primordial

Archive | Interviews | Hard Rock [France], 2005

1. How long did you spend in studio to record "The Gathering Wilderness", and where did you do it ?

we recorded it in a studio here in Dublin called the cauldron and we took somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks in the end to do it. we decided to bring things back home this time and see again what it was like recording in Dublin as we did for spirit the earth aflame.

2. This album is not as fast rhythmically than the previous one, but its anyway darker and deeper. Where does the inspiration come from ?

to be honest we don't really think too hard about what we are doing when we write songs. what comes out is simply what comes out to be honest. we don't think that this album is going to be more or less aggressive then the last one or anything like that. however i would say you are right this one is definitely darker, it has a brooding almost claustrophobic atmosphere, stripped down to the basics and raw. the inspiration ?. could be from anywhere or anything or anyone. but you've heard the album I don't need to tell you what a dark place this world is...

3. Any links with the other beautiful project from Nemtheanga, Void Of Silence, and the doom scene in general ?

thank you, yeah I think Void of Silence is something most people wont know about but the album turned out really great, definitely one of the darkest things you are going to hear these days. It was a pleasure and an honour working with those guys down there in Rome. There has been talk of a band with KK from Destroyer 666 more kind of direct heavy metal stuff. Sure I love doom metal I always have, from solitude aeturnus to reverend bizarre and stuff like skepticism and shape of despair and of course candlemass had a massive influence upon us.

4. It seems that you still chose to record your album in the rawest way possible, like as an opposition to all those super-productions which are been released nowadays. Why that ?

simple answer because I fuckin hate them...I hate this soul less, plastic, computerised sound. I want the dirt, the filth, grit sweat, blood and tears you know...?, we just wanted to strip things back to basics like standing in our rehearsal room. The old albums we all love from the 70's and 80's weren't perfect but that's what gave them character, they had a more personal sound. this is what we wanted from the gathering wilderness...more blood fire death, killers, seven churches or pleasure to kill then arch enemy or nightwish thank you...

5. What is the main difference lyrically between this new album and "Storm Before Calm"?

I guess perhaps things seem more desperate this time round you know, more tragic and perhaps more full of struggle and alienation then ever before. storm was much more perhaps strident and aggressive this time round the world even seems a darker more desperate place then those few years ago and I have even more rage and bile then before. people told me i would mellow with age...the opposite has happened it just seems time is running out and the message is more desperate !.

6. Was the title of you previous album a clue to what would be the next one ?

I don't know I never thought about it, we don't plan a thing. if it is its purely coincidental to be honest. however all the albums are somehow linked together you know...

7. Irish scene gets more and more important since few years and mostly because of bands like you and Mourning Beloveth, how come this sudden interest in your opinion ?

I don't know, we've been around for years and years. I guess we are like an institution you know. the Irish scene is small and closed knit but in the last few years there are some good bands coming from Ireland and its only a matter of time before people notice them you know. they are getting out there releasing albums and playing some shows outside ireland. you mentioned mourning beloveth but also theres bands like abaddon incarnate, geasa, hexxed, mael mordha, scald, etc...

8. I saw you at the summer breeze (remember singing irish songs backstage, hehe), and the show is musically closer from what you're doing now with "The Gathering Wilderness"...what do you think ?

totally. absolutely, we wanted to strip things back things to the way we sound onstage and in rehearsal you know. like a live band playing together fuckin warts and all you know. yeah I remember we had a great time the night before we played there singing and drinking. we always sing...people are kinda shocked sometimes but its the way we are. play hard and party hard you know !!!

9. Are you planning any tour ? Maybe summer festivals again ?

we are talking about a lot of things right now but nothing is for sure about touring, hopefully we can announce something soon. as for festivals we have under the black sun, up from the ground and kaltenbach open air. nothing in France though, if someone wants us contact metal blade we will bring the blood and thunder.

10. I heard a DVD is being prepared right now, any idea when it will be out ? What will it feature ?

its a bonus with the limited edition of the album. its simply a making of the album documentary. its not something you will watch over and over again but its not bad for nothing !!! we hope to do a proper DVD in the future.

anyway, thanx a lot for your time, and congratulations for this beautiful album. hope you can get my review and understand it, I put a eight out of ten, but if you read it, its more like ten out of ten cause the heart speaks

well then why didn't you give it ten out of ten ?.
nemtheanga