I'd dare say the band KRIEG is one of the biggest current exponents into the USBM, moreover it's only member, Imperial, has been involved in several groups and projects of different styles as, for example, one we already reviewed and had the chance of interviewing in Queens of Steel; THE ROYAL ARCH BLASPHEME. All this is a clear example of its huge activity and importance into a scene that seems to be growing. After releasing its 6th full-length album so far (baptised as "The Isolationist"), we have the chance of having a long and interesting chat with the aforementioned Imperial, this band's leader. - Hello Imperial and thanks for taking the time. I would like to start with a brief introduction of the band, let's say a quick background story of KRIEG.
Krieg has existed since 1995 with myself as it’s sole “member” with various session musicians and collaborations over the years. Originally conceived to create harsh and chaotic black metal in the style of Profanatica and Beherit I’ve evolved over the years into what I suppose could be considered my own style. Krieg’s released several demos, splits, and now six full lengths.
- You have had, and still have, several musical projects; could you please give us a rundown of all of them too?
Current or in the past? Fuck it, I’ll put them all down:
Abominus: 1994-1997: A black/death band that sounded like a loose and amateur Belial(fin). This was my first band, I played bass and did some vocals and ambient parts. I was kicked out in 1997 due to growing musical differences. They became a metalcore band called Pressure Point and existed til 2000.
Imperial: 1995-97, 2010-: Krieg’s original name which I had to change due to other bands with the moniker. I reactivated the name this year to once again record chaotic and harsh black metal that doesn’t fit in what Krieg is doing right now. A 7 inch titled “Corpse Aesthetic” is nearly complete, no idea what will happen with it.
Devotee/Angelkunt: 1998-2002: Black metal project with Krieg and Abominus members that tried to replicate early Antaeus (hence the name) which eventually became a two man project that did two demos in the filthy Finnish black/death style.
Hidden: 2002-: Patrick from Red Stream Records own bizarre death/black metal project. I did main vocals on the first record, about 30% of the vocals on the second record and just a few weeks ago completed vocals for record #3. I
have no imput on this, it’s all Patrick’s child. I’m more of an instrument than entity but that’s how I prefer it for this project. Patrick has been very good to me over the years so anything I can do to help his own endeavors is fine by me. Twilight: 2004-: A collaboration of like minded musicians. This band has enough written on it that I don’t need to add any more.
March into the Sea: 2005-2007: Crusty funeral doom/death. I played drums and sang. We did one demo and a full length before our guitarist’s morality and ours got in the way of each other. Opened for Watain once, that was an interesting show.
Nil: 2005-: Originally an idea originated on a 2003 Krieg tour, once Krieg was put aside I started working with J. from Mits on what would be a Strid/postpunk worship band. One full length and a mcd/full length to be released in 2011
The Royal Arch Blaspheme: 2008-: Collaboration of John Gelso from Profanatica and myself. It’s not often people get a chance to work with their biggest influence. One album on Hell’s Headbangers out now, next will be done sometime in 2011.
The Red Cathedral: 2008-: Collaboration of Andy from Caina, myself, and some other guys. We haven’t done shit yet but it looks like 2011 will be the year for a demo at least.
I’ve also been a live member of Kult ov Azazel for a show, played in Nachtmystium for two tours and on “Instinct: Decay”, was live bassist for both Judas Iscariot shows and a handful of appearances on people’s records. I also have several unreleased demos from projects I’ve never really publicly spoken about, going back at least ten or so years.
- 4 years passed between your previous "Blue Miasma" and this new "The Isolationist"; what have you been into during this time?
Besides the above mentioned projects I’ve been into depression and drug use. I also spent a great deal of time reading, listening to new genres of music that I wasn’t aware of before, going to shows, and wishing I hadn’t fucked my life up so badly in 2005. All healthy pursuits I’m sure.
- Why such title? Does it represent you in any way?
I’ve become a hermit. I have severe anxiety which comes hand in hand with bi polar disorder so I keep to myself. So yeah it’s something that definitely represents me. I find a lot of people boring, plastic and motivated by the consumer
drive which a lot of the Western world seems to be obsessed over. Even if I wasn’t..”ill”..I’d still find these sort of qualities to be obscene. - And how do you think that title is connected to your lyrics?
Since around 2002 all of my lyrics for Krieg have described some kind of personal conflict, the “innerwar” so to speak. The new record is no different, though it grabs from a lot larger pool of personal trauma than the last two. Since lyrically Krieg is mostly autobiographical the title is the most directly related to my life than any of the others. The others used metaphor for conditions, wheras “The Isolationist” as a title is stripped down.
- In this brand new "The Isolationist" there are some guest features such as the collaboration of Joseph Van Fossen, LEVIATHAN's bass player Wrest and Chris Grigg. Explain us a bit about those collaborations; how did you come up with the idea, why did you choose them, etc.
Joseph was my first contact in the underground when Krieg began. He’s been a live member of Krieg since 2001 and was the first person I asked when Krieg began to play live again in 2008. It seemed only natural to have him on the record. He wrote some interesting material and hopefully will continue to do so with Krieg. Wrest was someone who I wanted to have on a Krieg recording for years. He was our last US drummer before I ended the band and we’ve worked together in Twilight for years. He brings a great understanding of what I wanted to achieve and was very important in helping create the atmosphere of the record. Chris Grigg’s band Woe has impressed me for awhile now and when the need came up for a live drummer in 2009 he stepped up. He did so again two weeks before recording when the drummer I had planned on using had to cancel. He’s been a solid part of Krieg ever since. I can’t repeat enough how easy it was to work with these artists and how they managed to bring their own individuality into something that is so aggressively personal without somehow making the ideas come across as too many chefs in the kitchen. I’m hoping this will be my recording lineup for the next record.
- I could consider this album as the most varied, or different, in your career so far. Do you think the musicians involved brought their own character to this record?
Definitly, plus their own music (Noctuary, Leviathan, Woe) influenced some of my writing before we gathered to record. Their quality of work made me push myself into trying to create something that would stand close to theirs. It’s a motivating thing to work with great artists.
- I'd also say "The Isolationist" is quite complex as well, and with different song structures. Was there any change during the composition process in comparison to your previous works?
My answer to this probably will change every time someone asks. I honestly don’t think so, I think it’s just natural progression and evolution in my writing and composition ability. With years of listening to different genres outside of metal in between Krieg recordings I’m positive I’ve soaked up a lot of new influences and ideas that I wouldn’t have had I not been exposed to these genres.
- The mix of the complex but still primitive sound is quite interesting. Could you say is, somehow, a challenge for the listener? And was it a challenge for yourself too?
It’s cliché but whatever the listener wants to take from the album is their business, and there isn’t really anything I’d want to do to change that. For myself it wasn’t so much a challenge but rather more of an adventure in what sort of sounds I could create and how I could expand my personal idea of what Krieg should represent. So goal oriented, to use business terms, but not really an obstacle.
- Production sounds clearer than, for example, 10 years ago (something obviously, of course), but still keeping that raw sound. What do you think are the advantages the actual means for production? And, how was the production process for the album?
Working with Sanford Parker at the helm was a satisfying process. He’s very knowledgeable about various genres in
and out of metal, so he understood what I wanted to come out of the studio, production wise, with in the end. The advantages to how his studio works is that it’s a fucking playground for sound creation and doesn’t have the limitations of some of the studios I’ve worked with in the past. He didn’t want to overly polish the sound and give it any kind of signature like some studios do (Abyss etc) which means every band that comes through will leave with their own record which isn’t smeared with someone else’s shitty ideas. - I have always thought KRIEG's career could be described in two different eras: your first albums, which sounded more chaotic, and since "Blue Miasma" you are providing a more regulated sound, so there are a few similarities to it but so many differences as well in sound terms, since it seems you have, somehow, gone back to your roots. Could you say is this new "The Isolationist" a mix of the best from your musical career?
It definitely takes bits and pieces from different times in Krieg’s life but I’d rather (pompously) think that this record is it’s own era and not a continuation or homage to any other time in Krieg’s history.
- And emotion wise, what are the main differences between this new album and your previous effort?
It’s emotionally more frantic, desperate, angry and, degenerative. It’s the sound of someone who’s positive they hit rock bottom until the floor opens up beneath them. Sunshine and flowers and all that.
- It seems like you have experimented with several new elements this time, did everything come naturally?
I had ideas of what I thought I could do once we confirmed we’d record at Volume Studios. Like I said before, there weren’t really any limitations of sound manipulation. As far as the writing, I’ve learned a lot from other musicians over the last five years so I was able to feel confident in changing some of the structure of how I composed and push new ideas through.
- And it ended up being such a varied album; was this something intended? What did you try to achieve with it?
I wanted it to feel like a trip through emotional ups and downs. As I am manic-depressive this is sort of a glimpse at how my own emotional process works on a day to day basis. Frenetic and somewhat unpredictable. Not quite stable. A mirror to myself.
- Honestly, I think this CD represents a clear progression for KRIEG but, was does it mean to you? Is an important thing for you to evolve and experiment with each album? Also as individual and not just as musician.
There’s certain bands whom I appreciate that I would never want to see progression or a change in, like Motorhead etc. Then there’s other bands whom if they never progress then they stagnate and become redundant. I have these same feelings for my own work. Some things I’m involved in or conceptualizing really do not lend themselves to
experimentation while others do. Since Krieg was only a few years old I realized that I wanted to make different albums, not the same one over and over again. Whether or not I’ve succeeded in this idea probably isn’t something I could say without obvious bias. As an individual I have an ingrown need to learn, evolve, and grow. Some would say this goes against what black metal is about. These same people would mostly have been in diapers or early grade school when I did my first demo so their opinion doesn’t matter. I’m obviously not the same person I was five years ago, ten years ago, twenty etc. Anyone who doesn’t grow as a person either never left their house or is fucking ignorant. - A few days ago I found at the KRIEG's official MySpace a statement explaining the band has nothing to do with politics. What was the reason behind publishing such advertising?
Because I get asked if I’m a nazi constantly. Anyone who still thinks this has their head lodged firmly in their own asses. Just because I’m friends with some bands with these kinds of connections I’m now a target of fucking witch hunts, and these same people holding their pitchforks and torches forget that I’ve also got close ties with people on the left, middle and right. I’m not a politically motivated person, my relationships with people are not based on their own ideas of morality and politics because frankly that shit is none of my business. I’m nihilistic in nature, something that does not agree with politics on ANY side. A problem is that a lot of these groups see that if you don’t demonize their opposition then you are a part of their opposition. The idea of free thought and speech is lost on these fucking clowns.
- In a few days you'll start a mini tour with WOE, another great USBM band released by Candlelight Records. Is there a growing Black Metal scene in the US?
Probably. I don’t pay attention unless I’m recommended something by someone whose opinion on music is something that I trust. Black metal has been strong in this country ever since Profanatica, VON and, Demoncy picked up instruments, it just hasn’t been really taken seriously until the last few years, if at all. USBM’s always been shit upon because of the outside’s view of the US itself, which varies with whatever propped up puppet we have in the White House or whoever we’re at war with. Just because our overall lack of culture is smeared across the world doesn’t mean that every individual in this country is an ignorant, Christian Republican out for American expansion via consumerism. That’s as stupid as thinking every Dutchman spends all their time smoking weed or every German is a nazi. Unfortunatly I don’t see this perception changing and I understand why people outside of America believe this when I see that our public face is that of religious conservatism and how there’s now a Starbucks or McDonalds in every major city in the world. Once I came to this understanding I realized that politics are a Sisyphus styled problem and why I have no real interest in it.
- And finally, what are your near-future plans? No necessarily regarding KRIEG but any of your other bands.
Besides shows and some upcoming reissues and two splits (one with Gravecode Nebula, the other with Dead Times) Krieg doesn’t have very much on it’s plate until next year. Other projects all depend on money, time, and interest. I’m pretty sure everything that I’m currently involved in will pollute listeners with something in 2011.
- That's all, Imperial, thanks once more for your time. If you want you can now add any final words.
My appreciation for the lengthy conversation.
Seen at www.queensofsteel.tk
Swedish NOMINON have been around for almost 17 years playing under the Death Metal insignia but, at the same time, breaking the boundaries of it and bringing the band's own trademark. Both their recent "Omen" MCD as their new full-length album, "Monumentomb" (both released this 2010) are clear proves of it and audio explanations to the amazingly good reviews they have got during these years. 
- And how did that affect to the recordings?
- You have recently toured the States; how has it been?
serious way, could been as big as them?
nowadays...