The Cleansing
NOMINON is older Swedish band that was formed in the best and most famous era of Death Metal, when were appearing the most cult and best works. But their debut did not come as quickly as it might seem to someone, it happened in 1999 under the "Diabolical Bloodshed" name, a wave of Death Metal has been declining at that time already. As the band arose in 1993, this year NOMINON celebrates 20 years of existence, during that time they have released five full-length albums and amounts of other shorter recordings. In October of last year their latest "The Cleansing" album saw the dark of the world and after its release has hit me an idea to contact the band. Questions have been sent at the end of last year and the answers came already this year, so Perra (drums ov death) and Juha (bass) have the word.
Hell-o, how are things going on with NOMINON in these cold days at the beginning of the year?
PERRA: All good here man, just answering some interviews and taking care of business as usual.
So you have released fifth "The Cleansing" album in your long existence, in fact this year you will celebrate 20 years of NOMINON! Are you planning something special for the fans at this excellent anniversary? Do these 20 active years mean anything to you?
PERRA: It's a cool achievement being around for 20 fucking years, so I guess it means something. The new album just came out and we are already talking about doing some sort of “Greatest Hits” album this year, and if everything works out as planned we hope to get a kick ass DVD release done, as well as playing a few shows around in Europe to celebrate the 20 years you know.
How are you satisfied with the new CD that just came out at Samhain? Was it intended the album just came out on this symbolic day? What does the date mean to you?
PERRA: It was not planned from our side of the table, but when it made sense when our record label DEATHGASM RDS suggested it. That date will go down in the history books as the date when NOMINON released “The Cleansing”. Good enough for me.
Could you compare your new and previous "Monumentomb" stuff? Can you see there any differences, eg. in composition, approach to writing process? Do you think new album is the best you've released so far?
PERRA: Yes, I'd say so; it's our best work to date. I do enjoy each and every release in their own little way, but this album is the most complete one I have to say. Everything is just there, from the kick ass songs and gruesome production to the outstanding cover artwork by Juanjo Castellano. The biggest difference compared to the “Monumentomb” album is the production for sure, and the fact that we now had a proper and permanent vocalist on the whole album (Henke Skoog.)
You play classic old school Death Metal evoking dark negative feelings with killing rhythms and sophisticated melodies. Do you also perceive your music as negative? I think the feelings of your music are horrid, decadent and scary. Can you find in your music really positive feelings? I do not mean that your music gives you some energy, but the real feelings emanating from your melodies for example.
PERRA: The positive thing that is always presence in our songs are the pure hate for the human race. We are not really a bunch of happy and positive guys, and since we are playing and performing Death Metal it would not be a good idea to start joking around with either the music or the lyrics.
The melody itself plays quite a big role in 90% of Swedish Death Metal bands (but what can we say, it is related to Swedish music in general). Do you think writing such a great melodic songs is naturally written in your blood? Let’s us take UNLEASHED or NECROPHOBIC for example, both bands already have a lot of albums, and it always seems they cannot come up with such catchy tunes again. Then they release new stuff and I cannot believe they succeed. But it is the same with you...
PERRA: I can agree with you to a certain point, yet I think that UNLEASHED is releasing a lot of weird songs at some of their later albums. And TOO many songs on each and every new album, it's like 16 songs or something. I don't get it, but who am I to judge them, they do as they're pleased! NECROPHOBIC is fucking great too, they're a bit more melodic I'd say. Yet in an evil way, so it's all good.
How has the new album been creating? Where did you take inspiration and who brought most ideas? Could you please describe your writing process? Is it individual or collective work? What were your feelings when you already decided the album is completely finished?
PERRA: The riffs were mainly written at our rehearsal place, by Christian, Alex and Juha. Then we arranged everything together and everyone has a say in things pretty much. Once again, the main inspiration comes from the society and people in general, and our hate for it. The lyrics were written by myself and Henke on the latest album. We all had a kick ass feeling after the album was recorded, mixed and mastered.
Personally, in general I think the most important thing in music is composition. How do you take your writing process? It 's kind of what you are thinking about very much, or you do not care about it at all and it flows somewhat naturally?
PERRA: So far everything has had a natural flow, and yes we take every step of a new composition very serious.
How do you perceive position of NOMINON in the Swedish or the worldwide scene? Do you think you are band that is always and forever in underground, or you are the band of the middle class? What was your aim at band formation, what were your dreams and aspirations? Do you think you have got wherever you wanted?
JUHA: My aim with the band was not to be in a certain position a given year. I create Death Metal regardless of the number of people paying attention to my work. Being underground makes one more persistent and what's going on in the outside world couldn't be more irrelevant.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and who is the author? It is evident your topics revolve around the afterlife, undead, death, evil, the devil etc. How much do you take these things seriously? Many people may think Death Metal or Black Metal bands take all these issues with a certain detachment and everything is just a form of fun. How do you perceive it?
PERRA: No, it's not any funny lyrics. If there's a Death Metal band on this earth writing funny lyrics and say that they play Death Metal they can FUCK OFF!! The main ingredients in our lyrics are blasphemy, anti religion, war, hatred etc.
Similar themes and feelings of fear, madness, old devils and pagan cults were used also by American writer H. P. Lovecraft, who popularized the dreaded Necronomicon book. Are some of your lyrics directly influenced by this visionary of Ancient ones? What do you think about this writer, his works and myth?
PERRA: We used to have lyrics inspired by Lovecraft and authors like that. His works are fucking tremendous. A true artist.
Your band’s formation is dated in 1993. Do you think it was the absolute best time for Death Metal when a lot of bands appeared and released their best albums? How do you remember these times? Has the atmosphere of that time directly affected the formation of NOMINON?
JUHA: It was a good time for Death Metal but it was even better few years earlier. Of course it was inspiring times but for me the golden years of Thrash Metal in the eighties was at least as important. The dedication and the skills of young people in late eighties/early nineties were crucial for the scene and a driving force behind many bands.
Many old Swedish Death Metal bands are active up to now and still carry the message that was created by the late '80s, other bands changed music style and others broken up. How do you perceive Death Metal in Sweden today? Personally I see a new wave of Swedish Death Metal, for example GRAVELESS, MIASMAL, MORBUS CHRON, REPUGNANT, DEGIAL, INVIDIOUS, VETERNUS, TRIBULATION and lots more bands. Are you interested in your scene nowadays?
PERRA: Yes, I am interested in the Swedish scene of today as well. Some of the new bands that I like is TORMENTED and CRUCIFYRE. I do however have lots of other things happening in my life, so I don't have the time to sit around at home thinking about how I perceive Death Metal of today. I just listen to the same old shit that I have always been doing more or less.
What is the life in Sweden? I feel that living in Sweden is some dream for many people from Europe. What would you emphasize on your country and vice versa, what you don’t consider to be too positive?
PERRA: It used to be good, when I grew up. Nowadays it is just rubbish. The main thing is that all politics in Sweden are fucking lame bastards that don’t have the balls to say enough is enough. They all lie and cheat to get your vote; they do anything, but the people starting to finally open their eyes to all the shit. Civil war awaits, it's just a matter of time.
How do you perceive the world in general now? Various wars are threatening there, terrorist attacks, the economic crisis, social unrest and the like. Do you think all this is created by media only, or the world is indeed caught up in the horrors and coming to the end?
PERRA: Pretty much the same thing going in the rest of the world as in Sweden. This is the perfect world to live in for us as a Death metal band. The media people in general are just a bunch of whores.
What about your tour for a new album? Have you already played some actions to promote "The Cleansing"? I have heard you should play this year 2013 in the Czech Republic which I would have been certainly pleased!
PERRA: We have also heard something about a certain Czech show, but yet nothing has been confirmed. It would be optimal for us to visit Czech during 2013 so we can also show you guys some real Death metal, and not only to celebrate 20 years, it would be fucking awesome. Especially since it has already passed five years since we last played in your kick ass country. We don't have any plans for longer tours, but we hope to do some smaller trips here and there, hopefully it will happen.
What is most important to you now at this moment after the release of "The Cleansing"? Do you have some merchandise for fans as well? That would be all on my side, if I forgot something important, you have opportunity to leave a message and say hello to your fans. Thank you for the amazing interview and wish NOMINON a lot of dark inspiration!
PERRA: Thanks a lot for the interview and support. We'll continue on our path and write more material, release more shit and spit on the cross for quite some time to come. For further information and Merchandise check our website. Stay FOCUSED!!
www.nominon.com
Perra, Juha 15. 1. 2013 Mortuary
Hell-o, how are things going on with NOMINON in these cold days at the beginning of the year?
PERRA: All good here man, just answering some interviews and taking care of business as usual.
So you have released fifth "The Cleansing" album in your long existence, in fact this year you will celebrate 20 years of NOMINON! Are you planning something special for the fans at this excellent anniversary? Do these 20 active years mean anything to you?
PERRA: It's a cool achievement being around for 20 fucking years, so I guess it means something. The new album just came out and we are already talking about doing some sort of “Greatest Hits” album this year, and if everything works out as planned we hope to get a kick ass DVD release done, as well as playing a few shows around in Europe to celebrate the 20 years you know.
How are you satisfied with the new CD that just came out at Samhain? Was it intended the album just came out on this symbolic day? What does the date mean to you?
PERRA: It was not planned from our side of the table, but when it made sense when our record label DEATHGASM RDS suggested it. That date will go down in the history books as the date when NOMINON released “The Cleansing”. Good enough for me.
Could you compare your new and previous "Monumentomb" stuff? Can you see there any differences, eg. in composition, approach to writing process? Do you think new album is the best you've released so far?
PERRA: Yes, I'd say so; it's our best work to date. I do enjoy each and every release in their own little way, but this album is the most complete one I have to say. Everything is just there, from the kick ass songs and gruesome production to the outstanding cover artwork by Juanjo Castellano. The biggest difference compared to the “Monumentomb” album is the production for sure, and the fact that we now had a proper and permanent vocalist on the whole album (Henke Skoog.)
You play classic old school Death Metal evoking dark negative feelings with killing rhythms and sophisticated melodies. Do you also perceive your music as negative? I think the feelings of your music are horrid, decadent and scary. Can you find in your music really positive feelings? I do not mean that your music gives you some energy, but the real feelings emanating from your melodies for example.
PERRA: The positive thing that is always presence in our songs are the pure hate for the human race. We are not really a bunch of happy and positive guys, and since we are playing and performing Death Metal it would not be a good idea to start joking around with either the music or the lyrics.
The melody itself plays quite a big role in 90% of Swedish Death Metal bands (but what can we say, it is related to Swedish music in general). Do you think writing such a great melodic songs is naturally written in your blood? Let’s us take UNLEASHED or NECROPHOBIC for example, both bands already have a lot of albums, and it always seems they cannot come up with such catchy tunes again. Then they release new stuff and I cannot believe they succeed. But it is the same with you...
PERRA: I can agree with you to a certain point, yet I think that UNLEASHED is releasing a lot of weird songs at some of their later albums. And TOO many songs on each and every new album, it's like 16 songs or something. I don't get it, but who am I to judge them, they do as they're pleased! NECROPHOBIC is fucking great too, they're a bit more melodic I'd say. Yet in an evil way, so it's all good.
How has the new album been creating? Where did you take inspiration and who brought most ideas? Could you please describe your writing process? Is it individual or collective work? What were your feelings when you already decided the album is completely finished?
PERRA: The riffs were mainly written at our rehearsal place, by Christian, Alex and Juha. Then we arranged everything together and everyone has a say in things pretty much. Once again, the main inspiration comes from the society and people in general, and our hate for it. The lyrics were written by myself and Henke on the latest album. We all had a kick ass feeling after the album was recorded, mixed and mastered.
Personally, in general I think the most important thing in music is composition. How do you take your writing process? It 's kind of what you are thinking about very much, or you do not care about it at all and it flows somewhat naturally?
PERRA: So far everything has had a natural flow, and yes we take every step of a new composition very serious.
How do you perceive position of NOMINON in the Swedish or the worldwide scene? Do you think you are band that is always and forever in underground, or you are the band of the middle class? What was your aim at band formation, what were your dreams and aspirations? Do you think you have got wherever you wanted?
JUHA: My aim with the band was not to be in a certain position a given year. I create Death Metal regardless of the number of people paying attention to my work. Being underground makes one more persistent and what's going on in the outside world couldn't be more irrelevant.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and who is the author? It is evident your topics revolve around the afterlife, undead, death, evil, the devil etc. How much do you take these things seriously? Many people may think Death Metal or Black Metal bands take all these issues with a certain detachment and everything is just a form of fun. How do you perceive it?
PERRA: No, it's not any funny lyrics. If there's a Death Metal band on this earth writing funny lyrics and say that they play Death Metal they can FUCK OFF!! The main ingredients in our lyrics are blasphemy, anti religion, war, hatred etc.
Similar themes and feelings of fear, madness, old devils and pagan cults were used also by American writer H. P. Lovecraft, who popularized the dreaded Necronomicon book. Are some of your lyrics directly influenced by this visionary of Ancient ones? What do you think about this writer, his works and myth?
PERRA: We used to have lyrics inspired by Lovecraft and authors like that. His works are fucking tremendous. A true artist.
Your band’s formation is dated in 1993. Do you think it was the absolute best time for Death Metal when a lot of bands appeared and released their best albums? How do you remember these times? Has the atmosphere of that time directly affected the formation of NOMINON?
JUHA: It was a good time for Death Metal but it was even better few years earlier. Of course it was inspiring times but for me the golden years of Thrash Metal in the eighties was at least as important. The dedication and the skills of young people in late eighties/early nineties were crucial for the scene and a driving force behind many bands.
Many old Swedish Death Metal bands are active up to now and still carry the message that was created by the late '80s, other bands changed music style and others broken up. How do you perceive Death Metal in Sweden today? Personally I see a new wave of Swedish Death Metal, for example GRAVELESS, MIASMAL, MORBUS CHRON, REPUGNANT, DEGIAL, INVIDIOUS, VETERNUS, TRIBULATION and lots more bands. Are you interested in your scene nowadays?
PERRA: Yes, I am interested in the Swedish scene of today as well. Some of the new bands that I like is TORMENTED and CRUCIFYRE. I do however have lots of other things happening in my life, so I don't have the time to sit around at home thinking about how I perceive Death Metal of today. I just listen to the same old shit that I have always been doing more or less.
What is the life in Sweden? I feel that living in Sweden is some dream for many people from Europe. What would you emphasize on your country and vice versa, what you don’t consider to be too positive?
PERRA: It used to be good, when I grew up. Nowadays it is just rubbish. The main thing is that all politics in Sweden are fucking lame bastards that don’t have the balls to say enough is enough. They all lie and cheat to get your vote; they do anything, but the people starting to finally open their eyes to all the shit. Civil war awaits, it's just a matter of time.
How do you perceive the world in general now? Various wars are threatening there, terrorist attacks, the economic crisis, social unrest and the like. Do you think all this is created by media only, or the world is indeed caught up in the horrors and coming to the end?
PERRA: Pretty much the same thing going in the rest of the world as in Sweden. This is the perfect world to live in for us as a Death metal band. The media people in general are just a bunch of whores.
What about your tour for a new album? Have you already played some actions to promote "The Cleansing"? I have heard you should play this year 2013 in the Czech Republic which I would have been certainly pleased!
PERRA: We have also heard something about a certain Czech show, but yet nothing has been confirmed. It would be optimal for us to visit Czech during 2013 so we can also show you guys some real Death metal, and not only to celebrate 20 years, it would be fucking awesome. Especially since it has already passed five years since we last played in your kick ass country. We don't have any plans for longer tours, but we hope to do some smaller trips here and there, hopefully it will happen.
What is most important to you now at this moment after the release of "The Cleansing"? Do you have some merchandise for fans as well? That would be all on my side, if I forgot something important, you have opportunity to leave a message and say hello to your fans. Thank you for the amazing interview and wish NOMINON a lot of dark inspiration!
PERRA: Thanks a lot for the interview and support. We'll continue on our path and write more material, release more shit and spit on the cross for quite some time to come. For further information and Merchandise check our website. Stay FOCUSED!!
www.nominon.com
Perra, Juha 15. 1. 2013 Mortuary
interview
