Interview with Daemoniac done by Patrick posted on 12-13-19

Interview with Daemoniac done by Patrick

1.Hello please introduce yourselves to the readers?
Ciao Patrick,sono Matt batterista dei Daemoniac,e fammi dire che è un piacere essere qui per presentare il nostro nuovo disco Dwellers of Apocalypse,in uscita il 19 di dicembre su Xtreemmusic.

Hey Patrick, I’m Matt, the drummer of Daemoniac, it’s a pleasure to be here to introduce our new Album, Dwellers of Apocalypse, which will be available through Xtreem Music on the 19th of December.

2.When did you first discover death metal?Who were the first bands you listened to and who are some current bands that have caught your attention?
Come tanti ho scoperto il death metal quasi per caso,a quel tempo senza internet e youtube era piu’ difficile arrivare a certe sonorita’.
Ho letto qualcosa su questa band americana chiamata Obituary e corsi a cercare i loro dischi,quando partirono le prime note di The end complete mi resi conto che questo era il genere che avrei voluto fare.
Poi dopo ho scoperto il sound swedish di Dismember,Grave,Necrophobic ed è stato a more al primo ascolto.
Devo ammettere che oggi ho un approcio diverso con questo genere,devo dirti che sono curioso di sentire il nuovo album dei Benediction con Dave ingram alla voce.

Like many I discovered Death Metal by chance, at the time without internet, youtube, etc, it was more difficult to discover certain music.
I remember having read something about an American band called Obituary at the time and I ran off to try to pickup one of their albums. After hearing the first few notes of The End Complete, I knew it was a style of music I’d want to play.
After this I discovered the Swedish scene with Dismember, Grave Necrophobic and I fell in love right away.
To be honest, today I have a different approach to this music, but I’m very curious to hear Benedictions upcoming album, with Dave Ingram back on vocals.

3.Did you read a lot of fanzines when you first got into the underground metal scene?What were your some of your favorite fanzines that you read?What do you feel made a good fanzine?
In passato ne leggevo molte,e per un breve periodo da ragazzo ho anche collaborato con alcune di queste.
Mi piaceva molto Voices from the darkside,oppure Headfucker,e fammi dire che era un bel modo di promuovere la banda,la scena era in continuo fermento e c’era voglia di lavorare sodo per far crescere la scena.
Mi piaceva perché poi molte non si chiudevano in un genere,ma ci potevi trovare tutto,e poi te sceglievi cosa preferivi,oggi per i miei gusti ci sono troppe etichette

Back in the day I read a lot of them, during a brief period as a kid I also collaborated with some of them.
I really liked Voices from the Darkside and Headfucker, it was a great way to promote bands, the scene was in constant movement and there was a lot of people working hard to make sure it grew. I also liked the fact that they weren’t too locked down on just one genre or even sub-genre, they covered everything and it was up to you to pick what you liked, In my opinion there are just too many labels today.

4.Are their any current fanzines or web-zines that you try to keep up with?
Oggi leggo soprattutto quelle italiane come Loudandprideo Metalitalia,diciamo che oggi è cosi’ faciel reperire notizie ovunque che magari le fanzine fanno molta piu’ fatica ad emergere.

Today I mainly read Italian sites like Loud and Proud or Metalitalia, let’s just say that today it’s so easy to get news and information that perhaps it’s hard for fanzines to get any real exposure.

5.Daemoniac was started back in 2013 when did you decide to start this band? What is the current line up of the band?
La band è stata formata da Max e poi con me quando siamo usciti dagli Horrid,volevamo continuare a fare quello che ci piace,questo death metal old style con quel soun svedese marcio e cosi’ sono nati i Daemoniac.
Max è sempre stato nella band,io purtroppo per motivi personali ho saltato un disco ma adesso eccomi qui.
La line-up adesso è completa con un nuovo chitarrista e anche un bassista,ma l’annuncio lo faremo a breve.

The band was formed by Max and me after we left Horrid.
We wanted to continue to do what we love, old school death metal with that raw Swedish sound, with that in mind Daemoniac was created.
Max has remained in the band since day one, I unfortunately sat out on the first album due to personal reasons, but now I’m back again.
The current line-up is finally complete, with a new guitarist and Bassist, which we’ll announce shortly.

6.Dwellers Of The Apocalypse is the bands second full length that will be released in December 2019 how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
Devo ammettere che per me e Max lavorare insieme è estremamente facile.Ci conosciamo da sempre,abbiamo fatto 4 dischi con gli Horrid,per cui comporre è un processo molto naturale.Devi pensare che Dwellers è stato composto solo da noi due,perché la line-up si è completata solo dopo le registrazioni.
Abbiamo gia’ altri pezzi pronti proprio perché,come ti dicevo,il nostro modo di lavorare nasce dalla profonda amicizia che ci lega e dall’amare lo stesso sound e lo stesso modo di sentire e vivere questo genere.

To be honest, I find it very easy to work together with Max, we know each other since what feels like forever. We’ve made 4 albums together in Horrid, with all that experience the creative process feels completely natural. Keep in mind that the new Album was composed by just the two of us, as the line-up was completed after recording.We already have new material ready, because as I mentioned, things come easy when you have a profound friendship, the love for the same sound and the same view of this style of music.

7.Besides the upcoming Dwellers Of The Apocalypse does the band have any other releases or merchandise currently available?If yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
Ovviamente si,abbiamo il nostro ep Lord of immolation,il primo full-lenght Spawn of the fallen oltre alle t-shirt,poi con l’uscita del nuovo disco ci sranno parecchie novita’ in fatto di merchindising.
Tutto questo materiale lo puoi acquistare tramite bandcamp o direttamente dal sito della Xtremmmusic

Our EP, Lord of Immolation and our first album, Spawn of the fallen along with some t-shirts are still available. If you’re interested, you can pick it up at our bandcamp site or straight from Xtreem Music. There will be a lot of upcoming news in terms of merchandising, so stay tuned.

8.Does Daemoniac play live very often or do you prefer to work in the studio?What have been some of the bands most memorable shows so far?
La parte live è quella che ci piace di piu’,nell’utlimo perido causa una line-up non completa ci siamo dedicati allo studio e alla creazione di pezzi,ma il palco ci è mancato e non vediamo l’ora,adesso che siamo al completo,di tornare live e di promuovere la nostra musica su piu’ palchi possibili.
Un ricordo molto vivo è stato di sciuro il mini-tour che abbiamo fatto tra Francia e Italia,davvero dei grandi show,ma poi è dfficile sceglierne uno,perché noi mettamo la stessa energia su ogni palco in cui suoniamo.

Playing live is probably what we like best, but due to the line-up we’ve dedicated ourselves to composing in this last period. Now that we’ve got a full line-up again, we can’t wait to get back up on stage!
A fond memory I have is the mini-tour that we did in Italy and France. Great shows, it’s difficult to pick a favourite though, we always try to give the same amount of energy every time we get on stage.

9.Are their any shows or tours planned in support of the new release?If yes where will the band be playing and who are some bands you will share the stage with?
Stiamo programmando una sacco di date per promuovere il nostro disco,alcune sono gia’ confermate altre le stiamo ancora valutando,appena sara’ tutto definito informeremo chiunque voglia vederci dal vivo su ogni data,per questo potete gaurdare la nostra pagina FB con tutte le news sui live,e credimi nei prossimi mesi ce ne saranno parecchie.

We’re planning a lot of shows to promote the new album, some already confirmed some we’re still considering. As soon as we’ve worked out all the details, we’ll start announcing the upcoming shows to anyone who would like to come see us. Just keep an eye on our Facebook to keep up to date because over the next few months there’ll be a lot of news!

10.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Sai quello che mi è sempre piaciuto del termine underground metal è quello di non scendere a compromessi,di fare sattamente quello che ti piace fare,di avere una totale liberta’ artistica da farti stare bene,di non avere bisogno di soldi,di fama,ma solo di suonare la musica in cui credi

I think what I’ve always connected to the term underground metal is to not accept any compromises, to always do exactly what you had in mind with a total artistic freedom.
To never do anything for money nor fame, just for the satisfaction of playing the music you believe in.

11.Daemoniac comes out of Italy's death metal scene what are your thoughts of the Italian metal scene over the years?
L’Italia è un paese che ha sfornato in passato e ancora oggi parecchie band death metal di grande valore,in passato Horrid,Natron,Undertakers,Gory Blister e tantissime altre,e oggi ce ne sono sempre di nuove,alcune come Hodeou Divinity o Hour of Penance stanno facendo davvero grandi cose.
Devo ammettere che mi è difficile nominarle tutte perché sono veramante tante,siamo un paese in forte crescita da questo punto di vista.

Italy is a country which has produced and is still producing a lot of quality death metal bands.
Some older acts like Horrid, Natron, Undertakers, Gory Blister and many more. More recently we’ve seen bands like Hodeou Divinity and Hour of Penance just to mention a few, it would be impossible to mention all of them as there are a lot and the scene is in constant growth.

12.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Italy and are their any new bands you could recommend to the readers?
Guarda come consiglio oggi a me piacciono molto i Coffin Birth in cui all’interno ci sono componenti di altre grandissime band italiane,quella che a me è sempre piaciuta,e a quanto ne so,si sono riofrmati sono gli Undertakers,dal vivo poi erano e credo siano ancora devastanti.

A band I could really recommend is Coffin Birth, which has a lot of members of other great Italian bands. Another one which I’ve always liked is Undertakers, which as far as I know have recently reunited, they are devastating live.

13.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you like to do in your free time?
Mi piace suonare il basso,non ci crederai ma quando devo liberare la mente da tutto mi metto a suonare il basso,sono partito da zero,sto studiando come un maestro,ed essendo tutto nuovo non ho competizione o obiettivi da raggiungere,ma solo la felicita’ di imparare delle cose nuove ogni giorno

I really like playing the bass, as weird as it may sound it really helps me completely unwind.
I’ve completely started from scratch and I’m currently studying with a teacher. Being totally new to playing bass I don’t feel any pressure or competition, I’m just happy to play and learn new things every day.

14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Grazie a te Patrick per la possibilita’ di far conoscere i Daemoniac a piu persone,e date un ascolto a Dwellers of Apocalypse,non ve ne pentirete

Thank you, Patrick, for giving us this opportunity to let more people know about Daemoniac and if you get a chance have a listen to Dwellers of Apocalypse, you won’t regret it!
Band Contacts
https://daemoniacofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DAEMONIAC666/
https://twitter.com/daemoniacband
Label Contacts
http://www.xtreemmusic.com/
https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666/
https://twitter.com/xtreemmusic666
/

Interview with Porta Nigra done by Patrick posted on 12-9-19

Interview with Porta Nigra done by Patrick

1.Hello please introduce yourselves to the readers?
My Name is Tobias and I play guitar and write lyrics in PORTA NIGRA.

2.When did you first meet the other members of the band and was it long before you started Porta Nigra? How did you choose Porta Nigra as the name for the band and does it have a special meaning?
I met the drummer already in the late 1990ies. We played in the band MEMBARIS for about 13 years, toured and released several albums. I left the band in 2012 and started PORTA NIGRA together with him to find a slightly different musical approach, with different sound, image and lyrics than we could do in a more "traditional" Black Metal outfit. We worked as a duo many years and now have been joined by "Tongue", the creative force behind the group CHASO INVOCATION. We three are the core but have many companions, who provide with their talents. For instance ideas for synth or solo-guitar. We also have a very skilled bassplayer who left his mark on the recent record.
The name, quite frankly, has no specific meaning. I am often inspired by words that sound good, and I think the name consists of two latin words that have a good sound and are not overly used. The "vibe" of a bandname is filled with the music, artwork and lyrics anyway. Thats when we accociate something with a name. A name alone is nothing. PORTA NIGRA means "black gate" which can be interpreted in various ways, but its not really important.

3.For the readers who have never heard Porta Nigra's music how would you best describe it?Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?
The first two records were like "anti Black Metal" where we tried out several different things which let to rather eclectic soundpictures including references to Doom, Thrash Metal as well as Rock and Ambient etc., all embedded in a rather theatrical context heavily inspired by decadent German and French literature. The new album is definetly a way back to our roots that lay in 1990ies Black Metal. Fast, melodic, hymn-like, theatrical but also raw.
The biggest influence on me probably had the band Killing Joke. But thats more mentally. I think its impossible to hear that in our music. My favorite metal band of all time is Dødheimsgard.

4.Schöpfungswut is the bands third full-length which will be released in early 2020 how long did it take the band to write the music? Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
Writing process was really fast, maybe a couple of month. However it took very long to record and release it in the way we wanted it to be. Rehearse it, find the right sound, the right musicians, a new vocalist, the right studio, the right label etc. All in all over four years, which is painfully long.
I am usually behind most of the creative aspects, but all members in the band have strong characters and strong talents. So they bring themselve in and really make it what it is in the end. I am not a solo-artist, it is a group effort with a leader.

5.Besides the upcoming Schöpfungswut release are the bands previous releases or merchandise currently available? If yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
We have copies of our first album "Fin de siècle" (CD) as well as a few shirts left. Who is interested can check our Facebook and write to me.

6.Does Porta Nigra play live very often or do you prefer working in the studio?What have been some of the bands most memorable shows so far?Who are some bands you have shared the stage with?
In the older days we played live with MEMBARIS and shared the stage with those bands that were hip in that days like Shining, Horna, Antaeus, Secrets of the Moon etc. PORTA NIGRA by now is a strict studio band, because thats what I am interested in the most: write better songs, get a better sound, better lyrics...trying to make the perfect album. Its a bit tough because these days you have to play live to make yourself heard and get the music out. And maybe it will happen one day, but at the moment I am occupied with writing music.

7.Are their any tours or shows planned in support of the new release?If yes where will the band be playing?
See above

8.What does Black Metal mean to you?
Black Metal was the spark that set the torch in me on fire when I was young and let to a burning passion for the creation of music. However, there comes also many bad aspects with Black Metal. It is often dull these days, even boring at times. I am listening to a lot of different music, so I can not say it means a lot to me anymore. But I owe this burning passion for creativity to it. Thats already a lot. And of course many timeless albums I hold dear.

9.Besides Porta Nigra do you or any of the members currently work with any other bands or solo projects?
CHAOS INVOCATION, OBSCURE INFINITY, MEMBARIS are some of the bands the members of PORTA NIGRA are involved with. All of them worth checking out. If you wanna hear an extreme and passionate Black Metal album check out "Grenzgänger" by MEMBARIS.

10.Porta Nigra comes out of Germany's black metal scene what are your thoughts of the German black metal scene?
I think Germany in general is weak when it comes to Black Metal. Our golden era was the Thrash Metal era. However, we had a strong run around the millenium with Lunar Aurora and Nagelfar releasing fantastic records, but in general the scene is not very strong. There is a lot of talk and pretending, jealousy, back stabbing. I have the feeling Black Metal is mentally too challenging for us Germans, haha.

11.Who are your all-time favorite German bands and are their any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
If we talk metal I would have to say Bethlehem. Rope Sect is a newer German band that really stood out for me.

12.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Support underground labels like SOULSELLER RECORDS. They have a fantastic catalog of old and new gems of Black Metal. Check it out.
Pre-order on CD and Vinyl Formats: U.S. https://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com/ World: https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sch-pfungswut https://www.facebook.com/PortaNigraBand/ http://www.soulsellerrecords.com/ https://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com/ https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SOULSELLERRECORDS/

Interview with Horned Almighty done by Patrick posted on 12-5-19

Interview done with Horned Almighty done by Patrick

1.Hails please introduce yourselves to the readers?

The cult was formed in the year of our Horned Lord 2002. We hail from the shores of Denmark and have been puking our black vomit and bile upon the world for nearly 20 years. Formed by S. (vox) and Hellpig (guitars) respectively, and shortly after joined by Harm (drums), this trio has been the core and foundation since the birth of the cult – now accompanied by Haxen (bass). A total of six studio albums over the years plus various splits and ep’s and numerous live ceremonies should very much define our existence so far…

2.When did you first discover metal music and who were the first bands you listened to?Who are some of the current bands that have caught your attention?

I (S.) discovered extreme metal in the early nineties, firstly death metal and shortly after black metal. First it was Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse etc and then I discovered Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone and the likes. Some of the new interesting names in the scene are Andavald, Misotheist, Tragediens Trone, Qayin Regis among others…

3.When did you first meet the other members of the band and was it long before you all started Horned Almighty?

Hellpig and I have known each other since 1995 and had a previous band called Mareridt (Nightmare). We did a couple of ep’s back then, before we quit. A couple of years later the urge to create dark and sinister music returned and thus Horned Almighty was conceived. First as a mere project, but the entity became stronger and grew into a conscious being, which needed all of our attention and has been a part of us ever since…

4.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?

In the beginning, the goal was a musical return to what inspired us to begin with – classic Norwegian black metal. Our first recordings were crude and very much in the vein of the wellknown formula. One gamechanger though, was our drummer Harm who had his own unique drumming style. Mixing the energy of punk and crust with regular black metal soon became our trademark in the early days, which gave us a definition of a mixture between Darkthrone, Celtic Frost and Motorhead. The style has not changed since then, but has been perfected into a mix of black, death, doom and thrash – but the main influence is still black metal.

5.To Fathom The Master's Grand Design is the bands newest release that will be released early next year.How long did it take the band to write the music on the new release?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?

The album has been written over the course of five years. Many obstacles occurred along the way, which postponed the album, making it one of the hardest we ever wrote – sometimes to the point of existential doubt… Material slowly took form and finally evolved into the manifest that is To Fathom the Master’s Grand Design! We’re old school, almost everything is written together as a band. This method is more time consuming, but works best for us and gives us all a much more personal relation with the material

6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics for the music and what are some topics written about on the new release?Which usually comes first the lyrics or the music?

I do all of the lyrics and have done so since the beginning. Mostly they are written prior to the music, it happens when I have enough inspiration and ideas for them . The new album is a concept album of the destruction of man - History has proven that evil exists on many planes, from the forces of nature to the human psyche. The higher laws of nature are cruel and unrelenting, without sense or remorse, nor compassion for mankind. Each song is a historical manifest of the demise of man, resulting in a massive epitaph for humanity…

7.Besides the upcoming To Fathom The Master's Grand Design release are the bands previous releases still available for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available if yes what is available and where can the readers buy it?

The first two albums Black Metal Jesus and The Devil’s Music are getting harder to come by, due to low pressings. The rest should be available for those who seek. Some of our previous works are also available from us, along with various merchandise – all through our bandcamp: https://hornedalmighty.bandcamp.com/

8.Does Horned Almighty play live very often or do you prefer working in the studio?What have been some of the bands most memorable shows over the years?Who are some bands you have shared the stage with?

We are most definitely a liveband – we do not write or compose anything, which can not be manifested into our liverituals. Our endeavors are widely available on social media for those interested. Each ceremony is an intense culmination of energy, darkness, wrath and redemption, which should hopefully leave the spectator partially devastated, partially redeemed! We have shared the stage with quite a lot over the years, such as Dismember, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, Shining, Archgoat, DHG, Bloodbath, Vader and many many more!

9.Are their any tours or shows planned for 2020 if yes where will the band be playing?

No tours planned, only a couple of one off rituals so far.

10.What does Underground Metal mean to you all?

Everything, since it’s been a part of us most of our lifetime and this will hardly change. The scene, the ones in it, the mentality, the innovation, the creativity – it is what drives us to do what have done, what we will do in the future and why we are doing it. It is a symbiosis of giving and taking, an alpha and omega of the true essence of higher existence…

11.Besides Horned Almighty do you or any of the members currently work with any other bands?If yes please tell the readers a little about them?

Yes, but none which are important in relevance to the cult of the Horned…

12. Horned Almighty comes out of Denmark's blackend death metal scene what is your opinion of the metal scene in Denmark over the years?

The scene here is stronger than ever, especially the underground. Bands like Solbrud, Orm, Genfærd, Phrenelith, Taphos, Wulfaz, Afsky, Serpent’s Lair and Gespenst are among those worth of mentioning. Great things are happening within our narrow walls indeed!

13.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Denmark?Are their any new bands you could recommend to the readers?

I have no alltime favorite band from Denmark, a lot I find good though. See answer above

14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?

The Grand design awaits and you are all a part of it!

S./Horned Almighty Anno MMXIX
Band Contacts
https://hornedalmighty.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hornedalmighty