måndag 30 september 2013

ITSEMURHA Interview!




1. Greetings Kadotus!
How are you on this suffocating summers day? (the questions was written some month ago...)

- Greetings from the Finnish darkness. The summer here has come to pass again and the autumn gloom is upon us. Things for me however today are most positive as there are big changes in my personal life and also just got the drums recorded for the second ITSEMURHA demo.

2. Your debut demo "All My Life for Satan" is out of the forest for what i
understand, how has the process of creating this piece of bleak art been?


- The process from the ideas and visions to a complete demo was quite smooth. Writing the lyrics was like the words just poured out of my soul and the music accompanied them perfectly. The vocals were a painful process as the agony and despair of the lyrics really pushed me to scream my lungs out and throat sore. But it was all worth it. Still, the final complete demo leaves some space for improvement but I see ”All my life for Satan” as a decent debut release for ITSEMURHA.

3. How has the reception been also? How many copies was made and was it only
released on tape?

- The demo was also released as a professional digipack CD-R with altered artwork. Both tape and CD-R version were made 100 copies so far. Actually there hasn't been much comments about the demo yet. A few of my close contacts have praised the demo but haven't seen reactions from the bigger audience. ITSEMURHA is a young entity and yet quite unknown. I'm sure it will catch the attention of a bigger audience at some point. But then again if not I'm not bothered. I'm not exactly aiming for the stars with ITSEMURHA. If a few tortured souls can relate to the art I create I'm more satisfied than being listened to by the brainless masses.

  
4. As your bandname Itsemurha which means suicide in finnish i can assume that
the sweet topics in the lyrics is somewhat centered around this subject?
And is the "use" of Satan here a destructive force for you or empowering?
Maybe Both?

- I chose the name ITSEMURHA because it's perfectly fitting to sum up the melancholy of this entity. Suicide is the utter peak of despair. It's the hopeless cry for help, often left unheard. To choose to end your life, to break the natural cycle of life.. It's a taboo in all religions, the ultimate sin. Suicide is also a Finnish phenomena. 
We are on the top of the highest suicide rates along with Japan. There's a lot of depression, anxiety and other mental problems here in Finland because of the extreme climate. And by this I mean the Finnish Darkness. The summers here are bright but short. The rest of the year it's more or less suffocating darkness. Finnish people are introverts, shy and suffer from low self esteem. Suicide is very common here and I'm sure that every Finn knows someone who has ended their life.

The topics of ITSEMURHA deal with suicide, despair, sadness and melancholy. But there's also the aspect of examining the subject of suicide from the angle of a sort of cosmic view. I do believe in the soul and that the soul doesn't die when the physical body dies. What happens to the soul when you strip your own life yourself? When you deny to exist in this world of suffering. Birth, death, rebirth... The cycle of existence and then you choose to break it, skip to the death part. What will happen then? Is there a karmic consequence?

Satan is both destructive and empowering yes. 
Satan will tear your life down and bring you misery but then you will rebuild your life to something better, from a new foundation. I feel Satan as a dark force that drives me to improve myself. Satan challenges me to overcome myself. Unlike the deities of the religions for the masses Satan does not redeem you or help you because you're weak. Satan is the painful slash of the whip that hurts you so that you will accomplish something bigger. 
I feel Him as a guiding fallen angel who has been watching me all my life. The debut demo is about giving all my life for Satan; living by His code of honour and strenght but also the title track describes the final offering for Him, to give your life for Satan. Personally I have still much to learn about His mysteries in this current life not to end it but there have been inviduals who have been ready to close this chapter of existence and pass on to the next in praise of Satan. Like Jon Nödtveidt of DISSECTION.

5. Do you have any prior band experience or are you current active in some
other band one should know of?

- I consider ITSEMURHA as its own, separate entity and it's hard to discuss about my other activities when talking about it but yes, I have been creating Black Metal since approx. 1996 or so. The main bands people know me of are CALVARIUM, ANAL BLASPHEMY, MUSTA KAPPELI and BLACK PRIEST OF SATAN. I've been participating in others as well but I'd consider these worth mentioning here.

6. One of the songs is named "Finnish Darkness", how would you in just words
describe that darkness?

- Finnish Darkness, here up in the north, can be a suffocating thing as I mentioned earlier. We have really bright but short summers but when the autumn arrives its darkness is quite overwhelming. The Finnish Darkness is truly pitch black and crushing. During the darkest of winter we only have sunlight for like 4 hours and that ”sunlight” is actually just grey sky making the day like dusk so no real daylight in winter time. It has even physical effects on people because the lack of vitamin D etc..
I consider the Finnish darkness in ITSEMURHA's theme as this unique kind of dark here that exists also in the souls of northern people. I see it as a concept of ITSEMURHA, full of crushing unlight, insanity and bleak hopelessness.  It's also the Darkness of Satan, His leathery wings across the horizon and the heart of a man.

7. As i understand you live in a town called Tampere in Finland? Compared to other
Finnish towns like Kuopio & Lappeenranta that has some prominent hordes what has
Tampere to offer? I think Hornas "HQ" was or is placed in your city which is mighty...

- Yes I live in Tampere. 
At some point most of the Finnish ”scene” seemed to immigrate here. We have some great hordes residing in the Tampere area like BEHEXEN, BAPTISM, HORNA + some a bit lesser known like FLAME, URN, DIABOLI, SACRIFICIUM CARMEN, RIIVAUS, SATURNIAN MIST etc.. Tampere is one of the biggest cities in Finland after Helsinki and is located quite in the middle so it's a natural choice for people to move to. HORNA's ”HQ” indeed is located in Tampere now since Shatraug moved here so eventhough the other Horna guys except Vainaja don't live here I'd consider HORNA and other projects of Shatraug to have their HQ in Tampere. Lappeenranta is of course home to SATANIC WARMASTER and GOATMOON which both are very big names now and the origin of HORNA as well. Kuopio is an important town too since the ”old school” bands originally hailed from there like BARATHRUM and URN. Also Holocausto/BEHERIT lived there for a while at some point. Other important cities for Finnish Black Metal are Jyväskylä (WARLOGHE, ALGHAZANTH), Lahti (CLANDESTINE BLAZE, SACRILEGIOUS IMPALEMENT) and Turku. The capital Helsinki has its own scene but I don't consider any that important bands to come from there.

8. So now you have the debut behind you are you working on new music already?

- Yes definitely. I've already composed 4 new songs for the second demo and the drums have been recorded already. Can't wait to start working on the second demo as I have many things I wish to improve since the first creation. Would be great to do a theme 7” EP as well if I find a label to release it.. 
The second demo will most likely be released by Spread Evil too and released also as a CD-R. 
4 tracks full of utter despair, melancholic rage, suffering and praise of Satan, all blessed by Finnish Darkness.

9. I saw the good looking t-shirt you had for sale, i guess they are sold out?
Other plans for the rest of this year?

- The shirt is so far limited to only 10 copies and still some sizes left. If I sell them will do a reprint maybe. Other plans I have is to finish the second demo and possibly get it released even. But we'll see. Recording something is a long and rough process for me as I play everything myself except the drums. But there's no rush. Nothing waits for me but death in the end.

10.Thanks for this interview. 

The final mourning is yours.

- Thank you for the interesting interview and interest for ITSEMURHA. Supports to your zine. Witness the reality of death as the eye of Satan burns through your soul.. 
All my life for SATAN! 
In His darkness I shall dwell..




fredag 27 september 2013

INFESTUS Interview!


1. Now when you have been around the battlefield for ten years i thought it would be a good time to go back from the start! The first dark shimmering release was your demo "Of Ancient Splendour", how was that period in your life and whats there to tell about this demo?


-You really want to know? 
Well, this period of life wasn’t a good one at all. 
And this situation lasted a very long time. 
However, in 2003 we (Harbarth, Dagon and I) founded Infestus and released this demo in the same year. Back then, I played drums and bass. 
Nothing more to be said about it.

2. Then in 2004 you created the debut album "Worshiping Times of Old" and you released it all yourself in what I understand. Did some label later on release it? How does those nine songs feel nowadays for you?


-Yes, this one was the first full length album. We produced and released it ourselves. 
Within this period of time we were still trying to find our style. Harbarth and I were writing riffs independently and tried to blend them together. 
I never thought about re-releasing it via a label. Also, I don’t listen to those old records. In my eyes, they represent a band that doesn’t exist anymore. And that band has not much to do with the actual INFESTUS nowadays. 

3.Two years later a split with Lost Life was made and you contributed 4 tracks to that, it got an official release through Fullmoon Funeral Productions(Asag,Atopie etc). whats to say about this one?
Did you get some good connections?


- As for these four tracks, I took over most of the songwriting but holding back the really personal riffs for a potential solo-project that I already wanted to realize back then. Harbarth left after the release of the split in 2005 and I saw the opportunity to take over the whole songwriting without having to make compromises. Using INFESTUS for a far more personal expression was now evolving. I like to see the period from 2003-2005 as a period of shaping the entity INFESTUS, comparable to the situation of a foetus in the womb. 
I never cared about connections. Actually, I don’t have much to do with the scene. I am creating music primarily for my own purpose, as a valve for all those things that need to be processed somehow. All that comes with it in addition is secondary.

4. I guess you felt quite uplifted when Debemur Morti Productions signed you up? And they release your second full album "Chroniken des Ablebens" in 2008, did it become as you wanted it to be?

 
- When this album was completely recorded I was looking for a label that would fit to the ideology of INFESTUS. Debemur Morti was the only right choice. And I was quite happy to have this unique label releasing my album. In my eyes, “Chroniken des Ablebens” was the first real INFESTUS album. 
Only Dagon and I were left. I was responsible for all instruments and the songwriting, Dagon contributed 50 percent of the lyrics and did the vocals. This album showed me where I can take this and that I don’t need anyone else than myself to completely shape this musical demon. 
Yes, it became the way we wanted it. 

5. In 2011 you created the epic third album "E x | I s t", as it stands out a bit from your early works a conclusion for me was that both your technical skills and your emotional creativity had grown and become "sharper" & deeper in a sense.

 
- Yes. I wanted to dig even deeper into my spiritual abyss, trying to process very dark life periods. I worked out a very intense concept and put everything together piece by piece. 
This project became so personal that Dagon decided to leave the band. It was a logical step. 
Over the years I continuously took over more and more of INFESTUS until finally it became the very mirror of my soul. Although it is a very hard and demanding task to really doing everything yourself (the whole songwriting/concept, guitars, bass, vocals, drums, recording and mixing, graphic layout) it is also a way to personalize the music even more. 
This fact made “E x | I s t” an unbelievably intense album which stands for itself. Of course, over the years skills increase. And there will also be a noticeable progression in skills for the next album. This is something that comes naturally. 
I don’t force this to happen. 

6.And now in 2013 you are in hard work for your next release, please tell something about this and what we can come to expect of it?

 
- At this point of time I don’t want to tell too much about the new album. 
But what I can say is that it once more increased both compositionally and musically. It draws from a wider range of musical aspects united in its shape, but it is still a very dark and quite aggressive album, held together by its consuming hopeless atmosphere. 
This album is by far the most work-intense I ever have ever produced, talking of wrong decisions and numerous things that went wrong beyond my control which as a result literally forced me to give evidence of my indestructible devotion towards it. I think many people would have failed on this path. My dedication towards my music is unbreakable. The deep emotional connection I have with it makes it very authentic. And this is what people are feeling when they listen to my music. Pure authenticity, no stereotypes, no cliché, just the very pain of existence. 

INFESTUS is 100% the personification of my darkness. 

7.Whats on the planning table for the rest of this year?

- As I have established a live lineup I will make use of it for some shows. 
In October 12th we will play in Kaiserslautern, Germany and on December 1st we are performing live in Paris. Besides, I am busy mixing the upcoming album. 
Mastering will take place sometime in January. Further information will be shared on my page.

8. Good luck & Thanks for your time!

-Thanks for the interview.


torsdag 26 september 2013

Terrorsaw - Demo 2012

Last year these Italian unholy bastards released their debut demo tape to the unsuspecting surroundings!


These four songs creates a wholeness of a trashing & pulsating horned beast!

Everything rumbles on with a blackened death mental brainblasting agenda, the old school alcohol infused chaotic riffing is also marinated with a fitting dose of groove which would fit the last party on this earth, the same statement also fits all the rest of the instrument compositions as well as the mean rough singing.
Even if it has a old school sound it infuses nice personal bits and pieces here and there in all tracks and gives this demo a great extra kick!

Now one only hopes for a full album to arrive sooner then later from the black abyss!


Tracklist:

1.     Terrorsaw         
2.     Defiler Messiah         
3.     Sorcery & Artillery        
4.     Sabbath of Metal Violence

söndag 22 september 2013

Carthaun Interview!



1.Hails!
So how is it hanging in Carthaun camp?
are you maybe secretly composing new cannon fodder for the next release?

-Indeed! I finally found a new guitarist and drummer in Cologne, where I have lived for a few years now. We are working on a split that will be released in October via GodeaterRecords if everything will work out as planned. Furthermore there will be some gigs in the next months.

2. I guess you are looking forward to the Little Devil gig in september with Gestalte, Celesterre & Asgrauw?

-Of course, it’ll be a pleasure to play after 5 years of abstinence.

3. So... you have been active now for like 13 years?! Thats a accomplishment in itself i think but lets give your respective releases a little brief description of theme and how it was at the time creating them and the responses from the outside world!

4.Demo 2004:

- A small demo, self-produced with poor means. Raw and simple stuff- we started using poems as lyrics, mainly about nature and war - we had no permanent guitarist at this time and we could not play or promote the songs live, therefore there was not much feedback - we only gave some copies to a few friends and one or two Fanzines and sold maybe 10 – I remember a review that said “quite okay”- whatever that means – I don’t know if anyone really liked it. 

5. Demo 2005:

- Was only a small promo to get some ideas on cd and send them to some labels.

6. Einheit 2005:

 - Few months later “Powerrocker Records” was interested in releasing the first album, we recorded it in their studio, which meant better sound quality compared to the demos – apart from that there was not much development, still raw and simple stuff.

- 7. Blutt und Threnen 2008:

 - Self-produced second album – not as harsh as the releases before. I started using samples between the songs to install an atmosphere that fits the lyrics of the next song or let’s say “connects” each song. 
We again used a lot of poems and the album was divided in chapters.

8. Brachland 2012:

 - Third album, which developed quite long and is more personal than the others. I could not find steady members, thus I had to arrange most songs on my own. 
Once again I used self made samples and several archaic instruments between the songs to give the album a deary, dense atmosphere. I wanted the audience to experience the sound of war and battle but also the effects that war has on human life and landscape: emptiness, loneliness, desolation. It’s up to you to decide if I managed.

9. With all this years of enrichment carved in your soul (for good & bad), how would you say you have transformed from the man you were before to now?

- That’s hard to tell in a few sentences. 
To cut a long story short: the older you become, the easier life gets. I wasted a lot of time in the past by thinking about the so called “right ways”, how things should be done, look or sound and how they might be assumed, what people should or should not do and so on. 

- I don´t care about this today – I recognized that most things are not as important as they seem, including me and almost everything around me. 
Having this in mind I embrace the questions of life with a certain serenity, it makes me take things as they come - there is not the one and only right way – the only important thing is to stay true to oneself and to your principles.

10. How does the rest of this year look like?
Any more gigs then the one in september & if one likes to buy some band t-shirt etc where should one turn to?

 - We planned several gigs in the next months and I´m sure some more will follow. As I have already mentioned we´re looking forward to the next release and maybe there will also be new merchandise then. In the meantime you can get our stuff that’s already been released in several mailorders and online shops – seek and you shall find. 

11. Thanks for your time!
The final blast-off is yours!

- I thank you!!

lördag 21 september 2013

Gestalte - Ashes of the Soul

From South Holland with hate!


As this debut album starts off soft with an acoustic guitar melody with clean voices this record enters my mind sideways and makes the following dark and grim transcendence the more effective.

This whole album is dipped in primitive and negative energies where the melodies includes all from straight out cultish misanthropic vibrations, somewhat suicidal tunes is intertwined with the occult blasphemies, the raw guitars drives on like gloomy death march and the drums follows through side by side. the bass gets some nice appearances and fills a void and flows into some compositions smoothly.
Singing is quite varied which is nice but overall it has a growly and hateful spite to it and sometimes my minds thinks about Mayhems album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.



No songs except one ends under five minutes which means they get some time to evolve internally and flourish which they also do, often it goes in mid tempo but also speed it up or doom it down. 

The production is good and let every members work to be heard.

A bleak and sometimes a depressive album but in a way which dont feel forced, natural suffering & it grows nicely from each listening to the other.
Recommended.

My pick up tracks: 4,5,8

Track list:

1.     The Beginning of the End        
2.     Onder de Zuilen des Doods         
3.     Beyond Cosmic Thresholds         
4.     Ashes of the Soul         
5.     A Red Black Holocaust Sky in a Nightmare Dimension        
6.     Een Verleden Niet Vergeten        
7.     Op naar het Woud der Smarten (Deel 1)     
8.     De Boom der Smarten (Deel 2)        
 


onsdag 18 september 2013

Sarkrista - The Acheronian Worship

"From the forests of eternal mourning I came
To bless the holy creatures of dark might

So furious
So brute
The raging thoughts of a fiery soul

Hate and madness
Still in Me
Spark the torches of a new era"


It all begins with an melancholic & ancient sounding keyboard intro with some military drums hunting forward... a feeling of the old wolfs is reincarnating to violently take back whats rightfully theirs!

And thats just what you get! First song burst out in hunger for blood!
Grim emperoristic shrieking and commanding is the vocals which suits the compositions perfectly.
Everything really flows together in a stream of both harsh sounding tones and clear mixed epic & melodic melodies. This German satanic horde has evidently a soft spot for Finnish Black metal like sargeist, Satanic Warmaster, Behexen, Horna etc which suits me more then well!
Even if this inspiration is clear Sarkrista dont fall into the boring hole of worshipping but instead brings new flesh to the sacrificial table.

The mixing as i said above a sweet mix of raw and balanced which means you hear all instruments well, drums is tight and alive and so is the guitar & vocals is brutal in the right kind of way.

All the songs works great together and on their own, strong melodies fills each track up to the brim and it feels like all the creative outbursts this band had under the birth process went smoothly... it sure sounds like it anyway. Dripping pure satanic air!



All the 8 blasphemies that this debut album inherits makes up a wholeness thats is very satisfying for a BM listener and i recommend it without a blink of an eye!

My personal pics would be song 2,5,8.

Track list:

1.     Introduction        
2.     Grim Satanic Vengeance        
3.     Funerals and Flaring Torches
4.     Ruthless Winter        
5.     Messenger of Harm    
6.     Realm of Eternal Coldness    
7.     Wrath Incarnation    
8.     Black Clouds of Revelation


måndag 9 september 2013

Skuggan - Kejsaren av ett svart rike

Just like a hellish cataclysmic smash does this anticipated debut album plunges off !!!

 
I have heard some song samples earlier that has wetten my hunger and to now get to eat the whole bloody
cadaver in one go makes a hellhound like me more then satisfied!
The riffing is icy and melodic like the old cults & it hunts you down the trollish cavern and strikes you to a pulp. The vocals sounds often like a resentful & hatefull backward spitter! Wardrums thundering on firmly and some sparse tastefully keyboards can be heard, even some sounds of nature for good sakes is in place.
(Love the cover! You get what you see really!)



 Against modern times and values the album takes on the frontlines with confidence and sharped spears.

My mind wanders sometimes to bands like Arckanum & some "second wave" hordes which is a good thing for me (and it should be for everyone!) but it has enough of strong personal spirit and composings to stand on its own arms & legs.

This is a recommended buy! And you do it at Ewiges Eis Records page!
Favorite is tracks: 1,5,9. but i see no direct weak ones either.

Track list:

1.     Graven i skogen
2.     Mörkret inne         
3.     I Djävulens skuggan        
4.     Fördömde till avgrunden     
5.     En nattlig kamp        
6.     Den mörka lågan - instrumental
7.     Trolltjärn         
8.     Jonsereds strömmar         
9.     Kejsaren av ett svart rike


Now...when do the vinyl version come out?!

Korgonthurus Interview!

As the doors reopen to the harsh & vast landscapes in Finland one horrendous horde crawls out!



1.HAILS!
So how did the gig go earlier this month with Black Feast, Axeslaughter & Ruho? And was this also the first live gig Korgonthurus did in 5 years?
 
- Necron: Hails, The gig was a total success ! Great to be back on stage after five long years. Now that we have a real live line up, we are very eager to make more live shows.

 
2. Now when this manifested darkness have existed in around 13 years how would you say the band have changed from the start musically and as a "working"band?

- Necron: Of course we have grown a lot as a musicians and it has welded our composing skills together. Throughout the years we have had different people in our line up but finally, FINALLY, we are stronger than ever.

3.Do you feel you peel off one layer of hellish skinn after another with every release and as a result fall deeper into the void or maybe in the opposite direction?
Do you feel that it ends with a Catharsis by creating this music or is it to no help?

- Necron: In our case, every release is different. For example earlier material is more in to rockish material and on Marras and other split releases has been more melancholic than rockish. .

4. On the cover of your full album "Marras" (November) one sees a man drowned and sinking in an almost heavenly blissfull light, some say that drowning is the most peacefull way of dying.... and the albums overall feeling feels to me as one of the more downbeat creations Korgonthurus has made.
Two questions i have around this  is:
one: can you go into a bit on the contents of the lyrics here?
Two: Whats your thoughts around preferable ways of suicide ?

 
- Necron: I am wrong person to answer on this question, since lyrics are made by Corvus. If i remember correctly, Corvus made these lyrics after he was listening the midpart of the song, marraskyyneleet. Then he got huge inspiration to make lyrics that are in the song today.

- Kryth : Does it really matter how you die? If the result is death, it shouldn't be a dilemma to decide how it's achieved.


5.Who made the excellent bandlogo ? And whats the meaning behind the name Korgonthurus?

- Necron: Corvus has made the logo. . .

6. As i understand you are in full swing with new material? What can you say at this point about the new music? In what form will this incarnation show up in?

- Necron: New material is going to be a mixture of our debut EP and " Marras ". We have a new line up to record this album. Kryth on drums, Corvus on guitars and vocals, Inciscura on guitar Saturnus on lead guitar and i am on bass. So it will be total killer album, i can guarantee that.
We dont have a label to release it yet, but we are searching one. Some labels have shown their interest but still we havent found the deal that would be great for the album.

7. The next gig you have is in the 26 of october in the "Light Of The Black Sun" with Sacrificium Carmen, Gestalte, Azaghal, Shia-Ixa, Sacrilegious Impalement & Ancient Hatred.
Sounds like its gonna be a hell of a night!

- Necron: Yes, in Helsinki there is going to be Azaghal, Gestalte and Korgonthurus.
I bet its going to be a hell of a night!

8. Is there any other plans for the rest of this year? Any concerts outside Finland?

- Necron: We have had discussions about doing a small european tour with our slovenian friends but unfortunately our other projects demands so much time that we had to put that on hold.

9. If one like to get some sweet Korgonthurus t-shirt, where can one get one or will such things surface more when the next release is due?

- Necron: Some distros might sell, i have no idea.

10. Thanks for answering to all my interrogations!

- Necron: Thank you, it was my pleasure.

Last shriek is yours to make

- Necron: Keep your eyes open for our next attack !

Gestalte Interview!


1. Hails! Thanks for doing this interview!
 
Bergh:
You're welcome.

Dagon:
welcome.

2. How´s the work going for your coming album? I understand there was some "drama" with one from the horde dropping off and stuff.
 
 
Bergh:
The album has been released early August by Heidens Hart records and we're very satisfied with the final product.
Also, yes, it's true that there were some issues in the band around the times of the recordings. Tiwaz had to leave after recording the drumtracks because he was simply playing drums in too many different bands at once, and had no time left for his family. Wraak left the band after he already started recording the bass parts for reasons I don't want to publicly discuss as I respect his privacy, but all bass tracks that will be present on the album have been (re)recorded by myself. Plaag was unavailable to record guitar parts as he wasn't in The Netherlands at the time (which is also why we played a gig as a 4-piece last year), so all guitar parts were also recorded by myself.

Dagon:
The chaos in the band calmed down... it was a bit fucked Tiwaz had to leave, but he had various realistic reasons, family etc..
And what happend with Wraak, well there where a few reasons he left.. but hes still our comrade.. and Gestalte will always repsect him.



3. How would you describe this debut album? And what is it called?
 
 
Bergh:
The album will be titled Ashes of the Soul. I would describe it as a step forward. I personally think it's more diverse and layered than our demo, which is good because I wouldn't want to be in the type of band that releases exactly the same type of music over and over.

Dagon:
I would discribe the Debute album a fresh wind, It's Orthodox Occult/Chaos-gnostic Luciferian blackmetal. But indeed what Bergh also mentioned very more diverse, but still also very traditional and raw. I would say in my opinion, it's Ranging from very angry darker ways and moods ful of rage, to emotial depressive moods... Its all there, Misanthropy, hate, the Occult lyrics, Spirituality, the feelings, the guitar work, it combines perfectly...


4. Your first release was the demo "Gestalte" from 2011, what was the response when it got out from the crypt? And how does it compare to the new album?
 

Bergh:
As far as I know, the response to the demo was mixed. Some called it uninspired, and others claimed it was a very intense record with a strong atmosphere, but I must admit I didn't go looking for reviews online or anything as I was already preoccupied with writing material for the new album and getting some gigs around the time the demo was released. We did get reviewed in Aardschok magazine, the biggest Dutch metal & rock magazine, a few months after the release and they gave the demo a score of 80/100 if I recall correctly.
For me it's hard to compare the demo to the upcoming album, as for me it's been a very gradual transition from what we did back then (and how we did it) to what we do now. Ashes of the Soul is going to be a more diverse record than the demo, in my opinion. The biggest difference when you hear the new tracks for the first time will be the sound. We spent a lot more time on producing and mixing this time around as we aimed for a denser and fuller sound than when we recorded the demo.

Dagon:
Indeed reactions differed, but most where very positive... Heidens Hart, released the MC.
And Self Mutilation Services the CD version. I'm very proud of the first demo/cd.
It did very well in countries such as, for example : in Finland(A lot of positive reactions), Russia, Germany etc...
But there were also some critics... But that comes with it.. you'll always have that..

But indeed our debut album ''Ashes of the Soul'' is maby a bit different, Diverse in other ways...
Still mostly very traditional in most ways, but with a bit more broad horizon..


5. How is the BM-climate in Netherlands? 
And is there any interference from the common people?

Bergh:
While there are occasional metal concerts in several venues in The Hague (my hometown), the place to be for black metal in the province of South Holland is a venue called Baroeg in Rotterdam, which I attend frequently. Often local Dutch bands open for more well-known international acts, and we've played there ourselves in December 2011 with a few bands from Norway, and will play there again this coming November.
There's not much interference from those who aren't interested in (black) metal, but occasionally there are stories about concerts in the country that get cancelled because some Antifa people get the idea (and this idea is almost always wrong) that the bands that are supposed to play are right-wing extremists and then they threaten to cause a riot, which pretty much forces the venue to cancel the gig. As said this is usually based on bullshit and I think it's pathetic that things like this happen.

Dagon:
In the Baroeg in Rotterdam its a very good climate for the underground.. If it comes to Blackmetal and other forms of extreme metal, its the place.
And when it comes to common people, well, who gives a shit about them, i hope most of them common people stay away.

6. How did the ritual at Bazart in The Hague go?
 


Bergh:
Our performance at Bazart on the 24th of May went very well. I must say I'm very satisfied with Misanthropist's (our new drummer) and Mordehm's (our new lead guitarist) playing during this gig and the others we've had in June. It's also good to have Plaag back in the band, as playing live with 2 guitarists often sounds better than just 1.
Videos from this and other gigs are available on Youtube.

Dagon:
It went very well... A good extreme atmosphere...

7. Any more gigs dates planned? I heard of Finland?

Bergh:
We're playing in Tilburg on the 29th of September, and we're (together without our label/booking agency Heidens Hart/FCBookings) planning a 4 day tour in November (14-17) with Azaghal and Blackdeath. What you've heard about Finland is also true, we're playing three dates there in October, on the 23rd in Tampere, on the 25th in Jyvaskyla and on the 26th in Helsinki. We're looking forward to playing outside of The Netherlands for the first time.

Dagon.
Yes, for Gestalte its great to play outside of Holland soon.
I did play outside of Holland with other bands of mine, but not yet with Gestalte.

8. What other band backgrounds do the members have?

Bergh:
Personally I started playing in different bands five years ago, but the first black metal band I played with live was Zwartplaag in 2010 as bassist, the same year I also joined Gestalte as guitarist. I switched to playing bass live this year because it was easier for us to find a new lead guitarist than another bassist. I currently also play bass in a band called Celesterre, which is sort of hard to classify but I guess you could call it old school doom metal with black metal influences, but that wouldn't be a perfect description. I've also recently started a new band, called The Howl Ensemble, which is an instrumental experimental rock trio in which I play a Bass VI, an instrument made by Fender that's inbetween a bass and a baritone guitar. Coincidentally, the drummer of The Howl Ensemble has also been the audio engineer and co-producer during the Gestalte recordings last year.
As far as other members' past & other current bands I'm going to refer to the Metal-Archives, as the list would be too long to mention here. I do think that the fact that most of the current & past members of Gestalte have played in so many different bands over the years is a sign of competent musicianship, as otherwise they probably wouldn't have been asked to be in all those bands!

Dagon:
The Metal-Archives is ideed a good point to refer to for all the members of Gestalte.
But to speak for myself.. My first band was a Death/blackmetal band in the late 80'...
But My first real Blackmetal band was Blackart in 1990. And 1992 i started Necrofeast and released two albums with that.
Later in 94' i created Hekel together with Mictian.
Then came Winterdood end of 97' later name-changed in Hailstorm, i also dit a project called Bloedwraak around that time.
Much later i joined Zwartplaag(now split up) as the band's vocalist.. (Bergh and Misanthropist and Wraak were also members of Zwartplaag) I also dit some projects in between all of the other bands....Session vocals also here and there for some other Dutch underground acts... And later in 2009 the idea for Gestalte came with Plaag and me, and shortly after He asked me to co-create. And not long after in early 2010 Bergh joined Gestalte also, a bit after Nevelgeest and Wraak already joined... But the line up is as told in this interview also by Bergh is very different now within Gestalte.

But also what Bergh said, for us its maby to much to mention for now, when it comes to all the band members, current and past. The Metal-Archives is relatively good source to see.

9.Thats all for this time! Looking forward to the debut record! 
Any last utterings of despair and hatred?

Bergh:
One thing I can't stress enough is that people who have heard the demo should not expect more of the same, as we have definitely evolved over the years.

Dagon:
My opinion is, its very extreme... Different.... though still very Traditional, but with a different approach.. Indeed we evolved.

Let people judge for them selves.
 
 

fredag 6 september 2013

Theosis Interview!


1. Greetings Astraeos!
In what I have realised is that you have been very active and involved in some bands under the say 5-6 years and only now recently started to run solo.
...did you get tired in compromise with others in the name of creation?


-To be honest, I use to run my own, solo projects. Morbid Fog, Ravndal, L’Hiver, Theosis… Even my other bands, Vetusmora and Mortuus Sum are only studio projects.


2.And can you briefly describe the other bands you were involved in? Either way i guess you got out some experiences from all installations that shaped you to become Theosis?


-Morbid Fog(R.I.P.), my first project, Ravndal, an atmospheric/epic black metal project, L’Hiver, a doom project, Vetusmora, an ambient/dsbm project with Pyriflegethon from Dizziness and Ineluki(Northern Frost, Apocalyptic Fire) and as a vocalist for Mortuus Sum, my friend’s Yngve(ex-Acherontas, W.E.B., Dizziness) own project.


3. Already you have released two one-song demos and one full album, when did the work for this begin? What can you say about the demos? Did you search for you right sound or?



-The first demo’s song is something different from what now Theosis are.
More progressive with occult melodies. The second demo and the full album are pure, fucking black metal assault.


4. Can you visualise in what you have prepared for the listener to be devoured by on this debut album? And have you been in contact with any label to release it on?

 

-Satanic Warmaster, Sargeist and of course the ALMIGHTY Darkthrone are some of my influences for this album, but I prefer the listener to consider it.


5. In what light is the bandname theosis used for here? As i understand it it can be roughly translated as "the process of coming into union with God".


-That’s right!!! But the reason I used the name “Theosis” is one of my favorite bands and one of their albums, “Theosis” by Acherontas!!!


6. By the way nice choice of cover (the chant of the barbarian wolves by Satanic Warmaster)!
Was there any other specific reasons for you other then it’s a great song to cover this & has SW been a big influence? And i also saw that you wear an t-shirt of one of Greece BM-prides Acherontas.
Is there any other band that have shaped you in any way?


-Satanic Warmaster is my favorite black metal band and I wanted to do something as homage for them. Acherontas as I said, is one of my best bands, mainly for their philosophical and poetic occult style.
Judas Iscariot, Rotting Christ, Darkthrone and Summoning are some of them too.


7. Do you consider Theosis to also be a live-band in the future? Is there some "underground BM-scene" there in the town Karditsa?


-No immediate plans for that but who knows.

Only two other projects. Nothing else.


8. How does the rest of the years plans look like?


-Music, music, music…


9.Well thats all for this time! Thanks for your answers and your time spent.


-Thank you too.

onsdag 4 september 2013

Slaughterday Interview

A unimaginable horror crawls up from the depths of Germany.



1. Hi! Thanks for taking time off for this interview!
As i understand you have just recently ended the recording for your first full album?
Where and which studio where you in & did everything run smoothly?


Jens: That's right, we have just finished the mixing and we're absolutely happy with the result. We chose to record in the same studio, where the "Cosmic Horror" demo was done, which was the soundlodge in Rauderfehn, Germany with Jörg Uken. 
The reasons for this are simple: We live nearby and I have known Jörg for about 24 years now and did a lot of recordings with him. It's always very smoothly with him and I'm pretty sure he thinks the same way about working with us. 

2. How many tracks will the new album have and can you describe the ancient horrors one will experience while listening to it?


Bernd: Altogether, the new album will contain 8 tracks of which 2 tracks have already been released on the Cosmic Horror demo, but with a different sound. On the LP version there will be a coversong as a bonus track. With this record we hope to deliver the perfect soundtrack to H.P. Lovecraft's world of cosmic horror, nightmares and madness.

3. Your debut a 4-track demo "Cosmic Horror" came out earlier this year through the label F.D.A. Rekotz (Goregast, INCARCERATION etc), was it only a tape release?
Will any of these songs be on the full length?


Jens: Yes, it was only released on tape, but it's still downloadable via bandcamp. We re-recorded all four songs of the demo, but only two of them will be on the album as Bernd has already said. We're still arguing with each other about which songs that will be, haha! 


4. As your demo and album is made fairly closely i can assume that the overall sound and style is pretty similar? As one who loves the demo will then explode from the album in other words.


-We hope so, ha ha. You can be sure that there is no change in the style of the songs as they were all written within the same period of time. Some of the songs are a little bit older, some are newer than the demo songs, but we still like all of them. The overall sound is just slightly different from the demo, because we used a dry and very natural guitar tone this time. 
Maybe we sound more ”American” and less ”Swedish” this time. 

I personally think that on the demo, most of the songs were mostly straight froward while the other songs are more diverse and dynamic with more tempo changes. The sound is good, but not overproduced. Again we used no drum triggers or clicktrack. 

5. Speaking of the demo, who did the cool blue old school artwork? And i must say that it worked really well with the bloody red tape cases. Was it the same who did the bandlogo?



Jens: The logo, the artwork and the layout was created by Thomas Westphal from the Necromaniac zine. We also love the old school vibe of it , but the red cases were Rico's idea. Unfortunately the artwork is a little bit too dark due to the thick paper on which it was printed. 

6. Have you done any Slaughterday gigs yet? If so where & when did they occur?

Bernd: Up to now there have not been any gigs for Slaughterday, but till the end of the year we will play about four gigs. Right now we are quite busy with organizing the layout for our record and rehearsing for the gigs. We really look forward to these gigs and hope that people will enjoy our live performance. 

7. I see that the autumn/winter will be a busy time playing live, which events will you attend to?

Jens: Fortunately we are able to play some shows, because some friends of us from INGURGITATING OBLIVION will help us out live. 
So far 4 shows have been confirmed: On 10/18/2013 we will play the Morbid Catacombs Festival in Berlin with Krypts, Wound, Lifeless, Decaying and more. This will be our very first show ever and I'm really excited about how it's going to be. 
In November we will play the Ear Terror Festival in Emden (11/08) which is run by our friend Mr. Deichkot, who also has his own local radio show. On November 29th we will play in Wermelskirchen, Germany with Rico's band Goregast, Lifeless and Wound. The last gig this year is on 12/07: We will play the Nocturnus Fest with Master, Sulphur Aeon and Dehuman Reign. 

8. I saw the nice Slaughterday t-shirt you sold, will there be some new for the festival or the when the album drops?

Bernd: Yeah, there will hopefully be new shirts for the upcoming gigs. It's all in the works, but I'm pretty sure that we will have some cool new designs coming up. There will definitely be a shirt with the album artwork for the album release. 

9. Well, thats all for this time!
Good luck with all! By the way any release date for the coming album? 


-First of all thank you very much for this interview. 
We really appreciate your support! 
The new album called ”Nightmare Vortex” will be released on the 6th of December via the German label F.D.A. Rekotz.