Well the German press loves us o) which is different to Germany actually loving us. Yeah that is true, a matter of life and death the last Iron maiden album did that. #1 soundcheck in all 3 big magazines. However as you may have noticed we didn’t chart in Germany. So you can obviously lead a horse to water but to make him drink I guess you have to be from Scandinavia o). Nah we do ok man…. 

So what are the new lyrics about? In the infosheet you stated “If there is a rough theme running through some of “To The Nameless Dead” it is one of Nationhood.” Could you explain this a little bit deeper? With “Heathen Tribes” you’ve written some special lyrics, so could you please explain the idea behind this song?

Heathen Tribes is a really simple song for Primordial. It’s our Blood Fire Death or Blood of the Kings. I just wanted to write a simple Metal song mentioning some of the places we have been through the years, some of the special things we’ve shared with people over the years. I also thought perhaps this Pagan/Folk Metal scene needs a proper proud anthem that isn’t about trolls or beer.

What I always loved on PRIMORDIAL: you’re able to create an absolute unique atmosphere with guitar, bass, drums and vocals - no keyboards, no female vocals, no symphonic orchestra (J) or anything else. What is your secret for this? Did you never had the idea to use f.e. Irish instruments as the tin whistle or the great Uilleann Pipes (by the side one of my fave-instruments)? I mean not as a permanent instrument, but maybe for just one or two songs?

The secret ?. I cant stand female vocals or keyboards. I like this natural organic sound we have, I don’t want to have to rely on all that shit to give the band atmosphere and then not be able to do it live or get by with average riffs. If it’s good enough for Black Sabbath and AC/DC then we don’t need it either. Sometimes we use some Irish traditional instruments here and there but only when a song needs it. I rather eat bread then eat cake if you understand me.

You like to read a lot, right? Which books impressed you most during the last months? Do you prefer novels or non-fictional books? And please write down some words about the following authors:

- Tad Williams – I don’t know him/her at all. I had to google it to even find out what it was. I don’t tend to read fantasy. Science Fiction sometimes but more when I was a teenager. I’m far more likely to be reading politics or economics. Or journalists like John Pilger or Robert Fisk.
- H.P. Lovecraft – Like most metalheads I was fascinated by him when I was a teenager. I read some of his letters and a biography. Strange and interesting character.
- Helena Blavatsky – Again a name from my Black metal days when I was reading a lot of occultism/magic and esoteric stuff. It’s still a part of me.
- Dan Brown – Terrible writer, really awful painting of language and character. However like everyone else I couldn’t put down his grail book. Having read the Holy Blood and Holy Grail years before. Again interesting.
- Anton Szandor LaVey – Another blast from the past. Interesting guy with an interesting life. Just tied up some loose ends from other writers for the 60’s generation. Some of which is bullshit but there are some interesting things in the COS teachings. Another teenage favourite.
- J.R.R. Tolkien – I find it really interesting all the possible sub texts in his writings. Everything from Christianity to Zionism. Again of course I’ve read everything over and over. About every 5 years again !
- E.A. Poe – Master storyteller. Few come close for that kind of dark gothic fiction.

You’re deeply interested in Celtic history and mythology, right? How are you able to transform their old beliefs, myths and lifestyle into our modern, civilized and technological society? What are - simply spoken - the most important things the Celtic history taught you for your personal life?

Well you know I have to make this clear. I’m not a romantic or a fantasist. I live in 2008. Not 3000 years ago. What is a pagan in 2008 ?., I’m not sure I know the answer. However I think you need to know your roots, where you came from to know where you are going in this world. Without that we are nothing. I try and live with a certain dignity and honour of course but I am human at the end of the day but I don’t subscribe to this consume through fear society we live in. It’s my place to push the ante, to swim against the stream, to question and challenge. The most important things in this life ?. Try and fill it with strength and joy. Know your culture and history, love your family and friends fiercely, never let your enemies get the better of you. Acta non verba. Life is short but long in the living. Energy is liberty.

Imagine you would have the possibility to use a time machine with which you could choose 3 historic periods or events - which ones would you choose, and of course why?

You’ll play at the German Ragnarök Festival 2008 which had some image problems this year as some stupid media people put them into the Nazi-corner. Your comment? Aren’t you afraid that people also put PRIMORDIAL in the same corner?

Afraid ?. Is the wrong word. It’s unfortunate that left wing people associate anything cultural or historical with the right. As soon as they see runes or thors hammers they make this connection without taking a moment to understand the band or the context. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they couldn’t be more wrong.  People sometimes call a band like Skyforger right for example, good friends of mine, without understanding where they come from, their history, their lyrics nothing. I’ve been to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. I’ve seen the KGB museums, I’ve seen the oppression and their history, I’ve sat in their houses and listened to their stories. I’ve taken the time to understand what it all means to them. Not everyone does that ?, in a modern 3 minute MTV fast food culture people make snap judgements based on what the media tells them. They judge a book by it’s cover. Primordial gets called this and that, and it’s more to do with the fact that I’m a big guy with tattoos and a skinhead….little more then that. Of course I disagree with festivals and gigs being used for political means and that means left and right and I don’t agree with the intimidation I’ve seen of normal Metal fans by both sides. In a so called democracy some people are going to have opinions you don’t agree with right and left, people are going to have to get used to that and maybe instead of fighting against each other they can see the bigger picture, globalisation and multinationalism is far more dangerous. If you are going to used your culture or your heritage for negative means I don’t think that’s right, we have to try and affect positive chance in this world, it’s too easy to be negative.I don’t mind talking politics to people as long as they can understand there is a separation between me and the band, but no one is going to tell me how I can and relate to my culture. My ancestors died so I might stand on this Earth. So if you are going to accuse me of this and that you better know everything about Ireland and it’s history, I’m on the side of common sense, the side of logic, empathy and intelligence. Anyway, back to the point. Ragnarok is a great festival and it’s an honour to play there with so many great bands, long may it continue. The world is not always black and white…sometimes it’s grey.

Would you agree that your record-deal with Metal Blade brought PRIMORDIAL a step further? Where is the difference between Metal Blade and your former record-companies?

They are honest decent people. They don’t promise you what they can’t deliver. There are musicians in the office. You can have a beer and a fight with them o) They aren’t too big for us but big enough. We are fine here.

Please tell us a little bit about the Metal Cruise this year on the MS Rheingold. I think this was a very special gig for you, right?

Yeah it was fun I enjoyed it. I did some interesting site seeing during the day with KK from Destroyer 666. Koblenz is a nice city and of course the Desaster guys are great, it’s always a pleasure to play with them and hang out. Travelling down the Rhine and watching the castles go by on the shore while we played was strange to say the least, but cool !.

What’s your opinion about the following topics / persons:

- the discussion about the climate change – interesting. I understand that the climate change dollar is a big dollar and now a trend. You have to realise that too. The earth has gone through many changes over millions of years however if there is the smallest possibility that things like warming or global dimming are true and it would seem to me they are then we are in serious danger. However the fact that the world is driven by oil and that 3^rd and 2^nd world countries have yet to develop means the possibility of changing society for the better would seem to me to be very difficult. Being a pessimist it seems to me perhaps we are beyond the point of any return.

 - the SIMPSONS movie – didn’t see it, it hasn’t been funny for years.

 - a new war on Iran? – I think what the west really is worrying about is the fact that Iraq is splintering into a civil war and the southern Shia will eventually side with Iran, or become part of Iran. Most of Iraq’s oil is there. Then there are the oil reserves in the Caspian Sea of which Iran borders. America and the West have no way of getting to that resource unless they invade one of the countries it borders. However the resurgence of Putin as the new hard man of Europe is keeping the West in check. I honestly don’t think America has enough soldiers to risk a ground war with Iran and I don’t think they can do another Kosovo and bomb them. I think there would be public outrage. Their population is young and huge. We also can’t forget China, a coming power whose western most provinces border the region. It’s like the old cold war politics again. Once Iran develops nuclear capability then the West can’t attack them. Don’t forget that most of the problems in the Middle East and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism lie in the West’s colonial past. In the 1950’s Iran was a fledgling democracy. Mossadeq nationalised it’s oil and Wilson and the CIA overthrew him reinstalling the Shah and a Western puppet dictatorship. Khomeini grew in power by the 70’s, but what was Mossadeq trying to do ?. To take back the countries natural resources. So the West and America deposed him. It’s also a problem that both Bush and Blair were fundamentalist Christians and saw the whole post 9-11 world as some kind of biblical prophecy. Hopefully Obama or Clinton can become elected for the world’s sake, I also feel American foreign policy is going to have change regarding Israel and it’s treatment of Palestinians. We don’t have any spirituality left in the West only capitalism so who can blame some muslim kid who watches Americans bombing his countrymen on TV and wanting to take revenge on them ?. Ok so I can’t stand Western Politically correct apologists either, who try and make out that Iman’s preaching hate and terrorism in the UK for example are entitled to. No one is entitled to blow up children and innocent civilians. However both the ANC and IRA were terrorist organisations and are now in Government. Again it’s complicated, but before Westerners judge Islam they should learn a little about it. Not one single Islamic Fundamentalist dictatorship or Government in the Middle East has actually been democratically elected. Most Muslims are not fundamentalists but the West has to stop seeing this as some new biblical crusade and stop propping up Israel. Sorry, long answer !. As you can see this is where a lot of my studies and interests lie. Again the world isn’t black and white.

 - the German chancellor Angelika Merkel – I don’t really know much about her but it seems the German economy is once again growing after more then 10 years of depression. Can only be good for Europe.

- the nature in Ireland – inspiring !

- your tattoos – an addiction, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon o) I’m going to look like a prison inmate before 2010.

What do you think about the following albums:

 - HOLY TERROR - Mind Wars (“Christian Resistance” forever, ha!) - Incredible incredible. In my top 5 favourite albums ever. I got it in 1988 and never stopped listening to it. I even wore out my old vinyl copy. Totally under rated. Brilliant vocals, dark and interesting lyrics. Complex and dark arrangements. They must have been the 5 best thrash musicians in a band together in 88?. I exchanged some emails with Kurt Kilfelt a few years ago which was cool and the current bassist in High on Fire played guitar in the reformed Holy Terror so it was cool to talk to him about it.
 - LOREENA MCKENNIT - An Ancient Muse – Not the one I have. Not really that into stuff like that.
 - NEGURA BUNGET – Om – Great album, cool band and good people. Honest. Bunget perplex me sometimes, they have crazy songstructures. Sometimes it feels like a runaway train and you don’t know where they are going and then all of a sudden they pull it together from the chaos.
 - HAVAYOTH - His Creation Reversed – The first track was ok at the time but I don’t like that dancey euro goth. Fields of the Nephilim are the only goth band I really like.
 - CORONER - Punishment for Decadence – Another great and under rated band. I used to be in the Death Cult Lodge back in 89. Again more my kind of thrash. Darker and more involved.
 - SODOM - The Final Sign of Evil – I haven’t heard it yet. I love the original so much I’m kind of afraid to in case I’m disappointed to be honest. I will eventually. I love Obsessed by Cruelty though……Nuctemeronnnnn
 - W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children (one of my personal faves!) – Yeah the first 4 WASP albums are classic. Anyone who thinks they have got more in common with glam can get fucked. Listen to the first album, that’s one of the best Metal records ever made.
 - MASTER’S HAMMER – Ritual – Another classic from an influential band. I actually remember getting their The Mass demo on the B-side of Rotting Christ Satanas Tedeum back in 89 and being absolutely blow away. Two of the best demos from the second wave.
 - CELTIC FROST – Monotheist – I admire Frost for not taking the easy route. They made a dark and challenging album that actually had something to say. Sometimes I love it, other times I find it a little long but they were awesome live last year and the album will stand the test of time.

What will bring the year 2008 for PRIMORDIAL?

Touring, festivals, travelling, old friends, new friends, See you out there

Any last words of wisdom or greetings?

Like I said. Strength and Joy !. Don’t let the bastards grind ya down….

Ok Alan, that’s it – thanks a lot for spending your time. All the best!

Joe / http://www.ancientspirit.de