Lunar Tombfields
If someone asked me which band I am mostly interested in lately, German sepulchral VENENUM band would appeared in this list. Although the guys released only the first demo, their potential is so high all the maniacs into the dark obscure Death Metal must have met with this unholy band. Their music has also dimension that can not be perceived by ordinary consumers of MUSIC, it is a dimension of horrible darkness and fear, the dimension for a few chosen ones. Dive into the realms of eerie madness where black shadows come to life and the eternal flames of death are burning. Certainly enjoy the fact the men come from Germany, certainly there arises great occult and putrefactive scene, which is just waking up to a whopping labyrinths of grotesque derangement. I'm glad the guys finally replied to my questions, namely H.L. guitarist.
Hello, how are things going for VENENUM these days? Your start is dating back to 2008, but your first and only demo came out last year. Have you been doing this material so long? Did you want to come up with quality stuff which you could be fully proud of?
Ave. First, we have to clear things up, as this particular Cassette is NOT A DEMO, contrary to what this internet mighty say!
In fact, it's the Tape-Album-Version of our debut CD/LP. The "reason" why it took circa 2 years, was nothing but a line-up problem, which is fixed since the end of 2010!
Things are going very well with Venenum, as we have been on a small promotion tour with Sonne Adam recently and the Vinyl is also out since a couple of weeks!
I have to admit your "Venenum" stuff has literally blown me away, certainly one of the best recordings in 2011 for me. What kind of reactions have you got till now, whether from fans, critics or friends?
Thanks for your compliments! People that visited our shows & talked to us are very fascinated by the material and the way we celebrate it on stage.
Same goes for some of the "prominence", which seems to like it a lot as well! About the zines and stuff, there was nothing negative yet, but who really cares in the end...
Can you write something more how your stuff has been created? Was it precise hard work with throwing out a lot of riffs, or it came out quite light and naturally?
I'd rather say more naturally. To reflect it, is mostly impossible. When one creates a perfect fitting riff/part, you can no more think of anything else at the same moment, so you surely don't write down when it was created or whatever. When it's time to fall into a rush - time has no matter for a moment at least.
Have you had some idea about riffs, paces and sound before you started to write this stuff? Was it like a trip into unknown territory, or you had exact concept?
We had visions, of course! But as always it ends different as you imagined in advance.
The principle of a concept was created with the birth of the band back then.
It was kind of a trip, yes! But unknown territory is not the right case, as we already had band-wise a past into Death Metal (on another level).
Yeah, your riffs are mortally threatening. Fatal and anguish feelings of fear, horror and madness, just so is my vision of dark Death Metal, it's like breakdown of reality and disorder of physical laws. Is your view similar?
Dark Death Metal is the Death Metal we actually prefer! Madness & Horror plays a big role.
You mentioned the "breakdown of reality and disorder of physical laws" - I couldn't say it any better right now.
Do you think your music is dramatic and negative?
Yes, we think so! And it's also by far way more, but we are not about to categorize our music! We are channeling our inner feelings this way.
When I listen to your music, it gives me always great monstrous feelings as reading H. P. Lovecraft´s tales. Do any of you like this Horror master? Do you think he could influence your music? Where do you actually draw inspiration for your music in general from?
That's a really interesting comparison! He even could have influenced us in two directions.
One is reading his books AND another one is through bands like old Metallica & Morbid Angel (as they were influenced by him as well & we are influenced by their music additional).
Further influences must be amongst others tons of great music, cemeteries and other obscure places, some old movies and the afore mentioned books.
I have similar feelings also from groups such as DEGIAL, GRAVELESS, MIASMAL, REPUGNANT, MORBUS CHRON, all bands from Sweden. Do you know the mentioned bands?
Yeah, most of them - great stuff. But Sweden offers by far more great (Death) / (Metal) bands.
Do you think so obscure and dark feelings can be expressed only with Death Metal, or also by other music genres?
Definite NO. Just listen to early 90s Black Metal from Norway and get obsessed with the grimmest & darkest music you can ever imagine!
Important aspect of VENENUM is certainly sound. How are you satisfied with it? Can you tell where you have recorded, how long it took and what the atmosphere was at recording? Was it your intention to have dirty sound and certain vileness?
We recorded it in someone else' rehearsal-room, as there was more or less all the recording-equipment we needed!
It took weeks to finish it, but I'm unable to speak in numbers!
We are still working hard on the sound as it still can grow much stronger and equalized.
Also your instrumental interludes are definitely interesting. How did you come to this idea and who is the author? I recognize these instrumental songs arouse maybe even more negative feelings in me...
It's always difficult by hindsight to talk about "creating something" from a retrospective.
We have just let the demons inside of us speak & decided it this way.
"Veneficium" & "Abominate Ways" are written by H.L. & "Deathscent" is by P.T.!
Music atmosphere is probably important element to you. Do you think it is harder to create atmosphere only with classic instruments as guitars, drums, bass and vocals, as if another band use keyboards or another unusual musical instruments in Metal?
We have no rules at all. We already used a zither on "Deathscent" - who else did this in Metal?
I'd never say: keyboards = pussy Metal! NEVER! There are even great albums created only with keyboards.
Those can also be darker than lots of Metal music (especially these days).
Too much proves have been released in the past decades, to simply refute this.
What inspires you to write lyrics? It seems you are inspired also by occultism and dark philosophy. Who has written the lyrics?
We are inspired by so many things (some of them we probably didn't even realize). See above for a few details.
"Bewitched Craft" & Sacrosanct Transcendence" have been written by H.L. / "Crown Of Reversion" & "Lunar Tombfields" were written by P.T.!
What do you think of the words like death, chaos, fear?
Death is certain (life is not).
Chaos can be our order.
Fear doesn't appear in Venenum's context.
Are you already thinking of some new stuff? Do you have any idea how will other recordings sound? Would you like to have a full-length CD with clear sound, or you want to stay forever in the darkness of the underground?
We have much stuff written, which will be part of the forthcoming full-length album.
Some of the stuff we do already play live! We hope this future-release will sound more oppressive than the recent one and we are damned sure it will!!!
When it comes to the underground, we enjoy the underground very well, but we don't know where the borders are & where they are overstepped...as we have no rules, as said earlier!
I noticed on your site this year you will attend two outstanding fests as Deathkult Open Air and Death Strike. What does it mean for you to play live?
We are really looking forward to both of them. Same goes for the Partysan festival this year, where we also share (more or less) the stage/s with a lot of old Death Metal legends, something that makes us proud!
Playing live is the public side of Venenum. VERY IMPORTANT! To reflect on stage, what is going on behind the curtain! It also satisfies our minds very much, to enter our realm with our music!
That would be all on my part, if I forgot anything, feel free to write what you want for the fans. Thank you for the great interview and wish VENENUM only the best, thanks again, HORNS UP!
Thanks for your support! Would be great to play your country of great Metal history!
So far... Bring the witching hour sacrifice!
http://www.munenev.com/
H.L 7. 4. 2012 Mortuary
Hello, how are things going for VENENUM these days? Your start is dating back to 2008, but your first and only demo came out last year. Have you been doing this material so long? Did you want to come up with quality stuff which you could be fully proud of?
Ave. First, we have to clear things up, as this particular Cassette is NOT A DEMO, contrary to what this internet mighty say!
In fact, it's the Tape-Album-Version of our debut CD/LP. The "reason" why it took circa 2 years, was nothing but a line-up problem, which is fixed since the end of 2010!
Things are going very well with Venenum, as we have been on a small promotion tour with Sonne Adam recently and the Vinyl is also out since a couple of weeks!
I have to admit your "Venenum" stuff has literally blown me away, certainly one of the best recordings in 2011 for me. What kind of reactions have you got till now, whether from fans, critics or friends?
Thanks for your compliments! People that visited our shows & talked to us are very fascinated by the material and the way we celebrate it on stage.
Same goes for some of the "prominence", which seems to like it a lot as well! About the zines and stuff, there was nothing negative yet, but who really cares in the end...
Can you write something more how your stuff has been created? Was it precise hard work with throwing out a lot of riffs, or it came out quite light and naturally?
I'd rather say more naturally. To reflect it, is mostly impossible. When one creates a perfect fitting riff/part, you can no more think of anything else at the same moment, so you surely don't write down when it was created or whatever. When it's time to fall into a rush - time has no matter for a moment at least.
Have you had some idea about riffs, paces and sound before you started to write this stuff? Was it like a trip into unknown territory, or you had exact concept?
We had visions, of course! But as always it ends different as you imagined in advance.
The principle of a concept was created with the birth of the band back then.
It was kind of a trip, yes! But unknown territory is not the right case, as we already had band-wise a past into Death Metal (on another level).
Yeah, your riffs are mortally threatening. Fatal and anguish feelings of fear, horror and madness, just so is my vision of dark Death Metal, it's like breakdown of reality and disorder of physical laws. Is your view similar?
Dark Death Metal is the Death Metal we actually prefer! Madness & Horror plays a big role.
You mentioned the "breakdown of reality and disorder of physical laws" - I couldn't say it any better right now.
Do you think your music is dramatic and negative?
Yes, we think so! And it's also by far way more, but we are not about to categorize our music! We are channeling our inner feelings this way.
When I listen to your music, it gives me always great monstrous feelings as reading H. P. Lovecraft´s tales. Do any of you like this Horror master? Do you think he could influence your music? Where do you actually draw inspiration for your music in general from?
That's a really interesting comparison! He even could have influenced us in two directions.
One is reading his books AND another one is through bands like old Metallica & Morbid Angel (as they were influenced by him as well & we are influenced by their music additional).
Further influences must be amongst others tons of great music, cemeteries and other obscure places, some old movies and the afore mentioned books.
I have similar feelings also from groups such as DEGIAL, GRAVELESS, MIASMAL, REPUGNANT, MORBUS CHRON, all bands from Sweden. Do you know the mentioned bands?
Yeah, most of them - great stuff. But Sweden offers by far more great (Death) / (Metal) bands.
Do you think so obscure and dark feelings can be expressed only with Death Metal, or also by other music genres?
Definite NO. Just listen to early 90s Black Metal from Norway and get obsessed with the grimmest & darkest music you can ever imagine!
Important aspect of VENENUM is certainly sound. How are you satisfied with it? Can you tell where you have recorded, how long it took and what the atmosphere was at recording? Was it your intention to have dirty sound and certain vileness?
We recorded it in someone else' rehearsal-room, as there was more or less all the recording-equipment we needed!
It took weeks to finish it, but I'm unable to speak in numbers!
We are still working hard on the sound as it still can grow much stronger and equalized.
Also your instrumental interludes are definitely interesting. How did you come to this idea and who is the author? I recognize these instrumental songs arouse maybe even more negative feelings in me...
It's always difficult by hindsight to talk about "creating something" from a retrospective.
We have just let the demons inside of us speak & decided it this way.
"Veneficium" & "Abominate Ways" are written by H.L. & "Deathscent" is by P.T.!
Music atmosphere is probably important element to you. Do you think it is harder to create atmosphere only with classic instruments as guitars, drums, bass and vocals, as if another band use keyboards or another unusual musical instruments in Metal?
We have no rules at all. We already used a zither on "Deathscent" - who else did this in Metal?
I'd never say: keyboards = pussy Metal! NEVER! There are even great albums created only with keyboards.
Those can also be darker than lots of Metal music (especially these days).
Too much proves have been released in the past decades, to simply refute this.
What inspires you to write lyrics? It seems you are inspired also by occultism and dark philosophy. Who has written the lyrics?
We are inspired by so many things (some of them we probably didn't even realize). See above for a few details.
"Bewitched Craft" & Sacrosanct Transcendence" have been written by H.L. / "Crown Of Reversion" & "Lunar Tombfields" were written by P.T.!
What do you think of the words like death, chaos, fear?
Death is certain (life is not).
Chaos can be our order.
Fear doesn't appear in Venenum's context.
Are you already thinking of some new stuff? Do you have any idea how will other recordings sound? Would you like to have a full-length CD with clear sound, or you want to stay forever in the darkness of the underground?
We have much stuff written, which will be part of the forthcoming full-length album.
Some of the stuff we do already play live! We hope this future-release will sound more oppressive than the recent one and we are damned sure it will!!!
When it comes to the underground, we enjoy the underground very well, but we don't know where the borders are & where they are overstepped...as we have no rules, as said earlier!
I noticed on your site this year you will attend two outstanding fests as Deathkult Open Air and Death Strike. What does it mean for you to play live?
We are really looking forward to both of them. Same goes for the Partysan festival this year, where we also share (more or less) the stage/s with a lot of old Death Metal legends, something that makes us proud!
Playing live is the public side of Venenum. VERY IMPORTANT! To reflect on stage, what is going on behind the curtain! It also satisfies our minds very much, to enter our realm with our music!
That would be all on my part, if I forgot anything, feel free to write what you want for the fans. Thank you for the great interview and wish VENENUM only the best, thanks again, HORNS UP!
Thanks for your support! Would be great to play your country of great Metal history!
So far... Bring the witching hour sacrifice!
http://www.munenev.com/
H.L 7. 4. 2012 Mortuary
interview
