I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for the maniacs who release more music in a year than most artists do in a lifetime, and equally for those who view collaboration as a key to their success: Both of those things Sacerdos Magus from Antiquus Scriptum lives up to like no other.
We’ve already spoken to Geoff from Primordial Serpent and Sceadu Genga from Grundhyrde (etc), so we’re no strangers to prolific musicians, but what makes this story different is the duration of time which the artist has been prolific – in this case, for almost three whole decades!
Antiquus Scriptum is a Portuguese black metal project known for its fusion of raw, old-school black metal with folk and medieval influences. Founded in the late 1990s by the enigmatic musician Sacerdos Magus, the project stands out for its epic compositions, historical themes, and atmospheric soundscapes. Blending aggression with epic soundscapes, Antiquus Scriptum crafts a unique musical journey that delves into mythology, paganism, and ancient history, and has established a distinctive voice within the Portuguese black metal scene.
Starting back in 1998, Sacerdos Magus has released music in four separate decades, and as if not wild enough, since 2020 alone Antiquus Scriptum has put out more than 30 releases. Naturally, over a career that’s soon to hit its 30th year, the sound has subtly changed over time but one thing that has never changed is Sacerdos Magus’ unwavering commitment to black metal.
And, if you’re thinking this is just some Soundcloud artist. No, each release is fully recorded and gets a full physical release with new and original artwork each time. This man does not half-ass his releases, and honestly, probably supports half the Portuguese gig economy with the number of artists he collaborates with to achieve such productivity.
Today, we’re speaking to Sacerdos Magus from Antiquus Scriptum, who is likely the most prolific Portuguese black metal musician in existence.
Let’s get into it!
I think the best place to start is usually by asking, in your own words, who is Sacerdos Magus and what encouraged the creation of Antiquus Scriptum back in 1998?
Greetings, D. Before more, thanx for Thy warmly words and bio about Antiquus Scriptum and it’s a great pleasure for me, to make part of Thy Mithraic Zine, brother! Well… the project has born after my departure from my previous black metal band from the 90’s, that were, Firstborn Evil (later only “The Firstborn”), where I was bass player, at the time… I was in the band between 1995 and 1998 and I always had the will of making my own pagan black metal project and has the things were not going much well in Firstborn Evil horde, in October 1998, more precisely in 8th of October, 1998, I left Firstborn Evil and I started Antiquus Scriptum, then… Now, whom is Sacerdos Magus?… ehehe… Well, I’m a 49 years old regular guy, total passionate by heavy metal music, for more than 30 years and for all music, in general, since it’s classic music… No big deal about me, lol… just a headbanger, thirsty for metal, as many others, ehehe!…
I think I’ve got to ask about creativity, because you might be on your way to a Guinness World Record. What does the composition process look like for you? How do you keep coming up with endless riffs or ideas for songs and albums?
Ahaha!… Guinness World Record… whom wish, ahaha!!… Well, I’m always into composition, for the project, together with the guest musicians that aid me into it, we’re always making something… The composition process, it’s always systematic, we’re always doing anything new for the band, but that’s no commitment, at all, with the composition work… all is done sporadically, patiently and within the time of everybody whom participates on Antiquus Scriptum, I insist on that, all the time…
Who would you say have been some of your biggest influences? Either musicians, or just in general. And how have these influences changed over the years?
My personal influences, are the old classic bands of heavy metal, since its beginning, as Black Sabbath, Dio, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, AC/DC and so on, there until the 2000’s, when has started another chapter of metal music, with Rhapsody of Fire and so on… In the black metal fields, I either like classical bands, as Bathory, of course, Satyricon, (old) Mayhem, Burzum, Dissection, (old) Darkthrone, Emperor, Gorgoroth, Ancient, Enslaved, Helheim, Master’s Hammer, Rotting Christ, Impaled Nazarene, (old) Behemoth, Hades (Hades Almighty), Dark Funeral, Mörk Gryning and such specters of black metal, mostly Scadinavian, but I like and follow, recent bands of all genres of metal, as well, until nowadays… Beside metal, I like many musical genres, as classical music, ethnic music, medieval music, Gregorian chants, Baroque music, ambiental music and even electronic stuff and such… I even like some more aggressive Rap music and even pop, from the old 80’s years… I’m very open-minded relating music and I let everything I enjoy influence me on my project.
I always like to know, what equipment are you using to make your sounds? Any brands, or specific pieces of equipment you specifically appreciate? Any equipment you want to add to your collection moving forward?
No big deal, my equipment is a mere Peavey amp., for guitars & bass and a cheap microphone, to sing, nothing special, ahaha!… but as I always record my stuff, at the studio, with my producer & friend, Paulo Vieira, that always has produced my works, since the beginning and he has the right equipment to make a decent recording, as always… Then, we use the habitual programs of each day, to produce the works, like Pro Tools, Cubase and all that stuff, if is this you wish to know.
Let’s talk about collaboration, because Antiquus Scriptum seemingly goes through phases of being a solo project and a project with members. How does each new project come together for you? Do you reach out to people first when you want to collaborate, or do you just have such an extensive network of contacts at this point it’s never a challenge to find additional hands when you require them?
Yes, there are many invited musicians, in the project, always, since the beginning, yes… Well, when I have a determinate project in hands, I start, of course, by invite the fellows to join me on it, it has been like this, since always… Then, we start making things happen, just fluently, without any pressions from me, just by the fun… and then, we have always something ready for a new onslaught and it’s been like this, all these years… but yes, my list of cooperatives contacts in the Internet, is already extensive, yes, as you say, ehehe…
As someone who is coming up to 3 decades in the genre, I want to ask you about how things have changed over that time. Let’s start in Portugal, how was black metal in Portugal back in 1998, what has changed over that time, and what is it like these days?
Well… this is not Scandinavia, or nothing like that, black metal, here, has always been a struggle and not valued, at all, by society and Portuguese culture, indeed… but, in the early days, things were more magical and there was mutual aid, between bands and things were pretty different, that what they are, actually!… Now, it’s Internet that rules and the folks don’t care anymore, for physical meetings and by knowing anyone new, it’s everybody “added” on Facebook, or Instagram and that’s pretty it!… Now is a plastic era, nothing to do with the golden years of the past… it’s all virtual!… Now, it’s a matter of pure survival, to have a metal band and by making way on YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify and such… nothing to do, with the golden past years!…
Now, same question, but more generally – or rather more globally. What are some of the major changes in black metal you have observed since you first got involved back in 1998?
I’m sad to say this, but black metal is no more, the fruitful and productive machine, that it was, back in the 90’s and beginning of 2000’s, I’m afraid to say… There are always appearing one or another good black metal project, each day, but the scene it’s full of shit and there are tons of defecations, appearing, every hour, simply spoiling all the total scene! Unfortunately, (and I’m not happy to say this), black metal is weakening from decade to decade and it’s no more, what it was in the golden 90’s years, or nothing like that… Now, black metal it’s just a shadow of it once was, or, a mere sample of the past, that’s my sincere opinion, about the nowadays movement, I’m afraid…
Is there anything you miss in particular about black metal from an earlier period?
Yes, I really miss the 90’s, because it was our youth and were magical times, indeed!… The scene, the venues, the gigs, those sleepless nights in the forest, listening to music, making fire breath and congregating, or drinking at the city bars, all that stuff… We were young and all about it’s special, I’ll never forget the magical times of the 80’s & 90’s, because heavy metal was strong and pretty good, in its essence… nothing to do with the recent days, that are empty and demotivating… Now, it’s only a mere revivalism, of it once was, nothing more… I’m sorry for been so pessimist, but I don’t see anything bright, in the current times…
I’m hoping because of these years of involvement, you might be a great person to ask this question to. Who are some of the other underappreciated, underground Portuguese extreme metal bands we should be listening to? I’ll admit, it’s a country that outside of the big artists like Gaerea and Moonspell I’m pretty much ignorant. So, who else from the Portuguese metal scene deserves recognition for their contributions to the art?
Well… unfortunately, the metal scene in Portugal, it’s not much recognized in the exterior, despite, that we have much good bands emerging, every time, in our scene, like Tarantula (hard ‘n’ heavy), a pretty old classic band, always giving cards, all these years… Desire (atmospheric doom metal), that are very good, too… then we have the old hordes and some more recent good projects, like Grog (grind/brutal death metal), Holocausto Canibal (grind/brutal death metal), Corpus Christii (black metal), Attick Demons (heavy metal), Fantasy Opus (power metal), Decayed (black metal), Filii Nigrantium Infernalium (black/thrash metal), Gwydion (viking metal), Genocide (death/grind), Heavenwood (gothic/doom metal), EnChanTya (gothic metal), Midnight Priest (heavy metal), Disaffected (progressive death metal), Thragedium (folk/doom/progressive metal), Thormenthor (progressive/technical death metal), Sacred Sin (death metal), Requiem Laus (melodic death metal), In Peccatum (doom/gothic metal), Perpetratör (thrash metal), A Dream of Poe (doom metal), Analepsy (slam/brutal death metal), Disassembled (progressive death metal), Theriomorphic (death metal), Festering (death metal), Cronaxia (death metal), Prayers Of Sanity (thrash metal), etc, etc, etc… only to name a few!… but yes, there were Moonspell and now those, Gaerea (that I pretty don’t like at all!), that has reached popularity outside borders, yes…
We like the obscure, the esoteric (such as Mithraism, or ancient history), and the occult – with that in mind, is there any literature you would recommend to your fans? Either something you enjoy, or something that would help your audience connect with any deeper meanings the project has.
I like much literature related with ancient history, from any part of the globe, universal mythology, books of tales, legends, fantasy and all those fashioned facts of history… Well, to recommend, I maybe would say, Tolkien, any of his books, of course, but I also like much the works of Bernard Cornwell, as well, for example, but all that’s related with the past and the ancient times of glory, are pretty good for me, in fact!
Following on from that, what is one thing about life that fascinates you endlessly?
Music!… There’s no doubt! I can’t live without music, it’s totally boring, ahaha!…
As someone who releases more tracks than your average train track manufacturer, what does the rest of 2025 have in store for Antiquus Scriptum?
Well… we’re preparing now a new tribute death metal album, only with cover versions of the old and fashioned death metal bands from late 80’s and early 90’s, like, Death, Pestilence, Obituary, Unleashed, Hypocrisy, Morbid Angel, Sepultura, Dismember, Entombed, etc, that will be, “Into the Realms of Death (Tribute Album)”, that probably, will be out even in 2025… Then, I must stop creating for Antiquus Scriptum, for a while, since I have now other parallel projects, to work on, now, like Fangorn (dark ambient/medieval folk, Tolkien influenced), Candelabrum (doom/death metal) & Enchanted Forest (pagan black metal) and I wish to unleash something of those projects, really soon, as well.
As we’re finishing up for today, is there anything you’d like to add before we end?
Well, I wish to ask to all the metal brothers, to please be united and don’t arm or prejudice anyone around ye… Don’t let poison fill your mind with hate and negativity and always help and encourage others, because we are all in the same boat, that’s life!… Please support the bands you like, as well, with care, friendship, physical buying and going to the gigs. The metal projects need your aid, please support! To Thee, D., I want to thank you for this opportunity, brother and best wishes with Thy Mithraic issue! Long Live Heavy Metal and please stay well! Cheers!
HTBLOF,
D
And there we go!
In a genre often saturated with repetition, Antiquus Scriptum carves its own path – honoring the roots of black metal while maintaining the bravery to step outside the regular conventions of the genre when required.
Although the project has changed subtly over the years, through Sacerdos Magus’s vision the project remains a testament to the enduring power of black metal to be an expressive individualistic and collaborative artform that can evoke grandeur and myth, as well as be a vehicle of catharsis.
I’d name Antiquus Scriptum’s latest release, but there’s a good chance by the time this is posted that’ll be three releases behind the current release as Sacerdos Magus is unbelievably, or perhaps unfathomably, prolific. So instead, I’m going to say check out the links below and support his latest release – show some appreciation for a man who has given nearly 30 years of their time to the craft purely for the love of it.
I rant about the philosophy of black metal a lot, so it should come as no surprise that I see Sacerdos Magus as one of the most black metal people to ever do it. Here’s an individual that does not stop, and who keeps on releasing music – why? Because it compels him, and unlike so many others in the genre, this man has not stopped since 1998, regardless of whether his work is recognised for its contributions to Portuguese black metal or not – he is a machine that will not stop. That is metal as fuck, and you know it!
Links:
Mithraic Magazine 
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