Entrevista con Erik Danielsson(Watain)

1. Hello Erik, this is Martin from Mortem zine, Czech Republic. First, let me ask you, how are you? “Lawless Darkness” is going to be released pretty soon so how do you feel after the long working process? Satisfaction is on the way?

Some time has passed now and the release of Lawless Darkness took place as planned on June 7th. Since then we have been living in a whirlwind of chaos, just as expected! I think very few people into Black Metal today has missed the album, if they have, too bad for them… To me it is by far the greatest musical monument I have ever been a part of.

2. When I got the album from a label, first thing I noticed was that you changed your sound little bit. “Sworn to the Dark” had more clean sound, but “Lawless Darkness” seems to be darker and deeper, even that you used the same recording studio. Am I right with the change? Did you have any special vision about the sound when you came into Necromorbus?

Yea we wanted to avoid a too modern sound and go more for classic, analogue productions like old Metallica, Bathory, Mercyful Fate etc… I hate this clean machine-like sound that most modern metal records have. Watain perform dirty and fiery music, wild and hungry, deep and sacred, and the production should sound just the same.

3. Second thing I noticed after the album played at my home for the first time was that your music grew up. Structures are more well-considered and colorful. What was the main idea you all had during the composing of the music? Did you came with some specific idea or everything ensued during the composing and recording? What is the main difference on the new album for you?

The only “idea” we had was to let everything we had inside us out, to finally reach that perfect translation of the darkness within our hearts and spirits. This is what we have always aimed to do with Watain, but of course after 11 years you have reached a certain level of understanding and of skill, which is why Lawless Darkness is the crown of our work so far.

But to talk a bit about the colorfulness of the album; you are absolutely right. The paradise of Satan is not restricted to a place of torment and violence. It is for those who are its enemy (which is why for example christians fear it so much), and most people are. But to me, who see myself as a son of the Devil, the reality of his blessing is something that encompasses a very broad spectrum of excessive emotions. Lawless Darkness is our attempt to express our feelings about this, so naturally you will find other things than blastbeats and reckless shouting. We perform music that is meant to represent the glory of the Dark Gods, and thus the album has become something very rich, bold, brilliant and proud in its expression.

4. There is one big moment on the new album – song “Waters of Ain”. For me, it’s the best song on the album and the most epic song of WATAIN to date. Is there any special concept behind the song? I’m asking because it’s unusual for you to record song that is 14 minutes long.

I am glad you have understood the importance of this song. “Waters of Ain” is to me the crown of our work with Watain so far, as Stellarvore was on Sworn to the Dark.
The story behind the song is long and complex but simply put one could say it is about the looking back upon a life of transcendence and enlighenment, and realizing that in order to continue on the path, life itself has to end. It is written in commemoration of some people that have been close to Watain, and also as a sort of testimony for myself. The reason for the song being so epic and “broad” in its emotional spectrum is because the feelings that one experiences when thinking about Death deeply and seriously are usually not limited to just one. To me the coming of Death and also viewing your own life in retrospect brings up a wide flow of feelings such as joy, melancholy, strength, pride, love, disgust, sorrow, hatred, and eagerness... These are things that we as artists must be able to portray, and you can not do that with just blastbeats and a mayhem riff. The darkside is the abode of many marvels and emotions in excess. This is what we want to portray not only in Waters of Ain but on all of Lawless Darkness.

5. Let’s talk about the artwork now. What is the meaning? Some kind of black hole, maybe?

The tablets of the law that appear in the bottom of the illustration symbolize the shattered laws of creation, the number from one to ten. When the order of nature is broken, the beast is born. They are the free spirits of Satan, riding the wings of death on their way back to the realm of limitless Chaos.

6. Let me ask you; imagine that I’m a listener that just came into a shop and see new CD of WATAIN. I just took the CD, looking on the artwork, reading name of the songs… If you’ll be a voice that will speak for the album, what will you say? How will you introduce the album for the listeners that want to buy “Lawless Darkness” or still thinking if do this or not?

This album is as ancient and as divine as the gods unto which it is written. It cares not about trying to sell itself to people. Those that are meant to cross its path will do so.

7. There were sentences like “The return of Black Metal”, “Black Metal shall be reborn”. Why did you use that? Some people might say it’s just selling thrust or something. So let me ask you; do you feel this album will be a reborn of black metal? That the album will bring what is missing now?

Hahaha, selling thrust? Fuck you! Just take alook around you, and you should understand. This genre has been going nowhere for the past decade. And noone seems to have the ambition to do something about it. But at the very moment of the its decline, when its former representatives either have become homosexuals, businessmen, rockstars –or in a few rare and honorable cases; dead- Watain has come to light the fires of the underworld again. No more bullshit. No more whoredom. No more playing around. It is time to bring Black Metal away from the low standards of today, and on to the depths for which it was intended. Obviously people are getting tired of bands that are just joking around. Watain contitute a opponent to the charade and the circus that this genre –at least on the surface- has become. Because Watain is not just a band, it is a total experience consistant of music, philosophy, art, brotherhood and Satanism. This is something very rare these days, when people are too much in a hurry to even spend time on writing memorable songs. Lawless Darkness is a child of the Devil, it has the characteristics of a god, and of course people into metal will prefer that before some happy meal metal like Keep of Kalessin or whatever... So yes, in that sense, it is time to rip up the genre by its roots and replant it in fertile ground. And the blood of the impure shall water the new plant of malformation, and ever upwards yonder shall it rise to crucify the very fundament of paradise…

8. When I saw the sentences we speak about in previous question, I realized how bad the status of black metal definitely is. There are more and more new groups, without nothing own etc… I don’t know if you have a time to pursue this, but what is the situation in Sweden? Because I still think, Sweden is became the most interesting country for black metal… It’s not only Norway, Norway, Norway like in the past.

Sweden has always been a high seat for Black and Death Metal. I have never cared much about these country discussion however.

9. Will you tour after the new album? Is anything in progress? If yes, I hope that 1 stop will not miss Czech Republic!

The Reaping Death tour will storm through all of Europe, starting September 24th and ending on Samhain, the 31st of October. With us on the wild hunt will be Destroyer666 and one more band that we are still working on. We really look forward to go back on tour and join forces with all our supporters again, its been far too long... On the 23rd of October we will massacre the Matrix Club in Praha. Hopefully with our friends from Root and Zlo! CZECH LEGIONS AWAIT THE STORM OF THE ANTICHRIST….

10. Are you preparing some special LP releases? “Lawless Darkness” in combination with killer design is a duty for all collectors!

The LP version was printed in 2500 copies and is now sold out… It is seriously the best looking LP I have seen in my whole life.

11. You’re going to play on Brutal Assault in Czech Republic this year. Let me ask you, what do you prefer – to play on festivals or in clubs? Is important for you to feel and get the power from the audience like you can receive in smaller clubs or it doesn’t matter?

I prefer clubs, but in the end it doesn’t matter so much. The stage of Watain is a temple of Satan, and it does not matter if it is risen among 10.000 or 100 persons. The Watain concerts are becoming something that I could never have dreamt about, we have truly learnt how to communicate with our Gods on stage, and that is something that I have never experienced in full in a Black Metal context before, except for perhaps with one or two other bands.

12. Gladly thanks for your time and answers, Erik. Thanks for the album and long live to WATAIN!

Thanks for the support, hail to all Watain militia bestial Satanist legions of Czech republic, looking forward to raise a chalice of blood with you soon! TO THE DEVIL BE OUR GLORY!

fuente: http://www.mortemzine.net/show.php?id=2216&il=4

 

yes!
es pa a alguien que le guste watain lea la entrevista.