Interview with Stellarvore of Necrotherion (by D)

WELCOME TO TF ZINE!

(Now before the interview start's one thing I want to make very clear is that Necrotherion is a band of individuals, whatever I say is only from me, we all have a mind of our own. - Stellarvore)

1) How long have you guys been making music for in this band and can you please speak about the history of your band Necrotherion?

Hail! Well Necrotherion formed in the winter of 2008, then it was just me and Chernobog (Guitarist). Back then it was just him doing the guitar, a drum machine and me on the Vocals and it was only a recording project.

Then after about a year of working on it we decided to place it on hold so we could join a Death Metal band with a couple of our friends. Now the Death Metal band did not last long but luckily it lead us to meet our Drummer, Vitiatus. Once he joined Necrotherion we jumped right on practicing for live shows with me on Bass and Vocals.

Then after our first show a friend of our's named Pain joined to take up Bass duities, then shortly after that Wargoat joined to play Guitar along side Chernobog, and now here we are.


2) What is the area like and how does it contribute to how your band gets noticed in the area? Gigging or not?

This Valley heavily influences me, it has a beauty, the hills covered in green during the spring then snow in the winter. The fog that float's over the river during the Twilight hours it is amazing once you take the time to look at it.

But then there is the scum, the maggot's and filth. This Valley is covered in people who you just wish would fucking die, low life fiend's and pill heads. I have seen mother's leave there children alone while they go suck cock for there fix.

But when it come's to gigging yes there is a nice lineup of Bar's and Clubhouses that give's us places to perform.

3) If their is a place where friends and listeners can purchase merch or your music at, were would it be?

Well we currently do not have any Merch but that will come in the future and when it does just contact the band through Facebook or whatever, but if the reader's and follower's want to download our Demo you can get it here at the Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/clifton-reintzel/sets/from-the-void-demo-2012/



4) What is your latest material and album you guys are working on now? Can you describe it and what do you expect to get out with it?

Well the new song's we have been working on have been showing a great deal of different influences, it is still Necrotherion and it is still Black Metal but we like to mix it up a bit. Recently our song's have been incorporating a sort of Doomish guitar style, so I think it add's to it.

During December we plan on starting to Record our first album which will be called "Soulless".

5) What do you want listeners to get out of listening to your songs and how has the feedback been so far?

Darkness, sound's of Nothinigness as if they just entered a dark Void. A feeling of Anger and Hatred toward's you're fellow man.

But also enlightenment, we believe Knowledge is the true God to expand your mind and to push yourself to higher level's. The one thing we hate the most is a wasted mind, and in order to open your mind you must first understand that you are nothing, you do not matter. Only then can you truely understand everything.



6) How has the internet world been treating you band compared to outside it, and how has the feedback been so far online, opposed to offline?

We have been gaining a lot more attention outside of the Internet, but the Internet has been good, it allows us to communicate with everyone and power comes from number's so the more people who enjoy us the stronger we become.

The feedback has been extremely good, it seems people in the Valley have been craving Black Metal.



7) Which do you prefer, the live setting or the recording setting? Anything you guys do to warm up or flesh out during both?

I enjoy the process of creating new music, but the live performance is an amazing experience. You gain a feeling of power, a real ego booster when you hit the stage that it's always hard to end it.

The warm up before a show usually involve lot's of blood, vomit, alcohol, weed and anger.

8) How many bands have you guys played with and can you name a few people should check out?

We have played a total of 5 show's with 9 band's, all great band's and if you don't mind i'll make a small list of Links to some band's I think people should check out.

Disobey: http://www.facebook.com/Disobeyblackmetal

Hatedriven: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HateDriven/159490860791607

Throwbones: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Throwbones/122808824470016

Vulture: http://www.facebook.com/vulturedoom?ref=ts



9) What musical acts influenced you growing up?

Well for me it started with the early Heavy Metal like Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Judas Priest and Led Zeppelin. But when it comes to Black Metal my first influence was Gorgoroth's "Under The Sign of Hell" Pest's Vocals on that album is what made me want to create Black Metal.

But there is also a vast list of what influences me, but i'll keep it simple and just give the biggies. There is Mayhem, Immortal, Krieg, Absu, Darkthrone, Profanatica, Absurd, Pentaface, Dissection, Necromantia, Lord Belial, I Shalt Become, Burzum and Ancient VVisdom.



10) If you had a choice of which band to gig with, on a compaitability level....who would they be and why? Sound wise? friends? anything.

Well, we have a show with Morbid Angel, Dark Funeral and Grave in a week so that pretty much top's it, haha. But if I could pick I would like to do a show with either Mayhem or Gorgoroth and to be more selective it would be in Germany. Once that happen's, I will feel I achieved my goal.

11) Where do you guys stand on a political stand point if any?

Necrotherion has nothing to do with Politic's, now the band member's could have a Politic view but nothing Political get's into Necrotherion.


12) If you had to name some moments this year that really inspired you, what would they be?
Our first show being on Good Friday was a good treat, finding out that we are playing with Morbid Angel after only 5 show's and the fact we havent even played a fucking year yet! It really is mind blowing news. But our growing fanbase is good, I never expect it to get as big as it did especially since most of our song's is Anti-Human but I guess everyone is angry at this race.




13) How many times did I screw up this interview and do you like it so far? This is a very serious question.....
           You fucking suck man, you should just stop now, this is fucking horrible and a disgrace! Haha no man it was really good, i'm glad this was Necrotherion's first interview, you ask some good solid questions, keep it going strong brother.




14) Brothers of war....what do you think 2013 will bring you and what do you guys plan to do next? Anything you like to say? People to mention? family friends, and so forth. I really enjoyed our time together and enjoyed our very serious and in depth interview. I hope I tapped into your minds like a surgeon after I put you under a anaesthetic so my readers can enjoy ever dirty detail about Necrotherion.
         
             Well 2012 was the beginning of Necrotherion's full on assault, and it's not going to end anytime soon I can assure you that. We feel 2013 is going to bring greatness, even if it's through our own blood, sweat, tear's it is going to become even more stronger!

            "Soulless" will hopefully be coming out in 2013, we feel that our number's will just continue to grow and people need to know about Necrotherion, for we are the Void, the complete nothingness. We are that slap of cold, hard fucking reality across your blind ignorant face. We are Death's Mighty Beast, and we will Reign forever!


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Necrotherion/150393611662666



It has been a pleasure.... Fuck shit up!!! cheers \m/
 ~D

Interview with Razakel Krieg (by D)

1) How long has your band been around for and why?

Now...Iam not sure which of my bands/projects this is aimed towards, so I will give you a run down of them all.

My main band 'Baalberith' formed in the winter of 1999, its first release was 'Dark Revelations' in 2000 which I solely wrote and recorded.

As for My solo project 'Razakel Krieg' that formed early 2010 officially, but I had been writing and recording music for many years before, just not for public listening...

Dark Debauchery's creation was originally 2009...but didnt get any progression untill 2011 due to other band commitments. But shortly after this released a split album with Morktar.

Winter Tranquility,  also 2011...Though progression is a slow process with this one.

                                            https://www.facebook.com/Baalberithuk?ref=ts

2) What does your band name mean?

BaalBerith was the god of the Canaanite city, who later came to be viewed as the demon Baalberith by Christian demonology.
According to the Book of Judges, his temple was destroyed when Abimelech quelled the rising of his subjects.
The name denotes a form of Ba'al-worship prevailing in Israel, according to the Book of Judges.and particularly in Shechem.
The term "Ba'al" is shown by the equivalent "El-berith" to mean "the God of the Covenant.
" The 'Covenant' (Hebrew: Berith) to which this refers may refer to treaties such as one with the Canaanitic league of which Shechem was the head,
or the covenant between Israel and the people of Shechem.The term is considered by some to be too abstract to have been occasioned by a single set of conditions.
Moreover, the temple of the god in Shechem implies a permanent establishment. Probably the name and the cult were widespread and ancient, though it is mentioned only in connection with the affairs of Shechem.

3) How many albums and release have you done under Razakel and who have you worked with?

I Suppose the Easiest way for me to answer this is with a list of all known 'Razakel Krieg' Releases:

Dawn of a New Existence,
Suicide [Single],
Death Beneath the Mourning Star EP,
Invoked Spirits of the Night [Split],
Desecration of His Holy Empire Demo,
Kingdom Dammed [Split],
Churchburner Album,
Beholding the Blood Red Realm Album,

As for who I have worked with... it has been many great musicians over the years, too many to remember infact... so i will state my recent activity
on that side of the spectrum,

'Lord Forneus' springs to mind for the first in the list... we have worked togeather on the project 'Grimsvotn' for many years now, and are intending to push this even further into the LIVE stages in due time, the stageshow, the atmosphere and the sound we have planned is nothing short of raw.

I am currently working with 'Matt Tekell-Rogers, I am supplying guest vocals to the new Angelfuck release... I dont know what to expect from this... Angelfuck are most certainly one of the best and most uncomprimising Grind bands that I have encountered over the last years,and am intending to give it a new sound of intensity with the addition of my vocal-work. New places shall be visited no hostages shall survive the onslaught.

'Lord Andras' i have done several vocal appearances on this guys albums, and it is he who is the other part in 'Winter Tranquility'

So the last in which i feel the need to mention is 'Zaharoth Tyr' who i have recently been in discussions with about a project named 'Demoniacal',
Named after a 'Baalberith' song, and creating depressive black metal.

                                          https://www.facebook.com/GrimsvotnUK?ref=ts

4) If their is any bands you would compare your band to so listeners have a idea of what they are gunna hear, who would they be?

No... I go out of my way to influence my bands and projects to be completely original.

5) I really like the album art for Beholding the Blood Red Realm?

Thank you... this album will be available on Satanica soon, For beholding the blood red realm. The front cover image is me.

                                        (AVAILABLE SOON @ WWW.SATANICA.ORG/)


6) What has the metal scene been like in your area and what bands can you mention you like?

The metal scene in the newark area is dead to say the least...
but this is why Baalberith favor playing hometown shows once in awhile, the place gets packed out with all the crazy fuckers of the town...

7) What do you want listeners to get out of your music?

I believe that as with all music... any album listened too is a mental journey undertaken for the listener, and that what that journey may be... i dont feel the need to dictate. everyone has a seperate path.

What equipment do you use now?

Currently i am using Reaper 4.11 [DAW], Toontrack ezmix2, and Toontrack Metal machine & metalheads drum setups.

Also additionally I often use mixcraft and cubase 5.

                                        https://www.facebook.com/RazakelKriegOfficial?ref=ts

9) Do you prefer the recording setting or live setting? What do you like about both and what do you do before you practice or get ready for a gig?

I value both of these experiences highly, as neither can out do the other... both have factors i enjoy...
Nothing beats the buzz of playing to a LIVE audience once in awhile...

But it is not something i would want to do all the time... I like my space, and to be away from people...
so in that retrospect I enjoy the recording setting... just me... my mind... and my instruments. Total fucking solitary.

10) Last question where can listeners find your merch and music, and I hope you enjoyed our interview. Thanks for your time! any last words?

My music can be found in various places... many d.i.y labels stock my albums... such as Satanica productions, depressive illusion records etc etc. Also youtube and spotify are good sources... Thanks ~ Razakel Krieg

Cross Zine Promo Interview with Elizium @ Les Chroniques de Béon Zine

• Hello Elizium! Can you tell us about your band?



Hi! We started our band a long time ago and categorize our music as Dark Rock. We have a passion for music that has a strong emotional impact. We released two albums so far, the first named 'Angel of Mistrust' and the latest release called 'Relief by the Sun'. You can view our latest video on Youtube called 'Violent Flower'. 
We are from the Netherlands, but are playing a different kind of music compared to the Gothic metal bands our little country is known for in the international metal scene.

• I saw that you were formed in 1991. Your first demo, « Angel of Mistrust » was released in 2003. Can you explain such a long period of time?



After we started Elizium back in 1991,the first two years consisted mainly of line-up changes and playing covers of other bands, so it took a while to find the direction we wanted to take. After that Elizium became quickly familiar in the local underground scene and in 1995 we recorded the first demo ; ‘War and Knowledge’. 
In 1996 the band members went their separate ways and Peter Berends, Peter Röge and Gerard Manoch individually played in several other bands, only to find out we each missed the atmosphere and belief we had in Elizium.
In the year 2000 we decided to bring Elizium back to life again. Unfortunately we still had some line-up changes. Peter Deurloo, our keyboard player at the time died in a car accident and it took some time to find the right bass player. Finally Erik Dijkstra joined on keyboards, and Marco Snoek on bass.
And that’s why it took until 2003 to realease the ‘Angel of Mistrust’ demo.

• Now, I would talk about your new album, « Relief by the Sun ». First, what were your main influences to produce your album, is that this idea of mixing doom and gothic atmospheres you come from bands that you particularly enjoy?



Well, I guess we are all influenced by a lot of bands and the individual band members all have their own personal favourites. Those influences seem to mix very well. Peter Berends is influenced by a lot of Scandinavian metal bands (Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Lake of Tears, Dimmu Borgir, Arcturus) and music from the eighties (David Bowie, Talk Talk), Gerard Manoch likes to listen to older rock bands (Genesis, Rainbow), Michael Paap is a big fan of the more obscure music (like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Ulver, Year of No Light), and Erik Dijkstra and Peter Röge are influenced by American Metal bands (Type O Negative, Life of Agony).
It's not that we try to mix those influences on purpose though, we just create our music together and we all need to feel the same emotional punch in the stomach before we all accept it as appropiate.




• I notice that your musical style is rather particular, how can you really define it?

I think it's hard to categorise our music and limit it to one particular genre.

There are definatelly a lot of Doom, Gothic, Metal and Rock elements in it. We prefer to call it Dark Rock.

• Most of your songs are really epic.

Do you think it helps to give another dimension to your music?



The Epic dimension to our music is something we need and crave. We like to make music that you can feel, music that introduces a strong feeling of melancholy, or makes you feel like you have been punched in the stomach. We essentially make music for ourselves, and the stuff that we make needs to fit our moods and wake something up within.
If we do not get that feeling about a piece of music we have made, we throw it in the garbage bin. It’s all or nothing really.



• In the song “Relief by the Sun”, you have placed electronic elements. Is this done to make your music more accessible?

Not really, it was just the right sound for that song. Hell, if the song needed a ukelele we would have put it in there... Fortunately it didn’t need a Ukelele hahaha!

• I talk about now of your first album, « Angel of Mistrust ». The quality of sound is some worse than “Relief by the Sun”. Is it because of problems with the studio or is it as if it was done on purpose, just like the black metal bands?



It's probably a combination of budget and experience. We put a lot of ideas in that album which took a lot of time to produce. Back then we didn't have the budget to spend a lot of time in the studio, so we had to do a lot of recording ourselves. Luckily that changed with the release of our second album and now the album has the production quality it deserves.
Nevertheless we still are very happy with the first album and to us gives us a nice nostalgic feel.



• The artwork of « Relief by the Sun » is very mysterious. But in your texts, you speak clearly of rope (I would make the connection with the hung corpse) and tree, and the burning sun, madness, sadness, love ...
Can you make the connection between all your texts and artwork, and where do you find all these ideas?

I tried to embed elements of all our songs in the artwork, so your observations are correct. Another broader element is the ever ongoing struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. The music we make always has those elements in it, regardless of the subject of the song.
One of the reasons our music has an Epic touch I guess is because we try to strike a balance between strength and tragedy. No matter how dark your world might be, there's always a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The cover art supports this vision by painting a stark contrast between light, happiness and beauty versus decay, darkness and tragedy. All these elements combined together with details found in the songs on the album overall visualise the universe that we try to create in our music.



• Which bands would you like to tour with? I saw that you are about to do a concert with Lacrimas Profundere. What do you feel about playing with such a big group?



Well, obviously the bands we like to listen to. I think we would put everything aside for having a chance to play with Paradise Lost, Amorphis or Lake of Tears. But in general it's great to play with bands who share the same passion for this kind of music as we do.
The gig we had with Lacrimas Profundere was great, our music fit very well together that evening and there was quite a crowd attending the concert that evening. They were a nice bunch of guys so we had a very good experience there.



• What do you think about the metal scene today?



The great thing about the metal scene is the everlasting support. People embrace it like a lifestyle which is never going away. What I miss these days however is the experimenting that happened in the early days. A lot of releases these days seem to mimic other bands. But luckily there are still a lot of gems to be found.




• The French metal scene is huge, do you think that turn in France could be a good experience for your group?



For sure! A lot of really great music comes from France (like Year of No Light, Alcest, Les Discret, Amesoeurs, Celeste, Blut aus Nord, Peste Noire) which shows that there's a lively underground scene. I regard France as a country with immense creativity and sense for beauty, and it would be great to perform there. It's a shame that in Europe there is such a big focus on the regular commercial stuff (mostly from the US) while there's so much to find if people are willing to look a little bit beyond the stuff which is usually aired on the radio and on TV. We are from the Netherlands and our label is German so it's not very easy for us to find the right venues to create a tour. But we're always open to suggestions so hopefully we will be able to visit France anytime soon.




• Do you have projects for 2012?



We're trying to release our next album sooner so we are already busy writing new material. We also have discussed some thoughts for a new video. Keep an eye on our website (www.elizium.nu) for any news in 2012.



• One last word for the French fans and to readers of Les Chroniques de Béon? 



Thanks for reading this, enjoy our dark music and hopefully we will meet soon!

http://www.elizium.nu/