Interview - NECRONOMICON
If you are unfamiliar with Necronomicon, see here first.
Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Rob The Witch did us the honour of answering these questions.
1. You've announced that you will be releasing a new album this year, what can we expect from it (as compared to previous albums, or in general)?
The new album has some more extreme parts as well as some parts that sound almost commercial, if I can use that term considering the kind of music we do. Also we have pushed to another level with the production. We wanted to have something that reflects on our 30 years but at the same time isn't restrained by anything - so again we let ourselves go to new things that we never did before, in terms of how some parts in some songs are composed. People who like raw and extreme music will be served, as well as the those who like more ambient and emotional stuff.
2. Rise Of The Elder Ones (2013) was an outstanding album, do you have fond memories of recording and releasing it?
It's been a little while so I'm not sure I recall that much, if it was for Advent Of The Human God maybe. Well, I do recall that it was the first time we recorded at the Emery Street studio, so the vibe was really different - working with people that work with commercial music, bringing some different experiences to the table. I also remember perfectly that my bass player at the time wasn't ready at all, and due to time and schedule he only played on two songs. I recorded the rest of the bass. The release party was pretty cool, we did something different - we rented a venue and invited people to come listen to the album, and when they were buying the album they received some free beers and BBQ. There was also a raffle where people could win merch and stuff from our endorsers. It was a pretty big success.
3. Necronomicon has existed for more than three decades now, how does that feel?
Well, sometimes I don't fully realize that it's been that long - because I keep pushing forward, since I'm really not where I want to be with the band - so I keep focus on what needs to be done ahead. Of course there's the fact, that most people don't understand, that it is super hard for Canadians. It doesn't help at all. People think that because we are next to the USA we have it all in our hands, but that is so far from how things work it's like oil and water. How many Canadian extreme bands have worldwide recognition? We are really few, and most of us are really not mainstream. Canada simply doesn't have the population size for that - we are the second biggest country in the world land-wise, but only have a population of around 35 million. So just that is a challenge. On top of that we are scattered all around the country, and aside from four or five big cities the rest are small towns and thousands of even smaller ones. So we don't have a proper metal music industry, record labels etc, and need to work three or four times harder to get outside and get known to the 'real' metal industry. This is the kind of thing that I have learned and have continued to deal with over the years, and trust me it is harder that most people imagine. On the other side, when meeting or touring with bands that have been around for as long than you; and they treat you with respect and as equals, even if they had some real success compared to you; is kind of a reward.
4. Who were your main influences when you started out?
I think it's no big secret that Celtic Frost, Venom and Bathory were the main ones for me. The fact that some of our songs are more minimalist than others, and the ambience and orchestral parts, reflect that Celtic frost influence; plus the look. Not long after forming the band I added blast beats to the music after discovering Napalm Death, and Bolt Thrower was a big thing because of the tuning and grooves. That's pretty much it. I mean, I was listening to other bands too, but at the end of the '80s and beginning of the '90s when I was forging the band, that was really my focus - being heavy and groovy like Bolt Thrower, fast like Napalm Death, and dark and ambient like Celtic Frost.
5. Could you talk a little about your lyrical content?
Well, that could be long so I'll try to make it short. At the beginning, obviously, it was just Satanic mishmash; and not long after I started to get into the Lovecraftian mythos - where the necronomicon concept originates from. Not long after that I got ...bored, if i can say so... and thought it would be cool to talk about stuff that I believed in and experienced - as someone who is unconventional, with a yoga master (mother) and Native American values and traditions (from my father). That gave my lyrics more of a philosophical and spiritual content, and I've decided to stay on that path ever since.
6. Will you be touring in support of the new album? Any chance you’ll be playing in the UK?
Yes we will be touring. Actually the first month of touring is already in the process of being booked as we speak, and we are open to pretty much everything that makes sense at the moment. As for the UK and Europe, we haven't played on the old continent since our record label asked us to focus on the US and Canada for the last album run - so I don't know exactly when we will be there, but we are talking about it.
7. Do you have any other future plans you that can share with us?
We have plans yes, but I'm not sure I can share them yet. Well, we have a new video clip in planning for the new album but that's all I can say at the moment.
More interviews: Antichrist / Dysylumn / Evoken / Ov Shadows / Morast / Assumption / Scour / Spectral Voice / Morta Skuld / Solothus / Memoriam / Ataraxy / Soulskinner / Necrot
