KATAFALK
KATAFALK
FROM NETHERLANDS ARE THE NEW BRUTAL BARBARIANS. WITH THEIR RAW DEATH /
THRASH MUSIC THEY WILL COME TO LOOT ALL THE SCENES OF THE WORLD, AS THE
VIKINGS DID IN THE PAST TIMES OR MIGHT BE JUST SOME CRAZY ROCK 'N' ROLLERS.
ANYWAY HERE IS THEIR INTERVIEW. READ IT AND MAKE YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
1. FIRST OF ALL POINT OUT THE MOST
IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF THE BAND’S HISTORY AND INTRODUCE ITS MEMBERS TO THE
READERS.
We are Katafalk from Groningen,
The Netherlands. The band consists of Niels (vocals), Chris (guitars),
Pier Abe (guitars), Henk Jan (bass) and Michiel (drums). The band started
out in 1995 and the highlights so far have been the demo's in 1997 and
2001, a mini-tour with God Dethroned and the release of our first full-length
cd 'Storm Of The Horde'.
2. GIVE US YOUR OWN DESCRIPTION FOR
YOUR MUSIC AND NAME SOME OF THE BAND’S INFLUENCES.
Katafalk plays death/thrash metal,
with aggressive riffing and brutal blastbeats. We also have guitarsolos
and have a good balance between melody and brutality. Some influences are
Slayer, Morbid Angel, Dissection, Kreator, Iron Maiden, Terrorizer and
many more bands.
3. YOU EXIST SINCE 1995 HOWEVER, IT
WASN’T TILL 2003 THAT YOU RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS
HAPPENED?
In the first years there were some
trouble to keep the line-up stable. We chose to put out the album when
the band was solid, and also we waited for a record deal. We got signed
in 2002, so that was when we started to make Storm Of The Horde. I think
it's pretty normal for a band to grow for a period of time. Bands
should not rush into releases, because albums are bound to be better when
you take a bit more time for them.
4. TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE ALBUM
(WHERE WAS IT RECORDED, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU, WHO WAS THE PRODUCER,
ETC). ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH IT OR IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO
CHANGE?
The album was recorded at the Sing
Sing studio here in the North of The Netherlands. It is not purely a metal
studio, but more metalbands from this region have recorded there, among
others the grindcore band My Minds Mine. We spent only 10 days in that
studio, because we could work very quickly there, thanks to the producer
Milan Ciric, who really understood our music. I think the album sounds
incredibly good when you take in account that is was recorded in such a
short time. So yeah, we're very satisfied with it. There are always things
which could have been done better, but nothing major. I think the album
is fine the way it is.
5. WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
DO YOU LIKE TO REFER TO REAL LIFE STORIES AND PROBLEMS OR IMAGINATIVE SITUATIONS?
Actually both kinds of lyrics are
on Storm Of The Horde. We don't really have a theme for our lyrics, they
just happen to be what comes out of the pen. Katafalk is about the music.
There are some quite good lyrics on the cd though. In general you could
say that they are about the desire to be free, to be able to do what you
want and don't take shit from anybody. Seems to me that all metalheads
can find themselves in that.
6.YOU’VE DONE MANY LIVE SHOWS AMONG
WHICH WAS A TOUR WITH GOD DETHRONED. WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THEY? DID
THEY HELP YOU IN ANY WAY? DO YOU REMEMBER ANY FUNNY OR WEIRD INCIDENTS
OCCURING TO YOU WHILST YOU WERE PERFORMING LIVE?
The guys from God Dethroned are
good friends of ours. We really got to know them during those shows. They
are great people and yes, they've helped us a lot. The shows we did with
them made us well-known in The Netherlands. We had a lot of fun with them
and even thrashed a backstage room of a really rotten venue together. The
venue didn't give us food and stuff, which they had promised us. So that
was both thrash on and off stage, hehe.
7. WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST AND
WHICH IS THE WORST PART IN YOUR MUSIC? WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED FURTHER
IMPROVEMENT?
Hmm, hard question, hehe. The intensity
of our music is the best part of it. It grabs you by the throat. Some people
have complained about a lack of diversity between the songs, so maybe that
could be improved. We'll see, we don't write music for other people, but
for ourselves. At this point we don't know exactly how the next album is
going to sound. Just like the lyrics, it's a spontaneous process.
8. DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR MUSIC COULD
BE SUITABLE FOR A MOVIE SOUNDTRACK? IF YES, WHICH MOVIE WOULD YOU SELECT?
Maybe a movie like Speed or something.
Or during the fighting scenes of Lord Of The Rings.
9. WHICH IS THE WILDEST DREAM YOU’D
LIKE TO MAKE TRUE THROUGH THIS BAND?
We want to go on tour and experience
everything you always hear about tours: Booze, babes and being crazy motherfuckers
for weeks in a row.
10. ARE YOU SATISFIED BY THE FEEDBACK?
WHICH WAS THE BEST AND WHICH WAS THE WORST REVIEW YOU’VE RECEIVED?
We've gotten many, many reviews.
The one we got in the German Legacy magazine was really good and also fun
to read. The worst review we got in some alternative rock e-zine. That
motherfucker totally didn't understand what he was talking about.
11. IF YOUR MUSIC WAS AN EMOTION, WHAT
WOULD IT BE?
12. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IMAGE IS IMPORTANT
FOR A METAL BAND? I MEAN…YOU PLAY EXTREME METAL. DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD
ALSO LOOK “MEAN” ON STAGE OR HAVE FUN IS WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?
People always tell me that I smile
a lot on stage. It's just great being on stage and I never worry about
image. We do this because we like it and if people can't handle that then
they should just fuck off. Maybe our image is that we are who we are and
don't pretend anything. Pretending is so fake. We look the same on and
off stage, but on stage we go crazy and off stage we relax and drink beer.
13. BY THE WAY, A THING I COULD NEVER
ANSWER IS WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO FEW WOMEN IN HEAVY METAL?
Hmm, well I asked my girlfriend
about this, and she doesn't even know. Fortunately, she herself is into
metal. It seems to me that there are coming more and more women into the
metal scene and that's a good development.
14. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME
WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE
MOST FROM OUR TIMES?
I would like to see Medieval times,
or a bit earlier and go ravishing Europe with a bunch of Vikings. I think
I would miss metal music the most, because beer and women were available
already then.
15. WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS
BLOODY AND CATASTROPHIC WAR AGAINST IRAQ?
Hmm, well as I'm answering this,
the war is over already. It's good that Saddam Hussein is gone, but I wonder
if the people of Iraq will really prosper from now on.
16. WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS
INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
Katafalk Metal Barbarians.
17. THANK YOU! IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’D
LIKE TO ADD AND I FORGOT TO ASK YOU?
Come see us live some time to see
a really intense live show. Lots of hair flying through the air, litres
of sweat and musical brutality. We'll play at Obscene Extreme in the Czech
Republic, Party. San Open Air in Germany and Wâldrock in The Netherlands
and plenty of other shows. Check our website http://www.katafalk.com/
for exact dates! Cheers.
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