Blake Judd

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. 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. 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. Additionally, Judd was a session musician on Krieg's final album Blue Miasma (2006). Judd for many years performed under the pseudonym "Azentrius". 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,

In 2013, after advising that Nachtmystium was on "something of a hiatus", Judd stated he did not have plans to record or produce new music in the near future, and Earache Records acquired the rights to redistribute Nachtmystium's studio albums. He also announced the label would release a new compilation album, titled Retox: Remixes and Rarities, which contains previously unreleased demos and cover tracks from Nachtmystium and Twilight. Judd uploaded a copy of the album onto YouTube for fans to stream for free. He released the following statement: "Thank you all for your patience and I do hope to make things right with everyone I can who fell victim to my addiction issues by not receiving orders for music or merchandise. I intend on giving away every single record and CD I receive of these reissues, if that’s what it takes, to make things right with the fans whom I wronged and did not fulfill orders for." Judd stated he would continue to work on writing and producing music, which will be released anonymously. He admitted to stealing and pawning his roommate’s guitar while trying to buy heroin. However, Judd alleges he began using heroin after he severely injured his leg in 2009 and a doctor prescribed opioids to help him cope with pain. Judd purchased medication with opiates from the black market when his prescription had expired and later regularly abused heroin while touring with Nachtmystium. Judd thanked Nachtmystium's fans for their support over the band's 13-year run and then retreated from his music career to seek additional treatment for his heroin addiction. Judd was encouraged by his fans' support during this period and considered reforming Nachtmystium to pursue future musical projects. In July 2014, Judd re-entered the music industry as an online re-seller of heavy metal albums and band merchandise. Nachtmystium's Facebook storefront was suddenly taken down and fans were not given closure about their orders.

On September 10, Neill "Imperial" Jameson, one of Judd's former bandmates and close friends, released an article for Vice Media detailing his first-hand accounts of Judd's heroin addiction. Jameson accused Judd of cheating him and his fellow Twilight band mates out of money on numerous occasions. He also alleged that Judd was accepting purchase orders from fans and then pocketing the money with no intention of providing them with merchandise. Yosuke Konishi, owner of Nuclear War Now! Productions, publicly accused Judd of withholding several albums that he had purchased in 2012.

Judd later admitted to defrauding several customers in order to feed his heroin addiction. He openly addressed his victims and fans in January 2016 to apologize for his wrongdoings.

In 2018, MetalSucks published an article containing reports and testimonies from online customers that Judd defrauded within the past year. Judd refuted these specific allegations and claimed he had been sober since 2015.

Equipment

Gibson SG Standard (D tuning) BC Rich Mockingbird Sunn Model T reissue Emperor 6 by 12 cab w/ vintage 30s Celestion Speakers

Pedals Digitech Digidelay Moogerfooger MF-104Z delay Boss TU-2 Tuner Dunlop Crybaby Wah

Select discography

With Nachtmystium Reign of the Malicious (2002) Demise (2004) Instinct: Decay (2006) Assassins: Black Meddle, Part I (2008) Addicts: Black Meddle, Part II (2010) Silencing Machine (2012) The World We Left Behind (2014) Retox: Remixes and Rarities (2017) Resilient (2018) Blight Privilege (2024) Ancient Howls of Dawning Fury (2025)

With Hate Meditation Condemned to Death (2003) Scars (2013)

With Twilight Twilight (2005) Monument to Time End (2010) Trident Death Rattle (2018)

With Krieg Blue Miasma (2006)