Celebration Of The Goat
interview
Who of the Death / Black Metal fanatics hasn’t already heard NECROPHOBIC name? Although NECROPHOBIC have never belonged to the most famous Swedish bands, in the underground scene it is band par excellence, always ready to attack, always spreading their lethal infection in all directions. They have irradiated especially on their debut "The Nocturnal Silence" '93 ... but interview is of course mainly about the new album "Death to All" '09. I am glad the interview is finally done, for the answers is responsible drummer and the most original NECROPHOBIC member Joakim Sterner....
Hello Joakim, I'm happy I can do interview with your band …you are the original member in the band, how are things going for NECROPHOBIC today? Do you have a good term? Has NECROPHOBIC also experienced a bad period ever?
Joakim: NECROPHOBIC is on the magical path…
How did criticism and fans take the new "Death to All" album? Are you satisfied with the final result? Has everything turned out exactly to your expectations? Would you now change anything on the album even if you could?
Joakim: The album got the reactions it deserves, mostly high scores. The fans are always into what we’re doing, as we have always stayed true to our origin. We recorded it and produced it ourselves and we’re proud of the outcome of it. You can smell the death and darkness.
Where exactly has the album been recorded and what was the work in studio? You already have a wealth experience with the sound. Is sound important enough to you? Do you think sound can highlight atmosphere of the album?
Joakim: It was recorded in our own studio. By recording/producing the album ourselves, we can work whenever we feel for it. We didn’t have to care about time or any other persons outside the band, just ourselves and that gave us more focus. As we’ve been doing this for over 20 years now, we know what sound we’re looking for. The sound is very important of course. Every instrument has to have a personal sound that also works together, and together it must sound solid, big…atmospheric.
Just the atmosphere and melody are your strongest aspects, what is your recipe for achieving these two ingredients? With awe I’m always listening to the Swedish band's superb melodies… How it is possible Sweden has so much precise metal bands?
Joakim: I don’t know why Sweden has so many great bands. I don’t really care what other bands do. There’s no recipe. I believe we, the members of this band, have a talent and a feel for great music and that’s why we create the music that we do.
Which thing is most important to you in terms of composition? What is your writing process of each song?
Joakim: The songs must tell something. You must get a feeling from it. They should also be easy to understand. Not millions of riffs with no “thread”. I hate that. A process of writing a song is never the same. There’s no easy way to describe how to make a song. Sometimes you can write a song in just 1 hour and sometimes it can take 1 month to write a song.
I think many of today's new bands are missing strong songs, just in 90´s there have been really many strong albums; of course, the old experienced bands still produce quality pieces. It's probably a matter of good composition and feeling… Do you think anybody can learn to compose a good strong song, or a musician must already have it in the genes?
Joakim: Writing songs is not for everyone, it’s a talent. It’s not really something that anybody can learn.
How would you compare your new album with previous "Hrimthursum" and let’s say the debut „The Noctural Silence“? Can you see there some evolution? Or is evolution in the music important to you?
Joakim: There’s a big difference between “Death to All” and “The Nocturnal Silence”, the first album. The difference between “Death to All” and “Hrimthursum” is not that big, though. Evolution is not the main thing in our music, but it develops slowly from album to album.
Which NECROPHOBIC album you consider to be most break through and why?
Joakim: That’s not a question for me to answer, really.
What does NECROPHOBIC band mean to you? Could you imagine you would split-up one day? Even though you can’t get away from it?
Joakim: I see this band live as long as we have the hunger and creativity to go on. I see no end for NECROPHOBIC for the moment.
What is your opinion of your colleagues DISSECTION? I think it was musically and spiritually closest band to you or I'm wrong?
Joakim: We shared the same visions of how music shall sound, definitely.
Your lyrics are full of blasphemy, satanic philosophy and the struggle with Christianity; of course, do you take yourselves as true Satanists? Do you take Satanism as a philosophy or belief, or as a lifestyle?
Joakim: Lifestyle.
Which direction of Satanism are you most influenced by?
Joakim: No direction.
What do you think about death itself? Do you think life is only a temporary station on the infinite way of incarnations?
Joakim: Death is pure.
Do you think there is only one belief system? The fact we are all people we either all die and thus will end our trip, or all the dead will go through further transformations of energy regardless of what the man believes or have believed?
Joakim: I don’t think death is the end.
Ok Joakim, it would be all from me, if I forgot anything, feel free to write. Yet I would like to add we have seen NECROPHOBIC earlier this year in Prague and it was unforgettable great set! Good luck on your long journey! Stay dark!
Joakim: Yes, Prague was a killer show for us. Some really crazy satanic death soldiers there…
Joakim 17. 6. 2010 Mortuary
http://www.necrophobic.net/
Hello Joakim, I'm happy I can do interview with your band …you are the original member in the band, how are things going for NECROPHOBIC today? Do you have a good term? Has NECROPHOBIC also experienced a bad period ever?
Joakim: NECROPHOBIC is on the magical path…
How did criticism and fans take the new "Death to All" album? Are you satisfied with the final result? Has everything turned out exactly to your expectations? Would you now change anything on the album even if you could?
Joakim: The album got the reactions it deserves, mostly high scores. The fans are always into what we’re doing, as we have always stayed true to our origin. We recorded it and produced it ourselves and we’re proud of the outcome of it. You can smell the death and darkness.
Where exactly has the album been recorded and what was the work in studio? You already have a wealth experience with the sound. Is sound important enough to you? Do you think sound can highlight atmosphere of the album?
Joakim: It was recorded in our own studio. By recording/producing the album ourselves, we can work whenever we feel for it. We didn’t have to care about time or any other persons outside the band, just ourselves and that gave us more focus. As we’ve been doing this for over 20 years now, we know what sound we’re looking for. The sound is very important of course. Every instrument has to have a personal sound that also works together, and together it must sound solid, big…atmospheric.
Just the atmosphere and melody are your strongest aspects, what is your recipe for achieving these two ingredients? With awe I’m always listening to the Swedish band's superb melodies… How it is possible Sweden has so much precise metal bands?
Joakim: I don’t know why Sweden has so many great bands. I don’t really care what other bands do. There’s no recipe. I believe we, the members of this band, have a talent and a feel for great music and that’s why we create the music that we do.
Which thing is most important to you in terms of composition? What is your writing process of each song?
Joakim: The songs must tell something. You must get a feeling from it. They should also be easy to understand. Not millions of riffs with no “thread”. I hate that. A process of writing a song is never the same. There’s no easy way to describe how to make a song. Sometimes you can write a song in just 1 hour and sometimes it can take 1 month to write a song.
I think many of today's new bands are missing strong songs, just in 90´s there have been really many strong albums; of course, the old experienced bands still produce quality pieces. It's probably a matter of good composition and feeling… Do you think anybody can learn to compose a good strong song, or a musician must already have it in the genes?
Joakim: Writing songs is not for everyone, it’s a talent. It’s not really something that anybody can learn.
How would you compare your new album with previous "Hrimthursum" and let’s say the debut „The Noctural Silence“? Can you see there some evolution? Or is evolution in the music important to you?
Joakim: There’s a big difference between “Death to All” and “The Nocturnal Silence”, the first album. The difference between “Death to All” and “Hrimthursum” is not that big, though. Evolution is not the main thing in our music, but it develops slowly from album to album.
Which NECROPHOBIC album you consider to be most break through and why?
Joakim: That’s not a question for me to answer, really.
What does NECROPHOBIC band mean to you? Could you imagine you would split-up one day? Even though you can’t get away from it?
Joakim: I see this band live as long as we have the hunger and creativity to go on. I see no end for NECROPHOBIC for the moment.
What is your opinion of your colleagues DISSECTION? I think it was musically and spiritually closest band to you or I'm wrong?
Joakim: We shared the same visions of how music shall sound, definitely.
Your lyrics are full of blasphemy, satanic philosophy and the struggle with Christianity; of course, do you take yourselves as true Satanists? Do you take Satanism as a philosophy or belief, or as a lifestyle?
Joakim: Lifestyle.
Which direction of Satanism are you most influenced by?
Joakim: No direction.
What do you think about death itself? Do you think life is only a temporary station on the infinite way of incarnations?
Joakim: Death is pure.
Do you think there is only one belief system? The fact we are all people we either all die and thus will end our trip, or all the dead will go through further transformations of energy regardless of what the man believes or have believed?
Joakim: I don’t think death is the end.
Ok Joakim, it would be all from me, if I forgot anything, feel free to write. Yet I would like to add we have seen NECROPHOBIC earlier this year in Prague and it was unforgettable great set! Good luck on your long journey! Stay dark!
Joakim: Yes, Prague was a killer show for us. Some really crazy satanic death soldiers there…
Joakim 17. 6. 2010 Mortuary
http://www.necrophobic.net/