Blake Judd (born November 13, 1982) is an American musician and co-founder of now-defunct Battle Kommand Records. Formerly the lead vocalist and frontman of the metal band Nachtmystium, Judd also contributed to musical acts and projects such as Twilight, Krieg, and Hate Meditation. He previously performed under the stage name "Azentrius". Judd's heroin addiction was publicly exposed in 2013 after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft. His reputation was further damaged when fans, band mates, and business partners openly accused Judd of conducting fraudulent business practices. Judd later admitted to deceiving fans and left the music industry in 2014. He later reunited Nachtmystium in 2017 to perform two live shows and record a new studio album before dissolving the band in 2020.
Biography
Early life
Judd was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, and took an early interest in music due to his parents' taste in classic rock. He saw The Allman Brothers Band perform live when he was in the second grade, and cites it as a major influence on his musical career. Judd took up the guitar when he was twelve years old, and began to listen to heavy metal shortly later.
Musical career
He began playing in bands in his late teens. He served as the vocalist and guitarist for Ezurate and in the now-defunct thrash and black metal band Helms Deep. In his spare time, he worked at Metal Haven, a heavy metal record store in Chicago. Judd eventually founded Nachtmystium with a friend as a side-project, which he originally operated out of his parents' basement. He started to become more involved in Nachtmystium, then a raw black metal band, after receiving positive feedback from his audience. Judd incorporated psychedelic elements into the band's material, influenced by his love for progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd and The Allman Brothers Band, while also using various black metal elements. Nachtmystium became Judd's primary focus and his most successful music project.
Outside of Nachtmystium, Judd founded an independent record label, Battle Kommand Records, with Rebecca Clegg in St. Charles, Illinois. In 2005, he was commissioned by the Swedish underground label Total Holocaust Records to create the black metal "supergroup" Twilight. Twilight featured Wrest from Leviathan, producer Sanford Parker, Stavros Giannopoulos of The Atlas Moth, Imperial of Krieg, Malefic of Xasthur, and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. Additionally, Judd was a session musician on Krieg's final album Blue Miasma (2006). Judd for many years performed under the pseudonym "Azentrius". Also, Judd played guitar on Obscurus Advocam's 2007 album Verbia Daemonicus.
Judd voiced critical opinions towards modern black metal. In an interview with MetalReviews.com, he claimed "most bands are just carbon copies of each other, musically, lyrically, image-wise and ideologically, although I question how big and evil half these maggots are". Judd voiced a similar opinion in an interview with The Metal Crypt, stating "Fuck modern black metal. There are a few good bands, but there are millions of horrible clones and overrated bands that are doing nothing new." However in a 2008 interview with The Daily Herald, he claimed to respect what he viewed as "real" black metal, and added "as a fan of black metal, I'm offended by someone who calls their music black metal and incorporates outside elements." While Nachtmystium was founded as a black metal band, Judd insisted the band had "left the black metal scene" after 2004. In an interview with Thrashpit.com, Judd stated, "It was cool at first but we're really not a traditional 'spikes and paint' band."
In 2013, after advising that Nachtmystium was on "something of a hiatus", Judd announced that his new band, Hate Meditation, would be his "main focus". Hate Meditation featured Judd on vocals and guitar, Wrest on bass, Job Bos of Dark Fortress on synth, and Sam Shroyer of Vitandus on drums. The band signed a two-album deal with Indie Recordings and released its debut album, Scars, in 2013.
Judd suspended his musical career due to substance abuse and legal problems in 2013. He announced Nachtmystium would reunite to perform two live shows in 2017 and work on new studio material. Judd dissolved Nachtmystium in June 2020. Judd stated he would continue to work on writing and producing music, which will be released anonymously.