistics. Together with Stijn Decoene I also run Headache Music Agency, a booking agency mainly focused on post-metal and stoner bands in Flanders. Stijn handles most of the bookings and promotion, while I work more on strategy and long-term planning. Every year we also organize our own Headache Fest and create opportunities for bands by working with other organizations.

On top of that, I sometimes restore stained glass projects when they come my way. I find it a fascinating old craft that deserves much more attention. And to stay in shape, I make sure to run, swim, or cycle every week. Hopefully that keeps me fit.

THURISAZ Monologue Official Video

How did your vocal journey start? Do you remember how you first discovered this path?

Back in the early days of Thurisaz, exploring what my voice could do was a real challenge. We thought it would be interesting to bring different “characters” into our music, and that led to experimenting with screams, grunts, and clean vocals. Over the years, as I refined my technique, I found my own style and really made the screams my own.

For you personally, what is the most important aspect of music?

For me the most important thing is fun. I get energy from the enthusiasm of other musicians, and fun is at the heart of that. If I ever feel that something is being done just because “that’s how it’s supposed to be,” without personality or authenticity, I lose interest.

Finally, is there a message you’d like to share with your fans? What can they expect from you in the future?

Making music and living it will always be a huge part of my life. That will never change. Fans can definitely expect things to keep moving. But how, when, or in what form? That stays open for now.

Closing Words

Beyond his work with Thurisaz, Mattias Theuwen has also recently collaborated with the Turkish gothic doom/death metal band The Choir of Agony. He appears as a guest musician on the band’s single, “Enchanted Nocturne,” a song that further strengthens the artistic bridge between the Belgian and Turkish doom metal scenes.

The collaboration brings together musicians who share a passion for atmosphere, melancholy, and emotional depth, showing how the contemporary underground metal community continues to cross geographical borders through creative partnerships.
Listeners familiar with Thurisaz’s dark, melancholic soundscapes will recognize a similar emotional resonance within “Enchanted Nocturne,” making the collaboration a natural artistic meeting point between the two bands.