UNDER BLACK CLOUDS
Hello Christoph, here we are finally. This is not a regular OMEGA interview since it's done face to face. Well, first of all its for me a great honour to have you here besides me answering my questions on your visit, here in Gozo. So, lets get started. Would you like to give a band-history to those who still don't have the luck to know your great music?!
Well, I started to play music about 15 years before, I played bass-guitar in several bands in the musical direction of punk-metal, avant-garde rock and finally Thrash Metal. This was in '88 and the band was called Bottled, we played a cross of Sodom and S.O.D. and released a demotape in '89 what was quite difficult for us. As you know I come from the GDR (Eastern Germany) and under the communist regime it was not allowed to record music with English lyrics as well as it was forbidden to record music by oneself at all. We did it, were observed by the Staatssicherheit (Communist Secret Service) but got a name in the underground. Than came the change, the downfall of the wall but somehow we didn't like to continue the work with our band. Probably because I listened much more Death Metal at this time and liked to compose music in the vein of Celtic Frost, Bathory or Death. And Carnivore, of course! The most important band in my life. One day I visited a rehearsal of a band called Comfortable Gathering. They played stuff as the more mid-paced parts of Napalm Death, not bad and I liked it. After the rehearsing I asked the others whether they could fire their bass-player and take me instead. They agreed and I was new member. For a few weeks I was quite lucky, but later I noticed that the guitarist of this band was a dictator! Our music went faster and faster because the old bass-player was not very gifted but now the guitarist finally was able to play as fast as possible. It was quite boring to play this music, like a mix of Atheist and early Napalm Death. We decided to kick him off and write new stuff, slower, darker and with keyboards. Some months later we (what means Renè , the drummer and me) found a shouter (Jörg) and a guitarist (Andrej). In summer '91 we recorded our first and only demotape. Lazy as we were we didn't promote it in any way. Within the next years we played many livegigs, found a keyboard-player and in the end of '94 we decided to record a self-financed CD. At this time our shouter went more and more political and I fired him after what he emigrated to China. The new singer was Andreas of the Doom Death band Attempt To Life. In February '95 we entered an unknown studio not far from my hometown (Blue Art Studio) and recorded the CD. At this time a guy called Rico (guitar-player of Fermenting Innards) visited the studio every day. He worked at Invasion Records and as he listened the final result he recorded a tape and sent it to Maja of Invasion Records. Next day he called me and offered me an distribution deal and some weeks later a deal for two CD's, but including the first which was actually not an Invasion CD but a self-released! Time passed, we played more gigs and in January '96 I wrote most of the music for the upcoming album. But short time before we had to go to Sweden to record the CD at Master Dan's Unisound I realized that a cooperation between me on the one and the drummer, guitar-player and damned keyboarder on the other side wouldn't be possible for the future as the liked to change the musical direction of Under Black Clouds to a more Crossover orientated direction. So I fired 'em and only one week later I split up with Invasion Records. Quite strange situation, isn't it? I mean, this happened finally only two weeks before the recording session! I found a new guitar-player but not a drummer, so I bought a drum-machine and my friend Moonshadow from Antichrisis helped me to program it. Only one day before we had to go to Sweden our new guitar-player broke his index-finger, so I went to Sweden only with our singer Andreas! We found a new guitar-player / keyboarder at the music school in Örebro and recorded "As Darkness Falls" there in June '96. This was our brief history. Quite boring, isn't it?
No, it's not boring. Now, that the readers have some knowledge of Under Black Clouds, we can go on with the questions. Are you satisfied with the reviews and reactions you got from the underground scene in general?
I'm very satisfied with the final result, with the sound as well as with the layout. Some of the reactions were enthusiastic, (Ed. I AM !!!) some less…others seemly have problems with our music-style as we are mixing Death with Doom, Black, Thrash and Heavy Metal elements. We would sell much more if we would play Black or Gothic Metal, but I don't like to play other music than this that comes from my heart. I mean, I really like to listen to Black Metal, but I play Death Metal for many years, so wouldn't it be a little bit trendy to play suddenly Black Metal??? Heh, this questions belongs also to you, "fresh" Black Satanic musicians all over the world! "As Darkness Falls" opened the doors for Under Black Clouds as well as for my label Ars Metalli. With it I got a quite good distribution in the whole world.
Since you mentioned your label ARS METALLI, I would like you to speak about its activities, the bands who are signed to your label and your future plans…
Of course Under Black Clouds was my first signing though I have to admit that the Antichrisis CD was planned to be the first release. But then it happened that I split up with Invasion Records, so it was logical to release our CD via my label. It came out in September '96. Next release was Antichrisis, a band-project from Germany. They play amazing Celtic Folk / Gothic / Doom Metal with some black influences, the album was released in January '97. My third release was the debut CD of the Pagan metal band Menhir, just now it saw the light of day. Really epic Heathen music, the lyrics are dealing with topics as the life of our Germanic ancestors, shamanic rituals, battles, warriors pride and so on. Next will be an real underground release, the first demotape of a band called Dweorgesblod. The music reminds a little bit of Enslaved or Ulver, but includes much more folk-parts. Than, in late August an genious German Band called Die Apokalyptischen Reiter (The Apocalyptic Riders) will enter the studio. They are able to mix extreme stuff, probably as Impaled Nazarene played it on their first albums, with wonderful Classical music as it would have been written by composers like Händel or Chopin.. In autumn the Irish Doomsters Graveyard Dirt have to record their first masterpiece of ultra heavy Doom metal and later in December the Irish Progressive / Death / Doom Metal band Arcane Sun (better known to some readers under their former moniker The Fifth Dominion) will probably go into the same studio where My Dying Bride recorded some of their milestones. And finally in spring '98 we will release the the second CD of the brutal Death Metal band Golem & the third album of the more melodic DM band Fermenting Innards. The rest lies too far in the future to say something special. Oh, I forgot to mention the 7"EP of Menhir. It will contain two medieval folk-songs, played only with acoustic guitars, percussion and instruments of the middle ages. To be released in summer or autumn.
Well, back to Under Black Clouds. Some time ago you told me that the only permanent member of UBC is you. But, wouldn't you like to have UBC again with a full line-up?
Yes, meanwhile I've got a new line-up. The new guitar-players are Rico of Fermenting Innards and Andreas of Golem. The new drummer is Ruben, ex-drummer of Golem. The keyboarder is not completely for sure, so it's not the right time yet to tell the name. And of course Andreas Greupner, who will stay as the singer in Under Black Clouds. As I mentioned me as the only permanent member of the band it wasn't meant that Under Black Clouds would be any kind of a solo-project! But all the other members are also playing in their own bands, so they are more or less session-musicians although they take also part in the songwriting process and their ideas are welcome as my are. And Andreas Greupner is actually also permanent member of the band though he doesn't write any lyrics or music. I mean, e.g. Borknagar is also a real band though Øystein is more ore less the only permanent member!
What qualities do you look for when 1)Someone wants to join UBC 2) Be signed by Ars Metalli
1) You have to be a excellent musician and a good friend. If you're able to got a bunch of beers, this would be also quite good.
2) I always look at first for originality, than for quality. Any kind of pagan / heathen background in the lyrics fits the label-concept, but it isn't a must. The most important fact is that all my contracts are build on friendship and trust! If I'm not in a very close friendly contact to the band there is no chance to get an offer.
What was the first spark that made you choose this musical life? And what would you be doing right now if back in 1976 you had not listened to KISS?
I was only 10 years old when I saw an unbelievable band at the TV. Up to this time I only knew Abba and Smokie but these guys gave me the kick! Though I hadn't listen to such a kind of music I knew that this had to be the right stuff for the rest of my life. From my first money I bought a Black Sabbath sampler and Deep Purple's "In Rock", later all the stuff from Kiss, Saxon, Scorpions and Iron Maiden. The next step was Venom, Manowar and Carnivore but also (of course) Kreator, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Destruction, Slayer, than Napalm Death, Carcass, Obituary and Death and finally all the Black, Death, Doom and however Metal what is known nowadays. The second part of your question demands for a dialectical sight of the things. I mean, you become not a murder by listening to Cannibal Corpse but for several other reasons. And you will not become a Heavy Metal fan only by watching a Kiss video. Some people are born to be Ironhearts! If I hadn't seen this Kiss video in '76 I 'd probably listen an AC/DC tape short time later and the same things would have happened.
Your lyrics do vary from mythological themes to everyday problems (No, don't worry, this is not hard-core!) So I guess that you are not one of the bands who sticks to a particular topic right? And, what would you like to talk about in future? What importance do you give to the lyrics?
Most of our lyrics deal with fantasy topics though we process any heathen, historical or nature-connected thoughts in it. Normally I totally refuse the use of social orientated lyrics in Under Black Clouds, probably as I do not take our weak society as worth to survive! Eventually there are two exceptions on "As Darkness Falls". The first one is "I Feel Good!", which is actually not a social orientated text, but a non-fantasy. I deals the topic to feel yourself one with the nature and the whole mother earth, the only way to find the sense in life. The other is "As Blackness Comes", a song about a total insane, weak partnership where the man is beating, torturing and raping his wife night after night, but as she has learnt from the times on when she was a little girl to follow the orders of men, she takes it as their fate. Proud heathens as we are, we fight the discrimination of women! The upcoming album will feature more nature-connected lyrics that will show our connection to mother earth in a much deeper way. By the way, though I really like well written lyrics I'm a little lyric-sourpuss. But I mean, if I release an album, all things should be done to their best.
Nowadays the Metal scene has really grown into a B I G mess!! I am almost loosing track of what is happening. What do you think of today's scene in general and which are the bands you like?
Today's scene got it's good as well as it's bad sides. The good is the enormous variety of styles, the well working network and the lots of concerts, distributors and so on. The bad is also the huge amount of bands, labels, fanzines and unnecessary releases at all. No-one needs the Thousands of released crappy CDs, demotapes and mags! I remember, than our first CD was released, no large distributor liked to trade it, as the sound was a little bit weak - meanwhile every shit, every rehearsal tape from the last ungifted Black Metal combo will be released on CD and find it's way in the megastores. You have only to state that you're playing BM and will got a record deal 6 months after founding the band! I hope and thing that the whole weak top of the scene will collapse within the next months and only the strong (under)ground will survive! I like hundreds of bands, do not prefer Black, Death, Doom, Folk, Thrash nor Heavy Metal. All-time faves are surely Manowar and Carnivore, but I also like most of the better BM bands, Irish & English Doom Metal, some Progressive Metal, Power Metal like Savatage and and… Originality & quality rules!
What about as darkness falls magazine?
Don't ask me such tricky questions! I started the work in summer '96. At the beginning it was planned only as addition to my mailorder list, I wanted to interview three or four of the demo bands. But the work went well and meanwhile we can expect about 25 really long interviews with e.g. Antichrisis, Golden Dawn, Angizia, Mundanus Imperium, Night In Gales, Graveyard Dirt, Arcane Sun, Kadath, Mortem, Persophone and many others, furthermore 300 reviews of CDs and demotapes as well as of magazines and books, articles about philosophical views, protection of free living wolves, our connection to nature, the unnecessary wave of shitty releases and more. Also some dark humor. I hope to print in sometime in summer.
OK brother, I guess that by now, you're quite tired of questions and would like to go out for a couple of beers. So Christoph, close this interview the way you think it's best….
You're absolutely right! Not that I would be tired in any way, but I hear the call of this taverne…
Godwin I thank you for this interview as well as for the great time here on this fucking insane island Gozo, where crime rules the daily life! And to all your readers - stay true to yourself, remember on your origins. Honour mother nature above all! Drink beer, reed good books, listen to loud music, love proud women! Think twice before you talk or do something!