Exclusive Interview: Christmas with… #1 Æl-Fierlen!

Getting into the spirit(s) of Christmas this year we’ve decided to do something a bit special and put together a run of exclusive interviews with some of our favorite bands about what they do during the holiday season. The first of those is with vocalist Stephanie Moffatt and guitarist Rob Melville from Post-Black Metal quartet Æl-Fierlen, who not only astounded us with their debut album “All Is Far Away” but then went on to blow our tiny minds with their performance at Rabidfest! We couldn’t think of a better place to start so without much further ado about nothing, here’s the interview!

This one rears its ugly head every year, so let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. Is Die Hard really a Christmas movie? Do you have a movie you watch every Christmas?

Steph: “As an American, I would like to think I have some authority on making the call that “Die Hard” is, indeed, a Christmas movie (Yippee ki yay!). I don’t watch “Die Hard” or any specific Christmas movie every year, though. I have actually watched “Beetlejuice” while wrapping Christmas presents on more than one occasion. It’s festive, just trust me.“

Rob: “So I do have a couple of movies I watch with specific friends every year. For several years now I’ve gotten together with my oldest friend to watch Krampus in early December (as close as we can make it to Krampusnacht), and also Violent Night with another friend as that turned out to be a far more wholesome movie than it had any right to be!“

Metal Hammer contact you about doing a cover of a Christmas classic for their Spotify playlist. What are you picking to make over? A bit of Mariah Carey? Slade? or something more left field?

Steph: ““O Holy Night” has so much drama and gravitas. It’s also a treat for a soprano like me who grew up singing that song in choirs. It can only improve with blast beats. I can imagine someone shrieking, “Fall on your knees!” in a bleak, blackened scream.“

What will you be listening to this Christmas? Are you a fan of seasonal classics or are you going to be sticking to your usual tunes?

Steph: “I listened to and rehearsed Christmas songs in choir class from the first day of school every year of my life until I graduated from uni, so I don’t really seek them out now. But you can hear Christmas music in town as early as October here without even trying. You WILL get into the spirit. It is the British way.“

Do you have a favorite Christmas treat?

Steph: “My favourite Christmas treat has honestly just become the entire concept of Boxing Day. It’s so lovely to actually have TWO days off from work to spend relaxing with family (plus Bubble & Squeak is delightful).“

Rob: “Stollen and mulled wine! I have to make sure I stock up on both while they’re in the shops so I can enjoy them into January too.“

Bottle of Baileys and a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve? Do you have any family traditions in the festive season you’d care to share?

Steph: “I have two, because I have two very different Christmases. My husband’s family writes a little note on the gifttag of every present they give, which is a pun, inside joke or hint about what is inside. I love coming up with weird clues and watching everyone laugh and try to guess what the notes mean as they open presents. When I am able to go back to Florida (where I’m originally from) to visit my mum, we now make it a really over the top Florida-themed Christmas with tropical drinks, lobster, crab legs, macaroni & cheese and key lime pie.”

Is it straight to the presents at dawn’s crack or more of a Full English with a pint of Guinness at 11am kind of vibe at your place?

Steph: “This isn’t a typical American thing, but I personally grew up having poached eggs and apricot coffee cake for every Christmas breakfast (In the US, a ‘coffee cake’ is more like a danish/crumble combo. It’s a cake you have WITH coffee, not a cake that tastes OF coffee). For Britmas, it’s usually bucks fizz and mince pies during presents right away, though!“

Rob: “In my family we’re all adults now so there’s no rush for presents at the crack of dawn. Presents are usually the first port of call still, but at a more civilised time like 11am!“

What does Christmas mean to you?

Steph: “Christmas, and wintertime in general, always seem like a time to reflect on how the year has gone, to be grateful for what you have, and to try and see as many family and friends as possible to show your appreciation with thoughtful visits and gifts”

Rob: “My mum is originally from the North East and so Christmas has always been the main time of year that we get to see the extended family. We tend to take turns gathering at one end of the country or the other each year for a few days.“

Champagne at midnight on New Years? Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions in mind?

Steph: “Prosecco, sparklers, sing-alongs and staying up way past midnight. I am honestly terrible at making resolutions and setting goals because I am the kind of anxious person who will be upset with myself if I don’t achieve them. But overall the ideas are: to always be proud of everything we create and release, to be thankful for all the opportunities we get, and to listen to all the music and advice from the other talented bands we get to work with.“

Rob: “I’m a total night-owl (aren’t all owls?) so I’m usually up well after midnight anyway! As for resolutions, I don’t really do them, in that I don’t see why I should wait until New Year’s to try and start new habits. Broadly though I need to get fitter so I guess that’s a resolution of sorts?“

What’s next for Ael-Fierlen?

“What’s immediately next for us will be using some of the Christmas period off from our day jobs and university studies to do some recording for album two, followed by our January headline show at The Black Heart on the 16th“

You can witness Æl-Fierlen performing the songs of “All Is Far Away” in 2026 as follows:

16/01 – London, The Black Heart
06/02 – Southampton, Heartbreakers
07/02 – Bristol, The Gryphon
08/02 – Brighton, The Pipeline
14/02 – Norwich, Brickmakers
07/03 – London, LVLS – Haunted Echoes Fest (Free Entry!)
18/04 – Brighton, Daltons, Hammerdown Unplugged Fest
03/05 – Bridgewater, The Cobblestones, Southwest Heavyfest
12/05 – London, Oslo w/Thy Catafalque
13/05 – Leeds, The Lending Room w/Thy Catafalque
14/05 – Glasgow, Audio w/Thy Catafalque
24/05 – Norwich, Brickmakers, Slayfest 2026